Spice & Wolf X (DWT) Read online

“It’s turned out this way because they mixed a bunch of copper or Lord-knows-what in with the silver. I hear that not even the most skilled moneychangers can tell what little silver’s left. When a currency loses its credibility, it’s no longer useful for business. Apparently, a number of feudal lords even started importing copper coins to stock up so they can buy bread, but it’s futile. Confronted with this, the king’s just imposing more regulations all the more rigorously..”

  Holo and Cole also leaned forward to get a good look at the coin on the table, but straightened their backs when they saw that Deutschmann planned to continue speaking.

  “With the situation being as it is, the appearance of opportunists is but a natural consequence.”

  Business was simply a tug-of-war. One could easily find out what lay at the ends by feeling his way along the rope. In an economic slump run rampant with an inferior currency, the results were a shortage of money to even buy bread.. and what would happen then?

  A country’s economy wasn’t some clandestine ritual that took place behind closed doors. Its currency was sure to draw comparison with other countries to judge their relative worth. If only the coins of the Winfield Kingdom were blackened and inferior, how would their situation look?

  Just as the weaker deer was destined to be preyed upon by wolves, fortunes based on weak currencies would fell prey to stronger ones.

  “By opportunists, you’re referring to those who come to buy money and not merchandise?”

  “Exactly, and for the same reason that sharks gather around wounded fish. That’s why my first thought was that you were one of them, Mr. Lawrence.”

  “I see. The Great Brondel Monastery indeed seems a very likely target. The place possesses not only power and influence, but also money.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then may I ask who exactly is playing the role of the shark?”

  Deutschmann revealed a vulgar grin perfectly suited for a decadent tavern, then answered with his teeth revealed.

  “The banner of the moon and shield.”

  “!”

  “That’s right, the Ruvik Alliance, whose base of operations is in the mainland’s northern regions. It is they who are playing the role of the shark.”

  The Ruvik Alliance had several immense warships, upon which were strung beautiful green banners bearing their signature moon and shield insignia. It was the most powerful economic alliance in existence, consisting of twenty-three professional guilds from eighteen different regions, backed by thirty aristocrats and led by ten large companies.

  Even the notion that they could choose who to place on the throne wasn’t farfetched. It truly was an organization of incredible magnitude. Legitimate tactics were rendered all but obsolete as soon as one was targeted by such a powerful organization.

  “Of course we don’t dare to make a move, and we just end up watching as spectators. Besides, they strictly adhere to the rules so they don’t interfere with our wool trade.”

  “Are they after the monastery’s land?”

  “Yes. I hear they’re trying to use this chance to purchase the monastery’s land, and win over the region’s aristocrats. Because of the king’s decision to increase taxes, and the decrease in their land’s income, these aristocrats are already in a seriously tight spot. The alliance’s next step would be to intervene in the kingdom’s politics. With their immense size it’s pretty much impossible for them to keep their intentions a secret, but that ultimately becomes the force driving their actions.”

  A target that caught the eye of the Ruvik Alliance had no chance to turn the tides. The image in Lawrence’s mind was of aristocrats anticipating King Sylvan’s transformation into a puppet ruler and selling them over to the Ruvik Alliance. When that happened everything would come crashing down like an avalanche.

  Lawrence looked over at Holo with the thought that they always seemed to run into something interesting when they arrived in a new region.

  “That said, the monastery seems to be more stubborn than we anticipated, so the negotiations aren’t going well. Apparently each company in the alliance is competing to be the first to seal the deal. Therefore, hmm..”

  Deutschmann let his gaze fall on the letter of recommendation once more, then he again pinched his mustache. He finally spoke with a slight tilt of his head.

  “If you think that visiting such a dangerous lair is worth the adventure, Mr. Lawrence, I can introduce you to one of the heads..”

  The “gloomy and quick-to-shift” Winfieldian merchant revealed a faint smile.

  “The only condition is that you never spoke to our company.”

