Town of Strife II Page 6

  The carriage emerged from a narrow street onto a wide avenue that ran alongside the river.

  Not so much time had passed, but large numbers of people inconvenienced by the prohibition on river crossing had begun to appear. Lawrence wondered if the prohibition had been lifted since from the fine view of the river the avenue afforded, he could see ferries filled with people making their way across.

  “Incidentally,” said Kieman as the salt-scented breeze ruffled his fine blond hair, “how much did you discuss with Miss Eve?”

  Lawrence got the sense that this was the threshold. He feigned an open smile. “Er, Miss Eve…?”

  He could hardly fail to miss the twitch at Kieman’s temple.

  “Ah, I’m sorry. My mistake,” said Kieman, falling silent and turning his attention to the river.

  Given the region of town where Lawrence had been staying, it was obvious with whom he’d met. Kieman was trying to draw the truth out and thereby slip a leash around Lawrence’s neck.

  Kieman’s sudden silence was because he had underestimated Lawrence.

  Or perhaps he was considering a different use for Lawrence, who was cleverer than Kieman had imagined.

  Lawrence spoke next, but not because he thought he could suddenly overwhelm Kieman. “Speaking of Miss Eve, I did chat with her a bit at the spring of gold.”

  “…Did you?” Kieman looked over at Lawrence casually. His eyes were the cold, profit-calculating eyes of a merchant who could look at another human and see only what he hoped to gain.

  “She said there was nothing so troublesome as being sold something that can’t be bought with money.”

  For the first time, Kieman looked surprised. “I’ll bet,” he said with a smile.

  Lawrence had no intention of opposing Kieman.

  The reason he insinuated Eve’s being pursued by the landlord’s son was to hide the true subject of their conversation, given that he could not hope to disguise that the conversation had occurred.

  Now everything depended on what Kieman did. Lawrence was confident he had gotten that across.

  Kieman was silent after that, which in itself was response enough.

  If he had underestimated Lawrence’s significance, he would have to change his plans.

  They all boarded a ferry and crossed to the south side of the river.

  As they waited for Kieman to pay the boatman, Holo stepped on Lawrence’s foot playfully, as though reminding him not to get too full of himself.

  He knew she was confident in him but did not want him to be overconfident.

  He had taken the best course of action he could think of, but his palms were still sweaty.

  While on the south side the buildings were uniformly built and aligned and the paving stones clean and straight, the scenery here was very different, and for the first time Lawrence realized he was no longer on friendly ground.

  “Well, shall we go?”

  Led on by Kieman, Lawrence and his companions moved deeper into enemy territory.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “I vow not to cause any inconveniences.”

  They were led to a five-story inn not far from the Rowen Trade Guild. Its entrance and interior were both very familiar looking, so it was probably commonly used by members of the guild. Lawrence and company were shown to a room on the third floor, which faced the inn’s courtyard.

  There were no complaints about the room, and compared to the inn on the north side that Eve had recommended, the atmosphere of the place—where they would evidently be allowed to stay free of charge—was far better.

  But Kieman’s words could not be taken at face value.

  He probably meant that he would not keep them under surveillance in a way that would cause them inconvenience.

  “Should you need anything, please tell the innkeeper. And if you would be so kind as to inform us of your destination should you leave the inn, you’ll avoid any unfortunate encounters.”

  Lawrence had expected not to be allowed to leave at all, so these words came as a surprise.

  Of course, the reverse side of such graciousness was that they were obviously confident they would be able to follow him no matter whom he tried to meet with.

  And that confidence was probably justified.

  Lawrence hid such thoughts behind his merchant’s mask and answered with a simple “Understood.”

  “Well, then, please be at ease and enjoy your stay,” said Kieman with a smile; then he turned before anyone could reply and closed the door behind him.

  Lawrence, taken aback, stared at the door for a few moments.

  He had assumed that Kieman would explain what role he expected Lawrence to play in his view and Eve’s, but instead the issue had been completely evaded.

  “…What was that all about?” Lawrence scratched his head and sighed and then noticed that Holo was rolling happily around on the bed. Meanwhile, Col had his hand on that same bed and a look of surprise on his face.

  “What are you doing?” Lawrence asked, and Col turned to him, eyes shining.

  “Cotton! It’s filled with cotton!”

  “Cotton?”

  “Come, lie upon it yourself! ’Tis soft, like a cloud.”

  If the beds used cotton, then the room would have cost quite a bit if Lawrence had been paying for it himself.

  Given Kieman’s enthusiasm and the basic principles of return on investment, it meant that he expected to use Lawrence in a way that would earn him more than this room was costing.

  The size of this exchange was becoming more and more concrete.

  Now that it had been pointed out, Lawrence noticed that the room itself was quite fine. He approached the window and saw that its joints were very tight so as to block drafts. When he opened it, he could look down onto a lovely courtyard where many flowers bloomed despite the season.

  “…”

  Given all this, the food served at this inn would likely be quite luxurious as well.

