Spice & Wolf ~Versión Española~: V03 Cap 05
Esta traducción ha sido realizada a partir de la versión inglesa de esta misma página (enlace) realizada por Judgment26.
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Empezado por Clead DE. HeavenHell 23:29 26/09/08
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Capítulo 5
Lawrence dejó escapar un gran estornudo.
Of course it didn’t make a difference when he was traveling alone, but lately Lawrence had always been traveling with a nitpicky and arrogant companion, so he was continuously cautious. Yet even so, he could not suppress a loud sneeze.
Lawrence felt particularly cold as he frantically checked to see if his traveling companion, who shared a bed with him, had been awoken.
Then, he finally realized that he was sleeping alone next to Mark’s vending stand.
“......”
Although Lawrence had intentionally chosen to sleep alone, having long since prepared his heart, he still felt a great sense of loss upon awakening.
Always having someone by your side when you woke up.
Such things were always easy to get used to. Yet it was never until they were lost that one truly realized their value.
Lawrence decided not to continue clinging to the covers and be reluctant to part with the warmth they provided. He stood up resolutely.
As soon as he did so, the freezing air swiftly enveloped Lawrence’s entire body.
At this hour when the sky still appeared dim, the boy was already out of bed and sweeping the ground in front of the vending stand.
“Ah, good morning.”
“Oh, morning.”
The boy seemed to wake up at this hour as a habit, in order to make preparations for opening up shop. From the looks of it, he did not seem to be intentionally putting on such behavior because Lawrence, a friend of his master was present. The boy casually greeted a few other boys who were passing by the stand.
He was an apprentice whose behavior was worthy of praise.
This was probably not a result of Mark’s training, but because the boy was quite exceptional to begin with.
“Oh yes.”
Hearing Lawrence address him so, the boy turned his head sharply.
“Did Mark explain to you what needs to be done today?”
“No, the master did not say anything….uhm, is it to help you push the unrighteous villain into a trap?”
The boy said in an exaggerated manner, changing his expression and lowering his voice. Lawrence could not help feeling a bit surprised at hearing this. However, he immediately pulled out his merchant’s ability, nodding with a grave expression and saying:
“I can’t tell you the details, but that’s about right. It’s possible I’ll even need to have you take on a difficult task.”
The boy pressed the wheat-made broom close to his waist like a long sword and swallowed once.
Watching the boy’s appearance, Lawrence could be sure of one thing.
And that was that despite working responsibly as an errand boy for the wheat store, deep down inside the boy still retained a sense of longing for the life of a knight or soldier.
Terms like “unrighteous villain” only appeared in tales.
As if he had seen his former self, Lawrence could not help feeling a wave of itching in his heart that was difficult to bear.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Huh? Ah, uhm....”
When a merchant asked a person for his name, it represented an acknowledgment of the latter’s abilities.
The boy had most likely never been asked his name before.
Although Lawrence could easily discern this fact from the boy’s flustered manner, he decided that the boy was exceptional after all.
Because the boy quickly replied in a steady tone:
“Lande. My name is Ewell (pronounced similar to “Ell” with a “w” sound inserted. Sorry, I’m no good at translating names, so this is the best I can do…) Lande.”
“Were you born in a region farther north than this place?”
“Yes, I came from a village frozen in snow and frost.”
Lawrence immediately understood that the boy’s use of such a description was not because it was easier to convey the appearance of the village that way, but because that was how it had really appeared when he looked back at it for the last time.
That was the so-called “North.”
“I see. Lande, I’m counting on you today.”
Seeing Lawrence reach out his right hand, Lande quickly wiped his palm with a corner of his clothes and grasped Lawrence’s hand.
Although Lande’s palm was rough and filled with calluses, it nevertheless belonged to a pair of hands that held the potential to grasp any kind of bright future.
How could he lose to him?
Lawrence held such a thought as he loosened his hand and spoke:
“Anyway, I want to fill my stomach first. Is there any place that’s already begun selling food at this hour?”
“There’s a vending stand that specially sells dry bread to travelers. Would you like me to go buy you some?”
“I’ll leave it to you then.”
Having said this, Lawrence took out two Iredo silver coins with color as dark as copper, and handed them to Lande.
“Uhm, you can buy plenty with just one of these,” said Lande.
“The other one is a reward paid in advance. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you a formal reward as well of course.”
Seeing a stunned Lande, Lawrence smiled as he added:
“If you keep dragging around, Mark’s gonna be here. He’s bound to say what a waste it is to eat breakfast, right?”
Hearing this, Lande gave a quick nod and hurried off.
After watching Lande’s departure for a while, Lawrence turned his gaze toward the passages between individual vending stands on the opposite side of the street.
“Don’t you go spoiling that boy of ours.”
“You could’ve simply said something to stop me.”
Mark emerged from a gap between the merchandise. His face was distorted into a sour expression, and he said with a sigh:
“It’s been pretty cold lately after all. If he gets a cold because I let him go hungry, it would be quite troublesome for me.”
Through his words, it was apparent that Mark actually held quite a bit of love for the boy.
However, allowing Lande to eat breakfast was not merely an act of kindness, but because he truly played an important role within Lawrence’s plan.
Merchants were not Church clergymen. When merchants took action, they always had ulterior motives.
“Looks like the weather will be nice today as well. Business is going to be very good.”
Lawrence nodded in response to Mark, and took a deep breath.
The cold, morning air was greatly refreshing.
Moreover, when he exhaled, all of his unnecessary thoughts seemed to be expelled along with the air.
All that needed to be done next was to think about how to make his plan succeed.
It would not be too late to stop and ponder other things once he had already succeeded.
“Alright, let me fill my stomach first,”
Lawrence said with spirit as he watched a panting Lande running back.
The place was suffused with a completely different atmosphere.
This was the first thing that entered Lawrence’s mind upon arriving here.
What appeared at a glance to be as serene as a lake’s surface was in fact as hot as boiling water when one reached out a hand to touch it.
Since the rising of the sun in the East at dawn, only at one corner of this place could be found an unusually-dense crowd. Every person’s sight was directed toward the same vending stand.
That was the only vending stand in Kumerson that specialized in the buying and selling of minerals and precious stones. Everyone’s gaze was focused on the impromptu price board placed at the front of the stand.
