“I am so happy,”
Despite her words not matching her expression, they seemed to be more heartfelt and true than when she praised a deliciously greasy chunk of mutton.
“..Despite there being so many things that do not happen the way we wish them to.”
Cole’s mouth was half open and his breathing was inaudible rather than being a gentle snore. Without looking closer one might think he was dead. But his head shrank in as if ticklish when Holo gently stroked his neck.
“The gods tell us to share with others.”
“Even if what we are to share is our good fortune?”
She asked that as if her interest had been destroyed. It was such a cold response it feel like a not-quite-appropriate reply would only earn him a cold sigh and an unwillingness from her to ever speak with him again.
“Even our good fortune. Personally, I think I’ve managed to do so.”
“..”
“I even share the comfort of your tail with the boy.”
A look of defeat crossed her face when she heard him say those words so grimly. With the faint trace of a smile at the corners of her lips, she quickly moved over to the window.
“I feel as if my body is burning up, as if I were being consumed by flames.”
“Because of-”
He wanted to jokingly say, “Because of what I just said,” but he couldn’t muster the courage to do so. Yet she still seemed surprisingly happy with even his unfinished joke. Her ears trembled a few times and she began laughing as her shoulders shook, without turning her head.
“Any living being, no matter what it is, harbors thoughts of keeping everything for itself. It has been a long time since I have felt so jealous over another’s possession. It actually gives me a sense of release.”
Lawrence paused to intentionally emphasize that his next words were a joke.
“After saying all those willful things like some kid, of course you’d feel a sense of release.”
She wasn’t the kind who’d kick someone away when they begged at her feet. Even if it put her at a disadvantage, even if it angered her, she could not refuse such a request made of her. That was precisely the reason she wound up spending centuries in Pasloe.
“Be it man or sheep, the things its mind holds are all the same.”
“But of course. Even you and I argue as though on equal terms.”
“Mm. If two people are not fighting over the same thing, shouting at each other in the same language, or staring at each other from the same height, then they are not arguing.”
She stroked Cole’s head as she sat. A cloud of white mist erupted from her mouth each time she laughed heartily or spoke without restraint. Her quiet yet comely, even almost elegant, posture could be persuasively argued to be like a goddess guarding the woods.
That was perhaps because she was revealing her slender form, which contrasted so starkly with the effortless decadence of that roundish appearance she had when bundled up in layers. He wasn’t facing a fragile girl seeking protection and kindness, but Holo, a Wisewolf of countless years who dwelled within the wheat.
“I do have a little wisdom and experience, after all. And Cole has his calm intellect and creativity.”
“And what do I have?”
“You have a responsibility.”
That was his reply.
“You have the responsibility to turn our travels into a timeless tale that’ll be forever on people’s tongues. Wouldn’t the story of a wolf coming to the aid of a sheep be perfect for such a tale?”
For authority to exist, it needed to be supported by a solid value system. Being held accountable for one’s words was a very fine principle for such a system. Holo opened her mouth to reveal her fangs, and a huge white cloud flowed out from between her teeth.
Lawrence was staring at a very cheerful grin. It was the same innocent and childish kind one would show when discussing a prank. The kind one would reveal when they had someone to call upon other than gods, if they were lost in the woods after being chased by bandits.
“Have we any chance?”
Lawrence wordlessly shrugged and handed the page that had just been under his face to her. She chuckled softly as she stared at his face; he probably had some ink on it.
“I am rather confident in my shrewdness, but.. this is not the kind of thing I am particularly skilled at.”
She was probably talking about the ability to see things from many perspectives. When things came to their worst, Holo could always force her way through them. There was little need for her to thoroughly consider everything ahead of time.
“Still, a general once said that you won’t keep winning if you keep using the same strategy. The best and surest way to win is to keep adapting to your opponent’s changing strategies, but..”
“But what?”
“Only the gods are capable of doing that for long.”
His mischievous joke left a look on her face that said, “just you wait.” She tilted her head slightly, yet didn’t seem all that angry.
“What matters is whether the monastery possesses the bones we are searching for, and the probability of that is extremely high.”
“Correct. The bones are the key that best fits the lock in Pisky’s story.”
“And you should be supporting the men you are familiar with, not the monastery, yes? There are few things more terrifying than allying yourself with those whose intentions are unknown.”
Her eyes read the paper incredibly quickly as she spoke. Lawrence had recorded his dialogue with Cole on that page, with rather messy handwriting. He remembered the dispute they had when she had lied about being unable to read, and watching her now made him question whether he could even read as well as she could.
“Quite. Especially because the members of the alliance aren’t fools. Having people like Pisky on their side means they really want the land to stably flourish. Huskins’ and his companions may find their homeland a little narrower, but their goals don’t seem too different from the alliance’s.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly, like an noblewoman appraising a precious gem. Her gaze fell on Huskins, who slept beside the stove. But as soon as she realized that Lawrence was watching her, she turned back to him and smiled in embarrassment.
