Contents
Wolf and Honey-Pickled Peaches
Wolf and the Twilight-Colored Gift
Wolf and the Silver Sigh
Shepherd and a Black Knight
Prelude
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Translation Team
Written by Hasekura Isuna
Illustrated by Ayakura Jyuu
Translation & Editing by
‘Drunken Wolf Translations’
Ebook version 2.0 (07/15/13)
Wolf and Honey-Pickled Peaches
Even a smaller city like this could be attractive enough to become a trading hub. The setup was perfect; a lovely landscape, freely flowing waters, and rich soil.. all sorts of crops could thrive here. Those crops could be sold for a hardy profit because of how well they grew, and with that kind of income the quality of life here would be good enough to raise even more profitable crops with lesser yields.
In such an idyllic place, the flow of interesting products wouldn’t cease in the winter. Merchants imported goods in bulk, and travelers were always resupplying, so craftsmen and other service-providers were everywhere. In the face of such crowds, the main market was always lively, to the point that even the surrounding residential areas were noisy with cobblers, tailors, and carpenters. Even moneychangers and smiths were busily engaged in business.
Everywhere you looked, you saw crowds of people. Now and then you’d smell freshly-baked bread and fish wafting in the breeze, tempting you to stop. It was no surprise for it to do the same to these two traveling companions, who had been on the cold road with little more than bread and wine. Especially Holo, who finally sat down and clutched Lawrence’s sleeve after flitting to and from every stall along the way.
“Rabbit.. fish.. chestnuts.. sausages..”
She kept repeating the foods she’d spotted like some child trying to remember their names. If given the chance to sample everything she came across, she could easily spend a gold coin in a few days. Lawrence was focused on the complicated situation of the roads they were yet to travel, but her constant barrage of detailed reports was enough to clue him in on what was trading well in the city. Being landlocked explained the lack of variance in fruits, but also the wide variety of meats.
Lawrence felt his sleeve being tugged for attention. The stall they had just passed was roasting a pig whole. Skewering a pig and roasting it over a spit while drizzling it with oil took a lot of careful attention, but the results were delicious. A man who seemed to be the shopkeeper was toiling at this, bare-chested and sweating even in the dead of winter. Children were watching while smacking their lips and licking their fingers.. and so were travelers.
“..even if it is only once, I would like to try one of those..”
She mumbled at herself sadly as he turned to check up on her. He brushed it off by standing tall and coughing.
“Then you’ve already forgotten the piglet I bought you before?”
The image of an oil-drenched Holo surfaced in his mind; even her fingers, face, and hair were soaked. But she’d shared none of it with him, so there was no way she’d have forgotten about it. She pushed up against him before replying.
“There was only enough there to satisfy me for so long..”
“..you’re not saying you could finish that whole pig back there, are you?”
It was probably heavier than she was. He really didn’t think she’d bother turning into a wolf to eat it whole, but he had no way to be sure. Just as he was about to sigh at her lofty tastes, he caught a glimpse of her looking up at him sadly.
“That is not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
She was being obtuse, as usual.
“You mean you do not know? But for a merchant to not know his customers’ needs..!”
She put on an purposely shocked expression and sighed at him with eyes full of pity. As usual, rather than arguing, she’d chosen the most blatantly damaging point to attack: his self-esteem.
“Oh, very well.. let me see.”
There was nothing else to do, so he pieced it together. Pigs. Pork. A piglet wasn’t enough for her, but it wasn’t the portion of pork.
“Right!”
“Hmm?”
As usual, she turned away and smiled as he uncovered the truth.
“It all comes down to the skin, doesn’t it?”
“..Hmm?”
“Of course.. piglets wouldn’t have that much, but if it’s cooked just right.. ah, well, it’s not for everyone. True, it’s crispy, and if you bite into it along with the meat, the grease will ooze slowly and fill your mouth.. and it’ll be even better with just a sprinkle of salt, but- hey!”
“Wah!”
She’d been so engrossed in his description that she had to wipe away her drool. It felt a bit sinful to indulge in such a conversation when he had to live a life of dry bread, tough meat, onions and pickled vegetables, but in the end Holo coughed and rubbed her mouth, with a dissatisfied look on her face. His guess had been wrong.
“Oh? Was I wrong?”
“Completely wrong. But..”
She smacked her lips.
“That sounds delightful.”
“Well, if you want that, we’d have to order the whole roast pig. But if we can’t finish it, it’ll just go to waste. In fact I hear that nobles only order it to eat the skin, and the rest of the meat is just thrown away.”
“Oh?”
Her serious side always came out when they discussed food. It made him chuckle, but he continued.
“Then what is it? Something about a piglet not being enough, hmm..”
“Hmm?”
“If not the skin, then sausages? Maybe liver? I’m not too into that, but it’s popular..”
He was a bit concerned it would be something raw like that.. it wouldn’t surprise him, since she was a wolf, but if he went around asking for raw liver he’d earn stares from the devout.
“Stop it, fool!”
Her sudden shout threw his thoughts into disarray.
