Spice and Wolf - Volume 24 - Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The situation called for extreme caution. It was unusual for the village to receive visitors, much less outsiders who had come for the sole purpose of dismantling their lord’s plans.

Lawrence had the sense that even the head of the village, who had come with Meyer to welcome Lawrence and Holo, viewed the two of them as a necessary evil. That was probably why he described Lawrence resolving trade disputes as magic.

And so Lawrence would be staying in the village as a guest of the church, just as traveling merchants who came to trade did.

The priest was the perfect picture of a good-natured old man. He welcomed Lawrence and Holo without ulterior motives and knew of what happened in Salonia as though it were common knowledge. He was eager to hear about the legendary independent priest who built a trout hatchery, and so Lawrence told him of Bishop Rahden, who hailed from warm seas.

Lawrence was hoping to hear more details about the village and the forest from the priest, but the old man was a fervent believer first and foremost; though the villagers respected him, he was not at all knowledgeable about the village or the region’s economy. “All I hope for is peace for the souls of Lord Tonneburg and his people,” he said sadly. Had Elsa been there, she would have rolled her eyes at this, especially since she traveled all over to reform poorly run churches.

And so, dinner was delightful, but ended fruitlessly.

Holo seemed unsatisfied with the scant servings of meat at the serene meal. The moment she settled down in their guest room, she immediately undid her pack to fish out some jerky.

But she was not as cheerful as she usually was; she only silently sipped on the mead Meyer had gifted her.

Though the forest was still in danger, the villagers were not particularly worried about the forest itself, much less the spirits that might have dwelled there. Their greatest concern was the livestock manure. Though she knew it was unreasonable to get angry over this, it was still enough reason for her to sulk.

In contrast, Lawrence had only just begun to understand the weight of the situation. And to make up for what he believed was a lacking dinner, he had gone to the priest to borrow something from him.

“What is it you’ve borrowed?” Holo asked dubiously, peering at what he unfolded over the writing desk.

“A map.”

Meyer had mentioned that the port city of Karlan was hoping to redraw the maps. He had also mentioned that Lord Tonneburg had decided to cut down the forest in order to preserve the lively village market.

The trick to trade was considering things while standing in another’s shoes.

“People always gather in churches for one reason or another. Church maps will always be reliable.”

“What am I looking at?”

Not many people could read letters, and that mostly held true for maps as well. The majority of people never left the village where they were born, so they never had any need to look at a map. That was especially true for a wolf who never lost her way even in the darkest forests at night, who only needed to bound up the side of a mountain to find its peak and gaze into the distance to confirm exactly where she was going.

Yet Holo had read her fair share of maps on countless occasions because she had sat side by side with Lawrence, gazing at them under candlelight.

“This is way is north, and this is the river we came down by boat. We then went south, and we should be around here now.”

The river that flowed from Salonia spanned the map from right to left, running across the top. Salonia stood on the rightmost edge, and downstream—on the leftmost edge of the map—sat what was likely the port town of Karlan. At the bottom of the map, south of the forest, was what looked like a large pond or a lake and a small drawing of what was likely the ruling lord’s manor. Below that, farther south, was a road that ran east to west, marking the bottom of the map.

Occupying everything between the north and south edges of the map was an all-consuming gray mass—the forest.

The village in which they were staying sat right on the northeastern edge of the massive forest.

“According to Meyer, they want to cut down the forest so they can build a road that goes south.”

An uncomfortably loud crack came from inside Holo’s mouth—she must have bitten into an errant piece of cartilage in the jerky.

The candlelight shone in her red eyes, and her canines gleamed.

“Fools,” she said, ripping into a new piece of jerky.

“In a merchant’s eyes, Karlan and Lord Tonneburg’s plans do make sense.”

The forest spread from the northeast to the southwest, dotted in places by what Lawrence surmised to be hills by name alone. This was not an easy wood to cross, and the seven or so villages in the area sat outside the forest. The only two settlements among the trees sat just inside the perimeter—the forest was truly untouched.

This map was marked with paths to show where church visitors should visit next, and all these paths took great winding detours around the forest.

“This is Karlan, the port city. And I guess at the bottom here, this area south of the forest must be a pond or a lake. Either way, there’s another small river flowing south from there. And that means if they manage to cut a path through the forest and build a road to the lake, they could easily carry cargo from north to south by boat. And voilà—a convenient trade route.”

If there were a road that went from the north of the forest to the southern lake, then they could build a pier there, along with warehouses to store cargo and inns to house travelers. Merchants would naturally follow. And due to the dense woods, they would not lack material to raise buildings and build boats. Setting up charcoal-burning huts and smithies would be the first thought of any merchant.

The road would connect north and south, opening the way to seaports—it was the perfect trade route for exporting metal, charcoal, and lumber. Lawrence could easily imagine the booming business the village would see.

“If people use the road, then the landlord can collect taxes. Lumber will sell like hotcakes. Before long, new villages would pop up and the population would grow. This map would change dramatically.”

Holo’s tail swished back and forth in displeasure.

“But it was said that if they do not accept this plan, then the fires of this village will be snuffed out. Why is that?”

She pointed to the village in which she and Lawrence were staying.

If he were to look out the window, he might be able to see the tip of a giant shapely finger.

“That would be because of where Karlan is located. See, look at the forest—” Lawrence pointed at the Tonneburg Woods. “Picture an even bigger map, one that contains the woods and everything around it. This forest stands in the way of Karlan doing any trade with landlocked communities. They have no choice but to rely on the river flowing from Salonia, but that’s also obvious to the lords who hold land along the river.”

Holo lifted her head, then nodded. “They are under their thumbs.”

Even if ships could reach their harbor, Karlan would have no choice but to watch the products in their warehouses rot if they were unable to do trade with the villages and towns farther inland. The only easy path into the rest of the continent was that river, and if Lawrence were one of the landlords along the river, then he would capitalize on that leverage without a second thought and levy heavy taxes at his checkpoint.

That was precisely why Karlan wanted a different path that would allow them easy access to the rest of the continent.

Holo played with the piece of jerky sticking out of her mouth.

“If Lord Tonneburg were to turn down Karlan’s proposal, then the new road would have to take a large detour around the western edge of the forest. They probably used this to threaten the lord.” Lawrence traced a finger along the left side of the map. “A new road on the western side of the forest would completely divert the small, but steady, trickle of merchants that pass through this village on their way south. The merchants from Karlan, at the very least, would have no reason to come to the eastern side of the forest, especially when their return trip would require traveling by river with high travel tolls. And so trade that only existed because merchants incidentally stopped by would vanish, and the villagers would have to venture elsewhere to sell their wares. And that’s doubly true when there aren’t any decent roads.”

Holo quietly chewed on her jerky, which was still sticking out of her mouth. She was likely thinking back on the rickety bridge they had to cross to get here.

“That said, I’m sure there are reasons why Karlan doesn’t necessarily want to build a road that runs along the western edge of the forest. If there weren’t any, then it would probably be under construction right now.”

It was hard to tell due to how the map was cut off, but Lawrence was almost certain there already existed a road somewhere toward the coast. If that road and the new one were too close, then it would invite conflict with the lords who owned the lands along the coastal route, among other problems.

It was likely that Karlan had recently gained ambitions to develop and flourish as a port city. But it was surrounded on all sides by powerful individuals who were already well established—there was not much room for Karlan to carve out a niche.

In his mind, Lawrence pictured a child who was physically growing, but was uncomfortable due to their small clothes.

