BAD PUBLICITY IS STILL PUBLICITY:

"I expected good publicity if the ship were to be attacked and I emerged as its mysterious, gorgeous, and charming savior with an intriguing backstory. But I guess this is fine too. I mean, I'm still the center of attention. People are looking my way." Genevieve crossed one leg over the other and hummed as she surveyed her surroundings with a carefree smile.

Leofwine, by her side, was the complete opposite. He had his forehead in his palms, his expression shifting between worry and resignation every other second.

"Chin up, Leo. There are plenty of people watching. Why not give them a good look at you?"

"Young lady, we are not some meat on display for people to judge," Leofwine sighed. He looked up and saw some of the onlookers from earlier, watching them from a distance with a mix of concern while going about their work.

Genevieve and Leofwine were currently seated on a few boxes of cargo, somewhat dried off, and surrounded by a group of knights, some of whom had their weapons drawn, ready to intervene if they tried anything suspicious.

t had been at least an hour since the prince arrived, accompanied by several carriages and medical staff for emergency purposes.

Since many of the ship's passengers were high-ranking individuals from within and outside Storikya, it was essential to attend to them with care. Those who were helped were brought to the carriages and taken either to the capital or to their residences.

Many of the passengers had tried to speak in Genevieve's favor to the prince after witnessing his hostile behavior towards her. However, each time he heard more about her, his anger only intensified, and he would glance at her with increasingly cold eyes.

In response, Genevieve would offer him an increasingly gentle smile, looking more saintly each time. Oddly, instead of calming the situation, this only seemed to anger the prince further.

Genevieve wanted to understand why the boy was so upset, but neither the knights nor the prince were willing to say much.

At that moment, the captain, who had now regained consciousness, approached the prince and spoke with him for some time. After their conversation, she bowed and walked towards Genevieve with a broad grin.

Genevieve smiled back as if greeting a longtime friend, her expression becoming even more pleased as the knights allowed the captain to approach her. It seemed the prince had granted her permission to do so.

The captain was a tall, slender, and well-built woman in her sixties, with copper and silver hair tied in a loose bun.

Despite her age, she still looked charming and regal. She bowed to them and kneeled before Genevieve to speak, declining Genevieve's offer to sit beside her.

"Thank you, Miss Merindol. If it weren't for you, most everyone present here would have been dead."

"Oh, it's totally fine, Captain dearest. But how do you know my name?"

"I know everyone's names on the passenger list. They aren't exactly... forgettable people, if you know what I mean. Yours was particularly easy to remember, though. I mean, you paid quite a sum to get on the ship. And yet, you still have to suffer through all this." The captain glanced disapprovingly at the knights, who responded with shrugs, as if to say they were just following orders.

Shaking her head, the captain turned to Genevieve, explaining with a hint of embarrassment and self-disappointment, "You see... I'm not as strong as I once was, and it's been especially bad lately. I should have stepped down as captain by now, considering I couldn't even protect anyone today... But I have quite a few attachments to that ship, having worked there for so long. It also stemmed from vanity, you see. Being the captain of a ship like that was a big deal to me, especially since I don't belong to the upper echelons of Storikya but come from a simple commoner background in the countryside. So, I was holding onto it for as long as I could. I wanted an escape from my inflated ego, but at the same time, I didn't."

Genevieve shook her hand. "I get you. Honestly, I would probably do the same if I were in your shoes. In fact, I think I'd be a very bad offender, actually."

"I mean, you have the power to back it up, so it's fine," the captain laughed. "Maybe I should thank you for destroying that ship. I can let go easily now... literally."

Genevieve laughed along, choosing to ignore the potential jab in the captain's words. After a moment, she gave the captain a silent look before starting, "Well, Captain Tiamat... about your slingshot..."

"Oh no, I heard about that; it's totally fine. Actually, I'm here to apologize about it."

"I don't understand, Captain..." Genevieve raised her eyebrows slightly.

"You see, that slingshot was a gift from the late prince consort to the current Empress. And, as you might have already discovered, it's connected to a string nucleus."

"Oh, yes, indeed."