“Such a foolish mule.. I do not wish to earn the reputation of someone who cannot stop drooling when she hears about food.”
His thigh was pinched. Evidently he’d taken his teasing too far. But just as he wondered what to say to make up for it, she looked away and continued.
“Not even I could eat that much. A piglet is more than enough.”
He stopped himself from asking “then what is it?” He would have no one to blame but himself for her inevitable assault if he didn’t figure it out himself. But seeing her turned away in embarrassment made him laugh and surrender.
“Hey, let’s go eat something too big for one person to finish.”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, smiling. It was difficult to resist hugging her when she acting coy like that. After all, wolves feared being alone.
“So..?”
Should they splurge on a big meal? He saw a happy, fang-filled smile spread across her face, and didn’t want to ruin it. But merchants were a greedy lot, so while they loved to eat, they hated paying for it. Something like this would be fine once in a while, but if he let it get out of hand, it would be difficult to break that habit. Did that make him a bad companion? No, merchants had to be this way. He let the angel and demon on his shoulders fight for a while before he noticed that Holo had bent her waist, trying to keep from laughing.
“..”
Her tail was swishing around wildly. The moment he turned away, she erupted into peals of laughter. But it was alright, no one would care about a little girl’s merriment on a wagon in the middle of the city, so neither did he. “Truly, I don’t care” he told himself, knowing that he
was the reason her mood had improved. After she’d had her fill, she spoke.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was no trace of guile in his voice.
* * *
“What? All your rooms are full?”
They stood at the bar on the first floor, which did indeed seem quite crowded. The innkeeper held his ledger remorsefully as he apologized to Lawrence.
“There are just so many guests lately, sorry..”
“You mean all the inns are full?”
“I think so, ever since they imposed the new regulations..”
He probably meant regulations against having too many boarders. Inns had collapsed or given rise to disease thanks to overcrowding, and thieves and con artists throve in such conditions as well. It was no surprise that strict regulations would be imposed, or that innkeepers would be powerless to resist them. This innkeeper closed his ledger and put on a thoughtful expression.
“..Though you’re free to have supper with us?”
“Thanks, perhaps next time.”
The man nodded as if used to hearing that response. Lawrence had no choice but to head back to the carriage and shake his head at Holo. She’d grown accustomed to this lifestyle, and nodded in understanding. But he didn’t miss how tense her expression was under her hood.
She knew this meant they might have to spend the night outside the city, if they couldn’t find a place to park their wagon and bunk in a manger, storeroom or church. Those were their only options now. If they had been in a larger city, this would have been more pleasant, but this was really just a middling town.
If they didn’t find a place before the market closed, they’d have to head to the outskirts for the night. This troubled Lawrence a bit. Others were already planning on spending the night on the outskirts, and would probably have already started drinking to pass the time.
Bringing a girl like Holo along to such a rowdy group could end badly. Besides, such drinking parties were only fun when you were properly rested. After such a long trip, all you’d want was a little wine to go with a nice warm meal, followed by sleep. And so, Lawrence kept trying.
The second and third inns were also full. Some sad-faced travelers left the fourth as he walked up to the door. He trudged back to Holo, who had probably gotten over it and be more interested in sleep by now. Since the same result likely awaited them at the fifth inn, he opted to just find a good place to park for the night. A roof would make all the difference.
He steered the wagon as he watched people jogging home from work, and felt jealousy creep over him.. they had homes to retire to. Holo sensed his irritation and sat next to him. The feeling of a soft body next to him was comforting, and she smiled when he put his hand on her hooded head. That’s when they overheard someone talking.
“We’ll have some of that next week.”
On such crowded streets it was no faster to walk than take a wagon, so overhearing others was bound to happen. Given the flour on their faces, they were bakers. They were talking about a shop they passed by on their side of the road.
“You mean the distinguished young manager of Ohm’s Company will actually do that? Putting those things on our goods would be a joke!”
“Now, now.. he pays us well, and he’s trying to come up with ways to make us money so we can sell white bread.. you’ve always wanted to bake with the finest wheat, haven’t you?”
“Well yeah, but..”
The man who was ill-at-ease had good reason; bakers took more pride in their work than most craftsmen. Being told to taint their products with cheap additives might even feel like a breach of ethics to someone like that. They worked long and hard to gain their independence after a grueling examination. Everything from mixing flour to rolling the dough needed to be mastered. There was good reason for their pride.
But what were they talking about? Even Holo was intent on listening in to find out. Lawrence stared out in front of the two men, at the buildings lined up on the street. They passed by interconnected shops for candles and lanterns, needles and thread, and buttons and fabric, but the closest thing to food in any of them was oil at the lamp shop - hardly something to be spread on one’s bread. And then, just as the more baker-like of the men spoke, something interesting crossed Lawrence’s line of vision.. a medicine shop.
“Our bread’s good enough to be bare. You only put stuff like that on when it’s going stale. And come on, it costs too much! I mean it’s not like honey’s cheap, it might as well be gold. It’s bizarre.”
“Oh? You saying you’re happier to watch your bread go stale in the shop window?”
