Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Epilogue
Translation Team
Written by Hasekura Isuna
Illustrated by Ayakura Jyuu
Translation & Editing by
‘Drunken Wolf Translations’
Ebook version 2.0 (07/25/13)
Prologue
Candles are luxury items. They can only illuminate the space one can encircle with two arms, and on top of that they burn out far too quickly.
For these reasons, they’re mostly only used for activities that can’t be done in daylight. For instance, carefully shaving away the edges of gold coins with a small knife, sewing a hidden compartment into the bottom of a gunnysack, or sprinkling highly-taxed salt into that compartment.
When business was good, one might even be taken with sketching the shop of their dreams or ideal town onto paper that was just as expensive as candles. Yet, be they illicit acts or paper sketches, such nocturnal activities were secretly for one’s happiness.
The Church would often warn that smiling secretly at night was a surefire way to attract the company of demons; such warnings were surely born from observations of merchants sitting at their desks at night, secretly delighting in Lord knows what. When he was but an apprentice, inadvertently spotting his master all hunched over his desk would send him shivering back under his covers.
And yet, since a time he couldn’t pinpoint, he’d taken on the habit of lighting a candle even when he had nothing of particular importance to attend to. He simply sat there in the candlelight and stared at the slowly-melting candlestick or his cup, which was filled to the brim with wine he had no intention of drinking.
He actually knew well why he kept a candle lit. In the past the night had always been a hindrance to business and a nuisance to him, but now he wanted to savor the evening hours.. even if it was only for a little longer. He wished to indulge in this hasteless time of peace and quiet preceding the hustle and bustle of a new day.
As if preordained, the sound of two individuals breathing in unison reached his ears. If only he could listen to those relaxed breaths he wouldn’t mind lighting another candle, but the night was fading fast and soon another hectic day would arrive. If he didn’t go to sleep soon, his body wouldn’t be able to handle it.
He laughed silently and prepared to blow out the candle, but couldn’t help hesitating for a moment to glance at the source of the breathing. It was a sight that could conquer any fear one might have of the dark. That very image lingered in his mind right up until he finally drifted off into the land of dreams.
Chapter 1
A boat became a very unreliable mode of transportation the moment it left the harbor. Seasoned boatman didn’t even really consider a certain level of turbulence to be “turbulence” at all, even if the others on the boat felt as if their world had become a spinning disaster zone. Why would he feel that way? Because the others beside him also felt the same way.
It was he and those two companions of his who had embarked on this journey. They had been fooling around merrily on the boat’s deck before it had left the harbor. Once it began rocking however, one of them had immediately gone below into the cargo deck and clung tightly to him, refusing to let go ever since.
Said companion had a slender build, so seeing his trembling body all scrunched up made him look much like a tiny kitten. For his own part he didn’t mock the boy, but allowed him to lean up against his knees, trembling.
Since becoming an independent traveling merchant at the age of eighteen, he’d traveled far and wide for seven years. He’d taken in all manner of experiences, large and small. But during his first boat ride, he’d also cried out for dear life at the slightest rock of the boat. He had no right to mock his companion now.
Lawrence patted his companion’s shivering back gently and rhythmically as he pondered over things. After surveying the dark, musty interior of the cargo deck, his thoughts shifted and he couldn’t suppress a wry smile. It made him feel a bit guilty, but he couldn’t help but wish that it was his other companion who was being docile right now.
If only Cole was the one who was bouncing around delightedly right now. He couldn’t help but feel this way since Cole - a traveling student often mistaken for a girl - was always such a clever and obedient lad. A soft sigh escaped his lips when he sighted another figure descending into the cargo deck, swiftly and lightly.
“You, I have seen the ocean!”
With that, his other traveling companion Holo sat down next to them with a thump, her eyes sparkling with life. At first glance she appeared to be a nun, with a hood draped over her head and a robe reaching down to her ankles. But anyone watching her sitting cross-legged now after fooling around to her heart’s content would have understood that she only wore those for the sake of travel.
Indeed she did only dress that way for travel convenience; it simply made it easier to get things done in a good many situations when one seemed to be a nun. And such, Lawrence had no desire to criticize her for her crass and unrefined manner. Still, as one of his hands caressed Cole’s back, the other pressed down on her robe.
“Hmm?”
She turned around with an expression that seemed to ask, “what is it?”
“That tail you’re so proud of.”
As soon as she heard those words her mouth spread into a wide grin, and then her tail slid back under her robe. Indeed, her hooded robe served another vital purpose beyond making her appear to be a traveling nun: it concealed the tail that grew from her waist, and the lively pair of ears that grew atop the head of this teenage-looking girl. Her grin also revealed a pair of sharp fangs.
Indeed, her maiden-like appearance wasn’t her true form. In reality she was a wolf deity, several centuries old, who dwelled within stalks of wheat.
“You, it really is the ocean!”
“Alright, alright. Could you please settle down? You’re like a puppy who’s seen snow for the first time.”
