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

Input:
"Rabbit!"
"A rare specialty around these parts."
Holo's eyes glittered, her tail rustling back and forth.
Elsa smiled dryly at Holo's voraciousness.
"With everything you've told us so far, it seems even more surprising that you requested the aid of a merchant," Lawrence pointed out, while beside him Elsa requested the cheerful Holo to retrieve the rabbit meat from the villagers. Holo did not mind going through a bit of trouble for meat, and she exited the kitchen with light steps.
Despite how Holo would get hilariously jealous whenever her prey was left alone with another woman, she, of course, did not seem to question his relationship with Elsa.
"The land is referred to as the cursed mountain, and the nearby villagers dare not venture in even to collect firewood. Things would only become more complicated if I had summoned a member of the clergy. However, merchants wouldn't mind a curse or two if it meant making money, so I thought that one might boldly stride into the forest to investigate what's at the peak."
Elsa's words hinted at what she thought of merchants, but she was certainly not wrong.
"Which means you don't know what's in the mountain, either."
"No. What I was originally called here for was to manage this cathedral's assets and check their permits. I have my own veritable mountain of things to do. I also have work to do for my own village, so I want to return before winter settles in. I simply cannot go into the mountains myself. Even if I decide to set aside the time to gather information, everyone who works in this cathedral all pursued church law in outside towns and are not locals, and I'm a bit hesitant of what others may think if I decided to gather information from the locals."
A female priest who hailed from a faraway land gathering pagan stories that have been passed down in the region for ages would certainly invite unwanted suspicion. They might think she was a new kind of inquisitor or even a foreign spy plotting to take over.
"And the book vault didn't have any records that might prove useful. The stories you can gather at inns along the way are more detailed at this point. You saw the painting in the cathedral; that is surely a sign the people at the time thought it was a story they needed to leave behind for future generations, at any rate."
"Did you look up the previous bishops?" Lawrence asked, and Elsa shrugged.
"Given it's a town that's home to a mine that has long since dried out and is associated with heretical anecdotes, pretending it doesn't exist is the correct judgment. Nothing good will come of anything if an inquisitor gets even a whiff of this place."
They were sweeping the town's existence under the rug.
"On the other hand, it is not just my curiosity. A very practical problem has reared its head. It's rather troubling that we hold lands that cannot be put to good use. One glance tells you how run down this bishopric has become, doesn't it? Selling off a mountain that barely produces any metal and using that money to dig wells and improve the roads would be immensely helpful in changing the people's lives for the better. But likely since the local people know the stories of the land, they are hesitant about such a deal. That is also where a merchant from a faraway place comes into play."
Things finally lined up with the letter of request that he got from the bishop in Atiph.
Lawrence could only sigh in admiration in response to Elsa's sensible judgment.
"Only a merchant from a faraway land could find a buyer who has never heard the rumors of a cursed mountain and knows nothing about the history of the land, right?"
Elsa did not respond, but she smiled.
It made sense that she, an outsider, had been left alone in this massive cathedral to look after it.
Anyone could rest easy knowing that she would take care of things.
"Well, as for venturing up onto the mountain to see what's there, you can leave that to us."

Output:
"As long as she gets meat and drink, you can expect good work from us."
Elsa shrugged, adding another dash of salt to the pot.
Holo loved pairing rich food with her alcohol.
It seemed like Elsa had scored a clean point on Holo.
Once their bellies were full of rabbit stew and a bit of wine, Elsa guided Lawrence and Holo to the cathedral vault. The stone basement looked like a dungeon at first, and that impression was only emphasized by the imposing sculptures of demons placed here and there meant to ward off evil spirits.
When they reached the deepest recesses, Elsa inserted a massive metal key, which barely fit in the palm of her hand, into a heavy metal door.
As the door swung open, Holo remarked, "This reminds me of that hole where the snake was."
There was a legend of a massive snake in the village where Elsa was from, and the church basement was connected to the cave that once housed the snake. The basement filled with rows of shelves stuffed full of parchment and books even looked similar.
"Are these all permits?"
"Only about a quarter of them. The territories are quite diverse, so about half of the papers are resident tax lists, proof of property rights, and other minute documents. The books are mostly technical manuals. They include the processes for mining rock salt and ores, as well as known methods for refinement. They were covered in thick dust, which means no one has touched them for a long time—useless nowadays. I was thinking about selling them off."
It smelled rather moldy in the book vault, which was probably the reason why Holo sneezed several times and brought her nose to her robe.
"This is what I wanted to show you."
Elsa led the way, candlestick in hand.
While they were eating their rabbit stew, Elsa had told them all she had learned about the cursed mountain from her own investigations, but even despite having read all her father's books on pagan gods, she still did not understand the mysteries behind that painting.
Additionally, rumors of dreadful monsters lurking in the mountains and forests were common throughout the world. Lawrence knew that most of them were made up, and one could even argue that they were introduced for a purpose.
For example, sometimes villagers would say there was a beast living in the nearby mountains or forests and claim that they simply could not continue venturing into the supposed monster's stomping grounds. With such an excuse in place, they would then ask to be exempt from some taxes to make up for their losses while still profiting handsomely from those very mountains and forests. Other times, tales of monsters were simply to keep outsiders from seeking out the natural bounty of the land they tended to. It was for those reasons that people often made up these stories.
There were no records of the cursed land in the cathedral, and Elsa had wondered if the locals had spread the story in the beginning for some sort of political reasons, which was entirely possible.
However, one day, when she went into the vault to sort out the permits, she noticed something that had been stored as though whoever had placed it there was trying to keep it hidden.
"Is this it?"
Elsa removed the cloth, exposing to Lawrence and Holo a gilded bell, large enough to be categorized as massive.
"There was a record for the order of a new bell in an account book from fifty years ago. Hanging in the bell tower now is the newly casted bell from that time."
"So this is the previous one?"
Elsa nodded, lighting another candle with her own candlestick and illuminating the bottom part of the bell.
"Look at this."
Both Lawrence and Holo peered at it, and they both gulped.
"Are these...bite marks?"
In one spot on the massive bell, big enough for Holo to hide inside, there were four holes all in a row.
"That's what it seems like. What do you think?"