“No, no! But honeyed peaches? I’ll pass!”
Lawrence’s eyes shot back to Holo, just in time to see her ears perk up with such force that he wondered if she’d shot holes through her hood. She just sat there as though her brain had frozen, along with her tail, which was crookedly twisted under her robe like some dried-out bit of hay. Her face betrayed the intense struggle between logic and emotion that was being waged in her mind.
The bakers kept arguing with each other until they finally vanished around a corner. Once they were gone, Lawrence cautiously stole a glance at Holo, wondering if he ought to pretend he’d heard nothing. And yet, she just quietly sat there, rather than bringing it up. That silence was far more terrifying.. it left no room to bargain. If she spoke, he could decline or try change topics. But all he could do now was return her silence.
“I fear.. it’ll be a cold one tonight.”
He did his best to smooth things over, but given her continued silence it seemed that Holo was too far gone. They’d just discussed roasted pig skins, and now they were actually in town - who would want to spend their night eating bitter rye bread and cheap wine? He knew what that meant, but honeyed peaches were simply too pricey.
The going rate for a single such peach was ten Trenni silvers.. maybe even twenty. It was just too much, even if he had the cash on hand. He clutched his purse instinctively, picturing the smile that would have normally spread across Holo’s face. But her silent act was just too effective after their earlier disappointment. He knew he had to give in this time.
“..okay, let’s go to that medicine shop and get something to keep us warm.”
She remained frozen in place, save for her ears and tail flapping about like an excited puppy’s.
* * *
Medicine shops were supposed to sell medicine, but in fact they sold just about anything. Cobblers were to sell shoes, and tailors clothes.. the division of labor between companies was clear. Tailors couldn’t sell shoes, nor cobblers clothes. Candlemakers couldn’t sell seafood, and seafood shops couldn’t sell other kinds of food.
Of course, by this logic a medicine shop should only sell medicine. But having more products increased one’s customer base.. that was just common sense among merchants. And medicine sellers could come up with almost any excuse to extend their product base. The most common trick was selling spices; if they could claim a certain spice helped with fevers, it was medicinal. They just applied that kind of claim to other products, and honey was one of them.
Funny enough, candlemakers also had a similar excuse to sell honey along with their wax. So other merchants could hardly point fingers; this was really their battlefield, after all. Still, it was convenient that medicine shops stocked so many different kinds of honey-soaked foods. Peaches, pears, even carrots, pork, beef, mutton and fish.. take your pick.
Salt, vinegar, or honey were required to preserve food. In the dead of a winter that seemed to go on forever, the prices for these preservatives inevitably soared, and so did the preserved foods.. no matter how vague the labels on the final products were. The most popular of these preserves were presently in stock, in the furthest corner of the shop above the shopkeeper along with peppercorns and sugarcubes. It was a bottle containing a syrupy liquid.
“Welcome!”
At first the shopkeeper gleefully eyed Holo, seeing her expensive r
obes. His raised eyebrow, however, sank back down when he spotted the less-than-impressive outfit Lawrence was wearing. He realized that even if they wished to buy something, they couldn’t afford much. Having certainly drawn that conclusion, he quickly changed his tone.
“What do you want?”
“Something to warm us.. perhaps ginger-”
“Over there.”
Lawrence was cut off before he could complete his sentence, so he swallowed his words. The shopkeeper clearly just wanted them to buy what they wanted and leave as soon as possible. He found the ginger products where the man had pointed, and settled on honey-soaked ginger. It was cheap, but effective to keep under the blankets on a long, cold night.
Holo’s eyes followed him, as though preparing herself for disappointment. Of course he had no intention of doing so, and knew she was just playing her usual mind games because it cheered her up. But he also knew what she truly wanted, since it was something they’d discussed several times (despite letting it go each time).
The cost was less of a reason for their dropping the subject than the fact that they’d simply never come across any honey-pickled peaches. But now they had, and he knew Holo wouldn’t be able to resist. And so, after asking the shopkeeper to bottle the ginger and preparing to pay the man, Lawrence wanted to try his hand at bargaining.
But luck wasn’t on his side.
“Alright. Ten Lutes. Thanks.”
After paying the man and gingerly accepting the honey-soaked ginger, all Lawrence could do was stare at the price on the bottle with the peach and feel the same level of disappointment Holo must have felt. One Lumione.. that was thirty-five Trenni silvers. Holo rubbed her eyes, but the price didn’t change. That golden peach might as well have been real gold to them. The shopkeeper seemed to tire of watching them, and intentionally raised his voice.
“Oh-ho, you have good eyes. This year’s peaches are so sweet and firm, not to mention Count Harold Lutlin’s honey is the finest around. Even at a Lumione each, we’re almost sold out. Those are the last three. Would you like one?”
Good luck paying for it. That was what he had written on his face. In a town like this, wedged between large commercial cities and wealthy nobles, he could charge whatever he wanted to, no matter how crazy. He could even afford to be haughty and arrogant to his customers without fear of reprisal.
Spice & Wolf XIII (DWT) Page 1
