• 626
• Vittoria
  What's that...?

• 627
• Merchant
  Everyone, listen! I've got some alarming news! Portugal's Indies expeditionary fleet arrived two days ago in Lisbon.

• 628
• Man in town
  Isn't the Admiral of that fleet named Gama? What's wrong?

• 629
• Merchant
  They say they actually bought a small amount of pepper from the Indies.

• 630
• Vittoria
  Admiral Gama of Portugal...? I thought it was Admiral Colon of Spain who brought back the pepper.
  Player, let's go to Lisbon to find out.

• 631
• Seafarer
  ...Is that true?!

• 632
• Officer
  That's right, pepper costs next to nothing in India.

• 633
• Seafarer
  Over here, of course, pepper is rarer than gold or silver! But in India...
  practically free...!

• 634
• Officer
  Believe it or not, it's up to you.
  I worked under Admiral Gama and saw it with my own eyes.
  This is my log.
  I have everything written down, from the buying price of the pepper to the amount I carried back.

• 635
• Seafarer
  Over here, of course, pepper is rarer than gold or silver! But in India...
  practically free...!

• 636
• Officer
  Hm? Do you need something?

• 637
• How will you respond?

• 638
• Show me your Log

• 639
• I don't have any news in particular.

• 640
• Officer
  Oh, okay.

• 641
• Officer
  Hey, you're not Portuguese.
  This is an important navy secret, I can't just show it to some random stranger.
  Maybe if you can beat me in a fair fight, I can show you.
  Say, noble girl.

• 642
• Vittoria
  Who, me?

• 643
• Officer
  Yes, you.
  We'll take turns drinking this wine, and the first one to drop is the loser.
  If you win, I'll show you my log.
  If I win, you spend a day with me.
  How's that?

• 644
• Vittoria
  ...
  I understand.
  The future of my nation is at stake.
  Your challenge is accepted.

• 645
• Harun
  ...
  Whoa, Vittoria! Are you sure!?

• 646
• Vittoria
  ...
  Okay, your turn.

• 647
• Officer
  ...
  
  Not...
  not bad, for a girl...

• 648
• Vittoria
  ...
  Phew!
  Drink up! It's your turn!

• 649
• Officer
  I...
  I can't take any more...
  please...

• 650
• Vittoria
  Hush! Hush you! Hahahahaha! Drink! Drink now!
  Come on! Is that the best you can do!?

• 651
• Officer
  Please! Mercy!
  Have mercy...

• 652
• Vittoria
  Ewwwrrrrrgggghhh.
  Now that'll show my brother...

• 653
• Soldier
  Hey! What's going on here?

• 654
• Harun
  Uh oh! Player, carry Vittoria! Let's get out of here!

• 655
• Vittoria
  ...
  My head...
  Hrm? Why am I on Player's ship?

• 656
• Harun
  You don't even remember?
  Player and I carried you here.

• 657
• Vittoria
  Oh, I'm so sorry...
  ...! Player, what happened to the log?

• 658
• Harun
  Don't worry, I grabbed it when we ran off.

• 659
• Harun
  We'll deliver this to Master Alvise and our job is done.

• 660
• Vittoria
  Thank goodness...

• 661
• Harun
  But anyway...
  Vittoria, you can be pretty scary.
  That was quite a show.

• 662
• Vittoria
  Huh? What are you talking about?

• 663
• Vittoria
  Anyway, let's go report to my brother.

• 664
• Emaretta
  Master Alvise is at the Doge's mansion.

• 665
• Vittoria
  Is my brother here?

• 666
• Guard
  Yes my lady! Please enter.

• 667
• Guard
  Player, Master Alvise and Lady Vittoria are waiting for you.
  Enter.

• 668
• Alvise
  Player, Vittoria, you have returned.
  How did you fare?

• 669
• Vittoria
  Please look at this.

• 670
• Alvise takes the officer's log

• 671
• Alvise
  What...
  so it was a Portuguese by the name of Gama, not Colon, who reached India.
  Vittoria, Player, you both did well.
  This is your reward.