“Building a new road isn’t very easy to begin with,” Lawrence said, his gaze dropping to the flask of mead in Holo’s hands. She glumly handed Meyer’s gift to him. After a sip, he returned it to her and continued. “It’s easy to collect taxes on a river, but that isn’t the case with regular roads. And so landlords typically make up for the cost of building those roads and their maintenance by forcing the commonfolk who live nearby to work on it. Those people have no choice in the matter—they typically spend three or four days a week laboring with absolutely no compensation. And in the meantime, their fields go neglected, and their lives get harder. I honestly thought they were going to tell me that their village was going to die out because of these troubles.”

But all the mayor talked about was the cycle of the livestock, the manure that fertilized the wheat fields, and the forest that supported the livestock.

“What we know so far makes it seem like even if they are forced to work on the development of the land, it won’t be so bad. That means Lord Tonneburg is probably a better person than we think, and that he has little intention of exploiting the villagers. But in that case, something else will have to make up the difference.”

Holo brought the flask to her lips but did not drink. Her intelligent eyes stared at the map.

“Building a road is hard enough under normal circumstances. It’s that much more difficult to do in heavily forested land. At the same time, they’ll get quite a lot of lumber from cutting down trees to make room for the road. And they could easily make up for the cost of building the road after factoring in the profits that will be generated by the smithies and other things that come later. Karlan seems to be especially keen on getting lumber, so even if they compromise on a great deal with Lord Tonneburg, they probably thought it all added up. And from Lord Tonneburg’s perspective, he probably thought it would be more beneficial to take them up on this proposal instead of watching helplessly as a new road wraps around the forest…even if it means losing a part of the forest’s wealth.”

“Mm.”

“And Meyer seems to be a skilled ranger. I bet Lord Tonneburg already asked him to find the best route through the forest.”

It was then that he and the Karlan council saw they could both profit from this and decided to work together.

“That’s what things look like in the merchant’s world,” Lawrence said. “What does the wolf think?”

Holo huffed a little sigh at the question, readjusting her position on the bed. She then whipped her head to the side, ripping apart the sinewy jerky in her mouth; the only times she ever really acted wolflike in this manner was when she was in a bad mood.

“Only the most witless of fools would build a road here.”

Lawrence looked at the map, and then to Holo. “You mean like how the mayor explained?”

Everyone would lose everything the forest had to offer. Even if Holo did not quite understand how the manure from free-roaming livestock fertilized wheat fields, she was intimately familiar with how the plants in the forest grew after watching them for countless years.

“Humans will walk here, they will burn charcoal along the paths, and then create metal, no? At that point, the road ceases to be a simple path in the forest. It divides one wood in two, creating entirely separate places.” Noticing Lawrence’s weak response, Holo continued with a sigh. “Shall we consider the fox?”

“The fox?”

“You merchants think of the land in your reliance for roads for your cargo. That makes you a cat. Cats claim the paths that go from house to house.”

Interested, Lawrence turned his chair to face Holo completely.

“These landowning lords are stereotypical mutts. They draw the lines on their papers telling everyone precisely what belongs to them.”

“And what about the foxes?”

“Foxes appear to be like both, but they are exceptionally greedy. They cannot live in smaller forests. Splitting a large wood in twain does not create two territories. It will simply be too small for the foxes, and then they will no longer have any place to live.”

Huh. Lawrence was impressed, but he was not entirely sure how this was relevant. Sensing this, Holo looked at him like he was a disappointing apprentice.

“No foxes means more rats, and without any predators, the fawns will thrive.”

“Hmm. I guess you’re right.”

“An excess of deer and mice means saplings shall be eaten away, and that will cause the forest to grow thin. All that will remain will be higher trees that are covered in needly leaves, making the wood dark and quiet. ’Tis not a suitable wood for fattening pigs and goats.”

The needly-leafed trees she mentioned were likely conifers. Broad-leafed trees, ones that struggled to reach greater heights, made easy meals for deer and other critters of the forest, so only the taller coniferous trees could survive uncontrolled booms of wildlife. And when the canopy inevitably started blocking sunlight from reaching the forest floor, new grasses would not grow there. Just as the mayor so passionately proclaimed, it would have a huge impact on the undergrowth that indirectly supported the wheat fields.

“’Twould look like a nice acorn—one full of holes that has most certainly been hollowed out by pests.”

If a road cut through the forest, with charcoal-burning huts and smithies built along it, and Karlan’s lumber was felled here instead of being brought in from Salonia, then the forest’s interior would change drastically.

It was very much the same as an insect burrowing through an acorn and consuming the insides.

“From my point of view, forests such as these will eventually come back to life given enough time.”

From the way she spoke, Lawrence knew right away that she was speaking about spans of time that were far beyond the scope of human lives.

It naturally showed that what the mayor and Meyer were saying was no exaggeration.

“But Meyer must’ve explained that to Lord Tonneburg, right?” Lawrence asked.

In response, Holo only took a silent sip from the flask. She must have also thought that, considering his skill, Meyer was aware of all of this.

That meant either the topic was too foreign for the lord to comprehend, or he understood and still decided it could not turn out that badly and went ahead with Karlan’s proposal anyway. Whatever the truth, that led a very vexed Meyer to throw himself at Lawrence and Holo’s mercy after spotting them in Salonia.

Lawrence sighed and stood from his chair. Once he sat down beside the sullen wolf, he unfolded himself to lay on the bed.

As he stared at the ceiling, Holo peered down at him with an indescribable expression.

“It’s honestly a good plan, at least on paper.”

And that was why Lord Tonneburg decided to go along with it. While there were some concerning details, a deal without apprehensions was either a scam or had simply not been examined thoroughly enough. It was hard to consider the lord’s decision a foolish one.

Meyer had asked Lawrence to fix his lord’s miscalculations, somehow persuading him that the plan itself was not viable at all.

Then what is it they must do to protect both forest and wheat fields?

Lawrence heaved a great sigh, and his eyes darted to Holo’s face as she remained sitting.

Holo was sharp—she noticed his gaze right away, and her ears straightened.

But since she did not turn to look at him, Lawrence spoke.

“Just to be clear, I’m not secretly thinking that we’ve been thrown into a cumbersome problem or anything.”

The hairs on Holo’s tail stiffened, like a rabbit taking a deep breath.

“Even a dog will find a bone if it goes for a walk, they say.”

“……”

Holo peered over her shoulder and greeted him with an unusually deep scowl.

“It’s an old human saying. It means that once you act, there will always be consequences.”

Lawrence gave a small smile as he moved his hand, burying his fingers into the fur of her tail.

She immediately whipped it out of range, bringing it back only to smack the back of his hand.

“Fortune and misfortune are neighbors.” Lawrence repeated the motion, this time tangling his fingers through the fur. “Both good and bad things ebb and flow, like interwoven strands of rope. And the rope itself is sturdy enough to hold what’s most important together.”

As Holo stared at Lawrence’s hand playing with her tail, a look of understanding crossed her expression right before it scrunched into a frown.

“The latter half of that sounds like a falsehood.”

“It’s not a saying yet, but I bet it’d really take off in Nyohhira.”

Holo narrowed her eyes and dropped her shoulders, tired.

“You know, I’m glad we came across this problem here. If Salonia’s wheat harvest got worse, then it would eventually start affecting the prices of the wheat we order in Nyohhira. And even if we fail to get through to Lord Tonneburg, we can get ahead of the issue and start thinking about what we can do to prepare.”

There was a special sort of excitement in his voice when he spoke of commerce. Holo listened to him, not once doubting him.

“So long as we don’t make a total mess of this, I think it’ll end in our favor either way.”

