Money orders were painfully down-to-earth things. They were hardly amazing. Merchants used the mundane in magical ways, so it only appeared like money was trading hands invisibly. That’s why people sometimes mistook them for tricksters and sorcerers, but it wasn’t like they were breaking the rules of reality.
And yet, that gave him an idea: what if he let the credit flow the other way? It was such a strange concept that his brain had to chew on it for a while. Elsa began to worry that something was wrong, but he politely shushed her and kept thinking. Was going to Kinisen really the only way to buy the book? No, he’d surely been missing something.
It suddenly felt like there were keys everywhere in Lenos, ones capable of unlocking the gates for him to travel north with Holo. His heart was beating furiously as he tried to collect his thoughts and memories. He stared at Elsa, who recoiled in terror. That was strange.. he’d never seen her that way before. Oh, of course.. anyone would recoil from the smile he had on his face right now.
“Hey.. if I came up with something like a miracle.. should I go ahead and try it?”
That was the first time he’d ever sincerely asked someone whether he should go ahead with something. It was such an unnerving sensation that he was lucky he didn’t bite his tongue.
“..I.. I wish you luck..”
Even when terrified, Elsa was a top-notch priestess. Lawrence couldn’t let her efforts go to waste. In a twisted and mean way, his idea was actually pretty funny. If Elsa hadn’t pushed him this far, he would have just laughed it off entirely.
* * *
No one was at Flynn’s shop when they returned. The door to the courtyard was still open, however, so Lawrence popped his head through. He immediately felt the heat from a stove that had been set up there.
“Oh? You two sure were quick. We’re not ready yet, so go back in and wait for us.”
Lawrence wasn’t sure if Flynn even knew the people around him, though several of them were carving eels and at least seemed like cooks. The other lads also seemed quite busy, so Lawrence nodded and headed back to Elsa. She stared at him, obviously still concerned.
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
She thought he was joking around, and recoiled in fear. Her mouth was wired shut as she stared at him.
“I mean it. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to think of this. Maybe I’m just getting old?”
He smiled and took a deep breath before walking past her.
“In his letter, my father wrote to tell me..”
He listened to her speaking behind him.
“..that he wanted me to go as I wished. In his library were many stories about ordinary futures born of compromise. But so few of them had happy endings..”
Elsa held Evan’s stamp tightly again, and did her best to put on a joking smile and tone.
“..unless they were earned through failure.”
Even a successful trade was usually born of someone trying and failing in some way, so Lawrence was intimately familiar with this line of thinking.
“We call that reality.”
He quickly navigated the cleanest-looking corridor. It was the one that seemed the best-ventilated, the widest and brightest. It was even brighter than the part of the shop meant to invite customers. It was the type of environment where voices would seem more cheerful, and sure enough, the happy voices being heard now belonged to Holo and Cole.
Lawrence and Elsa took several more steps and stopped in front of a room. Its floor was a bit lower than the rest of the halls and rooms, and it seemed to be some sort of kitchen, complete with stoves. Holo and Cole’s fishy clothes were neatly folded over the open door.
Lawrence pushed that door further open and peeked behind it, just in time to spy Holo splashing hot water onto the nude form of Cole with a large ladle.
“Oh, come on! The water in Nyohilla is a hundred times hotter than this!”
There she was, lying to gullible kids again. Thankfully, Cole was trying to fight back with his own ladle. They were both kids. Still, the moment Cole noticed Lawrence he nervously hid the ladle behind his back.. unlike Holo, whose greedy eyes shone like she’d spotted her next target.
“Jeez, get some towels on. You’re both going to catch a cold if you play around for too long. Got it?”
They must have been bathing for more than long enough, so Lawrence tossed two towels their way. Cole nervously caught his with outstretched hands, but Holo just let hers flop over her head.
“Your change of clothes is waiting for you. Cole, Elsa is lending you some of hers, so make sure to thank her.”
“Yes!”
It was a model reply, or would have been, if he hadn’t sneezed at the end. But he still got a passing grade, because that was just what one would expect seeing him sitting there in the buff. He quickly wiped himself dry and went off in search of his clothes.
“You too.”
Holo heaved a vast, bored sigh. Only her tail betrayed the fact that she was happy.
“Honestly. I take it no one saw your tail, at least?”
That was splashing water everywhere right now as she just coyly wrung her hair out. She turned to him, like her mission in life was to flood the room.
“I am hardly that foolish- ah˜choo!”
Her fine figure and pale skin looked as beautiful as a polished pearl as she stood there, glistening. What a shame that she had to sneeze like a little kid and ruin the whole effect. Lawrence returned her vast sigh and began properly tending to her hair.
“Is lunch ready yet?”
“The fires are seeing to that, but it seems it’ll be a while yet.”
“Mm. The dock workers told me that they would be tastiest if we drizzled them lightly with oil and roasted them.”
Her hair was beyond lovely, but it was a real chore to dry. It was still wet after a monumental effort.
