Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
Lawrence steeled himself and reached his hand out again. It felt as if he were plunging his fist into burning sand laced with blades. His senses told him that his flesh was charring and being cut into pieces.
He remembered his first glimpse of Holo's true form in the underground passageways.
He willed himself to take a step forward.
And in that moment.
***
There was a rustling sound, and just as Lawrence thought he saw Holo's blanket move slightly, his hand was deflected by something hard. He saw her bristling tail had been flicked away, but a pain lingered in his hand, distinctly enough so that he didn't have time to wonder whether it was illusory or not.
Then he realized that Holo had felt the same pain when he struck her hand. Lawrence had been prepared for this reaction, whereas his rejection of Holo came utterly without warning. The surprise alone must have hurt her.
Again, he cursed his own mistake.
Lawrence took a leather pouch out from underneath his shirt and tossed it onto the bed.
It was all the money he had spent the day burning bridges to acquire.
He had cashed in all the relationships he'd built up in this city.
"This is all the money I was able to get on my own. Three lumione. I still have to raise over forty more, but I've no way to do it. I can think of no way to use that as capital to raise what I need."
It was like he was talking to a cobblestone, so complete was Holo's lack of reaction. Still, Lawrence cleared his throat slightly and continued.
"All I can think of to do is take the money to a gambling house and hope for luck. But if I give it to the person who really should have it, I feel it may yet increase. So I entrust it to you."
Drunken singing could be heard from the street outside the window.
"And if everything goes bad, well, adding three lumione won't make a difference anyway."
Lawrence had sacrificed possibilities for cash half in the hopes that Holo would be able to use her wits to find a way to increase their funds and half because he wanted to leave her some money in the event that the worst happened.
Though it was only a verbal contract, Lawrence had promised to take her to the northlands, and parting on such bad terms would leave a bad taste in his mouth.
He felt that the least he could do for Holo, as a merchant, was to give her some coin.
Still, there was no response.
He backed up a step, then turned, and pulled the door open, going into the hall.
He couldn't stay in the room when it was like that.
Lawrence descended the dark stairs and went outside, ignoring the rebuking voice of the innkeeper.
Off to his right, he heard the drunken singing that previously had filtered through the room's window.
The town guard would soon be making the rounds. Having no particular place to go, Lawrence thought of going to see Jakob, who was quite involved with his problems at the moment. Since Lawrence had gone around practically forcing his request on every merchant in the vicinity, Jakob had undoubtedly received a flood of complaints.
But he stopped after taking a step.
The realization that tonight could well be his last opportunity to walk around as a free man seized his heart.
He looked up unconsciously. He started to angle his sights toward the room on the third floor where Holo was. Holo, who surely had some terrible knowledge that could help him now; Holo, who he couldn't possibly ask a favor of now.
His gaze didn't even reach the third floor before he stopped and lowered it.
Just as he resigned himself to go to the guild house, something hit him on the head.
Lawrence's field of vision swam from the sudden shock, and he fell to his knees. The word robbery came to mind, and he reached for the dagger at his waist, but there was no assailant. Instead came the distinctive clinking of coins jingling against one another...
He searched around and saw the bag containing the three precious lumione he had left on the bed.
"You fool" came the words above his head.

Output:
"Get back in here, then," she said and immediately disappeared into the room. Just as she did, the innkeeper opened his door and emerged.
If a traveler staying at an inn were to perpetrate any misdeeds, the innkeeper could also be held responsible. As someone going out in the middle of the night had to be up to no good, the innkeeper had come to bring Lawrence back in.
But Lawrence no longer had any reason to stay out.
He calmed himself and picked the purse up, holding it up lightly to the innkeeper.
"My companion threw it out the window, you see," he said with a rueful smile.
The innkeeper made a put-upon face. "Try to keep it down, please," he chided, opening the door.
Lawrence nodded cursorily and headed back up the stairs to the room.
In his hand was the purse with the three lumione.
He stood before the door to the first room on the third floor and opened it without much hesitation.
Holo had taken off her robe and sat cross-legged on a chair by the window.
"You fool" was the first thing she said.
"Sorry."
Lawrence could think of no better reply. It accurately reflected what was in his heart but was too brief.
Yet no other words came.
"The money...," said Holo with equally short words, a displeased expression on her face. "How did you collect it?"
"You want to know?"
Holo looked away, as though presented with her least favorite food. "What was I to do, run off with your precious money?"
"That's half the reason I collected it. If my failure means I can't fulfill my end of the bargain, the least I could do is leave you some travel money—"
He swallowed the rest of the sentence.
Holo still averted her gaze, her lips tight—but tears welled up in her eyes.
It was as if the emotion within her was overflowing, and she was trying desperately to hold it back.
Then a single tear sparkled as it fell. The dam had broken.
"'Travel...money'...?"
"Well, yes..."
"Of all the absurd..."
Defiantly, Holo wiped her tears with both her sleeves, then stood, glaring at Lawrence, her eyes still blurry.
"It is my fault, is it not? If I were not here, you'd shoulder no debt! Why aren't you angrier? If I were...if I were...!"
Her small fists quivered as the words within her became tears, overflowed, and fell.
Yet Lawrence did not understand.
Holo had come with Lawrence to the trade guild because she was worried about him. She certainly had not known that he would be turned down for loans because he had a woman with him.
And though it had been but a moment's passion, he had slapped her hand away.
No matter how he considered it, he was the one at fault. He couldn't find a reason to be angry with Holo.
"But I was the one at fault. You came along because you were worried about me. I can't be angry at you for—"
She looked at him sharply. The moment he started speaking, Holo turned and grabbed the back of the chair.
"You—"
She picked the chair up—
"—fool!"
Alarmed, Lawrence winced, but Holo did not throw the largish chair.
Soon he realized it took all her strength to lift the chair, and she couldn't throw it.
"Urgh...damn this...," she said, perhaps cursing the heavier than expected chair—or perhaps Lawrence.
But there was one thing he knew. Holo's thin arms could not hurl the chair by force of emotion alone. Her moonlit body leaned toward the window, hands still on the chair, eyes still glaring at Lawrence.
"Look out!"
Just as the chair leg clattered against the window frame, Lawrence sprang forward, grabbing the chair with his left hand and Holo's thin wrist with his right.
Despite the fact that she had nearly fallen out the window, chair and all, Holo continued glaring at Lawrence.
Unable to bear that gaze, he looked away.
Not knowing what else to say, he pulled the chair away from her to set it back on the floor and Holo relinquished it unexpectedly readily.
Then, as if that chair had been the entirety of her anger, the strength drained from her small body.
"...You..."
Her eyes dropped as tears hit the floor; her voice was low.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
"Get back in here, then," she said and immediately disappeared into the room. Just as she did, the innkeeper opened his door and emerged.
If a traveler staying at an inn were to perpetrate any misdeeds, the innkeeper could also be held responsible. As someone going out in the middle of the night had to be up to no good, the innkeeper had come to bring Lawrence back in.
But Lawrence no longer had any reason to stay out.
He calmed himself and picked the purse up, holding it up lightly to the innkeeper.
"My companion threw it out the window, you see," he said with a rueful smile.
The innkeeper made a put-upon face. "Try to keep it down, please," he chided, opening the door.
Lawrence nodded cursorily and headed back up the stairs to the room.
In his hand was the purse with the three lumione.
He stood before the door to the first room on the third floor and opened it without much hesitation.
Holo had taken off her robe and sat cross-legged on a chair by the window.
"You fool" was the first thing she said.
"Sorry."
Lawrence could think of no better reply. It accurately reflected what was in his heart but was too brief.
Yet no other words came.
"The money...," said Holo with equally short words, a displeased expression on her face. "How did you collect it?"
"You want to know?"
Holo looked away, as though presented with her least favorite food. "What was I to do, run off with your precious money?"
"That's half the reason I collected it. If my failure means I can't fulfill my end of the bargain, the least I could do is leave you some travel money—"
He swallowed the rest of the sentence.
Holo still averted her gaze, her lips tight—but tears welled up in her eyes.
It was as if the emotion within her was overflowing, and she was trying desperately to hold it back.
Then a single tear sparkled as it fell. The dam had broken.
"'Travel...money'...?"
"Well, yes..."
"Of all the absurd..."
Defiantly, Holo wiped her tears with both her sleeves, then stood, glaring at Lawrence, her eyes still blurry.
"It is my fault, is it not? If I were not here, you'd shoulder no debt! Why aren't you angrier? If I were...if I were...!"
Her small fists quivered as the words within her became tears, overflowed, and fell.
Yet Lawrence did not understand.
Holo had come with Lawrence to the trade guild because she was worried about him. She certainly had not known that he would be turned down for loans because he had a woman with him.
And though it had been but a moment's passion, he had slapped her hand away.
No matter how he considered it, he was the one at fault. He couldn't find a reason to be angry with Holo.
"But I was the one at fault. You came along because you were worried about me. I can't be angry at you for—"
She looked at him sharply. The moment he started speaking, Holo turned and grabbed the back of the chair.
"You—"
She picked the chair up—
"—fool!"
Alarmed, Lawrence winced, but Holo did not throw the largish chair.
Soon he realized it took all her strength to lift the chair, and she couldn't throw it.
"Urgh...damn this...," she said, perhaps cursing the heavier than expected chair—or perhaps Lawrence.
But there was one thing he knew. Holo's thin arms could not hurl the chair by force of emotion alone. Her moonlit body leaned toward the window, hands still on the chair, eyes still glaring at Lawrence.
"Look out!"
Just as the chair leg clattered against the window frame, Lawrence sprang forward, grabbing the chair with his left hand and Holo's thin wrist with his right.
Despite the fact that she had nearly fallen out the window, chair and all, Holo continued glaring at Lawrence.
Unable to bear that gaze, he looked away.
Not knowing what else to say, he pulled the chair away from her to set it back on the floor and Holo relinquished it unexpectedly readily.
Then, as if that chair had been the entirety of her anger, the strength drained from her small body.
"...You..."
Her eyes dropped as tears hit the floor; her voice was low.

