Spring Log IV Page 3

Holo struck down Lawrence’s claim, then came around the desk. When Selim tried to stand to give up her chair, Holo stopped her with a hand.

  “Your work will still take some time, no?” Holo asked as she gazed at the mountain of coins and the scales resting on the desk.

  “Things would go faster if you helped instead of pushing all your work onto Miss Selim.”

  Selim was startled to hear her name, and her eyes met Holo’s.

  Holo looked at her with gentle, smiling eyes before regarding Lawrence with a cool gaze.

  “Fool. You are stingy and want to avoid doing any shopping in town, so I have a mountain of mending to do for the winter clothes we will wear on the road. Or perhaps you do not mind if I pilfer some of that gold there?”

  Her true form aside, Holo’s human body was that of a slender girl who appeared younger than Selim. Her fingers were so slim that her thimble for mending almost seemed like an unwieldy gauntlet.

  The height of autumn was fast approaching, and once winter finally arrived, warm clothes would be incredibly precious.

  “I don’t mind, but whatever you take will be coming out of our food and drink budget while we’re on the road.”

  Lawrence certainly wasn’t one to go down without a fight.

  Holo pursed her lips.

  Selim loved watching the two interact; she never tired of it. It gave her something akin to hope, seeing people who could be this happy in this world.

  “So? What do you want? Did you just come to poke your nose in our business?”

  “I was merely thinking about taking your measurements for furs. I hear the fur tailor came into town this morning. Every bathhouse has orders for winter, no? We need to put ours in quickly lest we are left with the scraps as requests pile up.”

  “Yeah, that’s true…,” Lawrence said, and his gaze briefly flitted to Selim. It was an apologetic gaze characteristic of a kind person who was always considerate of those around him.

  “I will take care of the rest,” Selim said.

  “…I’m sorry. Thank you.”

  When Selim smiled, Lawrence returned the look with relief before turning to Holo.

  “Make it quick, please.”

  “’Twould not be so much of a hassle if you had only maintained your old physique.”

  “Urgh…”

  Whenever Lawrence lost his composure—he had started to worry about his waistline lately—Holo smiled mischievously.

  Then Holo the Wisewolf, who had lived for centuries and once reigned over a vast forest, stuck fast to Lawrence like the young girl she appeared to be as they climbed up the stairs together.

  As Selim saw them off, a slight feeling of exasperation came over her, but it also brought relief to her tense face.

  One of the reasons she hadn’t been crushed by the weight of the great responsibility she had been given was because no matter what, she wanted to avoid putting a damper on the intimate relationship between the two.

  She could not bring herself to do anything that might harm their happiness.

  Selim quietly repeated that to herself and began her work again.

  Now that there were eight more of them, dinnertime became quite lively. As the master of the house, Lawrence occasionally ate at the same table as his guests, but Holo rarely did so because she had to hide her animal ears and tail. Her demeanor also made her seem aloof, but Selim had recently realized that Holo might be even shier than she was.

  However, when their guests were other nonhumans, there were no such constraints. Holo boasted as she drank that no matter how drunk she got, no one would question her ears and tail, which earned her a disapproving look from Lawrence.

  That being said, Selim could not exactly say that Holo was truly relaxed and enjoying her meal. While she seemed easygoing at a glance, she was actually being more attentive than anyone.

  After dinner, Holo called Selim over. Once Selim finished clearing the dinner table and wrapping up all the preparations for the coming day that needed to be done before heading off to bed, she went outside and found Holo in a nearby cluster of trees. Surprisingly, she was on her own; Lawrence was probably having a pleasant chat with the others.

  And when Selim saw her, she confirmed once again that Holo really did have a delicate personality.

  That was because the mistress of the bathhouse had some jerky in her mouth, something Selim had not seen at dinner.

  “I hardly have any appetite for a stew without meat,” Holo announced grumpily, perhaps noticing Selim’s gaze. Her behavior suggested that she did not know how to deal with her pent-up frustration, but the very reason their meals scarcely contained meat ever since the other nonhumans had started staying with them was very likely because Holo had specifically put in a request with Hanna. Her seemingly grumpy attitude was just a way to hide her embarrassment over being so thoughtful.

  “In that case, we should have my brother treat us to some meat stew at his inn.”

  When Holo called Selim outside, it was typically to accompany her to Selim’s older brother’s inn, which was across two mountains to the west. Selim had made her proposal thinking that it would be the same today.

  “You fool. That is not why we are going today,” Holo said to her, and Selim cocked her head in confusion. “There is simply something I would like to ask him and the others regarding the upcoming trip. Well, we shall talk more soon…Let us be off. If we tarry and waste our time, it will bleed into tomorrow.”

  “Y-yes.”

  It was almost impossible for humans to cross the mountains at night on foot, so they would go in their original wolf forms. Just as they started hurriedly removing their clothes, Holo suddenly spoke.

  “It would not cause any trouble for them should we request meat stew, would it?”

  Pausing just as she was about to remove her waist wrap, Selim stared blankly at Holo.

  Holo wore a shy smile.

