Chapter 127 – Eastern Mediterranean Tour

“Hey, Princess. Why is a warship sailing ahead of our ship?”

“They say it’s just a coincidence.”

“A coincidence, huh.”

“Well, let’s just enjoy a leisurely journey. This too is thanks to the Princess’s virtue.”

Old man Yagami looked at it with suspicion, while Wan-san, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, cast his gaze toward the British warship—probably a destroyer—sailing ahead of the Mediterranean cruise ship we had chartered.

Apparently, on the way from Gibraltar to Alexandria in Egypt, our routes just “happened” to overlap.
Sure enough, not long after we left Marseille, it appeared, and since then it had been “sailing ahead because the route was the same.”

But we had been informed in advance.
No—in fact, when we reached out, the warship in front of us was the one that came. They actually wanted to send a larger vessel, but since my request had been so sudden, this was the best they could manage.

Even so, I was glad I had made Churchill’s acquaintance, however coincidental it was. If it had only been that seashell-marked company that had said “contact us if anything comes up,” I wouldn’t have dared carry out this sudden scheme.

Of course, officially, this whole story will be treated as if no one saw anything. It will simply be that I went on a sightseeing trip in the Middle East.

And behind the scenes, Churchill had apparently received a request from a certain American connection, relayed through that seashell-marked company, and then “asked” the Royal Navy for a favor.
Since I had also arranged things with certain people in America while staying in Britain, the matter proceeded smoothly.

For the Americans who consider me a valued client, if something were to happen to someone willing to spread around ten billion dollars, it would be a huge loss. So together with Britain, they went out of their way to accommodate my whim to the fullest.

“Still, I never thought I’d end up sightseeing with a warship escorting me.”

“Could it be because of pirates?”

“Pirates wouldn’t bother with a ship this small. Well, it’s like this: they’re going this far to protect me, so it’s basically the Americans insisting I must shop. It’d be rude to refuse, so let’s just consider it the best kind of escort. Ah, but when we dock at some port where shopping is possible, make sure to give the crew of that ship some harmless little treats as a gift.”

“Understood.”

And with that, we used the chartered high-speed yacht and headed for Alexandria in just two full days.

I was wondering how best to get around the Mediterranean, but as expected of Europe, there are even high-speed yachts made for the wealthy. And by “yacht,” it doesn’t mean something small with sails. This was a rather splendid ship of about a thousand tons, fitted out inside like a luxurious villa.

The crew were hired hands used to dealing with rich clients, so they didn’t care that we were Orientals as long as we paid. I greeted the captain, a fine gentleman who said he had retired from the military. However, with a British destroyer tagging along as our “escort,” he seemed completely intimidated. From what I overheard of their whispers, apparently I was thought to be some Indian maharaja’s princess.

“So then, what are we going to the Middle East for?”

On the first evening after departing Marseille, during dinner with Ootori-sensei, Shizu, old man Yagami, Wan-san, and myself—the group I could call my executive circle for the European trip—old man Yagami posed the question.

My answer was already set.

“Of course, sightseeing. Alexandria, Cairo, then on the way back Istanbul, Athens, Rome. We’re going to see as many ancient ruins as we can. Very cultural, isn’t it?”

“Is that really all? You chartered an entire grand ship just for that, and now a British warship is escorting us? As far as I know, your name isn’t that well known in Europe. Only a handful of investors and aristocrats know that you made a fortune in America. There aren’t any gangs, criminals, or plainclothes terrorists after you. To be honest, maybe in America it’s another matter, but in Europe, even serving as your guards is more than enough.”

(Well, the truth is I’ve never been to Alexandria, Cairo, Istanbul, or Athens, so I really do want to go.)

That was what I thought to myself, but it seemed time to reveal the real reason. Old man Yagami had been like this ever since we boarded a whole ship at Marseille, and seeing the British warship had only made his already stern face look even scarier.

I had planned to explain the situation once we were on the ship anyway. So I let out a small sigh and got to the point.

