http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Spice_%26_Wolf

Prologue

In this village, when the ripe and resplendent wheat sways in the wind, it is said that the Wolf is running.

That's because from the appearance of the wheat swaying in the wind, shapes of running wolves can be seen within the wheat fields.

And when the wind is too strong and the wheat stalks fall over, it is said that the Wolf has trampled them. When the harvest is poor, it is said that the Wolf has eaten it.

All appears well, but it seems trouble too is present, like a flaw in a gem.

Those sayings have now become merely habit or jest, while almost nobody speaks the words with affection and fear as in the past.

Seen from amidst are the gently swaying ears of wheat. The autumn sky hasn't changed in hundreds of years, yet the world below has, in fact, changed completely.

The villagers, who tend the wheat year after passing year, live for seventy years at best.

Perhaps so many centuries without change would have been worse off. And now, perhaps, that's why they no longer see the need to faithfully keep the agreement of old.

Ultimately, it feels like I am no longer needed here anymore.

Because of the mountains rising up in the east, the clouds in the village sky usually drift towards the north. Memories of my northern home come to mind, where they are headed, carrying with them a sigh.

As I return my gaze from the sky to the wheat, it falls upon my proud tail wagging before my nose. With nothing else to do, I set about grooming it.


The high autumn sky, so clear.

Harvest time has come again this year.

Many wolves are running through the wheat fields. 

Chapter 1

"That's the last one?"

"Mmm, that's exactly...seventy pelts. Thank you for your patronage."

"Hey, don't mention it. In fact, it's you I should thank, Mister Lawrence. You are the only one willing to come all the way out here into these mountains. It's really a big help."

"However, it is because of this that I have received such fine furs. I'll be back again."

With the conclusion of the conversation, it had been about five hours since he had departed from the mountain village. Having left immediately after sunrise, it was noon by the time he descended and reached the plains.

The weather was fine and there was not half a wind blowing. It was a day fit for a ride on a horse-drawn cart across the plains. Earlier, he had thought that winter was coming because it had been cold, but now he did not even feel the slightest bit chilly. Lawrence, a self-reliant traveling merchant who had been traveling alone for the seventh year running and was to turn twenty-five this year, gave a relaxed yawn atop the driver's seat.

The vast expanse of the plains stretched out across one's view as there were no trees or tall grass; consequently, it was possible to see the far off scenery. Just barely within sight was a monastery that had only been established a few years ago. Perhaps it was some young aristocrat who led the building project, for despite it being on remote lands, it was not just any building. It was incredible; the stonework was magnificent and the gates were even well-wrought in iron. About twenty monks lived on the monastery grounds, assisted by a similar number of male servants. When construction on the monastery had begun, Lawrence had eagerly anticipated a new patron, but sadly, the monastery did not participate in dealings with merchants. Rather, it had its own access to goods and materials, so Lawrence's hopes had vanished just like that. But even though his hopes had gone down the drain, a monk's life was not at all luxurious; they even had to help out in the fields. Even if they wished to trade, the profits one would gain would be meager. Not only that, they might compel one to donate or shirk payment of their bills. From just a trading point of view, the monks were worse than thieves. However, as long as one could do business with them, it would still have its benefits.

Because of this, Lawrence still looked reluctantly and regretfully at the monastery, but he suddenly narrowed his gaze.

Someone was waving towards him from the monastery.

"What's the matter?"

The person didn't look like a servant, because the servants wore deep brown work clothes, and this person was wearing what looked like gray clothing. Although it was bothersome to walk all the way to the monastery, ignoring this would just bring problems further down the road. With no alternative, Lawrence turned his horse around towards the monastery. Thereafter, the person waving realized that Lawrence was heading towards him, and thus stopped waving, but showed no intention of walking towards Lawrence either. It looked like he would just wait until Lawrence reached the monastery. It was already a habit for the Church to show this pompous attitude, and Lawrence would not get angry over small matters such as this. However, as he gradually closed in on the monastery, Lawrence got a good look at the man, and could not help but open his mouth.

"...A knight?"

Why would a knight appear in a place like this? Lawrence thought. But as he got closer he realized that it was indeed a knight, and the grayish clothing from earlier was actually silver armor.

"Who goes there?" the knight shouted. He shouted because the distance between them was still relatively large to converse normally, and spoke in a rather self-important manner.

"I am Lawrence, a traveling merchant. Can I be of any service to you?"

The monastery was now right in front of his eyes, and Lawrence could count the few manservants who could be seen working in the fields that extended to the south.

Lawrence realized that there was not just one knight. Another one was standing guard at the other end of the monastery.

"A traveling merchant? The road you came from doesn't lead to any towns or cities," responded the knight as he rudely puffed out his chest, so as to show the crimson cross engraved on his chest plate.

However, the cloak draped over his shoulders was the same gray, thus indicating that he was a low-ranking knight. His short, blond hair looked as if it had been cut not long ago. Perhaps he had just become a knight, and therefore was behaving so arrogantly. When dealing with such people, one had to be calm and composed, to avoid letting them get carried away all of a sudden. Lawrence did not reply immediately; instead, taking a leather pouch out from his breast pocket, and slowly unfastening the cord tying it, he reveal the honey drops from within. Lawrence took one out and put it in his mouth, and held the pouch towards the knight.

"Want one?"

"Er..."

Although the knight hesitated at first, in the end he could not resist the temptation of the sweets. But, to keep his pride as a knight, he took a considerable amount of time to nod and reach his hand out to take the drop.

"A half day's travel eastward from here lies a small village in the mountains. I went there to sell salt, and am returning by this road."

"I see. But you appear to still be carrying cargo. Is that salt as well?"

"No, they are furs. Take a look."

As he was talking, Lawrence lifted the shroud that covered his cart. They were magnificently beautiful leopard furs. Judging from the salary this knight got, it would not be hard to believe that even a year's wages couldn't buy those furs.

"Oh, and what is this?"

"Ah, this is the wheat that the villagers from the mountains gave me."

The wheat was grown in the village where Lawrence had gone to sell salt, and it was sitting beside the pile of furs. The wheat was resistant to both the cold and insects. In light of the intense winter that the northwest suffered last year, Lawrence planned to travel there to sell the wheat.

"Hmm. Okay, you are free to go."

Calling me over like this, and yet now just sending me away like that; if I just obediently say "yes," I won't be fit to be a merchant anymore. Lawrence turned to face the knight, and half deliberately, half unintentionally, jiggled the leather pouch from earlier.

"Did something happen? One wouldn't normally see knights around this area, would he?"

Perhaps the young knight felt uneasy about being questioned, because slight wrinkles formed around his eyebrows. Seeing the leather pouch in Lawrence's hand, the wrinkles got deeper.

It looked like the knight had given in. Lawrence unfastened the cord, and took out another drop, giving it to the knight.

"Mmm...these are really good, I thank you for them."

The knight was reasonable. A businesslike smile appeared on Lawrence's face, and showing a sign of gratefulness, bowed before the knight.

"There's news that a pagan festival is about to begin around these parts, that's why I've been tasked to guard this place. Do you know anything about it?"

At this time, if his face were to show a disappointed expression, then his acting would be even worse than third-grade. Lawrence pretended to think for awhile, then replied with an "I don't know." In truth, Lawrence was telling a lie, but then again it was not as if the knight was telling the truth, so Lawrence did not feel obligated to do the same.

"As expected, they organize these rituals secretly in these rural areas. Those pagans are such cowards."

Although it was amusing to see how the knight had said the wrong lines, Lawrence of course kept quiet. And after expressing agreement with what the knight had said, informed him that he had to leave. The knight nodded his head, and thanked Lawrence again for the honey drops. It was obvious that he really did enjoy the sweets. For a low-ranking knight like him, all of his pay would go to buying equipment and travel expenses. In fact, their lives were more inferior than an apprentice cobbler's. It must have been ages since he had anything sweet. Even so, Lawrence did not intend to give him any more; after all, the sweets did not come cheap.

"A pagan festival...Nice guess."

Lawrence murmured the knight's words some time after leaving the monastery, and smiled bitterly. Lawrence knew what the knight was talking about. In fact, only the locals would know about it.

It was not a pagan festival at all. Furthermore, the pagans were present much further to the north and east.

The festival that was about to take place around these parts was one that was present everywhere, and it was to celebrate the wheat harvest and to pray for a rich yield. Therefore, it did not require knights to be dispatched to the area. However, the festivals here were bigger and grander than the others, so perhaps because of this the people at the monastery had sent a report to the city church seeking for aid. Perhaps they were acting overly sensitive to the matter because this place was never on the Church's map.

Furthermore, things began to heat up recently between the church dogma and heresies (meaning religious opinions contrary to that of the Church) whereby the Church would try to convert pagans. Recently, it was also heard that there were heated debates in the city between the Naturalists and the Theologians, and that the public would no longer unconditionally obey the Church. Even if the townsfolk in the cities did not say anything, it was clear that everyone thought that the absolute and dignified authority of the church was gradually disappearing. In fact, it was said that the Pope requested for the kings of several countries to help support the repair costs of the grand cathedral because he received less taxes than expected. Such a thing would never have happened ten years ago.

When faced with this adversity, it was no wonder that the Church was pressing hard to recover their authority.

"It won't be easy to do business anywhere now."

With a bitter smile on his face, Lawrence popped another honey drop into his mouth.



By the time Lawrence had arrived at the wide wheat fields, the western sky was already a shade of gold more beautiful than that of the wheat. The shadows of the birds from far away were hurrying home, and the croaking of frogs announced their imminent slumber. Almost all the wheat fields had been harvested, and the festival would probably start in a few days. If things picked up, it could even start the day after tomorrow.

Spread out before Lawrence's eyes were the village of Pasroe's fertile and high yielding wheat fields. A large yield meant that the lives of the villagers would also prosper. Furthermore, Count Eirendott, who was in charge of the land, was well-known in the neighborhood as an eccentric. Despite his noble origin, he enjoyed working in the fields, and therefore willingly supported the festival. Every year, during the festival, he would drink and make merry, causing a terrific racket.

However, Lawrence had never participated in the festival. It was too bad that outsiders were not invited.

"Hey! It's been a hard day's work," Lawrence called out to the farmers, who were in a corner of the village's wheat fields piling the wheat on a cart. The wheat on the cart was very plump, and it looked like those who had invested in it could breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ho?"

"Could I ask where I could find Yarei?"

"Oh! Yarei is... See the big group of people gathered over there? That's the field. He's hired all the youngsters to work the field this year because they're slower and weaker in the basics. This year, it should be one of them in that field who will become 'Horo'," said the farmers, their tanned faces filled with smiles. That was an expression a merchant could never reveal, as only people without hidden intentions could show such a smile. Lawrence put on his business smile for the farmers, and after thanking them, rode his cart in Yarei's direction.

As with what the farmers had said, there was indeed a large group of people, and there were shouts coming from the middle of the field. The shouts were jeers directed at the last group to hurry up. However, they were not scolding the group for being slow. The taunting was just one of the many things that happened as part of the festival. Lawrence slowly made his way towards the group, and as a result, could start to make out what they were saying.

"The wolf is here! The wolf is here!"

"Look there! That's where the wolf is lying!"

"Who is it? Who is it? Who will be the one who catches the wolf?" the people shouted together, their faces filled with smiles that looked as if they were drunk. Even when Lawrence stopped his cart behind the wall of people, there was not a single person who so much as noticed he was there.

The god of harvest resided in the form of a wolf. What was said amongst the villagers, was that it lay within the last bundle of wheat to be reaped, and legend had it that the god would then possess whoever cut this last stalk.

"It's the last bundle!"

"Be careful not to overdo the cutting!"

"If you're too greedy, Horo will run away!"

"Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who caught the wolf?"

"It's Yarei! Yarei! Yarei!"

Lawrence got down from his cart, and peered through the wall of people, just in time to catch Yarei grabbing the last bundle of wheat. His face, blackened with dirt and sweat, revealed a wry grin. After cutting the now harvested bundle in one clean swipe, he raised it high in the air, and howled towards the sky:

"Auuoooooooooooooooooo~"

"It's Horo! It's Horo! It's Horo!"

"Horo the wolf has appeared! Horo the wolf has appeared!"

"Catch it! Catch it quick!"

"Don't let it get away! After it!"

Yarei ran away, and the men who had been calling out chased fiercely after him.

The god of harvest, who had now possessed the man, would attempt to escape to other places. Therefore, everyone had to catch it, ensuring it would continue to live in the wheat fields for the next year. In fact, no one knew if the god of harvest actually existed. However, the inhabitants of the land had carried on this belief for a very long time.

Lawrence was a traveling merchant who went almost everywhere, and he did not place his belief in the teachings of the Church. However, when it came to superstitions, his level of belief surpassed the farmers. After going as far as to cross mountains and reach the cities time and again, only to realize that the price of the goods he was carrying had slumped, it was no wonder he believed so much in these superstitions. Thus, when it came to pagan rituals or the Church taking notice of the fanatics involved in these rituals, Lawrence did not even care. However, Lawrence found the event where Yarei had become Horo to be a bit of a bother. Before the festival would conclude, Yarei would be locked up in a storehouse stocked with food for an entire week, and there would not be any chance to speak with him.

"Forget it," Lawrence sighed, and returned to his cart and headed in the direction of the village head's residence.

Lawrence had wanted to make small talk with Yarei about what had happened at the monastery during the day over a drink. But if he did not quickly turn his furs into money, he would not have enough money to pay the taxes on the goods he was carrying upon reaching other places. On top of that, he wished to quickly sell the wheat he had obtained from the village in the mountains. And thus he could not wait until the Festival ended. Lawrence briefly told the Village Head, who was busy directing the festival's preparations, regarding what had happened in the day, and after turning down his offer to stay the night, left the village.

In the past, before the current baron took charge of this field, taxation had caused the value of wheat to rise beyond what the market deemed favorable. Lawrence had bought some of the wheat to make a meager living during those times. Lawrence did not do this to win favors from the villagers living here, but it was just because he did not have the financial strength to compete with other merchants to buy the cheap and favorable wheat. But because of this, Yarei, the middleman of the village, felt very grateful and indebted to Lawrence.

Not being able to drink with Yarei was regrettable, but regardless, once Horo had made an appearance, the villagers would chase all outsiders away as the climax of the festival approached. Being treated like an outcast made Lawrence, who was sitting alone on the cart, feel a sense of loneliness.

Lawrence chewed on the vegetables that were given to him by the villagers, and headed west. He brushed past the joyous farmers, who had just completed their work in the fields and were heading towards the village.

Once more, Lawrence began his lonely journey, and he could not help but feel envious of those farmers who had their companions.



Lawrence, aged twenty-five this year, was a traveling merchant. He started learning the ropes at twelve from another relative in the trade, and when he was eighteen, set out on his own. Even as a traveling merchant, Lawrence still had places he never went to, and to him, the days ahead would be the real test of his skills as a traveling merchant. Lawrence also had, like any other traveling merchant, the dream of making enough money to be able to open a shop in a city where he could settle down in. Indeed, he still had a long way to go for this dream to become a reality. If he could stumble upon any good chances, maybe realizing this dream would not be so hard. Sadly, all these had been snatched away from him by those big time merchants.

Even then, Lawrence still had to pay off debts by traveling around on a cart piled full with goods. Even if he stumbled upon a good chance, it was not in his power to grasp it. To a traveling merchant, a good chance was like the moon, high above the sky, just beyond reach. Lawrence lifted his head, looked towards the sky, and sighed at the full moon. Lawrence felt that he was sighing more now because of the built up resilience from struggling through this hard life, or because his business was getting more on track. He recently thought a lot about future matters, thus causing his frequent sighs.

In Lawrence's mind, he kept thinking about the creditor's rights and payment deadlines he had to make, which always made him desperate to quickly reach the next city. At that time, there just wasn't any time to think about other matters. However, now they had reappeared in his mind.

Lawrence was thinking about every person he had met along his journey.

He thought about the business acquaintances he had made whenever he was in the busy cities, or the villagers he had met when purchasing land, and also the girls he had fancied when staying in an inn whilst waiting for the snowstorms to subside.

It meant that Lawrence yearned for a partner more strongly now.

To a traveling merchant who lived on a cart year round, the need for some company was an occupational "sickness." But Lawrence had only begun to feel this way recently, since he had always boasted, "This kind of thing would never happen to me." However, being alone with only a horse for several days in a row, one would even feel that it would be better if the horse were able to speak.

So, stories of a horse becoming a human being were occasionally heard in conversations between traveling merchants. Lawrence had initially laughed it off thinking it was utter nonsense, but recently, he unconsciously started believing that this kind of thing could really happen. When a young traveling merchant would come to buy a horse, the sellers would enthusiastically propose for the merchant to buy a female horse - this was in order to avoid the merchant regretting when the horse transformed into a human being. Although they attempted to persuade Lawrence as well, he paid no heed to their words and bought a strong and sturdy male horse.

That horse had still retained its vigor and spirit, and continued to serve Lawrence with full strength. Every time Lawrence got caught up in wishing that someone would accompany him on his journeys, he would always end up regretting not picking the female horse from the start. However, every day the horse would just be compelled to carry heavy goods, and even if it really became a human being, it would not be like in the stories, where it would go into a relationship with its master, or use some mystical force to bring its master good fortune.

At best, it would just ask for rest and pay.

Thinking up to that point, Lawrence could not help but feel that it would be better if the horse stayed as a horse and that humans were really so selfish. Lawrence smiled bitterly, and sighed because he could not bear himself any longer. Pondering as he reached a riverbank, Lawrence decided that he would camp near there for the night. Even though the full moon's rays illuminated the entire road, it did not ensure one would not fall into the river, and that was not a situation that was easily solved by just saying "uh oh." Instead, Lawrence would probably end up losing his life; it was better avoiding this situation at all costs.

Lawrence tightened the reins, indicating for the horse to stop. At this point the horse also felt that it was time to rest, and it took two or three steps from its original position, and as if it was sighing, shook it's head.

First, Lawrence fed his horse the remaining vegetables, then took the bucket from the goods compartment, filled it up with water from the river and set it down in front of the horse. Seeing his horse happily lap up the water, Lawrence too drank some water, which the villagers had provided him. But in actual fact, what Lawrence wanted to drink was not water but wine. However, drinking wine where there was no conversation to partake in just made one feel even lonelier. Furthermore, he might even drink to the point where he was heavily drunk, so Lawrence decided to go to sleep early.

Because he had already eaten some vegetables along the way, Lawrence was not that hungry. So he bit on a piece of dried meat, and got on the cart. Usually, Lawrence would use the shroud that covered the cart as his bedding. But tonight, there were the furs in the cart, so it would be absurd not to use them as bedding. Although Lawrence felt that the furs had a rather bad odor, it beat bearing with the cold. Because he was scared that while snuggling into the nest of furs, he might accidentally crush the wheat, Lawrence lifted the cloth and prepared to move the wheat.

At that moment he removed the shroud, Lawrence did not make a sound, perhaps because what he saw in front of him was just too unbelievable.

"..."

Unexpectedly, there was someone who had gotten there before he did.

"Hey!"

Lawrence did not know whether the word actually came out. He thought that maybe it was purely just to shock himself, or maybe it was an illusion, generated from the lonely experiences he had had.

However, no matter how he shook his head or rubbed his eyes, the girl who got there before him was still there.

The beautiful girl slept so sweetly and peacefully, one would hesitate to wake her up.

"Hey! You!"

Lawrence shouted strongly but not in a rough manner. He wanted to know what kind of plan this girl had that had made her end up in his cart. She could have been running away from home, and that something Lawrence did not want to get involved with.

"...Mmm?"

Following Lawrence's voice, the girl closed her eyes, and slowly showed some reaction. Her voice had no sense of alertness or urgency. To those traveling merchants who visited brothels in the city, that sweet voice could make them dizzy. Furthermore, under the moonlight, sleeping peacefully and wrapped around with furs, the girl looked young, but she was stunningly attractive. Lawrence gulped unconsciously, but this action, on the contrary, made him calm down immediately.

If this beautiful girl was actually a whore, who knows how much money one would be extorted out of just from touching her. The thought of the situation implicating money helped calm Lawrence down more than if he thought about praying at the church. Lawrence recovered quickly, and said,

"Hey! Wake up! What are you doing on my cart?"

However, the girl did not have even the slightest idea of waking up.

Looking at the girl, Lawrence angrily grabbed the fur that was covering her head, and pulled it away. The girl's head lost support upon that, and fell into the pile of furs. She groaned unconsciously. Lawrence intended to continue calling her, but all of a sudden, his body went dead stiff.

Upon the girl's head were a pair of dog's ears.

"Mm...ahh..."

Lawrence was alerted to the sight of the girl coming to, and energetically said:

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, hitching on other people's carts?"

In Lawrence's travels, he had the unpleasant experience of being robbed by bandits or mercenaries not once, but several times. Although she possessed a pair of ears that no human could have, she was still just a girl, and Lawrence did not feel the slightest bit afraid upon facing her. However, even though the girl did not answer Lawrence, he stopped asking questions because the slowly rising figure of the naked girl was beautiful beyond words. Upon the goods platform, the moonlight illuminated the girl's silky smooth and flowing hair, which looked like a cloak upon her back. The strands that descended from her neck to her collarbone and extended downward to her shoulders made her look as beautiful as the Virgin Mary in a painting, her finesse comparable to that of melting ice, sleek and delicate.

And exposed in the middle of her perfect body, almost as if it were artificially created, were her breasts, which weren't very big in size. They gave off a mysterious, animal smell, and one would learn that within her charm which could make people shudder, there was also warmth.

Indeed, this scene was so attractive that it could make one drool. However, it also looked very unusual and could cause people to get uptight or nervous all of a sudden. The girl gradually opened her mouth and shut her eyes at the same time, and howled at the sky.

"Auuoooooooooooooooooo~"

Fear gripped Lawrence's heart, as if a sudden wind had just come and taken his body away.

The howl was used by a wolf or a dog to call for its companions; a prelude in preparation for an attack on humans.

It was a real wolf's howl, not like the one imitated by Yarei that Lawrence had heard earlier. He jumped back in shock, and the piece of dried meat in his mouth fell to the ground. Fear suddenly gripped Lawrence.

The silhouette of the girl, enveloped by the moonlight, with those ears on her head - those animal ears.

"...Ooh, what a beautiful moon. Do you have any wine?"

The girl concluded her howling, and grinned at him. Her voice made Lawrence come back to his senses. What was in front of him, however, wasn't a wolf or a dog. Rather, it was a beautiful girl who possessed their ears.

"No. Besides, who are you anyway? Why are you sleeping on my cart? Surely you didn't run away because you'd be sold to the city otherwise, did you?"

Lawrence tried his best to put on a harsh expression, yet the girl showed no reaction at all.

"What is this, no wine? That piece of food...Oyo, what a waste," said the girl lazily, who raised her small nose to sniff around. When it looked like she had found the dried meat that Lawrence had bitten earlier, she picked it up from the goods platform and put it into her mouth. As she bit into the meat, Lawrence saw the two sharp canines in her mouth.

"You couldn't possibly be a possessing demon, could you?"

Lawrence put his hand on the silver dagger that was fastened around his waist as he said so. Because of the changing value of money, traveling merchants would usually exchange the money they earned for a valuable object to bring around with them. The silver dagger was the most popular item, as silver was considered a godly metal, said to be able to banish demons and monsters.

The girl was at first taken aback by Lawrence's words, but she burst into peals of laughter shortly after,

"Hahahahaha! Me, a demon?"

Her laughter was cute and irresistible, and the meat in her mouth was about to fall out. The two sharp canines that showed looked rather charming now. Yet, because of her attractiveness, Lawrence felt like he was being mocked, and thus became rather angry.

"Hey! What's so funny?"

"Of course it's funny. It's the first time I've been called a demon."

As the girl continued to laugh, she picked up the dried meat off the ground and once again put it into her mouth. One could be sure that she was not a normal human, as she had those sharp canines and strange ears.
"Who are you?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Well, who else is there other than you?"

"That horse."

"..."

Lawrence pulled out the dagger, the girl's smile was wiped off her face instantly, and she squinted her amber eyes, which had a bit of red in them.

"Who the hell are you?"

"What manners, daring to point a dagger at me."

"What did you say?"

"Hm? Oh right, I managed to escape. My apologies, I forgot all about it."

A smile reappeared on the girl's face after she said so. Her innocent and naive smiling face was too cute for words.

Lawrence was not going to be bought over by that smile so easily, but he did feel that pointing a dagger at a girl was not what a man would do, so he put it away.

"My name is Horo, and I haven't taken this form in quite a while. Hm, it's still not too bad."

The girl was sizing herself up as she said this. Even though Lawrence did not completely understand what she said, the beginning of her introduction was sufficient enough to set him thinking.

"Horo?"

"Mm, Horo. Good name, no?"

Lawrence was familiar with the many countries he had gone to, and there was only one place he had heard of this name.

And it belonged to the god of harvest, who resided in the village of Pasroe he had just visited.

"What a coincidence, I also know someone called Horo."

This girl was pretty daring, to use a god's name as her own. However, this also indicated that she probably was one of the villagers there. Who knows, her parents might have hid her away at home because of her abnormally sharp canines. With this train of thought, it was not so hard now to imagine now why she ran away from home.

Lawrence had heard of such abnormal births now and then. The people would say that when these children were born, the demons or monsters would possess their bodies. If the Church got wind of them, the whole family would very likely be persecuted as Satanics, and would be burnt at the stake. Therefore, these children would either spend their entire life at home, or be left to die deep in the mountains. This was the first time Lawrence had seen such a person, and he had even thought they would look like extremely hideous monsters. However, just by looking at the girl's outward appearance, he would not be surprised if she was really a goddess.

"Oh, you know someone with the same name as me? Wherever does that person come from?"

Horo, who was continuously chewing on the dried meat all this time, did not look in anyway a liar. However, Lawrence felt that after so many years of being locked up in her home, it would not be impossible if she misled herself into thinking she was a god anyway.

"That's the name of the god of harvest who resides nearby. Are you a god?"

Horo, bathed under the moonlight, showed a perplexed expression when Lawrence asked that question, and then reverted to her smiling face again.

"Although I've been regarded for many years as one, and have furthermore been bound to this land, I am actually no great goddess. I am just myself. I am Horo."

Lawrence speculated that indeed, the girl had been locked up at home for her entire life, and as such, he could not help but feel a slight bit of pity for her.

"By that long a time, do you mean it was ever since you were born?"

"No."

The girl's answer was rather unexpected.

"My birthplace is in the lands far to the north."

"The north?"

"Mm. It's a world where everything sparkles a silvery white, where the summers are short and the winters long."

Horo suddenly looked into the distance. She did not look at all like she was lying. It would be too natural an act to believe if she really was just playing out her "reminiscence" of her home to the north.

"Have you been there before?" the girl questioned Lawrence. Although he felt that he was being somewhat countered, if he continued to go with this conversation, he would be able to tell immediately whether Horo was telling the truth, or just making up stories on the spot. Lawrence was actually most experienced in traveling about far in the north.

"The furthest I've been to is Arhtstock, where the cold winds blow all year round."

Upon hearing his words, Horo tilted her head slightly, and proceeded to reply,

"Oh, I've never heard of it."

Lawrence was surprised at her answer. He had expected her to fake knowledge of the place.

"Then which places have you been to?"

"I've been to Yoitsu, what about it?"

Lawrence mumbled a soft "Nothing", concealing his indecisiveness. He had heard about Yoitsu in old tales told in the inns of the north.

"You were born there?"

"Indeed. I don't know what's become of it now. I wonder how everyone's doing?" said Horo as her shoulders slumped slightly, her manner looking rather hollow. It was definitely not acting at all. However, Lawrence could not bring himself to believe her words.

This was because in the tales, the town called Yoitsu had long been destroyed six hundred years ago.

"Can you still recall any other places?"

"Hm... It's been centuries already... Let me think, ah yes! There's another one called Niyotsuhira. There are these unbelievable hot springs there, and I would go there often to have a nice soak."

Up till today, Niyotsuhira was still the hot springs resort of the north, and the aristocrats from other countries would go there for their holidays. But there wouldn't be anyone in this area who would know of its existence.

Horo completely ignored Lawrence's train of thought; she spoke as if she were enjoying a warm soak in the warm waters of the hot springs for real. Horo's body suddenly pulled back, and she sneezed lightly. Just then, Lawrence suddenly remembered the fact that Horo was completely naked.

"Whew... Even though I don't really hate this human form, it's simply too cold, and there's barely any fur," Horo said as she giggled, and dug her way back into the pile of furs. Looking at Horo's figure, Lawrence's mouth could not help but open. However, there still was one thing on his mind, so he turned to Horo, who was buried underneath the furs, and said,

"You've just been talking about this form and that form. What exactly do you mean?"

Upon hearing Lawrence's question, Horo popped her head out of the pile and replied,

"It's just like I said. I haven't appeared in this form in awhile, but looks very cute right?"

Seeing Horo reply happily with a smile on her face, Lawrence could not help but agree with her statement. This girl could cause him to lose his cool. Lawrence controlled his emotions in an attempt to avoid letting out what he felt deep inside. He opened his mouth and said,

"However, even with the extra things on your body, you're ultimately still a human, unless you're like the story of the horse becoming a human, a dog instead of a horse."

Hearing Lawrence's provoking words, Horo slowly stood up. She turned around and showed her back, and then turned her head around to Lawrence, and answered in a firm and fearless tone,

"Look at this pair of ears and tail that is mine! I am the supreme and majestic wolf! Be it my companions, the animals in the forest, or the people of the village, they all revere me many times over. The white tip of my tail is what I am most proud of. Everyone who sees my tail will praise it incessantly. This pair of ears is also something I am proud of. These ears have never once let disaster happen or lies past them, and countless times I have saved my companions from a crisis. There's no one else worthy of this title but me."

Although Horo put on an arrogant air as she made her speech, she immediately recalled the cold feeling of the surroundings, and went back to curling up in the furs.

Lawrence was stunned for a moment. Part of it was due to seeing Horo's attractive bare body, and the other was due to seeing the tail that grew out of her waistline move.

Not only the ears, even the tail was real.

Lawrence thought about the wolf howl from just now, that unmistakably real wolf's howl. So did that mean that this Horo was really the god of harvest?

"No, it can't be," Lawrence mumbled this to himself, once again facing towards Horo's direction. The Horo at the end of Lawrence's line of sight did not give a care for his existence. As she nestled within the furs, she squinted in a way that made her seem warm and comfortable. That action did indeed resemble that of a cat's, but that was not important.

More importantly, was Horo even a human? Or was she a demon?

People who were possessed by demons were not afraid of being discovered by the Church because their outward appearance did not resemble a normal human. Rather, they knew the demon inside them would unleash chaos and evil, and the Church would therefore burn them at the stake. However, if Horo were a morphing animal, according to the old folk tales, they would bring good luck to humans, or cause miracles to happen.

In truth, if Horo really were the god of harvest Horo, to a person who dealt in the wheat business, she would be the best helper one could get. Lawrence took the thoughts out of his mind and directed them at Horo:

"You said you were Horo, right?"

"Hmm?"

"You also said that you're a wolf."

"Mm."

"But on your body there are only wolf ears and a tail. If you really are the incarnation of a wolf, surely you could change into a wolf right?"

Upon hearing Lawrence's words, Horo gave a blank look for a moment, following which an expression of understanding appeared on her face.

"Hoho, you mean you want to see me become a wolf, is that right?"

Lawrence nodded in reply, but inside he was in shock.

Initially, Lawrence thought that Horo would get perplexed over his request, and try to use easily noticeable lies to skimp by him. Yet, her reaction was completely different, an expression of annoyance appeared on her face. As compared to telling a simple lie that she could turn into a wolf, this expression of annoyance only added to her persuasive power. Not only did the expression seem full of loathing, Horo even said out bluntly:

"I don't want to."

"Wh-Why?"

"I should be the one asking that. What's your reason for wanting to see?"

Horo questioned with a displeased expression. Lawrence could not help but get pinned down by her temper. Yet, to him, the question of whether Horo was human or not was an important one. Lawrence got a grip on himself, and in an attempt to get the conversation back in his hands, he said with vigor,

"If you are a human, I plan to hand you over to the Church, since people possessed by demons are only capable of causing havoc and destruction. However, if you're really the god of harvest Horo, and the incarnation of the wolf, perhaps I can reconsider."

Legend had it that most incarnations of animals would bring good luck. If the girl was really the authentic Horo, Lawrence would not hand her to the Church; he would even offer wheat, wine and bread to her. However, if the girl were not the reincarnation of the animal, the treatment would be different. Hearing Lawrence's words, the annoyed expression on Horo's face just got worse. Her face became somewhat distorted, and wrinkles appeared on her nose.

"According to the stories I've heard, the incarnations of animals can transform freely right? If you're really the incarnation of an animal, you should be able to return to your original form, correct?"

Horo continued to wear the annoyed expression on her face, and quietly listened to Lawrence as he spoke. After some time, she gave a light sigh, and slowly stood up from below the furs.

"The Church has given me trouble time and again; I would not want to be taken by them again. But..." Horo sighed once again. While stroking her tail, she continued,

"Regardless of the form, it can't be done without a price. Just as humans who want to change their outward appearance put on make-up, I need to eat something in order to change forms, isn't that right?"

"So what do you require?"

"What my transformation requires is a bit of wheat."

Wheat seemed like just the thing a god of harvest would want as an offering, and even Lawrence could understand the reasoning behind it. Yet, in the next moment, he was taken aback.

"Or fresh blood."

"Fresh...blood?"

"Not a lot of it though."

Horo's natural expression as she answered made Lawrence doubt they were lies she had made up on the spot. Lawrence gulped nervously, and shifted his gaze suddenly to Horo's lips. He recalled just now when Horo picked the jerky from the ground and bit it; he could see two fangs from inside her mouth.

"What's the matter, scared?" said Horo with a bitter smile while looking at Lawrence who had a cowardly expression. Although Lawrence rebuked with an "Of course not," Horo was clearly expecting his reaction. Yet, the smile on Horo's face disappeared before long. She shifted her gaze from Lawrence, and said,

"After seeing your reaction, I don't feel like changing even more."

"Wh-Why?"

Lawrence felt that Horo was taunting him, and as a result asked that question with a strong tone. Horo put her gaze back on Lawrence, and answered with a tone of grief,

"Because once you've seen it, you will be very shocked. Should anyone see my real form, humans and animals alike, would look with fear in their eyes, and hurry to give way. Everyone has always regarded my existence as special, and be it from humans or animals. I do not wish to be treated like this anymore."

"I, how could I possibly be scared from seeing your true form?"

"If you want to be that strong, you better figure out how to stop your hands from shaking first."

Lawrence could not help but look at his hands upon hearing Horo's relenting tone, but by the time he discovered he was cheated, it was too late.

"Heh, you're a really naive person."

Although Horo happily said so, she immediately reverted back to her original expression, and interrupted Lawrence who was trying to find an excuse to explain.

"However I think that if you really are that naive, it doesn't give me any reason not to change my form for you to see. Was what you said just now for real?"

"What I said just now?"

"That if I were really a wolf, you wouldn't hand me over to the Church."

"This..."

It was said that among the possessing demons, there were some who could even create hallucinations. Because Lawrence could not immediately make a conclusion just because he saw the form of a wolf, he did not know how to answer. Horo, as if she had seen through his thoughts, said,

"Be it human or animal, I never misjudge anything. I believe you will keep your word."

Hearing Horo's words that were filled with mischievous intent, Lawrence was even more at a loss on what to answer. After hearing Horo say that of him, Lawrence definitely could not go back on his word now. Although Lawrence understood that he was completely in Horo's grasp, it would be helpless if it were the other way around.

"I'll let you see a bit. But it's too tiring to change completely, so just my arm will do. You'll have to put up with that."

After Horo had finished speaking, she slowly raised her hand in the direction of the goods compartment. Lawrence initially thought that was some special posture Horo had to take to transform, but in the next moment, he immediately understood the reason behind her action. From the corner of the goods compartment where the bunch of wheat stood, she plucked a few grains of wheat.

"What are those wheat grains for?" Lawrence questioned unconsciously, but before he could complete his question, Horo had long put the wheat grains into her mouth, and closed her eyes as if she were swallowing pills, and swallowed the wheat.

The husked wheat grains were obviously inedible. Lawrence could not help but raise his eyebrows upon thinking of the feeling the bitter tasting wheat grains would bring from spreading about one's mouth. Yet, in the next moment, this small thought would just fly out of his mind.

"Uhn, Uhhn...!"