  If anyone asked, Selim would confidently say this was what she liked best about Holo.

  “I’m sure my brother would be delighted. I heard he and the others hunted a rather large deer recently, and I think this is right about when they would be planning to eat it. The flavor becomes stronger after being dried out for a little while.”

  “Oh-ho. I can hardly wait.”

  Holo undressed in a flash and transformed into a wolf first. The lay of her fur was magnificent and her form was as majestic as always.

  “What shall I do about your clothes? If we’re having a little stew, then perhaps I should bring them along with us.”

  Holo typically either left her clothes with Lawrence or placed them in a hollow in one of the surrounding trees.

  “Indeed. Fasten them to my tail.”

  Selim nodded and used Holo’s waist binding to do so.

  “And attach yours as well.”

  As Selim stood there blinking, Holo’s mouth widened into a fang-filled smile.

  “You would have me try to do the same with my claws?”

  Selim smiled. That’s a fair point, she thought, so she added her own clothes, reverted to her wolf form, and then they both dashed into the nighttime mountains.

  As Selim and Holo sped through the dark mountains, their destination soon came into view. It was originally a monastery, and it now provided lodging for pilgrims who had traveled from all over to visit the saint who was said to be sleeping in a building on the grounds.

  When Selim thought about how she was the source of inspiration for the saint, she could feel her tail grow slightly itchy.

  As they stood some distance away from the inn, Selim’s older brother came out to greet them in human form, having sniffed out their presence. Selim always found it funny how well the long-sleeve, clergy-style robes looked on her brother, who had once been in the mercenary business.

  “Apologies for the sudden intrusion.”

  “It’s all right. What can I help you with today? Do you require more meat?”

  In order to cut down on their overhead, Spice and
Wolf often had Selim’s older brother share some of the game he caught instead of buying meat in town.

  In exchange, Lawrence purchased all the daily necessities Selim’s brother needed so that he did not have to go into town for every little thing.

  “In truth, there is something I wish to ask you.”

  “Oh…”

  Her brother seemed slightly perplexed and looked to Selim for information. When their eyes met, she lowered her head slightly and looked up to him with rounded eyes, signaling that she did not know the reason, either.

  “Were you busy?”

  “Oh, no. We just have two curious guests staying with us now; we’re taking it easy.”

  “Then, apologies, but I shall borrow some of your time.”

  Holo returned to her human form after speaking. Even though she was just as unclothed when she was in her wolf form, Selim’s brother, Aram, still faithfully averted his eyes. Though it seemed a little strange, she understood why.

  Selim followed suit, returning to her human form and putting on her clothes.

  After righting the lay of the fur on her animal ears and tail, which had gotten mussed while she had been getting dressed, Holo spoke.

  “Actually, what I would like to ask is about our kin.”

  “Our kin…You mean, our fellow wolves?”

  “We shall be journeying for a short while. And I thought I might use this occasion to see more of the world.”

  Holo spoke casually, but Selim could tell she was slightly on edge. Aram seemed to detect it as well, and he looked to Selim again uneasily.

  He had angered Holo before the very first time they met. It was possible that was the source of his current anxiety.

  Selim spoke up instead.

  “Lady Holo, that’s…”

  With that, it seemed to dawn on Holo that the poor siblings were having difficulty following her train of thought. She flashed a troubled smile.

  “Ahhh, my apologies. I have been thinking about investigating an old friend.”

  Holo once lived in a land called Yoitsu. She left her home on a journey, eventually settling down in a faraway land. However, after spending ages away from her homeland, Holo had lost track of her friend. The closest she got to a reunion after centuries of being apart was finding a piece of her friend’s claw.

  Holo’s daughter now carried her friend’s name, but at the end of the day, she still had no clue where her friend might be.

  “I know not when my next opportunity to travel might be, and most of us are hidden among human society, no? I thought you might have some information, after traveling for so long from the far-flung south.”

  “Um…In that case, I will do what I can to help.”

  When Aram responded, Holo smiled to show her thanks.

  “Ah, one more thing.”

  Aram immediately straightened his posture. Angering Holo that one time really left a lasting impression on him.

  “I am a bit peckish. I wouldn’t mind some meat stew, if you have any…”

  Holo’s bashful way of speaking was incredibly charming. That playfulness was just right for Selim’s older brother, who was often rough and awkward.

  After staring at her blankly for a moment, Aram made a face akin to that of a puppy being told to fetch.

  “Leave it to us. We have some venison that has mellowed to perfection.”

  “Oh-ho.”

  It was only times like these when Holo licked her lips not for show.

  “Would you like to take your meal in the monastery?”

  “’Tis more relaxing out here. If we build a fire, it will keep us warm.”

  “Very well.”

  Selim’s brother gave her a glance, and she understood.

  With a simple “Excuse me,” he headed back to the monastery.

  On the way, Selim had been thinking about how unexpected Holo’s reasons were for wanting to come here.

  Selim could tell just from living beside them that Holo and Lawrence were doing their best to spend their time together while quietly sweeping the differences in their life spans and species under the rug.

