• 689
• Noble Woman
  There is a dinner party at the Doge's mansion soon.
  I must dress up and be on my way.

• 690
• Emaretta
  I have asked for a new dress for the lady for this dinner party, but it hasn't arrived yet...

• 691
• Vittoria
  Player! How good of you to come.

• 692
• Vittoria
  Have you already heard about the dinner party, Player?

• 693
• How will you respond?

• 694
• Yes.

• 695
• No, I shouldn't...

• 696
• Vittoria
  There is a dinner party at the Doge's mansion soon.

• 697
• Vittoria
  Given the pepper incident from the other day, this nation is in no state for a party...
  I wonder what they are thinking.

• 698
• Alvise
  The party is a mere excuse to gather the foreign merchants in one place.
  The council is preparing a "major announcement" for the occasion.

• 699
• Vittoria
  Important announcement...?

• 700
• Alvise
  Apparently it's a plan to bring them back from the brink against Portugal.
  I can't believe what rubbish they came up with after all that time arguing...
  My country's parliament has really fallen.

• 701
• Vittoria
  ......
  Player, my brother and I must attend this party as well...
  Would it be possible for you to come with us, Player?

• 702
• Alvise
  Yes, you're right.
  We don't know what the Council is up to.
  With Player close by, I will feel more at ease.

• 703
• What do you want to do?

• 704
• Okay, I see.

• 705
• No.

• 706
• Vittoria
  I see...
  I am sorry.

• 707
• Vittoria
  Thank you! I'm glad.

• 708
• Alvise
  Vittoria, I must remind you.
  The guests are all powerful merchants.
  If something were to go wrong, it will damage the entire nation.
  Make sure you remain polite, and stay out of trouble.

• 709
• Vittoria
  Yes, I know.
  Of course.

• 710
• Alvise
  Very well.
  Then I will be going on ahead.

• 711
• Alvise
  I would feel so much more at ease if Player could go as well...

• 712
• Vittoria
  It's a dinner party.
  Can you join us, Player?

• 713
• What do you want to do?

• 714
• Okay, I see.

• 715
• No.

• 716
• Vittoria
  I see...
  I am sorry.

• 717
• Vittoria
  Okay, let us be on our way too.

• 718
• Guard
  Mistress Vittoria, who might your companion here be...

• 719
• Vittoria
  This is Player.
  I invited him.
  Didn't you make him an offer too?

• 720
• Guard
  Oh yes! I'm so sorry, it must have slipped my mind.
  Right this way.

• 721
• Gradenigo
  Do pardon me interrupting your pleasant chat.

• 722
• Gradenigo
  Today, I have an important announcement for you all direct from the Doge himself.

• 723
• Doge of Venice
  ...
  Given the events in Portugal the other day, the Decemviri discussed trade policies from now on.
  In conclusion, we will join the route to India around Africa.

• 724
• Gradenigo
  Therefore, we would like to ask you, with your extensive experience navigating foreign waters, to assist us.

• 725
• Alvise
  Basically, the point of this meeting is only this:
  Until now, Venetian merchants have survived only on Mediterranean trading, as it was too much trouble to venture out into other oceans.
  But, if we invite other large merchants from other countries and incorporate a trade route to India...
  Ah, but I can see from your faces you do not like the idea.

• 726
• Alvise
  From the Atlantic Ocean, Venice looks like a forsaken eastern land, too much trouble to do business with.
  They'd rather build new trade routes than work with us.
  It makes more sense for them to just do business with Portugal.
  There is no way we could expect any supporters.

• 727
• Alvise
  And yet, the people on the platform think that as long as they have the golden sign of the trade city of Venice, everything will go just as they think it will.
  Honestly...
  We can't waste any more time like this.
  I'm leaving now.
  Take care of Vittoria.

• 728
• Gradenigo
  Okay then, why don't we make it dancing time now?

• 729
• Merchant
  After coming all this way, you could at least pour us some drinks.

• 730
• Vittoria
  ...Understood.

• 731
• Merchant
  Wee!
  Come on, girlie, have a drink.

• 732
• Vittoria
  ...Sorry, but I don't drink.

• 733
• Merchant
  Huh? You say you're too good to drink with me...!?
  ...Swine nobles think they're too good for us.
  Never mind that Venice would be finished without our support.

• 734
• Vittoria
  ......

• 735
• Merchant
  What's with the look? I said the truth.
  If I wanted business, I can work with the Portuguese instead.

• 736
• Vittoria
  ...!

• 737
• Voice
  ...Miss, would you do me the honour of a dance?

• 738
• Vittoria
  I'm sorry, but now is not the...

• 739
• Vittoria
  You...!

