That explained why Pisky felt he owed Lawrence a favor.
“You’re being too polite. Your companions gave me a lot of information. I can’t thank them enough.”
Lawrence paused briefly before jokingly continuing.
“And if you act like this, it’ll only make it harder for me to ask you for more help in the future.”
A loan recorded in a financial logbook would always be repaid eventually. But it was also an immutable truth that one’s loss was another’s gain.
“Haha! Of course, if it’s something too difficult I might ask for compensation. Exactly how may I be of assistance to you? If it’s something I can easily arrange, you only have to name it.”
“To be honest, like you said last night, I was wondering whether it wouldn’t be too much trouble to let me see the list of the monastery’s holy relics that your alliance is aware of.”
“Oh, so that really was it. I thought there was more to it. Well, there is indeed a listing of the relics, just take a look through this!”
As he spoke he plucked a document from the top of the pile of parchments on his desk before handing it to Lawrence. It indeed contained an extensive list of holy relics.
“I prepared it just in case, since we’d arranged to meet here.”
Lawrence scrolled through a page or two before lifting his face in gratitude.
“My thanks. If a trivial merchant like me went knocking on the main monastery’s gates for a list of their relics, I’d be kicked out for sure.”
“Now you’re being too polite. You can probably guess from how casually I handed them over to you, but that list is completely useless. Almost everything listed there has next to no value. I’m sure a sad smile will spread across your face after you’ve seen for yourself, but go ahead and have a look.”
He said that with the voice of a vintner recommending fine wines. Lawrence scrolled through the parchment and quickly realized that he was telling the truth. He didn’t even need to know the precise market values of each item to know that, while they were renowned relics meant to be worth an astronomical sum, “relics of renown” were items that weren’t unique, but so common anyone would know what they were.
“Most of them seem to have been bought as bribes. After all, a monastery can’t openly accept a bribe. So even if they know the item’s fake, the heads of a monastery will buy such relics from kings or nobles if it’s to maintain their reputation. The rope Saint Amelia hanged herself with is a perfect example. If you connected all the fakes around the world, it would have been too long for her to hang herself from any tree.”
Sure enough, the list even included a great sage’s right eye, said to be able to predict the future. Lawrence was already aware of at least four churches who had this “eye of wisdom.” It was no more unusual than seeing a shop selling spears that could pierce anything, right next to a shop selling shield that could repel anything. This wasn’t something rare in the world.
“But you might not find what you’re looking for listed on there, Mr. Lawrence. After all, the Golden Sheep’s just a legend without any physical evidence. Heck, I’ve even heard that the one man who plucked a bit of its golden wool..”
“No, no. What we’re after is something as vast as the clouds in the sky, not something so straightforward. Like clouds, it’s something impossible to grab, floating high up there in sky. All you can do is-”
“-Follow the trail behind it, right?”
“Exactly. If we can find the patron saints the shepherds worshiped, or the items they left behind, that might be evidence the Brondel Monastery is hiding awareness of the Golden Sheep’s existence. Then that evidence could be used as the basis for a claim that the Golden Sheep truly exists.”
Lawrence knew that it was a far-fetched argument, but someones one had to resort to such a farce to appease their customers. Pisky seemed to understand that sentiment, being someone who led people to a “new haven” that was little more than untamed wilderness. He affected a heavy sigh, nodded his head and showed a wry smile.
“Alas, it’s as you said. It seems that what we’re looking for isn’t here..”
Lawrence handed the list to Cole and Holo after scanning it for a while. They hadn’t requested to see it because they knew the roles they had to play right now. After briefly glancing at them, Pisky replied.
“I’m sorry the list didn’t help you in the end.. though it feels strange to be the one apologizing.”
Lawrence couldn’t help but laugh at Pisky’s joke.
“We’ve investigated that list as well, Lord knows how many times. You can find the relics there almost anywhere. Of course some of them are highly sought-after items that can be sold immediately after purchase, but.. in all honesty there’s another reason I showed you the list.”
“Another reason?”
A regretful smile crossed Pisky’s face as he heard Lawrence repeat him.
“Yes. I was wondering if there was an item hidden on there that carried a deeper significance.”
His words made Lawrence instinctively look at the parchment that his companions were carefully reading. The items there were ones that could be found in any wealthy church or monastery, but they were completely useless. It was impossible to tell what legends they were connected with, or even if they were local. It felt more to Lawrence like a list of ways rich people wasted their money.
However, Pisky’s meaning got through to Lawrence. He wanted to know if there were any items there that weren’t bought merely as a show of power, but due to an unwavering belief or conviction. It wasn’t difficult to guess why he desired to find such an item. The monastery was stubbornly resisting the Ruvik Alliance, so he probably sought a weapon to break that resistance. A basic principle of negotiation was to know your opponent’s desires.
“Before this I was at the holy sanctuary, participating in routine negotiations. The people of the monastery still show an admirable sense of unity, even in the face of financial and political crisis. Even though they’re down to begging imperial merchants to sponsor their springtime religious festivals, they’re still putting on that tough act.”
