• 1074
• Merchant
  Is it true that Turkey is coming to attack us with a giant galleon...?

• 1075
• Resident
  ...Yeah, that's what they say.
  The government isn't doing anything yet though.
  Are we gonna be okay...?

• 1076
• Julien
  Why, if it isn't Player.

• 1077
• What do you want to ask?

• 1078
• What are you doing?

• 1079
• Don't ask anything

• 1080
• Julien
  Ha ha...
  There is no need to suspect me.
  I am merely visiting different art dealers looking for the picture of my mother that I told you about before.

• 1081
• How will you respond?

• 1082
• Any luck?

• 1083
• Is Vittoria with you?

• 1084
• Really?

• 1085
• Julien
  Ha ha...
  Just in case.
  I visited every art dealer in Venice, but no luck so far...

• 1086
• Julien
  She's surely at the Orseolo mansion.
  If I had her help me with a personal thing such as this, it would only make Alvise more suspicious of me.
  Come to think of it, the other day Vittoria was very happy to receive a letter from Harun.
  Since you're here, why not go see her and read it yourself?

• 1087
• Julien
  Come now...
  I told you that suspecting me wouldn't bring anything good for either of us.

• 1088
• Soldier
  Master Orseolo...
  Please give us a fleet!

• 1089
• Soldier
  That's right! If you do, we'll show those Turkish dogs what for!

• 1090
• Alvise
  Hmph.
  What nonsense.
  The enemy outnumbers us 10 to 1.
  And on top of that, if we begin fighting them we will no longer be able to receive pepper from Egypt.
  If we begin fighting them seriously, it will not change the situation at all.
  Do you really think that professional soldiers won't know that...?

• 1091
• Soldier
  Of course we don't.
  But...

• 1092
• Alvise
  At the Decemviri, we have already begun to use our influence to form alliances with neighbouring countries in preparation for the fight against Turkey.
  Once those preparations are complete and we have Turkey surrounded, that will be your cue to go to work as much as you like.
  You need only be patient for a short while longer...

• 1093
• Soldier
  ...With pleasure, Your Highness.

• 1094
• Alvise
  Player...
  I may have given them the impression that our preparations are perfect, but...
  In fact, our country is at a deadlock in the face of Turkey...

• 1095
• What do you want to ask?

• 1096
• A deadlock?

• 1097
• Don't ask

• 1098
• Alvise
  We can't seriously expect the neighbouring countries to assist us...
  First, your own country, France, has signed an agreement with Turkey not to invade each other.
  Even Spain, which can face them on even ground, is unable to send out support troops due to their troubles with the Flandre dispute.
  We simply don't have enough numbers to match them.
  If only we had spent even a fraction on our arms that we had on that stupid banquet...

• 1099
• Vittoria
  Aren't you worrying too much, Alvise?

• 1100
• Vittoria
  Player, Alvise.
  Why not read the letter Harun sent us from Alexandria to cheer up?

• 1101
• Alvise
  Hmph.
  This is no time for cheering up.

• 1102
• It must have been months since I first became a travelling merchant.
  For now, I'm having fun travelling around with my mum, dad, and caravan every day.
  But lately, I've been really worried about running into the Bedouin in the desert.
  I wish Vittoria would complain to that tribe chief for me.
  Oh yeah, tomorrow we're finally going to cross Suez and enter Arabia.
  If we bring back a lot of their pepper, we'll make a fortune.
  Once we do, I'm thinking of moving back to Venice with my mum and dad.
  Just look forward to the day when I'm back and rich.
  Your friend, Harun

• 1103
• Vittoria
  This is the head of the Bedouin...
  Faisal.

• 1104
• How will you respond?

• 1105
• Who's Faisal?

• 1106
• ......

• 1107
• Alvise
  Faisal, eh...

• 1108
• Vittoria
  He's the one who worked to help us resume trade when Egypt stopped our pepper imports.
  If he threatened them, Egypt got its act together in no time...

• 1109
• Vittoria
  Once, this country was unable to receive pepper because of Egypt.
  At that time, Faisal worked to help resume exports.
  And apparently he has enough power to make Egypt afraid...

• 1110
• Alvise
  ...!
  That's it!

• 1111
• Vittoria
  Huh? What's it?

• 1112
• Alvise
  The one we need to partner with is in the desert.

• 1113
• Vittoria
  You're not saying...

• 1114
• Alvise
  Yes.
  We just need to use Faisal as our trump card.
  Since the Bedouin have apparently started plundering, they must be in an economic pinch.
  If we can help them out, we can get them to start a revolt in Egypt from behind the front lines.
  Turkey will regret even thinking about invading us.

• 1115
• Vittoria
  ...!

• 1116
• Alvise
  And that's not all.
  It may then be possible for us to reclaim our spot as king of the pepper trade from Portugal...

• 1117
• How will you respond?

• 1118
• How can we do that?

• 1119
• I see.
  You're right!

• 1120
• Vittoria
  Huh...? Hey, how are you two going to do that...?

• 1121
• Alvise
  The Suez mentioned in Harun's letter...

• 1122
• Alvise
  The Suez mentioned in Harun's letter...

• 1123
• Alvise
  We can have Faisal occupy this land in between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
  Then we can excavate the canal with our own funding.

• 1124
• Vittoria
  ...!

• 1125
• Alvise
  That way, our country can send fleets directly into India without going around Africa and import pepper at the shortest distance possible.

• 1126
• Vittoria
  That would be incredible...!

• 1127
• Alvise
  Okay! I'm going to present this plan to the Doge and swiftly move to execute it.
  Player, Vittoria, if something happens I may need your help.
  I hope I can count on you.

• 1128
• Vittoria
  Thank goodness...
  I haven't seen my brother that happy in a long time.
  I just hope there's something I can do to make sure his plan goes smoothly...

• 1129
• Vittoria
  Thank goodness...
  I haven't seen my brother that happy in a long time.
  I just hope there's something I can do to make sure his plan goes smoothly...

• 24081
• The town of Venice was in fear due to rumours of an invasion from Turkey.
  The people were worried that the government was doing nothing to stop it.

• 24082
• Arriving at the Orseolo mansion, they found Alvise talking with a group of military men who welcomed war with Turkey.
  If they could receive a fleet, they claimed they would annihilate the enemy.
  However, Alvise stated that Turkey's military was ten times more powerful than Venice's.
  Additionally, because they held the rights to the pepper trade, it was dangerous to engage in a reckless war without knowing the whole situation.
  He explained that the government was preparing for war with Turkey and securing alliances with neighbouring countries, so they would be best served to wait a while longer.

• 24083
• After seeing off the military men, Alvise breathed a sigh of relief.
  In reality, the neighbouring countries that he spoke of such as Spain and France could not be relied on for reinforcements, putting Venice in a difficult position.
  Vittoria smiled at seeing Alvise working so hard.

• 24084
• She had with her a letter from Harun that described how things were going for him.
  Since the desert nomads the Bedouin were active in the desert, he was unable to travel safely.
  Next, they were planning to travel to Arabia via Cairo.
  Reading the letter, a plan began to form in Alvise's head.
  He would join forces with Faisal, the leader of the Bedouin, and strike Turkey from behind.
  It was a way to prevent them from invading Venice.
  Additionally, if they could control the lands of Suez, then Venice could invest in digging canals that could allow them to steal the bulk of the pepper trade away from Portugal.

• 24085
• Alvise was in high spirits as he set out for the Doge's mansion in order to make his plan a reality.
  Vittoria was pleased as it had been a long while since she had seen her brother be so happy.