  Lawrence didn’t reply immediately, but it wasn’t because he felt that he’d change his mind after careful consideration. With such interesting developments, he doubted the merchants in the area would continue to stand by as spectators. A few would be bound to heed the urge to take action. Anyone would want a seat closer to the action in a spectacle like this.

  In order to trade the wool from the sheep they bred, the Great Brondel Monastery had allotted a plot of land specifically for merchants coming to make the purchases. It was likely that a small commotion had been stirred up already in that specially-allotted area. Now was the time to check the heat of the furnace. If it was burning too hot, it wouldn’t be too late to think of another plan. Having calculated thusly, Lawrence replied without even looking at Holo.

  “Then I’ll be counting on you.”

  Deutschmann responded with a smile.

  * * *

  A gunnysack of wool was placed on the floor with a thump. If someone told him it was merchandise waiting to be shipped to some distant land, Lawrence wouldn’t have doubted it for a second. The flattened sack of stitched linen was stuffed full with wool blankets. When compared with hard and heavy traveling blankets that provided little warmth, these were the kind that would leave you sweating. Just like that, blankets for the three of them had been deposited in their room.

  “This is.. um. Hey you, is this really alright?”

  Holo had just washed her hair to be rid of the saltwater smell that covered her, and was now drying it in front of a wood-filled fireplace in the inn’s most expensive room. Even she couldn’t help but ask, seeing those wool blankets.

  She frequently demanded that Lawrence generously book them rooms at quality inns, but she could still more or less judge the price. Lawrence and company had never stayed in such a room. One only had to glance at Holo’s reaction to confirm how lavish it was.

  “This inn hasn’t seen any guests for ten days, and this room’s been empty for four weeks. I’ve heard they get few guests this season, so one Lute silver coin was enough to cover this room and the firewood with change to spare. Although..”

  Lawrence pointed at the blackened coins on the table.

  “You probably can’t buy anything with those.”

  “Aye. So you are playing the opportunist.”

  “Isn’t that taking it too far? Without demand it’s only natural for the price to drop.”

  “Whatever the case, so long as you did not reserve this room for the sake of your own vain pride. Hey, young one, grab the other end for me.”

  Holo hastily prepared to make the bed, and Cole - the target of her playful teasing - timidly picked up the other end of her blanket. Lawrence watched them with a wry smile as he pondered other matters.

  He reflected on what Deutschmann had told him about the Winfield Kingdom’s difficult situation and the Ruvik Alliance’s plans to take advantage of it to further their own goals. No matter the age, the weak were destined to be preyed upon by the strong.

  Even so, Lawrence reeled in shock from the idea that even the Great Brondel Monastery, whose praises were sung in so many great poems, had been unable to escape this fate. It was true that the Church no longer held the power they once did, but he still got the feeling they were backed by some silent, unspoken force.

  That the two of them had fallen into a dangerous situation, where Holo
had been taken as a hostage not long after they met, was precisely due to the Church’s existence. The thought that he was observing the downfall of a mighty kingdom from up close was both exciting and gloomy.

  Of course, Lawrence had no intention of supporting or attacking either side. Humans ate sheep, but also suffered attacks from wolves. As his thoughts came to this point, Holo suddenly peeked over at him and spoke, staring him in the face.

  “If only you could see your own expression, getting all restless like that.”

  The air in the room was warm, thanks to the sturdy windows and fireplace. Still, the beads of sweat on the now-robeless Holo’s body were probably caused by her frolicking with Cole. Cole’s back was hunched as he sat next to the bed drinking water, looking rather spent. On the other hand, Holo’s wide eyes had a visible glint of vigor in them - perhaps the smell of wool had excited her.

  “Aye, my intentions are wicked indeed. Just now I was silently praying that the Church would last forever.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Looking disinterested, she sat in a chair and grabbed the water jug on the table for a drink. It should have been filled with water, but instead was filled with wine. It was not made of clay, metal or even bronze; the water jugs here were hollowed-out coconuts. Apparently, coconuts were a fruit from a distant country in the south. Based on that, it was easy to imagine how prosperous the country’s trade was.

