When she finally slowed down, they were about a block away from the Debau Company trading house. A great tumult echoed around them like thunder and lightning. He wondered if Hyland was all right amid the chaos of the town square.
When Col alighted from Myuri’s back, she opened her mouth wide, and the steam that left it was whiter than that of the hot springs.
“Are you all right?”
“I want to keep running.”
“…The distance between here and Nyohhira should be just about right.”
There was considerable strength in the angry flash of her fangs.
“Find a place to hide yourself around here.”
“Aww…”
Of course, that was not a straightforward response. Her red eyes pierced through him coolly, as though saying, Why would you say that?
“It’s a joke.”
Myuri jabbed him with her nose.
“Brother, I don’t like the way you’re acting. What are you plotting?”
“Nothing. I’ve just thought of a way to make Mr. Stefan realize he’s done something wrong.”
“What are you going to do?”
When she asked, he flung back his cloak, which was unmistakably the vestment of a priest.
“You and Heir Hyland both taught me that you boldly declare something, then it will seem true.”
“Huh?”
Myuri tilted her head, and Col whispered his plan to her.
She suddenly bared her fangs and wagged her tail.
“What do you think?”
“I think it’s a perfect lie for an honest boy like you.”
No, it was not a lie.
They would simply manipulate the other party into misunderstanding all on their own.
After he had this thought, Col suddenly wondered if Myuri was corrupting him, but it was not a bad feeling.
Col knocked on the back door of the Debau Company and was asked to identify himself.
“I am Tote Col, staying here as a guest.”
The inspection window on the door opened, and a familiar face appeared. It was Lewis. He peeked out of the window with a grim expression, which instantly turned to relief. The commotion was happening nearby, so he was likely on the lookout for thieves taking advantage of the chaos or people with torches.
“Welcome back. I am glad to see that you are safe.”
Lewis probably had no idea that they had just been arrested, been thrown in jail, and then escaped. He opened the door for them immediately.
Col entered, and just after Lewis bowed politely, he saw what came in after him and froze.
“Where is Mr. Stefan?” Col asked, but Lewis was frozen in a strange pose, and only his eyes turned to look at him. He seemed to believe that if he moved at all he would be swallowed whole.
“It’s all right.”
Col smiled softly and patted wolf Myuri’s head. She gave a throaty growl, wagged her tail, and lowered her head like a dog.
The miraculous sight overwhelmed Lewis.
“H-he’s in the office…”
“Thank you.”
Col walked off after offering his gratitude, and Lewis sank to the floor.
“Am I that scary?”
She seemed rather hurt, but she jabbed him with her head as though telling him not to speak.
The large building was quiet throughout. Perhaps it seemed that way because of the chaos happening before their eyes and under their noses, or perhaps the company was holding its breath to hide its dealings with the Church.
“Well, here it is.”
The hallway in front of the office had been crowded with people just the day before, but now it was empty. There were cavities on either side of the door holding stone candlesticks, and fancy beeswax candles illuminated the spaces.
Col took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Mr. Stefan.”
However, there came no response. He looked to Myuri, and she sniffed. Apparently, he was inside.
“Mr. Stefan, it’s me. Tote Col.”
If Stefan was in communication with the archbishop, then he would know that Col should not be here. Col could feel the bewilderment and confusion seeping out from the other side of the door. When he was about to just force the door open, he heard a voice from inside.
“Come in.”
It was a steady voice, fitting for someone who ran a trading house.
“Thank you.”
He opened the door and entered.
A giant world map hung on one wall, and it was the same as the one in the room they stayed in. What was different was on the opposite wall; there were huge stacks of parchment as well as parchment rolls that had been simply left there. Written on them were most likely transactions for an enormous number and variety of goods and a dizzying assortment of privileges and permits. The scripture, penned to guide people to a good life, was not that thick by comparison, but the amount of words needed for a large company to stay profitable was unbelievably large.
Stefan sat at a large desk in the farthest corner of the room.
“No, it really is you…So the report that Heir Hyland showed up is also…Huh?”
He saw Myuri slip into the room beside Col and seemed even more startled than the errand boy had been.
“Do you believe in the miracles of God?” he said, standing with wolf Myuri. Stefan opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out. Someone who should be in jail was standing in his office next to a giant wolf.
Could it be anything but a miracle?
“Please relax. I am not here to punish those who have turned their backs on the teachings of God.”
It was unforgivable for the devout followers of God to tell lies.
That was why Col was not lying.
Myuri was simply baring her fangs and growling.
“However, I do wish to spread God’s righteous teachings.”
Directly after Col spoke, Stefan gave a retort.
“Th-the Kingdom of Winfiel has been deemed heretical! The translation of the scripture that you wrote has also been banned! It is quite obvious who is the most faithful to his teachings!”