All of a sudden, Horo began to groan, she held her left arm tight, and fell on the furs.

Horo's state did not at all look like she was acting. Concerned, Lawrence wanted to ask if she was all right, but the strange sounds had already gone into his ears.

Sshhhhh. The sound caused the thousands of rats within the forest to flee crazily. The sound continued on for a few moments, closely following which a thud of something treading on the soft ground could be heard. Lawrence could show no other reaction but that of astonishment. Once the strange sounds stopped, Horo's originally slim arm, had become an enormous animal's front paw, which did not at all match her human body.

"Uhn...whew, it really doesn't match."

Horo seemed as if she was unable to support the transformed gigantic arm. She set her shoulder in which the beastly arm grew out of on the furs, and lay down.

"How? Willing to believe me now?" said Horo as she turned to Lawrence.

"Er...mm..."

Lawrence was unable to answer. He rubbed his eyes several times, and even shook his head incessantly, turning to look at the leg.

The leg was very robust and donned a coat of brown fur. Judging by its size, a body proportional to this leg would be as big as a horse and rider combined. The claws at the foremost part of the foot were about as large as the sickle women used when they were cutting stalks of wheat.

So such a huge leg can grow out of a girl's slim shoulder? If this isn't a hallucination, what else could it be?

No matter how he tried, Lawrence could not believe what he saw in front of him. He took his water-filled pouch, and splashed water on his face.

"You're still so suspicious. If you really think this is a hallucination, why not touch it and see?" said Horo while half smiling, half moving her large foot in a provoking manner. Although Lawrence had become rather angry, the strange sight in front of him still made him cower in fear. The leg gave out a sort of aura that made people hesitate to approach it because it was so enormous. But Horo continued to move her paw once again. Consequently, Lawrence made up his mind, and appeared by the driver's seat.

Something trivial like a wolf's paw is no big deal! I've even sold a product called "Dragon's Foot" before! Lawrence told himself. Just when he was a moment away from touching the wolf's leg...

"Ah."

Horo seemed as if she had thought of something and therefore exclaimed, which shocked Lawrence, causing him to withdraw his hand.

"Wa! Wh-What's the matter?"

"Hm, no, this...Wait a minute, surely your astonishment is going overboard," Horo said with an "I really can't handle you" attitude, causing Lawrence to feel both ashamed and furious. But if he were to get angry immediately, it would be like throwing away his gentleman's attitude. After Lawrence had barely managed to control his emotions, seeming as if he were reiterating the point that he would not lose his temper again, he questioned Horo once again while stretching out his hand,

"What in the world happened?"

"Mm."

Horo suddenly looked at Lawrence with an expression of pity, and said in a proud and childish manner:

"You have to be gentler."

Hearing Horo sound like a spoiled child, Lawrence put all his body's concentration into stopping his hand from extending further. Lawrence looked at Horo for a moment, and found her laughing at him.

"You're really cute."

Lawrence decided not to respond to whatever Horo said ever again. He clumsily stretched out his hand towards Horo's paw again.

"How? Willing to believe me now?"

Lawrence ignored Horo, and continued confirming the touch in his hand. Lawrence continued not to answer, although the reason for it was mostly because Horo's teasing had made him feel displeased, but it was not as simple as that. Needless to say, it was, of course, due to the feeling in his hand.

The animal's front paw on Horo's shoulder possessed a bone as heavy as a large tree, and wrapped around it was a layer of flesh; sturdy like an arm of a soldier. Neat, long, and beautiful furs grew out from the surface of the flesh from the area where the shoulder connected to the leg and to the ankle, down to the massive paw. Each toe on the paw looked like uncut loaves of bread. Feeling down from the soft, pink toes, were the hard and sickle-like claws.

Regardless of whether it was the feeling of the front paw or the claws, it did not at all seem like a hallucination. The animal claws were not cold and yet not warm, on top of which gave one a feeling that he should not be touching them, all of which caused a chill to run down Lawrence's spine.

Lawrence gulped, and unconsciously commented:

"Don't tell me you're really a god."

"I'm not a god. Even you should understand when you see the size of my leg, that I just have a larger body. Mm...and adding on to the fact that I'm cleverer than my comrades. I am Horo, the Wise Wolf Horo."

The girl boasted of her intelligence as if nothing had happened, and looked with arrogance at Lawrence. Her style was exactly that of a normal, mischievous girl. Yet, the strange air the animal leg on her shoulder gave off made it impossible to believe that she was just an ordinary animal.

The girl gave people a feeling that she definitely was not just bigger in body size.

"Hey, so how?"

Facing Horo's repeated question, Lawrence was still unable to straighten out his thoughts, and could only nod his head ambiguously.

"But...the real Horo should now be in Yarei's body. I've heard that Horo would possess the body of the person who cut off the last bundle of wheat..."

"Hahaha, I am the Wise Wolf, I know very well my own limits. To be precise, I live in the wheat. Without the wheat, I won't be able to live. Also, during this time of harvest, I was indeed in the last bundle of harvested wheat, and had no means of escape. As long as the humans were watching, I could not run away. However, there was an exception."

Lawrence listened while respecting the fact that Horo could say so much in one breath.

"If there's a bigger stack of wheat than the one last harvested nearby, I can move to that one, and I won't need worry about being seen by the humans. The villagers have said so before, right? If you're too greedy, you won't be able to catch the god of harvest, and it will run away."

Lawrence was surprised, and set his gaze on one of the seats of the goods compartment. There lay the bundle of wheat, the one that the villagers in the mountains had given him.

"In short, it's just like that. I guess I could call you my savior. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to escape from the village."

Although Lawrence still could not completely believe Horo's words, when Horo once again swallowed a few more grains of wheat and let her hand revert to its original form, that action alone spoke a lot for what she had said earlier on. When Horo mentioned savior, she had a hint of defiance in her tone. So Lawrence suddenly had an idea, and decided to get back at Horo.

"If that is so, then I might as well take the wheat back to the village. Without the god of harvest, the villagers will definitely face many difficulties. I have known Yarei and the villagers for a very long time, and I do not wish to see them troubled."

Although Lawrence said these words on the spot, upon closer inspection, he realized that what he said was not at all wrong. If Horo was really Horo, then it meant that once she left the village, bad harvests would befall the village.

Yet, these thoughts vanished in a moment.

That was because Horo looked at Lawrence with an expression as if she had been forsaken.

"You...are you kidding me?"

A weak expression unlike just now appeared on Horo's face, and in a moment the easily moved Lawrence wavered.

"Not necessarily," Lawrence answered spontaneously in a bid to buy some time to settle his wavering heart.

However, there was something else on Lawrence's mind at the same time. Not only was his heart unable to calm down, it had instead become more disturbed.

Lawrence's heart kept hesitating. If Horo was the real Horo, which meant that she was the god of harvest, he should take the appropriate action, which was to bring the wheat back to the village of Pasroe. Lawrence had gotten along with the villagers for so long. He did not want to see them in trouble. Yet, Lawrence reverted his gaze back to Horo's body, her expression was no longer the domineering one of before, but rather it was like the imprisoned princess who appeared in the knight tales, dipping her head in worry. Lawrence wore a painful expression, and directed questions at himself.

Should I bring this girl, who hates the village, back there?

But, if she was the real Horo...

Both thoughts were contending against each other in Lawrence's mind, and he, becoming incessantly distressed, ended up sweating all over. Lawrence suddenly discovered that someone was watching him, but there was no other person in the vicinity. He turned to the direction where he thought the person was, and there Horo was, looking hard at him with eyes of pleading.

"You are willing...to help me right?" Horo asked as she slightly dipped her head. Lawrence was unable to take her pleading eyes, and so turned his head away. Lawrence was only used to seeing his horse's backside every day. Suddenly having a girl like Horo look at him with those eyes, it was no wonder he could not take it.

Lawrence painfully made a decision. He slowly turned his head to Horo, and said:

"I'd like to ask you a question."

"...Mm."

"After you leave, will the village of Pasroe's wheat fields not be able to grow wheat anymore?"

Although Lawrence understood that if he asked this kind of question, Horo would definitely not answer in a way that was not beneficial to her, Lawrence was an experienced traveling merchant. He had met many people who, in a bid to accomplish their business deals, took lies as a matter of course. If Horo was lying, he believed that he could immediately see through her lie. So as to not miss any lie, Lawrence waited attentively for Horo's answer. Yet, Horo took her time, and did not talk. Shifting his gaze to Horo's direction, Lawrence discovered that her face carried a completely different expression. It seemed as if she was angry, yet at the brink of tears, as she stared into the corner of the goods compartment.

"Wh-What's the matter?"

Lawrence could not help but ask after seeing that expression.

"Even if I wasn't there, the village would still continue to have good harvests in the future," said Horo as she carried the same expression, her tone sounding extremely indignant.

"...So it's like that?"

Although Lawrence answered as such, he was submitted into fear from Horo's manner of hatred from her heart. Horo nodded her head, her slender shoulders trembling from the anger. Upon closer inspection, Horo's hands could be seen gripping the furs forcefully and as a result, lost the color in them, turning to a faded white.

"I have been waiting in the village for a very long time, as many years as the number of hairs on my tail. Even though I did not want to stay here, in order to protect the wheat in the village, I have never once been complacent about it. A long time ago, I agreed to help a young man, who had wanted the wheat in the village to have good harvests, so I have been abiding by my word.

Horo's tone seemed impetuous, and after she had finished she did not even look at Lawrence, showing how deep her resentment was.

Horo's earlier words were in a very fluent and eloquent style, but now they were hesitant, and full of pauses.

"I...I am the wolf who lives in wheat. Not only wheat, but as long as it is anything that grows from the ground, I understand more than anyone else. So I have abided by my promise, to let the village's wheat fields become prosperous and fertile. However, once the villagers see that the harvest is not good, they blame me for being inconsistent. Their attitude in the recent years has gotten even worse, so lately, I have always yearned to leave that place. I can't take it anymore. That promise from long ago, I have fully accomplished already."

Lawrence did not know what it was that made Horo so full of resentment. He had heard that, after the landlord of Pasroe a few years ago had become the current Count Eirendott, in a bid to raise the production capacity of the crops, he had constantly recommended and introduced new farming methods and new technology from the southern countries. Perhaps Horo thought that the villagers no longer needed her any more.

On top of that, there were even people who stood for the Church's sayings that spirits absolutely did not exist, which resulted in the rumors spreading all over the place. A god of harvest residing in such a hard-to-reach rural place like the village, would unlikely be affected by the rumors.

"Furthermore, that village would still continue to have good harvests. Only maybe once every few years, a severe famine will hit them, but it would be all their doing anyway. However, they are bound to start relying on themselves to overcome the difficulties. That place absolutely does not need me. Those people definitely don't need me!"

Horo finished in one breath, and sighed deeply, following which she fell into the furs. She arched her body, lazily pulled the furs close to herself, and silently went to sleep. Because Lawrence could not see Horo's face, he therefore could not determine whether she was crying or not. He was at a loss for words, and could do nothing but scratch his head. Lawrence looked at Horo's slender arms and wolf ears, and did not know what to do.

Perhaps a real god would give people this feeling like Horo did, at first putting on expressions of intelligence and wit, acting in a manner of arrogance and pride, yet in the next moment, acting like a child, making noise and being difficult, or revealing their weaker side. Lawrence was distressed at the fact that he did not know how to handle the situation present in front of him, but he could not continue keeping his silence, hence he changed the point of view of the subject and said,

"For me, I would leave whether your words were real or not to another time..."

"You think I'm telling lies?" Horo raised her head to fight back, even before the preamble of speech had ended. Lawrence was intimidated by her expression as a result. However, Horo looked as if she realized she went overboard with her emotions, said "Sorry" in embarrassment, and buried her head in the furs once again.

"I think, I understand your immense resentment. But, after you leave, do you know where you can go?"

Although Horo did not reply immediately, Lawrence noticed her ears twitch, so he waited patiently. Perhaps it was because Horo had vented all her anger at one go, that she turned back to look at Lawrence apologetically. Thinking in this way, he felt that Horo's actions were rather cute.

Horo eventually turned her head back, and looked at the goods compartment with an embarrassed expression. This proved Lawrence's speculations right.

"I want to go back to the north."

Horo only responded with that one short sentence.

"The north?"

Horo nodded her head, and then looked into the distance. Even if he did not look in Horo's direction, Lawrence knew where she was looking. Her gaze was indeed towards the north.

"My birthplace and homeland - the forests of Yoitsu. I cannot remember how long it has been since I left my homeland...I really want to go back."

Hearing the word "homeland" made Lawrence feel alarmed, and caused him to stare at the side of Horo's face. Lawrence himself had abandoned his hometown, and ever since he started on his journey as a traveling merchant, he had never returned to his hometown once. Even though Lawrence harbored only ill memories of poverty and bad treatment of his hometown, sometimes when he was alone on the driver's seat, encompassed by feelings of loneliness, he would long for his hometown.

If Horo was the real Horo, she would had left her homeland for over several hundred years, and in addition, stopped over a place for a long time only to receive people's disdain. In that case, it would not be hard to guess Horo's feelings of longing for her homeland.

"However, I want to travel first. People are seldom away from their hometown in a foreign country, and furthermore, such a long time has passed, many people and things should have changed, so taking time to widen one's knowledge is also a good thing."

Horo stopped speaking, turned her head to look at Lawrence with a serene expression on her face, and continued,

"Even if you feel like bringing the wheat back to Pasroe, as long as you don't hand me over the Church, I hope to travel with you. You are a traveling merchant right?" Horo smiled as she spoke. That expression was as if she believed that Lawrence would never do such a thing, and also as if she had long since seen through his heart. Her tone was like that of an old friend asking for a favor.

Although Lawrence was unable to determine whether Horo was the real Horo, he thought that at least she did not look at all like a bad person. Furthermore, Lawrence felt that conversing with this unimaginable girl was pretty interesting. Yet, because Lawrence's business instincts kicked in, he did not answer Horo immediately. As a businessman, he had to take on a view that did not fear the gods, as well as a cautious and suspicious approach to whoever who tried to get too close. Lawrence pondered for a while, and then slowly opened his mouth and said,

"I cannot make an immediate decision."

Lawrence had initially thought his answer would provoke Horo and make her discontent, but it looked as if his speculation had been wrong, Horo nodded her head as if she understood completely.

"Being cautious is a good thing. But, my eye for people won't go wrong. I believe that you aren't a cold-blooded bastard that would turn down people's requests as you please. But I am not a person, I'm a wolf."

Although Horo's mouth voiced those words, upon her face hung a mischievous smile. Horo lay down once again, and snuggled under the furs. However, this time she definitely wasn't quietly going to sleep like earlier, but rather was telling Lawrence that the day's conversation would end here.

Apparently, the managing power was still in Horo's hands. Lawrence watched her attentively, and although he felt that he could do nothing about it, he also felt that her style was rather interesting.

Horo's ears suddenly moved. She popped her head out of the furs, and told Lawrence,

"Surely you don't want me to sleep outside right?"

Lawrence looked at Horo and was clearly aware that he could not do such a thing, yet in a meticulous and inquiring style, could only shrug his shoulders as an answer. Horo smiled happily, and once again, snuggled under the furs. Seeing Horo's actions, Lawrence could not help but feel that her previous few reactions were an act, but they gave off feelings similar to that of an imprisoned princess. However, Lawrence did not think that Horo's expression when talking about the villagers' discontent, or her longing for her homeland, was fake.

In conclusion, Lawrence did not feel that Horo was lying, which meant that he believed she was the real Horo because Lawrence really could not believe that these things could be thought up by a girl possessed by demons.

Lawrence sighed, and decided not to continue thinking. He stood up and walked to the goods compartment. Lawrence did not believe that thinking any further would result in any new discovery, and the best way now was to get some sleep first, and leave things to later when he woke up.

The furs that Horo lay on originally belonged to Lawrence, so how could he let himself sleep under the linen cover atop the driver's seat and let Horo have all the furs to herself? Lawrence wanted to move Horo's body to one side, and then snuggle into the furs with her. From behind him came the sounds of Horo's soft breathing. Although Lawrence could not make an immediate decision, he already decided that by the next morning, if Horo did not steal the goods and escape, perhaps he could take her along with him to travel together.

Lawrence did not think Horo was a rascal who would steal his goods. Furthermore, if Horo were to really do so, she would definitely be able to snatch everything away. With this in mind, Lawrence could not help but have some anticipation for what the next morning would bring.

Regardless, it had been a very long time since Lawrence had slept together with someone else. In the strong-smelling furs, if he could sleep together with a girl who breathed so soundly while asleep, it would make him overjoyed.

Perhaps it was because it had seen through Lawrence's heart and felt his simple thought, that the horse by the side shook its head as if it were sighing. Perhaps horses understood what humans were thinking about, just that they did not say anything.

Lawrence shut his eyes, giving a bitter smile.



Lawrence was always an early riser. In order to make full use of each day in making money, merchants would wake up early every day. But when Lawrence woke up in the morning mist, Horo had already long since woken up and was sitting at his side fussing with something. Although Horo had done many things that surprised Lawrence, this time she was being too daring. Only when Lawrence turned his head around did he discover that Horo had actually gone through his luggage and took some clothes out to wear, and was now tying her shoelaces.

"Hey! Those are my things!"

Even if it was not stealing, the act of rummaging through his luggage to find things for herself, was not one a god would commit.

Lawrence spoke in a slightly accusatory manner, but Horo, when she turned around, did not look the least bit chastened.

"Hm? You're awake. How do these look? Do they match?"

Horo did not care at all for Lawrence's words, spreading out her arms and asking him so. Not only did Horo not feel that she had done anything wrong, she even looked as if she was pleased with herself. Looking at the present Horo, he could not help but feel that her hotheaded style from the night before was simply a dream. Perhaps this unrestrained tyranny was Horo's natural personality.

On Horo's body were Lawrence's best clothes. Whenever Lawrence wanted to have a business talk with the big merchants of the city, he would always wear that set of clothes. The blue long-sleeved jacket matched with the fashionable vest. The long and strange trousers were weaved out of linen and leather, on top of the waistcloth surrounding the lower half of the body that was fastened to the trousers, as well as the sheepskin belt that fastened the waistcloth. The boots that were made from three layers of tanned leather, were so thick and top grade that they could resist the bitter cold climate of the snowy mountains. Right on the outside was a coat made of wild bear's fur of excellent quality.

To a traveling merchant, possessing a set of pragmatic and practical, realistic and noble clothes was something worth being proud about. Lawrence started saving up from the time of his apprenticeship, and only after ten whole years did he come into the possession of that set of clothes. When in a business talk, all he had to do was wear that set of clothes, plus tidy up his beard a little, and most of them would look at him with respect. And now the profoundly significant clothes were on Horo's body. Yet, Lawrence did not get angry. This was because it was obvious that the oversized clothes on Horo's body made her look very cute.

"This black bear's leather coat is of good quality. It matches my brown hair very well. But, wearing this pair of trousers obstructs my tail. Can I cut a hole in it?"

Although Horo said this in a relaxed manner, this pair of trousers had been made by a master tailor who finally consented under Lawrence's incessant pleas. If a hole were to be cut in this pair of trousers, he was afraid there would be no way to restore them. Lawrence therefore shook his head hard with an extremely resolute attitude.

"Oh. All right, fortunately this pair of trousers are big, so there will be a way to wear it."

Lawrence got up while gazing steadily at Horo, thinking that, while Horo was acting as if it were utterly impossible that Lawrence would tell her to take it all off, she probably wouldn't run off like this after putting on the clothes. If the whole set of clothes were taken to the city and sold, they would probably bring in a rather large sum of gold coins.

"You seem to be a merchant to the roots. I know from your expression what result you're waiting for." said Horo as she smiled, and briskly jumped down from the goods compartment. Horo's action was so natural, that Lawrence could not react for a moment. If Horo were to seize the opportunity and run, he feared that he would not be able to catch up. Even though Lawrence did not take any action as a result, perhaps it was because somewhere in his heart he was convinced that Horo would not run away.

"I won't run away. If I wanted to, I'd long be gone."

Lawrence first looked at the wheat atop the goods compartment, and then shifted his gaze once again to Horo, who was giggling as she said so. He discovered that Horo was just taking off the bear's leather coat, and throwing it in the direction of the goods compartment. Apparently, to Horo, the leather coat, which was supposed to fit someone with a figure like Lawrence’s, was too long for her. Last night he was unable to see clearly under the moonlight, but now Lawrence saw that Horo's figure was even more petite than he had imagined. Lawrence was considered to be tall, and was taller than Horo by about two heads.

After that, when Horo was done verifying the clothes' condition, she conveniently opened her mouth and asked,

"I wish to travel with you, is that okay?"

Horo gave a smile that was not one bit flattering. If she expressed an attitude of flattery, Lawrence believed that there were still means to decline her. But Horo's smile showed happiness.

Lawrence gave a light sigh. He thought that although he still could not afford to lower his guard, at least he knew that she did not look like the kind of person who would steal things, and that it would not hurt to travel with her. Furthermore, if he parted from Horo now and returned to traveling alone, the feelings of loneliness could get even stronger than in the past.
"I think that this can also be considered as some kind of fate, so I'll let you travel with me."

Hearing Lawrence say so, Horo, as expected, did not begin to show overjoyed expressions, but merely gave a simple smile.

"But, I am just a merchant who does business with much toil. You must be responsible for paying for your own meals! Even if you are the god of harvest, surely you can't make my wallet prosper too, right?"

"I am not so shameless that I would simply sit around and eat your food. I am the Wise Wolf Horo, a proud wolf," said Horo as she puffed her cheeks rather angrily, her manner resembling that of a child's. But Lawrence was not fooled by her acting. He understood that she faked anger on purpose. Lawrence did not guess incorrectly, but not long after, as expected, Horo gurgled with laughter.

"But, the revered wolf still showed that kind of bad attitude yesterday, it's really not that funny," Horo said while laughing, as if she were mocking herself. Hearing it this way made it seem as if her hotheaded expression evolved from her heart's true mood and feelings.

"Anyway, please take care of me from now on...Heh~"

"My name is Lawrence, Craft Lawrence. During work, I'm always known as Lawrence."

"Mm, Lawrence. I will always tell your story, and let your name spread around with words of praise for eternity," Horo said as raised her head and straightened herself, the wolf ears on her head proudly swaying. Perhaps her words were sincere, that when looking at her, it was honestly hard to determine whether she was childish or crafty and sly. Her feelings were like the clouds in the sky, always changing and varying.

Lawrence immediately erased what he just thought from his mind. He felt that Horo's causing people to think she was hard to predict and see through, was just showing her craftiness and slyness. Lawrence extended his head from the goods compartment to show that he was willing to accept Horo. Although Horo's hand was small, it was still very warm.

"Let's leave it at this for now! It's going to rain soon. We'd better hurry and set off."

"What...Why didn't you tell me earlier!?" Lawrence yelled loudly, causing the horse to neigh in shock. Lawrence remembered that there was not a sign that it was going to rain the evening before, but now when he raised his head to look, indeed there were thin clouds covering the sky. Horo looked at Lawrence's flustered preparations to set off from the side, and started laughing out loud. She still laughed while nimbly jumping onto the goods compartment, and speedily arranged the originally messy pile of furs and covered them with the cloth. It was clear that she was much more capable than a newly entered apprentice.

"The river is not in a good mood, it's more appropriate if we move a bit further away."

Lawrence called his horse, put away the water bucket, and after sitting on the driver's seat and grabbing the reins, Horo also jumped over from the goods compartment. Originally a seat for one person, the seemingly spacious driver's seat, now with two people on it, looked very narrow. But, on the other hand, this way they could warm each other and avoid the cold.

Following the horse's neigh, the two intriguing travelers followed after, and set off. 

Spice & Wolf:Volume1 Chapter 02
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[edit] Chapter 2

A downpour of rain came falling from the sky. Not long after noon, Lawrence and his partner were caught in this storm. In the rain which caused their sight to blur, they found a church, so they hurriedly ran into it. The church was not like the monastery, in that it provided lodging and safety to traveling merchants like Lawrence, pilgrims and other people on journeys. Furthermore, they relied on the travelers donations to operate, so when Lawrence and his partner made their sudden arrival, the church did not refuse them, instead welcoming their arrival.

Yet, no matter how much goodwill the Church had, they would not allow a girl who had wolf's ears and a tail to just swagger into their grounds, so Lawrence instantly weaved a lie. He made Horo put on a thin cloak, and claimed to the church that Horo was his wife, and because her face had been burnt by fire, she would not take off her hood in front of outsiders.

Although Horo was laughing secretly under the hood of the cloak, she seemed as if she understood her relations with the Church, and thus played along with Lawrence. Horo had mentioned before that the Church had caused her trouble time and again, so her words were probably true. Even if Horo was not someone possessed by demons, and was the incarnation of a wolf, that was not important to the Church. Because the Church believed that besides the god it prayed to, other spirits and gods were all heresy, and were all demons.

Lawrence and his partner passed through the church's front gates, and successfully borrowed a room. When Lawrence had sorted out the wet luggage, and was going back to the room again, he found Horo wringing her hair with the top half of her body bare. The rain droplets dripped down from Horo's beautiful long brown hair. Lawrence thought that even if the wooden floorboards, which were full of holes, got wet, the church would not complain anyway. A problem that further worried him instead, was where to rest his gaze.

"Heh, the cold rainwater just happened to cool off my burns," Horo happily smiled and said, not caring for the ordeal in Lawrence's heart. Lawrence could not tell if she was happy or annoyed at the lie. Horo parted the hair on her face, and following which, swept her fringe up in an extremely bold movement. It would not be wrong to say that Horo's fierce and proud attitude was exactly that of a wolf's. Her hair which had gotten wet by the rain and as a result, messy, looked very much like a wolf's tenacious fur.

"The leopard furs should be okay right? The hairs on those furs are of good quality, perhaps the leopards grew up in the mountains just like me as a wolf."

"Will it sell for a good price?"

"This I do not know. I am not a fur merchant."

Lawrence nodded his head. Her answer was already reasonable enough. He proceeded to take off the wet clothes on his body, and wrung them hard.

"Ah, that's right! How're we going to deal with the wheat?"

Lawrence said while wringing the water out of his jacket. Just when he was about to wring his trousers, he thought of Horo's presence, so he stopped and looked in her direction. What surprised him was that Horo looked as if she did not even think he existed, and had long ago stripped herself bare and was wringing her clothes dry. Lawrence, upon seeing this, did not hold back, and boldly stripped his clothes off.

"By how to deal you mean?"

"I mean do we want to thresh the wheat grains, or keep them in their current state. However, to even discuss this, it must mean that you are actually living in the wheat," Lawrence said, deliberately using a slightly teasing tone. Horo did not argue back, her lips looking as if they twitched for a slight moment.

"As long as I am alive, this wheat will never rot or wither. However, if the wheat is eaten, burnt, or ground and put into the soil, I would probably disappear. If you feel like you have some free time, then you can thresh the wheat and keep it. Mm, perhaps it is better like this."

"I see. Later on when I'm done threshing the wheat, I'll put them into a pouch. You should want to carry them by yourself right?"

"Mm, it would be even better if I could hang it around my neck."

Hearing Horo's reply, Lawrence unconsciously shifted his gaze to her neck, and immediately averted it.

"But, can you leave some wheat so that I can sell it in some other place?"

Lawrence asked after he had returned to his original frame of mind, and after he had done so, heard a swishing noise. Turning his head to look, Horo was using all her strength to swish her tail. The hairs on the tail were thick and sleek, and looked very strong as it flung the water away. Lawrence watched as the water flew in all directions, and could not help but raise his eyebrows. Horo, on the other hand, did not at all care.

"Most of the crops grew well because they came from that land. The wheat will wither after a while though, so it is no use even if you go."

Horo looked at the clothes she had just wrung and descended into deep thought, but because there were no other clothes to wear, she could only wear the wrung and wrinkled clothes again. Different from the cheap clothing that Lawrence wore, Horo's set of clothes were made of good material, and dried very fast. Although Lawrence felt it was rather unfair, he also put on his similarly wrinkled clothing, and then nodded at Horo.

"Let's go to the main hall to dry our clothes with the fire. With such a storm blowing about, there should be quite a few people here seeking shelter from the rain, I think the furnace should be lit."

"Mm, good idea."

Horo put on her cloak as she finished, and covered her entire head, following which she burst into loud laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Haha, because I have been burnt I have to cover my face. If it was me, I would have never thought of that."

"Really? Then, what would you have thought of?"

Horo lifted the hood a bit to reveal her face, and then said arrogantly:

"If my face had burns, they would also be a part of me. Just like my ears and tail, they are all unique proofs of my existence."

Lawrence thought that, this way of speaking really matched Horo's style. But from another point of view, he believed that because Horo did not really suffer from burns, she was able to act in a relaxed way as a result. At this point, Horo's voice interrupted Lawrence's train of thought.

"I know what you are thinking about."

Under the hood of the cloak, Horo was smiling in a cunning manner, and a fang appeared from the upper right corner of her lips.

"Want to try letting me get injured and see?"

After looking at Horo's provoking expression, Lawrence felt like taking her on, but he felt that if he were swayed by his emotions and pulled out his dagger, the situation would really get out of hand. It was very possible that Horo's words were evolved from her true feelings. It was just that this sort of deliberately provoking attitude, was probably caused by her natural mischievous personality.

"I'm a man, how could I injure such a beautiful face."

Hearing Lawrence say so, a smile appeared on Horo's face as if she had received a present she had long awaited for, following which she proceeded to deliberately press herself close to him. A sweet scent drifted along with Horo, and stimulated Lawrence's body, almost causing him to embrace Horo. Contrary to his anticipation, Horo did not pay attention to his reaction at all. She used her nose and sniffed Lawrence, and then shifted slightly away and said:

"Even though you were caught in the rain, your body still stinks. Even I, this wolf, have said so, so it cannot be wrong."

"What did you say?!"

Lawrence half-unconsciously swung his fist, yet it was dodged gracefully by Horo and hit only the air around it. Horo laughed at Lawrence while leaning her head slightly and continued:

"Even if it was a wolf, it would know how to tidy its own fur. I think you do not look too bad, but in any case you must keep yourself clean and tidy."

Although it was unknown if Horo was serious or joking, but to be told that by a girl like her, Lawrence could not help but acknowledge it. For as long as he had known, Lawrence would only note on whether tidying himself would be helpful when he was in a business negotiation, and never if it could catch the fancy of a girl. If the person on the other end of the negotiations was a woman, perhaps Lawrence would still have a thought to smarten himself. Yet it was a pity that he had never seen a female merchant before.

Lawrence did not know how to answer, so he turned his face around, and remained in silence.

"I think your beard looks quite good."

The moderately long beard that grew under Lawrence's chin, had always received rather good criticism. Lawrence openly accepted Horo's compliment, and turned back to Horo somewhat arrogantly.

"But, I would prefer the beard to be a bit longer."

When Lawrence heard that, his response was to think of businessmen now being fond of keeping a long beard all along. Horo used her forefingers on both hands to draw a line from her nose to her cheeks, while saying:

"Like this, whiskers like a wolf."

At this moment Lawrence finally was aware that he had been teased. Although he felt a little intolerant over such things, Lawrence still decided against paying attention to Horo, and walked towards the door of the room. Horo giggled happily, and followed behind Lawrence. In reality, Lawrence did not have any hate towards Horo's actions at all.

"There are other people at the furnace, you'd better not give your secret away."

"I am the Wise Wolf Horo. Besides, even before I came to the village of Pasroe, I traveled all the way in my human form. Do not worry!"

When Lawrence turned back to look, he saw that Horo had already hidden her head under the cloak, and had already completely entered such a state.



To a merchant, the cities and the churches and inns away from the cities, were important information-gathering places, especially in the churches, where one could meet various people of different backgrounds. In the inns one could usually only see veteran merchants, or poor travelers, but in the churches it was different. From the cities came people from master beer brewers to the rich, so the churches lodged all sorts of people.

About twelve guests had arrived at the church Lawrence and Horo had come to for shelter from the rain. Among them were a few who looked like merchants, and the rest looked of other occupations.

"Ah, it's like this, so you came over from Yorent?"

"Indeed. After I bought the salt from Yorent, I immediately delivered it to my client, and from my client received the leopard furs."

Everyone in the main hall sat on the floor, some busy grabbing the fleas off their clothing, and the rest having their meal. Only this couple was sitting on chairs, and occupying the space in front of the fireplace. Even though this was the main hall, it was not that spacious. With twelve people squeezed into this space, no matter where one stood, it would not be hard to dry one's clothes with just the warmth from the fireplace that was burning a full load of firewood. However, this couple did not look like their clothes had been wet by the rain. Hence, it seemed that they had most probably donated large sums of money to the Church, and as a result, could freely enter this church.

Lawrence's guess was right. He pricked up his ears to listen in on the couple's dialogue which could be interrupted easily, and waited for his chance to smoothly join them. The wife appeared silent, probably because of the toil of the journey. Thus, her middle-aged husband naturally expressed a welcoming attitude to Lawrence's joining of their conversation.

"However, to go back to Yorent from here, isn't that too disruptive?"

"This is where it depends on the merchant's knowledge."

"Oh, You have a point there, why don't you share it?"

"When I bought the salt in Yorent, I did not pay the money upfront. I sold wheat amounting to the same value to a branch of the same company that sold me the salt, in another city. At that time I did not take any payment from that branch, and yet I did not pay for the salt. In other words, with no money being exchanged, I have successfully completed two deals."

This was a barter system invented by the southern merchants a hundred years ago. When Lawrence heard about it from his master, who was also a relative traveling merchant of his, he was walking up and down thinking just about this system. However, it was only after two weeks of hard and deep thinking that Lawrence understood the profoundness within. The middle-aged man in front of him had only heard this for the first time, and also seemed as if he did not comprehend.

"This......is really intriguing."

The man nodded his head repeatedly when he finished.

"I live in the city of Perent, and the vineyard I own has never used such strange methods to sell grapes, will this bring about problems?"

"This system called bartering, was invented by merchants to allow for convenience when doing business in foreign lands. If you are the owner of a vineyard, you only have to be careful not to let the quality of your grapes be depreciated and bought at a cheap price by those merchants with evil intentions."

"Mm, every year we argue with the wine merchants over this matter."

Although the man smiled as he said this, in reality, the accounting staff he had hired would be flustered with anger as they argued it out with the sly and cunning wine merchants. Vineyard owners were mostly aristocrats, but hardly any of them would personally do the farming or handle the money matters. Therefore, it could be said that Count Eirendott who ruled the district around the village of Pasroe was an extremely eccentric person.

"You said your name was Lawrence! Next time if you have the chance to come to Perent, you are welcome to pay a visit."

"Alright, thank you."

The man did not mention his own name, and that was a habit of the aristocrats. They believed that even if they did not give their name the other party would know them anyway, so they thought that telling their name would be losing their style. Lawrence believed that when he reached Perent, as long as he mentioned the vineyard owner, it would mean but no one but the man himself. If he were in the city of Perent, Lawrence believed that a person of his status would definitely not be able to talk with this man. Therefore, the church was the most suitable place for establishing such social ties and networks.

"Well then, since my wife is a little tired, please excuse us."

"May God allow us to meet once again."

This was a Church, and that line was frequently said among the people. The man rose from the chair together with his wife. They gently nodded farewell, and walked out of the main hall. Lawrence rose from the chair that the man had requested he bring and sit on, and returned the two chairs the couple had been sitting on to the corner of the main hall. In the main hall, only aristocrats, rich people and knights with qualifications, these three types of people, were the ones that provoked and were mainly disliked by people.

"Heheh, I say boss, you really are an extraordinary person!"

When Lawrence had kept the chairs, and returned by Horo's side in the middle of the hall, a man approached them. From the man's dressing and manner, he was probably also of the same profession. The man's face, which was covered by his beard, looked very young, as if he had just joined this profession.

"I am but an ordinary traveling merchant you can find anywhere."

Lawrence replied coldly, and Horo who was sitting beside him straightened herself slightly. At this point, the hood on Horo's head moved slightly. However, probably only Lawrence would know that those were her ears.

"You're being modest sir. I was also just thinking about entering that couple's conversation, but I could not find the chance, yet you, boss, just did it so smoothly and easily. To think in the future my competitors will be people like you, boss, makes my willpower waver," said the man as a smile appeared on his face. Missing a front tooth made his expression seem rather cute. Perhaps he had his front tooth plucked out on purpose, so as to let his slightly stupid smile tell everyone that he was still an amateur. If he was a merchant, he would definitely know how his face would affect the impression he had on others. This man was not to be underestimated.