Lawrence had told himself falsehoods in order to convince himself to take on Meyer’s request, but what he said now was no lie.

He stopped digging his fingers into Holo’s fur and began to run his palm along the length of her tail.

Though she had fallen behind on maintenance what with all the hangovers and the travel, her tail was still as soft as ever.

She did not like having her tail played with, but despite her grouchy attitude, she relented and allowed him to do as he pleased. Perhaps she felt like she owed him a debt for getting him involved in a problem that seemingly had no solution.

Yet just as it was said that merchants had two tongues, Lawrence did, in fact, have an idea.

He played with the fur on her tail as he gathered his thoughts.

Lawrence did not consider himself exceptionally gifted, but he did have an advantage over other merchants. To be more specific, he had Holo—and because she was at his side, he could approach things from angles other humans could never imagine.

This plot to cut down the forest was among those things.

“I guess the goal is to make it seem like Lord Tonneburg’s calculations are off. That seems manageable enough.”

Holo’s eyes widened.

“Really?”

“Probably. But there’s something we need to check. Tomorrow we’ll talk to Meyer and…”

Lawrence gave a loud yawn as he talked. They had been traveling for days and days, and now faced with his first big problem in a long while, he realized that he had been using his brain more than he had thought.

He knew he had to blow out the candle, close the window, and get under the blankets since the nights were growing colder, but it was too much for him; his eyes remained closed.

But not a moment later the light vanished from beyond his eyelids, and he heard the creak of the window shutters closing. He felt the wooden frame of the bed shift, and soon, he was covered in blankets.

Though this was normally a routine that Lawrence always carried out, there was an exception like this about once a year.

“I am the wolf who presides over the harvest,” Holo murmured beneath the covers.

That night, Lawrence dreamed he was a seed-bed, buried in the earth.

I must work hard to produce beautiful blossoms, he thought.

Lawrence joined the old priest in morning prayer, said a word of thanks as he munched on the stale bread that sat on the altar as an offering to God, then entered Meyer’s care.

After a simple meal with the old priest, the ranger brought some freshly baked bread from the village’s communal kiln, which was likely the standard way they treated their ruling lord when he stayed in the village.

“I also thought there must be something I could show you to help you, Sir Lawrence,” Meyer said to him, smiling at Holo as they walked around the village in the early hours, watching her bite into a loaf as big as her head.

“So…you’d like to see the village smithy?”

Though it seemed as though he wanted to suggest that visiting the village market or the wheat fields might bring them closer to the core of the problem, Lawrence only nodded in response.

“Of course.”

Meyer looked worried that Lawrence might not fully grasp what the mayor told him the day before, but Lawrence had business in the smithy. Unable to turn him down, Meyer led the two of them into the forest.

A smithy used a great amount of water and wood, so many of them were often situated among the trees.

“And yes, last night, the father was gracious enough to allow me to study a map of the area. If that map is to be trusted, then I believe Lord Tonneburg’s decision was a sound one.”

Meyer nodded.

Lawrence continued, “Am I correct in assuming that the port of Karlan is desperate to build a road headed inland so that it may develop further?”

“You are. Karlan has a good port, but their only lifeline to the rest of the continent is the river you traveled a few days past, all because these woods sit in the way. But…” Meyer faltered as a herd of sheep and goats cut across their path.

The villager following the livestock offered Meyer a polite greeting—it was likely they were about to venture into the forest.

“I question whether people would use a road that cuts through the forest in the first place, in all honesty.”

The mayor might have been different, but Meyer was not only thinking of the forest’s devastation, but also possible mistakes in Lord Tonneburg’s calculations.

“You don’t think profits will be as high as what Karlan has promised Lord Tonneburg?”

Said lord was expecting quite a tidy profit from various sources in exchange for cutting down the valuable forest. Merchants from Karlan would use the new road, and the tolls levied from their passage were projected to be very lucrative indeed.

“A path through the woods will seem convenient at first, yes. One can get on near the stream at the southern edge of the forest, then travel all the way to the Roef River. But there are no towns of note along the way, and even though the larger cities of Kerube and Lenos sit down and upriver respectively, Lenos is more akin to Kerube’s loyal servant, and Kerube is like a mean-spirited older brother to Karlan. They are both port cities who deal in similar goods.”

That reminded Lawrence of the rope analogy he gave Holo the night before.

Towns had their own commercial areas, and those territories were comparable to the turf of cats and dogs.

There was a limited supply for exported and imported goods, and the one who could secure the most was the winner.

“Kerube will not take kindly to Karlan trying to intrude on their territory. And the reason Karlan does not want to use a road on the western edge of the forest, one that passes near the sea, is because that would put them inside Kerube territory, and the disputes over tariffs would be endless.”

All that Lawrence had guessed after analyzing the map was mostly correct.

And Meyer, too, seemed to believe that Karlan was perfectly aware of all of this.

If that was true, then the kind Lord Tonneburg was being duped, and he would wind up with the short end of the stick.

Meyer’s sharp hunter’s eyes had latched onto that possibility.

“But I am no merchant. If I were to say such a thing, my lord would not heed my warning. It would be like me giving advice on how to fish in the ocean—hardly convincing.”

Who said what was extremely important.

“And the forest undergrowth and wheat are topics far too mystifying for him. Only those who spend most of their time among the trees, within the fields, and beneath the vast sky will understand.”

Trade and commerce helped reveal many of the invisible chains that linked everything together. Lawrence, too, could practically feel the physical sensation of what Meyer spoke beneath his fingers—he understood the concepts well enough. And more importantly, Holo herself was a forest dweller.

But Lawrence did not feel particularly pessimistic, despite what Meyer was saying. He was rather confident that, if he acted on what he thought about as he petted Holo’s tail the previous night, then he could plant the seed of doubt in Lord Tonneburg.

As they followed Meyer’s lead away from the village, there was an abrupt stop in the line of buildings, and the trees grew thick. After they climbed a gentle slope, they found themselves in the deep forest.

The paths around the village were comprised of packed earth, ones where a single pebble would stand out sorely. But it was soon grass that cushioned their footsteps, which then became a carpet of humus. And there was yet another layer of dried foliage on top of that, which made them feel like they were walking on clouds.

The air was moist in the morning forest; if Lawrence closed his eyes, he could easily picture himself back in Nyohhira. But the scent here was different. When that thought crossed his mind, he heard a rustle of leaves above him, and when he looked up, he spotted a squirrel running along the branches of the trees. A foolish little mouse darted out from beneath the dried leaves at his feet, rushing to hide in a nearby tree. This forest was teeming with much more life than the ones surrounding Nyohhira.

They walked for a while, and Lawrence spoke with Meyer along the way, but when Meyer went ahead to check the roads just as he did the day before, Holo murmured, “’Tis a good forest.”

“This apparently used to be a river.”

The path, carefully cleared of trees, was more sunken into the ground that the rest of the earth around it. Whenever it rained, the water slowly scraped away at the ground, forming a ditch, and even the river that formed as a result could change its flow as a result of fallen trees and leaf accumulation. At some point, Holo had told him in the deep mountains of Nyohhira that the forest was everchanging, and he could see that the Tonneburg Woods were undoubtedly full of life.

According to what Meyer said, the Tonneburg Woods and its environs had a lot of springwater, and it was likely due to that there were a lot of undulations in its geography.

If they were to build a road here, it would likely follow the bends of this old river. And now that Lawrence had seen the forest for himself, he was confident in his prediction.

It would likely go well if they followed through on the plan.

Whether Holo knew what Lawrence was thinking or not, she did not ask for details when dawn broke, nor did he explain. He wanted a specific situation to help him explain.

