Spice & Wolf XIV (DWT)

by Hasekura Isuna

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Epilogue

  Translation Team

  Written by Hasekura Isuna

  Illustrated by Ayakura Jyuu

  Translation & Editing by

  ‘Drunken Wolf Translations’

  Ebook version 2.0 (07/20/13)

  Prologue

  I want to talk with you. That was what he was going to say when he entered her room. But the moment he did, he was too amazed to say anything at all. She simply looked too beautiful, sitting there on the bed, staring out the window.

  Right now, her beauty was something he couldn’t quite put into words. True, she looked lovely, and rather exotic with her tan skin. But more than that, it was because she was so calm and quiet. To use a metaphor, she was a perfect, polished gem. Humans argued and harmed one another, but right now she seemed to be entirely removed from that world.

  Lawrence quietly took a seat on a chair. She didn’t turn to face him, but she did speak.

  “There’s a merchant named Flynn In Lenos.”

  It was too sudden for Lawrence to know what she meant, but asking someone this beautiful to clarify seemed wrong somehow.

  “He’s supposed to be a grocer, but in fact he supplies mercenaries.”

  She finally turned to face him.

  “Give him my name, and he will do everything in his power to help you.”

  “..Really?”

  Lawrence kept quiet as well, unwilling to destroy the atmosphere.

  “Is it really alright for me to know that? Or for you to tell me?”

  Mercenaries lived in their own special world, where gains and losses couldn’t be easily evaluated, nor the ties of glory and knighthood. It was a world that could not be understood unless one lived in it. What would happen to an outsider merchant if they leapt into that world? The person sitting on the bed right now seemed to be considering that as well.

  “He owes me a favor, so this should be fine.”

  She smiled and returned her gaze to the world outside the window. Lawrence was reminded of the nun he had spoken to on his way here; she had told him to not show desperation.

  “Flynn is the one who decides which frontier suppliers will work with which mercenaries. He should know better than anyone else if a war is about to break out in the north.”

  A merchant like Flynn was as vital to mercenaries as their own beating hearts. They would normally keep his true identity concealed, and yet the girl before Lawrence was telling him this. It seemed she had decided to make a break with her past, and the smile on her face now seemed to be focused on her future instead. With the hope that was the case, Lawrence decided to tell a joke, albeit carefully.

  “Thank you for the unexpectedly generous tip.”

  She turned back in surprise before smiling, but even that forced smile seemed beautiful.

  “It’s nothing of the sort. It’s just what I promised.”

  She then forced out a long sigh and laughed. From their present conversation it was difficult to imagine the situation they had been in just days ago. This girl was capable of doing whatever it took to achieve her goals. Her smile of redemption was hard-earned, given what they had gone through.

  “See, the way I am now..”

  She tried raising her right hand, but it was clear that she was quite frail. Lawrence could see the bandage covering her torso under her collar, but of course he knew better than to take a closer look.

  “You’re worried that it’ll take you a long time, you mean?”

  She smiled.

  “No, actually. I want to let someone else draw it. Everything that’s needed is ready, it just has to be drawn. But I think he’ll be alright with doing it, if I ask.”

  “He being..?”

  “Well, someone else who’s traveled around with a pen.”

  Lawrence didn’t press her any further once he saw the look on her face. They were in an art dealer’s home, after all, but he hadn’t had the courage to suggest that he be allowed to draw the map. This was just Fran’s way of helping him. They had known each other for a long time, after all.

  “But won’t he be too shocked to help if I ask him?”

  This time his joke did make her grin.

  “Well, he told me that he wanted to earn some coin, so I should think so.”

  Fran was a silversmith renowned by the nobility. Lawrence had no way of estimating how valuable her body of work was.

  “You guys are all packed for your trip, right? Then I’ll have it sent to you as soon as it’s done. If I send a fast messenger, it might even get to Lenos before you do.”

  Their trip would take four or five days as it was, so not having to wait for the map was a real time-saver.

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled once more at his thanks. This was the kind of atmosphere where they could idly chat, but with her severe wounds Lawrence wasn’t sure if he ought to trust her relatively lively appearance.

  He slowly made it clear that he intended to leave, and she sighed and hugged her pillow in exhaustion. This really was too much for her right now. Still, it turned out that the former minister of a mercenary band wasn’t a weakling by any stretch.

  Lawrence closed the door with quiet reverence, then spoke as he turned into the corridor.

  “Yes?”

  He knew his companion had snuck up on him like an animal, with a crooked look of displeasure.

  “Well..”

  Even her tone was unpleasant. He wasn’t sure why, and could only presume it was because he had gone to see Fran alone. But as he mulled over how ridiculous that was, she interrupted him lest he ask.

  “..do not imply that I have a look on my face.”

  Her bravado didn’t surprise him in the slightest, but it still made him shiver. He purposely rubbed her hooded head.

  “Are you that scared of losing?”

  He knew his hand was moments away from being bitten, given how angrily she glared at him with those reddish-amber eyes of hers. And yet, he was unafraid, and just took her hand with a smile.

