Wolf & Parchment, Volume 3 Read online

  Only a merchant could have sniffed out another’s intentions so expertly. Ilenia certainly had reasons to go forward with something she knew was dangerous.

  “I knew it must be God’s will that you came to this town.”

  Sligh spoke as he brought his cup to his lips, but before drinking, he turned his gaze toward Col.

  “By the way, would you really undertake tax collection for us?”

  It sounded like a joke, but it felt as though he was serious. The very act itself was a joke.

  “Think of it as a drunken request.”

  Sligh shrugged and emptied his cup in one gulp. Myuri, who had shied away from the strong taste with a mere sip, stared on with wide eyes.

  Their meal continued without incident.

  Col had almost all the keys he needed in order to gather his thoughts.

  When Col awoke, he had a slight headache. He wondered if he was getting sick, but judging by his parched throat and heartburn, he understood that it was because he had drank liquor he was not used to. He also recalled that after Sligh parted with them, he wanted to ask Yosef about rumors of the new world, but his drunkenness caused him to collapse on the bed, and he fell asleep.

  He felt as though Myuri had been rather annoyed by that, but his memory was fuzzy.

  Col propped himself up, and beside him, Myuri was hugging a pillow stuffed with wool and burying her face in it, fast asleep. He was sure she was clinging to a sheep in her dreams, or maybe it was because he reeked of alcohol.

  He scratched his head as he thought about it, got up from the bed, and took a sip from the water pitcher.

  The light filtering in through the cracks in the window was still faint, but he could already hear the sounds of wagons passing by outside. Opening the window slightly, he could see people here and there on the main street. Some were carrying wool, and they would surely be out performing their work on that stage yet again today.

  According to what Sligh had said last night, the Church was being taxed because they had kept an industry so vital to the kingdom under their control.

  He could easily tell just how the people’s lives had been oppressed by the Church’s moneylending by watching how eagerly the townspeople worked. Were that the only story he heard when he came to this town, he would have agreed to help in a heartbeat.

  He was only cautious because he learned of the possibility that the kingdom really did not care much for faith and was trying to sever ties with the Church for a different reason.

  If it were true that the kingdom was not on the side of righteous faith and was only trying to exclude the Church because they were in the way, then he no longer knew if it was right to work with them. Rather, if they were intentionally trying to abandon the Church, then it would not be strange if the kingdom was even crueler than the Church when it came to faith.

  He wondered if he should check in with Hyland. He could think of nothing more foolish than if she were running about without a clue. To work for a kingdom that did not care in the least about faith would be digging their own graves.

  But still, there was something that crossed his mind.

  Even if the kingdom was trying to sever ties with the Church for profit, there was little doubt that the people would continue to search for faith.

  Not to mention the common-language translation they were working on here in the kingdom. He could not imagine that was something people could simply pick up, so there must be a proper reason for it.

  That was because allowing the scripture, which thus far had only been readable by the clergy, to be understood by the masses, enabling them to get closer to God on their own, was such a significant action that it stood on the scale of changing the course of history itself.

  The people would be able to feel God nearby, no matter what happened. Even without churches or cathedrals or priests, as long as they had the scripture, the troubled people would no longer rush clergy like him the moment they arrived. If a loved one was sick and confined to bed at home, then their spouse or child only needed to take the scripture in hand.

  Along that line of thought, the kingdom could earnestly be working for faith and not a journey to the new world or whatever. Because once the scripture’s common-language translation was finished, one could gain God’s solace, even if they were alone at the ends of the earth.

  “…Huh?”

  It was as if a flash of light lit up his mind in that very instant.

  A single ship was illuminated in that moment, sailing among coal-like clouds and waves the size of mountains.

  Adventurers were on deck, praying.

  “…It can’t be.”

  The words unconsciously spilled from his mouth, and he placed his hand over it. Was that the reason why they were translating the scripture?

  A long, long journey. They did not bring along anyone they did not need, and not everyone was guaranteed a safe return. There would not always be someone present who could mediate with heaven when a situation arose that only God could handle.

  But with a scripture that anyone could read, they could regain their courage and energy…

  “No, no.”

  He shook his head and erased those thoughts. It was more logical to think of the translation of the scripture as a way for the people of the kingdom to conduct religious activities themselves during a never-ending conflict with the Church. It was just a coincidence that it could also be useful for that.

  The liquor from last night was causing his thoughts to make giant leaps.

  But once he had thought of it, the idea stuck to his mind and would not go away.

  “…I really need to stop jumping to conclusions like that.”

  He deliberately spoke aloud to admonish himself.

  Then he went out to the courtyard to wash his face, and once more, he listened to the troubles of the people in the trading house.

  CHAPTER THREE

  After talking with the people in the trading house, Col and Myuri had breakfast and went out to town.

  Myuri had wanted to go outside, and Col had also wanted to get all the alcohol from last night out of his system and think things over again with a clear head.