“Are they really in such dire financial and political straits?”
Pisky nodded, and let out a light sigh.
“There’s the daily expenses for building maintenance, candles, documents and manuscripts, fresh parchments to copy them to, shepherds’ salaries, livestock feed.. and that’s just the start. Since they’re an important monastery, they have formal religious meetings every few years that cost a lot in travel expenses. Then there’s the costs to lodge important guests and the upkeep of their sister monasteries, plus the tribute to the Pope in the south. And they’re also the king’s personal bank vault, since he’s willing to overlook their autonomy. With all this they can’t last much longer.”
Of course even a monastery was connected to the outside world, and those connections meant that it had to adhere to the world’s rules and laws in order to continue existing. But it sounded like their situation was far graver than Lawrence had imagined.
“The huge fortune they’ve accumulated over the years is all thanks to their wool sales, so it goes without saying that they’ve no shortage of minds able to think in terms of profit and loss. There are bound to be those among them willing to seek a practical compromise. And yet, in spite of that, their council remains united in opposition against us..”
“Are you implying that they couldn’t possibly be so unified without some deeper underlying conviction?”
Humans couldn’t be stubborn forever without some force backing them. That was all the more true for groups of humans with differing views. Pisky probably wouldn’t be complaining if the monastery had united simply to defend the authority of their Lord.
Monasteries also had those among their ranks who loved riches, even if they also had saintly members devoted in their prayers to God. In spite of this they still showed such great unity, which frustrated the Ruvik Alliance and was simply beyond their
comprehension.
“I think their unity is best explainable if they invested in some holy relic. If the devout accepted it, then it’d naturally become a spiritual pillar for them to get through this hard time. So if we found out what investment they’re clinging onto so tightly, we could crumble their opposition in one strike.”
It was a very direct method of attack. When Lawrence directed his gaze to Holo and Cole, he noticed their eyes were lost in thought despite acting as if they were failing to find anything useful on the parchment listing the relics.
The legendary bones of the wolf deity.. if they weren’t just some unfounded rumor only suitable for idle banter at banquets, then they perfectly fit into Pisky’s theory.
“I think it’s a good theory, but.. everyone around me doubts they would possibly pin their hopes on a bunch of relics that are likely all counterfeits. Personally though, I think that’s just a good cover the monastery’s using.”
“I see.. that does indeed make sense.”
The reason Lawrence kept quiet about the wolf deity’s bones was because they’d only lead them in a negative direction. He was up against the powerful Ruvik Alliance. It was so powerful that even the port town of Gerube didn’t compare.
If he was too careless and got swept up into this affair, he’d be unable to back out this time without serious consequences. Cole and Holo seemed to have caught on to his train of thought, letting their eyes fall back on the parchment.
“To be honest, after you’d gathered your information and left last night, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep.”
Pisky smiled in self-ridicule on his chair. It was as if he was revealing the fatigue he’d been keeping bottled up inside of him. And thinking back on it, him saying ’We’ve investigated that list as well, Lord knows how many times’ now took on new meaning. The image of Pisky surfaced in Lawrence’s mind, secretly and meticulously poring over the list of relics in candlelight late at night.
“After all, any evidence to help us break this stalemate would be more pleasing than any of the gospels. Having pored over that entire document, over and over, only to find that it was a waste of time in the end.. well, that feeling of emptiness can’t be described. And yet maybe you could uncover something I’d missed – it’s with that hope that I handed the document over to you.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be of any help.”
The two of them burst into laughter after Lawrence said that. Unlike a bread shop owner who simply sold bread from behind the counter his whole life, a merchant who jumped at such opportunities had to swing between this kind of anticipation and disappointment. But such merchants wouldn’t let a setback deter them, and continued on in hope. But Lawrence was concerned about one other thing.
“Might I pose a foolish question?”
“Hmm?”
“Will it really profit the alliance that much if you manage to buy the monastery’s land?”
The Ruvik Alliance wasn’t established to go after the petty levels of profit a small-town company desired. They were an enormous organization possessing numerous warships and cargo vessels. If a town was imposing tariffs to protect their own merchants, the alliance could pressure them and force them to stop.
Lawrence had heard of many large-scale deals the Ruvik Alliance had taken part in, each dealing with sums so large that he could not help but think, “So there really are that many coins in the world.”
For the merchants of such an alliance to keep coming here from their companies meant that this had extreme profit potential. But it was simply impossible for a traveling merchant like Lawrence to fathom how many digits the final amount would contain. Just how much money could they make?
Pisky scratched his nose and smiled, somewhat embarrassed by Lawrence’s question.
“If you’re asking me how many gold coins we could gain in profit, even I can’t imagine it. But I can assure you of one thing - this deal would profit a whole lot of people.”
“A whole lot?”
Lawrence couldn’t help but repeat him, having a hard time picturing something like that. There were a lot of people in the alliance, so on the face of it Pisky’s words weren’t strange, but he still felt that there was more behind them.
