Spice & Wolf XV (DWT)

  Myuri, however, was a born leader. He knew that he needed to get them good and drunk, to vent their frustration. He even poured the wine himself. They were all confused about what to do in the future.. live on as warriors, or stay behind and start a new life?

  “Not even Moid or I can answer that question so easily anymore.”

  He laughed at himself.

  “I’m just glad you’re here, Mr. Lawrence. I never realized just how terrifying money can be.”

  Lawrence just stared at the wine in his glass and smiled. A half a year ago, he would have to add ginger or lime juice to the terrible wine he drank, but now he was enjoying the finest wine he could ask for. Everything in his life had changed, right down to the wine he drank.

  “That’s exactly how I used to think, but the people I’ve been meeting lately have shown me just how naive and innocent I am about money.”

  Norah and Eve had given their lives up for money, both in different ways. Cole and Elsa proved to him that living was impossible without money. Holo had taught him how to enjoy his money. If he had continued on his own, he knew he would never have been able to open his own shop like this. He would have kept a miserly hold on his wallet until he finally collapsed out of illness or died in an accident. He would never have been able to deduce something as grand as Diva’s ambitions on his own.

  “I could never have imagined something as grand as Diva’s plan. Oh, I understand it, but coming up with something like that would be impossible for someone like me, even if I was fortunate enough to meet Holo.”

  Holo called herself the Wisewolf, but there were limits to even her abilities. She could put the pieces together quite readily, but if she didn’t know what the pieces were, she would be just as lost as Myuri. That was why she drank so unhappily, having realized that Myuri and his band were in the same situation she had been in herself. She only smiled and raised her glass to match Myuri, when he raised his glass and decried the fact that he was born in the wrong age.

  “I guess you just can’t fight the sands of time.”

  Moid’s emotionless voice echoed all the way down to Myuri’s narrow office, like a voice from the distant past.

  “Back in my youth, such things were the responsibility of barons and their knights.. nobles. Now, nobles are no longer knights, and kings just sit tight in their castles. They just hire mercenaries like us and get fatter and richer, just like town merchants. You do realize who it was that finally crossed the open seas and discovered the new world?”

  Moid was staring at Lawrence, and giving him no choice but to say the obvious in an unpleasant tone.

  “Merchants, I’ll bet.”

  Lawrence had in fact read the journal written by a merchant who had sailed around the world. Building ships, hiring mariners, and the actual sailing - these all required money. And the investments made had to pay off. Not just any rough hand could handle that kind of effort; someone who was only motivated by self-gain couldn’t do it. In that regard, merchants were perhaps the most curious people in the world. They believed undiscovered lands were the most ripe for making money, and they never lost in terms of curiosity when it came time to go on an adventure.

  “Don’t be too picky about your hirer, just make sure you aren’t being bought like a product. That’s one of the few things my father ever taught me.”

  Myuri nodded, and Moid agreed. This time, they were talking without the presence of those two young staff officers.

  “Did you know how competitive it is in the world of mercenaries, Mr. Lawrence? Even just to win the works of the best ironsmiths, made for mercenaries? “The Spears of Freedom” are one of the oldest bands, yet they don’t care about who hires them - just about money. They don’t fight for flag and fame, just fortune.”

  Myuri squinted and smiled. He knew Lawrence wasn’t the same kind of adaptable people they were, and couldn’t really respond to that kind of statement. He had no choice but to change the topic.

  “Indeed. Say, since there won’t be any war here in the end, where will you be heading next? Yoitsu.. or Tolchin, or whatever it’s called now?”

  That was their plan, but if the war had been cancelled then Lawrence had to find someone else who could escort him and Holo to Yoitsu. After all, he had just bought a store, and even if they didn’t expect him to pay it off all at once, he had no choice but to get down to business and repay his loans. He didn’t have the benefit of being in a guild or company, after all.

  “Ah, that’s right.. we’re not on a familiar horse anymore, are we? If we stay here we’ll be able to find jobs, but that doesn’t really suit me. I think I’ll have to head on south and try to keep living in the past.”

  He spoke with such sadness that it almost sounded like he was drunk. Moid calmly interjected.

  “Whether this is a general trend or just a miracle that happened here doesn’t matter. We can take our time and find out.”

  “No, I still want to travel through our homes, so our men can visit their families and give them what they’ve earned.”

  “Then.. may we join you?”

  Hearing Lawrence ask that way made Myuri’s face scrunch up. Lawrence suddenly regretted asking him that way, especially when Holo poked him in the side.

  “If I refused, what kind of thankless descendant would I be?”

  His voice was serious and harsh, underscoring just how easily Lawrence kept forgetting that the deity he traveled with was, in fact, a deity. She was the central myth that gave birth to this band of mercenaries, so of course they had a duty to proudly return her home. Their existence demanded it. Holo sighed as Lawrence apologized.

  “We’ll probably be off in four or five days, maybe sooner if they move more quickly..”

