Sevens (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 110

Chapter 110 – Vera Tres
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Tres family’s merchant ship was heading to a harbor of a large country at the north.

The scenery of the sea was unchanging.

Also.

「Sorry, I can’t.」

──The seasickness was horrible.

Inside the room that was assigned to us, Aria was lying down on the floor with blanket wrapped up around her. Her complexion was bad and she looked suffering. It wasn’t just Aria.

「W-we are still not at the harbor yet?」

Sophia was saying that with a hollow gaze while hugging a bucket. Novem was rubbing her back gently.

「We have only just departed.」

「I-I can’t go on anymore.」

Sophia looked like she wanted to go home already, but the others were also the same.

Clara was listless. She was used as pillow by Eva who was writing something in her notebook. Her face was pale.

「Even among my fellow elves, there should only be few of them who have ever experienced boarding a ship this big──upuh」

She covered her mouth with her hand while writing her impression of boarding a ship.

I was honestly impressed by her tenacity, but I wished she would just go to sleep right now.

The one who was taking care of my seasick companions was the automata Monica. She was tidying up things while making a very displeased face.

Her long blond hair looked pretty and well cared. It looked soft and fluffy and tied up into twintail.

Monica loved wearing a conspicuous red maid uniform. She handed a drink to Thelma-san who was lying down due to feeling sick.

She also handed some kind of medicine.

「This is anti-seasick medicine. Your seasickness will get better with this.」

「Eh? E-err, why didn’t you give it before the ship set sail then?」

Everyone’s gaze turned toward Monica. Then she sighed before glancing at me.

「I wanted to nurse chicken dickwad who is suffering from seasickness, but he is looking well so I guess there is no need to continue concealing it.」

Thelma-san made a very astonished expression, but she said her thanks and drank the medicine in order to get better from the seasickness.

The suffering Eva was reaching out toward Monica. The way her pale face was glaring at Monica was really scary.

「H-hand over the──medicine here.」

Eva’s expression was desperate, but Monica scoffed at how she looked and showed off the medicine.

「Ee~, I wonder what should I do~. If chicken dickwad beg to this Monica, very please~, then I don’t mind giving it to you~」

This fellow was really troublesome.

「Just give it to her already.」

「Ye~s. Here, you better drink it gratefully woman!」

Eva received the medicine and water from Monica, then she hurriedly drank it before crouching.

She looked really suffering.

「W-we’ll have to board this thing again when going back won’t we? How about going through land next time? You know, I think there won’t be any problem at all with Porter.」

She hoped to go home through land route because she didn’t want to go back by ship. However going through the land route would waste too much time, and it was also impossible because of our contract with Tres family so I got no choice except shaking my head.

「I think we can’t do that.」

Eva cried from my gentle dismissal.

「Lyle you demon. Even though I’m suffering like this, you won’t sympathize with this painful feeling at all.」

Monica shrugged exaggeratedly seeing Eva starting to act a bit dramatically.

「It looks like this disappointing elf still have a leeway.」

Seeing the tragic figures of my comrades, I decided to go outside to feel the wind.

「There is still time until it’s our turn to patrol and stand by, so I’ll go breathe the outside air.」

「It can’t be helped. I shall accompany you.」

Then Monica began to prepare to also come with me.

I didn’t really want to bring her with me because of her conspicuous appearance.

「No, you stay here. Take care of everyone.」

「Eh!? W-why is that!?」

「It will become troublesome if I bring you with me.」

Besides, it would be mover convenient to me if my companions weren’t around if possible.

Monica staggered and crumbled down on the floor. And then she bit on her handkerchief.

「It’s frustrating. But, I cannot go against order.」

I ignored Monica who was starting to act dramatically by herself and left the room.

Let’s go talk with Vera-san.

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When I got out to the deck, there were the sailors doing their job. Other than them there were also some other adventurers.

There were those acting as lookouts, while there were also some who were on standby, ready to move anytime if needed.

There were also adventurers who were turning pale and collapsed inside the standby room. It seemed that we weren’t the only ones who were tormented by seasickness.