On the price board were lines of writing describing the shape and weight of the pyrite pieces, and beside each line was suspended a wooden plate on which the price and number of people in line to purchase were written.
Although a space for the number of people in line to sell had not been omitted on the price board, that space would most likely not have a chance to have any wooden plates suspending in it.
“The average price is…..eight hundred Iredo huh.”
This amount was approximately eighty times the original price.
The price could only be described as ridiculous. Yet, just as it was almost impossible to pacify a horse gone berserk, trying to check the rising price was no easy task.
Faced with the opportunity to make an easy profit, human reason became no different than a rope made from mud, completely incapable of harnessing a horse.
Although the sounding of the bell signaling the opening of the marketplace was still some time away, there was a tacit agreement among the people to deal ahead of time. Consequently, every now and then after Lawrence had arrived before the stand, he would still see merchants approaching the stand and whispering in the owner’s ear. Once a certain number had been reached, the owner would slowly replace the wooden plates on the price board one by one.
The reason why the owner did not replace the wooden price plates immediately was most likely in order to prevent others from knowing who had purchased what type of pyrite with how much money.
Whatever the owner’s intention, the number of people waiting to purchase only continued to increase.
Just as Lawrence began to silently calculate the total sum going into purchasing, a figure flashed across the corner of his vision.
Looking in that direction, he discovered the form of Amati.
Although Lawrence had discovered Amati first the previous night, Amati, being likewise a merchant who never failed to recognize an opportunity to make money, seemed to have an eye that was as sharp as Lawrence’s. As Lawrence looked toward him, as if he could hear the sound of a shifting gaze, he looked toward Lawrence as well.
Considering the two’s relationship, a warm greeting was unnecessary.
Although, since the two had arranged for Lawrence to collect the cash from Amati after the sounding of the bell signalling the opening of the marketplace, Lawrence could not behave too coldly either.
Just as these thoughts suddenly began to surface in Lawrence’s mind, Amati was first to reveal a smile, nodding his head lightly.
Before Lawrence even had a chance to feel surprised, he discovered the reason behind Amati’s behavior.
Because Horo was right beside him.
For some reason, Horo was not dressed as a city girl, but was attired in nun’s garments. To her long robe she had attached three large feathers of pure white, which were clearly visible even at a distance.
Horo kept her gaze directed toward the vending stand, showing no intention of looking at Lawrence.
Watching Amati’s smiling face, Lawrence could not help feeling a hotness growing deep within his abdomen.
Yet, as Lawrence watched Amati whisper something in Horo’s ear before making his way toward him, passing through a group of merchants seated side-by-side, the serene appearance Lawrence feigned made it seem as if those inner emotions did not exist at all.
As long as the other person was not Horo, Lawrence was confident that his act would not easily be seen through.
“Good morning, Mr. Lawrence.”
“Good morning.”
Before a smilingly-greeting Amati, Lawrence spent a lot of effort in order to maintain a perfectly calm appearance.
“Since the crowds will swarm this place the moment the market bell tolls, I thought it best to hand this to you ahead of time.”
Having said this, Amati took out a gunnysack from within his bosom.
The gunnysack was as compact as a waist pouch.
“This is?”
Lawrence, who was fully convinced that Amati had come to pay the silver coins, could not help asking.
The gunnysack was way too small to contain three hundred silver coins, Lawrence thought.
“This is what I promised to give you.”
Yet, Amati still said so. Although Lawrence felt somewhat suspicious, he could only accept the gunnysack Amati handed him.
Then, after untying the gunnysack and peering inside, Lawrence could not help widening his eyes in astonishment.
“Perhaps this was not quite called for, but I figured it would be inconvenient for you to walk around carrying three hundred silver coins, so I decided to pay you in Lima (note: pronounced “lee-ma”) gold coins,” said Amati.
The gunnysack was in fact filled with gold coins. Just where and how did Amati manage to obtain a supply of gold coins?
Although the value of the Lima gold coin was less than that of the Rumione, within Puroanie, the country to which Kumerson belonged, the Lima was a gold coin widely circulated among the regions along the western shore, and was about equivalent to twenty Trenni silver coins.
Come to think of it, the fact that Amati was able to obtain gold coins in this era where cash currency was so scarce most likely meant that he had paid a considerable service charge.
His doing so intentionally was probably in order to indicate to Lawrence that he had plenty of money on hand, so as to shake Lawrence’s resolve.
The fact that Amati was moving around with Horo was surely to redirect Lawrence’s attention toward these matters.
Because Lawrence had inadvertently widened his eyes into a stare, there was no way for him to conceal the wavering in his heart.
“I prepared the amount using the latest market value. The total is fourteen Lima gold coins,” said Amati.
“.....Understood, received indeed.”
“Don’t you need to count the number of coins?”
The way Lawrence saw it, the most appropriate thing to do at that moment was to utter a “No need” in a casual manner. Yet, after squeezing out these two words with much effort, it only gave the impression of acting tough.
“Then, would you kindly hand me the contract for the three hundred silver coins?”
Lawrence had to be reminded even of this step before taking out the contract.
Amati was completely ahead of Lawrence.
As the exchanging of cash and the partial contract was completed, it was also Amati who was first to utter the necessary line: “received indeed.”
Watching the form of Amati’s back as he departed, a sense of foreboding flashed repeatedly through Lawrence’s mind.
During the signing of the contract on the previous day, Amati’s using insufficient cash as an excuse to fill the necessary sum with three horses was perhaps a part of his strategy.
Always having a bit of cash on hand was common sense shared by all merchants.
Moreover, before daybreak, Amati had probably also searched for and purchased pyrite using the same method as that of Lawrence and others.
With a sufficient supply of pyrite, all that would be required was a very slight increase in the price.
Thinking back on the way Amati had bowed gracefully and turned around after having received the contract, Lawrence simply could not convince himself that Amati had been pretending.
Just how large a stock did Amati possess?
Lawrence pretended to rub his nose, and bit the nail of his thumb.
According to Lawrence’s original plan, as soon as it was past noon, he would be able to proceed as planned, selling off select quantities of pyrite at timely moments in order to slow down the rise in price.
