Man:
Right! I heard quite a bit of talk about it on my way here from Lubinheigen.

Man:
Me too. It's pretty scary stuff.

Man:
Are you talking about that new magician who performs on the outskirts of town?

Man:
Yeah, I've heard about that guy too.
He summons wolves to be his own personal puppets and then orders them to attack traveler after traveler in order to gain their lifeblood.

Lawrence:
Can't be.

Man:
Seriously though, you should be careful.
I heard a rumor about those wolves from a friend of mine who works at a church in Lubinheigen.
He told me a couple of weeks ago they attacked an entire caravan.

Man:
Yeah. Scary, very scary! And since I'm so scared, I should probably drink more.

Lawrence:
Sounds like a good enough plan to me.

Holo:
One can only hope this magician is not actually a woman.

Lawrence:
What? Why?

Holo:
Because you are easily tricked by women and you take painful experiences very hard.
You've been drinking more since you found out Chloe is working with Medio.

Lawrence:
Hey, that's mine!

Holo:
But thankfully there are mostly men lying to you in this bar, lying about wolves or talking about trading, trading, trading.
I really do not understand why you men are such fools.

Lawrence:
Yeah, well, sorry about that.


Holo:
This town is horrible! Why do they close the bar so early?

Lawrence:
Because this town is managed by the church city of Lubinheigen.
At least they have bars; it's better than nothing.

Holo:
So this is a town which is only interested in prayer, living life humbly and worshiping God?

Lawrence:
People here ramble on so long about how valuable the church's sermons are, you start to doze off.
It's almost their way of greeting you.

Holo:
I do not understand what makes it so entertaining.

Lawrence:
I'll tell you what. As soon as I get rid of this pepper, I'll get a new load and then we can go to Lubinheigen.

Holo:
Is it a bigger town than this one?

Lawrence:
Yeah, it's actually bigger than Pazzio. I'd say it's more of a city than a town.
There are a lot of street vendors and it's pretty lively.

Holo:
Do you think they have apples?

Lawrence:
I'm not sure about raw apples. During this time of year people start pickling them to get ready for winter.

Holo:
They pickle them?

Lawrence:
Yeah, but they don't use salt. Apples are pickled in honey.

Holo:
Oh?

Lawrence:
Not just apples, either. Honey-pickled pears are really good too.
Recently I heard they started pickling peaches that way.

Holo:
Interesting!

Lawrence:
You slice the peaches thin and pile them into a barrel. The higher-grade ones will even have figs and almonds between the peaches.
Once you pour a ton of honey over that, you add a little ginger at the end and pickle them for about two months.
There is nothing in this entire world that compares to the sweetness which hits you as soon as you put it in your mouth.
It's so sweet in fact that the church seriously considered banning it.
You do realize you're drooling all over the place, right?

Holo:
Hey! You are not lying to me, are you?

Lawrence:
No, no! It's not a lie, but it's mostly just for rich people and nobles so they are kinda difficult to find in regular shops.

Holo:
But what if we do see them in a store? What happens if we find them in a store?

Lawrence:
I'll buy you some. Calm down!

Holo:
You swear it?

Lawrence:
Yes! But I can't afford a lot.

Holo:
But you still swore. Remember it!

Lawrence:
Yeah, I got it. I got it. Good grief!

Holo:
Good! Then let's go! Come on! Move it already!

Lawrence:
Hey! Where are we going?

Holo:
We are going to the inn!
We are going to get the wagon and head to Whatever Trading where we will rouse the shop owner out of bed and sell the pepper for a high price so we can leave for Lubenheigen immediately.

Lawrence:
No, we can't! It's way too late!

Holo:
What if the shops sell out? We cannot afford to wait. We have to go right now!

Lawrence:
They probably won't have sold any at all, much less sold out of them.

Holo:
I am not willing to risk it. Peaches and honey? I refuse to believe it until I have seen it!

Lawrence:
There's still no guarantees they'll have them!

Holo:
But... I think I would like the pears too.


Shop owner:
Honestly, I wish I could put into words how touched we were by the priest's sermon.
And for us to have heard it that particular day, it must have been God's will.
His words gave us strength, and we renewed our determination to live better lives with those words in our hearts.
Excuse me for rambling. Now shall we discuss the business you had in mind?