  “Don’t worry, that was just business. A merchant has to make sure their customers are satisfied. I couldn’t call myself one if I left a job half-done.”

  Holo had a powerful desire to go to Yoitsu, and merchants lived to serve those with powerful desires. A finer match couldn’t be found in this world. He tightened his grip on her hand, but she frowned.

  “Truly?”

  She turned her face away after saying that.

  “You’d know if I was lying.”

  He dismissed her question, and saw her hood shift in an unnatural way. Some patches of darker hair could be seen under it, among her locks: a pair of beastly ears.

  “I shall believe you for now.”

  Her bitterness was obvious.

  “Very well then.”

  “Mhm.”

  They couldn’t help but laugh about having engaged in such a forced conversation, but laughing couldn’t remove the shadow that lay between them. Holo truly couldn’t put on Fran’s carefree expression of having left the past behind her, because the moment she did was the moment that her time with Lawrence would come to an end. Theirs was but a fleeting encounter.

  Was there any chance for them to continue on after they parted? Could Lawrence visit her again after she returned to her home, Yoitsu? After all, it wasn’t any more pleasant if she didn’t make it back home either. Lawrence wanted to smile, knowing just how stupid his dream was, and still surprised that he had let himself fall into such a trap.

  The more pressing fact was that he was nearly out of time; soon, he wouldn’t be able
to afford continuing their borderline vacation. Still, he wouldn’t give up just because of that; to him it was just another problem to be overcome. When they were downstairs, he opened the door and asked her his customary question.

  “Let’s go stock up on provisions. What are you in the mood for?”

  That was the smile he liked to see on her face. He couldn’t help but be a little proud of his ability to win it, either. Far from being angry, he accepted her suggestion of white bread and fine wine - and without a moment’s hesitation.

  She couldn’t just sever her ties to the past, nor would he want her to. They had sought a map for just that reason. And yet now, as the day grew near where they would have it, her tail had begun to droop in concern and anxiety.

  It made him uncomfortable, because he didn’t know what was running through her mind when her tail flared out because of something he said. After all, when she was angry, her tail somehow actually shrank in size. He was so lost in his concerns that he was able to overlook her barking orders at him to prepare for their trip.

  Chapter 1

  First, they replaced their stiff blankets (which looked more like pallid skin), with down-filled ones. Then, they replaced their coats, cloaks, scarves, hats and gloves. Next came food. White bread, pickled meat and fish, several types of vegetables, and also medicinal herbs. Finally, and most importantly: the wine.

  Lawrence wore a forced smile as he thanked Hugh for loading up their wagon for them. Five days had passed since the debacle at Tarsig, where Fran the silversmith had been severely wounded. She had only just woken up from a life-threatening fever a day ago.

  The map they had been promised wasn’t ready yet, but the moment Fran woke up she had called Lawrence to her room. She would make good on her promise, and not betray him as he feared she might. But that didn’t mean he could stay there while she worked, and she knew that. That was why she had suggested they go ahead and depart while she had the map made.

  To go to Yoitsu, Lawrence and his companions first had to go to Lenos, so he decided to keep his wagon here in Gerube while they did so. They would retrieve it on their way back, since it was more convenient to head north from Gerube anyhow. They had originally come here by boat, but it would take less time to go back to Lenos by wagon than fighting their way back upstream.

  As such, Hugh lent them his wagon. Lawrence was willing to haul some goods in repayment, but it turned out that he was the only one concerned about such things. For the most part, merchants treasured their kinship, and in fact some merchants were willing to sacrifice profits in its name. Hugh was undoubtedly that kind of person.

  Lawrence’s polite refusals were ignored, and in fact the more he tried the more expensive items were piled onto the wagon by Hugh. Hugh was letting them use his wagon as they saw fit, and it wasn’t just out of politeness. Even if that made Holo happy, Lawrence was puzzled. Hugh knew he felt obligated to repay such kindness. Being on the receiving end was fun, sure, but being put into the position of having to give back later made him feel dubious about Hugh’s intentions.

  “Well, anyway, that’s everything.”

  Hugh placed a final sack of flour on the wagon. For Lawrence, all of these gifts felt like he was caught in a money shower. But for Hugh, it was all probably inconsequential, and since Holo was elated about it, Lawrence decided not to let the matter rest.

  Hugh was a sheep, so his treatment of a wolf like Holo was odd, but it was ultimately his choice. Holo, incidentally, had been lying under their new blankets gnawing on jerky, having told Lawrence to “take care of everything.”

  Despite Lawrence’s profuse thanks, all Hugh did was shake his head and approach Lawrence like he wanted to share a secret.

  “If you look at my net worth, this is all just a write-off to me.”

  Even so, there was no way Lawrence would ever forget a gift like this. He was so thrilled he didn’t know how to reply. Clearly Hugh wasn’t lying, so Lawrence did his best to calm himself.

  “Thank you so much.”

  All that was left was one last handshake.

  “I’ll have the map sent as soon as Fran finishes it.”

  They had agreed to have the map sent to the Beast and Fish Tail, the most popular and famous pub in Lenos.