“Uhm.. how could one remain calm with a such a vast ocean before her very eyes? Even the fields I have seen are narrow by comparison. That common phrase, ’wide ocean’ – there truly could not be a more fitting description.”
Lawrence could picture her clinging tightly to the edge of the boat while staring out at the sea, judging from the moisture on the brow peeking out from under her hood. Even her robe was damp with seawater, making Lawrence feel a desire to back away from her as they sat together.
“Haven’t you seen the ocean before?”
“Yes. I have sprinted to my heart’s content along sandy beaches before, and many times I could not resist the urge to leap into the sea, so strong was my desire to run upon its surface. As soon as I saw that boundless blue again I thought about how joyous it would be to sprint over it and leave my woes behind. I have heard people muse that they would like to soar through the sky as a bird, so how can it be that they do not feel the same desire to run along the ocean?”
Holo often proudly proclaimed herself to be the Wisewolf of Yoitsu, and indeed Lawrence had borne witness to her brilliance on many an occasion. And yet, to his eyes right now she seemed like little more than a puppy. He responded, somewhat annoyed.
“..We often wonder what lands or nations lie at the other end of the ocean, but don’t imagine ridiculous things like running over it.”
“You sure are an uninteresting male.”
Every now and then Holo showed some animal tendencies, but she’d never been as puppy-like as she was now. Lawrence couldn’t help but worry about what this meant for the future, because the boat was carrying them toward the snowy Winfield Kin
gdom.
A cat would curl in front of a fire when it snowed, but a puppy would bound with reckless abandon in the snow. Maybe it would have been a good idea to invest in a collar and leash before they’d left. As the thought entered his mind, she blew a mighty sneeze.
“Hey, hurry up and get under a blanket. Take care that you don’t get ill running outside and getting wet in this cold weather.”
“Aye. This ocean breeze that carries moisture is a big pain. Even my sense of smell is dulled by the rank scent of the tides.”
After tossing a blanket over her robe Holo began sniffing at it, as if to revive her sense of smell by smelling something familiar.
“Oh, yes, you..”
“Hmm?”
“I could just barely make out land ahead of our boat. Is that our destination?”
“No, that’s another island. From here our boat’ll bear north, and we should arrive at our destination in the evening.”
The Winfield Kingdom was a large island with a number of smaller ones in the surrounding region. Based on what Lawrence had heard, the strait that separated it from the mainland was narrow enough that one could see the shores of those islands from the mainland, albeit barely.
There was even a legend of an ancient war that raged between the shores, with a war god reincarnated as a warrior throwing spears across the strait to attack the opposite shore. Of course such legends were hardly credible, but they did serve to show how close the two shores were.
“Aye. Regardless of our destination, all will be well as long as the direction of the wind does not change.”
“Hmm? The direction of the wind?”
“Against a headwind, the boat would be unable to move forward. Right now a proper tailwind is hitting the sails, so there should be nothing to worry about.”
For a moment Lawrence wasn’t sure how to react, but he was sure that if he showed off his knowledge pretentiously she’d be sure to repay him later with dividends. As such he began his reply with a smile that was neither humble nor arrogant.
“Indeed, but even against a headwind the boat would still be able to move forward, just more slowly.”
“..”
Holo was partially concealed under her hood and the fluffy blanket like a fox that had retreated into its lair, and she now eyed him with a face full of suspicion. Her ears flitted about rapidly, making it obvious that she doubted the truth behind his statement.
“It’s hard to believe without actually seeing it yourself, isn’t it? But even against a headwind, a boat can zigzag left and right, diagonally into the wind. I hear the Church even harassed the first sailor who came up with the idea, claiming he was ’using the power of the devil.”’
“..”
Despite continuing to eye him suspiciously for some time, Holo eventually seemed to more or less accept his explanation. She sneezed softly and murmured.
“Why will it not change direction sooner?”
“But you know, I never suspected we’d end up actually crossing the ocean,”
He spoke under his breath after seeing her reaction, smiling softly and peering up at the deck above them.
Each time the boat rocked with the undulating waves it would creak in a way that would wrack the nerves of one unaccustomed to the sound, but that same sound became more like a soothing lullaby once one grew used to it. Still, on this boat ride Lawrence felt apprehensive that the boat could fall apart at any moment.
“That beloved horse of yours is probably casually grazing on grass right now.”
“It’s not like I left him there so he could rest, but it’s not like there’s much work for him to do right now, either. What a good life he has.”
“Oh? At whom might your sarcasm be directed, may I ask?”
Put briefly, the surface reason that Lawrence and his companions had embarked on this journey was because Holo had wished it. Yet, both he and Holo were well aware that it was only an excuse they came up with to save face. He knew she was being antagonistic just for the sake of argument.
“Well, he’s not the only one that’s off work; so am I.. though I’ve gotta admit that spending my days so carefree is nice too, once in a while.”