Lawrence:
Yes, and thank you for seeing us.

Shop owner:
So what kind of product do you have?

Lawrence:
Oh, yes. This.

Shop owner:
That's pepper, isn't it?

Lawrence:
I'm surprised you figured it out.

Shop owner:
It wasn't hard. I can smell it.

Lawrence:
You must have a good nose.

Shop owner:
No, not at all. Just a trick I picked up in my many years in the business.
By the way, you didn't happen to bring your scales today, did you?

Lawrence:
No, I did not bring my own scales, but fortunately I have my faith in God.

Shop owner:
This is not fortunate for me. The demand for pepper has been rising, quite rapidly in fact.
If you had come last week, I could have gotten you to knock the price down considerably.

Lawrence:
This is good timing for me then.

Shop owner:
It certainly is.
Now why don't we get right down to it and weigh the pepper?

Lawrence:
Yes, that would be great.

Shop owner:
All right. Let me grab my ink and paper and we'll get started.
I'll be back in just a moment.

Lawrence:
What's the matter?

Holo:
I need something to drink.

Lawrence:
Be patient!

Shop owner:
Will water be okay? If you prefer, I have wine too.

Holo:
Oh, may I have water please?

Shop owner:
Of course, let me go get it for you.
The amount of pepper is equal to 45 weights.
Where was this pepper produced?

Lawrence:
It was produced in Ramapata; it's a town in the Leaden Kingdom.
Milone Trading contracted the import.

Shop owner:
From what I've heard Rampata is known as one of the leading producers of spices; and there's no doubt in the authenticity of this certificate.
So how about this? I'll give you one Lumione gold coin for each weight here.
Does that sound good to you?

Lawrence:
I guess it would depend on how many Lumione gold coins we are talking about

Shop owner:
Do you mind if I use Trenni silver coins as the deliverable currency?

Lawrence:
That's fine.

Shop owner:
Using the Trenni silver coins, it's worth thirty-two and five-sixths coins, which is the most I can do.

Lawrence:
Thirty-two and five-sixths coins it is.

Shop owner:
Great! Thank you.
What's wrong?

Holo:
I feel dizzy.

Shop owner:
Are you going to be all right?

Holo:
Y-Yes.

Shop owner:
Are you feeling any better?

Holo:
I am. Thank you very much.

Shop owner:
I imagine you're tired from your long journey.
I have some goat's milk that might help calm your nerves.

Holo:
Excuse me, sir.
These scales look strange; it is as if they are leaning to one side.
Is it just me?
I do not suppose they look unusual to you as well.

Shop owner:
No, you must be mistaken. They look fine to me.

Holo:
Perhaps it is just me then.

Lawrence:
Holo, are you okay?

Holo:
Yes, but I am seeing what cannot be possible.
It appears to me as though I must have been drinking wine earlier instead of water.
Did you give me wine, sir?

Shop owner:
No, I ...

Lawrence:
Have you ever heard the saying that the livelier and busier the bar is, the less likely you are to find the bar owner drinking?
You see, being the only sober person is the key to a successful business, am I right?
Well, looks like I must be drunk. If you're lucky, I'll probably forget some of the things I saw and heard here.
However, drunks often make unreasonable demands, don't they?

Shop owner:
Wait! What do you mean?

Lawrence:
I want the money here as well as the profit you were going to make.
And while I am at it, I think you should insist I buy twice the worth of this deal on credit.

Shop owner:
I can't! There's no way I could do twice the worth!

Lawrence:
Oh, how unfortunate, and I think I'm about to sober up too.
Why don't we talk about product? Since this is a large amount of money, how about high-grade arms?

Shop owner:
Weapons? But why?

Lawrence:
Because they're standard articles that bring in a solid risk-free profit.
On top of that, if I'm dealing in weaponry, I'll be able to pay you back right away.
Isn't that nice of me?

Shop owner:
You want weapons?

