• 440
• Seafarer
  Hey everyone! They say another merchant ship was attacked off the coast of Cyprus!

• 441
• Merchant
  What!? The Turkish navy, again?

• 442
• Seafarer
  Yes.
  This is the fifth ship just in this month! What is the government doing?

• 443
• Merchant
  Indeed! Why would they not send our navy after them?

• 444
• Merchant
  Why would the government not send the navy?

• 445
• Seafarer
  Hm? Do you need something?

• 446
• How will you respond?

• 447
• What do you mean by "The Turkish again"?

• 448
• What do you mean by "What is the government doing"?

• 449
• I don't have any news in particular.

• 450
• Seafarer
  Hm.
  I see.

• 451
• Seafarer
  There's a Turkish warship sitting off the coast of Cyprus, attacking any Venetian merchant ship it can get its hands on.
  We've already lost 5 ships, just this month.
  What is the government doing?
  Do you want to know anything else?

• 452
• Seafarer
  Usually, with damage like this, the normal thing to do would be to send out the navy and hunt the ship down.
  But the government won't do anything! They won't even send out an official warning! Talk about weak-mouthed politics...

• 453
• Seafarer
  (Oops...
  here comes an official.
  Gotta go, gotta go...)

• 454
• Official
  Are you Player? Chairman Gradenigo would like to see you.
  You must report to the Doge's Estate immediately.

• 455
• Official
  Player, Chairman Gradenigo orders you to report to the Doge's Estate immediately.

• 456
• Guard
  Ah, Player.
  The chairman will see you.
  Enter.

• 457
• Seafarer
  Why do they want me here?

• 458
• Seafarer
  What do these nobles want with me?

• 459
• Gradenigo
  Welcome, elites of our nation.
  You have heard of the Turkish navy off the coast of Cyprus.
  Today, we have called you skilled sailors here to enlist you temporarily for our battle against these pirates.

• 460
• Seafarer
  What? I know nothing about naval warfare.

• 461
• Seafarer
  What's the proper navy doing?

• 462
• Gradenigo
  Complaining, are you? How weak.
  Even if you are not soldiers in times of peace, you must take up arms for Venice once the need arises.
  That is your duty as citizens.

• 463
• Seafarer
  ...
  That can't be.

• 464
• Alvise
  ...
  What are you thinking, chairman.

• 465
• Gradenigo
  Well well, Aide Orseolo.
  Our citizens call for a mobilisation of force to defeat the Turkish navy off the coast of Cyprus.
  You just agreed to it, during our cabinet meeting?

• 466
• Alvise
  That is not my question.
  Why are you employing civilians instead of the proper navy?

• 467
• Gradenigo
  ......

• 468
• Alvise
  You are using them as a sacrifice, to save face for both the Venetian citizens and to Turkey.

• 469
• Gradenigo
  ...
  Quiet! I will not allow such impudence!

• 470
• Alvise
  Fine.
  If that is the way you want it, then I shall lead this force myself.
  If I return defeated, do as you please.

• 471
• Gradenigo
  ...
  I will mark those words.

• 472
• Alvise
  Come, all of you.

• 473
• Seafarer
  Wait a minute.
  What do you mean, we're gonna be sacrificed?

• 474
• Alvise
  The Turks are dozens of times more powerful than us.
  We cannot risk an all-out war with them, even if they taunt us like this.
  However, if we leave their piracy be, Gradenigo and his gang will lose the support of the citizens, and will surely lose the next election.

• 475
• Seafarer
  So, by sending amateurs like us...

• 476
• Alvise
  That's right.
  As long as a force of some sort is sent, the public will not complain, and they can tell the Turks that it was a band of citizens who went out of control.
  Victory is not the goal here, we are mere sacrifices.

• 477
• Seafarer
  Then why would you come with us, Master Alvise?

