• 677
• Young Boy
  ...What!? I can't set sail? Why not!?

• 678
• Seafarer
  It can't be helped.
  The rudder broke on our way here and we have to get it fixed.

• 679
• Vittoria
  How long will it take?

• 680
• Seafarer
  Hmm.
  We'll have to see how it's going in a month...

• 681
• Young Boy
  A month! Are you serious? What are we going to do, Vittoria?
  If we wait a month, our secret information will be worthless.

• 682
• Seafarer
  Well, nothing you can do about it now.
  Might as well think long and hard about it.

• 683
• Young Boy
  Sigh.
  What are we going to do if we can't set sail?

• 684
• Vittoria
  ...!?
  Um...
  Did we meet at the Roman ruins in Naples...?

• 685
• How will you respond?

• 686
• You guessed it.

• 687
• I think you have the wrong person.

• 688
• Vittoria
  No? Must be my mistake...

• 689
• Vittoria
  I knew it!
  I believe your name was...
  Player, right?
  I'm really sorry for interrupting your excavation site like that.
  I'm Vittoria Orseolo, from Venice.
  And this is...

• 690
• Harun
  I'm Harun.
  I'm a treasure hunter in training apprenticing myself to Vittoria.
  ...So, how come you're not with that showy guy today?
  He gave that greedy old lady a suspicious gold necklace, right?
  Vittoria said he was a peacock that fed on rich ladies...

• 691
• Vittoria
  H-Harun!
  I'm so sorry.
  I apologize for the rude things he said about your friend...

• 692
• How do I answer

• 693
• Yes, that was rude.

• 694
• Don't worry about it.

• 695
• He's not my friend.

• 696
• Vittoria
  ...I'm really sorry.
  I don't know what to say.

• 697
• Vittoria
  Oh! Really...?

• 698
• Vittoria
  Geez, Harun.
  I've been telling you to work on that mouth of yours.

• 699
• Harun
  ...Anyway, Player.
  You seem like a good sailor.
  Would you be willing to listen to a request of mine?

• 700
• How will you respond?

• 701
• A request?

• 702
• No, I wouldn't.

• 703
• Harun
  Come on, don't be like that.

• 704
• Harun
  See, we went down to Portugal and got our hands on some hot secret information.
  Apparently, a Portuguese started a pepper trade to compete with Venice which has had a monopoly on it for a long time...

• 705
• Vittoria
  ...Hey, Harun?

• 706
• Harun
  Oh...
  That was the secret, wasn't it...?

• 707
• Vittoria
  ...You know what? Never mind.

• 708
• Vittoria
  Anyway, I want to get this information to Venice as soon as possible, but the merchant ship we were taking broke on the way...
  I know it's really shameless of me, but if there is any way you could take us to Venice, I know we could pay you back somehow.

• 709
• How will you respond?

• 710
• Okay, I see.

• 711
• No.

• 712
• Vittoria
  You're right...
  I'm sorry for asking.

• 713
• Vittoria
  Thank you.

• 714
• Harun
  Now you're talking!

• 715
• Vittoria
  Okay, we'll head to the harbour and move our things over.

• 716
• Harun
  Come on, Player, please.
  We have to get back home soon, or this information will be worthless.

• 717
• Vittoria
  I know I have no right to ask you this, but is there any way you could take us to Venice?
  Of course I will pay you back somehow.

• 718
• Vittoria
  Amazing! We're already here.

• 719
• Harun
  That was much better than taking a merchant ship.
  Nice job, Player.
  Come on then, I'll show you where Vittoria lives.

• 720
• Harun
  Ta da!
  This is Vittoria's house, where I'm staying too.
  Pretty huge, eh?

• 721
• Vittoria
  I want to thank you for taking us here, Player.
  Please, come inside.

• 722
• Harun
  This is Vittoria's house, where I'm staying too.
  Pretty huge, eh?

• 723
• Alvise
  Vittoria.
  So you're back...
  Who is this? I don't believe we've met before...

• 724
• Vittoria
  This is Player, a Voyager from France.
  Without him, we could never have gotten back here as soon as we did.

• 725
• Alvise
  I see...
  I am Alvise Orseolo, Aide to our nation's Doge.
  On behalf of his Excellency, allow me to express my gratitude.
  ...By the way, Vittoria, how did your excursion go?

• 726
• Vittoria
  Here.
  This is the voyage diary that the officer from India was using.