A few days ago Lawrence had been caught in a commotion that threatened to tear the town of Gerube in two – the same town their boat had departed from. That commotion was caused when a legendary creature, a Narwhale, was caught by fishermen. A number of savvy merchants proceeded to wage a trade war to win the valuable creature.
He had initially traveled to Gerube to investigate a certain matter related to the forepaw bones of a wolf deity similar to Holo. Little did he know that he would get swept up into events that placed him directly at the center of the commotion.
He’d always considered himself a filthy, money-grubbing merchant, but it wasn’t until that incident that he learned the truth behind the saying, “Beyond the mountains lie other mountains.” In Gerube he met people like Keeman, who was already a branch office manager at his young age, and Eve, who single-handedly turned the tides in the city and yet sought to keep all of the profits for herself.
Ultimately, Lawrence and company had finally grasped the key to resolving the conflict in a satisfactory manner and were rewarded with information about the wolf deity’s bones. Hence why they were on this boat.
He now held in his bosom a letter of recommendation from Keeman and Eve which should serve to make their search all the easier. During his first visit to the Winfield Kingdom, this letter was more reassuring that any weapon. And yet, Holo bore a revulsion for the letter’s scent like some animal unable to stand the smell of metal.
“But still, given how that scenario played out, did you not receive a small reward? Surely that counts as profit, does it not?”
“So that’s why those silver coins went missing from my wallet.. it was your doing after all, wasn’t it?”
“Had I not given you a push back then, could you have born the torment of that situation with your miserable lack of confidence? Put in those terms, a few coins should seem worthy payment.”
She spoke in a perfectly composed tone while sliding back under the blanket. This wolf would only take action up to the point where a human would become truly enraged. The contents of a merchant’s wallet were something as important to him as his life, and yet Lawrence couldn’t bring himself to get angry.. he could only sigh helplessly.
“You took enough for yourself and this fella, right?”
When he pointed at Cole, Holo let out a “hmph” and closed her eyes. Cole’s insights had been the key to resolving the conflict in Gerube. However, given his personality he certainly wouldn’t have asked for a reward and would probably have declined one even if Lawrence had offered.
As such, Holo would have forced him to accept his deserved reward.. even if it meant stealing. Lawrence suspected that while he was out, she’d taken the money from his wallet right in front of Cole, thus making him an accomplice. He gently patted Holo’s slouched back, and soon heard her tail swishing about.
“But this ’Great Brondel Monastery’ sure sounds like a troublesome place.”
“Could it be that it is crawling with stubborn old men?”
Holo suddenly peered out from under the blanket as she asked her question.
“The Great Brondel Monastery is a magnificent sight, which must be seen to believe in its might. At its grandeur pagan gods do cower, and its majesty is a pillar granting the people its power. And so the Great Brondel Monastery is awed, being the dwelling place of our almighty God.”
Holo wrinkled her nose as Lawrence’s emotionally-infused recital of those famous lines of poetry. For a pagan deity like herself, the Great Brondel Monastery was sure to be an unbearably boring place.
“Although setting aside its historical significance, being a place where so many saints were born, the Great Brondel Monastery of today is probably a more suitable place for us merchants to visit.”
“Hmm?”
“Because it’s sacr
ed, it regularly receives large donations of land or money. So even if its unwilling, it has to devise ways to manage its property out of necessity. And besides, being ’the dwelling place of God’ naturally means its property has to look impressive, so it’s practically a trading company in its own right these days. They couldn’t let it be run by some arrogant monk, or it’d become a really unpleasant place.”
Legend had it that during a conflict of interest between the Pope and a worldly king, the Pope had the king thrown out into the snowy wilderness for three days. Had he been a merchant instead of a king, he might not have been let off so easily.
Merchants often shared tales about how the Church intentionally threw difficult obstacles in the way to ensure that a sales negotiation went smoothly in their favor. Lately, however, the Great Brondel Monastery had been suffering from a recession. In times like these, only peasants were humble. Those in the upper echelons of society would likely only become more conservative.
“Are the bones truly in that unpleasant place?”
Since the wolf deity’s bones were a sensitive topic, even Holo made it a point to lower her voice. Lawrence could only respond with a vague nod, because even if Eve had provided the info she hadn’t expressed full confidence in her information.
“After all, though the likelihood isn’t too low, the truth is still hidden behind the great stone walls surrounding the monastery. There’s even a saying that the gods themselves don’t know what goes on behind those walls.”
“I once heard a missionary say that no truth, be it great or small, can remain hidden.”
“Even your own feelings are betrayed by those ears and tail of yours.”
“While on the other hand, your face betrays your feelings on a constant basis.”
With that, Holo let out a casual yawn and Lawrence followed suit. Setting aside their earlier days, such verbal exchanges had become as normal to them as a “hello.” Presently, Lawrence was comparatively more concerned about his conversations with Cole.
Gently peeling away the blanket to check on the boy, Lawrence found he’d already drifted off and was soundly asleep. As long as he slept like that, he didn’t have to fear the rocking of the boat or worry about getting seasick.