  He spoke as he flung open the window shutters. The sun had set, but it was still as raucous outside as it had been earlier. The restrictions on fire had been lifted for the night, and people everywhere were drinking at tables and dancing around bonfires, even on such a cold night that felt like it was about to snow.

  Not many of them would know just how much of an impact a new currency would have, but they certainly had cause to celebrate. When a town issued a new currency it gained a special status. That is, their reputation increased, and even more people would flock there with gleams of hope in their eyes. This was a huge event, and celebration was exactly what the situation called for.

  “But I really don’t think they’ll move more quickly. Not after being so careful all this time. That would be like chasing the rabbit right back into its hole. Maybe if the hole lead somewhere special, but a rabbit hole is just a rabbit hole, after all.”

  Myuri’s voice was fraught with disappointment. He sipped his wine, possibly admiring those who didn’t even need to hunt rabbits on their own, just like Lawrence. And for his part, even though he had come to Diva with such hostile intent, Lawrence was now proud to be a merchant again after seeing their work. He marvelled at how quickly his mind had changed, but Diva deserved his admiration. They were probably throwing a huge party at their headquarters right now.

  “As a mercenary, it’s always good to see the world changing. After all, we mercenaries live in the cracks between the ages.”

  He was being intentionally sarcastic, but Moid and the others still raised their glasses in toast.

  “And it seems we’re not the only ones..”

  He was looking outside.

  “Is that one of Rapoldt’s young men?”

  “Haha, their captain likes to drink just as much.”

  Despite appearances, Myuri loved historical celebrations as much as the next person, even if wine was necessary for that enjoyment. Not that long afterward, a knock was heard on the door, and the young man from Rapoldt arrived to extend an invitation to Myuri.

  “Well, I can’t refuse this, so you guys have fun!”

  He asked Moid to take care of the rest, then grabbed a bunch of gold coins from their sack of pay and handed them to him. Lawrence had already seen a pile of gol
d like this back in Gerube, but he’d never seen anyone handle them so casually. It really made clear just how different mercenaries and merchants were.

  “I’m off!”

  He put on his coat as though he was annoyed, but his face betrayed how happy he was. After all, he was no older than Lawrence, so despite his serious act, he couldn’t entirely conceal his mirth.

  “Well, then I should head downstairs. What about the two of you?”

  He counted the gold Myuri had given him, and dropped half of them into a sack before standing up. He was making it clear that he wasn’t telling them to join him downstairs.

  “I shall return to my room. I can only tarnish my image in such an exciting environment.”

  “Hoho, a wise choice. Wine tastes best in a quiet place, and the men downstairs are loud enough to muddy water with their voices alone. I doubt you would enjoy it.”

  He laughed and saw them out of the room with the coins in his hand. They could hear the ruckus downstairs even from the second floor, so it was clear just how drunk everyone was getting.

  “I’m afraid I really don’t have the luxury either.. not after spending all of my money on that deposit.”

  Moid’s eyes went round as saucers when he heard Lawrence say that.

  “Then you really..?”

  “Yes, in a heartbeat.”

  “Oh ho.. congratulations! Surely it’s the most important trade you’ve made as a man.”

  He then lightly smacked his forehead like Myuri would. Perhaps it was a habit Myuri picked up from being around Moid for so long. Almost like an old married couple. Lawrence looked at Holo with that thought, but she looked back with a puzzled look in her eyes. He just smiled back and kept his mouth shut.

  “But really, congratulations. I really didn’t expect you would, but it was perfect timing, wasn’t it?”

  In a town so awash in excitement, even that shop would have been more expensive the next day. Had Lawrence not paid the deposit in time, it might even have even been sold before he could conjure up enough to buy it.

  “Yes, and thank God for that.”

  Moid seemed even more surprised to hear Lawrence say that. He looked over at Holo, wondering if that was something inappropriate to say in front of her. When he saw that she didn’t care in the slightest, he seemed to finally understand their relationship; at least to some extent.

  “What an odd world we live in. Anyway, I hope the two of you have a wonderful night.”

  Moid then disappeared down the stairs.

  “Alright, let’s head back to the room.”

  He looked back at Holo and saw her pouring herself another glass of the strong wine from the jar on Myuri’s desk.

  “We already have wine in our room.”

  “Surely you jest? How could we let such fine wine go to waste?”

  The wine in their room was already quite a luxurious vintage, but Myuri’s was even finer. A young worker seemed to have noticed Myuri and Moid had left, giving him a chance to tidy the room, but he hesitated when he saw Lawrence and Holo.

  “See, you’re even making things awkward for this lad. Let’s go.”

  He paid the boy a tip and pulled Holo away. She followed him gravely, keeping her eyes on the glass she had just carefully filled to the brim, drop by drop.

  * * *

  “What? You don’t want to go outside?”

  The celebration outside was so fantastic that he couldn’t believe the Wisewolf would just go to sleep.

  “..not really.”

  Her sincere-sounding reply confused him, but he soon shouted in understanding.

  “Ah.. you’re worried about the money?”