He probably yelled because he was aware of his shamefulness.
“Do the townspeople know this?”
Stefan was at a loss for words for a moment, but he was a merchant. He struck back quickly.
“They do! That is why they are causing such a ruckus! Learn from the Kingdom of Winfiel, they say! I can’t believe it! They have no idea what that means! They cannot understand the glory of the pope and the beauty of the Church!”
The words that Stefan shouted at them were empty, and it sounded like he was trying desperately to convince himself. Perhaps Stefan had taken a gamble. He learned about the sanction through the company’s information network, abandoned Hyland, and chose to side firmly with the archbishop. But against expectations, the townspeople did not fear the pope’s sanction.
Hyland had presumed correctly. The people had had enough of the Church’s tyranny.
Yet it did not seem that Stefan would give up. He was praying that the archbishop would win and their relationship would continue unchanged.
“By the way, I heard that you and the archbishop are from the same town.”
Stefan stopped his yelling and suddenly fell silent.
He was more astonished than he was when Myuri entered the room.
“You seem to have many deals with the Church.”
“Th-that’s…that’s, so what? That’s something that e-e-e-everyone in town knows.”
It was almost humorous how much he trembled. He was not a fool. He must have imagined the possibility himself—the distinct chance that his deep ties with the Church would also draw him into the upheaval if the Church came under attack.
“Everyone may know, but have they seen it?”
“…S-seen? Seen what?”
Hyland was right when he told him to look up from books once in a while.
“This trading house is weighing t
he donations that the Church has collected. Maybe exporting them to towns that need the change, correct?”
That must have been why Myuri was counting coins.
“And perhaps coin collected as tithes?”
“Y-y-you are…what—?”
“Perhaps it was an appropriate trade. But if you truly think so, from the bottom of your heart, then how about it? Why not explain it to the townspeople?”
“Wha…?”
“Let them see if a row of crates, all packed with coins, falls in line with the Church’s teachings on asceticism.”
“Ah…”
“Even though the locals grow more desperate for coins they need for daily life, the Church is sending off such a large amount to other towns for nothing but personal gain. If the people learn that, why would they believe that the Church is their friend? To make matters worse, the archbishop already has a great reputation for indulging in extravagant meals.”
It was the same as the translation of the scripture. Once anyone saw it with their own eyes, they would understand immediately.
“Moderation, Mr. Stefan. The Church will certainly lose many things. But they were taking too much in the first place. Many of the Church’s actions cannot be fully justified. Mr. Stefan.”
Col called the man’s name again before clearing his throat.
“Have you read the translation of the scripture?”
A greasy drop of sweat dripped from Stefan’s chin.
However, the head of this branch of the Debau Company was not wearing the expression of a man whose mind had frozen. He was desperately calculating. It was the same as when he obtained information about the coming sanction from the pope, making the same computations before he sold out Hyland. The situation had changed when they escaped from jail. And yet the final, conclusive factor Stefan required was indeed missing, and because of that, Hyland prepared himself for death.
That was why Col came here with Myuri, fully aware of the dangers.
“You may evaluate the gains as much as you wish, but…”
Maybe Myuri sensed the atmosphere since she stood tall on all fours.
He was terrible at keeping up appearances in front of women, but he was used to doing so before God.
He put on his show.
“Why do you think that someone like me is treated so kindly by the distinguished head of the Debau Company, pillar of the northlands?”
Stefan most likely thought that Col was nothing but a traveling priest he often saw in town. But beside him stood a silver wolf, and he had somehow even escaped from imprisonment.
From the perspective of someone unfamiliar with the details, one had to wonder why the head of the Debau Company supported the Kingdom of Winfiel and why he ordered Stefan to treat this young man kindly.
The walls of the company were decorated with images of angels holding swords and scales.
The teachings of God were not a deception.
“Mr. Stefan.”
Stefan, a man almost twenty years Col’s senior, was shocked into sitting up straight.
This must be how a person looked when facing their final judgment.
“You will talk to the archbishop, won’t you?”
However, as he raised his head, he still hesitated. And then, Col realized—Stefan and the archbishop shared a hometown. Perhaps this was not a matter of profit and loss.
“We do not wish to eradicate the Church. And though there are many problems with the archbishop, I have heard that he is rather dedicated to his holy work. I’m sure he will continue working in his position here as he has been, and I’m sure the people will want that, too.”
The man had cried at the happiness of baptisms and weddings. Hyland had not confirmed it, but it was probably not wrong. Stefan’s drawn lips trembled, but he suddenly relaxed as if the invisible strings holding him up had been cut. For a moment, Col thought he had fainted.
“…I…understand.”
In the end, it was the archbishop that Stefan was concerned about. Not even this merchant director thought solely about money, never bleeding or crying.