As they passed beneath the tree cover, Lawrence felt like he had become a little mouse. Eventually, they spotted the road ahead of them drenched in sunlight. There was a clearing in the dense forest where a quiet pond sat—the perfect place for a witch to live.

And sitting beside the pond were two buildings nestled side by side—old, sagging, and covered in moss.

“What an awful smell,” Holo complained.

Lawrence chuckled. As they neared the building with Meyer at their side, he could tell right away that it smelled of charcoal and metal. It was different from the scents of the forest; this smell scraped at the inside of his nostrils.

“Well, if it isn’t Meyer!”

One of the two buildings was more like a covered shed without any walls. Beneath it sat ironware that was no longer functional and a mound of coal. Practically buried beneath it all was a middle-aged man working, steam rising from his bare torso.

“Another busy day, smith?”

“You bet. Any spare moment I got makes me think the forest is gonna swallow me whole.”

The smith glanced back over his shoulder and peeled off his thick leather gloves before appraising Lawrence and Holo.

“Guess you haven’t brought me apprentices?”

With a huff, Holo turned away—a gesture, perhaps, done on behalf of all the forest dwellers in the world. Lawrence gave a nod and a smile in greeting instead.

“This is traveling merchant Lawrence and his wife. He will be on our side regarding the forest road.”

When Meyer introduced them, the smith gave a nod in understanding. “My apologies, then. It’s mighty smoky out here. Let’s talk inside.”

He must have thought Holo was upset because she did not appreciate the metallic smoke that rose from the furnace.

The smith opened the door to the neighboring building and stepped inside. Meyer followed after him, and as Lawrence moved to do the same, he realized Holo did not. He turned to look at her.

For a moment, he thought it was because she did not want to step into a smith’s house, but she was instead staring distantly into the trees.

It was almost as though her friends of the forest were calling to her.

“Holo,” Lawrence said her name a bit forcefully. “Don’t leave me.”

Absently, she turned around to look at him.

“I have too much jerky to eat all by myself.”

Light soon returned to those red eyes that had been peering deep into the distant woods.

For a moment, like a dream, it seemed as though Holo was on the verge of melting into the very forest itself, but her image became sharp and distinct once again.

“Indeed you do. The human world is filled with more delicacies than what the forest can offer.”

Now was not the time for her return to the forest.

Lawrence accompanied Holo as she stepped into the building just as the smith started pouring them mugs of strong ale.

The still was the smith’s pride and joy, something he forged with his own hands. And after draining his mug of homemade ale like it was water, he resentfully spat, “The forest is like a spring. If you take more than what comes out, then it’ll dry up! That’s just common sense!”

The building they were in was terribly old. The smithy itself had likely been in operation for generations, the rights to use this parcel of land passed down as time went on.

Outdated tools sat proudly on the walls. It was unlikely they would be usable in a decade or two.

Lawrence scanned the décor and quickly found what he was looking for. He also noticed how Holo’s expression hardened the moment they stepped inside.

“We’ve got to show Lord Tonneburg that his plan’s wrong, not necessarily to keep the smithy running, but for the sake of the forest.”

Building a road through the forest, extracting lumber, and building new smithies would be a direct encroachment on the smith’s business. It was not particularly surprising that he was against the plan.

“I’ve traveled various lands, and you rarely come across forests like this one. I would like it if they left it as is,” Lawrence said, and the smith nodded in agreement. “That’s why I will be visiting Lord Tonneburg, in hopes that he will reconsider his decision.”

They were sitting in what was essentially the home of every forest dweller’s mortal enemy. At that thought, Lawrence cast a quick glance at a bored Holo before continuing.

“How much labor do you think it will take to establish a new smithy in this forest?”

“A…huh?” That question took the smith by surprise. The expression on his face made it seem like he was being let down. “How much…labor?”

“Yes. I suppose I could rephrase the question and ask how easy you think it would be to build a smithy.”

“Listen, mister merchant. What I mean is that I’d never build a new smithy. That’s silly talk.”

The smith crossed his muscular arms across his chest—he was the very picture of a stubborn forest-dwelling craftsman. Though his mouth was hidden behind a beard singed from the heat of the forge, Lawrence could tell it was curving downward in a frown. The man was imposing.

He was overflowing with pride, like he would never move no matter what happened. Lawrence could practically hear him saying that he always solved his problems by himself and he would continue to do so. Lawrence had not seen any helpers or assistants around, so he would’ve believed the smith.

Besides the tools needed for forging, the room was also home to various other items needed for daily life. There was a pile of rags in the corner indented in the shape of the smith’s physique, which made it immediately clear that he spent most of his time here in this hut.

When Lawrence was just starting out as a merchant, he often did business in places with no other competition, where the roads were so bad that no other merchants dared to venture that way.

And so he was intimately knowledgeable about some things that were unfathomable to city merchants, the ones who licked the tips of their quills to manipulate numbers and called that “trade.”

One of those things served as the cause of an argument between him and Holo around the time they first met.

And that is exactly what he came here to ask.

“Building a new smithy in the forest and building a new house in the village are two entirely different things. Especially if one wants to maintain it.”

Behind the smith, a great big axe, a scythe, a longsword, a spear, and other things glinted ominously. They seemed like they had seen plenty of use, too much to have been personal projects he hung up in pride—they were tools to fight against the very forest itself as it threatened to swallow the smithy whole.

And wherever there was battle, there were victory trophies.

Hanging proudly on the wall was a magnificent wolf pelt that was roughly the same size as the smith himself.

“City artisans who do not understand how terrifying the forest can be will walk right on in, encumbered by their belongings. Then once they’ve finished building the smithy, they’ll have to work there day in and day out. What do you think? Do you think they’ll be able to greet the morning in one piece?”

The smith followed Lawrence’s gaze and gave a nod in understanding.

“I see—that’s what you mean. There are some city merchants who come to the village and ask me to fix their ironware. That lot just wanders the trees munching on their bread. But I make sure not to give any blades to idiots like them. Nothing’s more dangerous than those who don’t know the forest spending an extended amount of time in it.” The smith looked at Meyer, then turned his attention back to Lawrence. “The forest is in the heart of enemy territory. The smithy has found itself surrounded by wolves on moonless nights more than just once or twice. The reason I don’t keep an assistant around is because I know the kid’ll just get swallowed up by the trees.”

A single lapse in vigilance could mean vanishing forever.

That very thing had likely happened countless times.

“But Meyer,” Lawrence said, turning to the ranger. “I’m certain you’ve already advised Lord Tonneburg on how much it would cost to keep wolves away in order to build the roads and smithies. What do you think?”

Meyer had sat there, looking as though he was ready to speak up, and he nodded as though it was a given.

But the reason he did not speak was because he had realized Lawrence already had the rest of the story.

“I think the reason Lord Tonneburg still agreed to the plan, despite knowing about the wolves, was because he could not really picture the problem. While I imagine he comes to the forest to hunt, he likely does so in camps where he’s surrounded by many beaters and those who are adept at finding their way around the forest, like Meyer.”

After a moment of hesitation, Meyer said, “Sir Lawrence, there are wolves in the woods, but I wouldn’t say they are particularly—”

“No, no, Meyer. They must be. How could they not? They are so dangerous, in fact, that it would take thousands of mercenaries to guard the workers that will be building the road from wolf attacks. The cost of such security will be absurdly high.”

After the bewildering, theatrical speech, Lawrence flashed Meyer and the smith a mischievous grin.

At last they understood what Lawrence meant.

“You want us to pretend there was a wolf attack?”

