Spice & Wolf XI (DWT) Read online

  Contents

  The Wolf and the Golden Promise

  Wolf and the Bright Green Detour

  Black Wolf’s Cradle

  Translation Team

  Written by Hasekura Isuna

  Illustrated by Ayakura Jyuu

  Translation & Editing by

  ‘Drunken Wolf Translations’

  Ebook version 2.0 (07/25/13)

  The Wolf and the Golden Promise

  If you laid dough out on a table, traced a line through it with your finger, poured water through the groove, and planted trees around it, you’d see what he was seeing right now from the seat of his wagon. He swallowed some saliva after realizing that he hadn’t eaten fresh bread in a while. It had been three days since they left the city, so good food was already a distant memory.

  In days past, he would cross hills with naught but a loaf of salty, slightly-moldy bread, so it now felt like a luxury having decent bread, wine and a bit of an appetizer. He kept telling himself that, but his wallet had been a bit more bloated than usual. It was tough not to spoil himself on the finer things. This was the most luxurious trip he’d taken in his seven year career.

  “Chicken legs.”

  So spoke his companion, perhaps because she had heard him swallowing. Her face was wrapped in a fox fur muffler, but the piece of fur she was grooming in in her lap wasn’t fox fur, but a wolf’s tail.

  Wolves usually had shorter and poorer-quality fur, but hers was top-quality. It was so warm at night it seemed enchanted. Like a perfectionist, she even sometimes nibbled the tip of her tail as she groomed it.

  At first Lawrence wondered how expensive such a fur would be on the market, then whether he could sell it for that price. Too bad it wasn’t for sale, still being attached to its living owner.

  “So that’s what you want, is it?”

  He replied, only to see her ears flick the air. They were the same color as her tail, and it made her look rather regal to have a pair of sharp, chestnut-colored ears atop her head. Despite the fact that they were inhuman.

  That’s because Holo, the young girl sitting next to him, wasn’t human. She had the ears and tail of a wolf, and her true form was that of a giant wolf controlling the harvest of wheat fields.

  “But a live hen would be better.”

  “Because they lay eggs?”

  His thoughts turned to scrambled eggs. She had a knack for making him daydream about food. She called herself the Wisewolf of Yoitsu, and she loved food above humans.

  ”That unique texture and taste is irresistible.. the feathers are a bit troublesome, mind you.”

  If she was only joking then he would be smiling. But she wasn’t, regrettably. There were sharp fangs under her lips.

  “I’ve never eaten raw chicken, but I know what it takes to cook one.”

  “Hmm?”

  “You clean the feathers, remove the offal, and debone them. Apply seasoning. Boil some vegetables. Fill them with stuffing. Lightly oil their skin so it’ll be crispy, and then roast them.. hey, you’re drooling.”

  She slurped away some drool. He’d only heard of that specific dish, never actually tried it, but apparently hearsay was enough for her imagination. The Wisewolf forgot her pride and stared off into space. He’d been with her long enough to get used to that. He wasn’t afraid of her on-the-road pestering anymore, either. He couldn’t buy what wasn’t on sale, so he had the advantage. He cleared his throat and continued.

  “But you know, the most delicious are the ones that’ve been given special treatment.”

  “Special treatment?”

  She stared at him with her reddish-amber eyes. She didn’t seem to be acting, and seeing those eyes made him want to spoil her.

  “The chickens that are neither male nor female.”

  “Hmm?”

  Despite having lived for centuries, the Wisewolf seemed to have never heard of this. But rather than being agitated, she eagerly urged him to continue.

  “Go on?”

  Not expecting this, he cleared his throat and continued.

  “The young ones that’ve been castrated.”

  “But.. why..”

  “They grow up to be even more tender and juicy than hens. They’re not as tough, and their vitality doesn’t go into their eggs.. what?”

  “Hmm..”

  She purposely lowered her line of sight and grinned, baring her fangs.

  “Indeed, that does sound rather tasty.”

  Her true form was huge; large enough to swallow him whole. So her joking about his most important male parts made him feel particularly vulnerable. He cleared his throat loudly and flicked the reins. Holo laughed, but didn’t stay on the offensive. Her tail wagged with every chuckle.

  “Worry not, I know you are a capable male when you must be.”

  She even revealed those fangs of her as she smiled. As a man, all he could do was smile back; he knew she had him dancing on the palm of her hand, but could do nothing about it.

  “Yet..”

  “Ow!”

  She grabbed his ear, making him instinctively pull the reins and earn a neigh of protest from his horse.

  “You are not fit to be called a man, exaggerating so fearlessly because you believe I will not pester you.”

  She had read his mind. She finally let go of his ear and put her hand on her waist in displeasure.

  “Hmph! And so, I tease you. Describing such tasty food, when all we have to eat is questionable.. I will surely perish!”

  With that they were even, strictly speaking, although her last line was taking it a bit too far.

  “Look, it may not be sumptuous-looking but the bread we’re eating is oat and wheat, not rye. The wine goes down smooth and has a fine aftertaste. And we even have cheese, dried beef, fruits and raisins.. in days past all I would have with me is garlic and onions, so from where I’m sitting this is downright luxurious.”