“Indeed. You have a general idea of what we plan to do here, right?”
“Your alliance plans to buy the crisis-plagued monastery’s land and use it to win over the aristocracy, thereby allowing you to intervene in this countries’ politics.”
“Precisely. But if we just handed the land out to aristocrats, their tendencies toward extravagance, appearances and faith would mean they’d donate it to other churches and monasteries, and it’ll be given away just like that. And even if they didn’t, in the long-term it would be divided into smaller and smaller pieces as inheritance, until they had nothing left and fell from grace. In other words, neither they nor we would gain anything. Which is precisely why I was called in to find a solution.”
Pisky’s smile was steady, and his tone lazy and unhurried. He certainly wouldn’t act that way because he was used to sharing this information with others, nor because he was a naturally composed individual. He simply had confidence.
His was the kind of composure that was unique to one who was proud of his work. Holo was the first to notice it, lifting her head. It was why Lawrence couldn’t help but feel uneasy around Pisky. Just like a craftsman with peerless skill, Pisky’s foothold was firm. In the face of that, Lawrence’s feelings bordered on anxiety.
They planned to buy the monastery’s unused land, and settle immigrants there. In other words, build a village or town. Pisky’s personal office and the adjacent room were full of reference material; it was a design studio specifically made for someone like him.
“Because the monastery’s neglected their unused land, the feudal lords around here haven’t been able to earn a sufficient income, or even guarantee their farmers enough land to lead happy lives. As you know, many on the mainland are forced to abandon their homes from war, famine, disease, floods, and so on and end up homeless. Without jobs or money they can only thieve or beg for a living. If the world fills up with people like that, there could be no rule of law.”
“In other words your alliance plans to lead these people to a new haven, provide them with homes and jobs, and at the same time sell a favor to the feudal lords being plagued by wandering rogues, yes?”
“Yes. If we can overcome this obstacle, the rest of the plan will proceed smoothly. It’s not like this is just about making money. I know it sounds conceited, but once you’ve experienced helping those who’ve lost their homes to rebuild new ones, it’s-”
Hypocrisy and charity were only separated by a thin line. Only those who truly understood that could give an honestly wry smile in such a situation.
“-It’s hard to not get addicted. Even the tiniest piece of evidence will send one into an all-night frenzy, studying whatever documents they have on hand.”
Holo paused midway through what she was doing and listened to Pisky intently. Of course, Lawrence couldn’t blame her. If she was really so closed-minded and her claim that his work didn’t interest her was true, then all the times she’d lost control while they traveled would have been a lie.
Lawrence was instinctively worried about what effect Pisky’s words would have on her, but then noticed that his other reliable companion had already reached out a helping hand. Cole’s face showed determination as he grasped Holo’s hand under the parchment.
“Once, there were a few immigrants whose village was burned down by pirates, scattering the inhabitants. Some members of one family were abducted by the pirates, and never expected to see their families again. They eventually received word about the immigration, and reunited with their lost family members in the new village. That’s the kind of feeling that makes it impossible to quit. And though you might not think it, such cases are actually rather common.”
Lawrence was all too aware that they were common and not the least bit un
usual. As he passed through towns and villages he’d often be asked whether he’d seen such-and-such a person in such-and-such a place, or whether a given village still existed after rumors of war.
He’d even encountered slaves who’d been taken from their homes, yet managed to earn enough money to buy their freedom. They’d sometimes be from such remote places that they’d first have to wander around and lose track of where they were.
And this kind of thing wasn’t just limited to humans. Despite her current expressionless, sculpture-like face, if one were to touch Holo’s cheek right now they might see a tear stream down her face. After all, she was also one of those wanderers.
“Naturally, since a lot of people are involved in immigrations, there’s money to be made as well. And anyone from the alliance is treated with hospitality by towns established by the alliance. But those perks aren’t what makes the job irresistible. Anyone who’s done business while traveling is sensitive to the idea of a ‘hometown.’ We’re clinging to the monastery so stubbornly and refusing to leave because of these things. If it was just for ourselves, there would be no reason to persevere this long, but because it’s for others we’re able to keep up this struggle.”
His last line sounded almost harsh to Lawrence’s ears, because it had to be true. It was why he was standing here and making an effort for Holo, after all.
“Haha! Sorry to bore you with all this nonsense.”
“Not-”
Lawrence stuttered in the face of Pisky’s smile of self-ridicule.
“Not at all. I understand your sentiments, because I’m the same.”
The very instant Lawrence said that, Pisky seemed to suddenly realize why Lawrence traveled with his companions, and why they had all set out on this extraordinary journey. He first looked at Cole, then Holo, who both responded with wry smiles. He then nodded his head and spoke.
“If you don’t mind my asking, might I ask what place the two of you call your hometown?”
“They’re both northerners from the mainland, but they’re from different precise locations.”
Spice & Wolf X (DWT) Page 12
