“It falls once a year, and the boats get caught in it and sink. It hasn’t fallen yet this year, so we’re still in danger. Can you swim?” Myuri’s face twitched, and she clung to Col, then peered up at the chain. “She will believe you, so please don’t tease her.” “Wha—?” Myuri was shocked, and the captain laughed. “Can you see the nests the birds of passage leave in the links?” Col pointed, and Myuri’s mouth fell open as the chain passed directly above them. “If it fell and the water washed it clean every year, it would not be like that.” “The chain doesn’t fall, but shit does all the time. You’re putting yourself in danger looking up with your mouth open.” Myuri quickly shut her mouth when she heard the captain’s warning. Their boat joined many others and headed for the pier. There were too many of them, so they had to wait their turn. Everyone was unloading here and seemed to be bringing back a mountain of salted herring in return. When they finally reached the pier, Myuri wearily watched the loading of the fish onto the boats. “I’m so glad I’m not with the fish. I don’t even want to look at salted fish anymore.” Herring was abundant, so it was cheap. During the winter, it was laid out on every table in every house from the coast to the mountains and elicited considerable moaning. This was the fish that kept them fed every winter, and it would be distributed at every cargo ship’s next stop. “Well, the smell is already bad…” Myuri must have been having a bad time, since her good sense of smell was due to her wolf’s blood. Even for a regular person like Col, he could clearly smell the fishy scent wafting from the barrels here and there in the port. Though this time, he could only think of how delicious it smelled. “Let’s have salt-grilled fish tonight. It’s a different kind of taste from salted fish.” “Aww…I wanted red meat…” Myuri grumbled in disapproval of their journey’s meals as they cut through the crowds at the pier and exited the port, but then she suddenly became quiet. “What’s wrong?” Col glanced at her, and she was gaping up at the sky. She stared at the stone fortress with seabirds lined up snugly on it. It was the first time she had ever seen a town outside Nyohhira in her life. “Myuri, you’ll be in the way if you stop there.” He pulled her hand, and she finally moved, but something else immediately stole her attention. “Brother, look! That person has so many dogs!” She pointed to a dockhand carrying a barrel, and the pack of dogs following behind him. “Is that a dog herder?” “Dog herder?” “There are goatherds and shepherds all over the world, right?” Following that logic, of course there would be dog herders somewhere in the world. “I don’t know much about dog herders, but that barrel probably has salted herring in it. The dogs are after the salt that might spill out.” “Ohhh.” Seabirds circled noisily above Myuri as she stood in wonder, and a cat curled up on a stack of wooden crates. Everything was new and exciting in the commotion of the port, and she busied herself asking what this and that was with each step she took. Then, her eyes sparkled whenever she heard the answer, and she listened enthusiastically to his every word. And though she had grown cheeky lately, seeing her like this reminded Col of the straightforward and cute Myuri from so long ago, and so he relaxed. However, explaining every little thing would not get them anywhere, and they still had preparations to make upon entering the town. First, they had to find a money changer to ensure they had cash to do shopping in town. When he finally decided to pull her along so that they could move forward—and since he was trying to get a hold of Myuri, he was not watching where he was going—they ran into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Flustered, he apologized to a girl wearing a kerchief around her head. She was relatively tall, and slender arms extended from her emphatically rolled-up sleeves. She was wearing an apron, so perhaps she was the daughter of a shipping agent. Her pale hair, faded from the salt of the sea, matched her particularly beautiful chestnut-colored eyes. Her gaze met Col’s, and she smiled. But out of the blue, she quickly latched onto his arm. “Not at all! I welcome good-looking people like you!” “Huh?” “You’re a traveler, right? Is this your first time to the town of Atiph? Do you have an inn for the night? If you loiter around here, the touts from nasty inns will drag you in.” “Wh-what? Um—” She rambled to him about so much all at once, and suddenly the girl’s chest touched his arm. Her supple flesh had received a splendid upbringing in the spirit of meat, fish, and the seaside. “Our inn is clean and safe. We’ve just unloaded some new wine, our beds have marvelous linen without any mites or lice, and any girl you choose will be yours. What, priests like yourself are fine, too! All the girls are the devout lambs of God, so God will overlook this. So just get married for a night and then divorce the next day.” “Th-that’s, um…” Col knew immediately that it was