Lawrence:
I imagine there must be trading companies with whom you have good relationships in Lubinheigen.
I can sell those to them and you'll be able to offset my credit.
Now how does that sound to you?
Thank you very much. Well then, could you please arrange the products right away?
We'd like to go to Lubinheigen as soon as possible.

Shop owner:
Wait! We're not finished here yet. What about the assessment?

Lawrence:
I'll just leave that to you. After all, I have my faith in God, don't I?


Holo:
I feel sorry for him.

Lawrence:
I have to say I'm impressed that you noticed it.

Holo:
I know it's difficult to look past my brilliant tail, brain and looks but I also have excellent ears and eyes.
I noticed it the very moment I walked into this room.

Lawrence:
Right.

Holo:
Do not just say, "Right"!

Lawrence:
What is with you, all of a sudden?

Holo:
When you are experienced, you can be overly confident and such confidence can prove fatal.
I thought you learned this lesson from Chloe.

Lawrence:
Yeah, I suppose I did.

Holo:
Stop pouting!
You learned something valuable! Remember the lesson, not the disappointment!

Part B

Lawrence:
Oil?

Holo:
I hear it would be good to take care of my tail.
Do you think you could buy me some? Pretty please.

Lawrence:
The cost for the clothes you are wearing, the other clothes, your comb.
Don't forget about your traveling and food expenses as well as the enormous amounts of money for your drinks.
Have you ever considered adding these things up? Are you not calculating them on purpose or can you really just not add?

Holo:
Yes, of course I can at least do addition. I am good at subtracting things also.

Lawrence:
Then why don't you try adding together all of my money you've spent?
If you're such a wise wolf, you'll know how I feel about this oil of yours.

Holo:
Yes, I do know how you feel.
You are dying to buy it for me!

Lawrence:
The wise wolf whose pride is her wisdom isn't so sharp as a drunk.

Holo:
Hey, hey! I am not drunk.

Lawrence:
What're you doing?

Holo:
Oh, please! I merely jest. (jest:ふざける、からかう)

Lawrence:
Oh, I'm sure.

Holo:
I believe you might be underestimating me a little
or do you think I do not notice you made an unimaginably large profit by ruthlessly taking advantage of that poor shop owner?
So will you please buy some oil for me?

Lawrence:
Focus! How much debt do you really think you have with me, huh?
It's 140 coins. Do you even realize what that means for me?
I just can't afford unnecessary things.

Holo:
Really? You cannot do anything, because I have not repaid my debt?

Lawrence:
I think I've made myself clear.

Holo:
I did not know, this whole time, that was all you were thinking about.

Lawrence:
Wait! What do you mean?

Holo:
Well, once I repay my debt, I shall be free.
I will try to pay it back quickly. Perhaps I will.
And once I do, I shall return to the north all by myself.
Yes, I am accustomed to being alone anyway.

Lawrence:
You know we never did set a deadline for repayment.
If you pay me back by the time we get to the north, that should be fine.
Are you happy now?

Holo:
I am sure I will be able to pay you back by then, so it no longer has to be an issue.
I want you to know that I do plan on repaying every coin, with interest added, all right?
Let me put it this way: the more money you lend to me, the bigger your profit will be in the end. See? Can I then?

Lawrence:
You mean oil?

Holo:
You can add it my tab. Please, can I have some?

Lawrence:
All right, then we have a deal.

Holo:
Thank you.


Holo:
What a perfect day for grooming.
Correct me if I am wrong, but did you not knock the price down quite a bit?

Lawrence:
Do you honestly wanna know?

Holo:
It would not be fair to squeeze so much money out of a peddler who is not doing very well, would it?

Lawrence:
Weapons always sell the best in Lubinheigen. There're also a lot of merchants who try to sell them there.
Because of that the profitability goes down, so it won't be that much even if I did get them for a good rate.

Holo:
Why did you want them, if you are not going to make a big profit?

Lawrence:
Holo, don't worry. I'll have enough money to buy you oil.

Holo:
Hum, that makes me happy.

Lawrence:
Using that line of thought though, I think spices are always a pretty good option.

Holo:
Did you eat them?

Lawrence:
Don't confuse me with you. I'm talking about profit here.

Holo:
Well, if that is the case, why do you not get more spices then?