  Despite her tendency to be childish or animalian at times, he was fundamentally cowed by her cleverness. She wasn’t the sort to be unreasonable, and yet she was still capable of such outbursts.

  “I will die at this rate.”

  She turned away sadly and unhappily. Her acting was so unnaturally savage it could be weaponized for the end of days. He glared at her with a look as though he’d bit his own tongue.

  It would be his loss if he replied, but ignoring her would become a test of who was more stubborn - he would be the one to fold first. She could read his mind, after all. All he wanted at heart was a pleasant journey with her, and she had no qualms in using that against him.

  “Okay, okay.”

  “..okay what?”

  She replied coldly with her back still turned to him.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a chicken if we see any. But only if we see one along the road while we’re on this trip.”

  That was as far as he’d give. He’d never make such an offer if they were in a city unless he couldn’t afford it anyway. It already felt like his mouth was betraying him to offer her this much. Her back remained turned to him as her ears flicked about. It was certain what her sharp mind was calculating - whether this was as far as he’d budge.

  “You do remember that I can distinguish lies from the truth?”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  “Realllly?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hmm..”

  She fell silent again. He felt like a criminal waiting for her to sentence him, even if it required little thought to know he wasn’t guilty of anything. And yet, he was unable to escape from this absurd situation. In the end, she seemed to realize that his proposal was as far as the situation could be taken before it couldn’t end with a smile.. and so she smiled. So devious! Her rapid changes of moo
d were enough to charm any man, not just a lonely traveler.

  “Well.. but, you..”

  “What is it?”

  As he slowly started the carriage moving again, she spoke.

  “You truly were not lying, were you?”

  “..You mean about chickens being castrated?”

  “Fool. I meant about buying me a chicken.”

  Why was she confirming this so much? It made him feel uneasy, and when she tugged his sleeve that feeling intensified. He immediately became a merchant again.

  “Did I say something like-”

  “You said so, did you not?”

  She moved her face close to Lawrence and said with a low, puppy-like growl. At this point, he could finally see the scene before him clearly. There was a person beside this endless-seeming stretch of road. He couldn’t see one, but given her eyes there was probably a chicken there as well.

  “Surely you do not mean to start a hopeless argument with me, about whether you said so or not?”

  Nothing was more terrible than when she smiled and it wasn’t a real smile. He wanted to tell her just how much it cost to buy a chicken, but this would only work when she was willing to listen, and Lawrence didn’t think this was one of those times. He peeked over at her and sighed; if he didn’t say the right words now she might even kill him.

  “Alright, sorry. I’ll keep my promise. But-”

  “But?”

  She shot back almost at the same time as Lawrence’s utterance, staring him down seriously. Lawrence told himself that he needed to choose his words wisely.

  “But just one.”

  She stared him in the eye. After a moment of suffocating silence, she turned her eyes forward and grinned. This must be how a pheasant felt when it was startled by a hound. As the thought crossed his mind, he pulled his gaze back toward the front just in time to see the person next to the road stand up, having noticed their presence. When they were close enough to see him waving his arms excitedly, a big smile on his face, Lawrence finally spotted the chicken tied up next to his feet.

  “Just one.”

  He repeated himself to make sure there were no misunderstandings.

  * * *

  “Would you like some for your trip?”

  Pedestrians were rare in this cold rural expanse. The lone peddler waiting here was a lanky young man around Lawrence’s age. Despite his lanky frame, the young man appeared strong, possessing a build unique to farmers. When they shook hands, Lawrence was amazed at how thick his skin was.

  “Besides chickens, I’ve got some specially-made beer too, wanna try some?”

  His body was far too toned for him to be a traveling merchant. His clothes were ragged and his breath came out as white mist, but it was clear that he didn’t feel cold. He smiled happily as he knocked the large barrel of beer next to him, which was as tall as his knees. He knocked it happily, despite the metallic band used to hold the barrel intact looking rusted through, and the barrel as if it could fall apart at any moment. In contrast, the chickens were plump, well-fed, and full of life, forming an interesting-looking combination.

  Lawrence stroked his chin as he thought it over. Since Holo wasn’t egging him on she was probably thinking it over as well. Why was a young man who wasn’t even in traveling attire out here in a place like this?

  “May I sample the beer?”

  Since keeping silent wasn’t going to get them anywhere, Lawrence finally spoke up, to which the man quickly nodded.

  “Of course!”

  He took out what looked to be a large, round measuring utensil, and opening the barrel, began to scoop beer into it.

  “It’s recently brewed - just look at all the bubbles!”

  Lawrence sipped the beer, and found it to be unexpectedly good. Perhaps the wheat or water used to brew it had been of good quality. Perceiving that Holo wanted to have some as well, Lawrence gave her a sip, and Holo immediately urged with her eyes for more.

  “Would you like to buy some?”

  Lawrence nodded and peeked over at the chickens. He could tell how hard Holo was trying to keep her tail from wagging. Beer and roasted chicken.. she had to be excited.

  “Alright. I’ll take this chicken and some beer.”