the kind of inn that provided companionship with a girl in exchange for money. Any port town, teeming with famously boisterous sailors and the rich who gained all their money from trade, would have any number of these sorts of inns. The girl pressed her chest more firmly against his arm this time and drew close to his face as though she would whisper in his ear. He did not know what sort of incense she was burning, but he could smell the sweet scent of fresh bread. He could not look straight at the girl. “Heh-heh, it’s kind of cute when your face goes red like that. Hey, where did you come from? Did you come by boat from the south? Tell me all about your journey at the inn,” the girl said and tried to pull him along by his arm. No, I am not a priest, and we have plans to stay at a different inn—his words echoed vainly in his head. All the same, when he tried to stand his ground, he felt his other arm being pulled in the other direction. “See, our inn is over…Ah, huh?” The sheep she had caught did not budge, so she turned back toward him dubiously. “Oh, what, is that your daughter?” He looked, and there was Myuri, hugging his other arm and glaring daggers at the girl. “I’ve never seen you before. Whose turf are you from?” The girl’s expression changed from a pleasant one for customers to a dangerous one. She said “turf,” which likely meant she thought that Myuri was in the same industry as she was. Myuri’s outfit did not suggest she was the daughter of an honorable baker. “N-no, this is the daughter of my employer, and we have reason to be traveling together,” Col said before things became complicated. The girl stared, comparing herself and Myuri three times before she finally let go of his arm. “The reason you smell so strongly of sulfur must mean you’re headed home after plenty of fun in Nyohhira. I see.” She nodded all-knowingly, and there was no doubt she was mistaken, but it would be too much trouble to correct her. “Then, don’t worry about the inn, but could you exchange some money for me?” “Exchange money?” “Since you came down the river, you should have small coins, right?” The tout girl changed the subject suddenly, and Col grew a bit flustered. “We’re having trouble since we don’t have enough change. Of course, I’ll give you a little something for the exchange fees. Like a kiss on the cheek or letting you lay your head on my lap…” And again, she slid closer to him, and Myuri literally growled. “It’s a joke. But really, could you give me just a little? We’re really in a bind.” She probably spoke to clueless travelers like this to cheat them out of change at an unfair rate. “I’m sorry. We were just going to the money changers ourselves,” he informed her, and she did not pursue the matter further. “I see. Then you shouldn’t get money changed outside the city walls. The ones without a mat aren’t licensed, you know. They’ll overcharge you so much, so be careful. You seem too honest…Well, you have a little supervisor with you.” The girl cackled, and as Myuri gave her a little wave, she turned on her heels. She no longer had any interest in them as she looked around and purposefully bumped into a different passing young man. He seemed honest and kind, perhaps coming into town from one of the nearby farming villages. Their conversation was the same as the one Col had earlier, and just as the young man was about to apologize, she pressed her chest against his arm and drew her face close to his ear. Col and Myuri could easily tell from the side that this honest-looking young man was freezing up. This method was not often praised, but Col admired her enthusiastic salesmanship and wit. “I swear!” There echoed a cold, sharp voice. “You really can’t do anything without me.” He turned around to see Myuri’s exasperated expression. Col once again turned his gaze to the young man—the girl would not hear his confused excuses. She gripped his arm, then simply dragged him off. The weak would be hunted. “And you were all blushy!” “I wasn’t b-blushy,”Col retorted, flustered, but Myuri was eyeing him in disdain as she snorted. “They were just a bit big.” “Huh?” he asked, and Myuri let go of his arm, instead taking his hand. Hers was a small hand and so was her height and her shoulders and her waist—many parts of her were small. Perhaps she had released him because she was embarrassed of what she had been pressing against his arm, especially compared to the other girl. Of course, he did not point any of this out and pretended not to notice. Instead, he said, “But you did save me. I give you my thanks.” Displeased, Myuri stared up at Col before suddenly smiling, like a sign flipping upside down. If they stood around idly, another predator might turn their fangs on them. Quickly, they walked off, and Myuri, generally satisfied after staring at the activity in the port, spoke up. “And, Brother? What are you doing here? Preaching on a street corner?” “No, I won’t be doing that. For the most part, I’ll be helping Heir Hyland.” “What was it? Our Book of…” So she did overhear. There was no