Lawrence:
Prices in Lubinheigen aren't much different from ones in Poroson plus there'll be a loss due to the tariff.

Holo:
Then you should probably give up.

Lawrence:
If I can make a profit at the same level as the spices or higher, I'll be able to open up a shop in no time.

Holo:
But will different goods not have been better investments?
Are gold and jewelry not standard articles for this practice?

Lawrence:
You would think so, but not even products like that are very profitable in Lubinheigen.

Holo:
Why not?

Lawrence:
Because their tariff is too high.
With the exception of a few select merchants, they charge an enormous tax on any imported gold.
And I'm not one of those merchants, so I'd never be able to turn a profit there.

Holo:
But why do they selectively choose which merchants they will tax?

Lawrence:
Those few merchants are conspiring with people in the church.
In that city if you bring gold to the church first, they will carve a holy seal into it for you.
Once the gold becomes something blessed, it'll fetch an absurdly high price and the church will naturally receive a large donation in return.

Holo:
What a cozy relationship they have!

Lawrence:
It's no surprise their policy is to severely punish all smugglers.

Holo:
No, of course not.

Lawrence:
If you smuggle it in, you can probably sell it for twice as much but the risk is unbelievably high.
So high that no one can really even afford to think about doing it.

Holo:
If it is just gold, can you not hide it and bring it in?

Lawrence:
No, they inspect everything.

Holo:
Hm, what would happen, if you were to get caught smuggling?

Lawrence:
At the very least, your dominant arm would be chopped off.
If you ask me, it's just not worth it.

Holo:
Well, thankfully your business is going pretty well so I suppose you can keep earning your money steadily then.

Lawrence:
You are exactly right but unfortunately someone on this cart prefers to waste that steadily made profit.


Man:
You should be very careful on your way.

Lawrence:
He said that mercenary troops are here from the north.

Holo:
Mercenary troops?

Lawrence:
Yeah.

Holo:
If this is the case, then it is suicidal to continue on this road, is it not?

Lawrence:
Definitely. They find their prey faster than eagles in the sky and steal anything with even the smallest value. Even a leaf of a turnip.

Holo:
They have long spears as well.
I remember even I had troubles dealing with them.

Lawrence:
Another thing that worries me is the fact they took the trouble to move further south.
Just like merchants, they'll only move if they can gain something.
But, we won't accomplish much by worrying about it, will we?
We can just take the new detour to Lubinheigen instead.
Wait, Holo, you're not scared of that pagan magician, are you?
I also heard there's a pack of wolves around this detour.

Holo:
They are easier to deal with than humans.
Well, we can at least understand each other.

Lawrence:
Then I'll leave that particular negotiation to you.

Holo:
There is really no one around here, huh?

Lawrence:
Yes. But remember. Rumors are there for a reason.


Holo:
This is boring. I think I will take a nap.

Lawrence:
If you're asleep, can you still tell if wolves are near?

Holo:
Yes, I can still sense them.

Lawrence:
If we end up surrounded, I'll be mad at you.

Holo:
Oh, you are ever the worrier. Normally animals do not differ that much whether asleep or awake.
It is only humans who are left vulnerable while sleeping.

Lawrence:
That all sounds well and good, until you start snoring again.

Holo:
What are you saying? I do not snore!

Lawrence:
Don't be so sensitive. It's not that loud.

Holo:
Because I do not snore!

Lawrence:
Okay, okay.

Holo:
You dare say I snore!

Lawrence:
Calm down already. I said okay.
What do you hear?

Holo:
Nothing, but I'll leave the negotiation ahead to you.

Lawrence:
Something ahead of us?

Holo:
The kind of human I hate more than anything.

Lawrence:
Are you talking about the magician?
Sheep? Is the shepherd the magician?

Holo:
What are you doing that for?

Lawrence:
It's the ceremony for whenever one meets a shepherd.
I think it's fairly safe to say that man is not the magician.
I am Lawrence, a traveling peddler and this is Holo; she is my companion.
May I ask you, the shepherd whom we were able to meet due to providence, to pray for our safety during this journey?

Nora:
I'd be happy to.