Wolf & Parchment: New Theory Spice & Wolf, Vol. 4 Read online

  With a resigned smile and sigh, Col grasped Myuri’s arm and shook it lightly, as if it were a door knocker.

  “Why don’t you stop talking about silly things so we can start getting a move on?”

  “Hmm? Where?”

  “What do you mean, where?”

  He smiled when he saw her astonished face and rose from his seat.

  “The festival, of course. The sun is just setting. I heard things will really get lively once the sun goes down. Isn’t that right?”

  “Oh! I forgot! Yeah, we gotta go!”

  “Yes, yes, I know.”

  When Myuri tugged on his hand, he followed obediently, letting her pull him along.

  The letter to Holo and Lawrence still sat open on the desk.

  While he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to be completely honest with them about recent events, the message was still written with the utmost consideration for them.

  All he could do now was believe that was the best thing to do.

  “Brother?”

  “Oh, sorry. More importantly, we’ll need lots of energy for the festival, won’t we? Why don’t we find something to eat at the food stalls?”

  “What?! Meat? Can I have meat?!”

  The only thing getting seduced was Myuri’s appetite.

  One part of Col hoped she would grow up quickly and act her age while another part wished she would stay the same way forever.

  “Be careful not to eat too much.”

  “Okaaay!”

  He smiled—there was no use trying to rein in her excitement when her eyes shone like that.

  Plus, he didn’t think that scolding her was the right thing to do.

  “Look, look!”

  She tugged on his hand, but that must not have been enough for her, because soon after, she clung to his arm and pulled him forward.

  There were more people out on the town as the sun set—it was lively.

  “This way, Brother!”

  Col let Myuri drag him along, voicing his assent.

  This only reinforced his hope that instead of venturing into romantic territory, their relationship would just stay the same, as brother and sister.

  They made their rounds among the stalls, and when he saw how Myuri beamed at him while clutching three skewers of meat, he couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Isn’t this fun?!”

  Squinting as he drank in her dazzling innocence, he simply nodded.

  CHAPTER ONE

  A day had passed since Desarev’s lively festival.

  Even before dawn broke, Col followed Myuri’s lead as they quietly exited the Debau Company room they were staying in.

  Dressed in their traveling clothes and with their rucksacks on their backs, they tiptoed down the hall. Myuri kept an eye on their surroundings, using her toe to poke at floorboards that might make noise before striding over them as they weaved through the complicated interior without getting lost in the dark. Their last obstacle was the loading area, where the apprentice boys slept. After passing through there, they finally managed to make it outside without anyone noticing.

  They peered back through the darkness at where the Debau Company trading house stood, looking at the place that had been their home during their time in Desarev.

  There was no master of the house for them to say their good-byes and thank-yous to anymore. Since the head of this branch office had turned out to be the criminal responsible for selling the cathedral’s treasures in secret, the president of the Debau Company, Hilde, dealt with the aftermath of the incident by taking him to the company’s main office.

  And so, while Col felt a bit coldhearted leaving like this, he had still left behind a letter thanking the company workers for their hospitality and explaining that they were leaving to continue their journey.

  “The escape was a huge success.”

  Despite how this was normally the time of morning when Myuri would be in a deep slumber that no amount of shaking or smacking would be able to end, her eyes were brightly twinkling. Whenever she spoke, it was not only her fangs that stood out from her mouth but white puffs of smoke—and that was because as winter came to an end here in Desarev, in came the humid, warm air from the mainland.

  This situation was irresistibly dramatic for the girl who adored tales of adventure.

  “It feels somewhat wrong to leave without saying anything.”

  “Yeah, when people say leaving on a journey, I always think of a whole send-off with gifts and stuff. Oh well.”

  “I’d rather not have that,” Col said with a sigh, and Myuri responded only with confused grumbles.

  The people in this town called him the Twilight Cardinal.

  Tensions between the Kingdom and the Church had been escalating for the past few years, the conflict causing the flame of the Church to vanish from the Kingdom. And it was in this state of deadlock that Col had gallantly appeared—a wandering priest who bathed the people in the light of faith, like the coming of dawn.

  That was how the people saw him, but he thought it was far too much of an exaggeration.

  He was just a humble servant of God—and not even a full-fledged priest yet.

  “I think you can be more confident about it, Brother.”

  “Either way, they are no doubt overestimating me. This is in my nature anyway.”

  While the scripture spoke of the virtue of humility, and he did believe that was what he should strive for, the truth was he simply did not enjoy being the center of attention. He always felt like he was doing something bad when people looked to him with respect, calling him things like the “Twilight Cardinal.” He did not think he was that wonderful a person.

  “Well, I guess I wouldn’t wanna see the pretty girls from town give you bouquets and kisses at the send-off anyway,” Myuri said, as though doing her best to sound more grown-up.

  Despite how she constantly called him names and harshly criticized him, Myuri was prone to get jealous over the smallest things that might take her brother away from her—a habit Col found cute in its own way.

  “I bet your face would get all red and you’d totally panic. I feel like I’d be embarrassed just watching you.”

  On second thought, Col hated that he could never say anything in return.