  He also had some things he wanted to ask Myuri.

  “Do we really want to create our own country that badly?”

  At the end of the day, he was having trouble deciding how to treat Ilenia because it was a problem that had very much to do with Myuri.

  He wished that a correct faith for God would spread throughout the world, but if Myuri’s happiness was on the line, then he would likely choose Myuri when all was said and done. If he said that out loud to her, her ears and tail would stand up straight and set ablaze unhealthy fantasies, so he never did, but it was how he truly felt.

  He was confident that how he prayed for her happiness was on par with that of her father, Lawrence.

  “Hmm…”

  She gazed off into the distance as she reconsidered the idea, munching on fish bones that she got from a food stall; they had been sprinkled with flour and fried in oil.

  “It’d be nice if there was one.”

  Myuri’s answer came after a brief moment of hesitation, then she kicked a pebble by her foot and looked at Col.

  “But it’s really, really far away, right? So I dunno.”

  It was a hollow sentiment for a girl who loved adventure.

  “Because even if you come with me, that doesn’t mean everyone I know will come, too, right?”

  It sounded like a joke in the beginning, but the second half betrayed her true feelings.

  “That makes me sad. It would make me want to go home to Nyohhira.”

  There was a time in her life when all she wanted was to leave the village, but that did not make her a wanderer.

  He could imagine her being satisfied enough after wandering around the world to her heart’s content, then going home.

  But Ilenia’s plans were the complete opposite.

  “I sympathize with her. I’d want a pl
ace like that.”

  She stopped eating and looked down to her feet. It was a weak sight for a girl who was typically never afraid to stand up to anything.

  She was a dreamer, but that did not mean she always had her head in the clouds. Rather, she was much more aware of the reality surrounding them and understood how outrageous Ilenia’s plan sounded.

  Her reasons for supporting Ilenia’s plans did not seem to be all that simple.

  The first reason was that she was attracted by adventure. And she honestly sympathized with her. Or it could be that she felt a sort of kinship with her, and maybe that was the biggest reason.

  “So…um, to be honest, I can’t force you, and if you’re worried about me, then don’t think too much about it, okay?”

  She looked up, and she seemed a bit embarrassed.

  It seemed she felt ashamed that the blood had rushed to her head after hearing the story about the Moon-Hunting Bear.

  “It’s waiting for us, and it’s something that even Mother is no match for, right? I hate to admit it, but I guess I should listen to you.”

  She was mischievous and always selfish, and Col often found himself sighing, wishing she would quickly grow up, but whenever he caught glimpses of her mature decisions, he felt a bit sad.

  Even he found himself annoyed with how selfish it sounded, but as Myuri started to munch on her snack again, a bit of youth returned to her face.

  “Are you surprised by how much I know?”

  When she spoke, she tilted her head mischievously.

  The gap between this teenage girl’s looks and what was going on inside her head was exceptionally large.

  There was a bit of fish bone stuck to the corner of her mouth, and he could not do much else besides give her a tired smile.

  “You are a smart girl.”

  “I won’t mind if you fall in love with me, you know.”

  She narrowed her eyes and defiantly showed him a dauntless smile.

  He chuckled and patted her on the head, and she blew a raspberry at him.

  “Well, that’s how I feel. I don’t know what Ilenia thinks, though.”

  She tossed the last of the fried bone into her mouth, wiped her hands, and jerked her chin to a street corner like a frivolous girl.

  “So why not ask her?”

  He turned around, and there before him was Ilenia, carrying a bag stuffed with wool under her arm, negotiating with another merchant. Desarev was a big town, but there were only so many places one could carry out trade.

  Ilenia and the merchant spoke amicably and at last exchanged a handshake. The merchant fastened a scrap of cloth to the bag with wire and wrote something on it with charcoal. Ilenia must have succeeded in her purchase.

  She naturally seemed like a merchant of Desarev as he watched her. She did not seem like a sheep deity, nor did she seem as though she had outrageous dreams.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Ilenia turned on her heel and headed straight for them.

  She had been aware of them long before he even noticed her.

  “Your work seems to be going well.”

  As Col greeted her, Ilenia looked back the way she came, smiling bitterly.

  “Not really. He’s a tough one. He always asks for such outrageous prices.”

  All skilled merchants would say something like that. Amused, he got straight to the topic at hand.

  “By the way, do you mind if we take up some of your time?”

  Ilenia’s eyes suddenly glistened.

  “Is this about my request to you?”

  “Yes.”

  Then a troubled smile quickly crossed her face.

  “I’d much rather convince you myself. Of course I have time.”

  I see, Col thought.

  “We might end up standing for a while, so why don’t we go to the market stalls?”

  That was not so much out of consideration for himself but for Myuri.

  The hungry wolf took the bait quite readily.

  And so, the three of them set off for the market together.