reason to hide it now. “Our Book of God.” “What is that?” “It’s our plan to translate scripture into common language.” “Oh, I see,” she said, though her expression suggested she did not see at all. Col looked at her in shock, and she giggled in response. “The scripture is written in the script of the Church. In ancient times, the words of the prophets were written down for posterity, but since the Church spread all over the world, very few priests were able to read the original script as a result. It’s said that was when God granted us the script of the Church.” “Huh. How long ago is ancient times? Before Mother was a kid?” Unwittingly, he glanced around, but he relaxed, doubting anyone would come and seriously question them. “That is a good question. Perhaps it could be.” “Huh.” Her interest lay in an odd part of the story, but the main topic was elsewhere, so he cleared his throat and steered the conversation back. “Anyway, the scripture is written in the orthography of the Church, but that’s not what we usually use. Few can read and write even the common script we use every day.” Myuri made a disgusted face, likely recalling how she was sometimes roped to a chair, forced to learn how to read and write. “Because of that, only a small number of people can read the scripture. So if you go to a church, the priest will interpret the teachings written in the scripture for you, and it’s been this way for a very, very long time. However, lately, it’s been agreed that this is not a good thing. So our plan is, instead of only the priests of the Church one-sidedly reading and interpreting the righteousness of God’s teachings, we will enable many people to read the scripture directly, and each person will decide for themselves what is right.” “So Our Book of God?” “Yes. Isn’t that a wonderful name?” Myuri stared at Col with those beautiful eyes, then spoke. “Brother, you treat me like a child, but you’re plenty childish yourself.” “What?” he asked in return, but she only smiled mischievously. Although, it was true that Our Book of God would be filled with the elements of adventure and challenge, enough to make his nostrils flare with enthusiasm. “So you’re going to write a book.” “Frankly speaking.” However, translating the scripture was easier said than done. It was brimming with vague and metaphoric language, and interpretations differed from one theological scholar to the next. In addition, there was a lot of jargon that was not used in daily life, so translating it would not be straightforward. What was more, Col was aware of the reality that devout faith was not the only force driving their plan forward. It was nothing if not a strategic maneuver, born from the current standoff between the pope and the Kingdom of Winfiel that had continued for too long. It was a way for the kingdom to prove that the pope was wrong and to cut his feet out from under him. As anyone could clearly see, when he held the scripture in one hand and glorified asceticism in front of a magnificent cathedral with a giant bell tower, what he preached and what he practiced were different. However, since the people could not read the scripture, it was difficult, if not impossible, for them to point out his misdeeds. Of course, it was clear that the Church strongly opposed their plan. As long as the scripture was not written in a common language, they could limit the number of people who could access it, and they could keep the uneducated masses ignorant. Our Book of God was a plan that would give the Church quite the headache. Yet, on the Kingdom of Winfiel’s side of things, there was an earnest and practical reason for undertaking this plan. Since church doors had been ordered closed all throughout the country, the government had to give people the power to conduct baptisms, weddings, and prayers for funerals on their own. Hyland, who came up with the plan for Our Book of God, really did have keen insight. The reason the Debau Company decided to support the kingdom was likely due to his intelligence. However, it was also fair to say that this was the last resort of a cornered people. The suspension of all religious activities was a terrifying measure. As a loved one lay expiring on their deathbed, even if one wished to pray for their passage into heaven themselves, only a priest could do that. One could not receive God’s blessings for their joyous wedding, an event that marked a major turning point in anyone’s life. The Church was the one that carried out weddings, so no one could even get married officially in the first place. The pope had annulled all of it simply due to his desire to collect taxes. What did he even think of others’ lives? God’s love was free; his teachings were not for collecting tithes. Col thought that yes, it was the pope who was wrong. If they condoned his tyranny, all that they believed was right in the world, and God himself, the root of that righteousness, would be taken from them. “Brother.” As he mentally conversed with himself, Myuri pulled on his sleeve. “You look scary.” “…I