Lawrence nonchalantly turned to look at Holo before giving his answer. Holo, who had a feeling she was going to be roped into some sort of performance, gave him a look that suggested he was the annoying pebble in her shoe.

“We hail from deep in the mountains of Nyohhira, and droves of skilled hunters roam our area. Even their hunting dogs are often mistaken for wolves in other parts.”

While Lawrence and Holo were out traveling, it was a wolf spirit who was managing the bathhouse in their stead. Her brother and other wolves ran a monastery a short distance away from Nyohhira, nestled even deeper into the mountains. They managed the place of worship and received hot spring guests who wished to pray, all while maintaining a veil of innocence over themselves. They would gladly take up whatever favor Holo asked of them.

But discussing wolves attacking humans with Holo almost verged on taboo, and if the smith truly felt like he was in harm’s away, he would not hesitate to attack. And so Lawrence understood why she did not look so pleased, considering it could easily aggravate the relationship between wolf and human.

Lawrence, however, was a merchant.

He was confident he could sell ice in Nyohhira in the dead of winter.

“Then let us think of it this way,” Lawrence said, glancing briefly at Holo. “The wolves of the Tonneburg Woods might be troublesome and cunning in equal measure. But what if they put those sea dwellers in their place and taught them what it takes to survive in these woods? Doesn’t that sound exhilarating?”

The smith hummed, and Meyer dipped his head in agreement.

Lawrence redrew the lines of friend and foe.

Even the smith, who considered himself an enemy of the wolves, would side with a fellow forest dweller when it came to making a stand against outsiders. Needless to say, that should have been true for Holo as well.

Wolves were not automatically hostile toward all humans. Things changed drastically if they were fighting alongside the humans of the forest, all to preserve their pride as forest people.

It was not long before the smith said, “It is a good opportunity, yes, to show the sea dwellers just how dangerous the forest can be. I don’t want people to think the wolves of the Tonneburg Woods are the same as any old wolves they can find anywhere.”

He showed respect for how formidable his enemy was.

Holo observed the smith, an indescribably tickled look on her face.

Lawrence wondered what would have happened if he had brought up this very topic the previous night.

She may have grown fearful about coming into conflict with humans and rejected his plan.

But she, too, should have understood that the smith did not simply hate wolves by watching his reaction. If circumstances were slightly different, they could have been friends.

She eventually gave a weak little sigh—she finally understood that, from the perspective of a wolf, this was not such a terrible idea after all.

“I am a merchant. People hate losing more than they enjoy their profits. There are terrifying and onerous wolves in this forest; once they see with their own eyes that it will cost a fortune to make their road a reality, then the sea dwellers of Karlan and Lord Tonneburg will have no choice but to reconsider.”

If they were truly going to build a road through the forest and set up new smithies, then they had quite the extensive survey to conduct. In which case, all Meyer had to do was take the regional lord out hunting under the pretense that the forest would soon grow much louder with the bustle of activity, so he should enjoy this lull before the storm. And once Lord Tonneburg understood the threat the wolves posed, then the cost of making things safe would most certainly push things beyond budget—and that, the lord would be forced to understand.

That was precisely what Lawrence came up with the night previous when he was playing with Holo’s tail.

“What do you think? If both of you can help me with this, then I can immediately send word to all the hunters I know.”

Meyer and the smith exchanged glances, then both turned their attention to the wolf pelt on the wall.

Those who spent much of their time in the forest knew very well the fear that came with seeing a wolf.

“Sir Lawrence.” Meyer approached Lawrence and extended his hand. Lawrence grasped it in return, and the smith himself scooped them both into a big bear hug.

Holo understood the merits of the idea, but somehow she was not quite so eager about this little scheme.

Both Meyer and the smith ventured into the forest to prepare them a special lunch to pray for the success of their plan. Lawrence remained behind, tasked with starting the fire in the oven meant for food, careful not to ignite Holo’s mood with those very flames.

“I’ll ask Selim myself,” he said.

It would likely weigh heavily on Holo if she were to ask her own kin to act as hunting dogs.

And the kind wolf seemed to have some resistance to the idea of deliberately spooking people.

“Do you think you could ask the wolves of the forest to make sure they don’t actually hurt anyone? I’ll be sure to prepare a reward for them.”

Holo was always willing to flash her canines whenever she got the opportunity, but she was surprisingly sensitive when it came to affairs between humans and wolves.

Though she always teased Lawrence for being too softhearted, it was in fact Holo who was the most sensitive about this sort of thing.

“…I believe I have become restless during our first journey in many years.”

She sat on a crate and hunched over, tail nervously twitching back and forth; it was likely a sign she now regretted offering her help.

“But we have to do this. Otherwise the lord is never going to change his mind,” Lawrence said, tossing more kindling into the fire.

However, Holo remained glum. “To think you would suggest such a straightforward plan.”

Lawrence turned around to look at her. She greeted him with piercing, narrowed eyes. Though he had thought she had been all right with everything in the end, he figured she must still be angry that he was resorting to her wolf powers.

But that was not quite it. With discontent in her voice, she said, “If you’re relying on me now of all times, then I can think of plenty of other times you could have asked me to help.”

“Huh?”

Lawrence responded quizzically only for Holo to turn away in a huff.

Kindling crackled in the fire, and Lawrence snapped back to the present.

She was not angry that he was asking for their help as wolves.

She was reprimanding him for not taking advantage of what she was fully capable of until now.

“I got your help when we set up the bathhouse, remember?”

It would have been impossible to set up a new bathhouse if they had failed to find new springs. That rule prevented any newcomers from easily joining the ranks of the Nyohhira bathhouses, and the reality was that all of the major springs had already been dug up and claimed.

But Holo’s nose and claws had found them a spring that would have needed a great deal of luck and too much effort if it was being excavated by human hands alone. Just that was enough to make Lawrence feel like he should offer her a fresh apple beside her pillow every day for the rest of his life.

“Besides, I’ve asked you to do all sorts of other things. I’m almost positive.”

He thought back on many trials they had been through together, but Holo’s expression remained glum.

Wearing an expression that was almost identical to one he had seen on the face of their daughter Myuri, Holo said, “It seems you’ve found yourself in a fix at last.”

Lawrence had been trying to be considerate toward Holo, but apparently, she just found it anxiety inducing. And the reason he always landed himself in these fixes was because he wanted to show off for her. But even if she knew this, Lawrence knew that Holo would remain quietly irritated and worried until he finally asked for her help.

She was upset because this was the one time he had been so quick to rely on her.

Lawrence shoved the kindling in the oven around with a stick before saying, “We use the card up our sleeve when it’s the right time to play it, and that applies right now. Look.” He lifted his gaze from the fire and scanned the deep forest that surrounded them. “This is a crossroads where not only the existence of this forest hangs in the balance, but also the future of the wheat fields. Am I right?”

Holo could hear people’s lies. And it seemed she was having trouble deciding whether or not what Lawrence said was untrue. To her, it sounded as though he was trying to change the subject, even though her ears were telling her he was being sincere.

And no matter which it may be, she would remain glum.

“You are a sheep,” she said, “and yet you somehow manage to be so elusive in times like this.”

All Lawrence could say in response was, “Sure. But if I were predictable and boring, you would have given up on me and gone to chew on some other bones a long time ago.”

Holo pursed her lips and widened her eyes. And after a long moment, she sighed.

At last, she gave an exasperated smile, one that was so emblematic of the wisewolf.

“You fool.”

Lawrence simply drew up his shoulders in a shrug. Holo stood from her crate and sat down beside him instead.

That meant she was done being grumpy.