I walked while searching for my target.

Before long I found Vera-san standing at the bow of the ship while holding up a parasol.

She was looking at the direction the ship was heading to. It was convenient that she was alone.

『Target located! Lyle, you can ust act like usual. Show me your power.』

I heard the Sixth’s happy voice from inside the Jewel, but for me it was just a needless help. Besides, the way he spoke made it sounded like I was always smooth talking woman.

It was vexing to be thought like that.

I raised my right hand and called out to Vera-san while approaching.

「Can I have a bit of your time?」

「Do you have a business with me?」

Her eyes were the same purple like Novem and Aria. I felt like I was going to absorbed into them for an instant.

I thought that I might get treated cruelly, but the person herself was asking what was my business with her amiably. I was showing a slightly apologetic attitude.

「Actually, I have a little request to make.」

Vera-san smiled seeing my troubled smile. But, that smile also looked like she was walling her heart somewhere inside toward me.

She smiled, before her eyes shined sharply.

「How about I guess what this is about? You must want some assistance from me or Tres family right?」

「Eh? Ah, yes.」

I was bewildered because Vera-san suddenly guessed my intention correctly. The ancestors inside the Jewel were panicking.

『What are you doing Lyle!』

『This is different from the plan!』

『Oi, don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet at the last moment?』

『Lyle, that’s no good. It’s a bad move.』

『It’s not wrong as a human, but Lyle, you’re really naïve.』

Vera-san’s expression was still smiling like before, but she looked somewhat lonely. She averted her gaze from me and told me the reason how she guessed my intention.

「Your face seem puzzled of how I can guess that. That’s because the reason you adventurers approach me is always because you want the support of Trace family. Or perhaps our fortune? It’s rare that people approach me for other reason than that.」

──Could it be, I failed already? I thought that it was the lowest for a human to woo unknown person for their fortune.

That was why I tried requesting for support honestly like this, and yet it seemed from Vera-san’s perspective this was just something like usual.

Vera-san returned her gaze to me.

「I’ll hear your reason just in case. I can at least kill time with this talk until we arrive at our destination.」

I was told to speak about my reason of wanting assistance. I hurriedly tried to talk about our situation.

However, I couldn’t tell her much. As the result──.

「I intend to start up a mercenary group. You know, it seems that the border between Zayin and Lorphys is currently in conflict, so I’m thinking to participate there.」

──I ended up saying a very vague reason.

Things like wanting to obtain Zayin or we had the former saintess as a trump card at our side were something that I couldn’t tell her at this point of time.

Eh? Could it be that seducing her would really be more effective compared to this?

I regretted my decision at this point. The Sixth’s disappointed voice came from inside the Jewel.

『Aa~a, it’s a failure.』

It was just as the Sixth said. Vera-san averted her gaze from me and her evaluation toward me declined.

「So, you want Tres family’s support to start up a mercenary company. It’s amazing that you know about the information of Zayin and Lorphys but, you want financial support for that──h~m. How should I say it, it’s normal? It’s like something that any dreaming young adventurer would say. A common story.」

Vera-san showed no interest. She shook her head.

「It’s unfortunate but, I and also Tres family can’t give any support to your party. That kind of story comes to use almost every day. Honestly we have no time to listen to such requests. Besides, I can’t feel any passion from you.」

「Passion?」

「Yes. Passion. Something like, I’ll do it no matter what! It only looks like you’re going with the flow. I can’t feel any motivation from you. Do you think anyone will want to support that kind of person?」

「I guess nobody would.」

I nodded in understanding. Vera-san looked slightly surprised and then she started laughing while holding her stomach. Was my answer that funny?

「What’s that? Are you aware that it’s you we are talking about here?」

It seemed that my words really hit her funny bone. Vera-san was laughing in genuine amusement. She even gathered the attention of the surrounding. The sailors who were working around us also noticed me, and then a young man approached me.

His face seemed anxious somewhat.

「You over there, what are you doing!」

The diligent looking youth called at me. His face was stiff.