He wasn’t courageous enough to ask her, but it seemed that the years separating her and Huskins were like the years that separated the two of them. Holo wasn’t just loyal, she could be quite sympathetic, so if such a gulf existed between her and another, she would probably show them respect even if they were a sheep. Even if she displayed pride as she reached out a helping hand, maybe she felt awkward doing so.
“So. Does the traveling merchant Kraft Lawrence have the confidence to accomplish this mission?”
She so very rarely called him by name that just hearing that felt like a pleasant reward. He couldn’t help but wonder if that was what people called an “anomaly.” He smiled in full confidence, like a man about to down a glass of hard liquor in a drinking competition and unwilling to let his opponent off easily. He took a deep breath.
“Well, the bones are likely a crucial item to the other party. Logically speaking, they’re the only evidence pointing at the truth, so they’ll likely see them as having great importance. And the greater potential our information has to break their stalemate, the more critical it will seem. These are precisely the circumstances in which a traveling merchant can take action.”
“Are you certain that is how things are? Is your information truly accurate? Truly? Will you swear on it? Then I shall place my trust in you.”
Like a child, Holo kept laughing as she kept throwing questions at him. He responded to them one by one with the poise of an outstanding merchant, leaning an elbow on the wooden crate as he spoke.
“I’ll give you your proof, but in exchange would you mind answering a few of my questions as well?”
“That tax decree or whatnot will press them for time.”
“I’m sure that’ll be
brought up at the negotiating table. Once the next messenger gets here with a copy of the decree, they won’t have much time left. If we drag things out, any potential for profit will vanish. There’s a saying that it’s necessary to sacrifice smaller profits to grab the bigger ones..”
“Hmph.”
She scoffed as if mocking his overly-optimistic predictions, then turned away as if bored.
“It should work out.”
She stuffed the paper back into his hand as she spoke. He received it like a nobleman receiving an edict from the King, and carefully rolled it up.
“Then it’s decided.”
Having said that, he once again became a merchant. As of now, he was a servant to contracts and a slave to money, but at the same time a devious underground member of royalty controlling the world of men from the shadows.
* * *
“Alright.”
He’d groomed his facial hair, brushed the hair on his head, and pulled up the collar of his shirt. Everything always had to be perfect before executing a business plan. But then everyone also knew that plans could never account for every possibility. His first challenge was finding a way to bait the alliance into buying his theory about the bones. If he stumbled right out of the gate, it was all over.
“I’m off.”
From an observer’s perspective he must have looked like a dwarf about to enter a den of giants. But when he first started out all merchants looked like giants to him. And yet, he’d managed to survive among the giants until now, so he’d make it work this time as well. He left the shepherds’ dormitory, seen off by Holo and Cole.
Perhaps it was because he’d forced his way back during the blizzard, but Huskins was still in rough shape.. though his cheeks did regain some color when he heard Lawrence was willing to provide his assistance. He’d always supported the monastery from the shadows, hiding his true identity. As such he had to look just like any other shepherd while he was there. When Huskins said that he had only Lawrence to rely on, he wasn’t lying.
It was still snowing non-stop. The buildings were almost completely covered in snow, with only some small patches of stone or wood peeking out from under their eaves. But even in these terrible conditions, merchants found it difficult to sit still. After much toil, Lawrence arrived at alliance inn and came across a merchant who was just running there from the building across the road.
“Oh? To think we’d have a customer this early in the morning, and in this weather.”
“Of course. The worse the weather, the better the chances of striking it big.”
“Haha! I couldn’t agree more!”
He seemed to be a member of the Ruvik Alliance. He opened the door without any hesitation, and quickly went inside. Coming in after him, Lawrence was addressed by a merchant standing beside the entrance.
“You looking for Lago?”
It seemed Lawrence was already a familiar face around here.
“Are my heart’s thoughts written that clearly on my face?”
He stroked his face, and the man smiled.
“He’s in the writing room.”
Given that the clerk outside the reference room looked like a theological scholar, Lawrence had to agree that “writing room” was a fitting description.
“My thanks.”
“You’re here to do business with him?”
It was the expected mercantile banter, so Lawrence smiled and replied.
“That’s right. I’m here to discuss a business proposition that could bring a fortune.”
Not long after that he was once again in a world of drifting snow, making his way to Pisky’s workplace. As expected he saw the theological scholar lookalike from the ground floor entrance, who didn’t even ask Lawrence his name as he entered the building.
His job was probably to keep watch for spies from competing businesses. As Lawrence wondered about that, the man came up to him and pointed silently toward the building’s interior. Lawrence expressed his thanks and made his way toward that room down the hall.
The very moment he approached the door, Pisky opened it as if he had been waiting.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. Is something the matter?”