“What will we be eating, I wonder.”

“Probably deer. I doubt being in the forest makes it any easier to hunt, though.”

“There are plenty of rabbits in this wood. And there seems to be plenty of water, which means there will likely be many of those rats with flat tails.”

“Wow, that brings back memories. We haven’t had those in a long time.”

Holo was talking about a large rodent that lived near the water’s edge. Its teeth could cut through wood, which it used to make its nests, and it was the main ingredient for a proud and popular dish among members of the clergy, who claimed that because it inhabited the water, its flesh was closer to fish than other meat.

“There are plenty of delicious foods we have yet to try in this world.”

“You’re right. That said, I should remind you my coin purse is not bottomless.”

Holo leaned her head on Lawrence’s shoulder and slumped with a frown.

“You are a stingy merchant.”

“Always have been.”

He grinned at her, and she offered a weary smile in return, then readjusted her head on his shoulder.

Her fluffy tail curled, wrapping around the back of his waist as though holding him closer in a hug.

The quiet forest pondside was filled only with the sound of crackling kindling.

Lawrence watched Holo close her eyes, pleased, and he gave a light sigh.

It seemed as though he would be able to save the Tonneburg Woods from danger—which was a problem entirely of his own creation, after he worked a little too hard in Salonia. Though it was not quite as bad as Holo’s hangovers, he knew he should reflect on his actions.

Just as he wondered whether or not his thoughts had reached her, the tail around him suddenly retracted and she stood up. He did not need to watch her to know that she had pulled her hood over her head and covered her tail with the long hem of her coat.

Meyer and the smith had likely returned with their game.

But when he turned to look, Lawrence spotted a figure coming down the road on the path leading toward the village.

Meyer and the smith were there, of course. But both of them seemed grim, almost as though the hunters had become the hunted—and it did not take long for Lawrence to see that was indeed the case.

Because behind them, sitting majestically on horseback, was clearly the lord and his entourage.

“So you are the merchant I have heard so much about.”

The tone and gaze that came from atop the horse made Lawrence instinctively search for an escape route.

“I heard you have some objections about how I manage my territory.”

Both Meyer and the smith hung their heads. On either side of the lord’s horse stood two conscripted farmers, both wearing leather armor that seemed unnatural on their persons and meekly holding spears.

And then there was the good-natured old priest, who seemed anxious.

It was clear who made the report to the lord, and it was not realistic for him to escape now.

Lawrence stood, as though protecting Holo, and graciously bowed his head.

“My name is Kraft Lawrence.”

The graying lord gave a deep sigh, powerful enough for the hairs on his beard to shudder, and then dismounted his horse.

Though the lord did not smile, he did introduce himself politely.

“I am Matthias Egil Tonneburg.”

While Lawrence was unsure at first whether or not he needed to kneel, Lord Matthias waited only a brief moment to jerk his chin in his direction.

“I’m here to speak with you.”

He did not immediately cut down Lawrence, nor did he put him in bonds. That meant he was much more open-minded than expected when dealing with an outsider who had come onto his land with the express purpose of overturning his plans.

But it did not take long for Lawrence to realize that Matthias was not so much tolerant as he was tired.

Lawrence glanced at Meyer and the smith before turning his attention to the soldiers and their awkward spears.

“Alone,” the lord added.

Matthias probably assumed that Lawrence would think he would be killed alone among the trees, but Lawrence was worried about something else entirely. His primary concern was that if things even looked like they might get violent, then Holo was liable to fly into a rage and turn everyone else into forest fertilizer.

“Word of you has suddenly spread like wildfire in these parts. I wish to hear what you have to say.”

He had likely heard of the lumber tariff negotiations in Salonia.

Lawrence nodded then glanced at Holo. She did not seem to sense anything out of the ordinary about this, so she only huffed in response.

Just in case, Lawrence checked where the dagger and its clasp was at his waist, then set forth to follow the lord, staying two paces behind him.

The road they took went the precise opposite direction of the one that led back to town—likely this was the one the smith used every day when he had business in the forest. It was not as though Lawrence could casually start a conversation with the distinguished person leading the way, so the two walked in total silence. As Lawrence idly watched how the dappled sunlight poured through the canopy of leaves and created deerlike spots on Lord Matthias’s fur coat, the landlord finally spoke up.

“Are you from Kerube?”

It was not an entirely unexpected question. Lawrence knew right away what Matthias was worried about.

All he had to do was think of the relationship between Kerube and Karlan that Meyer painted in his story and recall that Tonneburg was partnering with Karlan on a large-scale project.

If there was the possibility of secret agents from Kerube who had come to sink the plan he had crafted with Karlan, then Lawrence had to be especially careful to avoid arousing Matthias’s suspicions.

Matthias did not seem to be a fool, so Lawrence promptly came up with his answer.

“I have been to Kerube before, but in Salonia I simply worked at the behest of a priest.”

“I also heard you threw away your opportunity to take up a lordship.”

Lawrence cracked a little smile. “Forgive my arrogance, but I suppose there was a future in which we could have walked side by side as equals.”

When Matthias turned around to look at him, there was a faint smile on his tired features, and he waved Lawrence up beside him.

“So what did Meyer say to convince you to come along? What sort of reward did he promise you?”

The way Matthias showed him that they were equals in the forest by dispensing with formalities showed that he was an affable ruler.

Lawrence, too, doubted he would be subject to some trick or ruse at this point, so he gave a relatively straightforward answer.

“He told me that your precious forest was at risk as a result of my actions. And he urged me to show you that the numbers of your plan do not quite add up using my skills as a merchant.”

It was not a lie, but Matthias shot him a clearly dubious look, so he quickly added:

“As a reward, he promised honey and dried mushrooms and the like. There was a very persuasive case that they’re important luxuries for running a bathhouse.”

At last, Matthias finally understood how Meyer managed to rope Lawrence in.

“I see. Having something to protect can be a source of weakness at times.” He ran a hand over his beard and sighed. “And my numbers, you say,” he laughed dryly. “I suppose he got a good look at me lamenting over my lack of money.”

Lawrence glanced up at Matthias just in time to see him feebly shrug.

“My father and grandfather fought hard in troubled times to protect the forest. I suppose you could say that is all they ever thought about.” He continued, giving Lawrence no time to react, “They could have sold lumber or cut down the forest to expand the fields and gotten all the money they needed. But they never did, and the only thing they accumulated was debt. They appeased their enemies with bribes, hired mercenaries to fend off those they could not buy off—they did whatever they could to survive.” Matthias puffed out his chest, taking a big lungful of the crisp, forest air. “All that has remained is this great big forest and a great big debt.”

Nothing in this world was free.

“The debt alone can be slowly repaid. Even if it isn’t paid off by my son’s time, it should be settled by my grandson’s time.”

Lawrence knew of plenty of lords who borrowed money and never intended to pay it back, so this alone convinced him Matthias was a man of character.

“But I am no expert in the matters of coin. I believe I am a man who can be easily swayed if I place myself in the hands of a skilled merchant. Am I wrong?”

Matthias at last turned to look at Lawrence, who gave an honest nod.

“No. Forgive me.”

A wry smile crossed Matthias’s face.

Though it was not a particularly peaceful method, Lawrence’s plan was to show that keeping the wolves away would take an unrealistic amount of money if they wanted to develop parts of the forest, and to show that it would have far-reaching consequences. Anyone would then see that only a foolish ruler would still insist on following the plan knowing all this.

“Of course, I would have pushed ahead with the plan, no matter what was suggested to me,” Matthias said. “But that would make me seem like a fool. And I do not want that. Do you understand?”