However, when Lawrence recalled his days as an amateur, he realized that his thinking style was very much like the man. So he expressed agreement and said:

"That's nothing really, when I first started in this profession, all the traveling merchants were demons in my eyes. Up till now, I still feel that half or more of them are.

"Heheh! Hearing you say that makes me feel much more relieved. Ah, my name is Zelen, and I think you might have known by now, but I am just starting out as a traveling merchant, so please take good care of me."

"I am Lawrence."

Lawrence thought of the time when he had just entered the profession. In order to know more traveling merchants, he had also struck up conversations with people just like that. Back then there was one time where he had gotten angry because of the cold attitude all of them showed towards him. Yet, as of the present, where he himself had become the one that an amateur would strike up a conversation with, he could also understand now why they threatened to treat him coldly back then. Traveling merchants who were just starting out could only blindly gather information from others, and had no information to share themselves.

"Hm......ah, is that your companion?"

It was unknown whether it was because Zelen had no information to share, or because he had committed the common mistake of amateurs - which was to try hard to gain more information in a situation where they had none, that he opened his mouth to ask. If it were two experienced traveling merchants in conversation, they would have exchanged information with each other long ago.

"My wife, Horo."

Although Lawrence hesitated on whether he should use a false name or not, after some contemplation, he believed that there was no need, and so answered as such.

The moment Lawrence mentioned Horo's name, she gently bowed her head to greet Zelen.

"Oh, so both of you are traveling merchants?"

"My wife has an eccentric personality, and believes that it's better to be on the cart than to idle at home."

"But boss, letting your wife wear such a cloak, you must be very protective of her."

Perhaps Zelen had been a rascal in the city marketplace before. His charisma did let Lawrence have a bit of respect for him. However, Lawrence's traveling merchant relatives had warned him before, that it was best not to speak with an attitude like his.

"Heheh, the male's natural instinct is that if he cannot see it, he would want to see it even more. It is by God's direction that we are able to meet here. So, on that account, can you let me have a look at her?"

Such impudence! Although Horo was not really Lawrence's wife, he could not help but think as such.

Yet, just as Lawrence was about to rebuke, Horo herself opened her mouth and said:

"The traveler is most happy only before he sets off, the dog is most scary only when it barks, and a woman most beautiful only when seen from behind. To casually show my face in public, would spoil peoples' beautiful dreams, and that I cannot do."

When Horo had finished, she smiled gently under the hood. Zelen could only smile embarrassingly when he was told so by Horo. Even Lawrence highly respected Horo's words, which came out like a string of pearls.

"Heheh......your wife is really amazing."

"She's just doing it to avoid getting scolded, that I can accept."

More than half of the sentence expressed Lawrence's true feelings.

"I was thinking, to be able to meet you is surely the working of God. How about it, are you two interested in listening to my story?"

At the moment the silence descended, a smile that lacked a front tooth appeared on Zelen's face, as he moved towards Lawrence and spoke.



Churches were different from inns, in that although they provided rooms, they did not provide the guests with food or drink. However, the stove could be used as long as one donated some money, which Lawrence did to borrow it. He put five potatoes into the pot of water. Of course, the firewood needed to keep the fire burning was on one's own expense as well.

While waiting for the potatoes to boil, Lawrence took advantage of this time to start threshing the wheat that Horo lived in, and then looked for an unused pouch to put the wheat grains into. Recalling that Horo had said she wanted to wear it around her neck, Lawrence took a leather strap and returned to the side of the pot. The potatoes, firewood, leather pouch and strap all cost some money. Lawrence brought the cooked potatoes back to the room while thinking of how much money to collect from Horo.

Because both his hands were full, Lawrence could not knock on the door, but Horo, who possessed her pair of wolf ears, could tell different people by merely listening to the sounds of their footsteps. Even so, when Lawrence entered the room, Horo was sitting on the bed leisurely combing the hairs on her tail, not even turning her head back.

"Hm? I smell something good," Horo raised her head as she said. Her nose seemed as if it was equally as sensitive as her ears.

On top of the potatoes was cheese made from goats' milk. Lawrence would never have enjoyed such a thing if he was alone, but today he was not alone, so he decided to be generous with it. Upon seeing Horo's delighted reaction, he also thought that it was rather worth it to have done so.

Lawrence set the potatoes on the table beside the bed, and Horo immediately stretched her hand out, ready to grab them. Just before Horo was able to take a potato, Lawrence threw the pouch full of wheat grains to her.

"Waah. Hm? Oh, it is the wheat."

"And the strap, you can go think of a way to hang it on your neck."

"Mm, I am grateful. However, the food comes first!"

Horo casually threw the pouch and strap to one side, her carefree action scaring Lawrence. Horo extended her hand towards the potatoes with a greedily drooling expression on her face. It seemed as if food was more important than anything else to Horo.

Horo took a large potato, and swiftly split it into two halves. Looking at the steam emitting immediately from the potato, Horo's face was overflowing with expressions of joy and happiness. Her tail was swishing about like a puppy's. Although Lawrence felt that she looked funny, he knew that if he said something about it, he would definitely provoke Horo into anger, so he left it as it was.

"So wolves also like to eat potatoes?"

"Mm. Us wolves do not eat only meat the whole year round. We eat the tender buds off trees, and also fish. The vegetables that humans grow are nicer than the buds. Also, I quite like the humans' idea of putting the meat and vegetables over a fire."

It was said that cats' tongues could not withstand heat, yet it looked like wolves did not have this problem. Horo held a piping hot half of the potato, and after blowing on it only two or three times, put the whole potato into her mouth. Lawrence believed that Horo had taken too big a bite, and sure enough, she started choking. Lawrence threw the water pouch to Horo, and saved her.

"Whew, that scared me a bit. The human throat is really still too narrow. So inconvenient."

"You're a wolf, of course you would devour your food like that."

"Mm. Look, it's because us wolves don't have this, so we cannot chew slowly."

Horo used her finger to hook the corner of her lip and pulled, probably pointing to her cheek.

"However, I have choked on potatoes before too."

"Oh."

"Perhaps it is fated that potatoes and I do not get along."

Lawrence was thinking: It's simply because you were eating too quickly! But he did not say it out.

"You said."

Lawrence opened his mouth and said:

"You said that you could see through lies and such, right?"

Hearing Lawrence ask such a question, Horo turned her head around while biting on the cheese. Just as Horo was about to say something, she suddenly shifted her gaze elsewhere, and in the next moment extended her hand. Before Lawrence could ask "what's the matter", Horo's hand looked as if it had caught something and stopped in mid air.

"I did not expect that there would still be fleas about."

"That tidy fur of yours, is without a doubt the optimal breeding ground for fleas."

When transporting fur textiles or furs with rather long hairs, one would now and then collect a lot of fleas due to the different seasons, and would require smoke to get rid of them. Because Lawrence recalled this experience, he said as such. However, after hearing his words, a surprised expression first appeared on Horo's face, following which she straightened her chest, and said with arrogance:

"You yourself know that my tail is beautiful, and looks rather good."

Seeing Horo looking like a child, Lawrence decided not to voice out his thoughts.

"You said you could tell if people were telling lies or not, is that true?"

"Hm? Oh, more or less I can."

After Horo had wiped clean the hand she used to squash the flea, she continued with eating the potato once again.

"How well can you do it?"

"This. I know that when you just mentioned my tail a moment ago, you had in fact no wish to praise it."

Lawrence was astonished, and for a moment dumbfounded. Horo giggled happily.

"It is not a hundred percent accurate though. Whether you choose to believe it or not, that is your own business."

Horo licked the cheese off her fingertips, saying so somewhat mischievously, in a manner that seemed as if an evil spirit or small demon might appear from the fantasy world.

Lawrence was clearly intimidated by Horo, but this time if he overreacted, who knew what Horo would come up with once again. Lawrence straightened out his thoughts and continued with his first question:

"Well then, let me ask you: Did you think what the youngster said can be trusted?"

"Youngster?"

"The chap who was talking to us in the main hall."

"Oh. Hehe, youngster eh?"

"What's so strange about it?"

"Well to me, both of you are youngsters."

Lawrence thought that if he did not come up with a good comeback, he would probably be teased yet again, so he swallowed the words that were at the tip of his tongue.

"Heh, you look more mature than him anyway. About the youngster, I think he is lying."

Hearing Horo's words, Lawrence was immediately able to calm back down, and in his heart mumbled a silent "It's right as expected."

The young traveling merchant known as Zelen mentioned during his conversation with Lawrence in the great hall, an opportunity to make a lot of money. The opportunity was that at the present time a certain silver coin in circulation, would be replaced by one with a higher silver value. If the information was correct, it meant that though the quality of the old silver coins would be worse as compared to the new ones, they would still have value equal to the new silver coins. However, compared to the other currencies, the new silver coins which had a higher silver value would be better than the old coins. Thus, if one knew in advance which coin was going to be replaced with the new coins, all one had to do was buy these coins in bulk, change them for the new silver coins, and an exorbitant profit could be gained. Zelen stated to Lawrence, that he could mention, among all the coins circulating around the world, which one would reap in a mass profit. However, in order to get this information, Lawrence would need to give part of the profit to him. Lawrence, of course, could not completely believe Zelen's words. He knew that Zelen would definitely have said the same thing to other merchants.

Horo looked into the distance, recalling the time she listened in on the contents of the conversation, following which she put the potato she was holding into her mouth, and after swallowing it, opened her mouth and said:

"I do not know which part of it is a lie, and also am not clear about the details of the conversation."

Lawrence nodded his head, and started to ponder. He did not expect Horo to actually tell clearly which part was a lie. So long as the currency transaction was not something fake in itself, it could be deduced therefore, that Zelen did lie about some parts pertaining to the coins.

"This currency speculation business is not really anything to be amazed at, just that......"

"Don't understand his reason for lying, right?"

Horo removed the bud on the potato, following which she put the potato into her mouth. Lawrence sighed. Perhaps it was that Horo had long had Lawrence under her control.

"When telling a lie, the importance lies not in the content, but why the lie was told."

"How many years do you think I spent just to understand that?"

"Is that so? Although you had just called that boy Zelen a youngster, you are just the pot calling the kettle black to me," Horo said as she smiled proudly. Only at these kinds of times would Lawrence not be able to help but wish Horo was not a human. To say that the young-looking Horo had long ago understood these principles that Lawrence had spent so much effort learning, was too much for him to take.

Just as Lawrence was thinking so, he heard Horo exclaim.

"If I was not here, how would you handle it?"

"Hm......I would first decide whether it is the truth or a lie, and then pretend to accept his proposal."

"And why would you do so?"

"If it's the truth, all I have to do is follow along with the developments and at the end there'll be profit; if it's a lie, it means that someone is scheming something. In this kind of situation, as long as I remain cautious and do not get cheated, I can more or less still earn a profit."

"Mm. Well then, since I am here, and I told you that it was a lie, you would?"

"Hm?"

"Lawrence realized that Horo's words seemed to harbor within them a deeper meaning, and at long last he realized.

"......Ah."

"Heh, you did not have to get worked up over this issue in the first place. No matter what, you would still pretend to accept the proposal, right?"

Lawrence looked at Horo's seemingly mischievous smiling face, yet he could not find her words retorting to anything.

"The last potato is mine."

Horo extended her hand from the bed and took the potato from the table, happily splitting it into two halves.

Yet, the incessantly upset Lawrence did not even have the mood to split open the second potato on his hand.

"I am the Wise Wolf Horo. How many times older do you think I am?"

Hearing Horo purposely say so because she was concerned over Lawrence's feelings, his mood got even worse. He grabbed the potato, and forcefully took a bite out of it.

Lawrence could not help but recall the times when he started out with his traveling merchant relatives as his teachers, that kind of mood as an apprentice.



The following day, the sky was clear, and a refreshing autumn wind was blowing about. The church woke up even earlier than the merchants, so when Lawrence had awoken, the morning classes had already ended. Lawrence was fairly familiar with the Church's schedules, and was therefore not surprised at all. Yet, when he headed to the well outside to wash his face, he was shocked when he saw Horo, whom he had thought was not in the room because she had gone to the toilet, walking out of the hall with one of the Church members. Although she was wearing her cloak and dipping her head as she walked, she frequently engaged in conversation with the believers of the Church. Although the sight of the believers, who refused to acknowledge the existence of a god of harvest, actually conversing with the god of harvest was pretty amusing, Lawrence, unfortunately, did not have the nerve to enjoy or be amused by this kind of entertainment.

Horo bid farewell to the believers, and quietly made her way beside a startled Lawrence. Following which, she clasped her two petite hands together and put them before her chest, and said softly:

"I hope my husband can have a bit more courage."

Lawrence took the well water, which was rather cold due to winter approaching, and poured it down his head without hesitation, pretending not to hear Horo's giggling.

Just like Horo had swished her tail to remove the water, Lawrence was forcefully shaking his head, yet, Horo paid no attention and said:

"I realize the Church's position has gone up quite a lot."

"The Church has always been in a high position."

"Nothing of that sort. When I was born in the north, it was not like that at all. Back then the people of the Church exaggerated about how there was only one god ,that the twelve angels created this world, and how humans are borrowing the world. Nature is not something anyone can create. I was even thinking when had these people learned to joke."

These words sounded like what a Naturalist would say to criticize the Church, but they were from the mouth of the few hundred year-old god of harvest, the Wise Wolf Horo, that made Lawrence find them even more interesting. Lawrence wiped dry the clothes on his body, and did not forget to throw a coin into the donation box. The Church people would check the box, and if there were no donations, would say unlucky things, and cause the user who did not donate to feel uneasy. To the continuously traveling Lawrence, it would be best not to hear ominous words directed at him. However, what Lawrence put into the donation box was the coin of the least value; the black, crude and severely worn out copper coin.

"I suppose this can be considered changes with the era, looks like a lot has changed."

Horo was probably referring to her homeland. From underneath the cloak she gave a somewhat lonely expression. Lawrence gently patted Horo's head and said:

"Haven't you changed as well?"

"......"

Horo silently shook her head, the action looking very childish.

"So since you haven't changed, your homeland would definitely not have changed either."

Although he was still young, Lawrence had already gone through many years of hardships himself. Along the way, Lawrence had been to various regions and countries, met different people and gained all kinds of experience. Because of this, he felt entitled to say such things to Horo.

As long as it was a traveling merchant, even if he left his home in a rage, he would definitely value his own homeland. He would only be able to be at ease with and rely on people from the same village. Therefore, when a traveling merchant returned to his hometown after not doing so for many years, the villagers would say as such.

Horo nodded her head, showed her face from under the hood and said:

"To be comforted by you, would be a disgrace to my title of 'Wise'."

Horo grinned as she finished, turned around and walked in the direction of the room. Her expression as she was turning, seemed as if she was thanking Lawrence.

If Horo's attitude was that of an extremely wise, and rather aged person, Lawrence could still find a means to cope. Yet, Horo would occasionally act like a child, which always made Lawrence at a loss for what to do. If the 25 year-old Lawrence was the average person, he would have long married and had children, and bring his wife and children together to Church. To Lawrence who had already gone through most of life, Horo's actions always invaded, unrestrained, into his single, lonely heart.

"Hey, come quickly! What are you spacing out for?"

Horo shouted at Lawrence from a short distance.

Although he had met Horo for only two days, Lawrence did not feel it was like that.



In the end, Lawrence decided to express willingness to accept Zelen's proposal.

Yet, Zelen could not just rely on Lawrence's verbal promise and hand all the information to him; and Lawrence could not afford to pay the deposit either. So either way, Lawrence would have to sell the furs off first. Hence, the two men decided in the end to meet in the river city of Pattio, and under the witness of a notary, sign the contract.

"Well then, I will be taking my leave first. When you have reached Pattio and have settled everything, please go the bar called Yorrend; you will be able to contact me there."

"Yorrend? Alright."

On Zelen's face appeared once again his cute smile as he bid farewell, slinging the burlap sack loaded with dry fruits over his shoulder, as he walked onwards.

The most important thing to an amateur traveling merchant besides doing business, was to explore the various regions and to familiarize with the local people and things there, and at the same time let them remember him. In these times, the best goods to take away for oneself were that were preserved, and possibly becoming the subject of conversation in the churches and inns, fruits or meat from a hawker or peddler. Lawrence looked at Zelen's back, and could not help but recall the times and course of life he had gone through before he had gotten his cart.

"We are not going together with him?"

When Zelen's figure was about to disappear with the increasing distance between them, Horo suddenly asked so. As for what Horo was doing in this span of time, it was that she had observed the surroundings to be devoid of people, and as such openly combed the hairs on her tail to make them tidy. Perhaps it was the fact that she had to wear the cloak and cover her ears with the hood, that Horo totally disregarded her chestnut hair, and simply used some strands of rope to tie it together, just so as not to mess it. Although Lawrence wanted to suggest to Horo to use a comb, it was a pity he did not have one. Lawrence thought: When we reach Pattio, I'd better buy a cap and comb for Horo.

"It rained the whole of yesterday, so the road has become muddy, and it would definitely be quicker by foot than horse, so there's no need for him to go slowly with the horse."

"You have a point, the thing that merchants care about the most is time."

"Time is money."

"Hehe, interesting words. Time is money huh."

"As long as we have time, we can make more money, no?"

"Mm, true in that sense. However, I do not have that kind of thinking."

Once Horo had finished, she shifted her gaze back on her tail once again. It was a beautiful tail that, after naturally hanging downwards, was long enough to pass the back of the knee. The hairs on the tail were thick, and if one were to shave those hairs and sell them, they would probably fetch a good price.

"You have been protecting the farmers for hundreds of years, who should also be very mindful about the time."

When Lawrence had finished saying so, he realized he should not have brought this topic up. Horo looked at Lawrence, and as if she were saying "you owe me one", smiled with some mischievous intent.

"Hmph. Where have your eyes been growing? Those guys are not mindful about the time, and are instead mindful about the surroundings."

"......I don't understand."

"Listen. They wake up because of the dawn air, work in the farm because of the morning air, pull up the weeds because of the afternoon air, twist the ropes because of the rainy air, worry about the crops because of the windy air, joyfully welcome the new buds because of the spring air, enjoy the growth in summer because of the summer air, rejoice over the harvest because of the autumn air and wait for spring in the winter air. They are not mindful of the time at all, and instead put all their attention on the surrounding air, just like me."

Although Lawrence did not completely understand Horo's words, he still thought that there were some parts of her speech that had some meaning within them. Seeing Lawrence nodding in respect, Horo proudly straightened herself, and breathed out forcefully through her nostrils to produce a "hmph" sound.

This self-proclaimed Wise Wolf, expressed her modest opinion in a way as if she was not hiding a secret or was saying wise words.

Just then, a passer-by, who seemed like a traveling merchant, was approaching from the other end of the road.

Although Horo had her hood on, she did not have any intention on hiding her tail.

The closely passing-by traveling merchant just kept staring at Horo's tail, and did not say anything.

He probably would not think that was Horo's tail. If it were Lawrence, he would at most guess that it was some sort of fur, and just how much it was worth.

Yet, when it came to not caring or noticing this thing, it was a completely different matter.

"Although your brain is quick to think, you have not enough experience."

Perhaps it was that she had already brushed her tail until it was tidy, that Horo took her tail, and kept it under the waistcloth, after which she turned to Lawrence and said so. The face under the hood of the cloak was that of an approximately fifteen year-old girl, who sometimes appeared even younger than that. Yet, the words that this girl spoke, were no different from an old and wise person who had seen and experienced much.

"But on the other hand, one will become wiser as one grows older."

"Are you talking about a few hundred years?"

Lawrence knew that Horo wanted to tease him again, so he took advantage and retorted. An expression of surprise appeared initially on Horo, following which she burst into peals of laughter.

"Hahahaha! Your brain really is fast to think."

"It should be just that you've been using your brain too long, until it's become old and unusable."

"Hehehehe. Do you know why wolves attack humans in the mountains?"

Horo suddenly change the subject, causing Lawrence to not be able to follow for awhile, thus he could only answer off-guard:

"I don't know."

"That is because wolves want to eat the human brains, and gain some human knowledge," Horo said, giving a sinister smile, and within her mouth appeared two shiny fangs. Even if Horo was just joking, it still made Lawrence feel horrified and caused him to gasp in shock. After a few seconds, Lawrence knew he had lost.

"You are still too soft and inexperienced, not worthy of being my opponent at all."

Horo sighed lightly, as she blurted out these words. Lawrence tightened his grip on the reins, and controlled himself from allowing a remorseful expression to appear.

"Come to think of it, have you been attacked by wolves in the mountains before?"

To be asked such a question by Horo who possessed wolf's ears, tail and fangs, Lawrence felt it was utterly unimaginable. The arrogant and frightening mountain wolf, was right by his side and talking to him.

"I have. Hm.......about eight times I suppose."

"They are very hard to deal with right?"

"Indeed, if it were a pack of wild dogs it'd still be okay, but a pack of wolves are hard to deal with."

"That is because the wolves want to eat as many humans as they can, so they can obtain......"

"I admit my mistake, please stop."

The third time Lawrence was attacked by wolves, was when he was part of a caravan of merchants.

In the end two members of the caravan could not make it to the bottom. The anguished wails from back then kept echoing in Lawrence's ears up till now.

Lawrence's face unconsciously turned expressionless.

"Ah......"

The Wise Wolf seemed as if she was aware of the current state.

"Sorry......"

An apologetic Horo slumped her shoulders, and scrunched her body as she quietly said.

Yet, Lawrence did not have any mood at all to answer Horo. That was because he had suffered too many terrifying experiences of getting attacked by wolves, and those memories kept playing in his mind one after another.

Splosh, splosh, the sound of the horse's walking through mud persisted for a long time.

"......are you angry?"

The Wise Wolf opened her mouth to speak. She definitely knew that if she asked as such, Lawrence would not be able to answer truly that he was angry. So Lawrence purposely answered:

"Yes, it is anger."

Horo lifted her head in silence and looked at Lawrence. When Lawrence slanted his gaze towards Horo, he found that she was slightly pouting, and that cute look almost made Lawrence forgive her.

"I'm really angry, don't try any more of those jokes again."

Finally, Lawrence could only turn his head over, and say so to Horo. Horo sincerely nodded her head as she looked onward. She was rather open in this aspect.

After a while, Horo finally broke the silence and said:

"Wolves only know how to live in the forest, but dogs have been raised by humans before. This is what makes the nature of attacking different between the wolf and the dog."

Although Lawrence could choose not to heed Horo's words, he was afraid that it was going to be hard to find a topic to continue talking about later on. So Lawrence slightly turned his head towards Horo, and exhibiting an attitude of listening attentively and respectfully, said:

"......Hm?"

"Wolves only know that humans can hunt, and that they are a frightening existence. So us wolves are always thinking and pondering, about what action we would take when the humans enter the forest."

Horo's eyes were staring straight onward, and it was the first time Lawrence had seen her speak so seriously. Lawrence did not think Horo came up with those words on the spot, so he retained his attitude and slowly nodded his head. Yet, there was something that made Lawrence mindful of.

"You also ate......"

Before Lawrence could finish his words, Horo tugged at his shirt.

"Even I, have things I cannot answer."

"Oh......"

Lawrence was scolding himself in his mind for speaking without thinking twice, and at the same time saying "sorry".

At this point, a smile appeared on Horo's face as she said:

"Like this we are even."

A twenty-five year old was, as expected, definitely no match for the Wise Wolf.

After that, the two of them did not open their mouths to speak again, yet they did not feel awkward. The horse steadily advanced onward to its destination, and in the blink of an eye, it was already evening.

In the day after the rain, traveling merchants would never continue with the journey once the sky started to get dark. That was because they knew that even if it resulted in less goods on the cart, once the wheel of the cart sank into the mud, there was a high chance it could not be lifted out. For a traveling merchant to steadily earn money, there was only one way, and that was to cut down losses as much as possible. To the traveling merchants, it was said that danger lurked around every side of the road after it rained.

"The worlds you and I live in are very different."

Below the sky, which she foretold to be clear the next day, Horo, who was nestled in the pile of furs, suddenly said those words. 

Chapter 3

With a slowly meandering flow, the Traude River moves along the plains. The river was said to have been formed millions of years ago, when a giant snake from west of the mountains had made its way east to the sea, along the plains. The Traude River traces the trail of the giant snake, and water flows slowly within the large river. For neighboring towns and villages, it is an essential canal for transportation that knows no equal.

Pattio, one of the larger towns in the area, was located towards the center reaches of the Traude River. Not far from Pattio, the more northerly regions were abound with wheat, whereas farther upstream to the east, were forested, rolling hills. Freshly cut logs could be seen floating downstream along the Traude River throughout the year. The boats that transported the timber would also transport various crops depending on the season, such as wheat or corn. Pattio is a busy place, and since there are no bridges along the Traude River, people would tend to gather within the town.

Lawrence and Horo arrived in Pattio during the busiest time of the day: when afternoon had passed, but not yet till it was dusk. Pattio had become a prosperous commercial town after recovering from the ruling hands of a king. Now, nobles and merchants governed the town. When entering Pattio, there were a great many tariffs levied, but there was no inspection of goods, or the checking of passports. The city now compared to when it was governed by the royals was much more relaxed in inspections. This made hiding Horo easier, now that nobles and merchants governed the city.

"They have no king?" was the first thing Horo said after arriving in Pattio.

"Is this your first time coming to a town with so many people?"

"Time really changes things. I knew that if a city was ruled by a King, it would be large, but to be ruled by nobles and merchants..." Compared to the scale of this town, Lawrence had already been to numerous major cities that were several times larger. Even though Lawrence felt a sense of superiority from knowing this, he knew that if he let show such an expression, Horo would be quick to dole out criticism. Moreover, Lawrence had not known anything either before he started traveling.

"Heh. It’s okay, restraining yourself is very good."

It seemed that Lawrence was too late to hide his expression. Despite Horo paying attention to vendors who had set up their wares on both sides of the road, she was still able to spot Lawrence's expression. Did she just happen to guess? Even his thoughts were exposed. Not only has her skill made Lawrence live in fear, but it also left him with nothing to retort with.

"Is this a ceremony?"

Either Horo did not know Lawrence's feelings completely, or she was deliberately ignoring them. Her face still bore an expression of curiosity, and she continued to look around.

"If the church held a ceremony, the crowd that forms would block up the road. But today's crowd is small."

"Oh, unbelievable," Horo said with a smile, as she leaned out of the carriage to look at the goods the vendors displayed along the road. Lawrence suddenly thought of another issue while watching Horo as they entered into the large town.

"Huh?"

Although Horo responded, her eyes remained focused on the vendors.

"You're not going to cover up your head?"

"Ah? Head?" Horo finally came back to answer.

"It may be that Pasroe’s people are now happily drinking and singing in a celebratory mood. However, this does not mean that all places are participating in the ceremony. Many townsfolk will still be carrying on as usual, and they may notice you."

Horo suddenly formed an unhappy expression, and sank back into the cart. She faced Lawrence, with her hood now pulled up high, her ears almost exposed.

"Even if my ears were exposed, no one would remember. These people forgot me a long time ago."

In such a tense atmosphere, Lawrence was amazed he didn't shout at Horo. He unconsciously put up both hands, palm open, to Horo as if appeasing an extremely emotional horse. Although Horo was not a horse, it still produced some results. Horo gave a snort of contempt and pulled down the hood.

"You've lived in Pasroe for a few centuries, at least there has to be some kind of legend about you? Or have you never appeared as a human?"

"Legend...Ah, I occasionally would appear as a human."

"While you were a human, did they make any legends about you?" Lawrence asked Horo. She impatiently looked at Lawrence, and, making eye contact, responded.

"This is what I remember telling them...'Horo has the beautiful appearance of a girl, who is always about 15 years old. She has sleek beautiful long brown hair, and wolf ears and a tail with an end of white. Sometimes Horo appeared in the village in this form, and as long as the villagers promised not to cast Horo from the village, she would ensure that the village would harvest a good crop of wheat'..." Horo idly looked at Lawrence, her eyes seeming to say 'Is that okay?'

"Listen to what you just said. You explained your characteristics in such detail so what do you mean 'no problem'?"

"Even if they see my ears and tail, they would suspect them to be fakes. Such things don't exist," Horo twitched her ears under the cloak, probably because the hood was pressing onto them. Lawrence shot a quick glance towards Horo's ears when they twitched. Although Lawrence still wanted to be more cautious, Horo would get angry if he said as much with the current atmosphere. Therefore, he shut his mouth. It seems that he should evade the topic of Pasroe when talking with Horo.

Moreover, the legend about Horo seemed to have made no mention of her actual appearance. Nobody would be able to figure out who Horo was as long as they did not see her ears and tail. Lawrence tried to persuade himself: A legend is only legend after all. It's not as if there is a poster from the Church. Lawrence decided not to talk more about the subject. However, after a while, Horo appeared to be pondering, when she suddenly spoke.

"I've got it!"

"Huh?"

"Even if those people saw me...they are not looking for me anyway."

It should have been the other way around, as her appearance was very much something that seemed as though it wanted to be found. Of course, Lawrence was not stupid. He tried to keep his face expressionless, and then focusing his sight on the horse’s buttocks, replied.

"I certainly hope that they aren't alerted to your presence."

However, Horo quietly laughed to herself and replied to Lawrence's comment.

"Heh, there is nothing to worry about," said Horo as she returned to the front of the carriage, and watched the vendors on both sides of the road. Lawrence was certain Horo had said that not only to him, but also to herself. However, Lawrence didn't confirm this matter with Horo. After all, she seemed so stubborn. Horo’s mood restored calm completely. Once seeing tasty fruit or food, she became quite energetic. Lawrence was forced to smile. "There are a lot of fruits, are these fruits picked nearby?"

"This town is the gateway to the south, and in the right season, you can also see fruit from the Southern countries rarely seen anywhere else."

"The South has a great variety of fruits."

"What are the fruits far in the North like?"

"They are all hard and saline fruits. It takes a long time to dry fruit, but once dried it will remain sweet. We wolves don't dry the fruit, so if we wanted it, we took it from the nearby villages."

When one mentions a wolf taking things, the images that come to mind are normally birds, horses and sheep. It's hard to imagine wolves coming to a village just for sweet food. Normally, it would be a bear, because bears would frequently take leather bags filled with grapes hanging on the eaves. Wolves gave off the impression of loving to eat spicy food, so when it came to enjoying sweets, people would tend to associate that with bears.

"Wolves do not like eating spicy foods. Once we found some cargo in a victim's cart, and ate a bunch of this red fruit like dogs. Finally, it became too hard to bear. It turned out to be red pepper, of good quality! That time all of us put our heads into the river for a very long time, and for a while after that, many still complained about the horror of humans," Horo laughed gently, continuing to indulge in memories for a while, when she suddenly just looked at the vendor, and shut her mouth. Soon after, Horo’s smile reappeared on her face. She finally let out a gentle sigh. Memories brought pleasant and lonely feelings with them. Lawrence was thinking about what he should say to cheer her up. However, Horo’s mood had already recovered.

"It's still a red food, but I would prefer to eat that," Horo said while she pulled on Lawrence’s jacket, pointing to a particular vendor across the road, which had a great many people and carts around, and with a large supply of apples.

"Oh, pretty good looking apples."

"Yes!" Horo had a bright expression in her eyes underneath the hood. Lawrence wasn't sure whether Horo was aware that her tail, hidden inside the outfit, was making noises like a dog. Perhaps Horo really liked eating apples.

"They look very tasty, right?"

"Yes." It seemed that Horo was beating around the bush to ask to eat some apples, but Lawrence pretended that he didn't realize this, and went off on a story.

"Speaking of apples, I have a friend who expended more than half of his property to invest in apples. I'm not certain as to where he bought the apples, but if he purchased apples as big as these, his property may have doubled by now," Lawrence sighed and half mumbled, "I should have followed his lead and made a similar investment..." Because of this dialogue, Horo's face changed to reveal an expression that seemed to say, "That's not the point I was trying to get across". It seems Horo was unable to speak her mind clearly, as this would have been an optimal chance to tease him. "...yeah, it's so very unfortunate for me..."

"However, there are a lot of risks involved, so if I were you, I would choose to transport by ship."

"...Ship?" Throughout the course of the conversation, the carriage continued to move forward to the sound of the horse's hooves clopping along the road. Horo seemed to be getting very anxious. It was extremely easy to see just how much she wanted to eat the apples. However, she continued to refrain from opening her mouth to make the request. So instead, she had given Lawrence an absent-minded response.

"Contracting a ship is usually a joint venture between many merchants. The amount of money invested directly influences the quantity and type of materials that are loaded as cargo. Transporting by ship is different than by land, as transporting by ship is more dangerous when there is a very strong wind. If a vessel were to be shipwrecked, not only would most, if not all, the cargo be lost, but lives may also be lost. However, it's true this way can make more money, I have used this method twice."

"Yum...ahhh." The carriage had just passed the vendor selling the apples. They continued on, leaving the apple vendor farther and farther behind. There was nothing that could be compared with a happy moment that came from the heart. Lawrence deliberately brought out his business smile.

"Back to the topic of shipping."

"Hum...apple..."

"Huh?"

"I...want to eat...apples."

Lawrence thought Horo would be stubborn until the end, but she finally said it, and so he returned to the stand to buy an apple.

"Can you pay for it?" Horo was munching on an apple, staring up at Lawrence. He tried not to give in, but he couldn't help but shrug as she looked up at him with her face so pleading. Because Horo was cute when she finally mentioned wanting an apple, Lawrence generously gave her some high value silver coins. Horo bought so many apples that she was unable to carry them all. Lawrence didn't think there was a word of gratitude in Horo’s mind. As after she had eaten her fourth apple, and her mouth and hands were all sticky, she returned to teasing Lawrence.

"You...deliberately pretended...to know nothing."

"It's pleasant to know what someone else is thinking." Lawrence faced Horo as she continued to chew on the apple, even the apple's core. When he stretched out his hand to pick out an apple from the back of the cart, the back of his hand was smacked by Horo holding the fifth apple in her mouth.

"It is mine."

"Well I paid for it." Horo's cheek looked plump, as she was chewing on an apple. She waited until she had swallowed to reply.

"I am the virtuous Wolf--Horo, so I can easily make this much money at one time."

"Then please do so, I had intended to use those silver coins to pay for tonight’s dinner and lodging."

"Mmmmphf...ah...but...mmmmphf...me..."

"Tell me after you've finished eating the apple."

Horo nodded. When she spoke again, her stomach was holding the remains of eight apples. Did she still intend to eat dinner?

"You seem to really like eating those."

"Apples are the fruit of the devil, full of temptation for their sweet taste."

Upon hearing Horo’s exaggerated description, Lawrence gave an unconscious grin.

"If you are the virtuous Wolf, you should overcome the temptation."

"While we will do a lot for greed, there is no reason for abstinence." Horo happily began to lap up the apple juice on her hand, which made her words even more convincing. If it means losing such a rare happiness, abstinence is an extremely foolish thing. Of course, this was just an argument.

"What do you want to say?"
"Ah? Oh, right. We have no money in hand and no capability to gain money immediately. Therefore, when you do business, I intend to say something to earn more money, agreed?"

When someone asks, "Agreed?", as long as they are businessmen, they would not answer it casually. As for merchants, it’s common sense that they would refrain from answering until they were certain of the other party's words, intentions and influence. Verbal restraint, it's also known as the formal contract. No matter how much you would lose, you would have to comply after the contract was finalized. Therefore, Lawrence didn't answer Horo immediately. He didn't understand the meaning Horo was trying to express. "Soon, we will sell all the marten furs lying behind us, right?" Perhaps Horo was aware of the doubts Lawrence was harboring, as he looked at the goods in the back.

"At the soonest, I want to try and sell them today. At the latest, tomorrow."

"Then I will say something depending on how the situation goes. I will recover the money for the apples as profit." Horo continued to lick her little finger, as if nothing had happened. Lawrence delved into thought. As for what Horo said, it would seem she would be able to sell the marten furs at a higher price than himself. Lawrence had been an independently traveling merchant for seven years, so even with a virtuous Wolf, he didn't think it was possible to increase the price just because Horo said it would, and furthermore, it was not like the buyer could easily accept a higher price. Lawrence truly thought that Horo would be unable to raise the price, but it made Lawrence interested in how Horo would go about trying. So, Lawrence simply told Horo, "Go ahead."

Horo's response was mixed with the sound of a burp.

"Then the contract will now formally go into effect."

"But let's not limit what we talked about to the marten furs. After all, they are merchants, so maybe we won't have a chance to talk up the price."

"It won't be easy."

"Knowledge is what makes a person right."