• 727
• Alvise
  You're kidding...
  So, it wasn't Colon that arrived in India, but a Portuguese man called Gama...
  Well done, Vittoria.
  We must let the Doge know of this at once.

• 728
• Harun
  Good thing it worked out, huh Vittoria?

• 729
• Vittoria
  That's...so rare that he would praise me like that...
  Thank you, Player.
  This is to show my thanks.

• 730
• Vittoria
  Oh...
  It looks like you're carrying too much.

• 731
• Will you reduce your items so you can accept the Silver Hand Mirror?

• 732
• How will you respond?

• 733
• Decrease market items and accept

• 734
• Don't accept

• 735
• Vittoria
  Goodbye then, Player.
  I hope we can meet again someday.

• 736
• Vittoria
  Then, here, please take this instead.

• 737
• Vittoria
  Goodbye then, Player.
  I hope we can meet again someday.

• 738
• Vittoria
  I hope we can meet again someday, Player.

• 739
• Harun
  I really liked your boat.
  I hope you'll take me somewhere else someday.

• 740
• Merchant
  You're Player, right?
  I have a letter for you from a Venice girl.

• 741
• The Doge of Venice is holding a dinner party at his estate.
  I would like to personally invite you to attend.
  If you can accept, please come to Venice.
  Vittoria Orseolo

• 742
• Vittoria
  Player! How good of you to come.

• 743
• Alvise
  You went out of your way to invite Player, Vittoria?

• 744
• Vittoria
  Yes, to thank him for the other day.

• 745
• Alvise
  Hmph.
  This dinner is just an excuse for the old men in parliament to gather these big merchants here.
  They're going to take advantage of this to make a "big, important announcement".

• 746
• Vittoria
  Important announcement...?

• 747
• 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.

• 748
• Vittoria
  ......

• 749
• Alvise
  ...By the way, Vittoria, I want you to be extra careful.
  All of these guests are big merchants and nobles.
  They could literally affect the standing of this country.
  I want you to treat them with the utmost respect.

• 750
• Vittoria
  Of course.
  I know that.

• 751
• Alvise
  Very well.
  Then I will be going on ahead.

• 752
• Vittoria
  Okay, let us be on our way too.

• 753
• Guard
  Mistress Vittoria, who might your companion here be...

• 754
• Vittoria
  This is Player.
  I invited him.
  Didn't you make him an offer too?

• 755
• Guard
  Oh yes! I'm so sorry, it must have slipped my mind.
  Right this way.

• 756
• Elderly Politician
  Do pardon me interrupting your pleasant chat.

• 757
• Alvise
  Hmph.
  Come to embarrass yourself some more, Gradenigo?

• 758
• Gradenigo
  Today, I have an important announcement for you all direct from the Doge himself.

• 759
• Doge of Venice
  ...After the incident in Portugal the other day, the Decemviri had a discussion on the future of commerce.
  As a result, we have decided to incorporate a trade route to India that goes around Africa.

• 760
• Gradenigo
  Therefore, we would like to ask you, with your extensive experience navigating foreign waters, to assist us.

• 761
• 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.

• 762
• 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.

• 763
• 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.

• 764
• Gradenigo
  Okay then, why don't we make it dancing time now?

• 765
• Merchant
  After coming all this way, you could at least pour us some drinks.

• 766
• Vittoria
  ...Understood.

• 767
• Merchant
  Wee!
  Come on, girlie, have a drink.

• 768
• Vittoria
  ...Sorry, but I don't drink.

• 769
• 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.

• 770
• Vittoria
  ......

• 771
• Merchant
  What's with that face? I've said nothing that isn't true.
  I don't have to do business with you.
  I could just go to Portugal.

• 772
• Vittoria
  ...!

• 773
• Voice
  ...Miss, would you do me the honour of a dance?

• 774
• Vittoria
  I'm sorry, but now is not the...

• 775
• Vittoria
  You...!

• 776
• Vittoria
  ...Hey, wait! I'm not good at dancing...

• 777
• Julien
  Don't worry about it.
  I'll lead.

• 778
• Noble Woman
  Oh ho...
  Those two look great together.

• 779
• Noble Woman
  Hey, that's Vittoria.
  And her partner is...
  Which family is he from?

• 780
• 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...

• 781
• Vittoria
  Oh, Player.
  I'm so sorry we got cut off.

• 782
• Julien
  ...!
  Why, if it isn't Player...
  What are you doing here?

• 783
• Vittoria
  We met at the ruin in Naples.
  Thanks to you, disaster was prevented.