Output:
Lawrence put the chair down as she said it.
"I'm...naive?" he asked reflexively, so unexpected was her statement.
Holo nodded, childlike, her hands still balled up into fists.
"But...you are...are you not? No one would loan you money because I was with you, yet...yet..."
"I hit your hand away! I was mad at you—unjustifiably mad!"
Holo shook her head and hit Lawrence's chest with her free hand.
Her face looked like she wanted to be angry, but she had forgotten how.
"I...I...I followed you because I was selfish. When it went awry, of course you were angry. But I never thought you'd hit my hand away like that, so I wanted to be angry—I wanted to, but..."
Lawrence started to understand now.
"H-how could I be angry at you when you looked at me like that?"
Holo wiped her tears again with her free hand.
"I became so foolishly vexed..."
She had been angry when he slapped her hand away, but looking at Lawrence's face once he realized what he'd done had caused that anger to subside.
Lawrence thought he must have looked quite pathetic.
But that didn't mean the rage inside Holo had entirely vanished. She had still been irritated at having her hand slapped.
And wanting to be truly furious but not being able to—that was only more frustrating.
She hadn't responded to him when he returned to the inn because she had not known what to say. Her mind worked far faster than Lawrence's, yet it had been thrown into confusion without a clear object for her anger.
Then, completely misunderstanding her, Lawrence left her at the inn with the three precious lumione.
That was like throwing oil on a fire.
Holo was already upset at herself for not being able to be properly indignant, and him leaving the coin with her only made it harder to be angry.
"I'm sorry...No, what I mean is, when I hit your hand away, I thought I'd done something I'd never be able to take back, no matter how much I apologized," said Lawrence slowly.
Holo looked at him with eyes that seemed tired of fighting.
She probably was tired. Despite her quick mind and quicker tongue, she had been angry enough to try to pick up and throw a heavy chair. Her wolf form notwithstanding, Lawrence did not think that her small body could sustain such ferocity for long.
"Anyway, I...I just wanted to undo what I'd done. And if it didn't come across, well...I'm sorry."
Lawrence inwardly cursed his limited eloquence. Holo lightly hit his chest again with her raised right hand.
"...Right, you."
"Hm?"
"Just answer me one thing."
Lawrence had no reason to refuse, so he nodded at Holo, whose hand clutched his shirt.
But Holo did not say anything immediately. She hesitated several times before finally speaking.
"Why...why are you so..."
She glanced up at him only for a moment.
"...softhearted?" she finished and then looked immediately away, as if to escape.
Nonetheless, the whole of her attention was focused on Lawrence and Lawrence alone.
It felt like she was anticipating something.
Her wolf ears, which until a moment ago drooped dejectedly, now pricked up slightly, and her tail swished just a bit.
Her small body was illuminated by the moonlight that fell through the open window.
The truth was the reason he had been so stunned by his own actions when he hit her and the reason he had so frantically gathered travel money for her were one and the same: Holo was very special to him.
And that was surely the answer she wanted to hear.
Lawrence looked down at her and tried to answer.
When he opened his mouth to speak, he realized that what emerged was something other than what was in his heart.
"Just my personality, I guess."
He was afraid of the reaction he would get if he answered honestly.
There was no telling what would come of a frontal assault on the unassailable Holo.
He feared her response, hence his answer. It seemed unfair.
It seemed a consequence of his own weakness.
However.
"Y-you..."


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
Lawrence put the chair down as she said it.
"I'm...naive?" he asked reflexively, so unexpected was her statement.
Holo nodded, childlike, her hands still balled up into fists.
"But...you are...are you not? No one would loan you money because I was with you, yet...yet..."
"I hit your hand away! I was mad at you—unjustifiably mad!"
Holo shook her head and hit Lawrence's chest with her free hand.
Her face looked like she wanted to be angry, but she had forgotten how.
"I...I...I followed you because I was selfish. When it went awry, of course you were angry. But I never thought you'd hit my hand away like that, so I wanted to be angry—I wanted to, but..."
Lawrence started to understand now.
"H-how could I be angry at you when you looked at me like that?"
Holo wiped her tears again with her free hand.
"I became so foolishly vexed..."
She had been angry when he slapped her hand away, but looking at Lawrence's face once he realized what he'd done had caused that anger to subside.
Lawrence thought he must have looked quite pathetic.
But that didn't mean the rage inside Holo had entirely vanished. She had still been irritated at having her hand slapped.
And wanting to be truly furious but not being able to—that was only more frustrating.
She hadn't responded to him when he returned to the inn because she had not known what to say. Her mind worked far faster than Lawrence's, yet it had been thrown into confusion without a clear object for her anger.
Then, completely misunderstanding her, Lawrence left her at the inn with the three precious lumione.
That was like throwing oil on a fire.
Holo was already upset at herself for not being able to be properly indignant, and him leaving the coin with her only made it harder to be angry.
"I'm sorry...No, what I mean is, when I hit your hand away, I thought I'd done something I'd never be able to take back, no matter how much I apologized," said Lawrence slowly.
Holo looked at him with eyes that seemed tired of fighting.
She probably was tired. Despite her quick mind and quicker tongue, she had been angry enough to try to pick up and throw a heavy chair. Her wolf form notwithstanding, Lawrence did not think that her small body could sustain such ferocity for long.
"Anyway, I...I just wanted to undo what I'd done. And if it didn't come across, well...I'm sorry."
Lawrence inwardly cursed his limited eloquence. Holo lightly hit his chest again with her raised right hand.
"...Right, you."
"Hm?"
"Just answer me one thing."
Lawrence had no reason to refuse, so he nodded at Holo, whose hand clutched his shirt.
But Holo did not say anything immediately. She hesitated several times before finally speaking.
"Why...why are you so..."
She glanced up at him only for a moment.
"...softhearted?" she finished and then looked immediately away, as if to escape.
Nonetheless, the whole of her attention was focused on Lawrence and Lawrence alone.
It felt like she was anticipating something.
Her wolf ears, which until a moment ago drooped dejectedly, now pricked up slightly, and her tail swished just a bit.
Her small body was illuminated by the moonlight that fell through the open window.
The truth was the reason he had been so stunned by his own actions when he hit her and the reason he had so frantically gathered travel money for her were one and the same: Holo was very special to him.
And that was surely the answer she wanted to hear.
Lawrence looked down at her and tried to answer.
When he opened his mouth to speak, he realized that what emerged was something other than what was in his heart.
"Just my personality, I guess."
He was afraid of the reaction he would get if he answered honestly.
There was no telling what would come of a frontal assault on the unassailable Holo.
He feared her response, hence his answer. It seemed unfair.
It seemed a consequence of his own weakness.
However.
"Y-you..."

Output:
"...Fool!"
Staggering back at the surprisingly forceful impact, he saw Holo glaring at him, still holding on to his clothes as if to prevent his escape.
"Y-your personality? Your personality? At least be a man and tell a lie worth falling for, you dunce!"
Lawrence winced in spite of himself. Holo could see through that much.
"S-sorry. The truth is—"
But that's as far as he got.
Still grabbing his collar, Holo grinned.
"Hear this, you. There are times when I want you to tell me something even if it's a lie, and times when if you lie to me it makes me want to give your face a sound beating. Which of these do you think we now face?"
He was so stunned by her malicious smile that he barely managed to say, "The latter," whereupon Holo gave a long-suffering sigh and shoved him away.
Her ears and tail twitched her displeasure. Her anger was easy to understand.
"Oh, you're a rare dunce indeed! How many males are there in the world, do you think, who would not have managed to say, 'I'm in love with you,' or 'You're precious to me,' or any other line to get a female to fall for him? I can see quite clearly what you are thinking, but I simply cannot believe it—I cannot believe you are such a soft touch!"
Her eyes had gone past amazement and into disdain, but she didn't seem too irked.
Thinking about it the other way, Holo had wanted him to say it.
"But I suppose 'tis that same quality that lets me travel with you so easily. One can't have everything one wants."
Her comments were scattered, but Lawrence had no real rebuttal.
What had Holo really wanted him to feel when he delivered this supposed line?
Had she just been acting spoiled, teasing him? Or perhaps...
As soon as it occurred to Lawrence, Holo reached her hand smoothly over to him and drew him near.
Lawrence was immediately on guard for whatever she was planning, but she soon made her motive clear.
"Still, I did want to hear you say it. So come now, try again."
All he could think of to say was "Give me a break, please," but he knew doing so would call down a fiery wrath upon him.
Holo gave a slight cough and looked at him entirely expectant; Lawrence took a deep breath, preparing himself. The way she looked at him couldn't possibly be an act.
"Why are you so softhearted?" she asked again.
She looked even more serious than before, her sad eyes glistening and her lip trembling slightly.
He could feel the blood rising to his face, but Lawrence steeled himself and spoke anyway.
"Because you're very special to me."
She looked happy—so happy that it couldn't be an act—and bowed her head, resting it against his chest.
The unexpected gesture took Lawrence by surprise. Holo looked up at him, pouting, then took his arms and guided them around her back.
Apparently he was supposed to hold her.
It was so absurd and oddly endearing that he was stunned for a moment. Her tail swished as he embraced her slim body. It made him so happy, he dared to squeeze a bit tighter.
It was not long, but somehow the moment seemed to last.
Holo moved in his arms, which brought Lawrence back to himself—at which point, she laughed.
"Ha-ha-ha, what are we doing?"
"You made me do it!" said Lawrence, releasing her.
"Hee-hee. I suppose it was a good rehearsal for you," said Holo mischievously.
Lawrence was in no mood to give her a serious reply.
When he slumped, she laughed hugely.
"Still, I must say—," she said, apparently not finished. "Next time, just make me angry, yes? 'Tis nice you were so thoughtful, but sometimes it is quicker to have a nice loud row and solve our problems that way."
It was a strange thing to say, but Lawrence couldn't bring himself to disagree.
It was not an idea he would ever have come up with himself, But it seemed fresh and somehow warm to him.
"Right, then. Looking at your face I can imagine how you got the money together—how much?"
"Three lumione and two-sevenths."