was thinking. What is it?” “The port ends here. Where are we going? That town on the hill?” The area around the port was much more developed than the town in the distance and contained numerous large buildings. There were warehouses that were also trading companies or shipping agents. The structures continued behind them, and beyond the paths were clusters of questionable shops where the girl from earlier pulled the young man to. And just as she said, some people were standing on the street corners, no mat beneath them, exchanging money. There were also blacksmiths’ and woodcutters’ workshops, so the port could already be called its own town. However, they could see the size of the town from where they stood at the beginning of the paved road leading from the port up the hill. Scaffolding was set up here and there along the wall, so it seemed it was still expanding. If the Debau Company had a trading house in Atiph, it would be there. “Let’s go into town.” “Yay!” “Yay?” He gave Myuri a questioning look. She turned away, but he knew what she was thinking. “We will not be shopping or eating.” “Aww…But I saved you from a predator!” “Th-that’s…I refused as well myself.” He cleared his throat, and Myuri cheekily shrugged. “First of all, we do not have infinite funds.” “I could earn money by dancing in a bar.” He glared at her, and she simply shrugged again, moving one step away from him. It was likely that she actually could earn money that way, and that bothered him. “Luxury is the enemy.” “I think abstinence is the enemy of a fun life.” He glared again, but this time she smiled back. The sides of the road from the port to the city walls were already packed with stalls. On the path of trials given to the prophets by God, the temptations of the devil lay at every step. Oh God, grant me protection. He braced himself and swore again his vows of abstinence. Atiph was a lively town, but it was a different sort from Nyohhira. Loud shouts rose from anyone and everyone—as lively as if they were all running at full speed. “Hey, get outta the way!” “Who the hell put these crates here?!” “Herring! Come get your herring! Fresh, unsalted herring!” “You there, Mr. Traveler! How about a short sword to protect yourself? This masterpiece could even slice through a cow!” Col had thought he was knowledgeable about the outside world, but it hit him that what he knew was from more than ten years in the past. Such hustle and bustle made him dizzy. “Myuri, are you all right?” The crowd jostled them about, stifling them with the heat of so many bodies, and the smells of fish and blood from the butchered sheep and pigs on the side of the streets wafted around them, as did the scent of the meat deep-frying in oil while the smoke of charcoal fires filled the air. He worriedly called out to her, just when she had finished eating fried eel. “Heh?” she responded, jumping out of the way of a cart loaded with cages that were stuffed with chickens, and patted a passing dog on the head as she spun. It seemed it did not take her very long to get used to the excitement of the town. “Ooh! I want to eat that next!” She pointed at a shop displaying its meat pies. “…Fried eel from the mouth of the river, black pudding, tripe, what’s next?” “The small fried crabs were really good with salt. The fresh salt-grilled herring was better than I thought it would be. Herring isn’t just something to throw out.” He was ashamed of himself for giving in to Myuri’s pleading. “Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. Do you know how much this cost? All the small change we brought from Nyohhira is gone now…” It seemed every shop was short on change this time of year, and whenever he handed over a larger coin to pay, the owner showed a clear frown. Perhaps the tout girl had asked to exchange money not for extra savings, but truly because she was in a bind. “We’ll just do our shopping with silver, then. If we buy enough, we won’t need any change.” “Myuri!” he scolded, and she stuck her fingers in her ears and averted her gaze. “You should’ve gotten a farewell present from Father, so why are you being so stingy? If gluttony is a sin, then what about being such a miser?” “Ah—” She typically seemed to ignore his lectures, but since she did actually remember them, it would be hard to deal with her. Miserliness was not one of the seven deadly sins of wrath, gluttony, lust, greed, envy, pride, and sloth, but it was still sinful. “…I am not being a miser. This is moderation.” “What’s the difference?” She was not asking because she did not know—she was asking because she knew it would trouble him. If her ears and tail had been out, they would probably have been wiggling happily. Though it a shame for someone who wanted to be a priest, Col used his trump card. “No means no.” Myuri blew a raspberry and turned away in a huff, but perhaps thinking it was time to stop, she did not harass him anymore. Col evaluated the opportunity, then spoke. “And you really must do something about your appearance.” “Huh?” Myuri had gone