  As usual, the market was filled with people. Every place that had put out simple tables and chairs for eating and drinking were all full. But when Ilenia called out to the master of one shop, he brought out a chair and table set for them from the back, and Col realized firsthand how great an influence she held as a merchant.

  And as he could not start drinking so early in the day, Col went to order warm goat’s milk with honey and ginger—a staple in colder regions—and Ilenia picked out some light fare for them in the market.

  “Chestnuts?”

  Myuri looked on with intense curiosity at the pile of large, slimy-looking, shining black chestnuts piled on a leaf before her nose.

  “They smell like alcohol.”

  “They’re boiled in the local liquor of choice as well as honey. Please try one if you’ve never had one.”

  With a bright smile on her face, Myuri quickly reached out and brought one to her mouth.

  “Mmm!”

  She hummed, her expression full of happiness.

  “I’m glad you like them.”

  After coaxing Myuri, Ilenia changed the subject.

  “And to the topic at hand.”

  “I wish to hear your reasons.”

  “My reasons?”

  When Ilenia tilted her head, she looked the same age as Myuri.

  “Why you are so drawn to the land at the end of the sea.”

  When they had discussed it on the ship, she did mention things that sounded like reasons.

  However, they sounded superficial and not terribly steeped in logic. He had been cautious, likely because throughout all the absurdities of the story, he had not been able to sense her true motives.

  It was such a daring story that even Myuri had not carried on with the expected do it, absolutely do it, do it now. For Ilenia to be ready for this meant that there must be bigger reasons behind it.

  “You seem to be faring quite well in the world now even without going through such lengths.”

  It looked as though she had many acquaintances in town, and just like Myuri said, to leave to a far-off land would be to leave all her relationships behind.

  Perhaps he had such a hard time swallowing her tale because he had not seen anything regarding that.

  “You mean, I’m getting along well with the townspeople?”

  “You might even have many close friends.”

  He would give up if she responded, For the great cause of the nonhumans.

  But Ilenia did not seem to be that much of a heroic type.

  “That…may be so…”

  Her head drooped slightly in response to his question.

  It was not Col that she looked to with big, round, soft eyes but Myuri.

  “Myuri, how old are you?”

  Upon hearing this, Myuri understood right away what she was trying to ask.

  “…My mother is some hundreds of years old, but I’m not.”

  She wanted to say that she was as old as she looked, and Ilenia quickly grasped that.

  Divine beings lived for a long time.

  And they were not human.

  “That is essentially the reason why. All my friends, everyone I’ve loved and anyone who has loved me, will be swallowed up by the flow of time. Of course, I am not quite that old enough yet, however.”

  She spoke sheepishly, either because she was a girl embarrassed that she was older than she looked, or a nonhuman embarrassed that she was much too young.

  Either way, Myuri paused and looked at Ilenia with a sincere gaze.

  “And sometimes I hate it so much.”

  “…You do?”

  Ilenia nodded in response to Col’s question while staring at her hands.

  “I take pride in how I’ve built up such a good reputation as a broker. Quite a number of trading firms depend on me.”

  He had heard about that, too.

  “It might be because I have good judgment since I am a sheep, but I like t
o think it’s because I honestly and earnestly worked my hardest.”

  If that were the case, then her dreams, which put all her hard work on the line, seemed especially odd.

  Was there something she did not like about how well her work was going?

  He watched her as she carefully chose her words, and she lifted her head.

  Rather than strength, her expression showed a certain weakness which made her seem like she was going to cry.

  “I am not in this to get rich. I only have to work enough to feed myself. But I end up working more. And I hate it.”

  As though trying to cast off something that clung to her, Ilenia shook her head.

  The smile she wore when she looked up at him again was incredibly sad.

  “I work only so that I may belong to the flock known as merchants. But at the end of the day, I’m alone. While I can distract myself from my loneliness in a group of people, it doesn’t go away. I don’t age, so I have to change my base of operations every once in a while. Emotionally, I’ve set sail for the edge of the sea countless times. I start over from scratch in a land where no one knows me. But…”

  Ilenia paused to breathe after the words tumbled out of her mouth, then spoke.

  “…a country of our own would be different.”

  It sounded like she was confessing her sins. Her gaze dropped lifelessly, and she fell silent, still staring at her hands.

  Myuri sat beside him, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked back and forth between Ilenia and Col.

  Ilenia was a sheep, and she was meant to live with a flock. To blend in well with the human world and to live happily doing so were two completely different problems.

  Simple words of comfort would only have the opposite effect, and he stood on the side of humans, who represented the majority of this world.

  After several moments, he finally spoke up.

  “Do you know the story of a sheep named Huskins?”

  He was the avatar of a sheep with golden wool who lived in the Winfiel Kingdom and once appeared in the kingdom’s founding myth. This sheep by the name of Huskins snuck onto the land of a great monastery, and by becoming a shepherd himself, he gathered fellow sheep and created a home for them.