  That was why she had figured that if Holo ever embarked on a journey to find her old friend, it would be after parting with Lawrence. To begin with, six months was not nearly enough time to conduct a thorough search, even if Holo was to spend that whole time running with the quick, strong legs of her wolf form.

  There were more than a hundred countries in the world, and there were massive cities scattered about in places. The number of relatively large towns was ten- or even twenty-fold that of cities, and there were untold thousands of villages. Many of the ancient beasts now lived alongside humans, hiding in plain sight. Finding one of them at a time and following up on any leads they could offer was a backbreaking prospect. It would be much like how Selim and her companions had spent their time traveling, doing their best to confirm any rumors about their kin that they heard on their long journey.

  Selim recalled that when Holo said Selim would be left in charge of the bathhouse, the plan was to be back around the following spring or summer. If Holo’s words were to be believed, then they would be gone for about six months.

  But now, as Selim was readying the stew with her brother and the others, she realized something.

  What if Holo had no intention of returning after only six months?

  Selim had no way of knowing if that had been her original plan or if she had perhaps changed her mind after seeing how much work the other villagers had pushed onto Lawrence. Either way, Selim considered it a distinct possibility.

  Almost every day, Holo wandered around the bathhouse with pen and paper in hand, hoping something interesting would happen. Selim had seen her ask countless times about the cuisine of the faraway countries that some of their patrons hailed from, then ask Hanna to recreate it or ask Lawrence to buy any ingredients they lacked.

  Selim was also well aware that with money and connections, traveling could be excellent entertainment. That was because even on her own travels, where she spent most of the time on the edge of starvation, she remembered almost crying at chancing upon strikingly beautiful scenery or being overwhelmed by the mere sight of solemn, dignified structures. It was impossible to forget such stirring moments. Since Lawrence had once been a capable merchant, he and Holo could fully enjoy the charm of traveling without much of the hardship that normally accompanied it. With the addition of a compelling reason to go on an extended trip, Selim got the feeling that Holo and Lawrence had no reason to stay away for only a short time.

  But there was no chance that Selim would ask about it. She couldn’t even bring herself to say something as pitiful as please come back soon.

  Selim watched as Holo cut their share of meat, pulled apart some mushrooms, and happily volunteered to help with the stew itself. She even noticed Holo secretly adding more salt than necessary for basic seasoning.

  While watching her easygoing attitude, Selim naturally became restless.

  How could she…Without realizing how I feel…?

  After the stew came to a boil, Holo leaned forward in the same mood as before, happily portioning out the meat and mushrooms. She piled meat into her bowl, her tail waving about as she bit into her food.

  She was so happy-go-lucky, like an innocent little girl who never minded the small things.

  But Holo did not seem to be the kind of person who would break her promises, so Selim found herself feeling unnecessarily possessive and a tiny bit resentful.

  Besides, if Holo truly wasn’t planning on coming back for a long time, then she should have said that in the first place. Selim could not help but picture herself persevering through the busy season of winter and waiting eagerly for spring to come, wondering if her favorite couple would be back tomorrow or if it would be the day after.

  She could see herself wearing thinner and thinner with each passing day. She got the sense that it would be bearable only because she would have faith that Holo and Lawrence would return t
he following day and always take over her work with a smile.

  What would happen if spring came and went, and they did not return? Selim knew that she would break. Even the eight horse and deer guests staying with them would not stick around forever. Instead of imagining a tomorrow that would be fine no matter what happened, it was far easier for Selim to see a future where everything inevitably went wrong someday.

  She could only stand such a thought precisely because she believed that they would come back one day.

  But what if they don’t…? Selim gazed at the bowl in her hand as she thought, and someone stuck a ladle into her field of vision.

  “To make such a face before a delicious stew is blasphemous to the meat.”

  When she lifted her head, Holo was smiling mischievously, her bowl overflowing with meat and mushrooms and everything else.

  “You should eat a little anyway. Meat will bring some of your color back, give your body energy, and dispel that gloom of yours.” Holo spoke as she adjusted her seating. “If only we had some stiff drinks, ’twould be perfect.” She cackled.

  “Um…”

  Selim was well aware that she did not have a very bright personality, but she couldn’t help but think, Actually, one of the two reasons I feel so gloomy right now is sitting directly across from me. While she griped internally at Holo and cast a spiteful look in her direction, things took a sudden turn.

  “After all, that fool of mine has a weakness for hapless girls. I will not be pleased if you get any strange ideas because of that.”

  “What?!”

  Ghrk. Selim heard someone make a strange noise, and when she looked up, she spotted Aram on the other side of the pot, choking.

  “Ahem…S-Selim, you—”

  “This is a misunderstanding!” Selim cried, and Holo laughed heartily.

  “Heh-heh. Even if that fool of mine did fall for you, I would rip him to shreds first.”

  How mischievous, Selim thought as she looked at Holo, whose amused reddish-amber eyes seemed impish and yet kind at the same time. Then the wisewolf flashed a fang in amusement.

  “’Tis because I want you to stay in the bathhouse. Why not be more like Hanna so he doesn’t become smitten with you?”