• 740
• Vittoria
  ...Hey, wait! I'm not good at dancing...

• 741
• Julien
  It's alright, I will take the lead.

• 742
• Noble Woman
  Oh ho...
  Those two look great together.

• 743
• Aristocrat
  Hey, that's Vittoria.
  And her partner is...
  Which family is he from?

• 744
• In this way, the dinner party came to an end.
  But just as Alvise expected, afterwards the number of merchants who would ask the Venetian government for help could be counted on one hand.
  The plan to advance Venice's trade routes to India had quickly been brought to a halt...

• 745
• Vittoria
  ...
  Oh, Player.
  I'm sorry, we got separated.

• 746
• Voice
  Mademoiselle?

• 747
• Julien
  You are the famous Vittoria Orseolo!

• 748
• Vittoria
  We met at the ruin in Naples.
  Thanks to you, disaster was prevented.

• 749
• Julien
  Please, spare your apologies.
  Being able to dance with you is an incredible blessing for someone like myself.

• 750
• Vittoria
  Ha ha.
  Thank you for the extremely kind words.

• 751
• Voice
  Player, Vittoria.
  Is the farce over?

• 752
• Alvise
  ...Who is that?

• 753
• Julien
  That is Monsieur Alvise, the 13th head of the Orseolo family, is it not? I have heard many rumours.
  I am Julien Clarence, a treasure hunter by trade.
  Today I have come on behalf of the De Luval Company.

• 754
• Alvise
  The De Luval Company...? Hmph.
  I looked at the invited guest list,
  and there was no mention of a Julien Clarence on it.

• 755
• Julien
  Ha ha...
  So you have seen through my ploy.
  Part of my job is to get close to investors, you see.

• 756
• Alvise
  Get out of here before I report you to the police.

• 757
• Julien
  ......

• 758
• Vittoria
  Julien, please don't worry about it.
  I'm sure Alvise is just in a bad mood because of the party.

• 759
• Vittoria
  I'm sure Alvise is just in a bad mood because of the party.

• 760
• Julien
  By the way, Vittoria, would you be so kind as to listen to my request?

• 761
• Vittoria
  What is it?

• 762
• Julien
  I would like to stay in this beautiful city of freedom for a while.
  However, I am a treasure hunter by trade.
  I would need a tree to rest under in order to stay alive...

• 763
• Vittoria
  So, you want to come to my salon?

• 764
• Julien
  That's right.

• 765
• Vittoria
  You saved me, I would love to have you come with me.
  ...
  But before I officially sponsor you, I would like you to find something for me.
  Look at this.

• 766
• Julien
  It looks like an ancient Roman poem...

• 767
• Vittoria
  That's right.
  According to an archaeologist in my salon, this poem describes the location of the Carthage ruins, which were destroyed by Rome.

• 768
• Julien
  I want you to use this to find the ruin it describes.

• 769
• Vittoria
  Okay.
  The money for the excavation is at my salon.
  Harun will keep it for me.

• 770
• Julien
  I see.
  I will prepare immediately and find this item for you right away.

• 771
• Vittoria
  Julien certainly accepted that quickly.
  I wonder if it's okay to let him handle this...

• 772
• Voice
  Oh! Player.

• 773
• Harun
  Hey, listen.
  I went along with that Julien guy, and I'll tell you his skills are superb.
  He found the ruins right away.
  I came back alone to give the report because the digging might take a while.
  Okay, I gotta go see Vittoria.
  See you soon!

• 774
• Vittoria
  ...The Carthage ruins were buried in Tunis!?

• 775
• Harun
  Yes.
  Their outskirts, to be precise.
  Julien deciphered the meaning of that poem easily, and dug up a huge bronze status in no time.

• 776
• Painter
  Wow.
  Carthage, the legendary country destroyed by Rome.

• 777
• Sculptor
  I'm very interested in that bronze statue...

• 778
• Archaeologist
  I knew it...! It's just as I predicted...

• 779
• Vittoria
  Thank you for coming, Player.
  Apparently Julien really found it.

• 780
• Harun
  I couldn't believe it.
  I guess I underestimated him because of his fancy clothes, but he's amazingly smart.
  Anyway, I'm gonna head back to Tunis to help with the excavation!

• 781
• Vittoria
  Wait, Harun.

• 782
• Harun
  Hm? What is it?

• 783
• Vittoria
  Could you and the rest of the salon people come with me to observe the excavation?

• 784
• Harun
  ...? Well of course I'd be happy to...
  But I stole away by myself on a merchant ship to make it back here and report.
  Your ship is still over there.

• 785
• Vittoria
  I see.
  Then I guess we can't go...