  “Oh yes, back to your previous topic..”

  “If this displeases you, I can switch roles and play the happy merchant watching the collapse of a formerly-powerful enemy?”

  “..Foolish mule.”

  Despite hesitating for a moment, she stomped on his foot - she was recalling the Narwhale fiasco in Gerube. Setting aside the fact that she would prioritize her own interests, she actually had a loyalty streak in her as well. Despite that, she was likely fretting over the image of having to extend a helping hand to formerly-powerful foe now in distress.

  While in Gerube, the three of them had extended a helping hand to Eve, the beautiful merchant called the Wolf of the Roam River. Lawrence of course knew that he had to be ready to pay with his life if he ever teased Holo about that fact. Ever since Eve “ambushed” him, he’d been living on pins and needles. He had no desire to relive that experience a second time.

  “I’m a bit saddened by it. Despite my mixed feelings for the Church, they have saved me on occasion.”

  “Hmm.. I can relate. On the other hand, that guy from Tyler Company seemed pretty pleased as he related their situation.”

  “Deutschmann probably was pleased. Didn’t he say he was in charge of their wool purchasing? It takes a lot of effort just to win a chance to negotiate with the monastery, so he must be extremely happy to see them at a disadvantage.”

  “A gloomy and quick-to-shift personality, was it?”

  “That’s right. But haven’t you been a bit too happy yourself, since the wool blankets were left here?”

  Holo’s face went deadly serious as she heard this. Her ears shot up straight and her cheeks puffed out. Then, perhaps realizing it was too late to cover her emotions, her face relaxed and she sighed.

  “Those blankets will only make it difficult for me to sleep. The scent of sheep keeps my mind alert.”

  “The scent of money will probably keep those other guys up, too. This time we probably won’t get a chance to partake in the commotion with the monastery. Even with your wisdom, Cole’s cleverness, and my daring, our opponent is simply too much this time.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  She rested a cheek in her hand as she sat, looking simultaneously tired of Lawrence and yet quite happy.

  “Then what are we supposed to do?”

  Cole had suddenly taken the chance to cut in as he tossed more wood on the fire that he’d been watching. Like a proper northerner, he knew how to properly tend to a fire.

  “I don’t think the Ruvik Alliance is after the wolf deity’s bones. If that were true then Eve or Keeman would have at least heard something about it.”

  “Then two predators after separate prey just happened to meet on a narrow path?”

  “I don’t know if ‘happened to meet on a narrow path’ is appropriate.. but whatever the case may be, the Ruvik Alliance is an immensely powerful opponent that may as well be considered the equal of a kingdom. There’s no way we could compete with them. However, looking at things from a different perspective, this could be a good chance for us.”

  “Hmm?”

  Cole shook his coat in front of the fire as he listened to them talk; he was probably trying to coax out any bugs inside of it.

  “Right now, the monastery’s staring down the jaws of that venomous snake of an alliance. Their possessions are laid out for all the world to see, which spares us the effort of having to discover them. Moreover, Deutschmann said the alliance’s goal is to get the monastery’s huge tracts of land. Even if the monastery has the bones, the alliance is unlikely to be particularly interested in them right now.”

  The Ruvik Alliance certainly wouldn’t care about a possession worth only a couple thousand gold coins. In spite of their high value, the wolf deity’s bones were just another piece of salable merchandise that one could buy with enough money. What was truly valuable was that which couldn’t even be bought with money.

  “There shouldn’t be any danger in just approaching the monastery for a look. If I had to name a real risk, it’d be..”

  “What?”

  He tilted his head and replied to Holo.

  “..the over-one-hundred-thousand sheep at the Great Brondel Monastery. Do you think you can handle that?”