  Lawrence was not unfamiliar with such methods. If one compensated someone only as well as his station demanded, he would do only what was expected of them. But if he were showered with overwhelming generosity, his embarrassment would make him easy to control, and this would force him to put forward extraordinary effort.

  The fear that Lawrence had bottled up began to creep back into his view.

  At the very least, should he have asked Kieman for an explanation?

  He mulled it over as he turned his gaze back into the room from the courtyard, when—

  “Fool,” said Holo, startling Lawrence so thoroughly he nearly fell out of the window.

  “Wh-what—”

  “That’s what I should be asking you! What are you doing with that serious expression of yours? You’re staying here in a room far beyond your purse’s means to let, yet you cannot enjoy it?” demanded Holo, sounding annoyed.

  Behind her, Col looked on nervously as he sat on the cotton-stuffed bed.

  “Well, I…”

  Lawrence stumbled over his words, and Holo stabbed her index finger at his chest, continuing to talk.

  “You truly are a weakling when it comes to such things. Why do you think that nasty little whelp left you here without explaining anything? There won’t be anything like last night’s eavesdropper, either. Our whelp is a bit more interesting than that.”

  Holo turned to the door, continuing to show her fangs.

  “If the explanation you gave me is correct, he’s still mistrustful of you. And ’tis a fact you’ve a connection to that vixen. So what does it mean that he’s brought you to his territory and is trying to make you one of his pawns? Naturally, he must make sure you haven’t any strings attached.”

  It all made perfect sense, but none of it explained why there had been no explanation of any sort. “Is it just that he didn’t explain anything because he can’t trust me?” Lawrence asked, which made Holo smile an unfriendly smile.

  That was not the answer.

  His punishment was having his bear
d yanked.

  “At the very least, you’ve been brought to the territory of one you cannot be sure is friend or foe, and you have been left to your own devices—so what would you normally do? Aren’t you in the habit of gathering information when you arrive in a new town?”

  Still behind Holo, Col listened to her lecture, fascinated.

  That had to be why she was doing this—if he did not want to be humiliated in front of Col, he was going to have to think hard and fast.

  He did.

  But nothing was coming to mind.

  As he stammered, the wisewolf released his beard and crossed her arms, continuing on.

  “On that count, humans and wolves are no different. You seek the counsel of those you know or those you trust. In other words, you navigate unfamiliar territory using the map within your mind. The minds of humans and beasts cannot be seen, but when they move, those movements make it quite clear what sort of map they possess. Just like my ears and tail or your beard.”

  The beard part was a joke, but he could not help stroking it in thought.

  “So in essence—” Holo said.

  If he could not come up with an answer here, he was quite sure that Holo would take Col in hand and head straight for Yoitsu.

  In the hairsbreadth gap Holo had left after her words, Lawrence slid in and took the opportunity. “He’s trying to see what I’ll do when put in an uncertain situation.”

  “…”

  Holo fell silent for a moment, perhaps having swallowed her rebuke at his slowness to answer. “Quite…Honestly, the only reason to put us all up in such a fine room is—”

  “—To make us sweat.”

  Holo’s shoulders slackened, and she flicked her ears and looked over her shoulder.

  Col, every bit the serious student, gave a slow, wide-eyed nod.

  “So, what then shall we do?”

  Col was momentarily stunned into silence by the sudden question.

  He immediately and furiously started thinking of how to answer, while Holo’s wagging tale made it clear she expected Lawrence to speak up.

  It was like tossing a bone in front of a dog.

  Even though he knew he was being baited, he could not help it.

  She had two males in the palm of her hand and was making them vie with each other for the sheer fun of it.

  “We should act as usual and enjoy the fine treatment.” Lawrence’s words were just an instant quicker—although worryingly, Col had opened his mouth and appeared nearly ready to answer himself.

  Holo looked at Col for a moment, then slowly turned back to regard Lawrence, a smile dancing about the corners of her mouth as if to say, “Not bad.”

  “If we truly mean to support Kieman through and through, then this isn’t enemy territory—it’s our home base, and there’s nothing to fear,” he continued. Holo nodded with satisfaction, her ears flicking, as though she had found the treasure for which she had been searching.

  Lawrence looked past Holo to Col and asked, “Was that what you were going to say?” which made the boy smile, nodding with only a touch of sheepishness.

  “Also, what would you do if the person on whom you’d lain an important duty seemed about to fall under the weight? Could you calmly continue to let them labor, eh?” Holo prodded.

  Thus far, Lawrence had always bought and sold on his own, bearing every risk and worry himself, so the matter had never really occurred to him. The very notion of using someone else was so far from his mind that such thoughts were immediately abandoned.

  As long as it was within his reach, Lawrence was more or less confident in his ability to fight. But there were those in the world who used spears longer than their arms—to say nothing of bows and arrows. And battles were won by generals who never even had to lay hands upon a sword.

  Holo had long been such a leader.

  “When I did such things myself, I nary used such roundabout, bothersome methods.” She grinned, flashing her pure white fangs. “I am Holo. Holo the Wisewolf of Yoitsu!” she said, hands on her hips, chest flung proudly out.