• 786
• Harun
  Hmm, how about getting a ride from Player?
  We can't protect Vittoria along the way, either.
  Hey Vittoria, you can pay Player plenty if he comes along, right?

• 787
• Vittoria
  ...Well, of course that would be great, but...
  Can we ask you that, Player?

• 788
• How will you respond?

• 789
• Sure.

• 790
• No.

• 791
• Vittoria
  You're right...
  I'm sorry for asking too much.

• 792
• Harun
  That's our Player!

• 793
• Vittoria
  Thank you...
  I don't know how to thank you enough.

• 794
• Vittoria
  ...Okay then, let's all help out Player with his boat until we arrive.

• 795
• Sculptor
  You got it!

• 796
• Vittoria
  I'm sorry for asking the impossible.

• 797
• Harun
  Come on, Player, come with us.

• 798
• How will you respond?

• 799
• Sure.

• 800
• No.

• 801
• Harun
  Come on, Player, come with us.

• 802
• Vittoria
  We're here.

• 803
• Harun
  Do try to look less obviously noble next time.

• 804
• Vittoria
  ...
  Oh Harun, I know, I know.

• 805
• Harun
  ......

• 806
• Vittoria
  What is it, Harun? You haven't been looking so good...

• 807
• Harun
  ...I'm so sorry.
  I think I lost the map to the ruins somewhere...

• 808
• Vittoria
  What!?

• 809
• Harun
  ...
  Hahaha, sorry sorry.
  Anyway, Player, you've been to the ruins before, right? We can just follow you.

• 810
• Vittoria
  ...Honestly...
  Well, Player, can we ask you to take us there?

• 811
• Harun
  ......

• 812
• Vittoria
  What is it, Harun? You haven't been looking so good...

• 813
• Harun
  ...I'm so sorry.
  I think I lost the map to the ruins somewhere...

• 814
• Vittoria
  What!?

• 815
• Harun
  ...Ah ha ha.
  I'm really sorry.
  Unfortunately, we'll never get there now without someone who knows the way...

• 816
• Vittoria
  Honestly, you're so clumsy...
  I'm so sorry, Player,
  but let's go back to the city and look for a Voyager who knows where the ruins are.

• 817
• Before we enter Bulsa Hill, we need members in the fleet that have already discovered the Carthage ruins before, or we need a quest that involves us finding the Carthage ruins.

• 23047
• Throughout Venice, there were rumours that there was going to be a dinner party in the Doge's mansion.
  However, due to the recent pepper incident, Vittoria did not understand why they would throw such a party while the financial affairs of the country were in such ruin.
  Powerful merchants from various countries were supposedly invited to hear a "major announcement", to which Alvise could only scoff.
  Vittoria invited Player to attend the dinner party with her.

• 23048
• Alvise warned Vittoria to stay out of trouble with the guests and left for the mansion ahead of them.

• 23049
• At the mansion, an extravagant banquet was held.
  Appearing on stage, the Doge announced that in order to encourage trade, that they would be opening a route to India around Africa.
  In place of the domestic merchants who were inexperienced with trade overseas, they would invite foreign merchants to take their place.
  The merchants applauded loudly in response to the news.
  However, their response also held an equal amount of indifference.
  Currently, the country closest to the lands where pepper was produced was Portugal, along the Atlantic Ocean.
  In contrast, with its location towards the far end of the Mediterranean Sea, Venice was the furthest away.
  Alvise paid his respects to the Council, who was too incompetent and blind with their own power and influence to see this simple truth, and left the party.
  When the speech had ended, it was time for the ball.
  Somehow, Player and Vittoria found themselves drinking with a merchant.
  Upon refusing a drink he offered her, the merchant accused her of being arrogant and sneered at the fallen Empire of Venice.
  Vittoria glared angrily at the merchant for his impudence.
  Just as the situation was about to turn ugly, a man's voice invited her to dance.
  It belonged to Julien, the young man they had met at the ruins on the outskirts of Naples.
  Julien was an excellent dancer and led Vittoria across the ballroom floor.
  The mere sight of these two beautiful individuals took the breath away of all who saw them.

• 23050
• After the dinner party had ended, Julien came up to greet Player and the others as they left the mansion.
  Vittoria thanked him for his assistance during the party.
  Then, Alvise came up and joined them.
  Knowing that Julien was lying about his past, Alvise looked uncomfortable as he ordered him to leave, and then he left himself.

• 23051
• Julien remained in Venice for several days and then came saying he wished to work for Vittoria as a treasure hunter.
  Vittoria offered to officially invest on the condition that referring to the ancient literary works, that he find the legendary ruins of Carthage.
  Julien set out together with Harun, who was to keep an eye on things.