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
"...Fool!"
Staggering back at the surprisingly forceful impact, he saw Holo glaring at him, still holding on to his clothes as if to prevent his escape.
"Y-your personality? Your personality? At least be a man and tell a lie worth falling for, you dunce!"
Lawrence winced in spite of himself. Holo could see through that much.
"S-sorry. The truth is—"
But that's as far as he got.
Still grabbing his collar, Holo grinned.
"Hear this, you. There are times when I want you to tell me something even if it's a lie, and times when if you lie to me it makes me want to give your face a sound beating. Which of these do you think we now face?"
He was so stunned by her malicious smile that he barely managed to say, "The latter," whereupon Holo gave a long-suffering sigh and shoved him away.
Her ears and tail twitched her displeasure. Her anger was easy to understand.
"Oh, you're a rare dunce indeed! How many males are there in the world, do you think, who would not have managed to say, 'I'm in love with you,' or 'You're precious to me,' or any other line to get a female to fall for him? I can see quite clearly what you are thinking, but I simply cannot believe it—I cannot believe you are such a soft touch!"
Her eyes had gone past amazement and into disdain, but she didn't seem too irked.
Thinking about it the other way, Holo had wanted him to say it.
"But I suppose 'tis that same quality that lets me travel with you so easily. One can't have everything one wants."
Her comments were scattered, but Lawrence had no real rebuttal.
What had Holo really wanted him to feel when he delivered this supposed line?
Had she just been acting spoiled, teasing him? Or perhaps...
As soon as it occurred to Lawrence, Holo reached her hand smoothly over to him and drew him near.
Lawrence was immediately on guard for whatever she was planning, but she soon made her motive clear.
"Still, I did want to hear you say it. So come now, try again."
All he could think of to say was "Give me a break, please," but he knew doing so would call down a fiery wrath upon him.
Holo gave a slight cough and looked at him entirely expectant; Lawrence took a deep breath, preparing himself. The way she looked at him couldn't possibly be an act.
"Why are you so softhearted?" she asked again.
She looked even more serious than before, her sad eyes glistening and her lip trembling slightly.
He could feel the blood rising to his face, but Lawrence steeled himself and spoke anyway.
"Because you're very special to me."
She looked happy—so happy that it couldn't be an act—and bowed her head, resting it against his chest.
The unexpected gesture took Lawrence by surprise. Holo looked up at him, pouting, then took his arms and guided them around her back.
Apparently he was supposed to hold her.
It was so absurd and oddly endearing that he was stunned for a moment. Her tail swished as he embraced her slim body. It made him so happy, he dared to squeeze a bit tighter.
It was not long, but somehow the moment seemed to last.
Holo moved in his arms, which brought Lawrence back to himself—at which point, she laughed.
"Ha-ha-ha, what are we doing?"
"You made me do it!" said Lawrence, releasing her.
"Hee-hee. I suppose it was a good rehearsal for you," said Holo mischievously.
Lawrence was in no mood to give her a serious reply.
When he slumped, she laughed hugely.
"Still, I must say—," she said, apparently not finished. "Next time, just make me angry, yes? 'Tis nice you were so thoughtful, but sometimes it is quicker to have a nice loud row and solve our problems that way."
It was a strange thing to say, but Lawrence couldn't bring himself to disagree.
It was not an idea he would ever have come up with himself, But it seemed fresh and somehow warm to him.
"Right, then. Looking at your face I can imagine how you got the money together—how much?"
"Three lumione and two-sevenths."

Output:
When she finally looked up, she was back to her old self.
With a proud smile, she began to speak.
"You were right to count on my wit. I have a cunning plan."
"Wha...what is it?"
Lawrence leaned forward unconsciously out of a mix of curiosity and surprise; Holo made a face and pulled away.
"Don't look too forward to it, or else I'll worry about not being able to do it," prefaced Holo, and then she launched into a very brief description of her scheme.
It was simplicity and straightforwardness itself. It was so simple, in fact, that Lawrence's eyes bulged.
"What think you? Can it be done?"
"I'm sure everyone's thought the same thing, but it's actually impossible. I'm sure there are those who've tried it and been caught."
"Oh, surely, if you have to get a bunch of different people to cooperate. You'd never make it past the first gate."
Holo had suggested smuggling in gold, using an incredibly simple, straightforward method.
Lawrence would never have imagined Holo the Wisewolf could make such a dangerous, hopeless proposal.
Unsurprisingly, she then made the case for why the plan was, in fact, possible.
"I swear on my own ears and tail, I happen to know exactly who we can count on to turn this plan into reality. From what I saw, she can certainly do it. In truth, I'm reluctant to ask her. Even I can jump over the city walls if need be. But with your predicament, we don't have that luxury."
Lawrence, of course, soon understood who Holo was talking about.
Holo was almost certainly right as far as this person's ability was concerned.
But smuggling gold into Ruvinheigen wasn't simply a matter of getting it through the checkpoints. Being caught meant death, so everyone involved had to understand the risks and be willing to trust each other with their very lives.
There were many other problems, as well. There was no question that persuading the carrier was a daunting task. No matter how great the potential reward, you were still placing your life in the hands of another.
However, if smuggling gold in were a possibility, Lawrence could not afford to ignore it. It couldn't be dismissed out of hand.
"So if help can be secured, you think it's possible?" asked Lawrence.
"I should think so, as long as nothing extraordinary happens."
"I see..."
Lawrence's mind was already thinking about what would be necessary to smuggle in gold.
To even propose it, he and Holo would need to offer the carrier enough money to offset the danger and ensure his or her silence. The amount they could make by smuggling in gold bought in some other town with the three lumione they had on hand wouldn't be enough. They would lose all the potential profit just by compensating their partner. And compensation aside, it was doubtful that the gain made on three lumione could even approach the amount of Lawrence's debt. They had to pull in more capital. Holo, who said she could get past each checkpoint, realized this and suggested an alternate plan. Even if they proposed this plan to a potential investor, explaining the smuggling part would be a problem. Even more, they had to trust that the person lending them this money and aiding in the smuggling would not betray them. And those weren't even the biggest problems. The biggest problem of all was that Lawrence had no time.
He was deep in thought when he felt a tug on his hand, bringing him out of his reverie.
He soon realized that nothing had pulled him—rather Holo had extricated her intertwined fingers from his and had withdrawn her hand.
"Right, I'll leave you to work out the little details," she said. "I'm going to sleep."
She yawned, and then her tail flicked once in a sort of sigh as she walked slowly over to the bed.
"What, now?" Lawrence had planned on borrowing her intelligence again, but she had crawled under the plain blanket on the bed and popped out only her head to regard him.
"I know nothing of the city. I've nothing to offer save the fact that it is possible to get gold into the city."


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
When she finally looked up, she was back to her old self.
With a proud smile, she began to speak.
"You were right to count on my wit. I have a cunning plan."
"Wha...what is it?"
Lawrence leaned forward unconsciously out of a mix of curiosity and surprise; Holo made a face and pulled away.
"Don't look too forward to it, or else I'll worry about not being able to do it," prefaced Holo, and then she launched into a very brief description of her scheme.
It was simplicity and straightforwardness itself. It was so simple, in fact, that Lawrence's eyes bulged.
"What think you? Can it be done?"
"I'm sure everyone's thought the same thing, but it's actually impossible. I'm sure there are those who've tried it and been caught."
"Oh, surely, if you have to get a bunch of different people to cooperate. You'd never make it past the first gate."
Holo had suggested smuggling in gold, using an incredibly simple, straightforward method.
Lawrence would never have imagined Holo the Wisewolf could make such a dangerous, hopeless proposal.
Unsurprisingly, she then made the case for why the plan was, in fact, possible.
"I swear on my own ears and tail, I happen to know exactly who we can count on to turn this plan into reality. From what I saw, she can certainly do it. In truth, I'm reluctant to ask her. Even I can jump over the city walls if need be. But with your predicament, we don't have that luxury."
Lawrence, of course, soon understood who Holo was talking about.
Holo was almost certainly right as far as this person's ability was concerned.
But smuggling gold into Ruvinheigen wasn't simply a matter of getting it through the checkpoints. Being caught meant death, so everyone involved had to understand the risks and be willing to trust each other with their very lives.
There were many other problems, as well. There was no question that persuading the carrier was a daunting task. No matter how great the potential reward, you were still placing your life in the hands of another.
However, if smuggling gold in were a possibility, Lawrence could not afford to ignore it. It couldn't be dismissed out of hand.
"So if help can be secured, you think it's possible?" asked Lawrence.
"I should think so, as long as nothing extraordinary happens."
"I see..."
Lawrence's mind was already thinking about what would be necessary to smuggle in gold.
To even propose it, he and Holo would need to offer the carrier enough money to offset the danger and ensure his or her silence. The amount they could make by smuggling in gold bought in some other town with the three lumione they had on hand wouldn't be enough. They would lose all the potential profit just by compensating their partner. And compensation aside, it was doubtful that the gain made on three lumione could even approach the amount of Lawrence's debt. They had to pull in more capital. Holo, who said she could get past each checkpoint, realized this and suggested an alternate plan. Even if they proposed this plan to a potential investor, explaining the smuggling part would be a problem. Even more, they had to trust that the person lending them this money and aiding in the smuggling would not betray them. And those weren't even the biggest problems. The biggest problem of all was that Lawrence had no time.
He was deep in thought when he felt a tug on his hand, bringing him out of his reverie.
He soon realized that nothing had pulled him—rather Holo had extricated her intertwined fingers from his and had withdrawn her hand.
"Right, I'll leave you to work out the little details," she said. "I'm going to sleep."
She yawned, and then her tail flicked once in a sort of sigh as she walked slowly over to the bed.
"What, now?" Lawrence had planned on borrowing her intelligence again, but she had crawled under the plain blanket on the bed and popped out only her head to regard him.
"I know nothing of the city. I've nothing to offer save the fact that it is possible to get gold into the city."