Vera-san wiped her tear that came out from laughing and then she told the youth 「It’s alright」.

「Roland, no need for that. I was just laughing because this person’s answer is funny. This person, he is really strange. Even though he came to me asking please give us your aid~, he simply accepted it when I told him the reason of my refusal.」

The youth called Roland glared at me.

「──I ask you to not go near Ojou-sama.」

From the perspective of Vera-san’s subordinate, they mustn’t be amused if an unknown adventurer approached their boss asking for aid.

I noticed the gazes from the surrounding and obeyed Roland’s words.

「I’m sorry. I shall be careful from here on.」

「Do so. Ojou-sama too, please don’t associate with every single people like this.」

Vera-san seemed to be reflecting on herself when Roland told her that.

「My bad. But, it was funny.」

She seemed pleased by my answer. Vera-san recalled it and laughed again. Roland looked exasperated at such Vera-san and led me to leave that place.

I grasped the Jewel in my right hand while feeling the gazes of my surrounding.

Then I learned that the people around me were directing hostility at me.

Inside the 3D map that was floating in my head, many of the adventurers were showing yellow color. That color showed that they were neither my ally nor enemy.

And then red color──it showed bared hostility. The sailors who heard my conversation with Vera-san were showing such color. As for Vera-san──yellow? She held no hostility toward me.

Amidst that color, there was a person who was showing blue color.

It didn’t came from my party member, but from the person in front of me.

When we entered inside the ship, Roland turned around and warned me.

「You mustn’t approach Vera-ojousama carelessly. Do you get that?」

「The sailors were really glaring at me back there.」

「──For the sailors, Vera-ojousama is their goddess of fortune. No matter what kind of voyage it is, they believe that they will be able to surmount it if Vera-ojousama is with them. It’s a type of religious faith.」

This Roland in front of me was the one who held the biggest good will toward me despite being the one leading me away from that place.

「Why did you help me?」

It seemed that Roland was thinking that I must be resenting him because he got in my way while talking with Vera-san. He was making a surprised face.

「You noticed?」

「You called out for my sake right?」

「──I have my own circumstance. Anyway, it’ll be better if you don’t approach Vera-ojousama if you don’t have any pressing business. You also have, you know──your companions, so you aren’t troubled for woman right?」

Roland left with a red face.

I grabbed the Jewel with my right hand when I became alone. As expected, the ancestors’ reaction was cold.

『Lyle you idiot.』

The Third called me an idiot. I leaned on the wall and made an excuse.

「I was just thinking that way would be better than sweet talking her. But, I failed. She would think I’m just aiming for her money even if I try seducing her from here wouldn’t it?」

Inside I felt relieved because now I didn’t need to try my hand on seducing anymore. The Fourth noticed I was smiling and felt irritated.

『Your face is saying that that you’re glad you failed right from the start.』

「Ah, you noticed? Because, it’s just horrible to approach a girl for money.」

The Fifth was annoyed.

『We know from the start that it’s a horrible thing to do. Have you forgotten how you said that you will do anything in order to defeat Celes?』

Certainly I had decided in my heart that I was fine to even become a villain in order to fight Celes. But, the vector that I was thinking was different.

「I’ll compensate for this with other things. I’ll also give up gaining support from Tres family.」

The family head was also hating me. Besides, it wasn’t really my style to seduce Vera-san who was really loved by her father like that just to make use of her.

The Seventh showed an understanding at my feeling.

『So, you are reluctant to deceive an innocent girl huh. I think it’s good that you haven’t abandoned your human conscience, but that means the matter this time is a failure you know?』

He blamed me while also showing a degree of understanding. Besides, his criticizing words to me also contained kindness somewhere in them. The Seventh must also be reluctant to use that kind of method.

「I’ll overcome it with my own strength. I’ll earn money as adventurer──」

The Sixth spoke there.

『Shh! Lyle, it’s Miranda and Shannon.』

I hurriedly closed my mouth and turned around. There Miranda and Shannon were walking in the ship’s passage. The two of them didn’t get seasickness, so it seemed they had been walking around inside the ship.