Should he take action ahead of time? Such an idea flashed through Lawrence’s mind.
Yet, Deanna’s subordinate had still not shown up.
Before becoming sure of whether or not he would be able to obtain a large stock, it would be difficult for Lawrence to take action even if he wished to.
Although Lawrence could purchase additional pyrite on the side using the gold coins Amati had paid him before knowing the results of the negotiation, if Deanna’s negotiation were indeed to succeed so that Lawrence received an additional four hundred silver coins’ worth of pyrite, that would also be problematic.
Though having sufficient funds on hand was not a problem since Lawrence had already allotted another portion of silver coins to be paid to Deanna, he would end up having too large a supply of pyrite.
Even though Lawrence had been purchasing pyrite with the intention of causing a drop in its price, he had at the same time been controlling the amount he bought, in order to prevent the loss resulting from the price drop from causing his own bankruptcy.
If Lawrence held the resolve even to go bankrupt in order to defeat Amati’s plan for the sake of Horo, perhaps Horo would be willing to accept his sincerity.
Yet, an acceptance of his sincerity was not enough to bring about a perfect ending, because Lawrence still needed to make a living after that.
The restriction known as reality weighed heavier than the gold coins in his hand.
The mineral shop’s price board was renewed once more.
Apparently, someone had just purchased a large quantity of pyrite; the prices on the board and the number waiting in line to purchase went up dramatically.
How much would the pyrite Amati had on hand be worth after this increase?
Thinking up to this point, Lawrence could not help feeling restless.
Yet, being unable to keep a cool mind meant defeat.
Lawrence closed his eyes, lowered the hand he had been biting on, and slowly took a deep breath.
All the thoughts he had been possessed with a moment ago were the result of Amati’s intentional misguidance, and part of his trap, Lawrence thought to himself.
Whatever the case, Amati was being backed by Horo after all. Therefore, if he could just discover the plan behind the plan behind the plan, he should not be able to go wrong (note: wow, good luck with that, Lawrence...).
At that moment, the sound of the bell swept over Lawrence’s head.
That was the signal for the opening of the marketplace.
The battle had officially begun.
In a state of unusual excitement, it seemed that people were somehow more willing to behave themselves.
Although everyone had been waiting in front the vending stand long before the sounding of the bell, they all nevertheless waited until the bell tolled before making their move.
Moreover, upon closer examination, one would discover people who looked like travelers or farmers selling off pyrite furtively, as if they were engaging in some treacherous act.
However, small-quantity selling only served to stimulate further rising in the price.
In a deal that involved absolutely no selling, only those who already possessed a stock stood to gain a profit. It was precisely because there was a number of small-quantity selling, along with people who were willing to buy back this quantity that everyone stubbornly remained before the stand, unwilling to leave.
Because each individual knew that he had the opportunity to make a profit, everyone was unwilling to leave.
Judging from such a chain reaction, one needed to prepare a considerably-large amount of pyrite in order to cause a drop in the price after all.
The price board, which kept disappearing and reappearing due to the crowd blocking Lawrence’s line of sight, was like a marketing thermometer that was being continually heated, the indicated temperature rising higher and higher.
Deanna’s subordinate still had not shown up.
In the case that the negotiation was a failure, if Lawrence did not manage to take action soon, he would miss his chance.
As he watched the price board in a panicking mood, the form of Amati standing before the vending stand appeared to his eyes.
In that instant, Lawrence felt a wave of terror sweep over him, causing him to want to run forward immediately clutching tightly to the pyrite in his bosom.
Yet, if this were Amati’s strategy for swaying his heart, it would bring about catastrophic consequences. If Lawrence sold an insufficient amount, it would only increase everyone else’s expectation of being able to purchase pyrite as long as he continued to wait his turn, and the more people waiting in line to purchase, the higher the price would rise.
With much effort, Lawrence managed to control the urge to sell off his pyrite, praying that this was just Amati’s strategy for causing him to waver.
At that moment, he suddenly realized something.
Horo had disappeared.
Lawrence surveyed the surrounding area, and discovered that Horo had at some unknown time moved to the outside of the wall of people wrapped within this unusual heat, and was looking directly at him.
As Lawrence’s gaze met Horo’s, she narrowed her eyes with a look of displeasure before turning around and walking off slowly.
Watching Horo moving off into the distance, Lawrence could feel a large amount of perspiration pour forth from his back.
This must be a trap Horo had set up on the sidelines.
If Horo had learned the market situation with pyrite through Amati, it was of course possible that she had come up with a trap for Lawrence. Someone as clever as Horo would probably easily be able to discover something that even Amati, who was responsible for explaining the situation, would miss.
Moreover, Horo was skilled at seeing through people’s hearts. Under such circumstances, no existence was more powerful than Horo.
The moment his chain of thought reached such a point, Lawrence inadvertently sank into the illusion that everything before his eyes was made of mud
He felt as if he would sink deeply into the mud no matter where he stepped, and that no matter whose movements he followed, the movements would end up being illusions.
Everything was probably part of Horo’s plan, Lawrence thought suspiciously.
The feeling of terror that came with having a cunning wolf as an enemy struck at Lawrence’s entire body bit by bit.
Even so, Lawrence was still unable to give up on the hope that Horo was doing this out of a rash passion.
The poison of presumption and suspiciousness began to invade Lawrence’s mind little by little.
Lawrence was not purposely gazing at the price board without any expression; that was all he was able to do.
The price of pyrite continued to increase little by little.
The only fortunate thing was that, since the price of pyrite had already grown by an exaggeratingly-high amount, the present rate of increase was quite low.
Even so, if it were to go on increasing like this, the amount of increase would no doubt easily approach twenty percent by noon.
As far as Lawrence knew, Amati possessed a stock of pyrite worth eight hundred silver coins. If the price were to rise an additional twenty percent, and forty coins were added to that, the target of one thousand coins would be reached.
If all that was needed was about forty coins, Amati would certainly not have trouble coming up with the sum.
When that time came, Amati would no doubt bring out all his fortunes and complete the contract on the spot. Under such a circumstance, the selling on credit that Lawrence had been depending on would probably lose its effect.
“Why hasn’t Deanna’s subordinate shown up yet?”