Matthias was not the sort to force his subjects into submission. The way he led was offering his people a good reason to follow him. Lawrence’s presence was causing them to quarrel even more. They reasonably wanted to avoid calling off the plan if possible.

That, however, naturally brought Lawrence to one response.

“Would you mind if I gave you my personal views on the matter?” Lawrence asked.

Matthias gave an awkward smile. “We walk shoulder to shoulder. Of course you may.”

“Then forgive me if this assumption is off base, but have your financial issues forced you to accept Karlan’s plan, no matter what the conditions?”

Lawrence was essentially telling him that it was foolish to allow someone else to hold the reins of his territory’s fate, but Matthias did not seem to be enraged by the implication—he only heaved a long, thin sigh.

“My grandfather and father—and myself, I suppose—have spent too much of our energy trying to protect the forest.” Matthias gazed distantly down the forest path, then turned to look at Lawrence. “The Church has long suspected us of heresy.”

“—Ah.” On Lawrence’s map of the situation, a new waterway opened up, changing the entire lay of the land. “I… I see.”

As his eyes scanned the perfectly good forest, one that had gained Holo’s approval, Lawrence hummed.

Matthias needed to be seen cutting the forest down.

He had to show the world that the forest was not holy or inviolable, and that his family was not worshipping the forest itself like heretics might have.

Tired, Matthias’s shoulders dropped.

“The situation surrounding the Church is constantly changing. Both the old guard and the Twilight Cardinal, who’s criticizing the old guard, are working desperately for the sake of their people. And any who do not belong to their specific camps are treated as enemies. Do you understand?”

I do, because the Twilight Cardinal is essentially my son.

For a brief moment, Lawrence pictured himself saying that out loud, then quickly swallowed his words.

“You mean to say that no matter which side you choose, your forest is still a problem.”

“Precisely. If I choose one, then the other will see me as the enemy. And no matter which one I choose, the woods themselves stink of heresy. It is deep and dense, after all.”

A forest like this was not unusual in Nyohhira. Venturing farther north would eventually lead to genuinely thick forests where the lifeblood of Holo’s kind still beat, where no human had ever set foot.

But this part of the world had been under human rule for a very, very long time. It was not unusual to stumble upon fields as far as the eye could see.

A deep, dark forest was much too exceptional.

“Our account books are filled to the brim with red numbers—beggars like me cannot be choosers.”

Lawrence nodded, rearranging the entire situation in his mind.

“Which means that cutting down the forest will not only allow you to make some money by selling lumber, but also show you are not worshipping toads and offering sacrifices to the springs in the deepest parts of your forests like heretics.”

Matthias cackled at the stereotypical depiction of pagans.

“You are correct. Karlan will be able to develop further if they’re able to build a road that cuts through our forest. They could also mediate on our behalf with the more powerful members of the Church—the city trades with distant lands on a near daily basis, you see. By allowing them to extract lumber from the forest and build a road through it, then it will both solve the heresy problem and the debt problem, both of which have plagued us for a long time. I cannot think of this as anything but a God-given opportunity for my sons to inherit a clean slate.”

And that was why Matthias did not heed Meyer or the mayor, no matter how much they warned him of the dangers. And Meyer, who had finally lost his patience, brought along a merchant who might give them an infallible reason Matthias would have to acknowledge, so Matthias himself decided to lay bare all his innermost thoughts.

Wait a minute, Lawrence thought. Matthias can’t possibly be that simple of a ruler.

“You must have a very special reason to tell me all this.”

Matthias was exposing his family’s humiliation to him—a total and complete stranger.

There was no doubt that Matthias had come up with countless options for himself. As they walked through the forest, he turned to Lawrence and said, “I learned of your deeds in Salonia when word reached Karlan. A larger allotment of lumber coming from Salonia naturally means less wood taken from my forest. So you can imagine how worried I was.”

“I…apologize.”

“Ha-ha. Still, when I heard of what you did in Salonia, what intrigued me the most wasn’t actually the lumber.”

“It wasn’t?” Lawrence asked, hesitant.

“I grew doubtful if I should trust in Karlan’s ability to conduct business to begin with.”

Lawrence wordlessly turned to look at Matthias—there was something questionable about that.

“The lumber tariff negotiations in Salonia were actually a part of the plan from Karlan. And that made me reconsider what the true extent of their power was. If a random merchant could show up and foil them so easily, then I wondered if the rest of the plan would come to fruition at all.”

Lawrence understood the apprehension, but it was then that he realized there was something he needed to confirm. It was something that had sat in the corner of his mind ever since he met Meyer.

“Do you mind if I ask you something? Why does Karlan want lumber this badly?”

Matthias dipped his head before answering. “While an offering of lumber would demonstrate that I am not a heretic, Karlan’s true hope is to gain the Church’s goodwill in exchange for the lumber, which everyone is hurting for right now.”

Unlike Tonneburg, Karlan was not under suspicion of heathenry—so why were they just as eager to deal with the Church? Only those who did not understand commerce would ask a question like that. There was no greater trade partner in the world, after all.

“It’s not as if I have no love for this forest. The Tonneburg family has done what it can to protect it for generations. And as my people have probably explained already, these woods play an important part in supporting the wheat fields of this region. I understand its value better than anyone. But our account books are full of red numbers, we are suspected of heresy, and the continued existence of my dominion itself is in now in question.”

Left with no other choice, Matthias had taken on a bet knowing full well the risks.

But now he had started to doubt the capabilities of the plan’s masterminds.

There was no way he was telling Lawrence every detail of this story just because he wanted to vent.

Matthias, as though waiting for Lawrence to arrive at that conclusion, suddenly looked at him with the expressionless face of a leader.

“I want you to fight on my side. Act as my proxy and carefully investigate this plan of Karlan’s. Try and see if they’ve taken on a disadvantageous deal with the Church, or…” He lowered his voice, though no one else was in the woods with them. “I hate to dwell on it, but it’s possible they’re trying to dupe me.”

That was likely the one thing he had been wanting to ask Lawrence the most.

Matthias had ignored the villagers’ efforts and pleas to stop and pushed ahead with the plan with Karlan. Even if he had started having doubts about Karlan’s plan, he had no one to help him change course.

There was a powerlessness about Matthias that was obvious—Lawrence knew that even if he refused, he would not be cut down by the sword hanging at the lord’s waist.

Matthias was a good leader.

And because he was a good leader, he was bound by a great many things.

At this point, Lawrence felt it unlikely that he would be able to help with Meyer’s request of keeping the forest intact. That was not because Matthias had found out about his secret maneuvers, but because Matthias had little option.

Since Matthias’s territory was under suspicion of heresy or paganism, they were at risk of being consumed by the growing rift in the Church and being ground to dust in the ensuing power struggle if they did nothing. And due to the lord’s ongoing debts, it was likely that his territory would be shattered into tiny pieces by those who hungered for coin.

“If I may confirm something with you,” Lawrence spoke up. “Are the debts owed to Karlan?”

If they were, then that would make Matthias’s position all the more difficult. It would be even more likely that the city was taking advantage of that leverage and dragging him into a dishonest plan.

“No. It’s the greedy merchants from Kerube.”

There was good reason for his strong tone—the unpleasant interactions involving debt they had been shouldering since his grandfather’s time.

It seemed Matthias decided to work with Karlan because he, too, had a bone to pick with Kerube.

Lawrence was starting to see the pieces on the board.

If there was anything he could do for the sake of the forest, it was side with Matthias.

“I have a request as well,” he said.

“Money?” Matthias asked.

