9: On the Nobility

Today is the fourth installment.

Good customer, bad customer?

Yes, I'd like to use this for reference on my future travels. If it's alright to talk about it, I'd appreciate your sharing.

When I arrived at the recreation room, I immediately started asking questions to the crew members.

But it's not just about asking questions—it's while playing recreation games set up in the game room, specifically playing poker with an AI dealer.

Besides, since Memoqui, the maid equipped with a Viridianil, has sharp eyes, there's no need to worry about risky bets that might get her suspicious.

Given she's a Gairoid, it's not surprising if she has one or two built-in video recording devices inside her body.

So, I'll casually play poker while listening to the conversation.

"One pair. Good customers are definitely the ones with good manners. Bad customers are the opposite."

"Pig, I guess. Hmm, maybe a bit more specific?"

"Same here—pig. Well, maybe not getting dirty, not causing trouble?"

"Two pair. Yeah, something like that. If you want to add more, maybe customers who pay well or don't complain unnecessarily."

Hmm.

Well, I suppose it's obvious, really.

Given that we're riding along on the cargo ship as guests, it's only natural for an adult to avoid unnecessary mess and trouble.

If a guest pays well, it naturally means more profit, and since such guests don't complain about odd things, they're clearly sensible people—so the crew has no trouble dealing with them.

"Next game. Oh, flash."

"Hmm, again a pig."

"You're clearly weak. Oh, another pair."

"I've got a pair too. Well, some guests are like that."

One crew member, making sure not to be seen by Vilijaniara, moves his hands near his chest as he reveals his pair.

Yeah, well, when there's a beautiful person around, the whole place just lights up, right?

We all nod silently, me included, making sure not to get caught talking.

Personally, I don’t place much importance on looks, but since agreeing with the group helps keep things moving smoothly, I nod along too.

"Next game. Pig or not?"

"Come to think of it, there was that one guest back then—went wild in the cabin, splattering a bunch of eggs everywhere. Oh, wait—three cards."

"There was one—yeah, that kind of guest. No matter how much money they spend, we turn them down. One pair."

"Did that person have their adult ID with them? Ah, uh... Royal flush. Spades, too."

"「「「!？」」」"

All eyes turn to my cards.

"I see. A real extreme type."

"Getting it right without betting—now that's impressive."

"I've never seen someone pull off a hand like that without cheating."

"Hahaha..."

The people around murmur... well, that's just how it always is in situations like this.

That's why I find gambling scary—unexpected things like this can happen at any moment.

And leaning in to check that there was no cheating—just as usual—while murmuring quietly...

By the way, Satā-san. What's your take on Lady Viridiana, from your perspective?

It's also nothing unusual for someone to keenly seize the moment and ask a question.

"At the very least, she seems to be handling herself properly. And there's no sense of anyone chasing her, which is usually a sign that someone's anxious. Even if she has secrets, they're likely unrelated to us. For now, there's no indication she's involved in any crime."

"Yeah, you're right. Anyone can see our crew members don't seem like that kind of people."

We quietly glance toward Viridiana.

Just then, it seemed the captain had arrived at the game room, right as the waiting period began, and the two were about to face off in Nine Cubic.

"I want to hear what comes next. How do you see Viridiana-sama's true identity? And if something were to happen from now on, what do you think might occur?"

"Asked like that... well... um..."

Memoqui, who accompanied Viridiana... was standing behind Viridiana.

Judging by how quietly he was staring at the board, he probably has at least one or two recording devices installed.

So I reply in a hushed tone.

"I think they're someone connected to the nobility—definitely someone from a family of at least baronial rank or higher, based on their past actions. Still, if something were to happen, I can't think of any threat other than an attack from political rivals."

"A baron... so no count?"

I don't think so. If anything, I'd say it's more likely to be someone connected to a count's household rather than a viscount's. Given the grade of the mod they're wearing and the fact that their body-enhancement mod is constantly active.

"Oh, I see..."

In the Empire, there exists a royal family and nobility.

This social distinction arose as civilization expanded throughout space, resulting from the absolute concentration of power among the leadership class and the enhancement of their fundamental abilities.

Status is ranked in order from highest to lowest as imperial family, duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron, and one's status is indicated when using their full name.

Moreover, the higher one's status, the more advanced their enhancements through mods, to the point where they can be considered to possess superhuman information processing capabilities.

"Then, let's resume. Three of a kind."

"Understood. Piggy...?"

"Well, it won't come in a row. Straight."

"Truly extreme. One pair."

Moreover, while we commoners may admire the noble abilities, only a small minority among us actually desire to become nobles.

After all, we commoners know that nobles, despite their exceptional talents, are typically burdened with massive workloads due to their abilities, leaving them overwhelmed with duties even on days other than holidays.

Moreover, due to the significantly low proportion of eccentric nobles, the fact that commoners' opinions reliably reach higher authorities through bureaucrats and parliament, and the general stability of commoners' livelihoods, most commoners hold a deep respect for the nobility—this is the current state of the empire.

"Well, all we can do is pray for peace, and if anything does happen, we'll just have to deal with it as it comes. One pair."

"Yeah, that's probably right. Oh, I can only handle close combat, so if I can help out, I will, but otherwise I’ll just stay put in my room or the escape pod. One pair."

"Right, count on it. Two pair."

"Being in the way’s worse than helping. One pair."

Before I realized it, the game between Vrijidianira and Captain Nine Cubic seemed to be overwhelmingly in Vrijidianira's favor.

From a beginner's perspective, the strategy appeared simple and straightforward—classic, conventional moves.

There didn't seem to be any odd or unusual pieces mixed in, like captured pieces or automatic pieces with peculiar behaviors, or anything like that.

Hmm, well, given this skill level, they're probably someone related to the count's family...

Anyway, I quietly left the game room.

Now, I should organize my thoughts again...

That's all for today.

Tomorrow will also have multiple updates scheduled.