Shannon insulted me the moment she saw me.

「We heard how your request for support got refused! As I thought, it’s impossible for someone like you to do negotiation! That’s really unsightly.」

How did she know about my failure? Shannon was laughing while pointing at me.

Miranda approached me. She wasn’t smiling.

「The rumor is already spreading. Can you tell me about what happened in detail?」

I talked honestly.

「It’s the truth. When I asked her if she can give us support, she said that I lack passion and refuse. When I accepted her refusal, Vera-san laughed and it got awful for a moment there.」

I explained while laughing. Shannon interrupted me in exasperation.

「There is no meaning accepting this request if you fail this quickly. We’re only going to waste time like this. Aa~a, we failed because of Lyle’s fault.」

「Shut up.」

I pinched Shannon’s cheeks to shut her up. Miranda was looking at me with a serious gaze. I let go of Shannon’s cheeks in surprise. Shannon also sensed Miranda’s atmosphere and closed her mouth while pressing her hands on her cheeks.

「Lyle.」

「What?」

Miranda slowly questioned me. It was like an interrogation.

「We expressly accepted this troublesome request in order to obtain support from Tres family didn’t we? We expressly spared time for this despite how busy we are didn’t we?」

「Y-yeah.」

「And yet, I wonder why you give up this easily? Even though you were thinking really seriously before accepting this request, you give up awfully quickly.」

Miranda didn’t know what was my true aim by accepting this quest.

I was simply coming to an acceptance within myself on my own that I wouldn’t need to do any seducing with this.

It couldn’t be helped that was unable to comprehend me like this.

『No good. Lyle, be careful with your ans──nuoh!』

The Sixth who talked to me loudly from the Jewel yelled in surprise midway and became speechless. That was because Shannon’s eyes snapped open and she stared at the Jewel.

T-this girl, could it be that she could see the ancestors making a ruckus inside the Jewel?

The ancestors became unable to speak. And so I continued talking to Miranda without any advice.

「I’m really sorry that we’re ending up wasting time like this. Besides, about what I was thinking before accepting this request, it’s not anything important at all──you don’t need to worry about it.」

I averted my gaze, but Miranda didn’t let up with her questioning. She slowly closed the distance and finally she cornered me to the wall and brought her face close to me.

「I want to hear what were you planning at the beginning. Lyle, I wonder what kind of plan you had thought up? If you tell us, then I think we can also support you when you carry out your plan though?」

「Yeah, but, it’s over already at this point.」

Certainly it would be reassuring if I had support, but asking for help to seduce a rich young lady──from my female companions, what would happen if I did that?

I averted my gaze, but Miranda caught my chin and forcefully made me to face her.

「Can you tell me in detail? I want to hear about it, Lyle.」

Miranda was smiling, but her eyes looked mysteriously shining. Even if I lied here, Shannon beside her would see through it.

I resolved myself.

「──I planned to seduce Vera-san and made her fall in love with me.」

When I said that with a faint voice, Shannon who had been keeping quiet until now hurled insult at me.

「The worst! You’re just the worst! Onee-sama, let’s punish this guy. Like spanking in the butt. A hundred times at least!」

Shannon was angry, even so she also seemed to be delighted from finding my weakness. I couldn’t say anything back and swallowed my anger toward Shannon.

After all I was really in the wrong this time.

When I thought that, Miranda’s palm passed through beside my face──hitting the wall behind me.

「Hih!?」

I let out a strange voice in surprise. Miranda was frowning, she must be angry. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the silent ancestors inside the Jewel also seemed surprised, or perhaps scared.

The Sixth’s voice leaked out in a whisper.

『She looks like my wives.』

It was amazing that the plural form of “wife” came out. The Sixth was keeping multiple scary women like Miranda as his mistresses, I was honestly impressed──not. The Sixth was completely bad.

In front of Miranda whose attitude changed drastically, Shannon closed her mouth and averted her gaze. It seemed she judged that she must not get involved with this.

I looked at Miranda’s face. She was clearly angry.