quiet, gazing around at the shops, wondering what to have him buy her tomorrow, and she sounded surprised. “What? Isn’t it cute?” She seemed slightly hurt. “…This is not about whether it’s cute or not.” “So? It is cute, right? Good.” She giggled happily, and he nearly gave in to her. “It may look good on you.” He tried again and managed to continue speaking. “But it stands out too much. If we are to continue traveling, you need to change. I’ll get something else for you.” Myuri had a reason and an excuse for everything, but when he spoke with her seriously, she listened carefully. She took another look at her outfit and tilted her head. “If you insist, I’ll change, but…why? Everyone compliments me!” “That’s why.” As with the tout girl’s misunderstanding earlier, whenever Col paid for something Myuri bought at a stall, he could feel the gaze of the shopkeeper boring into him. He was walking around with a gaudily dressed girl who was young—perhaps too young—and buying her food. Perhaps it would be a different story if they were garish young nobles, but he had asked Lawrence for traveling clothes that were fitting for a priest. In no way was this respectable. Col laid this out for Myuri in detail, and with a tired expression, she seemed to acquiesce. “I don’t care how others see me…but I don’t want cause you trouble, Brother.” Myuri sighed, then said, “So how should I dress?” “Traveling women generally have two options for dress: a nun or a boy.” “Mother dresses like a nun sometimes, doesn’t she? That one that’s long with lots of frills and lots of cloth.” “Even when she was traveling long ago, the nun dress suited her.” “So that would look good on me, too.” Holo, the avatar of a wolf who would live for centuries, had the appearance of a young girl and stayed that way for years. And as Myuri grew, she and her mother had become two peas in a pod. “Perhaps. Unlike you, Holo is calm and dignified.” “Hey!” That is exactly what is different between them, he said to himself. “I want something that’s easy to move around in. And…I don’t want to compete with Mother.” It seemed that girls were vain and prideful. “Then we’ll ask someone at the Debau Company to prepare a helper boy’s outfit for you.” “What would happen if I were a prettier boy than you?” He could only smile dryly, but Myuri got the shape of her face from her mother. Boy’s clothes would surely suit her. And it was much more difficult to spot a woman dressed as a man than the other way around. “Well then, let’s go,” he said. “Okay.” The town of Atiph sat on a hill on the south side of the river that flowed from east to west. The town square was at the highest point of the hill, and in typical southern style, all the town’s important buildings, such as the church and town hall, encompassed it. Trade flourished here, so there were probably many southerners in the town’s leadership. According to what Col and Myuri heard at the stalls, the Debau Company’s trading house was along the main street that extended from the square—fitting for its size. Perhaps someone who was familiar with the area would take the less populated back roads, but it was their first time here, so they followed the major avenues for the moment and decided to head for the square. The money changers might be there, too. “Whoa…,” Myuri murmured in awe and peered up at the magnificent church standing before her. The stone fortress at the port had also captivated her, but perhaps stone buildings themselves were new to her. The biggest buildings in Nyohhira were only three stories, and they were all made of wood. The church before her eyes was easily five stories tall, and the bell tower extended well above that. It was of a truly imposing scale. “Hey, Brother…did they make this by stacking up each rock, one by one?” “Yes. It takes considerable effort, but the harder they work, the more the strength of their faith shows. It is also a huge honor to quarry the heavy stone that will be used in the construction of a church. If you examine it closely, you can find the names of the people who donated carved into the stone.” “Wow…” “Why don’t you take a look? I need to replenish the change that a certain someone used up.” Myuri slowly lowered her gaze from the church to him, a wide grin on her face. “Make sure you exchange a lot.” She was not shy about her wants. “Just kidding. I would worry if you got lost, so I’ll go with you.” “…” Col looked at her as she stood next to him, and she truly seemed to be enjoying herself. He found himself smiling rather than sighing at her carefree attitude. Perhaps one could say he had no choice but to smile. Then, they headed to the money changers, who sat on straw mats laid out around the statue of the Holy Mother in the center of the square. Not only travelers, but also a constant stream of townspeople were visiting them, perhaps to exchange money for shopping, and the money changers were frowning as they placed metals and coins on the scales. Among them, the pair found a money changer who had just gotten through his queue, and they