Output:
"Or, what, do you want me to stay beside you there?"
Unfazed, Lawrence remembered the "rehearsal." "I certainly do."
"It's cold, so no."
Holo's head disappeared beneath the blanket, but her tail—which seemed much warmer than the blanket—waved happily.
Lawrence took a deep breath, smiling at this, the sort of pleasant exchange that never happened when one traveled alone.
If he didn't figure something out between the sun rising and setting tomorrow, everything pleasant in his life would wind up sacrificed as an offering at the feet of the gods.
However, there was hope. He had no choice but to make that seed of hope bloom into a flower of success.
He sat in the chair Holo had lifted earlier and picked up the leather coin purse from the floor.
The familiar sound of jingling coins echoed in the quiet room.
A wagon clattered noisily along the cobblestone road, and Lawrence looked out the window to see the wagon's bed piled high with produce—probably a merchant heading to the marketplace first thing in the morning. Other people started to emerge here and there as well.
Just as Lawrence thought that it was about time for the morning sermon bell, the great cathedral bells echoed out through the whitening morning sky. Despite the considerable distance, the weighty sound carried quite well.
Then, before the echo of the great bells had faded, the bells from the many smaller churches that dotted the city answered the call; a little riot of sound to start the morning.
The townspeople were used to this, but for travelers used to dawn breaking with naught but birdsong, it was a bit raucous. And to a wolf whose hearing far surpassed that of any human, the noise was more than a bit raucous. She moaned her displeasure before rolling out of bed.
***
"Good morning."
Holo said nothing, only nodding glumly.
"I'm hungry" were finally the first words from her mouth.
"If we head to the plaza, the stalls should be opening soon."
"Mm," said Holo, stretching almost catlike, then combing her silky hair. "So, having thought about it for a night, what do you think?"
"We can do it."
It was such a short, blunt answer that Holo, who had finished with her hair and was now combing her much more important tail, looked up, surprised.
"That's an awfully quick answer for you," she said.
"What do you mean?"
Holo looked away purposely. Lawrence continued, ignoring her.
"Although, in any case, there are two barriers we have to overcome."
"Two?"
"In addition to whoever's carrying the gold, we have to find an investor who will help us buy up our supply. The three lumione I have on hand won't even be enough to compensate the carrier."
Holo thought for a moment, then looked at Lawrence doubtfully. "There is one more problem, is there not? You only have today. Can you bring the gold into the city so quickly?"
The self-proclaimed wisewolf's thinking was quick as usual.
But he'd had all night to think, and his mind had reached a place the wisewolf's had yet to settle.
"Naturally I've thought of that. It seemed like the biggest problem to me, as well. Call it strange, call it a miracle, but there is a key to solving all of those problems."
"Oh ho."
Lawrence smiled proudly at Holo, who regarded him as a master would a student about to be tested.
"We'll get the Remelio Company to invest."
Holo tilted her head slightly.
The Remelio Company was in the process of failing, just as Lawrence was. But it was hard to imagine that they were so stone broke that they would need to do the same kind of naive door knocking as Lawrence. They would probably have enough capital to fund one last attempt at a grand comeback, and those last precious funds would support the gold smuggling. Since the Remelio Company itself was on the verge of ruin, they would have every reason to be interested in a reliable plan to move gold.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
"Or, what, do you want me to stay beside you there?"
Unfazed, Lawrence remembered the "rehearsal." "I certainly do."
"It's cold, so no."
Holo's head disappeared beneath the blanket, but her tail—which seemed much warmer than the blanket—waved happily.
Lawrence took a deep breath, smiling at this, the sort of pleasant exchange that never happened when one traveled alone.
If he didn't figure something out between the sun rising and setting tomorrow, everything pleasant in his life would wind up sacrificed as an offering at the feet of the gods.
However, there was hope. He had no choice but to make that seed of hope bloom into a flower of success.
He sat in the chair Holo had lifted earlier and picked up the leather coin purse from the floor.
The familiar sound of jingling coins echoed in the quiet room.
A wagon clattered noisily along the cobblestone road, and Lawrence looked out the window to see the wagon's bed piled high with produce—probably a merchant heading to the marketplace first thing in the morning. Other people started to emerge here and there as well.
Just as Lawrence thought that it was about time for the morning sermon bell, the great cathedral bells echoed out through the whitening morning sky. Despite the considerable distance, the weighty sound carried quite well.
Then, before the echo of the great bells had faded, the bells from the many smaller churches that dotted the city answered the call; a little riot of sound to start the morning.
The townspeople were used to this, but for travelers used to dawn breaking with naught but birdsong, it was a bit raucous. And to a wolf whose hearing far surpassed that of any human, the noise was more than a bit raucous. She moaned her displeasure before rolling out of bed.
***
"Good morning."
Holo said nothing, only nodding glumly.
"I'm hungry" were finally the first words from her mouth.
"If we head to the plaza, the stalls should be opening soon."
"Mm," said Holo, stretching almost catlike, then combing her silky hair. "So, having thought about it for a night, what do you think?"
"We can do it."
It was such a short, blunt answer that Holo, who had finished with her hair and was now combing her much more important tail, looked up, surprised.
"That's an awfully quick answer for you," she said.
"What do you mean?"
Holo looked away purposely. Lawrence continued, ignoring her.
"Although, in any case, there are two barriers we have to overcome."
"Two?"
"In addition to whoever's carrying the gold, we have to find an investor who will help us buy up our supply. The three lumione I have on hand won't even be enough to compensate the carrier."
Holo thought for a moment, then looked at Lawrence doubtfully. "There is one more problem, is there not? You only have today. Can you bring the gold into the city so quickly?"
The self-proclaimed wisewolf's thinking was quick as usual.
But he'd had all night to think, and his mind had reached a place the wisewolf's had yet to settle.
"Naturally I've thought of that. It seemed like the biggest problem to me, as well. Call it strange, call it a miracle, but there is a key to solving all of those problems."
"Oh ho."
Lawrence smiled proudly at Holo, who regarded him as a master would a student about to be tested.
"We'll get the Remelio Company to invest."
Holo tilted her head slightly.
The Remelio Company was in the process of failing, just as Lawrence was. But it was hard to imagine that they were so stone broke that they would need to do the same kind of naive door knocking as Lawrence. They would probably have enough capital to fund one last attempt at a grand comeback, and those last precious funds would support the gold smuggling. Since the Remelio Company itself was on the verge of ruin, they would have every reason to be interested in a reliable plan to move gold.