「I-I’m sorry. As expected even for me it’s impossible to seduce a girl for something like that, so I changed plan in the middle. I tried to honestly ask her for aid, but as expected it was hopeless.」

It couldn’t be helped even if she got furious at me.

Even though I was thinking that, Miranda was feeling angry──not because of that.

「Lyle, this isn’t a game. If you’re going to do something, then do it seriously.」

「Eh? Ah, yes.」

In the request this time, just accomplishing it wasn’t enough. This was an important moment that would affect our success after this.

Miranda was blaming my lack of resolve.

「Why didn’t you go through with your original intention? You saw it when we boarded this ship right? The weak point of Tres family is the head’s daughters. If you can seduce them, then it’s highly possible that you will be able to obtain support.」

Certainly Fidel-san’s weak point was his daughter Vera-san.

It was clear that he treasured her.

That was why the plan that I──the ancestors thought up felt really dirty after seeing that.

Miranda told me about the information that she investigated above this ship.

「The sailors are also really looking up at that young lady. They told us a lot of thing when we praised her. Isn’t that right Shannon?」

Shannon nodded many times in panic when her name was suddenly called.

「Y-yes! That person, she is the owner of this ship. And then you know, err, it looks like she herself has a lot of money.」

What she said was too vague that I didn’t really get what she meant, but anyway I could grasp that even Vera-san herself was really rich. Miranda added.

「Even just obtaining the personal support of that lady will be enough for us to weather our current need. ──Do you understand, Lyle?」

If I didn’t change plan at the middle and successfully carried out my first plan, our objective this time would be fulfilled. Miranda wanted to say that.

「No, but you see. I don’t think that I’d be able to succeed!」

I didn’t have the confidence of being able to seduce Vera-san. When I said that, Miranda brought her lips closer until the distance where our lips almost touched.

「Do it seriously even if it ended in failure in the end. Lyle, I’ll say it one more time──this isn’t a game. If you decided to seduce her, do it seriously. We will help you with that.」

「Eh?」

Miranda would help, me seducing Vera-san……?

I didn’t understand what she meant.

「You are really going to help? Approaching Vera-san means, that’s, I mean──」

Miranda drew back from me and shrugged while smiling in amusement.

「My, isn’t that fine. It’s pathetic that a man who is trying to obtain a country is unable to overcome something of this level.」

I never even imagined that I would receive support even though I was saying that I was going to lay my hand on a new woman.

Was Miranda alright with that? Could it be, she wasn’t looking at me as a man anymore?

I felt such uneasiness. Miranda looked like she noticed my feeling and brought her face closer again.

Unlike before, her smile was kind.

「You don’t need to worry. After all no matter how many rivals appear, it will be me who become Lyle’s number one. Just remember that.」

That was really something delightful to hear. And yet, for some reason──my back felt cold.

At the same time I was feeling some kind of instinct that was telling me 「I can’t run」 from hearing that.

Miranda spoke to me.

「Now, let’s conquer that young lady seriously. The time limit is until this ship return to Beim. Make her fall in love no matter what before that. ──You understand?」

You understand? Only that part of her sentence was said with strangely low tone of voice.

Inside the Jewel, the ancestors were getting noisy with small voices. They were saying things like 『Eh, she is going to help?』 or 『This is just unexpected[ or 『Isn’t this scary somehow?』 or 『She is really the descendant of Oba-ue』.

Only the Sixth was saying 『S-she is similar with my wives』 in fear.

Everyone was talking in small voice because Shannon was here. They must be thinking that they would be found out if they talked loudly. But, right now Shannon was looking at Miranda instead of me.

Miranda was turning a serious expression at me.

「Do you understand? I’ll do everything I can to support you Lyle. And, what is your reply to that?」

I straightened my back and replied.

「Y-yes! I’ll give it my all to seduce her!」

「Very good. Then, first let’s gather everyone and hold a strategy meeting.」

Shannon who was listening to our conversation was making a creeped out face. That expression really left an impression.

「Eh? We are going to make everyone help Lyle?」

It was annoying to have the same thought like Shannon, but I was also thinking that.