“This was not so bad, but Nyohilla is far better. Especially if you let some wine chill in the snow next to you. Now that is paradise.”
“Especially for the merchants, I’ll wager. Since everyone does that, they can charge whatever they want for the wine and the springs.”
When her hair was finally dry, Lawrence set her towel on her shoulder. She brushed her bangs playfully and hummed provocatively.
“Is that all? Please help me dry off.”
She looked up at him with her hand on her waist, and an evil smile on her face. If he looked away now it was over, so he chose to ignore it. He stared into her amber eyes and then slowly shut his.
“Dry yourself off already, and get your clothes on. They’re right outside.”
He could practically hear her pouting. If she wanted their trip to end then why was she acting this way now, of all times? Because she was a born actress who could read him like a book, of course. She frowned as her hands reached for her towel.
“And what would you like me to do after I am clothed?”
He was ready for her question.
“Help me find Lou.”
Everyone in Lenos was hoarding goods right now, so someone like Lou (with no real connections in the city), would be completely in over his head trying to buy the provisions they needed for their trip. Of course, Lawrence wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of his heart. And sure enough, Holo regarded him doubtfully.
“What for?”
A drop of water fell from her nose. The air around them had cooled, as had the water, so she was probably quite cold right now. She seemed to be putting all of that coldness into her icy stare.
“Somewhere near Yoitsu..”
He brought his head down to hers, and nearly set it on her shoulder.
“..there is a band of mercenaries.”
“What?”
“Their name is.. the Myuri Mercenary Band.”
His behavior had already surprised her, but now she was downright stunned. And yet, people’s minds became strangely clear when they were as stunned as she was.
“So help me find Lou, before it’s to
o late.”
He averted his eyes and turned around like that was all there was to discuss, but she grabbed his collar from behind. He turned back around, but she wasn’t upset.
“Why do you want to find that guy?”
“Our plans have changed.”
Her fangs immediately bared, and she was already hyperventilating, but before she snapped he gently reached his hand out to her face.
“Don’t worry, not that much.”
He crouched down slightly so his eyes were level with her red and amber ones; the ones he could lose himself in.
“I’m a merchant, keeping promises is what I do.”
His double meaning was clear, so he stood back up and continued calmly.
“I just need to alter our plans slightly, to account for this new information.”
“Are you planning-”
Her voice cut off for a moment. Her hand was shaking like she was charging herself for her next attack.
“Are you planning to not go to Kinisen?”
“Perhaps.”
She put on a look of pure hatred; the kind she always put on when she suspected he was doing something stupid against her will. But he knew what that face really meant: she was suppressing her tears.
“..you are..”
“Yeah, I’m jealous.”
He casually beat her to it.
“I’m jealous because it’s Myuri. What of it?”
She lost all signs of emotion for a moment, unable to say a word.
“Unless you’re saying Myuri’s a girl? If that’s the case, then I’m just joking.”
He stared right back at her until she looked away, slowly shaking her head.
“No.. but my relationship with Myuri is not what you seem to think it is-”
“Even so, I can’t just ride away on my wagon while you hop off to meet him.”
He held her tiny hand in his, warming it as best he could as he dried her neck with her towel.
“Then what exactly are you.. changing..?”
“I’m just setting it up so that we don’t have to go to Kinisen to get the book. That’s why we have to find Lou right away. Oh, and in case you’re worried, Elsa and Cole still won’t end up in Yoitsu.”
The towel suddenly hung over empty air as he lowered it to dry her shoulder.
“Are you.. sure it will work?”
She couldn’t abide a single mistake. Her tense glare made that perfectly clear. But he chuckled. At first, he wasn’t quite sure why he chuckled, though, or why he began talking in a sarcastic tone.
“We can only pray. After all..”
After saying that, he realized that he was actually laughing at himself.
“A foolish merchant like me would rather make a small mistake than a big one.”
Holo cringed in revulsion, like she did when she bit into liver, and when her eyes snapped back up to meet his they were full of pure loathing. It was her usual prelude to saying “foolish mule,” and sure enough-
“Foolish mule.”
This time he laughed raucously and nodded in agreement.
“It’s true. If we fail this time, I’ll have to give up.”
He was already habitually looking at her to reassure her lie-detecting ears that he was not lying. But that just made her head slump down even lower. Clearly she was dubious. After all, he did imply that his plan still had room for a small mistake.. how could he even suggest that? He cleared his throat.
“Do you think I’ve grown at all?”
He’d spent all this time risking life and livelihood just to keep her safe and happy with him. And this plan would continue that trend, all the way to the end of their travels. She stared at his smile, unable to laugh or even get angry. Her head remained slumped over powerlessly, like she was even beyond sighing. It was nearly touching his chest.
“Fool.”
That soft complaint was followed by a sigh. She picked up the towel, which had dropped to the floor, and wrapped it around herself before complaining some more.
“Such a fool.”