Output:
Thus, they would have no choice but to postpone the repayment of Lawrence's debt, and in order to protect against betrayal, Lawrence had no choice but to make them his accomplice.
This was his conclusion the previous night.
"But, in any case, we still lack time."
This was the biggest problem that faced them.
"Mm. Shall we then go right after breakfast?"
"Breakfast?"
"One can hardly fight on an empty stomach."
Now that Holo mentioned it, Lawrence thought back and realized he had not had a bite since lunch the previous day, but either because of the all-nighter he had pulled or because of the intense work that was left to do, he did not have much appetite.
But Holo was entirely cheerful as she hopped off the bed, fastened her robe and skirt snugly around her waist, and put her kerchief on her head.
"Some meat would be nice!"
Even if he had been fit as a fiddle, Lawrence would have found the idea of meat first thing in the morning entirely distasteful.
After taking breakfast at a stall, Lawrence and Holo headed on foot to the Remelio Company. Since they weren't arriving on a cart and horse, they called this time at the front door entrance.
As one might expect given that the entrance faced the street, it did not seem much different from normal, but once they opened the door, which bore no sign reading either OPEN or CLOSED, the unmistakable odor of financial troubles filled Lawrence's nose.
It was clearly a different atmosphere from outside, where hope bloomed in the morning air. Here, despair lurked in every nook and cranny, and there was a hungry impatience, a feverish aura scattered throughout the place. The simple presence or absence of money could change the very atmosphere.
"Er, might I ask who is there?"
The middle-aged man who greeted them wore a hard expression; it was early for a sudden visit. Nonetheless, he was relatively calm and his voice polite. He was thin and probably always had been.
"My name is Lawrence. I visited yesterday. There is something I would very much like to speak with Mr. Remelio about..."
"Is that so? This way, please...Oh, I'm terribly sorry, your companion—"
"She's my apprentice. It's convenient for her to be dressed as a town girl at the moment, but I look forward to her becoming a fine merchant woman in the near future. I'd like her to sit in on the meeting."
Lawrence spun the great lie without any hesitation, and the man seemed to accept it. Female merchants were uncommon, and girls aiming to become one were even less so.
"If you'll follow me, then..."
Lawrence followed the man into the building, Holo trailing after him. The workers on the first-floor office sported bloodshot, dark-circled eyes. Just like Lawrence's previous days, they had been working frantically through the nights on ways to raise money most likely.
"Please wait here."
They were led to a room on the third floor. This was probably the room normally used for negotiations about jewels, spices, and other high-priced items. Lawrence sat not on a plain cloth chair, but on an overstuffed couch with leather cushions.
"May I convey what your business with us is today, Mr. Lawrence?"
"I'd like to discuss a way to settle my debt with this company, and possibly for this company to settle its own debts as well," said Lawrence smoothly and evenly, looking straight into the man's eyes.
The man straightened as if struck by lightning, his eyes widening. He considered Lawrence with obvious doubt in his eyes, probably wondering if this visit to a struggling company was the last-ditch effort of a thief.
"Your doubt is entirely understandable. That is why I'd like to speak with Mr. Remelio as soon as possible."
The man appeared flustered at having been seen through. "I will take the message to the master," he said, taking his leave.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
Thus, they would have no choice but to postpone the repayment of Lawrence's debt, and in order to protect against betrayal, Lawrence had no choice but to make them his accomplice.
This was his conclusion the previous night.
"But, in any case, we still lack time."
This was the biggest problem that faced them.
"Mm. Shall we then go right after breakfast?"
"Breakfast?"
"One can hardly fight on an empty stomach."
Now that Holo mentioned it, Lawrence thought back and realized he had not had a bite since lunch the previous day, but either because of the all-nighter he had pulled or because of the intense work that was left to do, he did not have much appetite.
But Holo was entirely cheerful as she hopped off the bed, fastened her robe and skirt snugly around her waist, and put her kerchief on her head.
"Some meat would be nice!"
Even if he had been fit as a fiddle, Lawrence would have found the idea of meat first thing in the morning entirely distasteful.
After taking breakfast at a stall, Lawrence and Holo headed on foot to the Remelio Company. Since they weren't arriving on a cart and horse, they called this time at the front door entrance.
As one might expect given that the entrance faced the street, it did not seem much different from normal, but once they opened the door, which bore no sign reading either OPEN or CLOSED, the unmistakable odor of financial troubles filled Lawrence's nose.
It was clearly a different atmosphere from outside, where hope bloomed in the morning air. Here, despair lurked in every nook and cranny, and there was a hungry impatience, a feverish aura scattered throughout the place. The simple presence or absence of money could change the very atmosphere.
"Er, might I ask who is there?"
The middle-aged man who greeted them wore a hard expression; it was early for a sudden visit. Nonetheless, he was relatively calm and his voice polite. He was thin and probably always had been.
"My name is Lawrence. I visited yesterday. There is something I would very much like to speak with Mr. Remelio about..."
"Is that so? This way, please...Oh, I'm terribly sorry, your companion—"
"She's my apprentice. It's convenient for her to be dressed as a town girl at the moment, but I look forward to her becoming a fine merchant woman in the near future. I'd like her to sit in on the meeting."
Lawrence spun the great lie without any hesitation, and the man seemed to accept it. Female merchants were uncommon, and girls aiming to become one were even less so.
"If you'll follow me, then..."
Lawrence followed the man into the building, Holo trailing after him. The workers on the first-floor office sported bloodshot, dark-circled eyes. Just like Lawrence's previous days, they had been working frantically through the nights on ways to raise money most likely.
"Please wait here."
They were led to a room on the third floor. This was probably the room normally used for negotiations about jewels, spices, and other high-priced items. Lawrence sat not on a plain cloth chair, but on an overstuffed couch with leather cushions.
"May I convey what your business with us is today, Mr. Lawrence?"
"I'd like to discuss a way to settle my debt with this company, and possibly for this company to settle its own debts as well," said Lawrence smoothly and evenly, looking straight into the man's eyes.
The man straightened as if struck by lightning, his eyes widening. He considered Lawrence with obvious doubt in his eyes, probably wondering if this visit to a struggling company was the last-ditch effort of a thief.
"Your doubt is entirely understandable. That is why I'd like to speak with Mr. Remelio as soon as possible."
The man appeared flustered at having been seen through. "I will take the message to the master," he said, taking his leave.

Output:
Holo's gold-smuggling proposal would potentially yield enough profit to wipe out the Remelio Company's vast debt, to say nothing of Lawrence's relatively meager liability.
However, the plan would never succeed unless the Remelio Company was fully involved.
Additionally, if people in the company were caught, they wouldn't be spared execution. The Remelio Company's employees and their families would never be able to live in this city again. The danger was very real.
However, sitting and waiting would bring much the same outcome. Given that, the company would certainly take the chance. Then once Lawrence had repaid his debt, they would be able to lend on an absurd scale.
The greater the risk, the larger the potential gain.
It was the same as in Poroson when Lawrence had seen through the Latparron Company master's cheat and forced him into a deal.
Lawrence chuckled ruefully to himself at the memory, but the past was done; there was only the future now.
He had to convince the Remelio Company to take the risk. That was the first mountain to climb. He took a deep breath and straightened himself, then felt eyes on his face. There was no one else in the room; it was Holo.
"I'm with you. Don't worry." Holo gave him a lopsided smirk, exposing one sharp fang. It was a fearless smile.
"Yeah."
Lawrence's reply was short. His brevity was proportional to his trust in her. The closer a relationship, the less the need for lengthy contracts; the more a simple handshake suffices.
There was a knock at the door.
It opened, and there stood Hans Remelio, looking every bit as careworn as Lawrence.
"You said you have something important to discuss?"
The first step in the plan had been taken.
***
There was no need for elaborate tricks. First, Lawrence explained the objective.
Unsurprisingly, Remelio's eyes became wide. "You don't mean—," he said.
"I mean exactly that," said Lawrence, but soon the common sense he would expect from a merchant running a trading company in Ruvinheigen showed on Remelio's face. It turned scornful as the master sat in a chair.
"I understand that your debt is a difficult one to repay, but I can't have you making such ridiculous chatter."
He began to stand, as if unwilling to waste any more time, when Lawrence stopped him.
"I'm sure there have been those who tried to smuggle gold this way before and were caught."
"Well, if you understand that, this will go quickly. It's easy for someone on the brink of ruin to mistake a reckless plan for a perfect one."
It occurred to Lawrence that this statement was half aimed at Remelio himself, but he continued undaunted.
"What if you could entrust it to someone especially talented at smuggling?"
Remelio looked at Lawrence gravely and sat back down. "What you propose is not possible. Someone so skilled as to be able to smuggle gold in would already be making plenty of money on his own. He wouldn't cooperate. If you plan to bring in someone from outside, you might as well give up now. There's no end to gold-smuggling plots like this, so inspections of anybody not registered with the city are especially thorough."
Remelio's objections were exactly the arguments Lawrence had been expecting.
"What if there were someone who was highly skilled but not making good money?"
"If he is so skilled, finding work in this city is not difficult. There's already a shortage of labor."
Remelio sat and waited for Lawrence's reply.
His expression was faintly reminiscent of Holo's the previous night.
He'd given his objection and waited for Lawrence's counter-objection. He wanted to give up but couldn't.
Lawrence took a deep breath.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
Holo's gold-smuggling proposal would potentially yield enough profit to wipe out the Remelio Company's vast debt, to say nothing of Lawrence's relatively meager liability.
However, the plan would never succeed unless the Remelio Company was fully involved.
Additionally, if people in the company were caught, they wouldn't be spared execution. The Remelio Company's employees and their families would never be able to live in this city again. The danger was very real.
However, sitting and waiting would bring much the same outcome. Given that, the company would certainly take the chance. Then once Lawrence had repaid his debt, they would be able to lend on an absurd scale.
The greater the risk, the larger the potential gain.
It was the same as in Poroson when Lawrence had seen through the Latparron Company master's cheat and forced him into a deal.
Lawrence chuckled ruefully to himself at the memory, but the past was done; there was only the future now.
He had to convince the Remelio Company to take the risk. That was the first mountain to climb. He took a deep breath and straightened himself, then felt eyes on his face. There was no one else in the room; it was Holo.
"I'm with you. Don't worry." Holo gave him a lopsided smirk, exposing one sharp fang. It was a fearless smile.
"Yeah."
Lawrence's reply was short. His brevity was proportional to his trust in her. The closer a relationship, the less the need for lengthy contracts; the more a simple handshake suffices.
There was a knock at the door.
It opened, and there stood Hans Remelio, looking every bit as careworn as Lawrence.
"You said you have something important to discuss?"
The first step in the plan had been taken.
***
There was no need for elaborate tricks. First, Lawrence explained the objective.
Unsurprisingly, Remelio's eyes became wide. "You don't mean—," he said.
"I mean exactly that," said Lawrence, but soon the common sense he would expect from a merchant running a trading company in Ruvinheigen showed on Remelio's face. It turned scornful as the master sat in a chair.
"I understand that your debt is a difficult one to repay, but I can't have you making such ridiculous chatter."
He began to stand, as if unwilling to waste any more time, when Lawrence stopped him.
"I'm sure there have been those who tried to smuggle gold this way before and were caught."
"Well, if you understand that, this will go quickly. It's easy for someone on the brink of ruin to mistake a reckless plan for a perfect one."
It occurred to Lawrence that this statement was half aimed at Remelio himself, but he continued undaunted.
"What if you could entrust it to someone especially talented at smuggling?"
Remelio looked at Lawrence gravely and sat back down. "What you propose is not possible. Someone so skilled as to be able to smuggle gold in would already be making plenty of money on his own. He wouldn't cooperate. If you plan to bring in someone from outside, you might as well give up now. There's no end to gold-smuggling plots like this, so inspections of anybody not registered with the city are especially thorough."
Remelio's objections were exactly the arguments Lawrence had been expecting.
"What if there were someone who was highly skilled but not making good money?"
"If he is so skilled, finding work in this city is not difficult. There's already a shortage of labor."
Remelio sat and waited for Lawrence's reply.
His expression was faintly reminiscent of Holo's the previous night.
He'd given his objection and waited for Lawrence's counter-objection. He wanted to give up but couldn't.
Lawrence took a deep breath.