Pisky invited Lawrence into his personal office, closing the door with his back to it. Given that Lawrence had come here in such awful weather, Pisky already knew he wasn’t here to waste time. Lawrence patted away the snow that he missed when he’d come into the building, coughed to conceal his anxiety, and put on his business smile.
“To be honest, something happened last night that caused me much concern.”
“Something that caused you much concern? Ah, please have a seat first.”
Lawrence sat in the chair Pisky had pulled out for him, before rubbing under his nose. He pretended to catch himself doing so, and balled up his fist. It probably looked a bit too affected, but Lawrence felt that the situation called for some pretentious behavior.
“It was so extraordinary that I stayed up all night thinking about it.. Just look!”
He pointed to the bags under his eyes. Any merchant coming to a negotiation in this state would rouse suspicion, but Pisky cheerfully laughed it off.
“Indeed.”
There was a blizzard raging outside and their negotiations had reached a stalemate. In such times, talk of even more extraordinary events was something better done over a pint.
“So what could you possibly be talking about? You’re not saying you’ve found a way to break the monastery’s defenses?”
Lawrence seized the instant and countered in one stroke.
“Yes, that’s precisely what I’m saying.”
Smiles were frozen on both of their faces as they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Pisky then stood up, rubbing his hands without changing his facial expression. He opened the door and checked for eavesdroppers.
“Which is?”
He hastily answered before he’d even closed the door again. Apparently, he was quite the actor as well.
“You’re aware of the port town of Gerube on the other side of the channel?”
“I am. It’s the trade hub between the north and south. I’ve never done business there, but the delta’s a fine place.”
“Are you also aware of the baseless rumor that spread there a couple years back?”
Pisky spent his days traveling, so it was possible he hadn’t heard the rumor. Lawrence guessed that might be the case, but Pisky stared off into space as if his thoughts had drifted, covering his mouth with his hand as if to conceal something.
“I believe it had something to do.. with the bones.. of a pagan god, correct?”
“Correct. A wolf deities’ bones.”
Pisky was looking somewhere beyond Lawrence as his mind turned. When his eyes finally focused on him again they seemed alert, as if saying “I didn’t think you’d bring up something that unusual.”
“What about the wolf’s bones?”
He asked his question so casually that he was either thinking Lawrence stupid, or feeling too incredulous. But Lawrence went with the flow.
“Suppose the monastery bought the wolf’s bones. What then?”
“..The monastery?”
“Yes. Even the bones of a pagan deity could be cleverly used to bolster the authority of another faith. They could be used to convince those gathered in prayer for God’s help in the sacred hall, and viewed as an investment by the monastery. That’s how they could cling to their views in the face of this stalemate.”
Pisky closed his eyes and revealed a bitter expression after Lawrence finished his explanation. It wasn’t a sign that he planned on taking Lawrence seriously, but rather considering how to minimize the harshness of his rejection, so Lawrence continued.
“Wool sales have been dropping yearly, but I believe this situation’s the cumulative result of a problem that’s been happening for a long time. Thus it’s possible the monastery already chose a way to protect its property long ago. Afte
r all, Winfield currency’s been on a downward trend, so protecting their property would mean investing in other things. Ideally, things of equal value in any currency. That way if the kingdom’s currency took a nosedive, they could still sell the bones for a foreign currency and bring that cash back to Winfield. Then they’d be the top dogs, just like we were at that inn.”
Pisky revealed an honestly troubled look at Lawrence’s wild explanation.
“What do you think?”
Pisky raised a palm to ask Lawrence to pause for a moment, as if to say “I’m already so surprised I don’t even know even know what else to say.”
He then coughed three times and spoke with much effort.
“Mr. Lawrence.”
“Yes.”
“Indeed, the idea you have proposed isn’t that difficult to establish.”
“As I said.”
Lawrence spoke with a pleasant smile, despite knowing that beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.
“But we are the Ruvik Alliance. Um.. it’s difficult to say this..”
“Go on?”
If Holo was there she would probably have been stunned by his acting.
“That.. oh, nevermind, I’ll just be honest with you. We’ve already considered that possibility a long time ago.”
“..Huh?”
“It’s a very famous legend, and-”
It looked like Pisky couldn’t take it any longer. He cough to conceal his emotions and sighed defeatedly.
“Truly, a lot of people.. many of our brightest minds.. have already devoted serious time and effort to consider this problem.”
Lawrence became silent, his body still leaning forward. Pisky laid out his palms and observed Lawrence with eyes askance. Lawrence turned his eyes away, then looked back at Pisky before turning them away again. A powerful gust of wind swept past them outside, rattling the shutters.
“We ultimately concluded that nothing like that existed. One of our men just happened to be in Gerube when the legend was still being widely circulated. He conducted an investigation through a partner company and determined that only one company was doing a halfhearted search for the bones. Not only that, they weren’t even large enough to buy a true holy relic, nor did they have any funding. It was just a bluff to inflate their reputation. People do that sort of thing, mostly to save to face at banquets or for some kind of twisted joke.”