  She was looking elsewhere, but her ears jumped up the moment she heard him say that. He knew that with such a party outside, she couldn’t be happy cooped up in their room with even the finest of wines. She knew that with just a word, she could pop the cork on his wallet more easily than any bottle of wine. Still, even if she really was worried about the money, he was just playing around.

  “I made sure I still have enough to afford the good wine you love so much.”

  He took her glass and sipped from it, mourning the drops that splashed out as he did so. Holo didn’t move to snatch it back, however.

  “Truly?”

  She asked him playfully as her tail wagged excitedly under her robe. It went without saying that she didn’t have to ask, and that he would do whatever she asked, so he confidently replied after taking a sip and burping.

  “Of course-”

  And yet, his mouth was covered before he could even say so.

  “It seems that trouble is already afoot..”

  That was just the kind of thing he always said.

  “Where is your sense of saving? You are far too relaxed.”

  She’d already won just like that. Only then did she happily snatch the glass back from him, and sip from it as she walked away.

  “However.”

  She looked back after coming to a stop. Her face was so beautiful that he wanted to grab it and rub his against hers.

  “Since you are offering, I shall join you.”

  With each step he took toward her, her expression became gentler and more seductive. When he was close enough to finally take her hand, as she obviously wanted, she could no longer hold in her salacious smile and shot him an accusing look.

  “Don’t drink too much!”

  He knew that smile meant she wasn’t going to listen, but she still harumphed in response. The entire town was in the square tonight, and all of the stalls were serving food and drinks. They couldn’t even make it to the square, it was so packed. They ended up sitting down at a spice dealer’s stall, but with no guilds to enforce things even a spice dealer could sell wine at a moment’s notice.

  Lawrence was the only one seated there, however. The moment they arrived, Holo requested a silver coin and ran into the stall like a child. She soon returned with food, but ran off the instant she had set it down at their table. After four more of her trips back and forth, even the stall owner raised an eyebrow between sips of wine.

  “Ho, ho..”

  Warning her to not overeat was even more useless than warning her to not overdrink. All Lawrence could do was stare at the mountain of food before her. Jeez.. of course he wasn’t saving money anymore. That was no longer his priority. Money was still his bigger business priority, and he still yearned for it like he yearned for the summer sun, but he didn’t want to be so scorched by it that he forgot about his happiness.

  He was opening a shop, and several years or decades later, he would sit here again with Holo and look around. Would he still remember how he felt this very moment? He couldn’t be sure, but he did trust that they would be just as happy when that time came. He had always wanted a big business of his own, ever since the sun had risen in his life. That was why he traveled, so by the time it set, he had a home of his own to return to.

  Now that he was so close to having one, he also had an unexpected gift sitting beside him. If he could meet his younger self, still suffering the hardships of an apprentice, he would tell himself not to worry: his hard work would pay off. He couldn’t help but chuckle at such a fanciful notion.

  “What are you laughing at?”

  Holo barely chewed her chicken, and swallowed it cartilage and all.

  “How can I not laugh, when I’m so happy?”

  He replied with another smile, finally able to calmly look into her eyes while saying something so embarrassing. It was downright easy now. She wanted to laugh back at him, but his calmness seemed to make that impossible.

  “Just how can you be so calm? Honestly, you are doomed to always mess up.”

  That was the best retort she could offer.

  “I just never imagined anything like this when you first asked me to take you home.”

  He lifted a piece of chicken off her plate and let the fine taste fill his mouth.

  “I can no longer clearly remember who it was who asked. I
t seems my memory is already fading.”

  Her ears could tell whether a person was lying, so he took a breath to steady his nerves.

  “And yet, you made it back, no?”

  “Not yet.”

  She corrected him, but not with a dark tone. She clearly wanted him to stop talking about it.

  “Alright, then let’s forget about that for now.”

  He couldn’t help but lick his fingers, then have some bread topped with beans to dry them off. It didn’t matter who planted the beans. Everyone involved in getting them here was related to a merchant like Lawrence. He didn’t know them personally, but felt connected to them in a sense.

  Money was the same as beans, in that it became one’s motivation to earn profit. Of course, it took a little help from God, but ever since he’d met Holo, he’d been able to put his wants and his needs into perspective. His failures and arguments with Holo amounted to a belief that he could continue succeeding in the future.

  Looking back on every step they had taken, none of them were truly whimsical or strange. They were just more layers to help build up his common sense and knowledge of the world. It still felt incredible to be sitting with and talking to someone like Holo, and he still worried that she might vanish like a bubble if he reached out to her, but his terror over that actually happening was long gone.

  He had been beaten back as he forced her to take his hand, but he had still come out of it all as a normal merchant. He placed his hand on the table and broke their silence.

  “Let’s figure out what to do once we get there.”

  He had been trying so hard to avoid the topic, but it felt like he could finally give it a voice. Holo wore no smile, but nor was she surprised. She turned away in anger, but he stayed calm. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye.

  “You will go forward on your own.”

  That seemed a childish thing to say, and in fact it was.