If Horo had not accumulated so many apples, this statement wouldn't have sounded so wise later on.



Lawrence wanted to take the marten furs to a firm called the Milone Company. The Milone Company was an intermediary for all kinds of goods as well as small businesses. Usually, merchants set up headquarters with the Medioh Company. Nevertheless, the Milone Company had set up a branch in this remote southern commercial country, which was owned and operated by the Duke, of which Medioh was a partner. Lawrence had discovered that the Milone Company did not operate by local business. Therefore, the Milone Company would provide a higher price for certain commodities. The Milone Company had branches in various regions, so it was possible to accumulate some information as well. This was Lawrence's second reason for choosing Milone Company. He was hoping to get information on a certain subject. After all, merchants spanning across different borders would be quite knowledgeable in exchanging currencies. Lawrence and Horo first went to an inn, and booked a room. Lawrence then set out with a neatly trimmed beard.

The Milone Company was close to the docks, ranked fifth locally, as it was the second largest shop. The Milone Company had spacious entrances, which easily accommodated large carriages, and led to the docks. A wide range of commodities could be seen piled around the spacious entrance, as well as a large quantity of goods inside the shop. It was almost as if they were trying to show off their prosperity to would-be clients. Perhaps this was a form of unique wisdom in order to compete with the local businesses. Compared to their flaunted manner, the local merchants had no need to display their goods in such a manner. They naturally didn't need to show off whether they had money or not. Lawrence stopped the carriage at the drop-off point in front of Milone Company. At that point, a staff member came out to greet them.

"Welcome to Milone Company!"

The manager who was in charge of unloading had a shaved beard, neat hair, and clean clothing. The style of the Milone Company really was something special.

"I have sold wheat in your firm before. Today I am here to sell marten furs, will you take a look?"

"Yes, yes, that would be fine. Please go ahead and ask the staff member on your left hand side."

Lawrence nodded, gripped the reins, and, following the manager's instructions, drove the cart into the section for unloading. Around the area were stores of various goods-- wheat, straw, stones, timber, fruits, and so on. Staff members here seemed to have a passion for quick, efficient work. That was why the Milone Company could succeed even in foreign countries. The traveling merchant could understand this point. Horo seemed to be surprised.

"Hey, boss, where are you headed?"

Lawrence and Horo were watching the loading and unloading, as they entered further into the shop. However, the voice had made them stop. In the direction of the voice's origin, was a muscular man. He was so well toned, even Horo could not help but say in an undertone, "He is one of the soldiers?"

"We came here to sell furs, The manager asked me to speak with a man on the left," Lawrence said as he redirected the horse so that it was headed towards the man.

"Well, great horse. This guy seems very strong."

"He's hardworking, and never grumbles."

"If a horse could grumble, it should be displayed for the people of the world to see."

"Indeed," the two men laughed in unison. The man then led the horse inside to the unloading section, hitching him to the wooden fence, and then shouted out to another person. From his appearance, the man approaching appeared to be a buyer.

"Ah, Mr. Craft Lawrence. On behalf of the firm's president, I wish to show you my appreciation for your visit here."

Lawrence was accustomed to such courteous greetings. However, he was amazed that someone knew his name before he had given it. The last time he had come to this company was to sell wheat three winters ago. Perhaps the man talking with Lawrence in the doorway still remembered him.

"I heard that today you came here to sell furs to the firm," he was different from other purchasers in that he didn't begin the conversation talking about the weather, and instead had jumped directly into the topic of discussion.

"Yes. I have a total of seventy furs with me," Lawrence jumped down from the riding seat lightly. He invited the supervisor to examine the goods. Horo had also come down from the cart, following Lawrence.

"Ho, these are pretty good martens. Although this year we have had a large harvest for crops, furs are another story."

"Such great martens won't be seen again for the next several years at least. Even though they have been drenched with rain, they haven't lost their luster," Lawrence replied with his business smile.

"Quite amazing, they are indeed lustrous, the hairs are quite clean. What are their sizes?" Lawrence took out a large marten for inspection. "Amazing...This is great. There are 70 pieces in all here?" The man had just checked one of the goods. Lawrence knew that if he had asked to check them all, it would have taken a very long time for them to come to terms.

"Then, Mr. Florenz, ah! I'm sorry, Mr. Lawrence, you have already dealt with our firm. What is your quoted price?"

As Lawrence would also occasionally make the same mistake of pronouncing a name wrong, he forgave the man with a smile. He then took out an abacus from within his jacket.

"I suggest the amount of worth is 132 Trenni coins," Lawrence's face shifted to reveal a more puzzled expression, "these martens are very commendable and rare. Thanks to your firm in regards to the wheat, I was able to make a profit. So I decided to bring these great martens to you to sell."

"At that time it was you who did us a favor."

"I hope that we will have a great relationship for a very long time," Lawrence stopped, coughed gently, and continued saying, "what do you think of that?"

"We are on similar terms as you. Considering our future's close relationship, how does 140 silver coins sound?" Lawrence thought that 140 Trenni coins was a very good price. If he asked for a higher price, it wouldn't be so good for their long-term relationship. As Lawrence was about to say "it's a deal", Horo pulled gently on his jacket.

"Excuse me," Lawrence pardoned himself to the buyer, then leaned in close to Horo.

"I don’t know the market for this, so how is the price?"

"Very good," Lawrence answered briefly. Horo looked back at the buyer with a smile.

"Then do you want to accept it?" The buyer also showed a smile. He seemed to know that Lawrence had come to a conclusion. When Lawrence was ready to respond, Horo suddenly opened her mouth and spoke. Lawrence also hadn't anticipated Horo would interrupt at this time.

"Please wait."

"What!" Lawrence could not help but respond thus to Horo's impromptu interruption. She had on a very merchant-like expression.

"You are suggesting 140 Trenni coins, am I right?"

"Ah, yes. 140 Trenni coins."

The buyer looked a bit confused when Horo asked such a question suddenly. However, he still managed to answer her question politely. It was rare that a girl would appear in the negotiations.

"You didn't notice?"

The buyer stared at Horo with a surprised expression on his face. He didn't know what Horo meant, not even Lawrence knew what she was getting at.

"I apologize, but is there something I missed?" the buyer thought Horo must be a veteran merchant, so that was his response.

"Ah, you must be a good businessman. If so, then I have to be serious with you," Horo exposed a gentle smile. But, Lawrence worried about her canine teeth being exposed to others, and he still didn't know what she was getting at. So far, the buyer had seen nothing wrong. If Horo were telling the truth, Lawrence would have left something out somewhere. It was impossible for him to have missed something.

"What a shame, if I really didn't notice whatever it is. If you can point it out, after confirming it, I will raise my buying price."

It was the first time Lawrence had seen such a buyer. While Lawrence was thinking about it, Horo suddenly moved into his line of sight and spoke to him.

"Master, it's not good to make fun of others."

Lawrence couldn't judge why Horo was making fun of him by calling him master. Deciding though to go along with Horo, he replied in turn.

"That was not my intention, so perhaps you should be the one to inform him."

Horo smiled and revealed her canines to Lawrence who had answered her correctly.

"Master, please give me a marten."

"Okay."

It seemed Lawrence had to pretend to be a stately master in order to cooperate with Horo, even though Horo held the leadership, not him. Since he was being called master, he would have the "authority" throughout the performance, although he thought that they would look pretty ridiculous.

"Thank you. Alright, sir," Horo retrieved the marten from the buyer and proceeded to examine it, "This marten is top grade as you can see."

"Yes, I agree with that."

"It is a rarity that only comes around once every several year," said Horo with a light laugh. Neither the buyer nor Lawrence understood where this was going, "you had better smell it rather than just look at it." Horo then returned the marten to the buyer. He took it, and looked at Lawrence in slight confusion. He could not refuse the request of a customer, so he was obligated to smell it. After sniffing it, the buyer's face showed a look of confusion and surprise. After smelling it again, his expression showed only surprise.

"You smell something, yes?"

"Yes. This is the aroma of fruit?" Lawrence looked at the marten in surprise. An aroma of fruit?

"Correct. Many fruits grow in the forest. As mink eat a great deal of fruit, these furs still have the lingering aroma of fruit that was eaten by these mink before they died."

After the buyer heard this, he smelled the marten again. He nodded, giving his reply.

"Yes, indeed."

"In fact, when a marten fur is of great quality, the smell continues."

"You are right."

Lawrence could not help but admire Horo even more.

"It is as you understand it, the minks from whence these pelts came were very muscled, which is why you can still smell the aroma. It took two strong men to pull off each skin. Lawrence, try pulling on the marten." Usually you would never pull on the marten before the buyer purchases, in case they should tear. Horo should know this. She seemed like a real merchant. Horo was a model for all businessmen.

"This marten is soft yet durable, and sends out an enticing aroma. Please imagine this. If a coat were to be made with these martens, it would have this enticing aroma. It would certainly sell at a high price.

"Well, how much money will you want to pay for it?"

The buyer seemed to be awakened from a dream by Horo's most recent words. He retrieved an abacus and worked out some figures.

"200 Trenni coins, how does that sound?" After hearing this, Lawrence breathed in deeply. 140 coins were a high price, 200 coins was hard to imagine.

"Hmmm..." Horo issued a low sound. To Lawrence, this was far enough, and he intended to stop Horo's further dealings. However, Horo was simply impossible to stop.

"How about 210 coins?"

"Uh..."

"Master, there are other firms..."

"A-ah, no problem! 210 coins." Horo nodded with satisfaction, and turned back to face Lawrence.

"Master, that is all."

Indeed, the reason Horo called him that was just to make fun of him.



The name of the bar located along the main street was called Yorrend. It was open and had a clean atmosphere, so he was okay with entering. When Lawrence had sat down, the fatigue of the day washed over him. But, Horo was somehow still filled with energy. Of course, the reason was probably due to her interaction with the buyer.

"Yummm~ wine is really good," she was in a very good mood.

"What's wrong? Aren't you drinking?" Horo asked while eating some form of fried dish. As she wasn't talking about the deal, Lawrence decided to ask directly.

"Have you ever been a merchant before?"

Horo was now eating crisp beans and asking for more wine. She replied with a wry smile.

"What’s the matter? Did I injure your self-esteem?"

She was exactly right.

"I have experienced similar negotiations in a far away village. An extremely clever man used that method. It only recently even crossed my mind."

Lawrence didn't reply, but his eyes seemed to be saying "really?".

"To tell the truth, I didn't smell anything. Even though last night I slept covered by the furs."

"The answer lies with the apples." Lawrence was surprised and left momentarily speechless.

"It is not cruel to the buyer. Now that he knows there is such a method, he can admire it. They aren't just people who will get angry when they are cheated. The true merchants should admire this method."

"You sound just like an old merchant veteran."

"Ha. If I am an old merchant, then you are just a little baby."

Lawrence shrugged and continued drinking his wine.

"Do you remember the matter I asked you to look into?" Horo steered the conversation towards Zelen.

"I've asked people in the firm about whether any countries were issuing new coins. But they don't seem to know anything."

"Okay."

"However, these dealings don't happen often, which is why I accepted the request." Currency changes usually followed one of three patterns: either they increased, decreased, or remained the same. With the situation becoming more complex, thinking the problems over would usually produce the best results.

"In short though, no matter what the fraud, it's okay as long as you gain some form of benefit," Lawrence drank his wine and ate a few of the beans on his plate.

"Why not see the boss here? Can we do that?"

"Zelen said we could contact him through the bar. It seems he has some kind of friendship here."

"Though we need to be careful, as traveling merchants will usually make the bar their base as well." Lawrence looked around the bar at the 15 tables and 2 old men. He ordered another glass of wine, fish and grilled meat, and asked the waitress a question to try to figure out who Zelen's contact was.

"Are you the boss?"

As the waitress put the wine and meal on the table, she responded with a smile:

"Our boss has gone out to purchase materials. What's the matter?"

"Could you send a message to your boss that I would like to contact Zelen?" Lawrence believed it would be okay to say this much even if she didn't know Zelen.

"Mr. Zelen?"

"I want to send a message to Zelen."

"Zelen returned just last night, so he should start appearing frequently in the bar."

"Alright."

"Zelen often arrives here after dusk. I'd suggest you simply wait for him to show up." Apparently, this waitress had a business attitude. As dusk was approaching quickly, it was reasonable to wait for him to show up.

"Please."

"Sounds good," the waitress nodded, and walked off towards the table with the two elderly gentlemen. Lawrence continued to drink his wine. After a while, Horo commented on the waitress.

"That girl is lying," Horo said it after the waitress had entered the kitchen.

"What did she lie about?"

"It seems Zelen doesn't show up here regularly."

"Ah..." Lawrence nodded, and continued to stare at his wine.

"Still, Zelen should appear here like the waitress said." If she were lying, it would mean she was keeping in touch with Zelen. If not, things would become troublesome for her and Zelen.

"I think so too."

Dusk had finally arrived. Many customers were coming into the bar. Among one particularly large throng of people, Zelen appeared.



"Let's celebrate, it's been a while, yes?"

After Zelen's greeting, they all said cheers, clinking their glasses together.

"How about those martens?"

"We were able to sell them for a good price."

"That's pretty awesome, could you tell me how you did it?" Lawrence chose not to answer immediately, instead he drank some more of his wine before finally replying.

"It's a secret."

Horo kept eating beans to cover up her smiling face.

"In any case, it's great that you were able to get such a good price. As long as there are profits, which lead to more profits."

"Although I did make a profit, it does not mean that I will increase my investment in this dealing."

"It's okay, I'm still hoping you will decide to invest in this."

"Then, let’s get down to business."

"Ah, yes," Zelen was sitting, looking at Lawrence, who gave Horo a quick glance.

"Your proposal deals with information about the silver content in the coins increasing. For that, you are hoping to use this information to secure a profit, correct?"

"Yes."

"The silver content will really increase?" At Lawrence's direct approach, Zelen seemed to shrink back slightly into his seat.

"Well, in fact this information was forecast based on some gossip from a small mining town. But business is full of gambles, there will be times that the information is wrong."

"Yeah." Lawrence nodded with satisfaction, saying, "If you had said it was one-hundred percent accurate, I would have rejected your proposal. How much money were you thinking of asking for?"

"I was intending to collect 10 coins as the information fee."

"You have a dream that can sow large profits, yet you’re asking for such a small amount."

"Well, there is a high risk."

"You mean of a loss?"

"Yes. If you have a loss, I am afraid there will be no way to compensate you. That is why if you should have a gain, I will only request a small fee of 10% from what you would make, if it succeeds. But if I have a loss, then I would just refund your 10 coins back to you."

Lawrence began working through the proposal. There are two outcomes: The first one was that if Lawrence suffered a loss, he would simply receive his information fee back. The other was a simple transaction; in other words, if Lawrence were to have a profit, then Zelen would only take 10%. However, according to Horo, Lawrence knew that’s simply increasing the silver content in the coins would not increase the value of the coin. It would only be possible to benefit if the value of the coin slumped. But how would Zelen benefit from Lawrence's loss? Lawrence began to doubt Horo's judgment of Zelen. He needed more time to figure out just what all of this meant. If only he knew which currency Zelen was talking about, which would increase in silver content. However, even if Lawrence lost, he could still retrieve his information fee back. Lawrence's interest in this proposal of Zelen's was much greater compared to what it was earlier.

"I accept."

"Ah, Thank you!"

"However, let me confirm this once more. You propose that 10 coins will be the information fee, and 10% of my earnings as your take. In addition, if I lose, you will return the fee to me, and I cannot request compensation for losses from you."

"Yes."

"Moreover, to confirm the contents, is there a contract?"

"Yes. Right. On the settlement, would it be okay if it were three days before spring kirmess? As I estimated that this year the silver content would be increased." Spring kirmess would begin in half a year to date. It would take that long to steady the market that would be unstable due to the fluctuating value of coins based on the changing of its' silver content. If the silver content increased, people would have more confidence in the coin, and more willing to hold it and make transactions with it. So the coin’s price would enhance quickly. If anyone were anxious to sell the coin, then they would lose a lot.

"It's okay. Spring kirmess that is."

"Okay, then tomorrow we will make this official," nodding, Lawrence knew there was no way to refuse him now. Therefore, he simply held up his goblet.

"Cheers!"

The clanging of glasses sounded.



The rule of notary stated that the time contract must be observed by a third person. This meant that if one side breaches the contract, they could be arrested. Lawrence signed the contract by the rule of notary, and paid 10 coins to Zelen as the fee. After signing, Lawrence and Horo bade their farewells, and proceeded out into the market. To avoid trouble in the crowded city, the cart was stored in the area reserved for such vehicles at the inn.

"This is the coin Zelen mentioned?" Horo was holding a Trenni coin, currently the most widely trusted coin. Its value was sturdy, and so was the government backing it. If a country did not have its own domestic currency, they will fall or become dependent on another country's currency.

"This coin has a high credit degree in this location."

"High credit degree?" Horo lifted her head to look at Lawrence.

"There are many different types of currency in the world. The silver content is different in every currency, so each currency's coin has a certain credit degree."

"Really? I just know a few kinds. It used to be that leather was used as a currency."

"I see. Well now, you should be familiar with this type of currency. Have you realized anything new?"

"There are a few things that I have just realized."

"For example?"

Horo glanced at a nearby vendor, preparing to reply, when she suddenly stopped. A man walking close behind knocked into her. When the man started to curse, Horo looked up at the man to apologize. His face reddened and he simply said "be more careful", and he continued on.

"What’s wrong?"

"I want to eat that," Horo replied, pointing at a bread vendor.

"Bread?"

"Ah. Yes! The bread has honey on it."

"You have money, so you can pay for it yourself."

"Bread and apples should have the same price. I can't carry that much bread myself. Do you want to help carry it for me? Or should I ask for change?"

Lawrence understood what she meant. Horo only had Trenni silver coins on her. A Trenni coin was so valuable, that one coin could buy a large quantity of bread. Even with the apples, she had received more than she could hold by herself.

"I see, I see. Let me give you some change...stretch out your hand. This black coin should buy a piece." Lawrence took the Trenni coin from Horo's hand. He then gave her a black and a brown coin, pointing at each to explain. Horo looked at the two coins in her hand, and then gave a quick retort.

"You cannot cheat me," said Horo, who then walked off to buy a loaf of bread. Lawrence was laughing when he saw how Horo looked while she was walking and eating bread.

"Be careful not to run into someone again."

"Do I look like a kid?"

"Watching you eat bread, anybody would think you were a kid."

"....."

Horo was silent for a bit. He thought that perhaps she was angry. But, it was impossible for wolves to get angry.

"I am lovely?" Horo asked, staring at Lawrence

"Please don't joke."

"I am being serious..."

Lawrence glanced at Horo, but didn't see what he expected.

"So, what do you think?"

"Ah, alright!"

Horo turned back to the topic before the mood soured:

"Let's return to the topic about the Trenni coin. Maybe Zelen really is telling the truth."

"Oh?"

"In theory, it is reasonable to raise the silver content of the Trenni coin...let me see...this coin named Firring. The coin is issued by a country three rivers to the south. The coin has a high content of silver. It's popular in the market. It should be the opponent of the Trenni coin."

"No matter which era, The currency always represents the strength of the country," Horo took another bite of bread.

"That's right! War between nations is not only measured by arms. When foreign currency invades the domestic market, it is the same as the country having been defeated. Once the foreign king declares to be reducing the currency, the domestic market will stagnate. Currency is necessary for trade. It means the entire country’s economy is controlled."

"In other words, raising the amount of silver is to defeat an opposing country?" Horo again took another bite of bread, followed by the licking of her finger. Lawrence thought about it as he mentioned it, Horo would know what it was he wanted to say.

"Hey, after all, My ears are not omnipotent," Horo was aware of that, "it's possible that Zelen didn't lie."

"Mmmm, I agree," Lawrence felt a bit relieved. Horo had kept silent about him doubting her. Compared to earlier, if she had been doubted, she would complain about Lawrence not believing her ears.

"What? Is it strange I should agree?"

"Yes."

"If you keep thinking that, I may really get angry," Horo portrayed a mysterious smile, "all in all, Zelen may have told the truth."

"Then, what's our next step?"

"We already know which coin, so we should investigate it."

"To the mint?" Horo said with a poker face. Lawrence could not help but laugh loudly.

"If I go to the mint directly, I may be run through by a spear. We should go to the cambist's."

"Hmmm. That's certainly something I don't know much about," Lawrence was starting to understand Horo's personality more and more.

"We are to visit the cambist to find out the latest situation."

"What do you want to know?"

"If a currency's silver content fluctuates, there will be signs."

"It's like the calm before the storm?"

Lawrence responded with a smile.

"Eh, almost. When the content of the silver decreases, it will do so slowly; when the silver increases, it will gradually increase."

"Ehh..." It seemed Horo didn't understand everything. So, Lawrence began to explain.

"What we refer to as currency, is based on the credit degree. Changing the currency value is a sensitive matter. Everything comes back to the credit degree. Moreover, it's very hard to identify the level of silver content changing, even the cambists don't understand it all. Because currency is measured on credit, when an old currency is popular, its value will exceed its true worth. There are many reasons as to why currency fluctuates. The most common reason lies in the changing value of gold and silver." Horo pondered after hearing Lawrence’s explanation. Lawrence was certain it would be impossible to understand it this quickly, so he waited for Horo to ask questions, preparing to answer.

"The human world is complex," Horo responded, smiling. It was shocking, just how high her understanding was. After a while, they arrived at a man-made river construction site.

"Hoho, it is quite busy," Horo said after arriving at the largest bridge in Pattio. A great deal of cambists were located along the bridge.

"There are so many cambists, it is hard to make a choice."

"That's why a traveling merchant needs a contact. Follow me," Lawrence continued forward into the crowd, with Horo tailing.

"Oh, I see it."

"Weiss, long time no see." Lawrence greeted a cambist with blond hair. When he saw Lawrence, he replied with a smile.

"Lawrence, long time no see. When did you arrive here?"

"Yesterday."

"How are you doing?"

"I’m okay. How about you?"

"I'm getting hemorrhoids. It's a pain. Do you have any reason to be here today? To come here, you must want to exchange money."

"To tell the truth, I have something of which I need your help on."

"Who's the girl?"

"I picked her in the road from Pasroe to here."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"My name is Horo."

"If you have no place to go, you could work here. You could also get property. So do you want to marry me?" Weiss praised her with a smile.

"Weiss, I came here to get your help," Lawrence interjected. Weiss put on a sad appearance, replying:

"What? Is she yours?"
Again, Lawrence changed the subject.

"Okay. Just hold on. First let’s deal with my matter."

"I see. What’s the matter?"

"Do you have any recently issued Trenni coins? It would be great if you had three coins that were issued recently."

"Have you received any information on the coin changing?" Weiss was familiar with this business. He knew exactly what Lawrence meant.

"Maybe yes. Let me tell you to be cautious. It's hard to get ahead of other people."

"So did or didn't it change?"

"Yes, we did. Last month we received the latest issued currency. The former one...here...this is it."

"I was checking the currencies all day to try and find a difference." Lawrence held the currency, trying to feel the differences.

"It's no use. If you could tell that way, I would have found out already."

"Then how should I check?"

"I could melt the coin for you."

"Haha, good one."

No matter which country, melting down its currency was illegal.

"What is the matter?" Horo suddenly broke in, "may I see it?"

"Of course, of course," came Weiss' reply.

"Did you discover something?" Lawrence asked.

"Just let me look at it," Horo gave a simple response, bringing the coins up to her face.

"You're playing," Weiss said, "it's said that merchants of a great many years could guess the difference in the coin through listening."

What he didn't know however, was that Horo had a pair of wolf ears.

"Eh..."

She shook the two coins in her hand. Then she put away the coins, and held another two coins to shake again. At last, she had shaken the coins three times, in different combinations.

"I do not know."

"Forget it, Forget it."

"I guess I'll go now. Let's drink together sometime."

"Oh. Deal."

After they had left, Horo replied with a smile.

"He is funny."

"Yes...but, did the silver content increase or decrease?"

"If you are asking me that, you have become quite clever."

"Only one person knows about your ears. That's me. So, you did twitch your ear, right?"

Horo gave a gentle smile, and said:

"You cannot be underestimated."

"But I was a bit surprised when you didn't mention it right away. When you are lying, it's amazing."

"I do not know if that man trusts me, but others around might. Its better that no one else knows of this, right? Besides, it is my obligation."

"Obligation?"

"You were jealous just now? This will repay my obligation for your jealousy," Lawrence knew this was a prank by Horo, but he still couldn't control how his face shifted to a look of discontent.

"Do not worry. All males are jealous idiots."

"But, it is an idiotic female that gets happy from a male idiot's jealousy. So, both the man and woman are idiots."

Not only in business, but also emotionally, Lawrence was very diplomatic.

"Ha, for me, a human is the same as a little chicken."

But, after hearing these words, Lawrence's face returned to a no-nonsense expression.

"The coins are slightly different. The new coins sound is deeper."

"Deeper?" Horo nodded. If the sound was deeper, it meant that the silver content had been reduced. If Horo were accurate, it would suffice to say that the Trenni coin's content of silver had decreased.

"Ehh...so Zelen lied?"

"It is hard to judge. However, according to the development of this situation, that man may return the ten Trenni coins to you."

"I think so. If he only wanted to run off with the information fee, he would have asked me to pay inside a church."

"It is unbelievable," Horo smiled breezily. But, Lawrence continued to think it over. What was Zelen's real purpose? Lawrence was sure that Zelen must have some type of ulterior motive. This was more confusing than before, as now Lawrence really had no idea just what Zelen's aims really were.

"Zelen mentioned this proposal, so he must have another purpose."

"It seems that way."

"But he has mentioned ignoring losses. So..."

"Hahaha..." Horo suddenly let out a long laugh.

"What's wrong?"

"Haha, have you been cheated?"

When Lawrence heard Horo's words, he stopped thinking.

"Cheated?"

"Yes."

"You mean I'm cheated ten Trenni coins?"

"Haha...cheating does not only mean getting money from others unjustly."

Lawrence had been in this business for seven years. He had seen and heard all types of frauds. But, he still did not understand what Horo had said.

"He plans to avoid losses, making the others bear the risk of gain or loss. It really is a cheat."

"Zelen would never lose. If currency depreciates, you will lose, and Zelen would just return your fee. On the other hand, if the currency appreciates, Zelen will gain part of the benefit. It is business that does not cost anything. Even if he doesn’t gain a benefit, he still doesn't lose."

Lawrence thought Horo’s words were reasonable. Zelen must have a purpose.

"Ha, what a clever human." Horo said. Fortunately, until now, he still hadn't bought many Trenni coins.

"But..."

"Is it common that some currencies have their silver content reduced bit by bit?"

"No. Usually the silver content will try to be kept at the same volume."

"Hidden under this, there appears to be a trade of silver content. It has got to be just an accident."

"Ooh..."

"But, when you brought the wheat, and stayed in the village, that was an accident. There is nothing harder to understand than necessity and accident."

"Great expression."

"You keep thinking but can't find any answers. You should look at it from a different perspective. When you want to hunt for a quarry, sometimes you must climb up a tall tree. When you are on the tree and see the forest from above, you will find a different view."

Horo smiled, continuing:

"Maybe someone could have a larger purpose, if that someone wasn't Zelen?"

"Ah..."

"Zelen isn’t necessary to get a benefit from you. For example, maybe he is employed to propagandize the transaction. He can gain commission from it. Right?"

Horo looked like a giant in front of Lawrence.

"If you use a different point of view to observe, you will find completely contrary facts..." Lawrence returned to thinking. He started to think from a different perspective, as Horo had recommended. If Zelen were employed by another entity to persuade businessmen to buy coins, so he could get a commission... Suddenly, Lawrence remembered a strategy he had heard somewhere before. Someone wanted to control the price in order buy a huge number of this one commodity. He didn't want others to realize it, so he collected the commodity indirectly through random businessmen. Through this strategy, he persuaded the businessmen to buy the commodity, then he bought it from the businessmen. It was possible to use this method to accumulate large amounts of a particular coin, without anyone realizing. Lawrence grinned widely in spite of himself, he had figured it out!

"Ha, It seems you found something."

"Lets go."

"Eh? Where are we going?"

Lawrence wanted to go quickly. He turned around, saying:

"First to the Milone Company. I understand the strategy. This is a strategy where if you buy more the currency will depreciate more. You can earn a lot of money if you do this right."

As long as one could find out the purpose, it would be possible to gain a benefit.

And with the right purpose, one could gain a substantial profit.

Chapter 4

Upon hearing the visiting Lawrence's words, the entire Milone Company went from astonished to alert. This was because Lawrence had requested the Milone Company, together with him, to deal with the plan Zelen had behind his business proposal. The full details of Zelen's proposal had never been something the Milone Company could immediately believe. Under these circumstances, Lawrence suggested again to deal with the plan behind all of this, and the Milone Company, of course, were even more wary of his words. Furthermore, Lawrence still had the problem of the fur situation between the Milone Company and him. Although the Milone Company was not angry to the point where they did not want to trade with Lawrence again, when the supervisor saw Lawrence, he still could not help but show a forced smile.

The circumstances in which Milone Company was willing to discuss with Lawrence, was that Lawrence would take the contract he signed with Zelen under the witness of a notary, and also that he tell them that everything can wait until the Milone Company had confirmed that there was nothing improper going on. Lawrence also requested the Milone Company check up on Zelen's background relations, stressing that this was not just a simple fraud. As long as it was done as such, the Milone Company would also consider why so much effort would be used if it was just a simple scam. All along, the Milone Company was willing to fight in order to prevent themselves from being cheated in the future. Lawrence had guessed as such, and the Milone Company's initial reaction was also exactly as he had anticipated. After all, if everything was really as Lawrence had deduced, the Milone Company could stand to gain the most benefit in this proposal. In theory, the Milone Company was presently searching covetously for chances to surpass other companies. Even if there was a somewhat suspicious proposal presented to them, as long as they could stand to benefit tremendously, the Milone Company would definitely not miss the opportunity. Sure enough, Lawrence's guess was correct.

After Lawrence had successfully sparked interest in the Milone Company towards the situation, the next action he would have to take would be to prove the existence of this man called Zelen. Lawrence and Horo hurried to the Yorrend bar that evening, and told the female shopkeeper that they wished to meet Zelen.

As Lawrence had expected, Zelen did not appear at the bar at the same time every day, and the shopkeeper explained that fortunately he had not yet come today. By the time the sun had just set, Zelen arrived at the bar.

Lawrence and Zelen talked idly about the less interesting business topics, and according to the plan, the Milone Company would be near their seat secretly listening in. In the next few days that followed, the Milone Company would conclude their investigation on Zelen, and conclude whether the proposal Lawrence raised was true or false.

Lawrence believed that behind Zelen there was definitely a big-time merchant in control of the overall process. Furthermore, as long as they confirmed that there was a big-time merchant in control, they would definitely be able to also have his plans. As such, the Milone Company would therefore be able to easily find out the inside story.

Yet, a problem still persisted.

"Can we make it in time?"

On the night the Milone Company started checks on Zelen's background, Horo asked after they had returned to the inn.

The problem was just as Horo had mentioned: time. Even if Lawrence's speculation was completely correct, it was very possible that due to the wrong timing, they would miss the opportunity to gain any benefits. No, Lawrence believed that they still stood to gain something no matter what, just that the benefits would not be enough to persuade the Milone Company into launching such an extensive operation. As such, it would be difficult for Lawrence himself to create a profit in this proposal. On the contrary, as long as the Milone Company made a quick decision, and started executing the plan, the profit that awaited them could not be estimated. The intention that Lawrence saw through Zelen, as well as his own intention of dealing with what was going on behind Zelen, were all proposals dependent on the time.

"I think, we should be able to make it. After all, I went to request the Milone Company's assistance because I felt we could make it."

By the weak light of the candle, Lawrence poured the wine he bought from the bar into a cup. After looking at the wine in the cup, he drank most of it in one big gulp. Horo sat cross-legged on the bed, also holding a cup filled with wine. After she drank the cup dry, she looked at Lawrence and said:

"Is that company really that outstanding?"

"To be able to do business in foreign lands, requires one to have extremely sharp ears. Just like a conversation between merchants in a bar, or between clients in the marketplace, if they don't collect more information than their opponents, there is no way they'd be able to open a branch here, much less let the branch grow steadily. In this aspect, the Milone Company is extremely thorough, so to investigate a trivial man like Zelen, is not one bit troublesome for them."

As Lawrence spoke, he poured some more wine for Horo who urged him to do so. After he had finished, Horo's cup was already empty. She urged him once again to pour more wine. The speed at which Horo drank was indeed astonishing.

"Hm......"

"What's the matter?"

Seeing Horo stare blankly in to the distance in a cold manner, Lawrence initially thought that Horo was pondering over something, only to later find out that Horo was already drunk. She held on to the wine cup, and slowly closed her eyes.

"Your alcohol tolerance is so good."

"The wine is too tempting......"

"Mm, after all this is pretty good wine. I normally wouldn't drink this kind of wine."

"Really?"

"When I have no money, I drink wine where the grape residue is sticky like a paste, or wine without adding sugar, honey or ginger, which is so bitter it can barely be drunk. Simply speaking, it is clear that this wine is a luxury."

Hearing Lawrence say so, Horo looked into her cup, and then said feebly:

"Oh, I still thought that this was ordinary wine."

"Haha, well of course, you are of a high status," said Lawrence as he said laughed. Once Horo heard his words, her expression suddenly became stiff. She tipped her head down as she put the cup on the floor, following which, she lay on the bed and scrunched her body together. Because everything happened so suddenly, Lawrence could only stare at Horo in astonishment. Lawrence recalled his earlier words, thinking that perhaps he had said something that made Horo unhappy.

"What's the matter?"

Lawrence could not think of what inappropriate thing he had said, so he opened his mouth to ask as such. Horo's sharp wolf ears did not even move. It looked as if she was extremely angry. Lawrence did not know how to continue the conversation. He wracked his brains in desperation, and finally thought of it. He recalled the conversation he had with Horo when they first met.

"Don't tell me you're angry because I said your status was high?"

When Lawrence requested Horo to change into a wolf for him to see, Horo did say that she did not like the feeling of people fearing her. She also said that she did not like to be regarded as a higher and special being. Lawrence could not help but think of a traveler's poem. That poem spoke of the reason for a god to ask for a festival every year, was because it was lonely.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it."

Yet, Horo still did not budge.

"You......um, how do I put it, you're not that special...ah, no. Can't say you're a civilian. Commoner? Doesn't seem right either......"

Being unable to find a suitable word for description made Lawrence even more anxious, and even more at a loss for what to do.

However he wanted to say that Horo was not special, so why was it that he could not find a suitable word to describe it? Just as Lawrence was searching for the right words in his mind, Horo's ears finally twitched, following which came her "hee" giggle sounds. Horo turned herself around and sat up, and said to Lawrence in an unbelieving manner:

"What a lack of vocabulary you possess, no wonder the females cannot be bothered with you!"

"Eh!"

Lawrence instinctively recalled when he was staying at an inn, trapped by a blizzard, when he had fancied a girl. Back then Lawrence was rejected indifferently by the girl, and the reason being was just as Horo had said: that Lawrence had an immense lack of vocabulary. The sharp-sighted wolf immediately caught on to what Lawrence was thinking about, her unbelievable expression was as if it were saying "really eh".

"But, I am also too petty. Sometimes I cannot control myself."

Hearing Horo continue with those words of apology, Lawrence's attitude also softened, and he said another "sorry".

"But, I really hate it like this. Although I can be considered an elder among the wolves, and have pretty good relationships with some of them, I still feel there is always a barrier in the middle. I also do not wish to bear with these kind of relations, so I left the forest. As for the purpose for leaving......"

Horo shifted her gaze far out first, and then returned it to her hands and said:

"It was probably to find a friend."

When Horo had finished, she smiled as if she were mocking herself.

"To find a friend?"

"Mm."

Lawrence initially thought that Horo would do her best not to bring this topic up as usual, but Horo's answer was in an unexpected and carefree manner, so Lawrence decided to ask according to his own opinion.

"So, did you find one?"

Horo did not reply immediately, and smiled somewhat shyly. One could tell the answer just by looking at Horo's expression. She would only smile if she had indeed thought of her friend.

"......mm."

Yet, seeing Horo happily nodding her head in reply, Lawrence did not feel interested.

"That guy is a villager of Pasroe."

"Oh, is it the person who asked of you to protect the wheat in the village?"

"Yes. Although that person lacked brains, he was a very carefree person. When he saw me turn into a wolf, he was not at all surprised. It would not be wrong to say that he is a weird person. But, he is also a good person."