• 672
• Alvise
  I must report this to the doge, immediately.

• 673
• Doge of Venice
  Alvise, is this the sailor Player that you mentioned?

• 674
• Alvise
  At your service.

• 675
• Doge of Venice
  I see.
  I thank you for your efforts and look forward to seeing you help our nation.
  So...
  Alvise, what is this urgent report of yours?

• 676
• Alvise
  A Portuguese Admiral by the name of Gama has pioneered a new route to India, around the southern end of Africa.

• 677
• Doge of Venice
  ...
  What!? Tell me more!

• 678
• Alvise
  Ughh!

• 679
• Doge of Venice
  ...
  So the Portuguese can import pepper cheaply from India.

• 680
• Alvise
  That is correct, my lord.
  If this information reaches the public directly, they may panic.
  We must release an official message from the government to lessen the blow.

• 681
• Voice
  What are you saying, Aide Orseolo.

• 682
• Gradenigo
  Portugal is a tiny nation at the western edge of the world.
  What would happen if the Doge himself confesses to defeat to such a nation?
  The pride of Venice, the power that has conquered the Adriatic sea for 300 years, will crumble to ruin, and the entire world will laugh at us.
  Please, Doge, think again.

• 683
• Doge of Venice
  Hmm...
  If Gradenigo says so, I suppose we have no choice.
  Call the council, we must hold an emergency meeting to discuss this.

• 684
• Alvise
  Wait, my lord! We do not have the time for this! We must make haste!

• 685
• However, Alvise's pleas were not heard.
  The Council was called to discuss the new Indian route, and their debates lasted the entire night.
  However, no conclusion could be reached, and time passed on meaninglessly.
  Then...

• 686
• Messenger
  Sir! The price of pepper has crashed in the market at Rialto!
  Civilians are surrounding the Doge's mansion and are demanding compensation!

• 687
• Alvise
  We were too late...

• 688
• A Bank Clerk who experienced this disturbance described his anxiety in his diary thusly -
  "Venice is now a baby without milk".

• 23042
• Player and the others arrived in Seville.
  However, the name that surfaced in the rumours of the people at the port was not Colon, but one of a man they had never heard of, Admiral Gama of the Portuguese campaign to the Indies.
  He had brought pepper from India several days ago and then returned to Lisbon.

• 23043
• Upon visiting a tavern in Lisbon, there was an officer who said that he had participated in Gama's India expedition and began boasting of his travels to India.
  The sailors did not know whether to believe these stories of pepper being sold for next to nothing.
  The officer brought out his voyage diary and showed them that it was true.

• 23044
• Player asked the officer to see the log.
  In response, the officer stated that he could not divulge such important secrets for nothing and then presented an offer to Vittoria.
  They were to have a drinking contest, and if she won, he would show them the log.
  However, if she lost, then she would have to spend the day with him.
  Vittoria ignored Harun's attempts to stop her and agreed to the challenge.
  After they had drank several glasses each, the merchant began staggering and could not keep up with Vittoria, who continued drinking despite being quite intoxicated.
  Finally, he admitted defeated and passed out, as did Vittoria before long.
  Suddenly, a group of soldiers were drawn by the commotion, causing Player and Harun to carry Vittoria and flee the tavern.

• 23045
• Fortunately, in the turmoil, Harun grabbed the officer's log.
  Having fulfilled their duty, the group returned to Venice.

• 23046
• Alvise took the log, thanked Player and the others for their efforts, and then immediately went to report to the Doge.
  The Doge was astonished at hearing that the pepper monopoly had collapsed.
  Alvise appealed to him that they should be open about this development with the people in order to prevent panic from spreading in the event they were to learn of this by themselves.
  However, Gradenigo opposed the idea, saying that if Venice were to admit defeat to Portugal, it would cause Venice to lose respect.
  And so, the Council was called for an emergency meeting.
  However, no conclusion was reached at the end of their debate, and they simply wasted valuable time while the rumours began to spread.
  Then, just as Alvise feared, the city of Venice was thrown into a state of panic.