He watched her dry herself thinking “I truly, truly am,” but he could afford to feel relaxed for now. Elsa’s suggestion was right; being evil was certainly far easier.
Holo finally stepped out of the tub of water and flung her towel at him as she walked away. Her tail was swollen, but he suspected it was because she’d finally stepped out into the cold.
“Then you wish to look for that meat bun right now, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Honestly. This had better not keep me from lunch.”
She sighed like she already suspected that it would.
* * *
Lou was quite animal-like. Not his looks of course, but his senses. For a book dealer busily bargaining on the loading dock of a random company, he sure seemed to hear Lawrence’s footsteps quickly. This wasn’t a quiet place, either. Workers were shouting, horses were neighing, and merchants were raising their voices. It was quite a mess, in fact.
“I sure don’t like the look on your face.”
He still cracked wise, but this time he wasn’t smiling.
“At least that’s what it seems I should be saying.”
Judging by his friendly tone, he was probably being careful around Holo. Otherwise he would have dropped the act and regarded Lawrence as a tough enemy.
“Well at least we don’t have to worry about supplies. I managed to buy lots.”
His lips barely finished moving before he turned back around to the merchant he was dealing with.
“Forget it.”
But the man didn’t want to sell to Lou anymore. He waved his hands in displeasure and left.
“Of course he’d react that way. Anyone would, seeing a man with a face like that, with a girl standing next to him.”
“I’m quite used to that reaction, yes.”
There was no hesitation in Lawrence’s voice as he shrugged and replied.
“Does that mean you’re looking for me because you’re backing down?”
Backing down in the middle of a deal was heresy in the business world. Failure was downright respectable by comparison.
“Of course not.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’ve just received word of something incredibly urgent. So urgent that I won’t be able to join you to Kinisen.”
He led Lou away to a quiet location. They walked past Holo, who followed them.
“You’re joking, right?”
“That’s exactly how she reacted.”
Lou quickly shut his mouth and stared at Lawrence. But he couldn’t just accept this, not without knowing what Lawrence was after.
“Let me cut to the chase. I stand to earn a good thousand Trenni silvers from this.”
Lou declared it like a mercenary patting himself on the back for killing a bear with his bare hands. It made Lawrence grin, but not in mockery. Again, he was laughing at himself. This time, for passing up such an exciting deal just because he was jealous. He really was crazy.
“So I’m sorry, but I won’t let you back down. We have a deal.”
Lou was so mistaken that Lawrence had to cough and sigh to keep from laughing.
“Look, that company in Kinisen has a working relationship with Delink.. and quite a good one, right?”
They were looking to buy girls with tan skin, after all. Delink wouldn’t even give them the time of day if they weren’t a serious customer. And no small company could afford to place such an “order.” Lou was so utterly lost that he couldn’t help but be wary, but he still let Lawrence continue with a nod.
“That means they must deal with a lot of other companies. Still with me?”
“Yeah.. what of it?”
Lou’s anxiety was palpable, but Lawrence wasn’t going to reveal his ace just yet. He tilted his head slightly and continued.
“Then I can still be there to help you without actually being there to help you.”
Lou froze in his tracks and stared dubiously at
Lawrence. He was clearly trying to analyze what Lawrence could possibly mean by that. Lawrence looked away, squinting as if he was looking at the sun.
“With money orders.”
“Money orders? But how? They’re not magic, they’re just a way to transfer funds.”
Holo lagged behind them, looking utterly bored.
“Not if we make a mess of them.”
Lawrence walked on after saying that. Lou was bewildered, but still chose to follow him. Lawrence knew he had him now. He’d won the moment Lou had taken that first step after him.
“Mr. Lawrence, you’re making no sense.”
Curiosity had indeed killed the cat. Humans just couldn’t help themselves when it came to learning something that sounded this conniving. Lawrence looked back at Lou.
“Why not issue a bunch of smaller money orders from lots of companies, rather than one big one?”
“Huh?”
“Our minimum is thirty Lumione, but this way they’ll easily top a hundred.. maybe even two hundred.”
Lawrence was impressed that he could smile so naturally right now. After all, this plan hinged on them having more capital than Delink had offered, and only the richest companies could offer more than they had put on the table.
“Think about it. We make a bunch of money orders with different terms. The company will have no reason to suspect its all us; it’ll just be business as usual at first. By the time they get suspicious it’ll already be too late.. they won’t be able to cash them in anymore, because no one will have any money to honor them. With all those customers and employees screaming to be paid, even the biggest company could be brought to its knees.”
Lou’s lumpy, doughy face quickly tightened up into one that looked like it was carved out of rock salt.
“And that’s where we’d come in, just in the nick of time. We’d save them by taking those money orders off their hands for cash. Naturally, we’d only do that if there was something in it for us..”
Of course, all of the money orders would be issued by Delink, so Lou wouldn’t even need to worry about the cash. The trap could be set right away. All that remained to be seen was whether Lou had the courage to set it.
“That’s where I come in, saying I’ll take a look at their books as compensation?”