After a simple exchange of notes with the people of Karlan, Kieman mentioned needing to bring this to the attention of the Kerube council right away, so he procured a fast horse and left in high spirits. After watching Kieman leave from the council building, Matthias finally spoke up.
“I would like to give you thanks on behalf of myself and all my ancestors for protecting our forest.”
Meyer, who stood behind and a bit to the side of Matthias, dressed a little more formally than his usual farmer-like attire, looked as though he was about to cry. The suave airs he had put on when he first approached Lawrence were gone; perhaps he was typically like this when he wandered the forest, looking at the trees.
“Oh, it was nothing. Protecting the Tonneburg Woods was also protecting the Salonia wheat fields, and by extension, the dinner tables of those who live in the north, where wheat doesn’t grow.”
It was a bit of an exaggeration, but it was not a total lie.
And Lawrence, personally, wanted a different sort of reward.
“About your honor.”
“Yes?”
“I will carve your glory into the trunk of the forest’s greatest tree.”
Lawrence understood this was Matthias’s way of showing his deepest gratitude, but Lawrence instead said, “I appreciate it, and it is an honor. But I am an outsider. If possible, I’d prefer you’d carve my name in smaller writing on a smaller tree.”
What was the point in harming the forest’s greatest tree after going through all the trouble of trying to save the forest?
Holo, who would return at some point in the future, would surely prefer that as well.
“Hmm… I see. Goodness, if someone like you were a lord of Salonia, then I would work that much harder every day.”
Matthias clapped a hand to Lawrence’s shoulder. Those of the council called for him, and he turned to go back into the meeting hall. Meyer, who also turned to follow his master, stopped for a brief moment, stepped out of his way toward Lawrence, and whispered to him.
“I will prepare an excellent package for you containing all of the forest’s blessings, Sir Lawrence. Goodness me, I… I have no words to express my gratitude.”
He firmly grasped Lawrence’s hand, and Holo’s—whose eyes were shining when she heard the words excellent package containing all of the forest’s blessings—then rushed inside after Matthias.
“Hmm. ’Tis as though you are a real merchant of sorts.”
Everyone inside the council hall was filled with enthusiasm, hurriedly coming and going. Holo spoke quietly, feeling a bit out of place.
“Right?”
Lawrence looked aside to see Holo staring up at him. And after a moment, she chuckled, shrugged, and leaned into him.
“I am rather looking forward to see what sort of loving words you will have carved into the tree.”
Lawrence drew up his shoulders with a smile and said, “Me too.”
After a moment, who emerged from the assembly hall but Eve herself.
Holo offered her a mischievous smile, but Lawrence was nervous.
Watching her bark orders as she walked, like a real merchant of status, was honestly impressive, and it even made him a bit jealous.
Just as she was about to pass by Lawrence and Holo, as though she was paying no attention to them, suddenly stopped and said sharply, “Come to my inn later.”
And she left, without waiting for an answer.
Lawrence imagined the worst, but Holo’s tail was swishing back and forth as she licked her lips; she must have thought they were being invited to a feast. And considering Holo’s reaction, it was unlikely Eve was genuinely angry.
Afterward, the two returned to their own inn, took a small cask of the tavern’s best wine for a souvenir, then made their way over to Eve’s lodgings.
They knocked on the door, and when they were brought into the courtyard, they were met with a feast full of freshly grilled meats and fish.
Eve, in her chair, still seemed a bit sulky, but when she received her gift from Lawrence, she heaved a tired sigh.
“I won’t ask how much of that plan was your idea.”
It was as though she had been out enjoying a beautiful day when she got suddenly caught in a downpour, and at last made it home in a stupor. She spoke as she leaned back far in her chair.
“When did you realize this? The plan was supposed to be perfect.”
The way she spoke was not with a tone that blamed Lawrence for being a traitor, but almost complaining as though he had knitted the wrong pattern for her.
“It took a lot for me to realize that Kerube was being duped as well.”
Eve frowned, but the umbrella girl standing beside her smiled as she reached out to poke at the wrinkles between her master’s eyebrows.
“I know well how ferocious you can be. I thought so hard knowing you’d made sure everything was airtight. It was then that I realized that Kerube doesn’t have to be the bad guy in this situation.”
The secret to ruling over a land was to divide and conquer.
A ruler could easily control a people by making sure they never came together, and to make sure their interests conflicted with one another.
“If your old self were sitting there, you would have played the part of villain in order to show us that Kerube was evil. And I would’ve never imagined that Kerube was being toyed with, either.”
Eve had been skilled in concocting elaborate machinations in the past, too, but she was not truly irredeemable.
Her attachment to Col and Myuri was likely genuine.
Which meant that the shadier a project of hers felt, the wider were the gaps in its seams.
“Goodness. All of you are going to drive me mad.”
Eve took a swig of her ale—not wine this time—and tossed a few roasted beans in her mouth.
Just like old times, when she used to carry her own cargo and throw herself into the dangers of trade.
“You’ll still earn someone’s ire if you make a pretty penny out of this.”
The way Holo concentrated on her food made it seem as though Lawrence never fed her enough in general; Lawrence himself did not seem like he had really earned anything for himself. He was playing the part of calm and collected merchant as he always did.
“But I’m going to remember how you gifted that idiot gold on a platter.”
It seemed she was unhappy that Kieman got the upper hand over her this time.
“Well, I hope you send appropriate repayment to Kieman himself. From what I hear, he’ll happily take up your challenge.”
Yet again Eve stretched her smile into a grimace, and gulped down the rest of her ale.
Then, annoyed, she reached out to the plate of lamb ribs that Holo was hogging, deftly slipped by Holo’s defenses, and ripped into the meat as she started speaking again.
“That girl of yours sniffed out the feud between me and Kieman, and it seemed to amuse her. She thought we were friends. We’re obviously not.”
“What?”
Lawrence voiced his surprise, and Holo laughed beside him.
It was then that he recalled there was something he needed to ask.
“Oh, yes. About that.”
“What is it?”
Eve, who was trying to steal yet another piece of meat from Holo, glanced at Lawrence.
“You know where Col and Myuri are now, right?”