Output:
"Th-that's far too convenient a tale."
"That's when business is most profitable. Am I wrong?"
Procuring produce when the crop has been bad, buying fashions that go out of style only to find them booming in another city—the biggest profits are realized from the most improbable coincidences.
Remelio's face twisted.
He wanted to believe but couldn't quite manage it.
"If I tell you this person's name, I think you will be able to accept it."
"I-in that case, why would you go to the trouble of coming to me and having another party demanding a share?"
Having established smuggling as the topic, Lawrence proceeded to this tangential problem, setting aside issues of possibility or impossibility.
"There are two reasons. The first is that the debt I owe this company comes due today, and at sundown I will surely be taken into custody in lieu of payment. The second is that this is all the coin I have on hand."
Lawrence produced the coin purse, untied its drawstring, and emptied its contents onto the table.
It was a mixture of silver and copper coins totaling three lu-mione.
The coins glittered in Remelio's eyes—Remelio, who faced bankruptcy, just as Lawrence did.
"It's three lumione. If you want to know how I raised it, just ask around among the merchant houses; you'll soon find out."
Hearing this, Remelio took a deep breath.
Given the situation, he surely knew how Lawrence had collected the money.
"This is truly everything I have. I want you to take it as collateral and trust what I am saying."
Lawrence leaned forward and looked straight into Remelio's eyes.
"I also want you to suspend the repayment of my debt and for your company to finance the purchase of gold for us to smuggle."
Remelio's haggard face was covered in a cold sweat, wrinkles gathering at his chin.
The only reason he didn't deny Lawrence and Holo on the spot was that he had just enough funds to finance the plan.
—And just enough hope to want to believe them.
All it would take was one more push, but if Lawrence pushed too hard, it would only make Remelio more doubtful.
Gold smuggling could yield enormous profit, but it came with terrible risk. And given the current condition of the Remelio Company, the deal to finance the smuggling could itself be seen as fraud.
There were plenty of people willing to destroy a struggling company in order to make a quick profit, so these doubts were hardly strange.
Lawrence had to choose his words carefully.
But before he could—
"Listen, you," said Holo.
Surprised, Remelio looked at Holo, blinking, as if only just now realizing that there was somebody else.
Lawrence, too, turned to Holo. Holo herself regarded the floor.
"Do you think you have the luxury of wavering?"
"Wha—" Remelio was tongue-tied at the provocative, threatening question.
Thinking this an unwise approach, Lawrence was about to stop her. However—
"Another person left just now. Can you keep dillydallying like this?"
Transfixed by Holo's sharp look, Remelio froze, as if he had swallowed a stone. "E-er..."
"I've excellent hearing. Shall I tell you about your workers and their plans being hatched downstairs right now? Their plans to escape while they can?"
"Uh—"
"Whoops, there goes another one. At this rate the shop will be—"
"Stop!" cried Remelio, clutching his head.
Holo regarded the man, her expression entirely unperturbed.
Lawrence half agreed with her. A company was like a boat. If there is a hole in the hull and no hope of patching it, the crew ignored the captain and abandoned ship.
But it was clear enough that Holo had chosen that line of attack for a reason. She knew better than anyone the meaning of the word loneliness.
She certainly understood Remelio's distress.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
"Th-that's far too convenient a tale."
"That's when business is most profitable. Am I wrong?"
Procuring produce when the crop has been bad, buying fashions that go out of style only to find them booming in another city—the biggest profits are realized from the most improbable coincidences.
Remelio's face twisted.
He wanted to believe but couldn't quite manage it.
"If I tell you this person's name, I think you will be able to accept it."
"I-in that case, why would you go to the trouble of coming to me and having another party demanding a share?"
Having established smuggling as the topic, Lawrence proceeded to this tangential problem, setting aside issues of possibility or impossibility.
"There are two reasons. The first is that the debt I owe this company comes due today, and at sundown I will surely be taken into custody in lieu of payment. The second is that this is all the coin I have on hand."
Lawrence produced the coin purse, untied its drawstring, and emptied its contents onto the table.
It was a mixture of silver and copper coins totaling three lu-mione.
The coins glittered in Remelio's eyes—Remelio, who faced bankruptcy, just as Lawrence did.
"It's three lumione. If you want to know how I raised it, just ask around among the merchant houses; you'll soon find out."
Hearing this, Remelio took a deep breath.
Given the situation, he surely knew how Lawrence had collected the money.
"This is truly everything I have. I want you to take it as collateral and trust what I am saying."
Lawrence leaned forward and looked straight into Remelio's eyes.
"I also want you to suspend the repayment of my debt and for your company to finance the purchase of gold for us to smuggle."
Remelio's haggard face was covered in a cold sweat, wrinkles gathering at his chin.
The only reason he didn't deny Lawrence and Holo on the spot was that he had just enough funds to finance the plan.
—And just enough hope to want to believe them.
All it would take was one more push, but if Lawrence pushed too hard, it would only make Remelio more doubtful.
Gold smuggling could yield enormous profit, but it came with terrible risk. And given the current condition of the Remelio Company, the deal to finance the smuggling could itself be seen as fraud.
There were plenty of people willing to destroy a struggling company in order to make a quick profit, so these doubts were hardly strange.
Lawrence had to choose his words carefully.
But before he could—
"Listen, you," said Holo.
Surprised, Remelio looked at Holo, blinking, as if only just now realizing that there was somebody else.
Lawrence, too, turned to Holo. Holo herself regarded the floor.
"Do you think you have the luxury of wavering?"
"Wha—" Remelio was tongue-tied at the provocative, threatening question.
Thinking this an unwise approach, Lawrence was about to stop her. However—
"Another person left just now. Can you keep dillydallying like this?"
Transfixed by Holo's sharp look, Remelio froze, as if he had swallowed a stone. "E-er..."
"I've excellent hearing. Shall I tell you about your workers and their plans being hatched downstairs right now? Their plans to escape while they can?"
"Uh—"
"Whoops, there goes another one. At this rate the shop will be—"
"Stop!" cried Remelio, clutching his head.
Holo regarded the man, her expression entirely unperturbed.
Lawrence half agreed with her. A company was like a boat. If there is a hole in the hull and no hope of patching it, the crew ignored the captain and abandoned ship.
But it was clear enough that Holo had chosen that line of attack for a reason. She knew better than anyone the meaning of the word loneliness.
She certainly understood Remelio's distress.