  “I swear…”

  “Heh-heh. But you know I love that part of you, right, Brother?”

  “…Yes, yes, thank you very much.”

  “C’mon! I mean it!”

  As they chatted, the pair walked together through the foggy nighttime town toward the port.

  Then something occurred when the scent of the sea began to tickle their noses.

  The fishing boats had just left for their morning run, so while a few lanterns were lit here and there, the port was mostly quiet and still.

  There stood a figure.

  “Oh, Ilenia!”

  Myuri dashed off and leaped toward the figure. Ilenia, who had appeared from the murk, was just a bit taller Myuri and distinguishable by her fluffy jet-black hair.

  Ilenia was also dressed in traveling clothes with a large trunk at her side.

  “You’re coming with us, right?” Myuri asked, and Ilenia could only offer a troubled smile in response.

  “Erm…”

  “Come now, Myuri. Don’t ask Miss Ilenia awkward questions.”

  “Awww…”

  Ilenia was the embodiment of a sheep, using her unique traits to broker wool. She was dressed for travel because she was heading farther inland to purchase wool. Apparently, there were impetuous places that had already started shearing their sheep for spring.

  “We’ll see each other again soon, Myuri.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course.”

  In contrast to Myuri, who was slender and resembled a young boy more than anything else, Ilenia had a softness about her that gave off the impression of a grown woman. It was truly heartwarming to see her embracing Myuri as the girl clung to her.

  But during the commotion ju
st a few days ago, they’d learned Ilenia was not the harmless sheep she appeared to be at first glance.

  This girl was a sheep in sheep’s clothing.

  “We’re gonna help you out when you go to the edge of the western sea.”

  “Heh-heh, of course. That’s exactly what I’m hoping for.”

  Ilenia was chasing a dream in earnest that even the grandest visionary would shy away from.

  She wanted to create a country for other nonhumans in the new land that supposedly existed at the edge of the western sea.

  The reason a wolf like Myuri could so openly allow a sheep like Ilenia to dote on her was undoubtedly because she understood the older woman’s strength. It was even more likely that Myuri thought of Ilenia as someone stronger than herself.

  After all, Ilenia was Myuri’s very first nonhuman friend.

  “And you were on your way to Rausbourne, isn’t that right?” she asked.

  “Yes. We have someone we must meet there,” Col replied.

  There, Hyland, his employer and a noble of royal blood, was waiting for him.

  Col’s ultimate goal was to devote himself to reforming the Church, and since the Kingdom of Winfiel stood under the same banner of reformation, he was currently working under Hyland in service of the Kingdom.

  According to Hyland’s letter, she planned to introduce Col to one of the people near the top of the Kingdom’s power hierarchy, the first in line for the throne—once he and Myuri reached Rausbourne.

  It was not often that someone received a chance to detail their path of faith to the heir of a nation. This opportunity might even bring greater momentum to the Kingdom’s fight to reform the Church. Unable to conceal his rising expectations, Col’s response to Ilenia’s question ended up sounding more excited than he intended.

  Ilenia maintained her soft composure as she smiled at him like an older sister.

  “I would personally prefer if you helped me with my plans instead, though…”

  At the same time, Ilenia was trying to curry favor with the prince who stood second in the line of succession. Hyland had once claimed this noble was not only a dishonest person but also one of her enemies, who was willing to claim the throne by force.

  But perhaps it was his very character that was responsible for the curiosity that sparked a unique interest in entertaining talks of a land beyond the western sea—talks that anyone else would have treated as a fairy tale. Ilenia was trying to rouse this prince to organize a fleet for a preposterous adventure.

  “We will of course give that matter serious consideration.”

  Ilenia nodded after hearing Col’s remark, then loosened the arm she had wrapped around Myuri and showed them a delicate smile.

  But with a serious glint deep within her eyes, she said, “The southern part of the Kingdom is geographically very close to the mainland. Rausbourne, especially, is the second-biggest city in the country. Its long, rich history and wealth are leagues beyond what you see here. The fight with the Church will likely be relentless there.”

  The region they were currently in was roughly referred to as a part of the northlands. It was not too long ago that heathens lived their lives out in the open there, and there remained a strong pagan influence in the area. The festival from the day before was just one of many examples.

  The farther south a traveler went, the more the Church’s influence grew, as did the number of people and the size of the cities.

  The more things hanging in the balance, the greater the scale of the conflict.

  “Yes, I am aware.”

  While Col sounded confident in his response, it was partially a lie. He had heard only smatterings of rumors on the topic here and there, meaning that his understanding was based on little more than logic.

  Still, he had no choice but to go for the sake of his ideals, and Ilenia knew that.

  The sheep girl nodded with a smile.

  “You have Myuri with you, so you’ll be all right.”

  “Yeah. Brother can only ever see a tiny part of what’s right in front of him. If he was alone, I’m sure he’d fall straight into a hole. But I’m here, so no worries!”

  Myuri said that all the time. The world was full of men and women, but he knew nothing about women, so at best, Col was only half-worldly. And since he only ever saw the good in people, that left half of a half.