To Lawrence, it was as if Horo were showing off her boyfriend. This caused him to scrunch his nose up uncontrollably. Lawrence, of course, did not want Horo to see through his feelings, so he hid it by drinking the wine.

"That guy really lacks brains, and often does unbelievable things."

Horo's expression as she spoke was joyful, and also a bit shy because she was talking about her past. She hugged her tail, and played around with the fur on its tip, her gaze long gone from Lawrence's body. Too caught up in her own memories, Horo suddenly giggled; a giggle that resembled the sound children would make when they shared secrets with one another.

When Horo was finished laughing, she lay on the bed and rolled about, and then snuggled into the bed.

Horo must have fallen asleep, but in Lawrence's eyes, Horo's manner was as if she purposely wanted to get caught up in her memories, and give him the feeling that he had been abandoned. However, Lawrence, of course, did not wake Horo up because of this. He sighed lightly, and raised the cup in his hand to drink it dry.

"Friends......eh."

Lawrence mumbled to himself, and putting the cup on the table, he stood up from his chair, walked over to Horo and tucked the covers in for her. Horo's cheeks were flushed as she slept soundly. Lawrence almost got entranced by Horo's sleeping face, but because he was afraid that his thinking would become even more clouded, he turned and headed to his bed as if he had dropped something.

Yet, when Lawrence blew out the animal fat candle, and lay on the bed, a trace of regret came upon his heart. Regret that he should have given the reason that they did not have enough money, in order to choose a room with only one bed. Lawrence's heart secretly whispered such, following which he turned with his back facing Horo, and sighed deeply.

Lawrence believed that if his horse were here, it would probably shake its head as if it were sighing.



"We are willing to accept your proposal."

The boss of the Milone Company's Pattio branch, Ritten Marhait, said with a steady tone. It had only been two days since Lawrence had suggested this plan to the Milone Company. The Milone Company was indeed very efficient in their work.

"We're honored by your decision. However, is the reason for your acceptance because you have found out who is backing Zelen?"

"The one backing him up is the Medioh Company. Needless to say, the Medioh Company is the second largest company in this city."

"So it was the Medioh Company."

The Medioh Company's headquarters was in Pattio, and had a lot of branches. The Medioh Company was first in Pattio when it came to trading crops, especially wheat. They also had many ships to carry their cargo. Yet, Lawrence had something on his mind. Although the Medioh Company was indeed a large scale company, Lawrence thought it would be the work of an even larger company. The most important business figure in the deal could even be an aristocrat.

"We also believe there's still someone behind the Medioh Company. With just the Medioh Company's power, they would not be able to achieve the plan you have speculated, Mr. Lawrence. Hence, we believe that behind the Medioh Company there's an aristocrat in control of the whole plan. However, the number of aristocrats who have dealings with the Medioh Company is large, so we are unable to confirm who it is at present. But as you, Mr. Lawrence, have said, no matter who the opponent is, as long as we snatch the opportunity first, victory is ours," a smile emerged on Marhait's face as he said. In this way, Marhait carried a confident expression, and believed in his support - the extensive financial resources of the entire Milone Company that Lawrence could not imagine. The Milone Company's business figure was probably a noble of the royal family or a high priest. To the people who knew about the power the Milone Company possessed, they should be so intimidated that they would not dare to bring up such a proposal.

Yet, Lawrence did not back out or hesitate because of this, as once he showed lowly or weak attitudes, it was as good as if he had lost. So no matter what the circumstances, he would need to show them a fearless attitude. Thus, Lawrence said to Marhait with poise:

"Well then, shall we discuss how the profit will be split?"

There was no doubt that this negotiation would expand one's dreams and perhaps make them come true.



Under the escort of all the employees of the Milone Company - with the exception of the boss, Lawrence left the company, happily whistling away uncontrollably. Lawrence had requested the Milone Company to give him a share equal to five percent of the total profit. Although this was only one-twentieth of what the Milone Company would earn from this venture, it was more than enough to make Lawrence laugh out, unable to stop himself.
If the Milone company acted according to Lawrence's plan, the amount of coins they would buy and sell would not be just one or two thousand, but two or three hundred thousand. If, by rough estimation, the profit was one tenth the total cost of the coins, then Lawrence's share would amount to about a thousand or more Trenni coins, and that was the bottom line. If his gains from this venture could exceed two thousand, he would, as a result, be able to open a shop in the city, assuming his expectations were not too high. Yet, when compared to the Milone Company's true intentions, making profit from selling the coins was only considered a bonus. Because the Milone Company's actions and policies were that of a company's scale, these profits were absolutely negligible sums of money.

But Lawrence did not have the fortune to enjoy that kind of benefit, because it was just too enormous, and could not at all be stuffed into his wallet. However, as long as the Milone Company could smoothly obtain this profit, Lawrence would be seen as doing great goodwill to the Milone Company. If Lawrence were to have his own shop in the future, he believed that his kindness would be repaid, and would help him bring in even more profits.

Thus, it was no wonder Lawrence could not help but hum a song.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Horo said at last, unable to bear looking at Lawrence any further as she walked alongside him.

"Who wouldn't be happy at a time like this? Today is the happiest day in my life."

Lawrence spread out his arms in an exaggerated manner. His mood mimicked his two outstretched hands - as if he could grab anything he wanted. In fact, Lawrence's dream of setting up his own shop was not far from being realized.

"Anyway, everything seems to be going well so far, so congratulations......"

With an overexerted manner, completely opposite that of Lawrence's, Horo weakly covered her mouth after saying so.

It was not a big deal. Horo was just having a hangover.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the inn if you weren't feeling well?"

"I was worried that if you went by yourself, you would get eaten by them."

"What do you mean?"

"Heh, that's exactly what I meant......bleh."

"Really......come on, get a hold on yourself. There's a shop just ahead, you can rest there!"

"......mm," Horo answered in a weak tone from under the hood, and nodded her head, holding onto the the arm Lawrence extended to support her. Although she was the wise wolf, even if one were to flatter her, one could not find a way to say that she understood how to take care of herself. Lawrence had no choice but to repeat "Really," which Horo had no retort to.

Lawrence and Horo entered a bar adjacent to a hotel. Although it was a bar, it also served as a restaurant which relied mainly on providing simple meals. This type of shop was frequently patronized by all types of merchants and travelers at all times of day, and functioned as a rest stop for them. Opening the door and entering the building, the narrow space inside held a total of about 3 dozen people.

"Anything will do, a cup of freshly squeezed juice and two servings of bread, please."

"Right away!"

Even though Lawrence's order was casually placed, the boss at the counter still nodded his head enthusiastically as he turned towards the kitchen to relay the order. Lawrence listened to the boss while he brought Horo towards the vacant room further in.

Now Horo's manner was better described as a kitten than a wolf. The instant she sat on the chair, she sprawled herself on the table. Perhaps it was due to the walk from the company that caused her body, which was already experiencing a hangover, to feel faint.

"Your alcohol tolerance shouldn't be that bad, you did drink a lot yesterday after all," said Lawrence. Horo's ears twitched from under the hood in reply, but it seemed as if she did not have the strength to shift her gaze to Lawrence. Horo lay on the table and leaned her face on it, letting out a "mm" sound, which was indistinguishable from a sigh or groan.

"Here you go! Apple juice and two servings of bread."

"How much is it?"

"You want to pay first? That'll be twenty three Lutes."

"Alright, please hold on."

Lawrence opened the loose change pouch that was tied to his waist and rummaged through it. Just as he was hurriedly preparing the black Lute coins, which could be easily mistaken for bronze coins, the boss of the shop saw Horo, shook his head and smiled as he said:

"A hangover?"

"She's had too much wine to drink."

"The young always make these kinds of mistakes. Be it getting drunk or whatever, you can never run away when the time comes to pay the price. There are often such young merchants with pale faces who sway and swagger out of this place."

As long as one was a traveling merchant, it would be hard to avoid this kind of experience. In fact, Lawrence himself had made this mistake a few times.

"Here! Thirty-three Lutes."

"Mm......exact. I think that both of you should stay here and rest awhile. Both of you came here because you could not make it back to your inn, am I right?"

Lawrence nodded his head. The boss laughed out loud upon seeing this, and headed back to the bar counter.

"Here, drink some fruit juice, it's squeezed exactly right."

Upon hearing Lawrence say so, Horo slowly raised her head. Because of the perfect shape of her face, adding on to her now painful expression, she still was as attractive as before. If someone who cherished Horo saw her in this state, he would definitely put away his work to look after her, and would be satisfied should Horo even give him a slight smile. Lawrence could not help but laugh at the thought of this. Horo continued sipping at the juice with no life in her eyes, and then looked at Lawrence with an unbelieving expression.

"Whew...I have not had a hangover in hundreds of years."

After drinking half the cup of apple juice, Horo sighed. She looked much more comfortable now.

"A wolf who can get a hangover sounds like a good-for-nothing one. If a bear could get drunk as well, then perhaps I can understand."

It was often heard that bears took bags filled with grapes which hung from the rafters of a building. In order to make wine, a pouch was needed to contain the grapes as they fermented, and as they did, they would let out a sweet smell. There were even stories of people who chased after the bear who stole their pouch, and after reaching the forest, found that the bear had already collapsed from getting drunk.

"The ones who drink with me the most, are the bears you speak of. Of course, we also eat human offerings together.

Such a picture of bears and wolves enjoying themselves and drinking together, was simply from the world of childrens' stories. If the Church heard of this, what would they think?

"However, it does not matter how many times I get drunk, but I am afraid because I don't know of it."

"Just like us humans," said Lawrence as he laughed out. Upon seeing this, Horo followed with a bitter smile.

"Oh yes...what was it again? I remember there was something I wanted to tell you...hmm...I forgot what it was. I remember it was something quite important..."

"If it's something important, it'll naturally come back to you sooner or later."

"Mm...is that so? Hm, I suppose so. No, not good...my mind refuses to work," said Horo, after which she hauled her body back on the table, sighed, and shut her eyes.

Lawrence presumed that Horo was in this state throughout the day, and felt fortunate that the two of them did not set off in a hurry. Otherwise it would be just as the boss had just said: Even the cart would sway and shake if they took it instead of walking.

"Anyway, let's leave the rest to the Milone Company. We'll just wait for their good news, and then all will be well. Just don't worry and rest up."

"Boohoo...I really have no shame."

Lawrence presumed Horo was looking ashamed on purpose. But she still looked to be in quite a bit of pain.

"Just look at you. You should have taken things one at a time today, right?"

"Mm...although I am rather ashamed, what you say is correct," Horo replied as she slumped over the desk, and then opened an eye to look at Lawrence as she said:

"Did you want to do something?"

"Hm? Oh, I originally wanted to buy a few things after finishing up at the company."

"Buy things eh? You can go ahead by yourself then. I will stay here and rest for awhile, and then return to the inn myself."

After Horo slowly raised her head and sat up, she once again got to sipping her unfinished apple juice.

"Unless you want me to come along with you?"

Although Horo had made it a habit to ask in a greeting, teasing manner, her words were indeed what Lawrence had expected, so he frankly nodded his head.

"What's with you, no fun at all."

Because Lawrence still looked more or less undisturbed, Horo felt uninterested and pursed her lips together. Lawrence presumed she had thought that he did not know how to answer. Looking at Horo feeling it very difficult to sip her juice as she barely managed to reply, even he could maintain his calm. Lawrence extended his hand, took a piece of bread and bit on it, and looking at Horo once again sprawled on the table, gave a bitter smile.

"I originally wanted to buy a comb and a hat for you, but I guess it'll have to be for another time now."

Just then, Horo's wolf ears twitched from underneath the hood.

"...what exactly are you planning?" Horo looked at Lawrence with half opened eyes as she said. Her eyes did not have the slightest bit of wit in them.

Yet, Lawrence heard, at the same time, the sound of a restless tail swishing about. Perhaps Horo did not quite understand how to hide her feelings.

"Such hurtful words."

"As the saying goes, when a dog wants to show off the meat it holds in its mouth, it has to be more cautious than when the meat is snatched away from it."

Upon hearing Horo's voice, filled with hatred, Lawrence closed in on her face, and spoke into her ear:

"If you want to look like a cautious and wise wolf, at least deal with your disobedient ears and tail first!"

Horo anxiously used her hand to press the hood over her head, and then let out an "ah".

"Well that's getting back at you for last time," Lawrence said arrogantly. Horo pursed her lips, and looked at him, unwilling to admit her defeat.

"I feel that since your head of beautiful long hair is hard to come by, it would be better if you carried a comb with you."

Although finally being able to exact this revenge made Lawrence feel rather happy, if he was not satisfied and continued with it, there would be a high chance that he would end up suffering Horo's counterattack. So he followed on with sincere words. Yet, when she heard his words, she snorted in an uninterested manner, and let her straightening body suddenly fall back on the table.

"Oh, so you were talking about hair," came the short reply.

"Don't you use a cloth to bind it, and not comb it at all?"

"It is not the hair that is important. I do want a comb, but it is for my tail," Horo said, after which a swishing sound could be heard.

"...mm. Well since you say so, then it shall be."

Lawrence wholeheartedly believed that Horo's silky hair was very beautiful. Furthermore, long hair itself was already a luxury. Because besides the aristocrats who could wash their hair in hot water to take care of it, it was difficult for a commoner to keep a head of long hair. One could say that long and beautiful hair indicated that the person was of noble descent. As such, Lawrence was, like anyone else, unable to break out of the convention and thus had no resistance towards a girl's beautiful and long hair. Horo had a head of such hair that even few aristocrats could match up to, yet she did not seem to value it at all. If she did not cover her entire head with the hood, and instead wore a veil to cover her wolf ears, as well as wearing a gown instead of the rough traveler's clothes, Lawrence believed that she would be comparable to the beautiful nun who appeared in bard's tales. However, Lawrence, of course, had no courage to tell that to her.

Because if he did, who knew how she would take it.

"Then, you."

"Hm?"

"When are you going to buy the comb?" said Horo as she lay on the table and turned her head to look at Lawrence, her eyes sparkling in expectation.

Lawrence dipped his head slightly, and naturally replied:

"Didn't you say you didn't need one?"

"I did not say that I did not want one. If I could have a comb, I would still use it."

Lawrence thought that it would be of no use to buy a comb if it was not used to comb hair. For a tail, a brush made by a textile expert should be used instead.

"I'll buy you a brush instead, why don't I introduce you to a good textiles expert?"

If it was handling fur, or even anything for that matter, of course having an experienced person using special tools would be best. After Lawrence had half-jokingly said so, he turned and looked at Horo, and could not help but keep silent.

Horo was gnashing her teeth in anger, as if she would pounce and bite in the next moment.

"You...are you treating my tail as if it were like all the other furs?" said Horo in an uneven tone, which of course was not because she was worried that this talk about a tail might be overheard by the other guests.

Although Lawrence was slightly intimidated by Horo's manner, she looked very uncomfortable. He thought that Horo was definitely unable to make a great, if any, counterattack.

"I...cannot take it anymore."

And sure enough, her threats did not carry a single bit of menace in them. Lawrence anticipated that Horo would cry crocodile tears in a bid to deal with him, so he purposely put on a relaxed manner, and sipped his apple juice while using a slightly criticizing tone to say:

"Do you plan to cry and throw a tantrum?"

Although Lawrence would waver if she were to suddenly burst into tears now, he did not, of course, voice this possibility out. Not knowing if Horo had been moved by Lawrence's words, or had other emotions stirring with her, she slightly opened her eyes to look at Lawrence, and then turned to face the other side. Her childish actions seemed unexpectedly cute. Lawrence laughed softly as he thought if Horo could be like this normally it would not be too bad.

After a moment of silence, Horo said softly:

"...I cannot take it, I need to vomit."

Upon hearing this, Lawrence anxiously got out of his chair, almost toppling the unfinished cup of juice, and shouted for the boss to bring a bucket.



When the sun had begun setting from the west, the street outside the window had for awhile ceased to clamor. Lawrence finally raised his head from the desk. With a pen in his hand, he raised his hands high and stretched out. Cracking sounds came from his back, which made him feel much more comfortable. Lawrence proceeded to massage his neck, which too made similar sounds.

Lawrence returned his glance back to the table, and on it, the simple, yet proper blueprints of a shop. On one side of the blueprint, a detailed plan was written which stated clearly in which city the shop would be situated in, the goods it would deal in, and how it would expand. Also written separately were the construction costs, procedures in applying for citizenship in the city, expenditure projections from every point of view, and a total approximate figure.

This was Lawrence's dream: To own a shop.

One week ago, this dream was one that seemed impossible to reach no matter how far he stretched out. However, upon securing the deal with the Milone Company, the distance towards realizing this dream had become significantly smaller. If at least two thousand Trenni silver coins could be earned from this deal, then Lawrence could own a shop once he sold off some ornaments and gems he had been saving. If so, Lawrence would no longer be a traveling merchant, but a city merchant.

"Mm...what's that sound..."

Just as Lawrence was being mesmerized by the shop he had portrayed in his blueprint, Horo had unknowingly woken up. Although she still looked very sleepy as she rubbed her eyes, she did look much better. She blinked her eyes a few times at Lawrence, and then slowly crawled out of bed. Although her eyes were slightly swollen, she looked, overall, fine.

"How're you feeling?"

"Mm, much better. However, I am a little hungry."

"Since you've regained your appetite, it means you're fine," said Lawrence as he laughed. He then told Horo there was bread on the table. The said bread was made from black wheat, and was hard and bitter. It was the cheapest and worst bread available, but Lawrence liked it for its bitter taste and thus, bought and ate it frequently.

As expected, after Horo had taken a bite, she complained it was hard to eat. But since there was nothing else, she had to do with this much.

"Is there anything to drink...?"

"Isn't there a canteen there?"

Horo looked into the canteen which was placed beside the bread, and then drank from it as she ate, while at the same time snuggled close to Lawrence.

"...is that a shop you are drawing?"

"That's my shop."

"Oh, it is drawn quite well," said Horo as she looked again at the drawing, and then continued eating her bread.

When faced with a communication difficulty in another country, Lawrence would use drawings to initiate deals. He would often forget the name of the item he wished to purchase, and a translator was not always available. Hence, most traveling merchants were good at drawing. And whenever Lawrence earned a large sum of money, he would always pick up a pen and draw out a blueprint of a shop, which, to him, was more exciting than drinking wine. Although Lawrence already had confidence in his drawing ability from the start, being praised by someone else still made him happy.

"What is this part about?"

"Oh, that's the plan for the shop's location, as well as expenditure. Of course, the actual situation cannot be predicted just like this."

"Is that so. You also drew a bit of city, what city is that?"

"A fictional one, it's the imaginary city I plan to set my shop up in."

"Oh. However, you still drew it in such detail. Have you decided recently to open a shop?"

"If the deal with the Milone Company goes smoothly, I should be able to open one."

"Oh..."

Horo nodded her head in a slightly uninterested manner, and put the rest of the bread into her tiny mouth. Gurgling sounds could be heard at this point. Lawrence figured it was probably Horo drinking water.

"Having a shop of his own is every traveling merchant's dream. Of course, I am no exception."

"Heh, this I know. And you even went as far as to draw out an imaginary city, I presume you must have done this several times already."

"It's because I feel that as long as I draw it out, it'll be mine someday."

"I met an artist a long time ago who said the exact same words as you just did. The artist said he wanted to draw everything in front of him, only then he would be satisfied."

Horo bit on the second slice of beat, and sat at a corner of the bed.

"I guess that artist's dream would still not be realized even now. However, the days separating you from your dream are few now."

"Exactly. As long as I think about this, it makes me difficult to keep calm. I would even run around and around the Milone Company, smacking the behind of every person I see."

Although Lawrence's words were exaggerated, they were his sincere words. Perhaps it was because of this that Horo did not laugh at him, and only smiled and said: "I hope your dream will come true then."

"Coming back to the point, is having a shop really that good? Doesn't a traveling merchant earn quite a lot too?"

"It's only for making money."

Horo gently bent her head.

"Besides making money? Nothing else?"

"Most traveling merchants will pass through twenty to thirty cities during their travels. This is because even if a traveling merchants stays in a city, the money he owns does not increase. Hence, there are those who even ride on the cart all year round."

Lawrence extended his hand towards the cup on the desk, and drank all of the remaining wine it held.

"One who leads a life like this will be unable to make any friends, at most maybe a few business partners."

Upon hearing Lawrence's reasoning, Horo suddenly looked as if she was aware of something, and suddenly changed to look as if she was embarrassed from asking something she should not have asked.

She really is a good-natured person. In order not to make Horo worry any further, Lawrence continued in a joking tone:

"Once I open a shop, I will be a part of the city. Like this, I can make friends, and it'll be easier to find a wife. Also, most important of all, I have to find a burial ground for myself, then I will be at ease. Who knows if I can find a wife willing to share a grave with me...that will need some luck."

Horo laughed out lightly.

Traveling merchants called the act of going to a new city to dig out valuable goods to be 'finding a wife'. This expression carried the meaning of it being difficult to find something good. In fact, even if one opened a shop in the city, one would not be able to be familiar with the citizens so quickly. But even so, to be able to reside on a plot of land for a long time was every traveling merchant's dream.

"However, if you really had your own shop, it would make things a bit difficult for me."

"Hm? Why's that so?" Lawrence turned around and said. He saw that although Horo's smile had not completely disappeared, her expression was somewhat sad.

He then remembered that Horo had said she wanted to see the world, and then return to the north.

However, since Horo was so smart, and since she had the money she made from selling the furs, surely she would be alright by herself. So Lawrence said in an indifferent tone:

"It wouldn't be a problem if you traveled by yourself, right?"

Yet, Horo took this unexpected blow. She bit on the bread and lowered her head slightly.

"I do not want to be alone anymore," Horo said, as her legs, which could not reach the floorboards, were still swaying, which made her look quite childish. The Horo sitting on the bed became so small in the blink of an eye, she even looked like she would be engulfed by the flame of the flickering candle.

Lawrence thought back to when Horo was reminiscing of her friend from hundreds of years ago.

She was so happy then.

So carefree then.

The fact that Horo thought of her past friend implied that she was very lonely right now. Remembering Horo's drunk and curled up body from that time, it was just like curling up one's body to avoid the approaching storm of loneliness. When Lawrence saw the weak side that he rarely saw other people show, his heart wavered. He carefully looked for words that would not hurt and said:

"Then, about that, I can accompany you until just before you return to the north."

Although Lawrence said this because he had no other choice, Horo's face wore a "really" expression once she heard that, and kept her head low as she looked up at him. Lawrence carefully concealed his excitement, which was at the moment even more than when he was discussing a large scale deal, as he said in a relaxed manner:

"Even if the money comes in, I probably won't be able to open a shop immediately."

"Really?"

"I have no reason to be lying now, do I?"

Lawrence could not help but give a bitter smile as he said this. Horo followed and smiled too, but it was a smile of relief. Although she was smiling on the outside, her eyes showed feelings of loneliness in them. Although it was not really the appropriate time to do so, Lawrence still could not help but think: So Horo's eyelashes are that long.

"So, that is, don't put on that face."

A merchant living in the city should have been able to come up with something better to say. But it was a pity that Lawrence was a traveling merchant who was thereby forced into a life where he could not get close to a woman. As such, he still refrained from saying such words. Upon hearing them, however, Horo lifted her head slightly and smiled gently, following which she nodded her head and gave a "mm". Seeing Horo's meek side, on top of her petite body, made her look very illusory. Her originally impressively upright ears were now droopy, and moved about idly. Her proud tail also seemed to withdraw to her side.

As the silence took over, Lawrence could not shift his glance away from Horo, and Horo seemed as if she did not dare look at him. Only once did she look at him momentarily, and then immediately lowered her head. Lawrence searched his memories for this familiar expression, and found it not too long after. It was the look Horo had in her eyes when she asked for apples not long after they they had reached Pattio.

Back then it was apples, so what could she want now?

To a merchant, being aware of what the other party wanted was a must have skill.

Lawrence took a deep breath, and following which, stood up from the chair. Horo was probably frightened by the sound and as a result, her ears and tail stood up. She looked in Lawrence's direction only to find him walking towards her. Thus, she withdrew her glance hurriedly. Just as Lawrence stood right in front of her, she slightly stretched her hand out towards him. That action seemed to tremble with fear, as if she were very scared.

"Were your eyes red because you dreamed of something, and cried in your dreams as a result?"

Lawrence held onto Horo's hand, and sat down beside her. He pulled Horo close to him, and gently held her. Horo quietly let Lawrence do as he wished, and in his embrace, gently nodded her head.

"I..."

"Hm?"

"I woke...when I woke up, everyone was gone. Yue, Intin, Paro and Myuri. They were all gone, nowhere to be found."

Horo was probably talking about what happened in her dream. As her sobbing voice reached his ear, Lawrence gently stroked her petite head. The names she had mentioned just now were probably that of her wolf partners, or that of wolf spirits. However, at a time like this, even Lawrence would not ask in disregard of her emotions.

"I, I can live for hundreds of years, so I decided to go on a journey. Because I thought surely, surely we would be reunited. But...they are all gone. Everyone is gone."

The hand Horo used to firmly hold onto Lawrence's shirt trembled slightly. Now even he did not wish to have such a dream.

Lawrence would sometimes dream that when he returned to his hometown, he realized no one there could remember him. In fact, there were often tales of merchants who had left their hometown for twenty, thirty years and came back only to find that the whole village had disappeared. There were many reasons for such a disappearance. For example, the village might have met with the fires of war and was thus razed to the ground, or an epidemic or famine which killed off all the villagers.

It was because of this, that the traveling merchant's dream was to own a shop.

Having a shop would bring one a new hometown, and effectively put a shelter over one's head.

"I do not want to wake up again only to find everyone gone...I cannot bear being by myself anymore. Being by myself is so cold. Being by myself...makes me so lonely."

As he heard Horo's sincere words, Lawrence had no reaction. He only held onto her, and gently stroked her head. Horo was now feeling very insecure. Whatever was said she would refuse to listen. Furthermore, Lawrence did not think he had any fitting words to reply her with.

Lawrence had also been attacked by the sudden winds of loneliness when he was atop the drivers seat, or when he visited a city for the first time. At such times any action would be of no use. Listening to anything would be of no use. One could only grab tightly onto something, and wait for this sudden wind to pass.

"Hoo..."

So Lawrence continued holding on to Horo just like that for awhile. Horo relaxed the hand that was gripping onto Lawrence's shirt, probably because her emotions had gradually stabilized, and raised her head slightly.

Lawrence complimented her action by slowly letting his arms go. Horo let out sniffing sounds as she stood up.

"...sorry," she said with her red eyes and nose. She sounded like she had calmed down much more.

"Traveling merchants will also have similar nightmares."
Hearing Lawrence say so, Horo gave a shy giggle, and wiped her nose.

"Really, your face is such a mess. Hold on."

Lawrence stood up, and handed the paper that was on the table to Horo. He thought that since the figures and designs on the paper were just plans, it would not be a problem to use it to blow one's nose.

"Eh...but, this..."

"Every time after I'm done drawing, I throw it away anyway. What's more, the deal hasn't been completed, it's still too early to expect anything," Lawrence said as he laughed out. Horo followed along and laughed as well, and then proceeded to take the piece of paper. Following which, she used some strength to blow her nose, and then rubbed her eyes. She seemed much more at ease after that. Horo sighed, breathed in deeply, and then giggled shyly.

Seeing Horo like this, Lawrence could not help but want to embrace her again, but he resisted against it. Because Horo had returned to her original self, should Lawrence really do that, he was afraid he would get rejected or looked down upon.

"I owe you a big favor now."

Unbeknown to Lawrence if she had seen through his thoughts, Horo said so, while picking up the now crumbled bread pieces to eat.

Because Lawrence did not go with his feelings, he could watch Horo with ease. After Horo had casually eaten the bread, she lightly clapped her hands to get the crumbs off, and then yawned. She was probably tired from all the crying just now.

"I still feel sleepy. Are you not going to sleep yet?"

"Mm, should be about time to turn in. If I didn't, it'd be wasting the candle."

"Heh, as expected of a businessman."

Horo went from sitting cross legged on the bed straight to lying down. After seeing her do so, Lawrence blew out the candle.

Darkness descended in a flash. Because his eyes were accustomed to the light, Lawrence's surroundings were literally pitch black. Although this night was clear and it seemed as if the stars could clearly be seen, the weak lights from the sky that shined through the window were still unable to be seen. Lawrence had no patience to wait for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, so he stretched his hand out and felt his way through the dark to his bed.

Lawrence's bed was right inside the room, under the window, so he carefully walked while making sure not to hit Horo's bed by accident. When he had finally made his way to his bed, Lawrence confirmed the position of the bed first before lying into it. In the past, Lawrence would hit a corner of the bed and hurt himself because he got in too fast. From that time on, he became especially careful over this matter. Yet, even being careful would not help him discover what awaited him.

For when Lawrence was about to lie down in the bed, he realized someone was already in it.

"What...are you doing?"

"Don't be so unaware of my feelings."

Horo's slightly angry tone sounded suspiciously flirtatious.

After Lawrence let his body be pulled down, Horo pressed herself close to him. Reminiscent of the illusory feeling from hugging Horo, that same feeling was now present in extreme amounts. Furthermore the girl's body was especially soft. Lawrence could not control his rising emotions. He was, after all, an ordinary man. Once he was aware of it, he had long ago embraced Horo.

"It hurts."

Only upon hearing Horo's criticizing voice did Lawrence come to his senses. He lightly let the strength in his arms go, but did not have any intention of letting go fully yet. Horo had no intention of pushing him away anyway. On the contrary, she moved to his side, and softly spoke into his ear:

"Have your eyes adjusted yet?"

"What..."

Lawrence had intended to say 'What do you mean', but got cut off halfway by Horo's slender finger on his lips.

"I finally remembered what I wanted to tell you, but..."

Hearing Horo's quiet voice made Lawrence's heart itch with impatience. But though it itched, it did not feel the sweet feeling during a couple's intimate conversation. That was because Horo's tone was not her usual one. In fact, what Horo wanted to say was not intimate or romantic at all.

"It is getting late. There are three people outside the door. I presume they are uninvited guests."

Only now did Lawrence realize Horo had long ago put on her cloak and hood. After Horo fumbled around for some times, all of Lawrence's articles that he normally took with him appeared on him.

"This is the second floor. Fortunately, there is no one outside. Are you prepared?"

Lawrence's mood grew excited in a different manner as compared to just now. As Horo slowly sat up, Lawrence meticulously pulled the covers over himself and put on his jacket and overcoat. Just as he sheathed his silver dagger at his waist, Horo purposely said out loud to let her voice travel out the door:

"Come now, and get a good look at my body under the moonlight!"

The moment Horo had finished, the sound of a window opening could be heard. Horo stepped up onto the ledge, and hardly hesitated before jumping down. Lawrence hurriedly stood up, and put his foot on the window ledge. He, too, did not hesitate for long before jumping down. But that was because he heard the sound of someone hastily attempting to pry open the door, and the sound of running footsteps. After floating as light as a feather for a moment, and receiving the corresponding feelings of weightlessness, Lawrence's soles immediately followed by knocking against the hard ground.

Lawrence was unable to stand. He had jumped out, just like a frog, and as a result his body fell to the ground almost devastatingly. Although he was lucky not to have broken his leg, the sight of his current state made Horo laugh out uncontrollably. Although he was being ridiculed by Horo, she immediately extended her hand towards him to help him up.

"Be prepared to flee. We will have to abandon the horse."

Hearing Horo say so, a shocked expression appeared on Lawrence's face as he turned and looked towards the stables. He was thinking of his cheap yet strong, and most importantly: his first, horse. Thinking up to this point, Lawrence could not help but want to run towards the stables, but the calm half of his mind told him not to do so. It was clear that following Horo's instructions was the right choice to take. Lawrence clenched his teeth together so as not to become impulsive.

"Those people stand to gain nothing if they kill the horse, so we shall wait till everything has calmed down before we return to retrieve it."

Horo probably could not bear Lawrence's anxiety and said this as a result. But Lawrence could only pray for his horse now. He nodded his head and took a deep breath, following which he took the hand Horo had offered to him, and stood up.

"Ah, you're right."

Once he was back on his feet, Horo took the pouch hanging from her neck and casually unwound the string binding its mouth. She then proceeded to pour out half of its contents into her hand."

"You should take some too, just in case."

Without waiting for his reply, Horo shoved the contents into Lawrence's chest pocket. Lawrence felt something warm entering his pocket, which was warmth that was perhaps from Horo's body.

After all, this was the wheat that Horo lived in.

"Alright, let us run."

Seeing Horo look as if she was laughing while conversing with a trusted friend, Lawrence wanted to open his mouth to say something, but finally nodded his head in silence, and ran with Horo towards the city plunged in the darkness of the night.

"What I wanted to tell you was this: If the company could check up on that young man, couldn't it be the same the other way round? The other party is bound to be alerted to some extent. If they knew you had gone to another company asking for assistance, then in theory, they would also try to check on you and shut you up, am I right?"

Although the only source of light was from the moon, it was sufficient to be able to see the stone-paved road the two ran on. They continued running down the road, with no other soul in sight, and halfway along it, turned right into a small alley. In the darkness, Lawrence was almost unable to see the road in front of him. But because Horo held his hand and constantly led him forward, Lawrence could still, although barely, follow behind her despite stumbling repeatedly along the way.

When the two of them were nearing a junction, they saw a group of men shouting while running past the road they were previously on. Lawrence caught a bit of what the men were saying. They were shouting 'Milone Company'.

So they too, knew that Lawrence and his companion could only seek refuge in the Milone Company.

"This is bad, I do not know the way."

Horo held onto Lawrence's hand as she kept running forward, and whispered as they arrived at a fork in the road. Lawrence raised his head and confirmed the position of the moon and its current phase, and in his mind, sketched out a map of Pattio.

"This way."

Lawrence and his companion started to run towards the west. Pattio was, in this region, an old city with a rich history. As such, not only were buildings being continuously added, the road distorted and wound about like a snake in pain. However, Pattio was a city that Lawrence had visited several times. The two of them repeatedly walked along and confirmed their position on the road before ducking into a nearby alley, and continued doing this until they got closer and closer to the Milone Company.

Yet, they would not lose the other party that easily, apparently.

"Stop. There is someone on guard."

All they had to do was turn right at this junction, follow the road and make a left at its end, and four junctions ahead would be the Milone Company. Since it was such a big company, there would still be laborers in charge of the unloading and transporting of various goods still working within the walls. As long as they made a dash and got behind the company's walls, their assailants would be unable to make any further moves. In a city of commerce, a company's signboard could even make the wealth people would not even think they had even greater. And further strengthening this was the presence of security.

"Tsk, we almost made it, too."

"Heheh. I have not hunted in a long time, and now I have become the one being hunted."

"This is not the time to be making witty comments! It can't be helped, we'll have to go around the long way."

Lawrence went back to the original road, and turned right somewhere along it. He decided to first enter the alley at the next junction, and after going around another stretch of road, start making his way again towards the Milone Company. Yet, Lawrence stopped after making the right turn. That was because Horo pulled his shirt, and pushed him against the wall.

"Seen them yet? They should be nearby! Find them!"

Since he had first been ambushed by wolves in the forest, Lawrence had never experienced this heart-stopping, nerve-wrecking feeling up till now. Two men ran out of the nearby alley in a rage. If Lawrence and Horo had not stopped, they would possibly have bumped into the two men.

"Damn it, they sent out so many people. Not to mention they're completely familiar with the area."

"Mm...the current situation is far from good," said Horo as she continuously turned about. She had taken off her hood to revel her wolf ears.

"Should we split up?"

"Your suggestion is pretty good. But I have a better one."

"Which is?"

Hurried footsteps could be heard from afar. Probably every main road was guarded. The other party must have decided to wait for Lawrence and his companion to emerge from one of the alleys before they advanced.

"I can buy some time buy running along the main road. Meanwhile, you can take this time to-"

"Hold on! How can I allow that!"

"You listen carefully. Even if we split up, the one who will be caught is you. I will not be caught by myself, but you would. And when that time comes, who will go to the company and ask for you to be rescued? Don't tell me I have to go and show them my ears and tail, and beg them to save you? That will not do, right?"

Lawrence could not find a way to retort this. He had already told the Milone Company about the coin which was decreasing in silver content. The Milone Company might therefore even abandon Lawrence and his companion and not care about them. When that time came, Lawrence could, out of the two of them, only use himself as a trump card, that was, to threaten the Milone Company by investing in their opponent. Furthermore, only Lawrence himself would be able to negotiate such matters.