  “Oh, and one last thing..”

  Hugh peeked over at Holo, who was staring at the sky while gnawing on her jerky. She didn’t seem to be paying attention to them.

  “I’ll also send you that.”

  Hugh, an accomplished art dealer, had intentionally approached Lawrence to build a mysterious atmosphere. It wasn’t just to make Cole (who was brushing the leaves and dust off their goods) suspicious, but also Holo. But the self-titled Wisewolf would hardly slip up and show any interest.

  She only asked a question when it was unexpected for her to do so. That was how she got Lawrence to slip up, after all. However, it was also something that could be used against her, to hide things from her. Just like Hugh was doing right now.

  “Well then.. goodbye.”

  Lawrence said that after lifting Cole up onto the wagon and hopping into the driver’s seat himself. With that, he gripped the reins and the familiar sounds of the wheels and a horse’s trot filled his ears.

  Merchants generally avoided lengthy farewells, staying true to their credo that “time is money.” Painful departures were kept brief, as though they were arrows that had to be pulled out as quickly as possible.

  Soon, Hugh had vanished, along with Fran’s hand waving from her window. Cole looked back with a tinge of sadness, only to be forced to sit down. It wasn’t long before they had left Gerube behind. All they saw was the road stretching out before them, and all they heard was the occasional snapping of the reins.

  * * *

  Brief gusts of wind were chilling them to the bone on this already-cold trip along the river. The sky had grown quite dark, and the river with it. The river seemed so cold, in fact, that it might as well be frozen. The air was so dry it sucked all the moisture from their faces, and reminded Lawrence of his old master’s habit of applying a salve on his face at times like this.

  Lawrence wondered if it was about time he started taking care of himself that way. Maybe he was getting old; after seven long years on the road (almost entirely on his own), such thoughts were creeping into his head. It didn’t help that his partner was free of such worries, despite caring even less about her health than he did.

  “Fool. That is of no concern.”

  Her hair fluttered from her seat next to him, making his face itch. He stared at the sour look on her face and let her continue.

  “Only you humans would care so much about your faces right now. We wolves know our fur deserves more care in such freezing weather. This tail of mine is all that I needed to warm both myself and Cole.”

  She sighed, but still continued tending to her tail, as she had been all along. Its tip was white as snow, and the rest was a dark brown.. a truly lovely wolf’s tail. Of course it wasn’t just a belt-like accessory; it was real.

  This teenage girl beside Lawrence was in fact a giant wolf that could swallow him whole. She was a spirit of the harvest, complete with beastly ears that were now concealed under her hood.

  Lawrence was long over any fears that her true form would be discovered, now that they were in pagan lands. And at any rate, she was too important for him to want to treat her as something to be concealed. She was his irreplaceable partner.

  “Sure, I guess, but your tail never gets any less beautiful, so it hardly matters.”

  His open compliment earned him a kick, but given how high her tail had raised in response, it was clear she was just being childish. They sighed at each other wordlessly, both realizing how silly they were acting just to stave off the boredom.

  “Oh, is there nothing to avail us of this tedium?”

  Of course, she knew there wasn’t any such godsend. That’s why she usually fiddled with her tail or curled up and snoozed. Regardless, Lawrence took his time t
o think.

  “Well, there are all the boats heading downstream.”

  He pointed at the river beside them, and Holo unconsciously lifted her face from her hands to look, leaving them amusingly bare above her elbows and knees.

  “I mean, if all the boats head downstream, then there won’t be any left upstream, right? I wonder why we never see them heading back up the other way.”

  “Huh?”

  The self-styled Wisewolf was confident in her wisdom, yet turned back after sweeping her gaze across the river.

  “What do you think?”

  The wind blew quite fiercely, making him squint. He heard Holo hum in contemplation, and saw her lower her head in thought. Just as planned. Lawrence was using the same trick against her that his master had used on him. It only roped in those who were confident in their smarts, since they would only think of a complicated answer.

  “Ah.. I, I see..”

  “Oh..?”

  He kept his eyes forward, but did his best to seem sincere as he added “please, do tell.” He flicked the reins to keep their horse from wandering off to nibble on some tall grass.

  “Those boats carry firewood downstream, do they not?”

  “So?”

  “So, after they arrive at the beach they will unload that wood, and be able to head to the sea. They can then head back up the coast, bringing even more goods back upstream with them. Surely.”

  Seeing her concerned face melt into pride at her answer was almost enough to make Lawrence snort in laughter. He managed to cover it up with a cough before rejecting her idea.

  “Nnnnope.”

  She looked at him like a confused puppy.

  “You’re way too good at overthinking things.”

  He poked her cheek to underscore his point. Thankfully, he was wearing Hugh’s buckskin gloves, so he didn’t have to worry when she bared her fangs and pushed his hand aside. He couldn’t help but laugh and look away from her forced bravado.

  “You’re not entirely wrong, of course. In warmer months they can take rafts back up the coast. But check out the riverbank.. there’s no reeds there, yeah? They pull the boats back up on the riverbank by horse. That’s why it’s so flat.”