The expression on his face told him that Matthias wondered if this merchant was also just after coin in the end; Lawrence only shrugged in response, disrespectful as it was.

“Promise me you’ll let Meyer off the hook. He’ll be invaluable in ensuring the forest continues to exist.”

Matthias stared blankly for a moment before donning a troubled smile. “Why would I ever punish him to begin with? I hadn’t even considered it.” He gave a coarse cough of a laugh, as though telling Lawrence it was an absurd idea. “Meyer loves the forest more than anyone. Even me. All he ever thinks about are the trees. That’s why I’ll need him by my side when the people from Karlan come to build their road. Those sea dwellers will have no idea what sort of foolish mistakes they’ll be making.”

Perhaps Meyer had spared no effort to protect the Tonneburg Woods, the ones Matthias’s family had worked hard to preserve over generations, precisely because he knew Matthias trusted him so.

“I need to reward Meyer for bringing you here.”

“……”

Lawrence looked at Matthias.

The conflict was evident on his face.

“Back to the matter at hand. I believe you just mentioned the possibility of Karlan trying to dupe you. Have there been any signs of that?”

“…No. My doubts are not that strong, nor do I wish to doubt them so. I just believe it’s more likely that the Church is unfairly taking advantage of them, rather than the city actively exploiting my weakness.”

The reasoning behind that hunch came from hearing rumors about a passing merchant who happened to foil their plans in Salonia. Which meant that even if they were able to intercede on Matthias’s behalf with the Church, it was questionable as to whether they would be able to hold proper negotiations.

“Do you think they’ll be selling off the forest for cheap, then?”

Reluctantly, Matthias nodded. The fate of his land hinged on the outcome of this deal, yet he had no choice but to leave it in the hands of others. Lawrence could tell by that gesture alone that he was beset by helplessness.

As he took notes in his mental account book, Lawrence realized a necessary column had been left blank.

“One more question.”

“Go on, then. You already know about our most humiliating circumstances; you may as well ask about everything else.”

Lawrence had a feeling that if Matthias were one of the guests at his bathhouse, he would have been a lovely patron to have.

“Which faction of the Church do you personally side with?”

Matthias’s eyes fell shut at the question; Lawrence realized belatedly, as the question left his mouth, that this was not a question to be asked lightly. Because if Matthias was on the side of the Church’s old guard, that meant he would be working with Col’s enemies.

And along that same logic, it was a sharp fork in the road that might show Matthias which side Lawrence belonged to.

But Matthias was no fool; he had the courage to follow the necessary path with no hesitation, even in the darkness.

“I sympathize with the Twilight Cardinal.” His straightened back sagged from a lack of confidence. “I am not sure how you feel, however…”

“It’s all right,” Lawrence gave a genuine smile—not a merchant’s one. “I’m relieved.”

Matthias blinked, then smiled. He had perhaps assumed that a cruel and greedy merchant would take the side of the more compatible Church conservatives.

“That does make me wonder, however,” Lawrence began.

“About what?”

“If the Twilight Cardinal is really asking for lumber in exchange for his support. Especially in your case, Lord Matthias—your problem directly relates to faith.”

Col, at least, would not do such a thing—he would come see Matthias for himself to ascertain whether or not the lord could be trusted, then put a neat little bow on their talks with one handshake. Col had left Nyohhira with the intent of examining the culture of the Church, investigating where they wielded their power to chase excessive profits and enact reform.

That naturally made Lawrence suspect that Karlan was exploiting Tonneburg’s weakness to profit off the lumber.

But the lord was knowledgeable—he spoke up first.

“Whatever they claim their ideals to be…things are not always so cut-and-dry in the real world.”

It was not as though Col could personally keep an eye on every little happening, so it was entirely possible that Karlan’s representative had simply treated the petition to a religious authority like they would have in the olden days.

“And it is not simply because I’ve started having doubts over Karlan’s negotiating power that I suspect the Twilight Cardinal’s camp might be forcing the city’s hand.”

“And that means?”

“Not long ago, things were mostly settled between Karlan and the Twilight Cardinal’s camp—all that was left was my payment. I went to the city to have a look over the contract drafted by a clerk in Karlan. And that is the first time I came face-to-face with someone who represented the Twilight Cardinal in all this.”

Upon realizing that he did not meet Col directly, Lawrence realized it was not Col who asked for the lumber; while that gave him some relief, an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach at the same time.

This was likely the first big deal the officials of Karlan had ever mediated, and that came with many firsts. There was no doubt they were bumbling along, playing things by ear as the deal progressed.

And at last, someone directly associated with the Twilight Cardinal appeared before the worried lord.

If that person only made his worries worse instead of easing them, then it was quite clear what kind of impression they would have made on Matthias.

“Do you think the merchants in Karlan are being duped by someone using the Twilight Cardinal’s name?”

“……”

Matthias gave no answer, but that meant his doubt was too strong for him to say no outright.

It was hard to tell whether or not he believed it was a shame to start doubting someone he had trusted once; he opened his mouth, as though reorganizing his thoughts.

“The one negotiating with Karlan is, without a doubt, an associate of the Twilight Cardinal—or so they tell me. My priest accompanied me to the meeting because he said his acquaintance was present.”

The priest he mentioned was the one who accompanied Matthias, who hosted Lawrence and Holo the night before, and then promptly informed Matthias of their arrival.

“But when we arrived at the meeting, I had no choice but to doubt the contract. Perhaps it’s what you might call the forest dweller’s instinct. It was a bit of a vain struggle, but I told them I would like to take the contract home and confer with my vassals one last time. But there is little we can do at this point. There were countless times I thought about calling it all off. So perhaps in a way, it was part of my own will that Meyer went around looking for people who could help us.”

Matthias’s fears were all too apparent.

“And he found you.”

He had grasped at straws until a ray of hope appeared at the final hour.

But Lawrence still could not understand why Matthias doubted the Twilight Cardinal’s representative so intensely. All of Karlan was in on the plan, so they should have gotten all of the facts about this person straight. The Kingdom of Winfiel was not a distant country—it was just across the strait; so close it almost seemed like anyone could reach it with a quick swim. And the old priest himself had confirmed an acquaintance of his was there, too. Then where did the seed of doubt come in?

Just as that question crossed his mind, Matthias spoke.

“A wolf.”

“Excuse me?”

Lawrence’s eyes widened as he scanned the trees. He thought for a moment Holo had lost her patience.

“She’s a wolf.” Matthias’s eyes were wide and blank, as though he was reliving a nightmare. “The merchant from the Kingdom of Winfiel came to handle the negotiations on behalf of the Twilight Cardinal. She displayed her wealth by wearing the gaudiest clothes I’ve ever seen in my life—she was like the colorful birds of legend from the south. But I knew on the inside that she was a wolf, that she was evil, and that I could not let my guard down around her, a monster that lurked in the shadows of the deepest—”

“Lord Matthias, please, calm down.”

When Lawrence spoke, Matthias scanned the forest in fear.

“This person has been confirmed to be a legitimate representative of the Twilight Cardinal, right? What was her name?”

If this were a renowned merchant, then it would not be difficult for Lawrence to use his connections to find out who it was. All he really had to do was ask Col himself.

“The wolf, yes…”

A gust of wind blew past them; Lawrence almost thought he heard the sound of animal feet hitting the earth as it did.

“She called herself Eve Bolan.”

“…”

The lord made his home in the deep forest, which was why his instinct was spot-on.

Lawrence ground his teeth. Whether it was in an awkward smile or out of frustration was hard to tell.

Of course Matthias had every right to doubt her.