Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF

ORIGINAL STORY BY ISUNA HASEKURA

-A chronicler? -Yeah. Does this town have one?

You mean those people who get paid by nobles and the church

to write diaries about the town?

They're recording history, not writing diaries.

It's the same thing.

All they do is sit in a chair and write all day, and they want money for that.

I don't like it at all.

-So, are there none? -I believe there was one.

But apparently this person ran away from some abbey

after being accused of heresy.

I just want to ask them a few things.

I want to know more about folktales and legends from the north.

What a strange thing to be interested in.

I don't want to visit them out of the blue.

Do you know anyone who can act as a middleman?

-You'd prefer someone from Rowen, right? -Yeah.

There's a merchant named Gi Batos who's an old-timer at the guild.

He's one brave guy.

He does business with people nobody in this town wants to be involved with.

So I'm pretty sure he's well-acquainted with that chronicler too.

-I'll tell him about you. -That'll be great.

Also, I'm planning on going to Nyohhira.

So can you ask customers from the north about the roads and the land?

That's no problem at all.

-I'll ask them for you. -I owe you one.

I know better than to expect a return for something this small.

Then can I ask for one more favor?

Huh? What now?

I'm looking for some good bread.

Will you tell me where you deliver your wheat?

Something smells amazing...

How are you feeling?

I'm hungry.

I thought you'd say that, so I splurged and bought wheat bread.

You're not going to eat?

I'm fine. I tasted some beforehand.

Oh yeah?

-Hey... -Huh?

We can go to the festival now, right?

Sorry, but not yet.

Will you please stop doing that, even if it's just for fun?

This act works on you, just as I thought.

-I'll keep that in mind. -Come on...

Hey, can't I go to town on my own?

Even if I say "no," you're going to go anyways.

Well yeah, but...

Oh, that's right.

I don't have any small change right now but...

Don't splurge on anything crazy.

What's wrong?

I just thought, maybe it's not worth going by myself.

What is it that you have to do?

If you can take me with you, I'll give this back.

Oh, well...

The thing is, I'm going to meet some people.

If it's not a good idea for us to be together, I will keep my distance.

So will you take me with you?

I'm really sorry,

but I might have to go somewhere else afterward.

I'll probably have to make you wait the entire time.

Everything should be settled by tomorrow.

So can you bear with it and be on your own today?

Well, I guess I don't want to get in your way.

All right, I'll walk around on my own.

-Sorry about that. -Oh, by the way.

If I come back with someone else, will you leave this room for me?

Now that I got to see that cute face you just made,

I'll be able to manage on my own for today.

Come on...

Well, for now, nothing else beats being in your arms.

-So don't worry. -Okay...

The town was worshipping a pagan wolf god...

And this town, Yoitsu, was apparently destroyed

by a monstrous bear.

Who knows if it's even true.

Oh, you'll know once you see him.

He's a huge guy who looks like a flattened coffin.

Mr. Lawrence?

Thank you for the inn.

No worries.

I heard you ordered a lot of fish. Thank you very much.

My companion, who's very picky about food, was praising you

for having a good eye for fish.

I'm so happy to hear that!

I promise to find more things that you can enjoy.

By the way, do you have any plans after this?

I want to meet Mr. Batos and ask him a few things.

-I see. -Is something wrong?

Yes... Well, I was hoping to show you around town.

-Show me around? -Yes.

It must be God's will that we met here.

And I'm sure talking to a traveling merchant

will help broaden my knowledge.

That reminds me, my companion, Holo,

was making a fuss about wanting to see around town this morning.

Even if you can't come, I can still show Ms. Holo around!

Oh, I don't want to make you do that.

To tell you the truth, I'm already done with work and out of things to do.

When I'm alone, I end up spending all my earnings on drinks anyway.

So I'd love to take her sightseeing!

Really? But the thing is, she's not the type to stay put

when I tell her to stay at the inn. So I don't know if she'll still be there.

I needed to talk to that inn about purchasing anyway.

So I'll visit them, and if she's there, I'll ask her.

-Thank you. -No problem.

Next time, let me show you around too.

Are you Mr. Kraft Lawrence?

-You are... -I'm Gi Batos.

I heard that you are searching for a chronicler

because you wanted to hear folktales from the north.

Yes, that's right.

That's a very interesting thing to be curious about.

Do you plan to use it for business or something?

No, that's not the case.

It's just for fun.

I see.

You have good taste, for a young person.

I just recently became interested in things like folktales.

After decades of going around the same places for business,

one day, I thought...

The world that I know is very small.

But even within that small world,

people have come and gone for centuries.

And of course, I do not know what happened during that time.

That's why, even if they're just stories, I wanted to learn about

the world that I wasn't able to see

and events from long, long ago

that God has mischievously hidden from us.

I kind of understand that feeling.

When I was young,

I was only thinking about how to make a profit.

If I had the maturity to think that way back then,

my life may have ended up very differently.

I envy you for having such interests this early in life.

I'm just doing it for fun.

Um, the people living here...

Yes, this area is where people who are running from the church live.

Alchemists...

Yes.

"They may not be criminals in this town,

but in places like Ruvinheigen, they'd be hanged instantly."

That's what everyone thinks.

But the people here are all very nice.

Is this sulfur?

Oh, do you deal with healing stones too?

No, I just know about them.

Well, knowledge is a merchant's weapon.

You're too kind.

There are a lot of birds, huh?

Not all poisonous air has a bad smell.

If the birds die all of a sudden, you'd better watch out.

Mr. Batos, is doing business with alchemists profitable?

It seems like it comes with a lot of risks.

Aside from the obvious gold, silver, and copper,

they even buy things like iron, lead, tin, mercury,

sulfur, and phosphorus.

Iron and lead, huh?

That's more normal than I thought.

People tend to think alchemists are like sorcerers,

but they're really not that different from goldsmiths.

Although, it's true that some of them do study sorcery as well.

Okay...

But I've only heard about those people through rumors.

I see...

You don't have to be so nervous. They're very nice.

Okay.

Hello.

Oh, it's you, Mr. Batos?

Good to see you again. I'm glad you seem to be doing well.

I should be saying that to you.

I can't believe you're okay after wandering the mountains of Hyoram.

God must really take a liking to you.

Oh, what a handsome man.

But by the look on your face, you must think I'm a witch.

No, not at all!

He is a traveling merchant...

My name is Kraft Lawrence.

I came to see Mr. Dian Rubens today.

Is he home?

Oh, you didn't tell him, Mr. Batos?

-I'm Dian Rubens. -Huh?

It sounds like a man's name, doesn't it?

Please call me Diana.