“Then quickly send someone or go yourself to talk to the archbishop. If the town soldiers end up harming Heir Hyland, then God will weep!”
Stefan stood up so fast from his chair he almost flew.
Then, he put such a distance between himself and Myuri that he practically slid with his back against the wall, and as he passed through the door, Col did not forget to call out and add—
“Keep our existence a secret. God is always watching over us.”
Stefan looked back, his expression on the verge of tears, and quickly nodded several times before dashing away from the room. The door was left ajar, and Col could hear him desperately calling out to somebody.
Should the major support of this town, Stefan, change his mind, surely the archbishop would have to listen.
And since the clergyman did reach his position through human society and not the teachings of God, then he should see this event as part of the new ways of the world.
But perhaps that was a little too hopeful.
The room fell silent again, but he could not help but feel uneasy.
“…Do you think it will be all right?”
Myuri’s red eyes shifted from the door to Col.
“I’m more worried if you’ve actually turned into a demon or not, Brother.”
That was her way of saying yes.
“But if you’re worried, then why not go to the church? If worse comes to worst, I can eat them and then run away, probably.”
He wanted to take her up on that, but Hyland would not like it, and it might not be actually possible.
Col had somehow managed to trick Stefan, but there was no time to explain Myuri’s existence to the crowds. Hyland had been deemed a heretic, and their hands would be tied if he was seen escaping by the power of a terrifying wolf.
That was how Col decided to do what he could do.
“Let us pray.”
The reason he was in this place at all was directly because of Hyland’s noble will. A commoner had no choice but to respect that. Despite his somber emotions, Myuri did not respond and scratched her neck with her hind legs.
Such easygoing behavior reminded Col more of a dog than a wolf.
“More importantly, we should go get my clothes now while we can.”
“Huh? Ah, of course.”
Perhaps being calm and composed like Myuri was the correct answer, instead of anxiety and worry. He had done all he could do.
And then, confident there were no people around, Myuri walked down the hallways as unhesitatingly as always, slid up the stairs, and headed to their room.
The smell of ink and parchment greeted them, and though they had been in that room just that morning, it felt like they had returned after a very long time. At the end of a day, this kind of place suited him much better than the violence of the world, even if he saw only a quarter of it.
He smiled wryly and noticed that Myuri had plopped herself down in front of the clothes folded in the corner of the room.
“Is something wrong?”
“…Yeah.”
Her tail lay flat on the floor, and she spoke without turning toward him.
“Maybe I should just throw them away.”
“What?”
Her clothes were flashy, and to use the words of God, they were profligate. However, it was true that Myuri wore them well. Even still, he remembered that she had happily put her outfit together to show off to him. It was partially his fault that the view of her back seemed so sad.
“Oh, but it’s not your fault, Brother.” Over her shoulder, she said, as though she had discerned his thoughts, “It’s not, I just…can’t wear them, like this.”
“Huh?”
“When I showed you the wheat, I said it was for when we really needed it, right? There’s a reason for that.”
Myuri turned to face him, her front legs neatly placed together.
Only her
eyes were cast downward.
“I’m different from Mother. Mother has a hard time hiding her ears and tail, but it’s easy for her to become a wolf. I’m the opposite. That’s why this is only when we need it the most.”
“No…”
Even if she could easily transform, she might not be able to turn back. He knew that was what she meant now, and the blood drained from his face.
Even if they returned to Nyohhira, she would not be able to stay in the bathhouse as a wolf. She would not be able to stay in any populated area.
How could she decide to do such a thing for his sake?!
“C-can’t we…can’t we do something about this?”
He ran to her, and the silver wolf narrowed her eyes in pain and lowered her head.
It was as though the more he suffered, the more she suffered as well.
“Don’t make that face, Brother. I’m really glad I could have an adventure, like the ones Mother and Father told me about.”
Those words wounded his heart. Myuri was a kind girl. She had not explained any of this and simply acted for his sake. He had been so involved in fulfilling his own dreams that he had paid no attention to her.
Even though Col did not reciprocate Myuri’s feelings for him, she had sacrificed herself for him. All his apologies and self-hatred beforehand were just self-indulgent.
There were no words to express how he felt, and he could only wrap his arms around her neck.
“Brother…,” Myuri murmured quietly. “But you know, there is a way to turn back into a human.”
He lifted his head, and Myuri was gazing at him earnestly.
“What is it? Please tell me!”
“But I don’t want to see you suffer anymore, Brother.”
“Myuri! I can’t imagine anything that could make me suffer more!”
Myuri closed her eyes and showed her teeth. It was a troubled smile.
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
“Myuri!”
He called her name, and after a few moments of silence, her eyes opened and turned to him.