A sense of panic that seemed on the verge of melting everything turned over and over within Lawrence’s belly, and he could not help muttering out loud.
Even if he were to begin searching everywhere for pyrite to buy now, how much could he possibly obtain?
Unlike during the previous night when the marketplace was already closed and no one knew whether the price would increase or decrease following daybreak, at the present moment, everyone could see immediately and clearly that the trend was an upward one.
Under such circumstances, Lawrence did not feel that any person would be willing to sell the money tree he possessed to him.
Thinking up to this point, it became apparent that Lawrence’s plan absolutely required the pyrite from Deanna if there was to be any chance of success after all.
Yet, if this continued for much longer, Lawrence could also receive a huge blow as a result of the selling on credit contract he had signed with Amati.
Lawrence rubbed the corner of his eye and sank into contemplation. He had believed that he was proceeding straight toward the goal of his plan while keeping a cool head, but now he felt as if he had run into a dead end.
“No.” Lawrence changed his way of thinking.
He understood why the plan was not running smoothly.
The rise and fall of the price of pyrite was not the biggest problem.
Behind this problem lay the fact that Lawrence had lost his faith in Horo.
Taking for instance the fact that Horo had been moving around with Amati early in the morning, it was possible that they had not waited till day to meet up, but had spent the night together.
It would not be surprising even if Horo had invited Amati back to the inn after he and Lawrence had completed the selling on credit deal.
Depending on the circumstances, perhaps Horo had even revealed her ears and tail and told Amati her true identity.
Although Lawrence wanted to tell himself that this was impossible, he also remembered that Horo had revealed her true identity to him without hesitation back when they had first met. It would be simply self-flattery to think that the reason Horo had done so was because she recognized Lawrence as a particularly open-minded person.
After all, Amati was madly in love with Horo. Surely Horo could make an appropriate judgment concerning whether or not to reveal her true identity to him.
Then, supposing that Amati had accepted Horo’s true identity—
The smile Amati had revealed moments ago surfaced clearly within Lawrence’s mind.
Horo was afraid of becoming alone.
Yet, Lawrence was not sure whether Horo only wanted to be with him.
The instant Lawrence realized that he should not be thinking about this problem, his legs lost balance and faltered.
That Lawrence did not trip and fall right there was sheer luck.
The sounding of the bell in the next second pulled Lawrence back to reality.
“Oh oh.......”
Lawrence looked toward the source of the sound, and discovered that the price marking the value of the most expensive piece of pyrite was renewed by a large degree.
Someone had placed a large bid.
Others were sure to be influenced by this and follow suit one after another.
Perhaps it was already impossible for Lawrence to prevent Amati from completing the contract.
Lawrence had still not received any news from Deanna at this point, which meant that the other party was being hesitant about whether or not to sell; if the price of pyrite displayed an upward trend, the possibility of the other party being willing to sell would be even lower.
From the looks of it, the smart thing to do would be to give up on this possibility and quickly take action.
That being the case, Lawrence wishing his plan to succeed would be equivalent to asking for a miracle from above.
The only weapons he had left were four hundred silver coins’ worth of pyrite, along with the rumor Lande had been tasked with spreading.
Such feeble weapons made Lawrence want to ridicule himself. He could not help having doubts about his own idea of seriously relying on the power of a rumor to attain his goal. Just the previous day, Lawrence had believed that such an idea was truly the product of experience, and a secret trick unknown to others.
Now, Lawrence could clearly see just how drunk he had been the previous night.
He could not help beginning to think pessimistically about a fallback plan.
If he were to stay put like this without taking action, Lawrence would at least be able to receive a thousand silver coins from Amati. Even if the loss suffered from the selling on credit were subtracted from that, it would still be a decent profit.
The moment he reminded himself of this, though he felt like a miserable good-for-nothing, Lawrence felt his body grow much lighter.
You must be thinking that if you should really be able to receive a thousand silver coins, letting go would not be such a big deal, is it not so? Horo’s past reproach had hit the truth.
Lawrence remembered that tucked away within his bosom was the letter from Deanna.
The information within the letter was a clue to finding Horo’s hometown—Yoitsu. Perhaps Lawrence was no longer fit to hold onto this letter.
I am just a regular merchant after all,
Lawrence thought to himself as he searched for the form of Horo.
All that had taken place within the estuary town of Pattio and the Church city of Rubinhagen had been a mere dream.
As this idea emerged in Lawrence’s mind, quite incredibly, all of this seemed to really become a dream.
Within this crowd of people enveloped by heat and desire, Lawrence gave a strained smile as he surveyed all about. Because he was unable to locate Horo, Lawrence moved to another position and continued his search.
Quite some time had already passed since the opening of the marketplace. Because the day’s festival had not yet begun, crowds of people continued to surge into the marketplace.
Lawrence was still unable to find Horo.
Just as Lawrence was silently complaining about not being able to find Horo now of all times, he suddenly remembered.
After their eyes had met, Horo had walked off, directing herself away from the wall of people.
Could Horo have gone off to someplace else just like that?
If that were true, where could she have gone? Lawrence could not help thinking that perhaps she had determined that he was bound to lose disastrously, and had gone back to the inn early.
Surely this was simply a matter of course.
Although such an idea was so pitiful that even Lawrence could barely stand it, he realized that he had long since accepted himself even with the idea.
A few drinks would be so nice,
Lawrence thought to himself. In the next second, he could not help letting out a short exclamation:
“Huh?”
He had been searching within a fairly narrow range after all, so his eyes were bound to catch this existence sooner or later.
Lawrence let out a surprised and puzzled sound the moment the form of Amati came into his line of sight.
That Amati’s right hand was pressed against his chest was probably because it held pyrite and cash.
The point was not Amati’s motion, but the fact that he was anxiously searching all around with a fretful expression on his face, just like Lawrence.
Lawrence began to suspect that this was Amati’s acting.
Yet, the crowd sandwiched between Lawrence and Amati dispersed miraculously, revealing a narrow space between the two. In the few short seconds that this happened, Amati spotted Lawrence as well, and at the same time, revealed an expression of surprise.
Then, Lawrence caught a glimpse of an expression of relief from Amati. Although Lawrence’s vision was quickly obscured by the crowd, he was sure of what he had seen.