"Yes, well, he originally intended to give it to his daughter, the current princess at the time. But the person he acquired it from warned that it might break in her hands due to her power. So, he gave it to me instead, as the ship's captain, to protect the vessel if ever needed. Naturally, that thing became a symbol of strength, and some people... naturally wanted it to prove their own prowess..." The captain trailed off, but Genevieve could easily imagine the bratty kid throwing a tantrum throughout the castle when he learned that such an weapon existed but was no longer in the hands of the imperial family.

"Oh, so you think my current situation might have something to do with... jeal—" Leofwine and the captain quickly covered Genevieve's mouth.

After a second, Genevieve gave them a thumbs up to indicate she understood, and only then did they let go. Leofwine turned to the captain apologetically. "I'm sorry, ma'am. She sometimes has very little situational awareness or sense of danger."

"What he said," Genevieve smiled, then turned to the captain. "Captain Tiamat..."

"You can just refer to me by my first name, Miss Genevieve Merindol. I would actually prefer that."

"Oh, then, Miss Sapira?" Genevieve didn't miss a beat before continuing, "You don't need to worry too much. This situation is actually very beneficial for me and my goals, you see..." She didn't mention that it would only be beneficial if she managed to get out of this predicament without having her head chopped off by Prince Shulgi.

It was actually true, though. The more her name was known, the better it would be for her career. Even bad publicity was still publicity in the end. Besides, she needed immediate money.

Genevieve was actually a terrible spender. She splurged on unexpected things like getting onto Captain Tiamat's ship. She also spent a ton of money on books she would never read, clothes, and food.

More than anything, and as much of a surprise as it might be, before she built her career as a storyteller, Genevieve was actually an inventor of sorts. She enjoyed creating weapons and little trinkets that made her life a bit easier.

She loved building and inventing small to big things, and the materials she used for her creations were usually very expensive. Leofwine had scolded her plenty of times because of her spending habits.

"Oh, your goals? Well, I certainly don't understand them, but best of luck, Miss Storyteller. You can definitely expect a fan in me once you start your career here. Also, this may not seem like much, but..." The captain handed Genevieve a small black pouch with a smile, looking at her with appreciation.

"This is a small token of my appreciation and gratitude for what you've done today. I hope you'll accept it."

Opening the pouch, Genevieve found a small badge in the shape of a helm with a tiny dove in the center. It was made of platinum, with jewels inlaid, giving it a very luxurious feel.

"Oh my... this is...?"

"Here in Storikya, those with achievements in the navy or who are involved with the sea receive such a badge. The more you have, the more status and power you hold. For me, though, the greatest benefit of this badge is that it allows you to hitch a free ride on Storikya's ships if you show it around. People really respect this, you know. Truthfully, I thought you deserved at least one with all that happened today, more than me or, well... anyone here, for that matter."

"What about you, though, Captain? You're giving this to me..." Genevieve trailed off, concerned.

"That's not a problem," the captain replied with a grin. "You see, I have three others besides this one."

"What a successful career~!" Genevieve exclaimed, looking up at the captain with gratitude. "This is truly appreciated, ma'am. I am very thankful."

 "That's not necessary. I mean... with the amount of money you spent on my ship for whatever reason, I believe you deserve a few free rides, no matter what." Captain Sapira laughed.

At that moment, a crew member called out from a distance, catching the captain's attention.

She smiled at Genevieve while standing up. "Well, that's my cue. I will do my best to help you with any issues that may have arisen with the third prince. Besides that, if you run into any trouble that you think I can help with, please don't hesitate to seek me out. So long, Miss Storyteller."

As the captain left, Genevieve finally turned to her side with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "How may I help you, cupcakes?"

The triplets—Emerald, Peridot, and Beryl—had somehow come to her side, looking at her with excitement.

Somehow, these kids had been allowed near her, which clearly indicated that they were of no small status.

Accompanying them was their very tall and blonde knight, who, upon catching Genevieve's glance, bowed slightly in greeting.

Peridot stepped forward with a happy smile and her head tilted slightly to the side. "We'll be traveling to the capital in the same carriage as you, Miss Storyteller."

"Is that so? Did the prince allow that?"

"No. He doesn't need to. We decided on it, so he couldn't deny us."

Upon hearing that, Genevieve glanced at the nearby knights, who showed no change in expression despite the girl's words.

Genevieve smiled at Leofwine. While others might not have seen anything unusual in that smile, Leofwine understood exactly what Genevieve was thinking.

They had just found some powerful little backers to help them if the situation took a turn for the worse.