"But, it's still impossible either way. If the Milone Company discovers your ears and tail, it's possible you'll be sent to the Church. The Medioh Company would, of course, act likewise."

"Then all will be fine if I do not get caught, right? Even if I am caught, I just have to hide my ears and tail for a day, which is no trouble. In this span of time, you can then come and save me."

Perhaps Horo felt that she had some chance at this, and smiled at Lawrence who only wanted to stop her and said: "I am Horo the Wise. Even if my ears and tail are discovered, as long as I pretend to be a mad wolf, no one will dare touch me."

Horo grinned, and revealed her fangs.

Yet, in Lawrence's mind, the Horo who was speaking of loneliness and crying appeared. Horo's body was so petite, so imaginary. He could not bring himself to hand her over to those rascals for hire.

Even so, a smile still appeared on Horo's face as she continued:

"Your dream was to own a shop right? And I did just say I owed you a big favor. Unless you want me to become a cold and remorseless wolf."

"What nonsense are you speaking! Once you're caught, they'll definitely kill you. This is just not worth it. It will turn into me owing you a favor I can never return."

Lawrence kept his voice down as he raged. The Horo facing him still smiled and shook her head. Using her slender forefinger, she poked Lawrence's chest lightly and said:

"Being alone takes one's life away. So this is extremely worth it."

Upon seeing Horo's steady smile of gratitude, Lawrence was at a loss for words.

Taking advantage of Lawrence's silence, Horo continued:

"Do not worry. Your mind works fast, this fact I dare guarantee. I believe in your wit, and that you will definitely come and save me."

When she had finished, Horo gently embraced the dumbfounded Lawrence, and immediately avoided Lawrence's arms which wanted to hold her from running out.

"There they are! On Loine Road!"

When Horo had run out of the alley, shouts could immediately be heard, and the sounds of footsteps grew gradually further.

Lawrence shut his eyes tightly for a while, and then started to break into a sprint the moment he opened them. He felt that if he missed this chance,he would never see Horo again. Lawrence quickly traversed the dark alley. Even after stumbling a few times, he continued to run forward. He crossed the big road and entered yet another alley, and proceeded to press on westwards. Now and then he heard sounds and voices, but in theory the other party could not afford to make noise without any restraint, for if the guards in the city were aware of this disturbance, they would be in trouble.

Lawrence continued running for his life, once again dashing across the main road, and passing straight through yet another alley. Now he only needed to turn right at some point, and make a left once he met with the big road to reach the Milone Company.

"We only got one? There should be two of them!"

The voices came from behind Lawrence.

Don't tell me Horo was captured? Or had she escaped successfully? Well, whichever way, it doesn't matter. No, I hope Horo can escape.

Lawrence rushed into the big road illuminated by the moon, and without confirming his position, he turned left straight away. Not long after, he could hear voices yelling: "I've found him!" from not far behind. He ignored the voices and ran forward with all his might. Once he reached the front of the Milone Company, he summoned all the strength in his body to hit the gate surrounding the unloading bay.

"I'm Lawrence who came before in the afternoon! Help me! There're people after my life!"

The men on duty were alerted to this and hurriedly ran over to unlock and open the gate. Lawrence swiftly made his way past the gates, and shortly after, men holding wooden sticks chased up to him.

"Halt! Hey, hand that man over!" said a man, who proceeded to hit the gate in front of him with his stick. Following which, he grabbed the gate and attempted to use brute force to pull it open.

However, the people holding down the gate from the other side were workers who were used to doing hard labor. Hence, wanting to open the gate was not as easy as it seemed.

A bearded, middle-aged man appeared from inside, and shouted to the people outside:

"Wretches! Where do you think this is! This is the Patiio branch of the Milone Company, overseen by the great Marquis Milone, officially recognized by the thirty-third Archduke of Raundille! This gate belongs to the Marquis, and anyone within these premises is a guest of the Marquis. And every guest of the Marquis is under the protection of the Archduke of Raundille! You had better remember, hitting anything here with your sticks is tantamount to hitting His Majesty the Archduke's throne!"

The man's solid and powerful voice caused the men on the other side of the gate to become afraid. At the same time, the security sirens sounded from afar. The men on the other side of a gate were aware that they could not stay any longer, and thus turned around and made their escape.

Everyone within the gates stood motionless for quite awhile. It was only after the sounds of footsteps and sirens gradually faded into the distance, that the middle-aged laborer with the powerful voice opened his mouth first to say:

"Just what happened for there to be such a big commotion in the middle of the night?"

"I apologize sincerely for the disturbance, and above all, cannot thank you enough for saving me."

"Your thanks should be directed to the Marquis, not I. Speaking of which, who in the world were they?"

"They should be from the Medioh Company. I presume they are unhappy with the deal I've made with your company."

"I see. You are a merchant who takes great risks. There haven't been many like you in recent times."

Lawrence wiped all the sweat off his forehead, and smiled as he replied:

"It's thanks to my reckless partner, who acted regardless of the consequences."

"Now that is a problem."

"However unpleasant it might be to think this, my partner might have been captured. May I speak with your leader Marhait regarding this matter?"

"We are a foreign company, so an ambush or arson is, to us, a relatively ordinary occurrence. The boss has been informed long ago," said the laborer as he laughed. His laughter made others feel at ease.

Yet, because of this, it made them understand even more how hard it would be to face the one in charge of this company.

I wonder if there's actually a way to make them guarantee our safety?

The uneasy Lawrence's heart was spinning about, but he immediately changed his mindset. He would not let them reject him, and not only that, make them guarantee that the profit would reach him. This was Lawrence's stubbornness as a traveling merchant, and reciprocation to Horo, who took the risk for him.

After taking a deep breath, Lawrence nodded his head.

"Why don't you come in and wait for the leader? Wine also needs time to gradually mature into good wine.

Although the middle-aged laborer said this, once Lawrence thought about Horo, he was unable to calm down. The laborer was used to seeing this happen, so he used a calm tone and told Lawrence:

"No matter what might happen, if your partner is safe and sound, won't he come here? As long as you tell us his name and what he looks like, even if the Church comes after his life, we can protect him."

Although the laborer's words were a little exaggerated, but thanks to him, Lawrence was able to calm down a lot.

"Many thanks. She should...no, she will definitely come! Her name is Horo. She's a petite girl who wears a hood over her head."

"Oh, a girl? Is she pretty?" asked the laborer purposely. Lawrence understood the laborer's intention to make him relax, so he smiled as he replied:

"Out of ten people, ten of them would turn back to look at her."

"Hahaha, now that is someone to expect," the laborer laughed out loud while ushering Lawrence into the company.



"About eight to nine-tenths of them should be the Medioh Company's henchmen."

Marhait went straight to the heart of the topic. His manner now was no different from that in the day. Lawrence presumed he had been awoken not long after he had gone to sleep.

"I believe so too. It must have been because they were aware that I saw through their scheme with the silver coin, and requested your company to deal with this scheme together. I think the Medioh Company wants to stop us."

Although Lawrence did not want his panicky state to be seen, he still could not help but worry about Horo as he spoke. Although he believed that the sharp and clever Horo should have been able to make a successful escape, there was still the worst case scenario. No matter what the case, though, it was necessary to guarantee the safety of himself and of Horo.

And in order to do so, they would need to seek assistance from the Milone Company.

"My partner may have been captured. If that becomes reality, it would be futile to try and discuss with the other party. So may I ask if the Milone Company might lend out some of its power to save my partner?" asked Lawrence in an agitated manner. He was on the verge of hitting the table already. Yet, Marhait did not shift his glance towards Lawrence. He looked to be in deep thought.

He then slowly raised his glance and said:

"You said your partner may have been captured?"

"That's correct."

"I see. After the disturbance occurred, I had some of our people tail the other party. Among those spotted was a young girl who looked as if she was being forced along."

Although Lawrence had guessed Marhait would say something like that, but the blow that was brought from actually hearing it, still grabbed at his heart tightly and shocked him to no end. Yet, Lawrence pushed the shock his heart had along with the air he breathed in, down into his belly. He then said as he exhaled:

"That should be my partner, Horo. In order to let me reach here smoothly, she purposely led the enemy away..."

"I see. However, why would they want to capture your partner?"

At this moment, Lawrence strongly resisted against yelling out loud, and from his throat could barely squeeze the words out from his throat. He figured someone of that level like Marhait would definitely be able to think up of the reason.

"I think it's because the Medioh Company wants to stop us and your company from spoiling their benefits."

Even after hearing Lawrence's close to yelling voice, Marhait's expression remained the same. After nodding his head, he lowered his glance and entered deep thought. Opposite him, an overly anxious Lawrence could not stop his legs from trembling. Just when he could not take it any further, and wanted to stand up and yell out, Marhait opened his mouth and said:

'Isn't that quite strange?"

"What's so strange about it!"

Lawrence stood up forcefully, causing Marhait to blink uncontrollably. Only after Lawrence had returned back to his calm self, Marhait stretched his hand out to stopped the Lawrence who wanted to jump out at him and said:

"Please calm down. But it's still a bit strange, really strange."

"Why! Just as your company could easily check on Zelen's connections, if the Medioh Company realized you wanted to hinder them, they would, of course, also be easily..."

"...indeed. Because their headquarters are here, it is a task that's easily done."

"Then what part of it is so strange?"

"Yes, I understand it now. This is clearly very strange," said Marhait as he looked straight at Lawrence. Even if Lawrence got any more anxious, there was no reason for him not to continue listening to Marhait.

"I was thinking; how did the other party know that you, Mr. Lawrence, were working with the company in this?"

"That would be because I frequent here. Furthermore, if they had found out that your company had already started collecting Trenni silver coins, all they had to do was to put one and one together, and they could easily surmise the answer.

"This is very strange indeed. Because you, Mr. Lawrence, are a traveling merchant. Coming here several times to discuss business matters is a very natural thing to do."

"Hence I said, adding the fact that your company is now holding silver coins, and then adding the connection whereby I had initiated a deal with Zelen."

"No, even after this, it's still very strange."

"How so?"

Lawrence did not understand a bit of this, which caused his tone to become impatient.

"It goes without saying. When we started gathering up Trenni silver coins, it was after you reached an agreement with us. Also, please consider this following line: 'I cannot state what kind of profit opportunity this is, but as long as you quickly gather Trenni silver coins, I guarantee you will make money.' We wouldn't start collecting the Trenni silver coins just from hearing that, right?"

"...in-indeed."

"The fact that we have begun collecting the coins shows that we already know all there is to the deal involved. Furthermore, I presume the Medioh Company would also know of this reasoning. As such, there would be no reason to take you as hostages."

"Don't, don't tell me..."

Marhait looked a slight bit sullen and nodded his head gently, and then carried a pitiful tone as he said:

"It's the fact, I'm afraid. Because we have already gathered all the essential information concerning this deal, so whatever happens to you, Mr. Lawrence, has nothing whatsoever to do with us."

Lawrence felt dizzy all of a sudden, and unable to control his body, it bent to one side. What Marhait said was right; Lawrence was a normal traveling merchant who would recieve no support.

"I hope you can understand how reluctant I am to say these words. However, because you have already mentioned the deal, we have pumped in a rather large amount of money for its capital so as to bring in to us an unthinkable profit. If something had happened to you that we would have to give up this profit to save you from, we would rather..."

Marhait sighed, and said calmly:

"My deepest apologies. I choose what is best for the company. But..."

From that point onwards, Lawrence did not take in any more of Marhait's words. Perhaps this was the feeling identical to that a merchant got when he was declared bankrupt. Be it his hands, legs or mouth, they had all gone dead stiff. Lawrence could not even tell whether or not he was still breathing.

Because Lawrence had now been abandoned by the Milone Company.

This also meant that Horo had been abandoned. Horo had even been captured in place of him, and believed that he and the Milone Company would save her, which is why she agreed to being captured in the first place.

Horo did this because she believed in him. Yet, the result had come to this.

In his mind, Lawrence saw Horo, and the expression she wore as she spoke about traveling the world before returning to the north.

Once a hostage had lost his or her intended purpose, what would happen to them next was fairly obvious. If it was a man, he would be sold to a slave ship. If it was a woman, she would be sold to a brothel. Although Horo had wolf ears and a tail, the world had many abnormal and insane rich people who specialised in collecting these posessed girls. Lawrence presumed that the Medioh company would not have trouble getting one or two such customers.

Lawrence thought of what would happen if Horo had been sold. Just how would those rich people, who were obsessed with worshipping demons and mad ceremonies, treat a girl who had been forcefully sold off?

No way. I'll never let Horo meet with this fate.

Lawrence straightened his limp body as he sat on the chair, and started to ponder. I'll definitely rescue Horo, he thought.

"Please hold on."

Several seconds later, Lawrence opened his mouth in reply:

"Looks like the other party definitely guessed it long before too. Your company probably made this determination right?"

The Medioh Company would not just sit there and wait. Which also meant that under these circumstances, they still wanted to capture Lawrence and his companion. Furthermore, the number of people they sent out was quite large, Thus the possibility they might have been discovered by the guards was a risk they still went ahead and took.

"Yes. That's why I felt it was even stranger. What I said just now was only half of the whole story. What I wish to say next is if the need arises, I would bear the grudge that you, Mr. Lawrence, would have on me as a result, and choose in the benefit of the company."

At this point, Lawrence remembered the 'but' Marhait had said before and assumed he was going to continue with the subject. Lawrence turned red in the face, and shamefully hung his head low.

"I believe you care a great deal about your partner. However, by making impulsive decisions, or letting your emotions affect you, will be putting the cart before the horse."

"I apologize."

"Please, don't. If my wife had met with a similar situation, I think I would also be unable to calm down."

Seeing Marhait smile as he said this, Lawrence dipped his head once again. But hearing the word 'wife' made Lawrence's heart skip a beat. Lawrence realized that if Horo was just a traveling partner, he would not get so anxious. And Horo, at the same time, would not agree to distract the enemy and lead them away.

"Well then, returning to the matter at hand, the other party does not have an arsenal of ways to deal with us, who ourselves have a number of sly tricks up our sleeves. Hence, in theory, you and your partner do not have the value of a factor that will change this negotiation, yet they still planned to capture the both of you. There must be a reason behind this. Can you think what the reason for this is?"

Lawrence could not think up of a reason.

Yet, after taking one step at a time and thinking it through, Lawrence realized that there must have been a special reason for capturing Horo and him. Putting it at that did not seem wrong at all.

Lawrence entered deep thought.

And came up with one sole reason.

"No, this cannot be."

"Have you figured something out?"

Lawrence immediately dismissed the thought that appeared in his mind. It was impossible. But, other than that, there was no other viable reason.

"An enormous profit stands right in front of us, and we wish in any way possible for this profit to fall into our hands. If you have figured out something, however insignificant it might be, please do tell us."

Although Marhait's suggestion was entirely correct, this was something that could be leaked as one wished.

What appeared in Lawrence's mind was Horo. Horo, however one saw her, was not a normal human being. She was, as the common folk put it, someone possessed by a demon. Although Lawrence also did not see her as a human, most possessed people would be sent to the Church if they were not locked at home for their entire lives; which meant that they could not possibly live a normal life. If they were discovered by the Church, they would definitely be executed.

Horo's outer appearance looked exactly like someone who had been possessed. Hence, the Medioh Company could use Horo to threaten the Milone Company: If the Milone Company did not want to be reported to the Church that they had dealings with a possessed person, they would have to abandon the deal.

Once the Church had begun the trial, the Medioh Company could act like a spokesman of God, and expose the fact that the Milone Company had made a wicked pact with the so-called demon they had caught. The verdict would be, as such, quite obvious: The Milone Company and Lawrence would be burnt at the stake. And of course, Horo would be no exception.

Yet, Lawrence still felt that this could not happen.

Who could it be, to have discovered that Horo had wolf's ears and a tail?

Judging from Horo's normally smart self, Lawrence did not think that her true identity would be revealed so easily. Lawrence believed without a doubt that only he currently knew of Horo's real identity.

"Mr. Lawrence."

Lawrence was pulled from his thoughts back into reality by Marhait's voice.

"Do you know the reason?"

Facing Marhait's sincere question, Lawrence could only nod his head.

Since I've already nodded my head, I'll just say it out clearly in full detail, thought Lawrence. But if the real reason did not involve this at all, he would have told Marhait everything about Horo for nothing.

In the worst case scenario, the Milone Company could move one step ahead of the Medioh Company, and accuse them of being a sinister company who planned to use a girl posessed by demons to blackmail them.

If the situation turned to this, Horo would still be unable to be saved.

Across the table came Marhait's serious gaze.

Lawrence was unable to avoid it.

Just then.

"Excuse me."

An employee of the Milone Company walked into the room.

"What is it?"

"A letter was just sent here. It has something to do with the situation at hand."

The employee proceeded to present a beautifully sealed envelope. Marhait received it from him, and turned the envelope over to examine it. The sender's name was not indicated on the envelope, only the recipient.

"To the wolf...and the forest it resides in?"

At this point, Lawrence realized his guess was correct.

"My apologies, but could I have a look at that letter first?"

Upon hearing Lawrence's request, an astounded expression appeared on Marhait's face at first, after which he considered for a moment before nodding his head and handing the letter to Lawrence. Lawrence expressed his thanks as he took the envelope, and after a deep breath, tore it open.

Within the envelope was a letter, and what was possibly Horo's brown fur. On the letter were a few short lines:

"We have the wolf. The Church's doors are open to us anytime. If you do not want to let the wolf into your house, shut your doors and windows, and do not let anyone out."

There was no more need to be doubtful.

After handing the letter to Marhait, Lawrence was barely able to make a sound as he said:

"The girl who is my partner, Horo, is the incarnation of a wolf spirit, and the god of harvest."

It went without saying, that now Marhait's eyes were bulging out of their sockets. 

Chapter 5

Marhait was a respectable businessman who had several shops set up in other countries. Although he was in a state of shock and could not say anything after Lawrence explained the situation, he immediately calmed down and pondered on the situation. Marhait did not blame Horo who had been captured by the Medioh Company, nor did he blame her companion Lawrence. His focus seemed to be entirely towards protecting the Milone Company's interests from the current situation.

"There's no need to doubt that this is a threat letter. It states that if you, Mr. Lawrence, don't want your partner to be taken to the church, you must cease all activities and not try anything rash.

"They must mean that we have to stay put until the dealings on the Trenni silver coins are complete. However, this doesn't mean that even after the dealings are finished, she won't be sent to the church.

"Exactly. Moreover, we stand to lose enormous amounts as we have already invested a lot into these Trenni silver coins. This is because the Trenni silver coins are bound to depreciate in value.

In such a situation, there was hardly any choice. If they did not want to sit there and await disaster, they had to take the initiative and go on the offensive.

And the possibility of choosing the former was equal to zero.

"Looks like we only have one choice: to strike first, right?"

Marhait sighed deeply upon hearing Lawrence's words. He nodded and replied:

"However, the situation is not completely solved just by rescuing your companion. Even if we hid her, once the church gets a tip-off and starts searching the area, we can only act like docile sheep and obey them. Your companion has nowhere to hide in this city."

"What if we escape out of the city?"

"Outside the city is a vast expanse of grassland, so unless you are a very lucky person......If you are caught outside the city, there will be no hope of saving you. Even if you escape to other cities, there is a chance you might be exposed. If so, the situation would get out of hand."

The situation could only be described as a helpless one. Even if he obediently complied with the Medioh Company's and ceased all actions until they had made their profits, they would probably take Horo to the church anyway. To them, driving a foreign company to ruin was not of any disadvantage. In fact, the less competition they had the better.

Yet, even if Lawrence's side made the first move, it would result in layer upon layer of difficulty. No, the situation could not even be described with the word "difficult". Now all the choices they had were rash and reckless acts.

"Don't tell me there's no better way out?"

Marhait said softly, as if he were speaking to himself.

"Judging by the current situation, I wouldn't even think about protecting the company's interests, we're even incapable of preventing accusations upon us."

Lawrence could only act as if he were sitting on pins and needles as he listened to Marhait. If by lowering his head in silence could turn the tide on the situation, he would be willing to even if it was for a long time. Businessmen did not have the pride that knights or aristocrats had. As long as there was money involved, they would go so far as to lick the bottom of other peoples' shoes. Thus, Lawrence did not think that Marhait's words were that of sarcasm or ridicule, and instead felt that it was just an analysis of the current situation. In fact, Marhait's words were indeed portraying the current situation they faced.

"What we need is a trump card."

"You could say that. However, even if we put more funds into this investment, the benefit we gain over them is meager. What we can do is to file a complaint to the church saying that the Medioh Company has your companion......However, if we do so, it would result in you facing a lot of complications, and in the worst case that would be the possibility of you being made to say unfavorable things about us."

"I would think.......that could be possible."

Lawrence felt that telling a lie now would mean nothing anyway, so he answered as such. He was unwilling to give up on rescuing Horo. However, everything would be solved if he did give up, and that was a unarguable fact. Marhait must have also realized this. It was clear that, once there was no way out, he would definitely urge Lawrence to give up on saving Horo. And at that point in time, When that time came, Lawrence definitely could not nod his head and agree. Lawrence himself felt that he would choose to walk down the road to hell with Horo. However, he did, of course, wish that these unfavorable situations could be avoided completely.

Now what Lawrence could only do was to come up with a plan to overcome this helpless situation.

"The plan I'm thinking of is......"

Lawrence cut into the topic.

"I would like to request that before the company is accused against by the Medioh Company, to first proceed with the dealings of the Trenni silver coins, until a maximum profit is reached, and we shall use that as the trump card."

Marhait's eyes opened wide upon hearing Lawrence's proposal. Just like Lawrence's unwillingness to lose Horo, Marhait also did not want to lose the company's greatest profit.

The miraculous profit that was created from exploiting a depreciating silver coin.

It was only under such difficult circumstances that this investment and profit was formed, and such an enormous projected amount of profit was hard to come by. Therefore, this interest for the investment was the strongest trump card. If it were played, then the Medioh Company would not hesitate to hand Horo back. Just because of this, Marhait's eyes were constantly stirring. If he were to lose this great investment, it would bring the same pain as losing a relative or his kin. Indeed, the target of this investment, was to bring about an enormous amount of profit. And it would be from the castle of a certain king: the king of the kingdom of Trenni.

"......This is the Trenni silver coin's greatest profit, and that is obtaining privileges from the king. From our research, the royal family's finances seem to be in decline. That being said, if the deal succeeds, we should be able to get rather large benefits from the king. If we were to give up on these benefits......"

"Exchanging these benefits for my partner is, of course, unacceptable."

"Are you trying to imply that they should buy it from us?"

Lawrence nodded in reply. Yet, Lawrence had only heard of such large scale business dealings before and had never experienced one for himself, so it also could not be assured that it would succeed this time. However, he believed that if he simply treated this as a usual part of his business, it would be likely to succeed.

"If the Medioh Company could weigh destroying the Milone Company and obtaining the special rights from the king on a scale and find buying the rights to be the better option, then we could demand the Medioh Company to pay the equivalent price, couldn't we?"

Although Lawrence came up with these words spontaneously, they did make sense.

In the first place, the concept of making more money the more one collected Trenni silver coins which one knew would start depreciating was established upon the precondition that the country issuing the Trenni silver coins, in other words, the country of Trenni, was willing to buy back the coins.

Furthermore, the reason for the kingdom of Trenni to want to buy back the coins, would be because they would want to recall the currently circulating coins, and then melt those coins. They would then create more coins by lowering the silver content within each coin, which would result in a larger amount of currency being circulated. For example, if ten coins could become thirteen coins, this would result in a gain of three coins.

Although this method was the best for immediately increasing funds, the country's prestige would drop because of this. Therefore in the long run, the drawbacks would have a greater effect. Even so, the Trenni royal family was willing to do it, which showed how bad their financial crisis was. And if it wasn't the most important coin out there, it would not create the extra funds to let the royal family sigh in relief.

Because the Medioh Company had seen the Trenni royal family in such a state, they started preparing large amounts of Trenni silver coins to negotiate with the royal family. Looking at the circumstances, the Medioh Company would have been planning to collect all the currency circulating within the cities, and then start negotiations with the royal family. Following that, they would approach the king respectfully and say:

"We will sell you the coins only if you agree to the price we set, as well as provide us with the privileges we seek."

With the exception of some countries, the king was called a king only because the fortune or land he owned was greater than all the other aristocrats. Furthermore, he had successfully gathered the support of the people, and they did not oppose the legitimacy of him being king. But although he had this status of king, it did not mean that he had complete control over the lands of his kingdom. Therefore, the royal family was not allowed to control parts of the kingdom's property that was under administration of the dukes.

Because of this, the royal family's financial status was not better than that of the other aristocrats by a large amount. Instead, the only advantage the royal family had was that of the privileges that were governed under the king's name. These would be like the authority over the mine, the mint, setting the tariffs, administering the market and so on. Although these privileges did not hold any potential of cold hard cash, but if one knew how to put these privileges to use, it could result in a profit that could be equivalent to shaking a money tree.

To think that the Medioh Company was actually after one of these privileges. Although it was not known which one they were after, if the Medioh Company's deal were to proceed smoothly without a hitch, then they would be bound to acquire power that would boost their business by a considerable amount. Therefore, Lawrence put forth to the Milone Company a plan to snatch away this opportunity. This plan was to collect even more coins than the Milone Company, and then seize the chance to commence negotiations with the king first.

To the king, having two companies approach him with this similar proposal at the same time could lead to them fighting over the same privileges. This would result in a lot of stress for him. Therefore, if he would accept this proposal, he would pick only one business partner.

If the Milone Company could manage to accomplish the transaction first, the Medioh Company would then be unable to get any of the privileges. And these privileges were unique indeed. To the Medioh Company, as long as what they wanted could be bought with money, they would not mind paying a higher price. Although the Milone Company was the same, they had come under restrictions too, so they would be content with a mediocre price.

"However, the trump card that they possess could not only destroy this branch, it could lead to us being burned at the stake. Are you sure they would be willing to agree to the set price?"

This was the important part. Lawrence leaned forward, and said in a hushed tone:

"If the king knew that he was trading with a company that was about to be burned at the stake, wouldn't that present some problems?"

Marhait looked shocked, as if to show that he understood the meaning of Lawrence's words. Even against the kings of large kingdoms or even empires, not to say in this situation against the king of such a tiny kingdom like Trenni, the Church's power and influence was far greater. Furthermore, the king of Trenni was under a financial crisis, and had difficulty dispatching funds for unknown reasons. He would definitely want to avoid conflict with the Church at all costs.

"Once we sign a contract with the king, the Medioh Company will have no way to persecute us. Because if they do, the Church's eye will be on us, as well as on the king. Therefore, the Medioh Company would end up provoking the king's malice."

"So it is such. However, I still think that they won't go down without a fight. All that's left in the end would be to go down together, is that right?"

"Yes."

"At this point in time, we shall add your companion as a condition in addition to the money, in order to hand the privileges over. Is that right?"

"Yes."

Marhait stroked his chin lightly, and expressing agreement, nodded his head and shifted his gaze onto the table. Lawrence knew what Marhait was going to say next. Bracing himself to answer Marhait's questions, Lawrence took a deep breath, and gathered strength from his pubic region. This problem could be solved, and this one of a kind scheme could bring Lawrence and the Milone Company great benefits.

Yet, this scheme also had its obstacles and difficulties in execution. If the difficulties were too hard to overcome smoothly, Lawrence would have to choose to either abandon Horo or burn at the stake with her. And the odds of choosing the former were zero.

Marhait raised his head and said:

"The plan you have proposed is methodically sound. However, I'm sure even you have felt that it is a plan too hard to execute."

"By that you mean how we are going to overtake the Medioh Company, right?"

Marhait rubbed his chin and nodded.

Lawrence followed the script he had prepared in his mind, and said:

"From my guess, I believe the Medioh Company still has not collected a lot of coins."

"And your evidence is?"

"The evidence is that they did not immediately take Horo to the Church immediately after capturing her. If they had gathered enough coins already, then they would act quickly in order to defeat your company. Yet, they have not done as such, and are just thinking of preventing your company from taking action. This is probably because they are afraid that by the time they deem your company guilty after many trials by the church, you would have already snatched the deal with the king. In other words, the Medioh Company believes that your company has already collected enough silver coins to commence negotiations. This means that they have no self-confidence."

Marhait shut his eyes, and listened to Lawrence's answer attentively. Lawrence took in a gasp of breath, and continued:

"Furthermore, I believe that the Medioh Company wouldn't want the outside world to know that they are collecting Trenni silver coins. This is a dealing that will take advantage of the king's weakness. To the aristocrat carrying out the deal with the king, saying that he coincidentally had silver coins on hand that could be sold to the king, even if this was obviously not the truth, would be showing consideration for his future and ensuring that no damage would be done to their relationship. Besides, doing this wouldn't result in hurt being caused. In addition, for people like Zelen to target us traveling merchants and bring up his business proposal to us.I believe their purpose is to first have us traveling merchants gather the silver coins while awaiting a chance to buy the coins: because no merchant would want to be in possession of a coin that is starting to depreciate in value. Though most people would consider Zelen's actions odd, however as long as there are people willing to buy the currency, anyone would also be willing to sell it to them. Although this is all my speculation, I feel that won't be wrong. Since they are keeping such a low-profile behavior, I'm sure they wouldn't go out openly and start buying silver coins in bulk. Furthermore, if they did start buying the coins in bulk quantities, then it would not just be the Milone Company, but even other companies would be conscious of the sudden abnormal trends in the Trenni silver coin right?"

Marhait nodded his head slowly.

"According to the decisions made above, I feel that there is a chance of success."

Marhait softly moaned in pain, and then shut his eyes.

This speculation seemed to be very accurate, however in it all it was still just a speculation. Perhaps the Medioh Company simply did not want to provoke the Milone Company as a whole, and therefore did not take Horo to the Church. Yet, no matter what the outcome or why, the Medioh Company did indeed show some scrupulous behavior.

But since they were scrupulous, why didn't they exploit and make use of this chance?

"Alright, we shall take is as the Medioh Company has yet to finish preparations. So, what actions are you going to take?"

Lawrence continued on with the sentence, so as if not to show that he lacked any self-confidence. He deeply inhaled, and then exhaled.

Following that, he said straightforwardly:

"I will rescue Horo, and then we will run for our lives until the transactions are complete."

Marhait gasped the moment he heard this.

"That's too reckless."

"I know we will not be able to escape successfully. However, it still may help buy some time. Therefore, I humbly ask of your company to, in this short span of time, collect as much currency possible, and then go to the king and begin negotiations.

"It's not possible!"

"In that case, your company is denouncing Horo? Ho, I shall start proclaiming testimonies unfavorable to the Milone Company then."

There was no doubt that this was a threat.

After hearing Lawrence's words of betrayal and menace, Marhait was sullen. His lips moved about.

Yet, even if they denounced Horo, there was no way to alter the contract between them and Lawrence and Horo.

If the Church called for a trial, the Milone Company's chances of being judged as not guilty were only about four tenths. Even if they were deemed innocent, there would still definitely be a hefty fine to pay. There wasn't even need to say it, one would already know that Lawrence would give unfavorable testaments about the Milone Company. Marhait was in great distress. He did not know what to do. Therefore Lawrence took this opportunity to push him.

"If the Milone Company could offer assistance, running away for one or two days should be fine. Furthermore, the person running with me is none other than a wolf incarnate. If she put all her strength into running, a human would never catch up.

Of course, Lawrence did not know exactly how much strength Horo possessed, but he believed this way of speech would be more convincing.

"Er......mm......"

"The reason why Horo got caught was so that I can come here while she acted as a decoy for the enemies. If it was for no purpose, and we only wanted to escape, she definitely wouldn't get captured. Could I ask, how much time does your company need to gather enough coins to commence negotiations with the king?"

"...You, you're asking how long we need?"

Although Marhait had somewhat been overwhelmed by Lawrence's boldness, but he appeared to be in constant thought. His view was constantly shifting through the air, but one could tell he was deep in thought. If Lawrence was able to save Horo, and the Milone Company was willing to aid him, he estimated that he would be able to go on the run for about two full days.

Pattio was an old city. The buildings within it hid many secrets and the alleys were very complex. If one really wanted to go into hiding, the number of places to do so were like the hairs on a cow. Lawrence firmly believed that he could escape smoothly if the only perpetrators were the Medioh Company.

At this point, Marhait opened his eyes and said:

"If we send a horseman to Trenni now, he should reach by sunset if all goes well. Assuming that negotiations start immediately, he will arrive back here around dawn tomorrow. The longer the negotiations take, the later his arrival back here."

"You still have not confirmed how many silver coins you have on hand, are you sure it is still possible to send someone to start the negotiations now?"

"The area we store the silver coins in is limited, therefore we can roughly gauge how many coins we need to collect. We shall first use an amount of money close to the limit as a basis for initial negotiations, and on the actual transaction with the silver coins, as long as we can prepare enough of the coins it shouldn't be a problem."

Even if the proposed offer was a general approximation, as long as enough coins were prepared on the actual day itself it would be fine.

Even though this idea was rather logical, but to be able to negotiate with the king for certain targets, only the big time merchants' talents would be capable of coming up with the atrocious means of doing so. Furthermore, to mislead the king into thinking that he could get a better offer solely by depending on his power, when negotiating with him, it was vital to propose an amount of silver that was sufficient to make the king become desperate. Following this train of thought, using an approximation as basis for negotiations would be a bit too daring. However, Lawrence felt that since Marhait could come up with such an unreasonable and atrocious plan, it showed his intention to carry out this plan.

"However, we had originally thought of starting negotiations with the king only after finding out who was backing the Medioh Company. If we knew who this person was, we will clearly be able to go on the path towards an entire turnover in funds. This way, we'll not only be able to block off circulation of funds, we will also be able to use an approximation as initial basis for negotiations. Yet now we have run out of time to look for clues, surmise, or even think.

Although he knew this, Lawrence still took his time to ponder, but he was not able to come up with anything at the moment. Lawrence sighed as if he wanted to spit out all his feelings of helplessness. Yet, his present self could only look ahead. Lawrence used some strength to straighten up his back, and turned to Marhait and said: "However, is there a speedy way we can go through the negotiations with the king?"

It did not matter whether the negotiations proceeded quickly, or dragged on for a long period of time, because Lawrence would still have to go on the run. Although there was no way to change the situation, but at least his state of mind would have been different. Marhait coughed lightly, put on a penetrating look in his eyes and said:

"As long as the Milone Company is willing, no matter what kind of business deal it is, it will be accomplished as fast as possible."

Although Lawrence involuntarily gave a bitter laugh, but at that time and place, Marhait's words made him feel rather reliable.

Lawrence stretched out his right hand, and in a manner as if inquiring about the weather, questioned Marhait:

"Well then, I suppose you should know where Horo is now right?"

"We are the Milone Company, after all."

Lawrence shook Marhait's hand, and at the same time secretly thought to himself "How fortunate of me to have chosen this company from the start".



"Assassinations of workers in a company or arson on the company building, they are just routine things. Hence, we know the city better than anyone else within its walls, and also have countermeasures to deal with sudden emergencies or urgent conditions. Even if the whole city were surrounded by large regiments of knights, we would still be able to survive. It's just that we also have a foe."

"Is it the Church?"

"Indeed, the Church also goes to each and every country's cities. Especially the people in the front line involved with the missionary works. In this way they are similar to us, even surpassing what we are capable of. Are you clear about this fact?"

"Yes, indeed they are very unpredictable."

"Therefore, should the Church launch a search operation for real, I ask of you not to act rashly, and instead find a place to hide. Of course, we shall try to solve the situation before things start to heat up. And, the codeword is Perion, Numai."

"The two big gold coins, huh?"

"It sounds more auspicious that way, doesn't it? Well then, I pray for your safe and successful escape."

"Understood, I shall not disappoint you."

Lawrence shook Marhait's hand once again, and proceeded to board the cart. On the outside, it appeared to be an ordinary cart that was like any other. As the cart had a roof, it was therefore impossible to see the passengers inside it. However, the cart's purpose was not to ferry Horo, and instead it was prepared to send Lawrence to Horo's whereabouts. In fact, since its purpose was to ferry Lawrence, one might as well say it was to conceal Lawrence's whereabouts as well.

The Milone Company had only heard about the uproar of the manhunt yesterday, and although they did not know exactly what the uproar was about, but they still tailed the opposing party until they had reached the location where Horo was being held at. They believed that the Medioh Company, too, had spies watching them. After all, being a bit more vigilant would not debenefit them in any way.