  It had been some time since she had bragged like this, but to be boastful and proud was indeed very Holo-like. And given the admiration with which Col was gazing at her, it was surely just what was called for—since if she were too wise a wolf, she would not be able to indulge in this childish boasting.

  “Now then. What do you suggest we do?”

  Here was Holo’s true aim.

  Lawrence found the words drawn out of him. “We go out and enjoy ourselves.”

  “Mm. As grandly as we may, too.” Holo glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, as if making sure he understood the meaning behind her words.

  It was perhaps a bit pathological of Lawrence to then decide to pretend not to notice this. “In that case, let’s go see the narwhal at the church, shall we?”

  He spoke in a jesting fashion as if to emphasize that it was his proposal.

  Col looked a bit taken aback, though Holo’s surprise was feigned.

  She truly was a genius at turning circumstances to her own advantage.

  “After all, there was quite a crowd on the way over here. If we ask, I’ll bet we’ll be allowed to see it.”

  Lawrence doubted that going to see the narwhal would be seen as a sign of betrayal, regardless of his connection to Eve. If he were truly thinking of betraying Kieman, then there would be no reason to take actions that would attract the guild’s attention.

  Of course, this was all hypothetical—it was possible to imagine any number of layers of hidden motivations.

  “What do you say? Wouldn’t it be boring to just go out for food and drink?”

  Holo was a proud wisewolf, and Lawrence’s proposal was meant to be worthy of her position; yet its form still contained a certain childish innocence—two opposing aspects.

  As a wisewolf, Holo had the confidence to stand before the narwhal. Yet like a child, she was surely interested in just seeing it.

  At least, that was the idea.

  Judging by her delight, he seemed to have hit the bull’s-eye.

  “’Tis not a bad notion, coming from you.”

  From Holo’s lashing tongue, such a statement was like getting full marks on a test.

  Col stood from the bed and busily began preparing to leave.

  They were a strange trio, but here and now, Lawrence could scarcely imagine anything more comforting.

  As expected, when they informed the innkeeper that they wished to view the narwhal, he told them to simply mention Kieman’s name at the church.

  Kieman had unquestionably expected this.

  Lawrence did not care enough to ask Holo to be certain, but once they left the inn, they would probably have several people tailing them.

  The church faced a prominent avenue on the south side of Kerube and was the grandest building there.

  Unlike the buildings on the north side, the architecture of the south had a fixed height and build so as not to stand out or be excessively showy—and among such buildings, the church’s beauty and grandeur was impressive indeed.

  Its tower rose high above any other building, and its top housed a bell polished to shine so brightly that it was easily visible even from the ground below. The grand gate that faced the avenue had thick wooden doors that must have required great effort to open and close and was reinforced with countless iron bands. It could surely repel even the largest army of demons.

  The building itself was made from large stones, with a passage from scriptures carved atop the entrance. A benevolent angel looked down on all who passed through.

  It was a profound sight.

  If one ventured deep enough into the forest, one might see a great tree that seemed tall enough to reach to the heavens. Such trees were usually the holy residences of local gods or spirits, and standing before one was an awe-inspiring experience.

  But before them now was not some great tree tended by some unfathomable power, but rather a church built by human hands on huma
n land.

  And within it was not some sharp-fanged god but a benevolent God in human form.

  It was true that in comparison to this, the pagans who prayed at waterfalls and springs, worshipped toads, and feared the cries of beasts as the words of the gods seemed worryingly barbaric.

  Even with a wisewolf standing right there beside him, Lawrence could not help but think so.

  If he had not found himself being dragged along by the ear by an irritated Holo, Lawrence would have continued to stand there dumbstruck.

  “Come, let us hurry in.”

  A throng had gathered in front of the church, and listening to them, the group could tell they were abuzz with talk of the narwhal. It seemed the news had gotten out—indeed, no door could contain a wagging tongue.

  But between the assemblage and their goal of paying their respects to the narwhal stood guards armed with spears.

  Lawrence and Col found themselves dragged as far as the entrance by Holo, but where they would begin to ascend the stairs that led to the church, they were stopped by the guards.

  “The church is currently conducting official business. None may enter.”

  Influence was a strange, invisible power indeed.

  “We are from the Rowen Trade Guild. We’ve permission from Mr. Kieman.”

  At those words, the guards exchanged a glance, understanding that trouble would arise if they turned Lawrence away. Reluctantly, they lowered their spears and beckoned entry.

  “My thanks,” said Lawrence with a smile, pulling the still-irritated Holo along as he entered the church.

  Col seemed rather nervous and clutched the sleeve of Holo’s robe as he followed along.

  “It’s quiet.”

  Though it was a church, being built at this scale made it feel more like a castle.

  And while mountain castles were small, dark, shabby affairs with sheep and pigs wandering about the keep, this was a proper city castle.

  Passing through the entrance, they saw a round ceiling painted with a colorful scene from the scriptures, and columns carved in the forms of strange mythological creatures made it clear this place was not of the secular world.

  There were few windows and so many candles—expensive beeswax candles that gave off little smoke in order to avoid damaging the paintings with soot.