Without even turning his mind, a thought jumped out at Lawrence.
Amati was looking for Horo. Not only that, but Amati had been relieved to see that Horo was not beside Lawrence.
Lawrence felt someone’s shoulder collide with his back for a brief moment.
Looking back, he saw a man who appeared to be a merchant conversing fervently with another.
“That’s odd.” Just as Lawrence wondered silently to himself, he felt another impact pass from his back to the front of his chest.
This time he finally realized it.
The source of the impacts was in fact his own beating heart.
Amati had been searching for Horo with an anxious expression, and had even thought that Horo could be beside Lawrence.
This meant that Amati did not trust Horo from the bottom of his heart.
Which in turn meant that there must have been some kind of reason for doubt.
What was it?
“Could it be?”
Lawrence could not help saying out loud.
The fact that Amati was searching for Horo meant that Horo had not told him where she was going.
Moreover, this alone was sufficient to cause Amati to appear so flustered, which made it hard to believe that Horo had trusted him enough to be willing to reveal her ears and tail.
Lawrence could not help abandoning the series of dark and heavy suppositions he had made moments ago, weaving together once more a scenario leading toward a path of light.
Yet, Lawrence was not confident that he could make a cool judgment concerning whether or not this was simply his own wishful thinking.
Such an anxious emotion caused a wave of nausea to hit Lawrence.
At that moment, more cries rang out.
Lawrence looked quickly in the direction of the vending stand, and discovered that at some unknown time, the wooden plate marking the unusually-high price of the top-valued pyrite had been taken off.
In other words, the pyrite had been sold at this top value.
Moreover, it was not for this reason that the cries had sounded.
The wooden plates marking the top values of the various kinds of pyrite were all taken off at the same time, and there was a decrease in the number of wooden plates representing the number of waiting buyers.
This meant that someone had sold off a considerably-large quantity of pyrite.
Lawrence swallowed the nauseating feeling of anxiety, and desperately sought to find Amati.
Amati was not in front of the stand.
Neither was he anywhere near it.
Lawrence caught sight of Amati once more amongst the crowd.
Amati was just then watching the vending stand with an amazed expression.
No, it was not Amati who had made the sale.
Before Lawrence had a chance to feel relieved, new plates for those waiting to purchase were immediately put up one after another, and the sound of cries were heard once more throughout the crowd.
Most likely, all the people here more or less possessed some pyrite, and were waiting in watch for the best opportunity to buy or sell. The buying and selling of pyrite had begun to show signs of large fluctuation, which would no doubt cause their considerations to enter a new phase.
Put another way, now was perhaps just the right time to sell.
If he were to sell off large quantities of pyrite in a planned fashion, perhaps there was some chance for success. The thought of this rekindled the fire of hope within Lawrence’s heart, which had been on the verge of giving up.
“But....” Lawrence immediately changed his thinking like a fearful little rabbit.
Lawrence could not even say what Horo was thinking and where she had gone, much less easily see through one’s heart. To harbor such a complacent thought was far too dangerous.
Even so, there should still be some hope—Lawrence could not help thinking.
Expectation, suspicion, supposition and fact were like four talons pulling at Lawrence’s thoughts, causing them to be broken up into fragments.
If the Wise Wolf Horo were beside him right now, what kind of suggestion would she make?
Lawrence could not help thinking fecklessly.
Lawrence felt that even if Horo were to make a casual suggestion, he would still make a decision based on it.
This was because he trusted Horo.
At the very moment—
“Uhm.....”
As the voice reached his ears, Lawrence felt a tug at the corner of his clothes.
Lawrence spun around as if he had been sprung back by some great force, expecting the form of an arrogant and self-important girl to appear before his eyes.
Yet, the person standing before him was a youngster, whom he found to be Lande upon taking a closer look.
“Uhm, Mr. Lawrence, may I disturb you for a minute?”
Because Lawrence had spun around at quite an amazing speed, Lande appeared somewhat startled, but he immediately revealed an expression which said that the situation was urgent.
Lawrence felt a wave of anxiety. After surveying his surroundings, he brought his face close to the much shorter Lande, and nodded his head.
“A customer has shown up at the shop who has requested to pay for wheat in minerals (note: he says “minerals,” but Lande is obviously referring to pyrite),” said Lande.
Lawrence immediately understood Mark’s intention. What he meant was that, if Lawrence were willing to pay for the pyrite in cash, he would accept the customer’s request.
“How much money’s worth?” asked Lawrence.
The fact that Mark had specially sent the boy out to inform Lawrence meant that it was no small sum.
Lawrence swallowed once, awaiting Lande’s answer. Lande opened his mouth to speak:
“250.”
Faced with this unexpected state of affairs, Lawrence clenched his teeth, holding in the urge to scream out loud.
Even though Lawrence had suffered the abandonment of the harvest wolf deity, the goddess of fortune had not forsaken him.
Lawrence immediately stuffed the small gunnysack Amati had handed him into Lande’s hands and said:
“Do it as quickly as possible!”
Lande nodded his head like an emissary who had received an order and hurried off.
The market value of pyrite continued to fluctuate.
The number of waiting plates (note: as in, the wooden plates representing the number of people in line to purchase) had gone through a severe change. From this, it was apparent that the price would not continue to rise nonstop.
It could be told at a glance that the purchases and sales were pushing and competing against each other.
With the price as it was, those who felt that it would not hurt to sell would begin selling off the stock they had in hand, whereas those who were hoping for the price to rise even further would purchase more.
Every now and then, Lawrence would catch a glimpse of Amati at the other end of the crowd. Amati was most likely also secretly watching his actions, Lawrence thought.
Moreover, the reason Amati was watching the vending stand along with Lawrence’s actions was undoubtedly because he was still unable to raise the thousand silver coins.
“No,” Lawrence thought silently to himself.
Perhaps Amati had long since raised the needed amount, but was considering the possibility that under the fluctuating market value, if he were to sell off the pyrite he held, a slight error may result in a price crash before he had sold off his entire stock.
Because Amati had signed a selling on credit contract with Lawrence, if Amati were to accidentally trigger a price crash, the contract would cause him to suffer an immense loss.