called out to him. “I’d like to exchange some money.” “All right, what do you need?” There were no niceties—it was straight to the point. Col hurriedly pulled out his wallet and produced a single white silver piece. “I’d like this in bronze dip, please.” “The coin of the sun, huh? That will be thirty bronze dip pieces.” “What?!” Unwittingly, he yelled in surprise. The bronze dip was a piece of thin copper that was in circulation in this area, and one coin could buy about one piece of bread or one cup of ale. On the other hand, the silver coin engraved with the image of a sun was the strongest of its kind in this region, since it was also used for long-distance trade, and it was enough to feed a family of four for a week, with enough left over for a special treat on the Sabbath. Before Col left, the owner of the bathhouse, Lawrence, told him about the exchange rates for all major coins, and he had said that this would gain him at least forty pieces—or if luck was on his side, then fifty pieces of bronze. He thought perhaps they were being taken advantage of because they were travelers, but before he said anything, the money changer spread open the roll of parchment in his hand and recited the contents. “An announcement from the city council: In view of the recent shortage of change, the city council has regulated the exchange rate between the silver coin of the sun and bronze dip as one to thirty.” He seemed used to the complaints of travelers. “We appreciate a healthy economy, but because of that our supply of currency can’t keep up. That’s the case in other towns, too.” The money changer rolled up the parchment and placed it under the platform holding the scales. “See, there’s a big church in this town. Everyone’s gone and put their change in that donation box of theirs.” Without looking, he pointed to the church with his thumb. “On top of all that tax, you have to wonder what they’re doing with all the coins sitting in that box…Oh, you’re a traveling priest, huh?” The money changer was not as apologetic as his words might suggest, and he grinned. “So what will it be?” “Ah…yes. Please.” “Thanks.” Col handed him the silver, and the money changer inspected the front and back, weighed it against raw silver on the scales, and finally handed him a bundle of bronze coins. There were exactly thirty. Perhaps the tout girl really was in trouble, and the stall owners did not want to give him change. And Myuri’s shopping for food became much more expensive. “Young man, be sure to tell them they at least shouldn’t let all that change sit in the box. The Church nowadays is all about money, money, money. We need the Kingdom of Winfiel to work hard.” Col could only smile dryly, and he put the coins away into his coin purse before leaving the money changers behind. However, his heart began to race not when the money changer criticized the Church, but when he mentioned the Kingdom of Winfiel. Hearing the dissatisfaction of the townspeople directly felt like an endorsement of his mission. How could the Church save the souls of the people after oppressing their livelihoods? “Where to next, Brother?” He responded with force. “To the Debau Company.” He needed to meet up with Hyland quickly. Stirred by a sense of purpose, he pulled a bewildered Myuri along and marched onto the main street. Going south along the large road from the square, there appeared a block of similar-looking buildings. The first floor was always an unloading zone for cargo, and banners hung proudly from the second-and third-floor walls. These buildings belonged to the large commercial firms that held the reins of the town’s economy. Among them, he found the familiar banner of the Debau Company. “Oh…I’ve seen that design somewhere.” Myuri tilted her head. “It was on the silver piece we just exchanged.” “Oh.” While the Debau Company was still a mercantile organization, it also issued the high-value silver debau on its own terms. The design on the face of the coin was that of a sun, and it was often called the “coin of the sun.” “That is a currency they could produce all thanks to your parents’ efforts.” That was apparently the final uproar to liven up the journey of the merchant and the wolf avatar. Col truly thought they were amazing people, but this did not seem to click with Myuri herself. The Debau Company building was a wide structure facing the street, and the first floor was an unloading zone. Merchants carrying packages that were larger than Col’s body and wagons piled high with cargo were constantly coming and going. The beggar-looking man crouching in a corner of the unloading area was likely watching to make sure no one was trying to steal things amid the commotion in exchange for charity. In addition to thieves, there were also stray cats and dogs that roamed around town, hoping to feed on pigs and chickens that ultimately strayed too far from their owners. He felt a slight pang of nostalgia, as it reminded him of when he was a wandering student, getting by with similar work. “Hey, hey, you’re in the way just