  “That’s only true when your attention hasn’t been stolen by a tasty-looking snack.”

  With Col’s retort, Myuri pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks. Ilenia chuckled and wrapped her right arm around Myuri’s shoulder, then did the same to Col with her left.

  She pulled them in, and all three of their foreheads touched.

  “Please have a safe journey. I am truly grateful to have met you both.”

  “I-Ilenia…”

  Rather than an emotional response to Ilenia’s remark, Myuri’s murmur of protest had been drawn out by how close Ilenia’s face was to Col and how flustered he had become. She was worried her prey might be taken from her.

  “Heh-heh. I think I might even travel alone with Col if you’re ever not around, Myuri.”

  “Y-you know you can’t do that. Not even you, Ilenia!”

  “Of course.”

  Ilenia looked at Col with a cheeky smile, then let go.

  “Well, prolonging my departure any further would disqualify me as a traveler.”

  Ilenia lifted the heavy-looking trunk over her shoulder as if it was nothing.

  “Ah,” she paused and said. “I almost forgot something important. An acquaintance of mine is a tax collector in Rausbourne. She was the one who taught me about the structure of taxes. Her name is Sharon.”

  “Miss Sharon?”

  Ilenia, with the trunk on her back, smiled in delight.

  “Yes. I believe she could be of help in your reformation of the Church, so please reach out to her.”

  “We will.”

  This Sharon surely wasn’t human, but it would still be a great help if they could forge a connection with a tax collector regardless.

  “Well then. The sun will be rising soon. I’ll see you again.”

  On that note, she walked off briskly. The fog around her was thick, and after just ten steps, Ilenia’s soft black hair was nothing more than a silhouette. Myuri watched the entire time as Ilenia’s form vanished, looking as though she might run after her at any moment, but she stood still, her hands clenched.

  Parting with friends made along the way was an inevitable part of life on the road. This was a first for Myuri, but she was doing her best to accept it in her own way.

  She patiently waited to digest the reality of the separation.

  And the daughter of Holo the wisewolf had most certainly inherited her blood.

  “We need to go, too, Brother.”

  Despite looking like she might cry if he prodded, Myuri spoke with a smile.

  “Yes. Let’s go.”

  It was usually Myuri who reached out to take his hand, but this time he took hers.

  She looked up in slight surprise, then immediately squeezed back with all her might.

  But she did not cry.

  The young maiden had taken another step toward growing up.

  “I wonder what sort of town Rausbourne is.”

  They once again stepped on board the ship that had taken them from the northern islands and greeted the captain, Yosef, along with the rest of the crew. There were no other passengers on the ship, and they were the only ones in the hold.

  That being said, the crew must have seized a business opportunity in town, since the hold was full of cargo.

  “Is it a big city?”

  Only the faintest traces of light filtered through the window cut into the hold. Dawn was close.

  It faintly outlined Myuri, and that was how Col noticed her wolf ears and tail were out.

  There were no other guests, and the crew rarely came down, so it wasn’t a problem.

  “Yes. It is the second biggest in t
he Kingdom, and I hear it’s a bustling place.”

  “I hope they have good food.”

  When Col sat down, Myuri eagerly nestled between his knees. He thought she might want some attention after parting with Ilenia, but her body temperature was rather high—she was probably just sleepy.

  “I’m sure they do. We can’t afford to waste any money, though.”

  He patted her head, causing her tail—which she was using as a blanket—to rustle.

  “You’re always so mean, Brother,” Myuri muttered spitefully, but once she leaned slightly to the side, Col immediately heard her soft snores.

  The ship set sail without waiting for the sun to rise.

  May God protect us.

  Col murmured quietly to himself, and he, too, closed his eyes.

  The waters south of Desarev were truly calm.

  As her hair fluttered in the warm southerly winds, Myuri watched with glittering eyes as the ship forged onward even as it sailed against the wind, then later admired how gallantly the sailors rowed the oars when the air currents grew too still.

  Since the ship never strayed far from the coastline, they could see the landscape of the Kingdom well. It was the exact opposite of the mountain range where Myuri was born and raised; the gently sloping fields extending ever toward the horizon were an unusual sight as always to her.

  But despite how awed she seemed by everything at first, she eventually stopped looking. When Col asked about it, she said it was too flat and that the sight made her uneasy. Perhaps since she was a wolf, the lack of trees and other cover to hide in was the source of her restlessness.

  “Brother…are we there yet?”

  Myuri rested her chin on the frame of the ship, bored.

  She had been told the day before they were finally pulling into Rausbourne, so she had woken up before dawn, quickly finished her daily hair care, then stayed waiting on the deck for the moment to come.

  Since they still had not arrived, she was completely bored out of her mind.

  “Look, Myuri, there’s some life over there.”

  Col patted the sulking girl’s shoulder and pointed in the direction the ship was headed.

  While not remarkably tall, there was a cape protruding out onto the water. A wooden lighthouse sat atop the summit and a dense cluster of buildings could be seen on the land the cape jutted out from. It was a little post town with open-air stalls standing in rows along the street, cooking steam rising from a few of them.