Not only that, but there was another important fact.
The five hundred silver coins’ worth of pyrite Amati held existed in the form of a paper certificate.
Regardless of the fact that it was a valid certificate able to be bought or sold, he had to wait till evening to get his hands on the actual items.
At this moment in time when the market value of pyrite was beginning to fluctuate rather than go up in a straight line, and the possibility of a drop began to take a stronger presence, what kind of response would he receive for wishing to sell off such a certificate?
In a deal involving selling on credit, there was a time gap between the money transaction and the product transaction.
In a situation where the price could potentially drop, the selling on credit certificate, which requested advance payment and promised to deliver the product at a future date was akin to a joker card on which a seductively-smiling witch was printed.
If the market value were really to drop, the last person in possession of this joker card would end up on the road to bankruptcy.
The slow-acting poison on which Lawrence had placed his hopes had taken effect.
Amati was looking about desperately.
He must have been looking for Horo.
He must have been searching for the Horo who had guessed Lawrence’s plan and given Amati advice.
Within such an atmosphere which strongly suggested an imminent change in the wind’s direction, even the offensive and defensive situation seemed to be in favor of a great reversal.
If Lawrence did not go on the offensive at that very moment, it would be the same as letting a miracle that only occurred once in a thousand years slip by.
People rushed before the mineral merchant’s vending stand in droves, and the wooden plates on the price board were constantly being replaced.
Lawrence gripped the pyrite within his bosom tightly, anxiously awaiting Lande’s return, which could happen at any moment.
It did not require much time to go to and back from Mark’s vending stand from this place.
At that moment—
“Someone’s made a purchase!”
Such a sound was carried throughout the site.
Someone must have gotten a bit overexcited and cried out.
In that instant, just like an attempt to re-stabilize a ship that had started rocking due to the effects of the wind, the surrounding air began to blow simultaneously toward the same direction.
Someone had just purchased a large amount of pyrite, which portended a continued rise in the price.
Such an expectation caused the crowd’s wavering mood to settle down once more.
Lande had still not returned.
As time went by, the atmosphere at the site began to calm back down gradually.
On the other hand, taking advantage of this opportunity where the number of potential buyers had become less, Lawrence could perhaps sell off a large quantity of the pyrite he had on hand and wipe away such an atmosphere.
That way, even if it were only for a brief moment, perhaps it would cause the waiting plates to be taken down.
At that very moment, the action of selling in bulk would probably have an extremely powerful effect.
Lawrence took action.
Cutting through the crowds, he took out the gunnysack from within his bosom and stood before the vending stand.
“I wish to sell!”
Under everyone’s gaze, Lawrence tossed the gunnysack in front of the stand owner.
The owner and his helping apprentices appeared stupefied for a brief moment, but immediately proceeded to their task.
The act of tossing a stone onto the lake surface that was just about to become calm again took effect.
After the measuring process was completed in a swift manner, the apprentices who held waiting plates in their hands immediately ran off from the vending stand in order to deliver pyrite to the customers.
Lawrence immediately received the payment owed him.
Without taking a careful count of the sum, Lawrence gripped the cash tightly and rushed into the crowd once more.
As he did so, Lawrence caught a glimpse of Amati’s agonized-looking face.
Lawrence felt no sympathy, nor did he feel that Amati was getting what he deserved.
All he had in mind was his own business and goal.
Lawrence had sold off his entire stock of pyrite, and would need to wait till he was resupplied before being able to continue his offense.
Why had Lande and Deanna’s subordinate still not shown up yet?
If four hundred coins’ worth of pyrite were to arrive from Deanna at this time, the market value would be sure to go through a great reversal.
This was the crossroad of fate.
At that moment, a voice reached Lawrence’s ears.
“Mr. Lawrence.”
Lande called out to Lawrence from amongst the crowd, his forehead full of sweat. Lawrence immediately rushed toward Lande, and received a bag from his hands.
The bag contained 250 silver coins’ worth of pyrite.
Lawrence hesitated. He wavered between heading to the vending stand once more to sell off the pyrite he currently had in hand and waiting for Deanna’s subordinate to show up first, in order to be absolutely sure.
At that moment, Lawrence could not help scolding himself.
Had he not just abandoned the hope that lay with Deanna moments ago?
The negotiation had already dragged on for so long. Was it not being overly optimistic to still be expecting Deanna to deliver the pyrite according to his wishes?
That being the case, Lawrence could only go ahead and play his last card.
He turned around, and prepared to rush forward.
Suddenly, the sound of cheering rang out, causing Lawrence to stop in his tracks.
“Ohohohohohohoh!”
The crowd was blocking Lawrence’s line of vision, causing him to be unable to get a grasp on what had happened.
Yet, in the instant that he heard the cheering, Lawrence could feel his merchant’s intuition telling him to cry out and run away, and indicating to him that the worst possible scenario had occurred.
Lawrence pushed past the crowd, and with great effort arrived at a position from which the vending stand’s price board was visible.
He could not help wanting to praise himself for not having dropped to his knees right then and there.
The top value on the price board had been renewed.
The price of pyrite had re-stabilized.
In the next instant, those who decided that the disturbance a few moments ago had simply been a temporary fluctuation in the market value seemed all at once to place orders to purchase.
With the vigor of a violent wave, the waiting plates were hung up next to the wooden plate marking the top value.
With great effort, Lawrence managed to suppress a feeling of nausea. He was forced to make a decision concerning whether or not to sell off the pyrite he held once more.
Perhaps there was still a chance of success if he took action right then.
No, the smart thing to do at that moment was to await the results of Deanna’s negotiation.
After all, the quantity of pyrite involved in Deanna’s negotiation had been worth four hundred silver coins on the previous night, and could very well have reached over five hundred at the present moment.
If he could just obtain that amount, added to the amount he already had on hand, he would have enough for another large sale.
As Lawrence placed his hopes on such a tiny possibility, he saw Amati walk off from the stand, his previously flustered manner already changed to a leisurely one.
Amati was surely planning to sell his pyrite.
It was uncertain, however, whether he was planning to sell all that he possessed.