• 478
• Alvise
  It is my firm belief as a noble -
  Our nation has neither land nor resources, and so our citizens are our most powerful support.
  I will not allow citizens to be sacrificed, even if I must risk my life and the lives of my family.

• 479
• Seafarer
  Master Alvise...

• 480
• Voice
  Brother! Player!

• 481
• Alvise
  Vittoria.

• 482
• Vittoria
  An expedition, so suddenly!? And with so few ships...

• 483
• Alvise
  Ha! We may be outnumbered, but the Turks are a new nation that grew on the land.
  They are no match against the hardened veterans of the Venetian navy.
  Besides, I told you to stay at home.
  What are you doing here?
  I have still not forgiven you for destroying that wedding.

• 484
• Vittoria
  Brother, you just won't let that go, will you?
  Fine, I will stay at home and be a good girl.
  Player, do be careful...

• 485
• Alvise
  ...Player.
  As you can see, my life is at the mercy of both the Turks and the conniving Council.
  I tried to force Vittoria into that marriage so that she can live safely even if I died.
  ...You must survive this battle.
  If you die, she will be heartbroken...
  
  Alright! Set sail!

• 486
• Turkish soldier
  The Venetians are here! Leave the rear force and retreat!

• 487
• Alvise
  ...What!? What's going on!?

• 488
• Alvise
  So in the end, 80％ of their forces retreated without fighting...
  What are they conspiring?

• 489
• Town resident
  ...
  Are you sure we are not getting any pepper this year?

• 490
• Merchant
  Yes, the Pasha of Egypt, who pledges allegiance to the Turks, suddenly stopped their export of peppers.
  Apparently, it is a retaliation to the attack at Cyprus.

• 491
• Alvise
  What...!?

• 492
• Incense merchant
  Hey, it's Alvise Orseolo!

• 493
• Merchant
  It's all your fault!
  You decided to attack the Turks and caused all of this!

• 494
• Incense merchant
  Yeah, yeah!
  Without Egyptian pepper, my entire family must live in the streets!

• 495
• Alvise
  ...
  Was this the Turkish plan, all along?
  Player, we must head to the Doge's mansion.
  Hurry!

• 496
• Merchant
  It's all your fault!
  You decided to attack the Turks and caused all of this!

• 497
• Incense merchant
  Yeah, yeah!
  Without Egyptian pepper, my entire family must live in the streets!

• 498
• Alvise
  Where is Chairman Gradenigo!

• 499
• Guard
  Yes, my lord!

• 500
• Gradenigo
  Well well, Alvise and Player.
  Good work at Cyprus.

• 501
• Alvise
  Is it true that Turkey stopped the pepper export?

• 502
• Gradenigo
  ...
  Yes, it seems like it was our mistake to go ahead with the attack.

• 503
• Alvise
  "Our"...?
  Ha, seeing how you spread rumours to escape the blame, your words ring empty.
  Word is that Orseolo decided on his own to launch the attack, and that the council had nothing to do with it.

• 504
• Gradenigo
  That is a mere rumour, created and spread by the townsfolk.
  It has nothing to do with us.

• 505
• Alvise
  I see...
  you used your espionage network to spread this rumour.

• 506
• Gradenigo
  Hah! Your conspiracy theories amuse me.
  Fine then, I suppose then that you could amuse me further by leading the merchant fleet to Alexandria and restarting the pepper trade.

• 507
• Alvise
  And the budget for the negotiation? Who will join me?

• 508
• Gradenigo
  Please, think before you speak!
  Do you think you are in a position to make such demands?

• 509
• Alvise
  ...
  Fine.
  Without pepper, our economy is doomed.
  I will gladly take this role, not for you, but for the people of this city.

• 510
• Gradenigo
  Aide Orseolo...
  your deceased father was a noble amongst nobles, very...
  understanding.
  He would be...
  displeased, I'm certain, to see how you act on behalf of your own doom.

• 511
• Alvise
  Say what you will, vermin.