  Lawrence had originally meant to merely joke about it, but after seeing her excitement over a few wool-stuffed blankets he began to seriously worry how she’d once when they arrived at the monastery.

  This was the time when merchants would head there to purchase wool for the coming spring, so one would see a considerable number of sheep gathered just for the quality-evaluation meetings. Even during normal times there would be a lot of sheep-related items at the monastery. And worst of all, the shepherds Holo so despised would be there in numbers no less substantial than the sheep.

  Based on her excitement on the boat, Lawrence could only imagine how out of control she would get if there was a show-filled plain there as well. His thoughts slowly began to shift from concern to apprehension.

  “Aye, there should not be a problem.”

  In spite of his anxiety, she spoke in a tone that indicated it wouldn’t be a big deal. His eyes watched that upbeat wolf, as if posing the question “Where do you get all that confidence?” The cunning Wisewolf replied with a smug grin.

  “All will be well once I eat enough mutton that even the scent of sheep fails to entice me, will it not? No matter one’s love for something there will always come a point when they tire of it.. am I wrong?”

  “..”

  “Well, if it has been decided then hurry up and get to it! Eating to the point where I am no longer able to sit up requires long and involved preparations! Besides, look! Even this little boy’s face has written plain upon it the desire to eat mutton.”

  Naturally, Lawrence was aware that she was reaching for an excuse with Cole. But it was true - with Cole’s expectant expression, it was even more difficult for Lawrence to ignore her remark. He didn’t really want to refute her, but he still felt like messing around for a little bit.

  “I’m starting to get tired of spending my money to treat you to these sumptuous feasts all the time. What are your thoughts on that?”

  The sea air on the boat ride had left her robe in a sorry state, but Holo slipped back into it without a second thought. She replied as she pulled the hook over her head.

  “It would not be so bad to be disliked by another once in a while, but if you were to grow tired of me, that would be too great a burden for my heart to bear.”

  She spoke coquettishly, with both hands pressed against
her chest. Since responding to that too earnestly would only serve to make him appear foolish, he responded casually.

  “Indeed it would, milady.”

  Giggling uncontrollably, she then took Cole’s hand and walked toward the door. Once there she spun around, and shouted out like a carefree child.

  “Hey! Hurry up!”

  What was one to do with her? Lawrence sighed inwardly, then grabbed his coat and rose to his feet.

  * * *

  The most powerful weapon was a powerful currency. So said a great merchant who had crossed oceans and conquered many lands with golden coins. Having experienced this truth for himself, Lawrence was glad to be a merchant.

  He had turned down Deutschmann’s offer for them to lodge at Tyler Company. Judging by his words, Deutschmann had extended that offer because locals tended to view travelers from abroad as money-trees to be shaken for their coins. That guess was confirmed the moment they arrived at their inn.

  Of course Lawrence heeded Deutschmann’s warning to not exchange his money for Winfield’s currency. To test the waters he pulled out a Lute silver coin, which was worth slightly less than a Trenni silver, and saw the innkeeper smile brightly in return. Their plates were piled high with carefully roasted mutton covered in yellow grease, almost to the point that it spilled off onto the table.

  This season’s lack of grass made shepherding expensive. It was said that many shepherds slaughtered more sheep than usual in order to hoard food. As a result, the price for salt and vinegar to preserve mutton would soar. But here in the Winfield Kingdom, the frigid temperatures were ideal for storing raw meat in slabs of ice, so the price of mutton was naturally lower.

  When they took a large bite of mutton and chased it down with wine, a layer of oil formed on that wine. Being able to feast on such quality mutton at such low prices wasn’t the kind of fortune one could expect everyday. The only blemish in their otherwise excellent experience was the poor quality of the bread.

  Bread was said to reflect the quality of the country it was made in. Wheat, oats and other ingredients for bread were very easy to preserve compared to meat or vegetables, so in periods of unrest the high quality wheat and oats would be restricted to stock up in case a calamity struck.