Even without knowing what Amati’s plan was, it was obvious that he was planning to exchange a portion of his pyrite for cash. Amati himself had probably become aware of the slow-acting poison. In that case, he was most likely planning to get rid of the portion of pyrite associated with the certificate first.
Why had Deanna’s subordinate still not shown up? Was he no longer able to gain the help of the heavens?
Lawrence cried out inside.
“Excuse me, are you Mr. Lawrence?”
The despairing Lawrence thought he had heard wrong.
“You are Mr. Lawrence, correct?”
A short figure was standing beside Lawrence. A piece of fabric covered more than half of the person’s face, only revealing a pair of eyes, making it impossible to tell whether it was a maiden or a young man.
It was certainly not Lande.
In that case, this person was most certainly the one Lawrence had been waiting so long for.
“Miss Deanna wanted me to pass you a message.”
The speaker’s light green eyes gave off a serene radiance, in complete contrast with the abnormal atmosphere that filled the area.
The mysterious air emanating from the speaker made it hard for one not to wonder if he or she was a messenger sent by the heavens.
In other words, perhaps a miracle was occurring before his very eyes.
“The content of the message is that the negotiation has failed,” said the messenger.
Lawrence paused for a second.
“Huh?”
“Miss Deanna said that the other party is still unwilling to sell, and wanted to apologize to you for disappointing your expectations.”
The clear and smooth voice related the facts, as if announcing a death.
The results had somehow turned out like this.
So-called “despair” did not refer to a situation in which there was no hope to begin with....
....but to one in which the tiny bit of hope that did exist was crushed at the last moment. That was despair.
Lawrence could not make a reply.
Deanna’s subordinate seemed to have anticipated such a response from Lawrence. Without saying anything more, he/she turned around silently.
In his mind, Lawrence involuntarily overlapped the image of Horo’s back fading into the crowd like an illusion with that of Horo’s form as she departed from him in the sewers of Pattio.
Lawrence felt like a worn-out old knight wearing a rusted suit of armor as he directed his gaze toward the price board.
The number of people in line to purchase had gone back to normal, and the market value once again displayed an upward trend.
Although people were able to go along with marketing trends, controlling these trends was something only the gods could do.
Lawrence remembered a famous saying among merchants.
If a merchant’s good fortune could last a bit longer, he would effectively have become a god.
Having exchanged an unknown amount of pyrite for cash, Amati walked off from the vending stand, returning to the outer circles of the wall of people carrying a leisurely expression on his face.
Lawrence had expected Amati to beam a prideful expression of victory in his direction, but Amati did not as much as give him a single glance.
This meant that someone must have appeared directly before Amati’s line of vision.
Horo had returned to Amati’s side.
“Mr. Lawrence?”
The one who had addressed Lawrence was Lande. Horo and Amati were exchanging words, but her gaze did not once turn in this direction.
“Oh, sorry....this....uh, thanks for going through the trouble,” said Lawrence.
“Huh? Oh no, it wasn’t any trouble at all....”
“Can you help me pass a message to Mark? Tell him that the plan has failed.”
The moment these words came out, Lawrence realized just how easy it was to admit to failure.
Despite the plan’s failure, quite ironically, the consequences were actually very good for Lawrence from a merchant’s standpoint.
Lawrence still had some pyrite on hand. If he were simply to purchase a bit more to obtain the needed amount and hand it to Amati in the evening, and subtract this sum from the money he had just gained from selling off the previous batch of pyrite, the result of the calculation would probably turn out to be positive in terms of profit.
Not only that, Lawrence still stood to gain a thousand silver coins from Amati. The result could even be described as becoming filthy rich.
From a merchant’s perspective, unexpectedly making a huge profit was no doubt the happiest thing in the world, yet Lawrence at that moment only felt a sense of infinite emptiness.
Lande’s gaze wondered around in the air, appearing to be at a total loss. As Lawrence prepared to hand him a fee for his service, for the first time, his eyes displayed a strong personal will.
“Mr. Lawrence.”
Lande’s serious expression caused Lawrence to involuntarily stop the movement of his hand, which held several silver coins.
“Are you...you really planning to give up?”
When Lawrence was still an apprentice, if he ever wanted to raise a comment with his master, he would need to be fully prepared for a beating later on.
Lande probably also held such a resolve. His left eyelid trembled, as if in fearful anticipation of the fist that could strike at any moment.
“The master always told me that a merchant should never give up so easily.”
Seeing Lawrence retract his extended hand, Lande’s shoulder recoiled for a moment in fear.
Even so, Lande did not look away.
He was making a serious suggestion.
“The master always says that the god....god of wealth doesn’t take care of those who only pray, but those who keep fighting stubbornly and never give in.”
Lawrence did not have any objections to these words.
However, his goal this time was not to make money.
“Mr. Lawrence.”
Lande’s gaze was directed straight at Lawrence.
Lawrence took one brief glance at Horo before directing his gaze back to Lande.
“I....I started liking Miss Horo ever since I first met her. But, the master told me....”
The outstanding wheat merchant’s apprentice, who always silently completed every task assigned to him, regained an innocent, youthful expression.
“....if I were ever to say something like this before Mr. Lawrence, I would surely get a good beating,”
Lande said, seeming as if he were about to burst into tears. Lawrence smiled lightly, and raised his fist up high.
“Heh......”
Lande inhaled sharply.
Lawrence gave Lande’s cheek a light tap with his fist, and said with a laugh:
“That’s right. I want to give you a nice, hard beating.”
After uttering this with a laugh, Lawrence could not help feeling a desire to cry.
Lande was probably about ten years younger than Lawrence.
But Lawrence felt that his current appearance was not much different from Lande’s.
“Damn.” Lawrence scolded himself silently.
Before Horo, it seemed that anyone would become a sniffling youngster
Lawrence shook his head.
Someone who kept fighting stubbornly and never gave in?
Although the phrase sounded laughable, Lawrence felt a devilish charm in the words, and lifted his head to look up at the sky.
These words that had been uttered by a youngster ten years younger than himself caused the dark maelstrom consisting of supposition and doubt to instantly fade away from Lawrence’s mind.
That’s right!
Since he had already gotten to this point, the profit left in his hands would only serve as proof of his defeat, so losing this profit would not hurt in the least.