Output:
A moment passed.
"What say you?"
Remelio looked down, head in hands.
Lawrence's words, more seductive than wine, were surely filtering through the man's mind now. He still hadn't looked back up.
Time silently passed.
It was quiet, as if the entire company was focused on Remelio's decision.
Just as Lawrence began to say, "Mr. Remelio," the master finally spoke.
"All right." He lifted his head, his face exhausted, a flame burning in his eyes. "Let's do it."
Lawrence stood up without thinking and extended his hand.
The two men, both of whom faced bankruptcy, shook.
"May God forgive us."
After settling the arrangements regarding roles and compensation with the Remelio Company, Lawrence and Holo found themselves in front of a smallish church in the eastern part of Ruvinheigen. The level of ornamentation, the size of the bells, and so on were decided based on the chapel's standing within the Church's organization—the reasoning being that the higher the abbey, the closer to God it was.
The church Lawrence and Holo visited was in the bottom middle of that hierarchy. Its adornment was not at all poor, but for Ruvinheigen, the church was rather subdued.
It was just after noontime, and the midday service was in progress within the parish.
"Now, then," said Holo abruptly, sitting on the stone steps as a hymn praising the holy mother wafted out of the chapel. "Think you can really pull one over on the girl?"
"Such things you say."
"Am I wrong, then?" asked Holo, amused.
Lawrence made a stern face and stared straight ahead as he answered. "You don't change."
He and Holo waited at the entrance of this house of worship because they had business with Norah the shepherdess. They did not know which church in particular she was affiliated with, but there weren't many that housed a female shepherd. Their search had been quick.
And having gone to all the trouble of searching, they weren't here to make idle gossip.
They had come to ask her to play a crucial role in the gold-smuggling operation—the carrier.
However, Norah was not facing financial ruin the way that Lawrence and the Remelio Company were. Still, proposing the gold-smuggling plan would certainly involve deception because they would need to make the profit that would come in with the plan's success seem equal to the danger.
Any who smuggled gold bet their life on it—and nothing could compensate for loss of life. Yes, some fudging of the details would be necessary.
Yet both Norah's skill as a shepherdess and her standing in the city were indispensable to their scheme.
And the merchant had faith that she would be their accomplice.
Lawrence felt a pang of conscience at treating someone's heart as a commodity in the marketplace. If Norah had been a merchant, he would have no such compunctions, but she was an innocent shepherdess. Nonetheless, the fact was not lost on Lawrence's keen merchant insight.
In addition to being a shepherd—and thus already regarded as vaguely heretical—she was a woman, which made her all the more likely to be a tool of demons. It was simple to conclude that the Church was not sheltering her out of some sense of charity, but rather to keep an eye on her. That was probably the root of her unease, which he had picked up on when talking to her about the shepherding work she did for the Church.
Also, though Norah had expressed her desire to save up enough money to become a dressmaker, it was not in the girl's personality to be avaricious—and the extra income afforded by doing escort work did not give her that luxury. He could understand if she didn't want to be exposed to a rather harsh work environment.
Toiling the day away doing the difficult work of a shepherd, yet never quite making ends meet—it would make it impossible to greet the morning with any joy. The future would stretch out endlessly ahead, holding only bitterness and suffering.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
A moment passed.
"What say you?"
Remelio looked down, head in hands.
Lawrence's words, more seductive than wine, were surely filtering through the man's mind now. He still hadn't looked back up.
Time silently passed.
It was quiet, as if the entire company was focused on Remelio's decision.
Just as Lawrence began to say, "Mr. Remelio," the master finally spoke.
"All right." He lifted his head, his face exhausted, a flame burning in his eyes. "Let's do it."
Lawrence stood up without thinking and extended his hand.
The two men, both of whom faced bankruptcy, shook.
"May God forgive us."
After settling the arrangements regarding roles and compensation with the Remelio Company, Lawrence and Holo found themselves in front of a smallish church in the eastern part of Ruvinheigen. The level of ornamentation, the size of the bells, and so on were decided based on the chapel's standing within the Church's organization—the reasoning being that the higher the abbey, the closer to God it was.
The church Lawrence and Holo visited was in the bottom middle of that hierarchy. Its adornment was not at all poor, but for Ruvinheigen, the church was rather subdued.
It was just after noontime, and the midday service was in progress within the parish.
"Now, then," said Holo abruptly, sitting on the stone steps as a hymn praising the holy mother wafted out of the chapel. "Think you can really pull one over on the girl?"
"Such things you say."
"Am I wrong, then?" asked Holo, amused.
Lawrence made a stern face and stared straight ahead as he answered. "You don't change."
He and Holo waited at the entrance of this house of worship because they had business with Norah the shepherdess. They did not know which church in particular she was affiliated with, but there weren't many that housed a female shepherd. Their search had been quick.
And having gone to all the trouble of searching, they weren't here to make idle gossip.
They had come to ask her to play a crucial role in the gold-smuggling operation—the carrier.
However, Norah was not facing financial ruin the way that Lawrence and the Remelio Company were. Still, proposing the gold-smuggling plan would certainly involve deception because they would need to make the profit that would come in with the plan's success seem equal to the danger.
Any who smuggled gold bet their life on it—and nothing could compensate for loss of life. Yes, some fudging of the details would be necessary.
Yet both Norah's skill as a shepherdess and her standing in the city were indispensable to their scheme.
And the merchant had faith that she would be their accomplice.
Lawrence felt a pang of conscience at treating someone's heart as a commodity in the marketplace. If Norah had been a merchant, he would have no such compunctions, but she was an innocent shepherdess. Nonetheless, the fact was not lost on Lawrence's keen merchant insight.
In addition to being a shepherd—and thus already regarded as vaguely heretical—she was a woman, which made her all the more likely to be a tool of demons. It was simple to conclude that the Church was not sheltering her out of some sense of charity, but rather to keep an eye on her. That was probably the root of her unease, which he had picked up on when talking to her about the shepherding work she did for the Church.
Also, though Norah had expressed her desire to save up enough money to become a dressmaker, it was not in the girl's personality to be avaricious—and the extra income afforded by doing escort work did not give her that luxury. He could understand if she didn't want to be exposed to a rather harsh work environment.
Toiling the day away doing the difficult work of a shepherd, yet never quite making ends meet—it would make it impossible to greet the morning with any joy. The future would stretch out endlessly ahead, holding only bitterness and suffering.

Output:
Lawrence would hardly force her, so in that sense he wasn't doing anything wrong, but he still had misgivings about using her adverse circumstances in this fashion.
Nonetheless, it had to be Norah.
The fact that she was a skilled shepherdess who could lead her small flock through wolf-infested areas, where few humans ventured; the fact that she was unsatisfied with her employer, the Church; the fact that she needed money to fulfill her dream—it truly seemed like every condition was divinely arranged specifically to help Lawrence succeed in smuggling gold into Ruvinheigen. It was impossible to imagine anyone better positioned to help them.
Yet Lawrence heaved a sigh. Convincing her still weighed on him.
While he was absorbed in thinking about it, Lawrence grew conscious of Holo's eyes on him. He looked over and saw her grinning at him resignedly.
"You really are just too softhearted by half."
It was what she had said yesterday. It was true that Lawrence was quite sentimental for a merchant. There were plenty of merchants who would happily bring misfortune to their families if it meant making money in the process.
"Still, though," said Holo, standing and looking out over the ever-lively city street. "It's thanks to that softheartedness that I've been able to travel so easily," she announced casually, descending a couple of the stone steps to stand next to Lawrence. "I suppose I'll have to talk her into it. I need to be of some use, after all."
She gave a thin smile, but her words lacked a certain spark, Lawrence thought.
He studied her and sure enough, her eyes were downcast. Maybe it was because he and Holo were close to the boisterous, busy lane, but she seemed smaller than usual.
"What, are you still thinking about yesterday?" he asked.
Holo shook her head but said nothing. It was an easy lie to see through.
"There's no telling what would've happened back there if you hadn't leaned on Remelio. I'd say you were plenty useful."
Holo nodded; perhaps she accepted the truth of the statement, but her face remained crestfallen.
Lawrence patted her head lightly. "I'll talk to her myself. It was my eyes that were blinded by greed and got us into this mess, after all. It'd be absurd to make you do all the talking because of my reluctance."
Though he was half trying to cheer up Holo and half being self-derisive, everything he said was certainly true.
"And anyway, if I let you help me too much, there's no telling how much I'll be taken advantage of later," he said with a shrug.
After a moment, Holo looked up and smiled with a soft sigh. "And here I was thinking I'd be able to call in some favors later."
"I certainly avoided quite a trap there," joked Lawrence.
Holo casually put her arm to her forehead. "Indeed, you did, but you're backing into a still larger trap. I don't hunt a rabbit caught in a trap. 'Twould be too feeble."
"Do you know the sort of wolf snare that uses a trapped rabbit as bait?"
"Make sure not to cower at the wolf howls when you set the trap. You'll foul the snare else."
It was the empty banter of familiarity.
Lawrence shook his head at the ridiculousness of it. Holo couldn't contain herself anymore and started laughing.
"Anyway, merchants are like sabers—they're no good if they're not straight. They break otherwise," said Lawrence mostly to himself, and then he cast his eyes to the sky, as if searching for the sound of the bells.
It was a beautiful blue sky with a scattering of clouds. He shifted his gaze to the east and spied a few more white clouds.
It was a fine day—and fine weather meant good business.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
Lawrence would hardly force her, so in that sense he wasn't doing anything wrong, but he still had misgivings about using her adverse circumstances in this fashion.
Nonetheless, it had to be Norah.
The fact that she was a skilled shepherdess who could lead her small flock through wolf-infested areas, where few humans ventured; the fact that she was unsatisfied with her employer, the Church; the fact that she needed money to fulfill her dream—it truly seemed like every condition was divinely arranged specifically to help Lawrence succeed in smuggling gold into Ruvinheigen. It was impossible to imagine anyone better positioned to help them.
Yet Lawrence heaved a sigh. Convincing her still weighed on him.
While he was absorbed in thinking about it, Lawrence grew conscious of Holo's eyes on him. He looked over and saw her grinning at him resignedly.
"You really are just too softhearted by half."
It was what she had said yesterday. It was true that Lawrence was quite sentimental for a merchant. There were plenty of merchants who would happily bring misfortune to their families if it meant making money in the process.
"Still, though," said Holo, standing and looking out over the ever-lively city street. "It's thanks to that softheartedness that I've been able to travel so easily," she announced casually, descending a couple of the stone steps to stand next to Lawrence. "I suppose I'll have to talk her into it. I need to be of some use, after all."
She gave a thin smile, but her words lacked a certain spark, Lawrence thought.
He studied her and sure enough, her eyes were downcast. Maybe it was because he and Holo were close to the boisterous, busy lane, but she seemed smaller than usual.
"What, are you still thinking about yesterday?" he asked.
Holo shook her head but said nothing. It was an easy lie to see through.
"There's no telling what would've happened back there if you hadn't leaned on Remelio. I'd say you were plenty useful."
Holo nodded; perhaps she accepted the truth of the statement, but her face remained crestfallen.
Lawrence patted her head lightly. "I'll talk to her myself. It was my eyes that were blinded by greed and got us into this mess, after all. It'd be absurd to make you do all the talking because of my reluctance."
Though he was half trying to cheer up Holo and half being self-derisive, everything he said was certainly true.
"And anyway, if I let you help me too much, there's no telling how much I'll be taken advantage of later," he said with a shrug.
After a moment, Holo looked up and smiled with a soft sigh. "And here I was thinking I'd be able to call in some favors later."
"I certainly avoided quite a trap there," joked Lawrence.
Holo casually put her arm to her forehead. "Indeed, you did, but you're backing into a still larger trap. I don't hunt a rabbit caught in a trap. 'Twould be too feeble."
"Do you know the sort of wolf snare that uses a trapped rabbit as bait?"
"Make sure not to cower at the wolf howls when you set the trap. You'll foul the snare else."
It was the empty banter of familiarity.
Lawrence shook his head at the ridiculousness of it. Holo couldn't contain herself anymore and started laughing.
"Anyway, merchants are like sabers—they're no good if they're not straight. They break otherwise," said Lawrence mostly to himself, and then he cast his eyes to the sky, as if searching for the sound of the bells.
It was a beautiful blue sky with a scattering of clouds. He shifted his gaze to the east and spied a few more white clouds.
It was a fine day—and fine weather meant good business.