Businessmen, even though they were talking face to face, would still deceive each other, therefore the degree of deception they went to in private was astonishing. Lawrence, together with one of the Milone Company's employees, dismantled the floorboard. He looked at the stone road slowly flowing along, and at the same time verified his upcoming actions.

"You're saying that after my descent, I should place my hand on the right wall and advance, right?"

"Your target destination would be at the very end. If the rescue is a success, the hatchway from above will open. At this time, should you hear "Rahei", please wait for our companions to come. Should you hear "Perouso", then I ask of you two to make your escape using the planned route."

"You're referring to the good and the bad situations huh?"

"Simple and easy to understand, isn't it?"

Lawrence gave a bitter smile, and nodded his head to show that he understood. It was as if the Milone Company enjoyed coming up with such ciphers.

"Well then, it's about time to start."

Immediately after the employee had said so, the horseman atop the driver's seat knocked on the wall several times. This was the signal for the cart to stop. Shortly after the signal, the carriage braked suddenly following the sound of horse neighs. This was followed with the sound of the driver cursing furiously at someone. Lawrence quickly jumped through the hole created by the dismantled floorboard from earlier, and shifted away the stone slab on the ground. Below it was a pitch black hole, and Lawrence jumped into it without hesitation. Although he splashed into the water beneath, he managed to land on his feet. Perhaps it was because the people above had already confirmed this, and the stone was pushed back into its original place, casting the underground passage in total darkness. A few seconds later, the cart continued onward, as if nothing had happened.

"I didn't think it would be this thoroughly prepared," Lawrence said in a half-believing mood, and used his hand to slowly guide himself along the right wall.

This place was formerly used as a sewer, but ever since the building of water pipes all the way to the market, it was no longer in use anymore. Although Lawrence only knew this much, however it appeared that the Milone Company completely knew about the state of this area, and they had apparently done a lot of unauthorized extension on the sewer to connect it to various buildings. The Church was also extremely good at these ways. It has been said that they would use the reason of building tombs to construct private underground passageways. The uses of these passageways included reporting and spying on heresies, evading taxes and so on. Because the Church held a considerable amount of power, they would relatively have more enemies, so these passageways were also their escape routes. Certain towns that contained main branches of the Church or of large trading companies such as the Milone Company were almost no different than if they harbored demons or monsters.

A traveling merchant whom Lawrence was acquainted with had once said, working in this kind of place was as thrilling as walking along a spider's web.

Now Lawrence harbored those feelings as well.

Although this underground passage was dark and damp, but compared to the state of some of the worse alleys, this passage was fairly well maintained already. Lawrence could also feel secure because of this. The power of the Milone Company was indeed great.

"Is it here?"

From the sounds of splashing water, Lawrence deduced that he had reached the end. He stretched out his arm, and it instantly came into contact with a wall.

To a traveling merchant, being ambushed by stray dogs along a road without any moonlight illuminating it was a fairly normal situation. Therefore, should something unexpected happen, he would need to run through this passage. Lawrence was rather confident he would be able to tell where the walls were.

Directly above here to the right, there appeared to be a warehouse that was owned by a grocery who had relations with the Medioh Company. That was supposedly where Horo was being held at. Directly above was the Milone Company's base of operations for this job, and also a household under their lease. Apparently, they had even secretly built a passage leading to the warehouse next door. Their immensely thorough preparations were horrifying, but perhaps this was in order to open shops in other countries and do business. Lawrence told himself to remember this point.

Just as Lawrence was thinking about these things, a bell sounded in the distance. That was the bell for the marketplace employees to break for lunch. The Milone Company told him that this was also the signal to commence the operation. Perhaps now a fierce battle had already emerged above. If they could not rescue Horo from now till the time the bell rang for work to resume, the situation would become intractable. This was because the associate of the grocery would step up.

Although the grocery would stand to benefit from the Medioh Company, whether it was an important hostage or not it was still looked after by the grocer. After all, the bills would still have to be paid on the same day, and thus they could not cease doing business.

The problem resided in how many people there were watching over Horo. The other side also knew that if they allocated too many people, they would be seen through quickly by the Milone Company. Yet if there were too few people, it would be too unreliable. Lawrence could only pray that they would allocate people based on hiding Horo as the first priority.

If there were many people on guard, there would definitely be a large fight. By that time, the people carrying out the ambush would not be holding blindfolds and ropes, but rather sharp blades and blunt-edged weapons. As such, an already complicated problem would become even more complicated. Lawrence strongly hoped that this sort of situation would not arise.

A decent amount of time passed as Lawrence pondered on. He had kept his calm at the start, but now his legs were shaking unconsciously, causing the water around them to splash about. This indicated that Lawrence was feeling very troubled. He tried his best to stop his legs from shaking, but his efforts went to waste. He also tried squatting down and getting up a few times, but his heart just kept beating faster. It made him look up, and wonder why the trapdoor had not opened yet.

Lawrence's back suddenly went stiff.

Surely, he thought, he wouldn't have gone to the wrong place.

"This, can't be possible."

This made his feelings of worry and tension get worse, and he could not control it.

Just as Lawrence was about to confirm that he had really gone to the right end, he heard a voice:

"Rahei."

The voice came from above, and the sound of floorboards breaking followed. Then came another "Rahei", so Lawrence answered "Numai". The instant the door opened, the reply "Perion" came, following the rays of light and reaching Lawrence's ears.

"Horo!"

Upon seeing Horo's face, Lawrence could not help but call out.

Yet, Horo looked as if she did not hear Lawrence, and continued speaking with the person beside her as she raised her head haughtily. Then, she looked down at Lawrence and curtly said:

"How am I going to come down if you don't give way?"

It would not be wrong to say that Horo's attitude was completely different from her usual self. But only after Lawrence heard her words, did he realized then that he longed to see her happy face, and hear her excited voice.

Lawrence did as Horo said and stepped away, and waited for her to come down. Yet, what Lawrence felt in his heart was not joy from seeing Horo, but rather disappointment from not being able to hear her excited voice. Of course, Lawrence knew that this was all his own wishful thinking, so he could not say anything. Yet, seeing Horo extend her hand to receive a bundle from above, and not caring about her own appearance, made Lawrence feel even more discontent and unable to keep his feelings inside.

"What are you doing daydreaming there? Here, this one's your portion. Quick, take it, and let's head inside."

"What...er, oh."
Lawrence had the bundle shoved into his hands, following which he got pushed by Horo onward into the depths of the passage. Some tinkling noises could be heard from the bundle. They must have even gone to the extent of stealing some valuables in order to seem like robbers. Someone else hurriedly came down the hole, following which the trapdoor was shut. The underground passage went into complete darkness once again, which was also the signal to set off. Lawrence widened his stride and pressed on, unable to speak to Horo.

They would have to turn right at the end of this path, following which they would feel along the left wall and continue walking forward until they reached the end. After that, they would climb out of the passage and board the cart stationed there, and then proceed to the next underground passage. Everyone was in silence as they walked along the passage. Finally, they reached the end of the path. Lawrence followed the instructions given to him beforehand, and climbed up the well supported ladder, following which he knocked the ceiling thrice.

If the courier who was supposed to arrive there had met with something unexpected and could not accomplish this task as a result, they would have to pick another route. Before Lawrence had any time to think of this possibility, a hole appeared in the ceiling, and the carriage compartment of the cart appeared clearly in front of him. After identifying themselves with the passwords 'Perion' and 'Numai', Lawrence climbed up into the cart.

"Everything's going well so far..." said the employee in the cart while helping Horo on board. Although he did know beforehand that Horo was the incarnation of a wolf, the protruding wolf ears still seemed to astonish him.

"Doing business always has its surprises," the employee smiled as he said, despite the shock he had received. Following which, he swiftly pushed the stone slab back into the hole.

"There's still someone down there."

"It's fine, he needs to keep the ladder first and then he'll climb out somewhere else. After reporting the information about the Medioh Company to our fellow employees, he will leave the city."

Their astonishing efficiency at executing tasks was definitely formed from continuously formulating careful and thorough countermeasures. The employee replaced the cover back on the floorboard of the hooded cart, and said a hasty "Well then, I wish you success," and then took Lawrence's and Horo's bundles as he got off the cart. The cart then started moving again with it's driver's command. Up till now, everything seemed to be going according to plan.

All, that was, except for Horo's reaction.

"Great, you're safe and sound."

Lawrence only barely managed to put out these words without stuttering. Yet, this was already his limit. Horo tried to undo the cloth around his neck to use it to cover her head in vain, as she sat opposite Lawrence and heard his words. Horo stared at Lawrence with an unpleasant gaze as she redid the hood, and after adjusting its position slightly, came her reply:

"Is it so great that I am safe and sound?"

Lawrence wanted to answer with a 'yes', but swallowed his words. Because under the cloth she had just used to cover her head, Horo was staring at him with an expression as if she were fuming with rage.

Was she not well?

"You! Try saying out my name!"

Yet, if Horo could speak like that, it showed that things were not how Lawrence had worried it would be. However, Horo's boldness made Lawrence, who was almost double her size, flinch. Although Lawrence could not make clear the current state Horo was in, he could only rely on the answer he thought up:

"Horo...right?"

"I am Horo the Wise!"

At the moment, Lawrence felt as if he had just heard a roar come from Horo's throat. Yet, he still did not understand why Horo was so angry. If what she wanted was an apology, he would be willing to do so no matter how many times it was. Since it was because of him that she got captured, after all. Or did she receive some form of treatment while in her capture that was hard to talk about?

"In my entire life, I can name every person who has shamed me. And now it looks like I have to add another name to that list: yours!"

Horo must really have received that kind of treatment, thought Lawrence. However, Horo's angry manner was one he had seen before; when he was still within the village. Girls who had been kidnapped by thugs or brigands would show a different reaction compared to hers. Moreover, if Lawrence were to accidentally say something wrong, it would be adding oil to the fire, and cause Horo to get even more enraged. As such, the silence grew longer, and not long after, Horo, probably mad at Lawrence's silent treatment, stood up from her seat, and closed in on him.

Horo stretched out her trembling fist, pale from being clenched too tightly. He had nowhere to run now. Horo then stood right in front of him. Perhaps it was because the heights of which their faces were at were about the same, that Horo's gaze traveled a straight line and penetrated right into Lawrence's eyes. Horo relaxed her tiny fist, and forcefully grabbed Lawrence at his chest. Her strength matched her outer appearance: weak and soft. But Lawrence did not push her aside.

What long eyelashes. The same thought came unconsciously into Lawrence's mind.

"I did tell you before, I wanted you to save me."

Lawrence immediately nodded his head.

"I...I thought that it would definitely be you who would save me...hmph...just thinking about it makes me feel so angry!"

Lawrence suddenly felt as if he had awoken from a dream.

"Since you are a male, you should have at least been on the battlefield! All because of you, it is all because of you that I have been shamed-"

"But aren't you alright now?" Lawrence said, interrupting Horo before she could finish. Consequently, Horo bent her lips, looking extremely displeased, and ignored him. After that, Horo hesitated for quite awhile before nodding her head painfully, as if she had just drunk something bitter. Perhaps Horo was blindfolded then. Perhaps she took the Milone Company employees who came to save her as Lawrence, and as a result, said something she could only say to him. It was just those words that Horo was so angrily blaming for shaming her.

Lawrence was happy because of this one fact. Because he knew if the person who went was him, Horo would definitely show the expression he had wanted to see. He slowly held Horo and pulled her slender shoulders to his chest, and put on a little more force as he held her. Although Horo tried to be difficult and resisted at first, she let go after awhile. From outside the cloth that covered her head, the straight pair of wolf ears could be seen gradually drooping down. Her original expression of anger also gradually became that of a more playful, irritated one.

Even if Lawrence traveled all over the world, and accumulated even more savings, he would never be able to obtain what was right in front of him right now.

"It's really great, seeing that you're alright."

Hearing Lawrence say so, Horo's angrily opened eyes from a few seconds ago were now slowly disappearing behind their eyelids, as she lightly nodded her head, only pursing her lips a little.

"As long as you carry this wheat, I will never die," said Horo, using her finger to point straight at Lawrence's chest pocket, while at the same time not pushing away the arms he held her with.

"To a girl, even if she didn't die, there is torment that brings a pain equal to it."

Lawrence pulled Horo's hands, and she slowly pressed closer to him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Lawrence could feel her graceful body, heavier than a burlap sack that was full of wheat. After that, Horo put on a soft tone and said mischievously:

"Heh. I am so cute that even a human male would fall for me. However, there is no human male qualified to be my partner."

Horo let herself go from Lawrence, and the cheeky smile that was usually on her face reappeared once again.

"If anyone dares to even touch me, I only need to say 'Be careful for your own life' and whoever it might be will turn pale with fright. Heheheh," Horo said as she laughed, her fangs showing from her cherry red lips. Anyone would feel afraid hearing this from Horo.

"However, there are also exceptions."

The smile on Horo's face vanished all of a sudden, and her face became expressionless. Lawrence felt that this was a different anger from before: a quiet kind of anger.

"Guess who was within the group of people who captured me?"

Horo's expression now could only be described with hatred. Her angry expression caused her fangs to show even more from behind her lips. Lawrence unconsciously let go of her slender wrists as he said:

"Who could it be?"

I wonder who could cause Horo to become so angry? Don't tell me it's someone she knows from before?

Just as Lawrence was guessing, Horo wrinkled her nose and said:

"It is Yarei. You should know him, right?"

"How..."

Lawrence did not complete his sentence, in which he had actually wanted to say 'How is that possible'. Because just then, he suddenly thought of something else.

"I get it now! So the person behind the Medioh Company is Count Eirendott!"

Horo, who initially wanted to vent out all her angry and resentful feelings, was shocked from Lawrence's sudden shout, and could only widen her eyes in surprise.

"For a large plot of land producing wheat, the seller could request payment from the buyer in the form of their favored coin. Furthermore, if they could obtain a tax or duty on the wheat, then be it to the Medioh Company or the Count, even to all the villagers, it would be a miraculous benefit. That's right! Now I understand why someone knows that you are a wolf!"

Horo looked at Lawrence as if she did not understand, yet he did not care what her reaction was, and turned towards the window which connected the cart to the driver's seat. After it was opened, one of the drivers adopted a listening position.

"Did you hear what I said just now?"

"Yes, I did."

"The man behind the Medioh Company is Count Eirendott. Please relay this to Mr. Marhait. The Count and merchants who deal with this wheat are the cause of the coins being collected in large amounts."

"Leave it to me," said the driver, upon which he immediately jumped off the cart and ran off.

Lawrence supposed that the horses with the people negotiating the deal had already set off for the city of Trenni. In the event that the negotiating period had lengthened, and if they knew where the Medioh Company had planned to collect the coins from, Lawrence believed that with the Milone Company's brand name and it's massive financial resources, snatching the deal away from the Medioh Company would not be impossible.

If this had been discovered earlier, it would perhaps spare Horo of the fate of being captured. As such, the deal would have been completed even more smoothly. Lawrence felt regretful as he thought of this, but regretting any part of it up till now was useless. It was good that they had even discovered it now."

"...I do not understand."

When Lawrence returned to his seat, both his hands placed before his chest while he was thinking about all this, Horo also returned to her original seat directly opposite him as she said so.

"Explaining this might take some time. However, the information you provided has cleared up the rest of the doubts."

"Is that so?"

Lawrence believed that with Horo's capability, she would not have to think for long before she could understand this. However, she did not look like she intended to do so in the first place.

She nodded her head in an uninterested manner, and shut her eyes.

As expected, changing the subject suddenly had ruined her mood.

From Lawrence's point of view, Horo's childishness towards this matter was very cute. But he told himself not to have such shallow ways of thinking.

Because that was possibly Horo's trap, set up because she was unhappy that the topic had been changed and she had been interrupted.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you just now."

But Lawrence still straightforwardly apologized for it.

When Horo heard him, she replied with a quick 'It's nothing', although she did open her left eye slightly to look at him. Despite that, however, Lawrence continued speaking. If Horo's mood was not childish, it would be cunning and sly; two extremely opposite moods.

"In theory, Yarei should be locked inside the barn because of the harvest celebration ceremony. Appearing in the city indicates that he is somewhat involved in this deal. He knows the merchants who come to the village to buy wheat, and the village head also trusts him to do the trading. Furthermore, the time whereby most of the wheat trading is done is right after the harvest ceremony."

Horo kept her eyes closed as she pondered over it slightly for awhile, and after that, opened them. Her mood seemed to be a bit better now.

"He must have heard my name from that Zelen person. That Yarei was wearing clothes that one could not possibly own in a village, and put on airs as if he was very amazing."

"Looks like his ties with the Medioh Company run quite deep. Well then, did the two of you talk?"

"Only a little," Horo said, after which she sighed, and out with it came her anger. Perhaps she became enraged again upon remembering her conversation with Yarei."

Lawrence tried to think of what Yarei had said to Horo. He believed that Horo would show much resentment to the villagers. But since she had decided to leave the village already, she would not go so far as to keep such a grudge.

Just as Lawrence was thinking these things, Horo opened her mouth and said:

"I do not know how long I have idled on that land. Perhaps as many years as the hairs on my tail."

The tail behind her coat made a swishing sound.

"I am Horo the Wise. In order to produce a good harvest every year as much as possible, there are times I have to let the land rest, so there are times of bad harvest too. Even so, I believed the village's wheat fields that were under me should be able to produce more wheat than that of other lands."

Although Lawrence had heard such words before, he still nodded his head frankly, urging Horo to continue.

"The villagers there did take me to be the god of harvest. But it was not for respect, it was because they wanted to keep me in. Wouldn't the person who cuts the last bundle of wheat be chased? And after being caught, he even would be tied up with rope."

"I've heard that the person would be locked up for about a week in a barn, together with delicacies and the tools the villagers would use next year."

"Those pork and duck meats were indeed quite tasty."

Horo's sincere words caused Lawrence to laugh out loud.

Looks like tales of the people locked up in the barn not remembering what food they ate, yet the food disappearing for no reason is a fact, Lawrence thought. And the culprit was right in front of him, which was what made it so funny. The fear that usually followed these ambiguous rumors now took on a different form: the form of Horo gobbling pork and duck.

"But well..." Horo grew serious and said. Lawrence could not help but sit up straight. The main reason of Horo's anger came out in her next sentence:

"Do you know what that Yarei said?"

Horo bit on her lip. Her words were slightly hesitant, and after she rubbed a corner of her eye with her finger, she continued:

"That person said he had heard my name from Zelen, and thought that could not be me. I, even though I felt pathetic, hearing that made me so happy..."

Although those were the words that came from her mouth, Horo's head hung low, and tears continuously fell from her eyes.

"But, that person said: 'The times when we had to live with your mood are now over. Now there is no need to be afraid of your fickleness. Since you're already being targeted by the Church...why not hand you to them, and let us be freed from our old era!'"

Lawrence had long heard of Count Eirendott's exchanges with the Naturalists, and how in turn he started introducing new agricultural methods in order to increase crop yields. Yet, even the most sincere and devout prayer would be done in a completely unmerciful heart at the critical juncture, and gods or spirits who do not end up to be of any help will be abolished. Then after, the people would have to find a way to depend on themselves to get to the target. This was indeed a considerably enchanting situation. Furthermore, if the crop yields rose after introducing new agricultural methods, or increasing work efficiency thereafter, the people would begin to think that the harvest god or the spirits of the land were controlling the harvest based on their mood, which was not true at all. Even Lawrence believed that such spirits and gods altered the fate of people based on their mood.

But, the Horo in front of him did not seem to be like what he had thought.

She had mentioned that the reason for staying in Pasroe was that her relations with the villagers were still good, and that her friend had requested of her to look after the fields. No matter how one put it, at least Horo still had the intention to let the wheat fields prosper. Yet, after staying on that land for hundreds of years, the people around her gradually denied her existence, until finally hearing them want to bid farewell to her, just how would she feel?

The tears flowed continuously out of Horo's eyes, and her expression was a mix of remorse and sorrow.

Horo had said she hated being alone.

If one were to say that a god compelled people to pray to it, perhaps it was because it was too lonely.

Even Lawrence could think of such exaggerated things, so wanting to stretch out and wipe Horo's tears was nothing in comparison.

"How one wants to look at something is up to oneself. Since I want to return to the North, I will have to leave that place no matter what. Since no one wants to pull me back, I use my hind legs to kick the sand underneath them and leave just like that. That way, it will also be easier to give it up. But, I cannot just leave so quietly like that."

At least Horo did not continue crying, but Lawrence could still hear her sniffling. Lawrence lightly stroked Horo's head, and maintaining his most appropriate smile, said:

"I, no! We are merchants. As long as there's money to be made, anything will do. If we want to laugh we will wait until the money rolls in, then we laugh. If we want to cry we wait till we're bankrupt, then we cry. And after we're done crying, we will still laugh."

Of course, he purposely stressed the 'we'.

Horo looked at Lawrence momentarily, and then lowered her head, tears flowing out of her eyes once more. She finally raised her head after nodding it. Lawrence helped Horo wipe away her tears once again. She took a deep breath, and used her hands to roughly wipe away the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"...mm, much better now."

Horo wiped the remaining tears on her face with one hand while looking embarrassed over what she had just done, and smiled as she lightly punched Lawrence on the chest.

"I have not had a proper conversation with someone for hundreds of years. Looks like my emotions have become weak. Although I have even cried in front of you twice, I would even if you were not here. Do you know what I'm trying to say?"

Lawrence raised both of his hands, and shrugged his shoulders as he said:

"You're telling me not to misunderstand."

"Mm," said Horo, but her seemingly happy self was now rotating her fist about Lawrence's chest. Lawrence felt Horo's actions to be very cute, so he smiled and said:

"I accompany you only for the sake of earning money. Before the deal at the Milone Company is finished, our job is to run. Having someone crying and making a fuss while running only gets in the way. So even if the person who is crying in front of me isn't you, I would also-"

Lawrence could not continue any further.

That was because Horo was looking at him with a hurt expression.

"...that's too cunning of you."

"Mm, it is a female privilege."

Hearing Horo say this so nonchalantly, Lawrence lightly poked her head.

The window adjacent to the drivers seat opened, as if it was waiting for the right time whereby the two's interaction had come to the end of its phase. The driver put on a slightly bitter smile as he appeared at the window.

"We have arrived at the destination. I believe you two are done with your conversation?"

"Mm, there's still lots more to talk about."

After Lawrence had replied, purposely putting on an enthusiastic tone, he got to work and removed the floorboard of the cart. Horo stood at one side as she laughed.

"As expected, the ones who brought up this deal are different from the rest."

"Do you mean these ears?" Horo said mischievously. The driver laughed, as if the tables had been turned on him, and replied:

"Seeing the two of you now, I can't help but want to return to the days when I was still a traveling merchant."

"It's better if you did not."

Lawrence shifted the stone slab away, and descended into the underground passage to confirm it being the right one. He then returned to the carriage to let Horo descend first, after which he said:

"You might end up as unlucky as me, and pick up someone like her."

"How's that unlucky? The driver's seat is too wide for one person. I would gladly wish for a life like yours!"

As such, a bitter smile appeared on Lawrence's face. Because he figured that all traveling merchants would feel the same way. Yet, Lawrence did not say any more, proceeding to jump down into the underground passage. Because Lawrence felt that if he continued, he would only utter words that would embarrass him. And more importantly, because Horo was waiting for him in the underground passage.

"Rather, I am the unfortunate one to be picked up by you."

After the driver entered the cart, replaced the stone, and knocked a few times, Horo said this to Lawrence in the darkness that surrounded them. From back above came the weak sounds of a horse neighing. Lawrence listened while pondering furiously over how to smoothly change the topic; but in the end felt that no matter what he said, Horo would end up dominating him anyway, so he might as well surrender obediently.

"You really are too cunning."

"But the me like this is cute, is it not!" Horo said, as if it was inevitable that she would do so. How would Lawrence retort?

No! It's because I think of how to retort, that I fall into her trap, Lawrence thought, and as a result picked the most unexpected answer. He decided to first make Horo's heart waver, and then make fun of her.

So he coughed lightly.

And then turned so his back back faced Horo, and said in a shy tone:

"Erm...yes...it is cute."

Lawrence felt that Horo definitely did not think he would answer like this.

He tried his best not to laugh in the pitch black darkness. As expected, Horo followed him in silence.

Now I'll attack her with the most painful strike.

Just as Lawrence wanted to turn to face Horo, as soft feeling slipped into his hand. Lawrence's mind went blank for a moment, and in the next he realized the feeling was Horo's small, tender hand.

"...I am so happy."

Upon hearing those slightly shy and spoiled, maiden-like words, how could Lawrence's heart not waver? Furthermore, Horo squeezed his hand even tighter. That was the reaction she had gotten from feeling embarrassed.

So, the one who dealt the final blow was Horo.

"You really are a cute boy."

Hearing Horo's words, laced with a tone as if she could not bear Lawrence anymore, made Lawrence even angrier. He was not angry at Horo who said those words, but at himself for giving her the chance to do so. But, having no intention of pushing Horo's hand aside made Lawrence feel useless. And Horo not letting go also made him feel him happy.

Even so, Lawrence still said to himself:

"Just too cunning."

The underground was silent.

And then it was filled with Horo's laughter. 

Chapter 6

All of a sudden, Horo stopped in her tracks. But the reason was not because a rat at her feet let out a frightened squeak as it ran away.

In the darkness where he could not even see his fingers of his outstretched hand, Lawrence turned towards Horo. He would not lose Horo's direction since he was, up till now, still holding onto her hand.

"What's the matter?"

"Don't you feel the air moving slightly?"

Although Lawrence was unsure where exactly in the city the two of them were, he started noting the smell of fresh water from just a while ago. Hence, he guessed they should be near the marketplace. Although the situation was not very specific, Lawrence at least knew that they were quite far away from the rivers that flowed parallel to the city. Because of this, it was not difficult to tell that there were countless people and horses moving above them. Then the air moving would be an obvious fact.

"Is it coming from above?"

As Horo spoke, Lawrence could feel her scanning the surroundings. Yet, this was a one-way passage.

"It would be clearer if I had whiskers..."

"Maybe you're just being paranoid?"

"No...there. There's a sound. This sound...water? It's the sound of water splashing..."

Lawrence's eyes widened. He had a gut feeling they were here to capture them.

"The sounds are coming from in front. This will not do, we must retreat."

Before Horo could speak, Lawrence turned around and ran. Horo too, followed behind anxiously.

"Is this a one-way path?"

"The path we were on just now is a one-way path. Somewhere along the way we are heading now is a branch, however. Once we enter that, it's a complex maze."

"Even I do not have the confidence that I will not get lost...oh?"

Horo had not finished before she stopped in her tracks again. Her sudden halt caused their two holding hands to separate, and Lawrence to stumble as a result. He anxiously walked back. Horo seemed to be facing his back this time.

"Cover your ears."

"What's the matter now?"

"We will be captured even if we run. They have let the dogs out."

If this was being pursued by experienced hounds, all would be over now. Just like Horo's crystal clear vision in this pitch black darkness, the hounds could also rely on their sharp senses of smell and sound to strike accurately. Lawrence and his companion had no weapons to confront the dogs, at most the silver dagger Lawrence wore at his waist. However, Lawrence also had a partner similar to a hound, and that partner was Horo. Horo the Wise.

"Hehe, their barking sounds quite stupid," Horo said, after which Lawrence did hear the soft barking sounds approaching.

Perhaps it was only the echo. But from the overlapping barking sounds, Lawrence determined there were two or more of those hounds.

What was Horo actually planning to do now?

"If the dogs are too stupid and cannot understand, then it will have gone to waste...either way, just cover your ears."

Lawrence did as Horo said and covered his ears. He could guess what Horo was going to do: howl.

"Hoo-"

The sound of inhaling continued for quite some time, and one could not help but wonder how Horo was able to take in so much air with that petite body of hers. After a brief pause, the entire passage resonated with a wolf's howl, that was so loud it could make any cow on the land fall down.

"Auuuu-!"

The force and power that the sound carried, was enough to shake the skin on one's face, so much that one could not help but think the underground passage was about to collapse. As Lawrence heard the valiant and strong wolf howl, as if it could cause his liver to shatter into pieces, he forgot in its midst that the howl was Horo's, plugged his ears for his life, and curled up his body.

Lawrence recalled the experience he had being chased by a pack of wolves in the mountains and across the prairies: An uncountable pack of wolves would not just know terrain extremely well, but also possessed muscles that no human could match up to. All these factors came together and attacked. And the wolf's howl was the omen before this attack. It was also because of this that when some villages were experiencing an epidemic, all the villagers would imitate a wolf's howl to drive it away.

"Cough...cough...throat...my throat..."

Once the roaring sound stopped, and the lingering sound that was like thunder had subsided, Lawrence removed the hands that covered his ears, and discovered Horo coughing in the darkness. Of course, if such a small throat were to produce such a loud sound, that would be the result. But, there was no water for her to drink.

"I want to eat...an apple...cough!"

"Next time you may eat as many as you please. What about those hounds?"

"They wedged their tails between their legs and ran for it."

"Then we should get going too. Since they heard the sound, they must know we're here."

"Do you know the way?"

"I suppose."

As Lawrence prepared to step out, he turned to Horo and stretched out his left hand, which she proceeded to grab. After Lawrence confirmed Horo had taken his hand, he started to run. Just then, his ears pricked up at the distant sounds of humans raving.

"But how did we get discovered?"

"They probably knew we were here from the start. Or perhaps it was because they could not find us on the surface, so they infiltrated the underground passage and met us by coincidence."

"Is that so?"

"If they knew we were here all along, then wouldn't we be attacked from...both...sides?"

"I see, that does make sense."

Both Lawrence and Horo then hear unclear voices coming from straight ahead, and then saw a weak ray of light penetrating into the dark passage. That was where they had first descended into the underground passage. In all of Lawrence's life, he had not the slightest bit of hope that the Milone Company had come to rescue them. Just like the reaction one would have from pouring cold water down one's head, Lawrence took a quick a breath, and quickened his pace.

Hasty voices echoed down the passage:

"The Milone Company has betrayed you! There's no use in running now!"

As if they were avoiding the voices, Lawrence and his companion turned into the fork in the path, and again from behind them came similar words. The situation had come to this - No matter where they ran they would still hear the same words. Although Lawrence continued running along without any further heed for them, Horo seemed uneasy as she said:

"Looks like we have been betrayed."

"Probably for a high price. Because no matter what, as long as you're here, the least that will happen is that the Milone Company branch in this city is going down."

"...I see. That really is quite a high price to pay."

If Lawrence and Horo were really betrayed. Then, the only decision Marhait could make would have been to use the Milone Company as a factor in the exchange. If Marhait did make this decision, it meant that he planned to embezzle the company's money and after it collapsed, escape to a faraway place. But Lawrence did not think that something like this would happen in a company as big as the Milone Company. Neither did he think that Marhait would think he could run away from the company. Which also meant that this was a lie - fabricated on the spot by the other party. But to someone inexperienced like Horo, it had its uses.

Although Horo nodded her head as if she understood completely upon hearing Lawrence's reply, the grip she put on Lawrence's hand got slightly tighter. In order to clear her uneasiness, Lawrence squeezed her hand as he said:

"Alright, make a right here..."

"Hold on."

Without waiting for Horo to repeat herself, Lawrence immediately halted once he had turned the corner. From the other end of the slightly winding underground passage, a swaying lamp light could be seen, and a voice went "There they are!".

Lawrence immediately clenched Horo's hand, and ran back on the path they came from. The two men who spotted them also broke into a hasty run, but Lawrence had long stopped listening to their footsteps.

"You, do you know where you're going?"

"I know, don't worry," Lawrence's tone became very impetuous as he replied, not because he was breathing faster, but because even when he was faced with this tangled and complicated maze, he could only remember the Milone Company telling him about the passage in between the entrance and the exit. So saying he knew the way was not a lie, but it was not the truth either. If he could remember where, after crossing how many junctions, to turn right and where next to turn left, then it would be the truth. But if he got any one part of it wrong, it would become a lie.

An illusion that his mind had gone blank rushed forth into Lawrence's mind. It was just as if his mind had heard the sound of a group of mice running away like a gust of wind that shook the trees in the forest, and also as if he had stumbled over a collapsed stone wall. To traveling merchants who had to remember by heart sums of money they were due to receive, or debts that they had to pay, they were fairly confident of their memory. Yet, Lawrence's confidence in being able to find a way through this route, soon vanished after he had proclaimed it.

Because this underground passage was just too complex.

"Yet another dead end."

After turning right at the T-intersection, and advancing for a short distance, was the end of the road. Lawrence, whose breaths were hurried, could not help but kick at the wall. Although his actions clearly showed his worried feelings, Horo, who was also breathing hurriedly like him, also unconsciously increased the grip she held Lawrence's hand with.

It looked as if the Medioh Company felt it necessary to capture the two of them. They had sent out quite a number of people. Of course, this was speculating from the echoing raves and footsteps. The echoes in the passage were so excessive, even Horo could not make out the exact number of people. As such, under these excessively worried feelings, and the footsteps that they heard, could make Lawrence and his companion think that it was as if a large army of ants were after their lives.

"Damn it. Better head back. I can't remember any more of the road after this."

If they avoided going forward any further, and the memories which Lawrence led the road by were wrong, then they would never be saved. Although Lawrence's memory of the path was slightly hazy at this point in time, seeing Horo nod in agreement, he did not say it out because he did not want her to feel insecure.

"Can you still run?"

Lawrence had all along been proud that he was a strong and healthy traveling merchant, and despite his breaths getting faster, he continued to run. Yet, Horo could only move her head to answer. Perhaps in her human form, Horo was unable to move about as efficiently as with her wolf form.

"More or less," said Horo in between her gasps for air.

"Let's find somewhere to..."

Lawrence had originally wanted to finish with the word 'rest', but because he met with Horo's glance, he swallowed his word, almost before it came out.

Horo's pupils glowed in the midst of the darkness. Those were the eyes of a wolf, scanning its surroundings dead quietly in the eerily dark forest. Because someone like Horo was his partner, Lawrence felt relieved. He pricked up his ears, and dampened his breaths.

Patter, patter. The sounds of the other party's cautiously advancing footsteps came from nearby. From Lawrence's right, one would meet with a junction as one advanced. The footsteps were most likely coming from one of the directions towards this junction. The path Lawrence and Horo were taking at first was now right behind them. As long as they returned to it, there were multiple junctions whichever way they turned. The plan was to wait for a chance to run back to the road, and then run into another fork. Lawrence pulled Horo's hand gently forward, signaling to her to prepare to run. He then felt Horo nod her head gently.

Patter, patter. The footsteps gradually got closer. Although a wall separated them from the sounds, it still could make one worry. But the Medioh Company's henchmen seemed to be purposely making these sounds incessantly, as they used talked in their own code. Lawrence could not help but feel that he and Horo had already fallen into the the other party's trap. All the other party had to do now was throw a net and the job would be done. Lawrence gulped with his throat in pain, and prepared to run at the next available opportunity. That would probably be when the Medioh Company's people yelled out loud.

Lawrence did not need to pray for this for long.

"Ah, ah..."

Quick breathing sounds came from the same direction as the footsteps. Someone was about to sneeze. Lawrence figured this was the miracle sound God gave to him. He squeezed Horo's hand tight.

"Choo!"

From the soft sneezing voice, it could be determined that the other party was probably aware of it, and tried his best to over his mouth to dampen the sound. Yet, it's volume was still sufficient for Lawrence and his companion to flee quietly. After Lawrence and Horo ran out, they turned left into the very first fork.

At this point, shadows swept past their eyes. After hearing what was most likely Horo's low growling, Lawrence realized it was not the silhouette of a rat.

"Aaaaaah!"

"Hey! Damn, over there! Over there!"

In the darkness, Lawrence made out the silhouette of someone short like a child moving about, and immediately after, felt a warm feeling at the left side of his face. Upon touching it, he felt a sticky feeling in his hands and realized he had been cut by a dagger. When Lawrence discovered that silhouettes had surrounded them, and realized too that it was actually Horo who bit on the other party's arm which held the dagger, he had already lost himself and shot his fist out.

Traveling merchants had to, at times, carry luggage heavier than their own weight over mountains and across the prairies. Hence, their fists were harder than silver coins.

Lawrence tightened his right fist, and with all his strength, threw it into the air, hitting the yelling man, whose arm Horo had just bit, in the jaw. A loathing sound, as if a frog had been just squished, descended upon Lawrence's fist. He extended his other hand towards Horo, grabbed her shirt and pulled her towards himself. The silhouette who had been hit fell to the ground. Lawrence did not even have the time to say anything. He just ran in the opposite direction in a bid to find another path.