That being the case, it certainly would not hurt to be optimistic and rethink the entire situation before making one final move.
Things that were important did not necessarily need to be obtained through great effort.
Because Mark had just cleared up this myth for Lawrence not long before.
Lawrence made use of the power of memory he was so proud of, and searched for the raw materials necessary to construct a new plan.
And the central axis of this plan consisted of something Lawrence had not thought of until a moment ago.
“The people who keep fighting stubbornly and never give in are usually those unbelievably optimistic fellas who cling to any hope they have as they continue to observe the situation,” he said.
In that moment, Lande revealed an expression befitting his age. This expression was more appealing than his appearance when he was fulfilling a given task, and even when he was fulfilling a task that had not been assigned him.
Surely Mark loved this boy as his own.
“A merchant always formulates plans, predicts the future, and compares his ideas with the facts. You understand that don’t you?”
Despite hearing an off-topic remark, Lande still nodded agreeably.
“Selling that item would cause such a change, selling this item would cause a different change. Making suppositions like this is also important.”
Perceiving another nod from Lande, Lawrence moved close to his face and said:
“Frankly, this thing called ‘supposition’ can be anything you want it to be. So if you formulate too many, you’ll soon become lost, and start to feel that every deal is full of risks. At this point, in order not to be confounded, you need to have some kind of guidepost. This is a merchant’s single requirement.”
The young Lande revealed a slightly merchant-like expression and answered: “Yes.”
“As long as it is trustworthy, even the most radical supposition can serve as a guidepost.”
Lawrence lifted his head, and closed his eyes.
“Perhaps.....it would be best to believe.”
“Stop kidding yourself,” thought Lawrence, and silently mocked himself.
Even though his heart doubted, as Lawrence looked at the form of Horo, he became almost certain.
Just maybe, Horo’s manner of dress was hinting at such a possibility.
Although this possibility was not easily believable, if he were to try putting it to the test, Lawrence still felt there was a good chance that it would come true.
However, in order to fulfill this possibility, there was a condition that had to be met.
And that was what Lawrence had not thought of earlier, the precondition that Horo had not forsaken him.
To still be thinking of something like this now, this certainly could be said to be the kind of optimistic view that only a person who struggled stubbornly and never gave in would have.
Even so, Lawrence still felt that at this point, holding such an optimistic view was more meaningful than trying to come up with a plan to stop Amati, because he had discovered a possibility of making this dream come true.
Lawrence did not know what Mark had told Lande to cause Lande to be willing to help him so.
However, Lawrence felt Lande’s saying that he liked Horo had probably been an honest confession.
Lawrence considered Lande praiseworthy for being able to say that in front of him. At least, if the roles were reversed, Lawrence could not say with confidence that he would have possessed such courage.
In that case, Lawrence at least needed to maintain the pride and spirit of a merchant in not giving up easily, or else he would not be able to keep a steady footing before Lande.
After patting Lande lightly on the shoulder, Lawrence took a deep breath and spoke:
“As soon as I sell the minerals at the vending stand, start spreading the rumor I asked you to spread for me.”
Lande’s face was radiant. He nodded his head, having regained an apprentice’s countenance.
“I’m counting on you.”
Having said this, Lawrence prepared to turn around, but changed his mind.
Although Lande’s eyes said that he wished to ask something, Lawrence ended up being the one to question.
“Do you believe in God?”
Seeing a dumbstruck Lande, Lawrence simply uttered an “I’m counting on you,” and walked off.
Lawrence possessed a supply of pyrite worth 250 silver coins. A simple calculation revealed that the sum waiting to be spent on purchasing which was indicated by the price board already exceeded four hundred coins. Even if he were to sell off all the pyrite he had on hand, he could not be hopeful that it would have any effect.
Yet, it had to have an effect. If his assumption was correct, it would definitely have an effect. Lawrence only looked back once, his gaze moving toward Horo, who was standing beside Amati.
Just one instant would be enough, Lawrence thought to himself. If Horo would just be willing to look in his direction, that would be sufficient.
And then—
Lawrence stood before the vending stand. The upsurge of people placing orders had come to a stop, and the stand had regained a measure of peace. Seeing Lawrence returning to sell more pyrite, the owner revealed an expression that seemed to say “Hmm?” He then revealed a smile, as if to say:
“Looks like you have made quite a lot of money.”
Although there had been no exchange of words, Lawrence nodded involuntarily. The real profit comes after this, Lawrence thought to himself.
Lawrence handed the owner the bag of pyrite he had received from Lande, and threw out a brief statement:
“I wish to sell.”
The owner, who received a service charge for every deal, gave a hearty smile and nodded. In the next second, however, his expression became one of amazement.
Lawrence closed his eyes, and revealed a smile.
The guidepost within Lawrence’s heart had been correct.
“Mr. owner, I wish to sell these as well.”
The voice that reached Lawrence’s ears even caused him to feel nostalgic.
Then, with a heavy thud, a bag that was easily twice the size of his own appeared before his eyes.
Looking toward his side, Lawrence found Horo, looking as if she were ready pounce and bite in the next instant.
“Dumb ass.”
Hearing this, Lawrence gave a smile and said with no other intention:
“Sorry.”
After staring vacantly for a moment, the owner immediately ordered his apprentices to take down the waiting plates suspended on the price board all at once.
Together, the two bags amounted to at least 650 coins’ worth of pyrite.
Since the estimated value for the amount Horo had brought along was for before the slight increase in price, the sum at the present moment was sure to be even higher. The one who had purchased pyrite from Deanna was none other than Horo.
In other words, together the two had sold a quantity of pyrite worth almost a thousand coins.
The buying atmosphere would probably not be able to stimulate any further increase in the market value.
Taking off one of the white feathers attached to Horo’s robe, Lawrence said:
“Unlike somebody, she’s a mature beauty, isn’t she?”
Horo threw a punch at the side of Lawrence’s waist.
But she did not withdraw her hand.
Lawrence felt that that alone was sufficient.
With a pushing and shoving crowd filled with a killing intent right behind their backs, Lawrence would not loosen his grip on Horo’s hand for the world.
Although, he had a great urge to show off in Amati’s face.
He could not help revealing a strained smile for harboring such a childish notion.
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