“It’s true that I plan to return to Europe by Christmas. If possible, I’d like to attend Christmas Mass in Rome, then welcome the New Year in Marseille, Nice, or maybe Venice, before returning to Japan.”

“That’s fine. So, where are we going in the next three weeks?”

I don’t throw the question back with a “Where do you think?”, but instead, after giving a small smile, I reveal the answer.

“To the world of Arabian Nights. Don’t you think Scheherazade is a little like me?”

“What’s the connection between a thousand and one nights and fortune-telling? Still, Arabian Nights, you say? Are we going to Baghdad?”

It seems he guessed it wouldn’t be Egypt, but he doesn’t sound very enthusiastic.
Even while speaking, his expression urges me to go on.

“We’re not going to Iraq. The destination is further south—Kuwait, and the middle of the Arabian Peninsula. Right now, it’s called the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd. In a few years, the name will change to Saudi Arabia.”

“Princess, what exactly is there? If you say the Persian Gulf, all I can think of is pearls.”

Wan-san shows unexpected knowledge. Truly, despite appearances, this man is an intellectual.

“That natural pearl industry is already being pushed aside by Mikimoto’s cultured pearls. What I’m going to look for is oil—so much oil it’s practically everywhere.”

“More than Texas?”

“Texas doesn’t even compare. What I’m after is the world’s largest oil field. With it, humanity will be able to use petroleum cheaper than water for at least the next quarter-century.”

“…”

He skewers me with a look, the kind you’d give someone who sounds ridiculously shady.

I do brag sometimes, but this is a bit harsh.

“No, seriously, I mean it. That’s really the reason. We’re going there to stake a claim. That’s why the British warship is tagging along. It’s both a guide and an accomplice. The goal is a joint venture between Japan, Britain, and America—the world’s biggest preemptive buy-up. On site, representatives from all three countries have already arrived and are waiting for us with the local government and tribal leaders.”

“In times like these, it’s oil?”

“It’s precisely because of times like these. For Japan—or rather, for me—it’s one of the few chances I can seize. And chances like this might never come again.”

“I don’t get it at all.”

“Listen. I’ve become rich, and America, which is plunging into rock bottom, desperately wants me to spend money there. So they’ll humble themselves. And on top of entering a massive depression, they discovered a giant oil field in East Texas, so American oil is flooding the market. Oil is oversupplied worldwide. That means, at present, oil isn’t worth much. Up to here, are you following?”

“Yeah. Which is exactly why I don’t get it.”

“That’s why it’s a preemptive buy. I’m talking about a forward investment. Maybe not in ten years, but in twenty, whether or not there’s oil here will drastically change the world economy. And Japan—no, Ootori—will secure a chunk of that massive profit. And at a dirt-cheap price, too. Plus, since I’m the one who’s going to discover all those oil fields, I’ll get to act all high and mighty!”

I declared this, puffing out my still-flat chest and wearing a smug face.

I’d kind of had this in mind ever since the East Texas oil field, but when Churchill came all the way to see me, I pretty much decided to go through with it. At that very moment, Churchill was the man standing at my crossroads. If we were fellow nerds, he could have at least thrown me a witty line.

Snapping back from a little escapism and dropping my smug look, I noticed old man Yagami had disappeared.

Left with no choice, I glanced at Shizu, who quietly said, “It seems he’s convinced.” Judging from the subtle shift in Shizu’s expression, he was probably just exasperated.

So I could only put on airs and say:

“Those who walk ahead are never understood in their own time.”

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Mikimoto’s Cultured Pearls:
The success and commercialization of pearl cultivation drastically changed the global jewelry market. They were even traded by the unit “monme.”

Until then, natural pearls had been among the highest-class gemstones, but with the success and spread of cultured pearls, they suddenly became cheap gems.
Meanwhile, countries like Kuwait and Bahrain around the Persian Gulf, which had been natural pearl producers, lost their source of revenue and faced hardship. As a result, they sought other products and moved toward becoming oil-producing nations.