Yet, not after long, Lawrence then realized the other party did not sneeze by accident. It was part of the plan to trap him and Horo. Boom! After that attack, Lawrence felt as if the blood all over his body was going against its own flow. Retreating backwards, and in that moment he was about to turn around, a dagger was raised at Lawrence's body.

"Oh god! Please forgive my sins."

Upon hearing this, Lawrence was sure the other party wanted to kill him. In fact, the other party held his breath in concentration for the chance to attack, thinking that he would definitely kill Lawrence.

Yet, God did not abandon Lawrence. The dagger went into Lawrence's left upper arm.

"Repenting for your previous sins..." said Lawrence, as he raised his leg, and delivered a kick up the man's thighs.

"Repent for your habits before your sins!"

Lawrence kicked the man away, who passed about without a sound, used his right hand to grab Horo's shoulder and started to run again. The approaching footsteps of the Medioh Company's henchmen were heard by the two. Lawrence and his companion turned into the left junction, and immediately turned right after that. Yet, this was not some plan Lawrence had, or that he still remembered the way to go. All he thought of was running for his life. The situation now caused him to be unable to stop. His left arm seemed as if it was getting heavier and sinking into a swamp, and also seemed as if it was burning like a red hot metal bar being thrust into the flames. Yet, his palm was ice cold, probably due to the fact that the blood was continuously flowing out of his arm. From the current situation, they had most likely run for quite long. Lawrence had been hurt quite often in his travels, so he could roughly tell what his limits were.

Lawrence continued running for his life, and not knowing how long he had run for, in his gradually blurring consciousness, and the intertwining echoes of the angry voices and footsteps, it was as if a downpour had started in the middle of the night in a prairie. This thought kept pressing into Lawrence's mind. Once these sounds gradually faded away from Lawrence's consciousness, he not only had no more strength residing in him to take Horo into consideration, he was not even certain how long more his body could hold.

"Lawrence."

Upon hearing someone shout out his name, Lawrence thought his time had come.

"Lawrence, are you alright?"

Lawrence regained his senses. It was only then he realized his whole body was leaning on a stone wall.

"Phew, thank goodness. I called you quite a few times, but you had no response."

"...Oh...I'm fine, just a bit tired."

Lawrence tried to show a smile, but he did not even know if it succeeded. Horo hit Lawrence's head rather angrily as she said:

"Get a hold of yourself, just a bit more and we will have reached."

"...where?"

"Didn't you hear me just say that I smelt the sun and that somewhere there was an exit up to the surface?"

"Oh, mm."

Although this had no impact, Lawrence nodded in response. He removed himself from the wall, stretched his body, and was just about to set off again when he realized his arm had unknowingly been bandaged by a piece of cloth.

"...this cloth?"

"I tore out my sleeves to use as a gauze. Even this you did not know?"

"No, I knew, it's nothing."

This time Lawrence answered with a smile, so Horo did not say anything in return. It was just that when they were heading forward, it was Horo who led the way.

"Just a bit more. We will head down this path and then turn right at the end..." Horo said as she pulled Lawrence's hand and turned repeatedly, but stopped in the middle of her sentence. Lawrence was very sure of her reason for this: Footsteps could be heard coming from behind.

"Faster, faster," Horo hurried him with a hoarse voice. Lawrence used the last of his strength and widened his pace. Although the position from which the footsteps came from were very close, upon listening again, there was still quite a distance. As long as they could climb out to the surface, and with Lawrence's wounded condition, they would likely be able to convince the citizens to help them.

As such, Lawrence presumed the Medioh Company henchmen would also be unwilling to cause a disturbance under so many eyes. As long as they took advantage of this time to contact the Milone Company, and then letting Horo escape would be good enough. The important thing now was to contact the Milone Company, and draw up a new plan. As Lawrence was thinking this, he continued dragging his body, now seemingly as heavy as a boulder, forward, and finally saw the light Horo was talking about.

The light seemed to shine from the right and all the way down towards the left. The footsteps also got closer and closer. However, if they continued like this, they might still have a chance to escape successfully. Horo pulled hard on Lawrence's right arm to hurry him along. Lawrence, too, tried his best to keep up. The two finally turned right at the end.

And at the farthest end of the passage, they saw a bright ray of light.

"This will take us back up, just a little more and we will have reached it."

Horo's energetic voice seemed to encourage Lawrence, who pressed on forward.

Looks like the prey wins this hunting match by a small margin, Lawrence thought.

Before Horo cried out, that was.

"How can this be..."

Lawrence raised his head upon hearing her voice, which seemed as if it was crying.

Even if he were to lower his head, the eyes accustomed to the dark still felt the rays of light piercing into them. hence Lawrence was unable to blink for a while after raising his head. Once his eyes had gotten used to the light, he understood what had happened.

In front of him was a well that was no longer in use, perhaps built when the underground waterways were available. The light came in from the round hole on top. Yet, the sky above the well opening looked so out of reach from the underground passage. Lawrence straightened his body and stretched out his hands, which barely touched the ceiling, but the well opening was even higher than that. In a situation where they did not have a rope or ladder, the two of them were unable to climb out of the hole. Just like the loansharks who were forlorn over the distance between heaven and them, Lawrence and Horo were silent.

And then, the footsteps which Lawrence believed were that of two people reaching the end finally turned the corner.

"Found them!"

After the two of them heard the shout, they could only turn around. Horo raised her head to look at Lawrence, who used his primary right hand to pull out the dagger at his waist, and slowly placed it in front of Horo.

"Back up."

Lawrence initially wanted to stand a little more in front, but his two legs seemed as if they had lost all the strength in them, thus rendering him unable to move.

"Your body cannot take it any more."

"Nonsense, I'm fine."

Although Lawrence could somehow say so in a relaxed manner, he did not have the strength to look back at Horo.

"Even others' ears can tell that this is a blatant lie," said Horo angrily. But Lawrence ignored her, and looked straight in front.

From a glance, Lawrence saw five of the Medioh Company's henchmen, each holding a knife or a stick in their hand. Besides that, there were sounds of footsteps approaching from behind. Yet, the men did not immediately close in despite the overwhelming advantage they had, and instead just watched Lawrence and his companion from a distance. Although they guessed that the men were waiting for backup, but against Lawrence and his companion, the five of them were more than enough. After all, Lawrence was unskilled in battle, and Horo was just a weak girl.

Even so, the men did not advance. A lot of footsteps finally turned the corner, and the original five turned to give way.

"Ah."

Horo could not help but call out as she saw who turned the corner. Lawrence, too, almost called out.

The person was none other than Yarei.

"When I heard the report and description, I thought perhaps it could be you. But I didn't think that it would really be you, Lawrence."

Unlike the residents who lived happily and peacefully within the protection of the city walls, and different from the traveling merchants, covered all over in dirt and sweat, running about in all directions, Yarei was clad in the colors of the earth and sun, and showed a remorseful expression as he walked up to them.

"I, too, got a shock. To think that the village of Pasroe, whose inhabitants can only think of a sickle and hoe upon mention of metal, would actually be involved in this arrogant and enormous silver coin deal.

"The villagers who know of this deal are few."

Yarei spoke as if he was not a villager, but one could understand his action from the clothes he wore. Just by seeing the colors and fabric of the clothes, one could tell how close his relations were with the Medioh Company. For the clothes he wore could never be bought by a farmer's lifetime wages.

"We'll have to find another opportunity to talk, time's wasting."

"You're being too cold, Yarei. I even went to the village, but had no chance to meet with you."

"Rather, you met someone else, right?"

Yarei shifted his Horo who was behind Lawrence, and continued:

"Although I don't dare believe, she bears too much similarity with the one mentioned in the legends. The one who stayed for a long time in the village's wheat fields. The incarnation of the wolf, who could control the harvest at her will."

Although he knew Horo had curled up her body slightly, Lawrence did not turn back.

"Hand the girl over to us! We want to bring her to the Church, and bid farewell to our old era."

Yarei took a step forward, and said:

"Lawrence. As long as we have that girl, we can topple the Milone Company. If we take the repealing of the taxes into account, out village's wheat can produce the greatest profit. To us wheat merchants who deal in the village, it's the same theory. No other item can make more money than one that is not taxed."

When Yarei had moved within two paces of them, Horo grabbed onto Lawrence's shirt. Even though he could not stand properly, he could still feel her trembling hands.

"Lawrence. From the time you were willing to buy our unfavorable wheat, all the villagers have been in gratitude. It wouldn't be too hard to give you the privilege to buy this wheat now. Moreover, with the friendship between the two of us, it will be even less trouble. I say, Lawrence, since you are a merchant, you should at least know how to calculate profit and loss right?"

Bit by bit, Yarei's words slowly sunk into Lawrence's mind. An untaxed wheat would be as if gold had grown on its grains. As long as he accepted Yarei's proposal, Lawrence believed his fortune would definitely increase continuously. After accumulating enough money, perhaps he could start his own shop in Pattio. And as such, using the priority he had over the Pasroe wheat as his main weapon, he would expand his business one step at a time.

Yarei's words did bring unbounded dreams.

"Of course I know how to calculate profit and loss."

"Oh, Lawrence."

Yarei's expression became open, as he spread his hands out. Horo tightened her grip on Lawrence's shirt. Lawrence used the bit of strength he had stored to turn around. Horo raised her head in response and looked at him. Her amber eyes showed sadness as they looked intently at him, following which they shut.

Lawrence then slowly turned to face the front once again.

"However, keeping a contract is the first rule a good businessman should always have."

"Lawrence?" Yarei questioned in a suspicious tone. Lawrence continued:

"Under various circumstances, this strange girl I have picked up wishes to travel to the North. I have already signed a contract with her stating that we will travel together. Yarei, I'm afraid that revoking this contract is something I simply cannot do."

"You..."

Hearing Horo's shocked voice, Lawrence stared straight at Yarei.

Yarei shook his head in disbelief, sighed deeply, and then raised his head to say:

"Well then, I can only execute my contract."

Yarei raised his right hand, and the Medioh Company henchmen who were originally watching in silence, took out their weapons.

"Lawrence, I'm afraid our friendship didn't last for long."

"A traveling merchant cannot run when the time comes to part."

"I don't care if you kill the man, but bring the girl back to me, alive!" said Yarei as if he was judging the two of them, after which the Medioh Company henchmen drew slowly forward towards them.

Lawrence gripped the dagger in his right hand tightly, but was unable to move his feet. If only he could buy a bit more time, the Milone Company would perhaps be able to come in and save them. Holding on to such a hope, Lawrence brandished his dagger in this difficult situation he was in.

Just then, Horo hugged him with her tiny arms.

"Eh, Horo, what are you doing?"

Horo's tiny arms held Lawrence tight, and then pulled his body down to the ground. Although Lawrence was wondering where Horo got that strength from, he figured his body itself had probably lost the strength to resist. In fact, Horo seemed as if she had no way to take his weight, so it was as if Lawrence had fallen backwards. The dagger flew out of Lawrence's hand as he fell. Wanting to get back on his feet to retrieve it, Lawrence could not do so. He could not even summon the strength to control his outstretched arm, his body lying facing the ground.

"Horo...pick up the dagger for me."

"That is enough."

"Horo?"

Horo did not heed him, and put her hand on the fallen Lawrence's arm.

"This might hurt, please bear with it."

"What..."

Without waiting for Lawrence to finish, Horo undid the cloth bound around Lawrence's arm, put her nose to the open wound and took a sniff. It was then Lawrence realized. He recalled the conversation he had with Horo when they first met. Back then, he had requested Horo transform to prove to him that she was a real wolf.

And to him Horo naturally replied:

Transforming would need a reagent, which could be wheat...

Or fresh blood.

"What are you waiting for? Get them!" came Yarei's voice. The Medioh Company henchmen returned to their senses after stopping due to Horo's strange action, picked up their weapons and drew closer.

Right after that, Horo shut her eyes, bared from behind her lips her two sharp fangs, and plunged them into Lawrence's wound.

"She, she's sucking his blood!" came the shout.

Horo opened her eyes slightly upon hearing this, and glanced at Lawrence.

Seeing Horo's remorseful smile, Lawrence knew he could not even show any expression in return.

Sucking blood was something only a demon would do.

"No retreating! She's just a possessed girl! Take her!"

Even Yarei's shout was unable to force the men into moving any further.

Horo slowly removed her lips from Lawrence's arm, because her transformation had already begun.

"I will..."

Her long hair swished about as it became fur that obviously was not human. The arm that came out of the torn sleeve, also gradually became that of a beast's.

"...remember that the one you finally chose was me. Forever."

She did not use her hand, but her fiery red tongue, to clear the blood at the corner of her mouth. That scene permanently embedded itself in Lawrence's mind.

"You."

Horo stood up and faced Lawrence, her face still carrying the same sad smile. At long last, she gently said:

"Do not look anymore."

Horo's entire body expanded upwards in a very short span of time, and following the sound of fabric tearing, brown fur seemingly exploded out from behind it. The pouch filled with wheat dropped in the midst of this fabric tearing uncontrollably.

Recalling that she lived in the wheat, Lawrence stretched his hand towards the pouch, almost as if it were a reflex action. And just as he raised his head after doing so, in front of him stood a gigantic wolf.

The wolf who had suddenly appeared shook its head as if it had awoken from a deep slumber, and stepped on the ground a few times, to confirm the state of its body. On its paw were claws as sharp as sickles. The enormous teeth which protruded out were big enough such that every single one of them could be clearly made out. It's mouth looked easily able to swallow one man at a time.

The sheer size of the wolf caused the surrounding air to become still. The warmth it gave out seemed able to melt anything that got near it. Yet, its eyes were extremely calm and clear.
We're done for, was probably the one thing all the people had on their minds.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

Shortly after one of them yelled out, everyone at the scene dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. Two of them who had likely been overcome by fear even threw their weapons at the wolf. The gigantic wolf skillfully and vigorously used its mouth to pick up the weapons, and effortlessly crushed them with a single bite.

This was a god.

In the northern countries, a god was described as something that a human could not deal with.

Before this, Lawrence did not understand why such a comparison was used. But he did now.

It could not be dealt with, this wolf was really uncontrollable.

"Oof!"

"Oh"

The two who threw their weapons could only come up with those sounds. One might have even been wary of whether or not they were sounds.

They were swept away with the wolf's humongous front paw, and hit the wall. That was probably the sound a frog made when it got stepped on and squished.

Next, the wolf ran along the ground as if it were sliding on it.

You wait here. Do not think for a second you can crawl out of here alive by yourself, a rough and low voice sounded, following which came the sound of claw against metal, and a sudden cry out. Lawrence tried his best to support his body up, and chase after. Yet, the tragedy was over in the blink of an eye.

The wolf paused, and what was perhaps the last man spoke:

"God, god is always like that. Never...never understanding."

That was Yarei's voice.

There was no reply. In its place was the sound of a gigantic mouth opening. Lawrence could not help but yell:

"Don't do it, Horo!"

Kachunk. That was probably, too, from the gigantic mouth.

An image of the top half of Yarei's body being eaten up could not help but come to Lawrence's mind. No matter what the case, he did not think Yarei had even the slightest chance of escaping. he was like a bird who was the target of a hound, with no chance to take to the skies.

Yet, after a period of silence, Horo gently turned around in the narrow passage. Her mouth was not strewn with blood. But, the exhausted Yarei had fainted, hanging from her teeth.

"Horo..." Lawrence called her name out, and at the same time heaved a sigh of relief. Horo threw Yarei to the ground, but her glance did not shift to Lawrence.

She only said this one sentence.

Bring me the wheat.

Upon hearing the low voice which match that gigantic build, Lawrence had a fright, and for a moment curled up his body. Although he clearly knew it was Horo, he still could not acknowledge it as her. If he was even looked at by Horo in this form, Lawrence did not know if could even keep his rationality then.

Since this wolf was meant to be revered.

Bring me the wheat.

Upon hearing the same words, Lawrence nodded his head as if he understood, and was about to hand over the pouch in his hand.

Just then, something suddenly came to Lawrence's mind, and an ominous premonition descended upon his heart.

""What are you going to do with it?"

Upon hearing Lawrence's question, Horo stayed silent for a while, and suddenly stepped out with her front leg. In that moment, Lawrence felt something heavy coming down on him, and could not help but free himself from it. But when he saw that Horo's mouth with her large set of teeth had become slightly twisted, he realized his previous action was completely wrong.

That is the answer, now hand me the wheat.

Although Lawrence knew that Horo intended to leave with the wheat, her words seemed to carry a big force along with it, which caused him to unconsciously stretch out his arm. Yet, his body did not have the strength to control his arm, or to even hold on to the small pouch. The pouch then fell from Lawrence's suspended arm, and the arm itself came down to the ground shortly after. Lawrence could not even summon the strength to pick the pouch back up.

He could only look at it with a desperate expression on his face.

Thank you for taking care of me, said Horo, as she walked closer to him, and using her enormous mouth, ingeniously picked up the pouch his hand had dropped.

The amber eyes did not even look at Lawrence till the very end. After Horo took two or three steps back, she turned around again ingeniously, and started to leave. The white fur Horo wore at the tip of her proud tail, made it shine into Lawrence's eyes. The orderly fur hung down pathetically, and swayed about as she gradually walked further and further away.

All of a sudden, Lawrence yelled out. Although what his voice produced did not seemed like a yell, he used all his remaining strength to do so.

"Wa-wait!"

Even so, Horo did not as much as hesitate a single step.

Lawrence hated himself for resisting when Horo stepped out with her front legs. She had said so many times, that she hated people looking at her in fear. Yet, Lawrence's body was afraid of her by reflex. When faced with an entity that no human could deal with; clearly a Horo in another form of life, it could only tremble and cower in fear. Despite all of this, Lawrence was still unwilling to give up. Despite all of this, he still wished Horo could return to him.

"Horo!" he shouted in a hoarse voice.

Is it of no use? thought Lawrence, but Horo stopped at that very moment.

He could only take this chance now. He had this one chance to think of how to make Horo change her mind, or he would never see her again.

But what should I say? Many words appeared and then disappeared in Lawrence's mind.

If he wanted to say that he was not afraid of her, it would not be in the least bit convincing. Because up till now, Lawrence was still afraid of Horo. Even so, Lawrence still hoped that he could make Horo stay, but he just could not find the words to express his intertwining and contradicting moods. However, Lawrence continued to think furiously. From his vocabulary which Horo sneered at and called incompetent, he struggled to put together the words which he thought would make her stay.

"How...how much do you think the clothes you've destroyed cost?"

Was what he put together and said at last.

"I don't care if you're a god or whatever...you have to compensate me. And the seventy coins you earned are far from enough."

Lawrence tried to put on an angry expression. No, half of it was real, because he was angry at himself for saying those words. Lawrence felt that Horo would not as much as turn even if he begged her to stay now. Hence, Lawrence felt that even if he was afraid of her in that body, he had only one reason for her to stay, and that was this situation.

The grudges a merchant bore towards money were deeper than a valley. And a merchant who demanded a debt be repaid to him was more persistent than the bright moon in the night sky.

In order to get this meaning across, Lawrence shouted his words with much hatred. What he was telling Horo was not that he wanted to stop her from leaving, but that leaving was no use.

"How many years do you think I've saved up...just to buy those clothes? I will chase you down...I will chase you all the way into the Northern Forest!" shouted Lawrence. His voice echoed softly through the passage, and finally faded away.

Horo originally stood in the distance quietly. But her huge tail moved all of a sudden.

Will she turn around?

Lawrence had used up all his remaining strength and as such lost control of his body and fell to the ground. But the feeling of impatient expectation he got made him tense until he almost could not breathe.

Yet, Horo started to walk again.

Thump, thump. Horo's footsteps sounded through the passage as she walked on.

Lawrence found his vision blurring up.

I'm not crying, I'm slowly sinking into the bottomless abyss that is my consciousness, Lawrence thought with all his might. 

Final Chapter

In the darkness where he could not see his five fingers outstretched Lawrence stood, unaware of where he was, or what he was doing. The darkness obviously surrounded him from all directions. Yet Lawrence could clearly make out his body.

How can this be? Lawrence thought. All of a sudden, something shot past the corner of his eye.

He turned towards its direction by reflex, but there was nothing to be found. Although he concluded that perhaps he was being paranoid, after shutting his eyes and rubbing them, the thing shot past the corner of his eye yet again.

A flame? Lawrence thought initially, and he looked towards where it had supposedly went. Then he saw what that it was.

It was a brown object, swinging left and right. Lawrence squinted his eyes to get a better look at it, and finally realized that it was not a flame. It was fur. A long clump of brown fur swinging about.

The tip of this fur was white in color.

At this point, Lawrence's eyes widened, and after he gasped in surprise, he ran forward at full speed.

That fur, white colored at its tip.

That's Horo! That's Horo's tail! There's no mistaking it! shouted Lawrence as he desperately chased after the continuously swaying tail, which gradually got further and further away from his sight.

Yet, no sound came out of his mouth. And the distance between her tail and him did not get any shorter. As his footsteps gradually got heavier, making him feel impatient, he clenched his teeth, and knowing it was useless, still stretched out his right hand.

And then, all of a sudden, Horo's tail vanished from sight.

Following which, a familiar room's ceiling appeared in front of Lawrence's eyes.

"Oh!"

Upon abruptly sitting up, a sudden pain shot up Lawrence's arm, causing him to shout uncontrollably. Although for a moment he was unclear as to what was happening, the pain brought back all his memories.

The memory of the Medioh Company chasing after him. The memory of his arm being hurt. The memory of being cornered by her pursuers.

And, the memory of Horo leaving.

As he finally remembered the gradually fading sight of her tail swaying about sadly, Lawrence could not help but sigh deeply.

Don't tell me I couldn't have said something more suitable, thought Lawrence with his mind, encased within a body that had difficulty even sitting up. Compared to this remorse, the uncertainty of where he was exactly was like dust, and not important at all.

"Are you awake?"

Lawrence turned towards the direction from which the voice suddenly came. From the opposite end of the room, Marhait's figure appeared from the opening door.

"Is your wound better?"

Marhait walked to Lawrence, with some documents in his hand, and opened the window beside Lawrence's bed.

"Yes...thank you, it is much better."

A cool and refreshing breeze blew into the open window, and with it brought the clamor and noise of the voices outside. Lawrence hence knew that this was a room within the Milone Company.

Which meant that Lawrence had been saved by the Milone Company from the passage.

"I apologize profusely for our incompetence, which has caused you to have met with more danger."

"No, the original cause for all this was my partner."

Hearing Lawrence's words, Marhait put on a difficult expression as he nodded his head. Following which, after finding the right words, Marhait slowly opened his mouth and said:

"We are very fortunate that we weren't discovered by the Church, and that the commotion occurred in the underground passage. If the church had seen your partner's true form...not just the branch, perhaps our entire company would be executed at the stake."

Upon hearing that, Lawrence gave a shocked reply:

"You saw her true form?"

"I did. The people who came to rescue you told me that although they had found you, a giant wolf said that it would not hand you over, Mr. Lawrence, unless I showed myself."

Marhait had no reason to lie. Then that would have meant that after Lawrence had lost consciousness, Horo returned to his side.

"Th-then, where's Horo now?"

"She has gone to the marketplace. Your partner is an impatient one. She said she needed to prepare for the journey ahead," Marhait said, rather relaxed as he did not know the real fact behind it. But to Lawrence, this meant that Horo was preparing to set off on her own.

She should already be on the road back to the North, thought Lawrence. he felt as if a big hole had been made in his heart, but adversely felt that he could give up thoroughly like this.

Being able to know Horo, was already a stranger encounter than normal. And his time with her was only these few short days.

I'll just take these few days to be a dream. Perhaps it won't be so hard to bear then, Lawrence told himself. He then returned to his businessman's mindframe so as not to change his mind.

Other than mentioning Horo, Marhait's words still carried with them something important.

"You said that Horo had gone off the the marketplace. Does that mean the deal with the Medioh Company has been successful?"

"Indeed it has. The subordinates dispatched to the kingdom of Trenni returned early this morning, and have successfully completed the deal with the king. We have already obtained the privileges that the Medioh Company sought after so desperately. Using these privileges as bait, we started talks with the Medioh Company. They have also grasped the situation, and have admitted defeat. You could say everything has been going smoothly," came Marhait's proud reply.

"I see. That's wonderful...but this also means that I've been sleeping throughout the day?"

"Hm? Indeed, indeed you have. Ah, it's just slightly past noon, and the kitchen fires haven't been put out yet, so would you like something to eat, Mr. Lawrence? Something warm, perhaps?"

"No, thank you, it's fine. Instead, could you please tell me the details of the deal?"

"Alright, understood."

It was very like someone of the south to always offer food to his guests, and this behavior perplexed Lawrence. If he was a citizen here, Lawrence presumed he would be insisted into eating the food."

"The total coins we have collected amounts to three hundred and seven thousand, two hundred and two. The king intends to drastically lower the silver content in these, so he has agreed to pay an amount equal to three hundred and fifty thousand coins."

This was indeed a sum that could make one giddy. However, Lawrence was not shocked by the numbers, and was instead counting the profit he would probably make.

According to the contract, the profit he would get was five percent of the total earned by the Milone Company. Lawrence approximated this to be about two thousand coins. With this money, Lawrence's dream of having his own shop could now be realized.

"According to our contract with you, the amount we owe you is five percent of our total profit from this venture. Is that right?"

Lawrence nodded his head upon hearing Marhait's words, and Marhait nodded back in reply. Following which, he presented a slip of paper to Lawrence.

"Please confirm this."

Marhait's words did not reach Lawrence.

Because the number written on the slip Marhait handed over to him was unbelievable.

"This...is?"

"One hundred and twenty silver coins. Five percent of our total profit."

Marhait's words hit Lawrence.

Yet, Lawrence could not get angry over this. This was because of the reason why the profit he thought he would receive had decreased to such a small amount written on the document.

"The costs in transporting the coins, the fare we had to pay when the king paid us, the taxes that accompanied the coins, and the processing fee with the contract...All these were the idea of the king's financial advisers. They calculated that although they had no choice but the hand over the privileges, they still wanted to earn back some of their loss.

Just by looking at the details of this deal, one could tell that the king had ingeniously exploited his position, and made a plan to attempt to take his money back from the Milone Company. He not only demanded the Milone Company pay for the costs of transportation and collection of the coins, he even advocated a way that did not utilize remittance, and instead made them pay for the expenses upfront using his silver coins. The transporting cost the most at ten thousand coins; which included horses, porters, and guards as well as personnel who looked after the coins. Furthermore, the king even used a contract he had signed required for naming the manufacturing costs, to extort an astonishing amount of money from them. Although the person who signed this contract was a businessman from the south who was of noble descent and operated a branch of the company, when matched up against the king, his nobility was nothing. Hence there was no need for even a dispute between the two. The Milone Company could only silently accept taking responsibility for the processing fees.

"The result of our final calculations is a profit of two thousand four hundred coins. And your share of the profit is five percent, so the amount we owe you is what is written on the document."

After racking my brains, and even getting my arm hurt, all I got is one hundred and twenty coins? Not to mention that if the deal did not initiate...

I wouldn't be separated from Horo.

As Lawrence thought, his mind filled with one word: loss. One hundred and twenty coins was just not worth it. Yet, he had to abide by the contract, so Lawrence could only accept this amount. To a merchant, it is obvious that there were times of profit and times of loss. Although the final amount was significantly smaller, he did not throw his life away for it. Being able to get one hundred and twenty coins in that situation, was probably a very fortunate thing already to Lawrence.

Lawrence looked at the document, and slowly nodded his head.

"This was something we had overlooked. I am deeply regretful over this conclusion."

"Things like this are always bound to happen when one does business."

"Being able to hear that from you, I am much more relieved. However-"

Hearing Marhait's words, Lawrence could not help but turn and look towards him. Because Marhait's tone had suddenly become very open.

"Unexpected situations can also be for the better. Please have a look at this."

Lawrence took the second document Marhait handed to him, and looked at the few words written on it. And when he had finished, Lawrence turned in shock back to Marhait.

"It seems that that the Medioh Company were desperate to obtain the privileges, which they knew would depreciate very quickly. They, too, collected many coins, but the debt they accumulated from that is a different thing. They wanted to use this privilege to do business at all costs, so they named their price as soon as we had obtained it."

The document in Lawrence's hand, stated the name of the recipient they wished to share this special profit with. To Lawrence they would give one thousand silver coins.

"One thousand coins...is it really okay to give me this much?"

"Of course, it doesn't even count as anything," Marhait said with a smile. Lawrence concluded that the Milone Company probably made a big profit from this, but of course, did not ask what the exact amount was. To be able to receive such a great amount outside the contract, was just as fortunate as to have picked a gold bar off the floor.

"In addition, all your living costs while you recover, and the maintenance of your horse and cart will be handled by us."

"Is my horse alright?"

"It is. I'd think the Medioh Company also feels it's useless to take a horse hostage," said Marhait as he chuckled, which caused Lawrence to smile in reply.

This really is exceeding the normal treatment I am supposed to get, thought Lawrence.

"Concerning the actual payment details, shall we discuss about this another day?"

"Alright. However, I really would like to thank you for this."

"No need to. To us, it is just a small price to pay to be able to keep a good relationship with a merchant of your caliber, Mr. Lawrence."

The eyes Marhait looked at Lawrence with, told him he would not make a mistake while calculating the money. Yet, Marhait still gave Lawrence his business smile. Lawrence figured this was probably on purpose. Yet, Lawrence had received from the overseer of this massive company; The Milone Company, a thousand coins. And this person still expressed hopes to work with Lawrence in the future. This implied that the other party did see Lawrence as a valuable merchant worthy of their cooperation.

And to an ordinary merchant like Lawrence, it was something to be glad about.

Lawrence nodded in approval, and expressed his gratitude to Marhait.

"Ah, I suppose it's still better for me to inquire. Do you wish to receive the sum as money? If you feel it better to receive it in the form of goods, I will see to it that we make the necessary arrangements."

Carrying over a thousand coins would just add to the weight of the luggage and bring no benefits. Upon hearing Marhait's generous proposal, Lawrence pondered for moment about the amount Marhait owed him as well as the size of his cart, and finally thought of a suitable product.

"Do you have pepper? Pepper is light and doesn't take up much space. As winter is approaching, its price will definitely rise along with the availability of meat."

"Did you say pepper?"

"What's the matter?" Lawrence asked upon seeing Marhait chuckle slightly.

"Ah, my apologies. I have recently finished reading a play sent from the south, and as such couldn't help but think of the events that occur within it."

"A play?"

"Indeed. A demon appeared in front of a rich merchant and said: 'Bring me the most delicious human in the land, or I'll devour you instead!' Not willing to give his life, the merchant picked from his servants young maids and the fattest manservant, and presented them to the demon. However, the demon shook its head in disagreement."

"Oh?"

"Finally, the merchant searched through the families of the rich and noble, even spending large sums of money in the city, and scoured the land for a delicious human being. At last, he found a young male monk, whose body gave off the scent of fresh honey and milk. He spent a lot of money to buy the boy from the monastery, and offered him to the demon. At that point, the boy said to the demon: 'Oh, demon, you who oppose the gods, the most delicious person in the land is not I.'"

Lawrence became absorbed by this tail, and nodded his head silently.

"'The most delicious human stands right in front of you. That man who has been covered with the spices of his riches and fortunes, which have caused his fattened soul to be perfectly seasoned.'"

Marhait's face wore a carefree expression as he finished this tale, and even added actions to his words. He finally acted out the terrified expression on the merchant's face and suddenly returned to a shy smile.

"This is a religious play of the Church, that depicts a model of commerce and preaches moderation in business and trading. These events were what I was thinking about. When I think about spice and then about the rich merchant, it is indeed such a great match."

So long as all of them were merchants, they would be able to understand that these were words of praise.

Lawrence felt the story to be interesting, and adding on to the words of praise, he let out a splendid smile as he said:

"I hope my body can also soon be doused with the full and wondrous flavor of spice."

"That I will wait and see. Well then, please continue to take care of the company, Mr. Lawrence."

When Marhait had finished his skilled words, the two of them laughed together mutually for a while.

"Well then, I will prepare the pepper for you. I still have much work to do, so if you'll excuse me," said Marhait, who then turned to leave.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Could that be your partner?" Marhait said, although Lawrence firmly believed that was something impossible.

Marhait left the bedside to open the door. Lawrence raised his head to look out of the window, into the bright blue sky.

"Boss, there's a bill of sorts," said a voice at the same time the door opened. Lawrence then heard the sound of paper being handed over.

Lawrence felt that it surely was a bill that needed immediate attention. His glance floated to the clouds in the sky, and at the same time, wished he would soon be able to own a shop.

But Marhait's voice which came soon after grabbed his attention:

"The recipient is indeed the company, there's no mistaking it..."

After shifting his gaze to Marhait, Marhait also looked towards him.

"Mr, Lawrence, there's a bill for you."

The names of Lawrence's business partners and the debts he owed, immediately came to his mind.

Lawrence tried to single out the latest deal he had made. However, the days one stayed in a city was more or less indefinite, and even if he had made the deal yesterday, they would not request that he strictly comply with the deadline when he was within the company walls. Furthermore, how would his business partners know that he was here?"

"Could I take a look at it?"

Hearing Lawrence's request, Marhait took the document from his subordinate, walked over to Lawrence's side and handed it to him.

After receiving the document, he skipped the part about the contract conditions and went straight to details. Because he only needed to know what the products in concern were, in order to immediately know whose bill this actually was. Yet, the items written on the document made no impact on him.

"Hm..."

Just as Lawrence was in deep thought, he suddenly shot up. Marhait wanted to say something in his shocked state, but Lawrence could not wait for him to open his mouth, and got off the bed. He ignored the pain in his left arm as he headed for the door.

"Ma-may I ask."

"Let me through!" yelled Lawrence. the employees of the company hurriedly gave way. Lawrence did not look twice at their peculiar stares, and stepped out into the corridor. Just as he was about to set off, he suddenly stood still and asked the nearest employee:

"Which is the way to the loading and unloading bay?"

"Ah, erm, turn left at the end of this corridor, and head straight down."

"Thank you."

Lawrence uttered a short word of thanks, and quickened his pace as he ran along. He tightened his grip on the pricey bill, and ran forward with all his strength.

The item names written on the paper that was now crumpled from Lawrence's grip made him excited. The bill was dated today, and the merchants who the sum of money were owed to were the Pattio marketplace's textiles and fruit merchants. The items stated were two female's luxurious long-sleeved gowns and satin belts, and on top of that, a pair of traveler's shoes, a Hawksbill turtle comb, and a large quantity of apples.

Within the items stated in the bill which cost over one hundred and fifty coins, the number of apples, notably, were too many for one to carry. Even though so many were bought, the bill did not state any rental of a horse and cart.

From this, Lawrence could make a suitable conclusion.

Lawrence finally arrived at the loading bay.

The busy loading bay was full of activity as countless goods piles rose like mountains above Lawrence. From goods that came from faraway lands, to those that were ready for export, among the goods being moved about were horses and people shouting after each other. This disorderly scene was what happened every day at the Milone Company's thriving business.

Lawrence observed his surroundings, looking for what would definitely be here.

The spacious loading bay had inside it too many horses and carts. Lawrence ran all over the place, and even slipped frequently on some hay that was scattered on the ground. Finally, he saw the familiar horse he was looking for in a corner of the bay, and quickly ran over to it. Although everyone in the loading bay watched Lawrence with unimaginable expressions on their faces, he did not have a care at all for all this, and concentrated his glance to one particular direction.

Atop the driver's seat of the cart filled to the brim with apples, a beautiful fur in hand, and combing it with the Hawksbill turtle comb, was the petite figure of a girl.

Wearing a long-sleeved gown that was, at first sight, obviously made of top quality fabrics, the person's eyes were almost covered by the hood she wore above her head. Not long after, she stopped combing the fur, and sighed.

Not shifting her glance to Lawrence, she opened her mouth straight and said:

"I would not want to be chased to the North for an outstanding debt."

Lawrence found it hard not to laugh at her ignorant tone.

He walked close to the driver's seat, and to the Horo who refused to look at him, extended his right hand. Although Horo returned his glance to the tail in her hand after blinking for a moment, she finally stretched her hand out slowly.

After Lawrence grabbed onto her hand tightly, she finally looked as if she had admitted her defeat, and smiled as she said:

"I will only return to the North after I have repaid my debt."

"That goes without saying!"

Horo gripped Lawrence's hand so tightly.

It look like this odd pair's journey together would still last awhile.

For this is the tale of the travels of the spice and wolf.