• 512
• Gradenigo
  You, leave this place as well.

• 513
• Alvise
  Player, here is your reward for joining this mission.
  It is much too little, compared to what you have put to risk, but please accept it as a token of my gratitude.

• 514
• Alvise
  I must head out to Alexandria now.
  Tell Vittoria to be ready for anything while I am gone.

• 23023
• Apparently, the Turkish navy had recently attacked numerous ships from Venice in the sea near Cyprus.

• 23024
• Despite this, the government took no measures to deal with the issue, which raised the ire of the citizens of Venice.
  Amidst this, Player was summoned by the leader of the Decemviri, Gradenigo, to come to the Doge's Estate.

• 23025
• At the mansion, there were a number of civilian sailors who had also been summoned.
  Gradenigo announced that Player was to be drafted immediately and sent to put down the Turkish fleet off the coast of Cyprus.
  The sailors wished to know why they were being dispatched to deal with this problem instead of the regular navy.
  However, Gradenigo made no effort to respond to them.
  Just then, Alvise burst into the room.
  Pointing at Player and the others, he said, "You are using them as a sacrifice, to save face for both the Venetian citizens and to Turkey." Gradenigo was thrown off guard by such a direct comment.
  Alvise declared that he would command the fleet himself.
  Gradenigo stated that he would be happy to deal with Alvise when he returned and then left the room.

• 23026
• The sailors wanted to know why they were being used as a "sacrifice", to which Alvise responded that Turkey's military might was several dozen times that of Venice.
  If it came to all-out war, there would be no hope of victory.
  However, it would be dangerous for the Council to continue to ignore the pirates any longer, as they would lose the faith of the public and surely lose in the next elections.
  Therefore, they decided to create a fleet of civilians drafted into service and send them out without really worrying about victory or defeat.
  Though imperfect, this way they were able to silence the public outrage by making it look like they were doing something, while at the same time, they could tell Turkey that it was simply the act of private citizens that they had no control over.

• 23027
• Worried about Alvise and Player, Vittoria came down to the port.
  Alvise reassured her that the Turkish navy was no match for Venice and ordered Vittoria to remain at home.
  Vittoria became angry at her brother's apparent indifference.
  Watching to make sure that his sister actually left, Alvise said that by opposing Gradenigo, he could be killed at any moment.
  Therefore, he had hoped that Vittoria would get married so that she could live on even if he were gone.
  For Vittoria's sake, Alvise told Player to be sure and survive this battle, and then gave the order for the fleet to set sail for Famagusta.

• 23028
• Player and the others captured the Turkish fleet in the sea near Cyprus.
  However, the enemy fleet left behind a rear guard, allowing many of them to escape.
  Although not a total victory, they returned to Venice.

• 23029
• After returning to Venice, they found out the reason for the withdrawal.
  Using the attack by Alvise and the others as an excuse, the Pasha of Egypt, an ally of Turkey, had stopped the export of pepper.
  With all importing of pepper stopped, the Venice economy had been dealt a massive blow.
  Everything had been a trap planned by Turkey in order to corner Venice diplomatically.

• 23030
• Additionally, the people were convinced that the attack in the Cyprus sea was all the work of Alvise and showered him with boos when he returned home.
  Alvise decided to check on the circumstances of the situation and hurried to the Doge's Estate.

• 23031
• However, Gradenigo stated that they were all simply rumours being spread by the civilians and then gave Alvise new orders to go to Alexandria and resume the imports of pepper.
  In order to save the country, Alvise accepted the difficult task of taking this mission without any official budget or support.
  As he was leaving, Gradenigo said, "Aide Orseolo...
  your deceased father was a noble amongst nobles, very...
  understanding.
  He would be...
  displeased, I'm certain, to see how you act on behalf of your own doom."

• 23032
• Alvise warned Player to beware of an attack by the Council and then left a message to be delivered to Vittoria before he set off towards Egypt.