• 784
• Julien
  Please, no need to thank me.
  I was merely extremely happy to have been able to dance with someone as beautiful as yourself,
  Vittoria Orseolo, the flower of Venice and proud patrone of the arts.

• 785
• Vittoria
  Ha ha.
  Thank you for the extremely kind words.

• 786
• Voice
  Player, has Vittoria's farce of a party now finished?

• 787
• Alvise
  ...Who is that?

• 788
• 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.

• 789
• Alvise
  The De Luval Company...? Hmph.
  I looked at the invited guest list,
  and there was no mention of a Julien Clarence on it.

• 790
• Julien
  Ha ha...
  So you have seen through my ploy.
  Part of my job is to get close to investors, you see.

• 791
• Alvise
  Get out of here before I report you to the police.

• 792
• Julien
  ......

• 793
• Vittoria
  Julien, please don't worry about it.
  I'm sure Alvise is just in a bad mood because of the party.

• 794
• Vittoria
  I'm sure Alvise is just in a bad mood because of the party.

• 795
• Julien
  By the way, Vittoria, would you be so kind as to listen to my request?

• 796
• Vittoria
  What is it?

• 797
• Julien
  I am thinking that I would like to stay in Venice for a while.
  Unfortunately, as a treasure hunter, I require another's support to survive...

• 798
• Vittoria
  So, you want to come to my salon?

• 799
• Julien
  That's right.

• 800
• Vittoria
  Player, you know him, right? What do you think?

• 801
• How will you respond?

• 802
• He's good, and you should hire him.

• 803
• He's suspicious, and you should turn him down.

• 804
• I can't really say...

• 805
• Vittoria
  I see...
  Well, if Player says it is so, it must be true.
  Thank you, Julien, this will be very helpful.

• 806
• Vittoria
  Yeah..
  It's true that it's not a good thing to enter a party under false pretences...
  But, I also own him a debt.
  I should give him a chance to prove himself.
  ...So, Julien, I have something I want you to find as your condition before we hire you officially.

• 807
• Vittoria
  You're right, I'm sorry.
  Sure, that's fine.
  You really helped me out before, so okay, I'll hire you.

• 808
• Vittoria
  ..But before I do, I have something I want you to find as your condition before I hire you officially.

• 809
• Vittoria
  Take a look at this.

• 810
• Julien
  It looks like an ancient Roman poem...

• 811
• 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.

• 812
• Julien
  I want you to use this to find the ruin it describes.

• 813
• Vittoria
  Okay.
  The money for the excavation is at my salon.
  Harun will keep it for me.

• 814
• Julien
  Understood.
  Then I will begin preparations right away and be sure to find it for you.

• 815
• Vittoria
  Julien certainly accepted that quickly.
  I wonder if it's okay to let him handle this...

• 24047
• Several days later, at the port in Marseilles, Player was reunited with the pair from Naples, Vittoria and Harun.

• 24048
• They had obtained information that Portugal had begun the pepper trade, but the merchant ship they were riding broke down, and they were stranded.

• 24049
• Player agreed to take them to their home of Venice.

• 24050
• Upon arriving in Venice, Player was shown around Vittoria's home, which was a mansion belonging to the Orseolo family.

• 24051
• Waiting for them there was her older brother and Aide to the Doge, Alvise.
  Vittoria introduced Player as the person that allowed her to safely return with the important information.
  Alvise thanked Vittoria and Player for their efforts and then went to report to the Doge.

• 24052
• Vittoria mentioned that thanks to Player, her brother had taken the rare step of praising her, for which she was very grateful.

• 24053
• Upon returning to Marseilles, Player received a letter from Vittoria.
  There was to be a dinner party in Venice, and she had sent an invitation.

• 24054
• Player visited the Orseolo mansion and was warmly greeted by Vittoria.
  However, Alvise did not seem pleased by the presence of Player.

• 24055
• Alvise mentioned that this dinner party was for the Council from parliament to make a "major announcement" to the gathered merchants.
  Warning Vittoria not to offend the guests who consisted of rich merchants and other aristocrats, he went off on ahead to the mansion.

• 24056
• 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.

• 24057
• After the dinner party had ended, Player and the others were leaving the mansion when Julien appeared.
  Julien was surprised to see Player, and Vittoria thanked him for helping her previously.
  Just then, Alvise joined them as well.
  Knowing that Julien was lying about his past, Alvise looked uncomfortable as he ordered him to leave, and then he left himself.

• 24058
• 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.