  The man seemed so happy to land the deal that he didn’t even notice Holo’s ears twitch reflexively. But Lawrence wasn’t just some random traveler with Holo.

  Despite his shortcomings, Lawrence could more or less count as a traveling merchant, and so he said:

  “Actually, maybe I’ll need more chickens.. One might not be enough.”

  “Huh?”

  The man seemed shocked. As was Holo, who now looked at him with surprise. She had recently become better acquainted with the market values of products, so perhaps she already knew just how expensive a chicken was.

  Every time she asked to buy something, Holo would always find a way to make up for what was spent later on. She was exactly such a loyal person.

  Therefore, she must have been shocked to hear that Lawrence intended to buy numerous chickens.

  “There’s a village nearby, isn’t there? We’ve got some time, so if you’re free could you bring us there to buy some more?”

  It was easy tell that the young man wasn’t a traveling merchant with a substantial stock of goods, so he must have come here from a village in order to trade for cash or other necessities. As Lawrence expected, the man first nodded weakly, then again with more force.

  “For real!? Of course you’d be welcome!”

  His happiness was obvious as he tied the barrel and lifted it up with practiced movements to carry it. He stuffed his belongings into a sack and placed it on the top of the barrel and took hold of the rope tying the chicken, then lifted it all and shouted out eagerly.

  “I’ll show you the way!”

  And then, he traveled off the beaten path in high spirits. Though he was headed toward the unpaved wilderness, the terrain was not so rough that it could not be traversed by wagon. Having made such a judgment, Lawrence pulled the reins and steered his horse after the man. Just then, Holo took the chance to grab hold of his sleeve and speak.

  “Hey, if I angered you then just say so.”

  Holo revealed an awkward look as she spoke. She must have felt that Lawrence was teasing her in saying that he was going to buy more chickens. He couldn’t keep himself from laughing at that, but she only returned a glare.

  “Sorry. I just had a thought, so I asked him.”

  “A thought?”

  She seemed suspicious.

  “Yeah.. call it my merchant’s sixth sense.”

  Holo gazed up at him incredulously, but he brushed it off.

  She might have a knack for catching him off-guard with her acting, but he still believed in his eye for trading.

  “If this goes smoothly, I’ll buy you plenty of chickens.”

  Despite Lawrence’s declaration, Holo’s expression didn’t change.

  “I will wait and see, but I will not raise my expectations.”

  Though Holo would not get her hopes up, Lawrence could not help looking forward to what was to come. There was a chance to do some business wherever this spirited young man was leading them.

  * * *

  They arrived at a small village with forests and mountain springs off in the distance. The arrangement of the houses was disorderly, like that of a haphazardly-built village, and the fields appeared half heartedly-ploughed no matter how one looked at them, giving the village a particularly desolate appearance.

  Towns or villages that lacked a unified government were either filled with chaotic bustle or reeking of poverty, and this one obviously belonged to the latter.

  “This is really off the beaten path.”

  It was no wonder she was being so blunt given the scene that lay before them. Towns existed to connect roads to other towns, and villages existed to connect roads to the manors of nobility. And yet, as if this place wasn’t desolate enough, there were no roads in sight. One c
ould safely say this place was completely cut off from the world. It was, to coin the phrase, a veritable island in the wilderness.

  “Here we are, welcome to Keisse Village!”

  Though it wasn’t at all grand, there was a wooden fence to mark that the land beyond belonged to a village. The young man shouted to Holo and Lawrence just as he crossed this fence, and there was indeed ”a village” before them.. though that was about all one could say about it.

  Having long since noticed their presence, the villagers shamelessly stared at Lawrence and his companions as they came up to them with eyes filled with curiosity.

  “Ah˜ah, oh boy.. well, come on in! Why don’t you come on over to my place first to get some rest!”

  Rather than introducing them to the other villagers, he proudly led them to his home. This time Lawrence laughed along with Holo, because he was probably proud that he’d led outsiders back. Given his choice of words, Lawrence had deduced this was a village of followers of the Orthodox faith. And his guess was right on, Lawrence thought, smiling inwardly.

  The young man opened the door to his home and shot inside. Several confused and muffled questions later, a plump woman shot back out, looking quite flustered. Seeing that the woman and the young man were practically carved from the same mold, Lawrence could not help feeling amused.

  “Welcome! You! Hurry up and call the elder!”

  Lawrence kept smiling, but not because of their hospitality. A look of sudden enlightenment sprang onto Holo’s face; she probably noticed the real reason for his smile.

  “Well, thank you for your passionate welcome, but we’re just regular traveling merchants..”

  “Oh, oh.. you’re most welcome! Please come in.. Though I’m afraid we don’t have anything expensive or luxurious to offer..”

  Lawrence chuckled in embarrassment and turned to Holo in the seat beside him. She had indeed caught on, and nodded with a smile at the lady. Being spared the trouble of explaining things to Holo was itself a form of profit - now he could handle the rest with his politeness act.

  “No, thank you for your hospitality.. We’re sorry to impose.”

  “Come on in, please.. Just park your wagon there. You there! Fetch some straw and fill a bucket with water!”