standing there! If you want donations, try somewhere else!” A man in the unloading area, steam rising from his bare upper body, shooed them away like he would a dog or cat. “Ah, I need to pass on a message to the master of the house.” “Hah?” “Please tell him my name is Tote Col. My plans to go to Lenos have changed to Atiph.” “Hmm?” The man gazed at him suspiciously, but he shrugged his rough shoulders and disappeared inside. And before long, he returned. “Come in, he says. Who are you? A friend of that big shot?” So it seemed that Hyland was already here. He thanked the man, and they continued farther inside the unloading area. Merchandise of all kinds had been stacked high, and after a step up was a reception desk, large enough to sleep on, with a blanket covering it. At the moment, that wide desk was also piled with coins and parchment, and there was a man buried among it all, writing. A large canvas hung on the wall behind him. Painted there was a larger-than-life angel, watching quietly over the merchants as they worked. Such an impressive painting also stole Myuri’s attention, but she did not seem moved or intimidated; instead, she tilted her head questioningly. “I didn’t know angels counted money, too. But why a sword? Is it a threat to keep them working?” The angel held a sword in her right hand and the scales in her left. Col found himself smiling at her interpretation. “The sword means justice, and the scales mean equality. But…it doesn’t quite seem that way, does it?” It seemed even more so because everyone was working as though something was driving them forward. It was just like being in the middle of a roaring hearth. He had thought he had a thing or two to say about diligence from working in the bathhouse, but his job in Nyohhira was nowhere as trying as this. This was the speed at which the world moved. He felt like scale deposits from the hot spring water had caked on him after living for ten years in the mountains, and they were slowly being chipped away. “Ah, Sir Col, is it?” The building was teeming with people no matter how far they continued in, and a well-dressed merchant called out to him. He wore clothes of a green cloth, dyed from what Col did not know, which gave him the air of a nobleman and signaled that he was the kind of merchant who only participated in major deals. His mustache was also groomed so that the ends bent sharply, like the horns of a bull. The man probably shaped them every morning with egg whites. “I received your message and came here. I am Tote Col.” “The chief in the main branch told me to take care of you. I am Stefan, head of this trading house.” They shook hands, and Stefan, who was certainly twenty-some years older than Col, turned his attention to Myuri, of course. “And this young lady?” “Hello. I am traveling with my brother due to certain circumstances. I am Myuri.” She introduced herself clearly and with a smile as though this was expected. She acted so naturally that Stefan simply seemed to accept it. Such things did happen. “We have prepared a room for you. Do you mind sharing?” “Not at all. I hope we don’t cause you too much trouble…” “Nonsense. You treat us with the utmost respect, Sir Col.” The elegantly dressed Stefan was treating them with the highest level of etiquette, so Myuri’s eyes widened in surprise. However, the Debau Company was deeply obliged to Lawrence and Holo, so it was just trickling down to Col. “Is Heir Hyland already here?” “Yes. Heir Hyland arrived two days ago by boat and has just returned from a meeting with the trade association—” Stefan was cut off. Just as he heard the sound of many footsteps coming from even farther in the unloading area from a connecting hallway, people stepped to the side, as though the sea were being parted. The person who appeared was of high status, accompanied by an attendant—his standing was immediately obvious because of the tailoring of his clothes and the air that surrounded him, which were clearly different from everyone else’s. Or perhaps it was the shape of the face that drew even the gazes of men or the bright, eye-catching golden hair that displayed the blood of nobility. One could see why the legend of the golden sheep still existed to this day in the Kingdom of Winfiel. It was Hyland himself. “My, Heir Hyland.” Stefan interrupted himself and saluted, and Hyland stopped the man with the palm of his hand, as though commanding him to stand at ease. Then, he turned to Col and smiled as if seeing an old friend. Hurriedly, the boy copied Stefan and lowered his head. “You seem to be in good spirits, Heir Hyland.” “And you have not changed, Sage Col.” Hyland was younger than he was and, with that unique, hoarse voice, deliberately called him “sage.” The title of sage was one of power bestowed by the Church, and most of those who bore it were in universities. He could never imagine himself with such a title, but when Hyland said it, he almost believed it. Stefan and Hyland’s assistant seemed surprised, and he could not help but blush.
Chapter 5
32 min read