Output:
At length, the exodus subsided.
There was once a time when it was groundlessly believed that the longer one remained in the church, the deeper one's faith—until priests started becoming angry with anyone who lingered in the chapel. Now such things did not happen.
That said, it was not good to leave a church too quickly, lest it seem like one is trying to escape.
As a result, butchers, tanners, and other craftsmen likely to attract the Church's baleful attention tended to leave the sanctuary more slowly.
As shepherds were counted among those suspicious professions, the shepherdess was last to leave. Her downcast eyes and reserved posture were no doubt due to the fact that the church was not a place of rest for her.
"Good day," declared Lawrence as he stopped in front of Norah, smiling as pleasantly as he could manage. A good smile was an important part of negotiation.
"Er, L-Lawrence and...Holo, yes?" said Norah, reddening slightly and looking over at Holo, then back to Lawrence.
"It is clear that us happening to meet in front of a church is the will of God," said Lawrence with a slightly grandiose gesture. Norah seemed to notice something and giggled in amusement.
"I won't be fooled, Mr. Lawrence."
"And thank heavens for that. I have heard that lately there are those at services who have drunk a bit too much of the holy blood."
Lawrence was referring to wine. Were she drunk, he might be able to convince her to join him, but she might also lose her nerve or turn him down. He was glad for her sobriety.
"I cannot drink much wine, so I mostly avoid it," she said with a shy smile, then looked around nervously. Perhaps she had been contacted with an offer of escort work.
Lawrence did not hesitate to use that expectation. "Actually, I am here about some work for you."
Norah's face lit up so quickly you could nearly hear it.
"This place being what it is, perhaps we should away to a stall somewhere..."
The reason Lawrence didn't suggest a bar was because nothing would be more conspicuous given the hour. Secret negotiations were best conducted in busy public spaces.
Norah nodded agreeably. Lawrence began walking with Holo at his right side and Norah to his left, trailing behind him slightly.
The three strolled along the busy, boisterous lane until they passed through the crowds and arrived at the plaza.
The plaza was as loud and festive as ever, but fortune smiled on them as the trio found a table at a beer stall where Lawrence ordered beer for the lot of them. Ale was cheaper, but as Norah was with them, he couldn't very well order any.
The service was quick but rough as the three cups arrived; Lawrence paid a pittance in silver for them, then put his hand to his mug.
"Here's to our reunion."
The tankards clacked together noisily.
"So, Norah, did you say you were able to go as far as Lamtra?"
Taken off guard by the sudden broaching of the subject of work, Norah, who hadn't touched her beer, eyed Lawrence guardedly. Holo watched the two, nursing her drink.
"Y-yes, I can go that far."
"Even bring your flock?"
"As long as it's not too large."
She answered so directly that Lawrence wondered how many times she had crossed the fields and forests on the way to Lamtra.
But just to be sure, Lawrence glanced to Holo to check the truth of the statement. Holo nodded so imperceptibly that only Lawrence could tell.
Evidently Norah was not lying.
Lawrence took a deep breath to avoid arousing Norah's suspicion. Being excessively roundabout might damage her resolve. Better to plunge straight in.
"I want to hire you for a certain job. Compensation will be twenty lumione. Not in a cheap banknote, of course—it will be hard coin."
Norah looked at him blankly, as though he were speaking in a foreign tongue. In fact, it took time for the words to penetrate her mind—it was as if they had been written down in some faraway land and sent to her.
To some people, twenty lumione was that much money.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
At length, the exodus subsided.
There was once a time when it was groundlessly believed that the longer one remained in the church, the deeper one's faith—until priests started becoming angry with anyone who lingered in the chapel. Now such things did not happen.
That said, it was not good to leave a church too quickly, lest it seem like one is trying to escape.
As a result, butchers, tanners, and other craftsmen likely to attract the Church's baleful attention tended to leave the sanctuary more slowly.
As shepherds were counted among those suspicious professions, the shepherdess was last to leave. Her downcast eyes and reserved posture were no doubt due to the fact that the church was not a place of rest for her.
"Good day," declared Lawrence as he stopped in front of Norah, smiling as pleasantly as he could manage. A good smile was an important part of negotiation.
"Er, L-Lawrence and...Holo, yes?" said Norah, reddening slightly and looking over at Holo, then back to Lawrence.
"It is clear that us happening to meet in front of a church is the will of God," said Lawrence with a slightly grandiose gesture. Norah seemed to notice something and giggled in amusement.
"I won't be fooled, Mr. Lawrence."
"And thank heavens for that. I have heard that lately there are those at services who have drunk a bit too much of the holy blood."
Lawrence was referring to wine. Were she drunk, he might be able to convince her to join him, but she might also lose her nerve or turn him down. He was glad for her sobriety.
"I cannot drink much wine, so I mostly avoid it," she said with a shy smile, then looked around nervously. Perhaps she had been contacted with an offer of escort work.
Lawrence did not hesitate to use that expectation. "Actually, I am here about some work for you."
Norah's face lit up so quickly you could nearly hear it.
"This place being what it is, perhaps we should away to a stall somewhere..."
The reason Lawrence didn't suggest a bar was because nothing would be more conspicuous given the hour. Secret negotiations were best conducted in busy public spaces.
Norah nodded agreeably. Lawrence began walking with Holo at his right side and Norah to his left, trailing behind him slightly.
The three strolled along the busy, boisterous lane until they passed through the crowds and arrived at the plaza.
The plaza was as loud and festive as ever, but fortune smiled on them as the trio found a table at a beer stall where Lawrence ordered beer for the lot of them. Ale was cheaper, but as Norah was with them, he couldn't very well order any.
The service was quick but rough as the three cups arrived; Lawrence paid a pittance in silver for them, then put his hand to his mug.
"Here's to our reunion."
The tankards clacked together noisily.
"So, Norah, did you say you were able to go as far as Lamtra?"
Taken off guard by the sudden broaching of the subject of work, Norah, who hadn't touched her beer, eyed Lawrence guardedly. Holo watched the two, nursing her drink.
"Y-yes, I can go that far."
"Even bring your flock?"
"As long as it's not too large."
She answered so directly that Lawrence wondered how many times she had crossed the fields and forests on the way to Lamtra.
But just to be sure, Lawrence glanced to Holo to check the truth of the statement. Holo nodded so imperceptibly that only Lawrence could tell.
Evidently Norah was not lying.
Lawrence took a deep breath to avoid arousing Norah's suspicion. Being excessively roundabout might damage her resolve. Better to plunge straight in.
"I want to hire you for a certain job. Compensation will be twenty lumione. Not in a cheap banknote, of course—it will be hard coin."
Norah looked at him blankly, as though he were speaking in a foreign tongue. In fact, it took time for the words to penetrate her mind—it was as if they had been written down in some faraway land and sent to her.
To some people, twenty lumione was that much money.

Output:
Looking at someone's finger as it traced circles or x marks on a table was one way of telling if he or she was real and not a dream or hallucination.
Norah followed the movements of Lawrence's finger, and it seemed that he was quite real.
Yet still she had trouble believing, it seemed.
"The job will be moving sheep—then moving them back again as safely as possible. That will be all we need of your services as a shepherd."
Norah finally seemed to wrap her head around Lawrence's proposal, and realizing that the work and the compensation he had offered were far from comparable, she began to voice her skepticism. Lawrence seemed to have been waiting for that and cut her off.
"However, the work itself involves significant danger—proportional to the risk."
Having explained the unimaginable profit, he now explained the risk. Both could inspire shock, but the first detail would leave a stronger impression.
"Nevertheless, the pay is twenty lumione. Even the highest guild dues are but a single lumione. You could rent a house and take care of your daily expenses, working without worry. With that much, you could easily buy your own business. You would be the mistress of Norah Dressmakers."
Norah's face was troubled and then on the verge of tears. The enormity of the amount of money seemed to be sinking in—and with it, undoubtedly, the concern over the danger.
She had taken the bait. Now the real challenge began. If he muddled his statements at all, she would clamp a shell around her like a clam.
"Oh, that's right—had you planned to join the tailors guild in this city, Norah?"
She was waiting, prepared, to hear the bad news, but Lawrence seemed to have thrown her off the trail. Inside her head, Lawrence knew thoughts raced of both the ridiculous amount of money and the fact that she had not yet heard the risk. There wasn't much room to ponder extraneous things, so her answer should be quite honest, Lawrence thought.
"N-no, I was thinking a different town."
"I see! Do you not like the sprawling size of this city compared with others? It can be quite hard to live in an unfamiliar city with no friends, I find."
While her mind was occupied with other matters, she couldn't easily voice her thoughts—such was the plan.
Norah nodded, looking troubled, saying nothing.
That was enough for Lawrence, whose merchant intuition told him a person's heart based on the expression on their face.
The shepherdess's mind was like glass to him.
"Well, I suppose you'll want to get away from this city and its churches, won't you?"
The trap was set.
Holo gave Lawrence an obvious look, but the result was instantaneous.
"N-no, I mean, not at all...Well, but..."
"The harder you work for them, the better you protect the sheep they've entrusted you, the more they'll suspect you of witchcraft. Am I wrong?"
She froze, her head moving neither up nor down, left nor right—Lawrence was spot on the mark.
"And as they try to expose you, you'll have to venture where other shepherds would never go—because the alternatives are already taken by those selfsame shepherds, you said."
That instant, Norah's eyes snapped wide open, and she looked at Lawrence. Perhaps it was something she had vaguely considered before, since even if other shepherds had their territories, if she was willing to travel far enough, there would be safe places that remained.
"The priests will keep pushing you farther away until you're attacked by wolves or maybe mercenaries. And every day you're not, they'll suspect you of being a pagan."
Lawrence clenched his fist under the table, as if to crush his guilty conscience.
He had lit a fire under the small doubt that had always lingered within Norah's heart. There was no way to take it back. Whether it was true or not was irrelevant.
Merchants are like sabers—useless unless straight.
"I've been in a similar situation myself. Let me say it plainly."
He looked straight at Norah and spoke in a voice just low enough for people around not to hear.