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

Input:
"As long as she gets meat and drink, you can expect good work from us."
Elsa shrugged, adding another dash of salt to the pot.
Holo loved pairing rich food with her alcohol.
It seemed like Elsa had scored a clean point on Holo.
Once their bellies were full of rabbit stew and a bit of wine, Elsa guided Lawrence and Holo to the cathedral vault. The stone basement looked like a dungeon at first, and that impression was only emphasized by the imposing sculptures of demons placed here and there meant to ward off evil spirits.
When they reached the deepest recesses, Elsa inserted a massive metal key, which barely fit in the palm of her hand, into a heavy metal door.
As the door swung open, Holo remarked, "This reminds me of that hole where the snake was."
There was a legend of a massive snake in the village where Elsa was from, and the church basement was connected to the cave that once housed the snake. The basement filled with rows of shelves stuffed full of parchment and books even looked similar.
"Are these all permits?"
"Only about a quarter of them. The territories are quite diverse, so about half of the papers are resident tax lists, proof of property rights, and other minute documents. The books are mostly technical manuals. They include the processes for mining rock salt and ores, as well as known methods for refinement. They were covered in thick dust, which means no one has touched them for a long time—useless nowadays. I was thinking about selling them off."
It smelled rather moldy in the book vault, which was probably the reason why Holo sneezed several times and brought her nose to her robe.
"This is what I wanted to show you."
Elsa led the way, candlestick in hand.
While they were eating their rabbit stew, Elsa had told them all she had learned about the cursed mountain from her own investigations, but even despite having read all her father's books on pagan gods, she still did not understand the mysteries behind that painting.
Additionally, rumors of dreadful monsters lurking in the mountains and forests were common throughout the world. Lawrence knew that most of them were made up, and one could even argue that they were introduced for a purpose.
For example, sometimes villagers would say there was a beast living in the nearby mountains or forests and claim that they simply could not continue venturing into the supposed monster's stomping grounds. With such an excuse in place, they would then ask to be exempt from some taxes to make up for their losses while still profiting handsomely from those very mountains and forests. Other times, tales of monsters were simply to keep outsiders from seeking out the natural bounty of the land they tended to. It was for those reasons that people often made up these stories.
There were no records of the cursed land in the cathedral, and Elsa had wondered if the locals had spread the story in the beginning for some sort of political reasons, which was entirely possible.
However, one day, when she went into the vault to sort out the permits, she noticed something that had been stored as though whoever had placed it there was trying to keep it hidden.
"Is this it?"
Elsa removed the cloth, exposing to Lawrence and Holo a gilded bell, large enough to be categorized as massive.
"There was a record for the order of a new bell in an account book from fifty years ago. Hanging in the bell tower now is the newly casted bell from that time."
"So this is the previous one?"
Elsa nodded, lighting another candle with her own candlestick and illuminating the bottom part of the bell.
"Look at this."
Both Lawrence and Holo peered at it, and they both gulped.
"Are these...bite marks?"
In one spot on the massive bell, big enough for Holo to hide inside, there were four holes all in a row.
"That's what it seems like. What do you think?"

Output:
"Us wolves hate gold," Holo said and brought her face closer to the open holes in the bell. "...A scent still lingers...Ha-choo!"
Holo wiped her nose after she sneezed, then rubbed it again on Lawrence's sleeve.
She must have really hated the smell.
"I would not have minded much if it were just a legend, but this bell is here, and I could not help but wonder, you know."
Lawrence looked down at the bell and groaned. If whoever bit into this bell was still here, then he started to think that the story he heard at the inn about people going into the mountain and then never coming back might not be entirely made up.
However, he heard an exasperated sigh, then looked to see Holo sniffle.
"You fool," she said with a nasal voice, then kicked the bell with a dong. "This bell hung from that tall bell tower, no? How would one of us bite into it?"
""Oh.""
Lawrence and Elsa voiced their sudden understanding at the same time, and Holo turned her head in exasperation.
"Birds do not have teeth. 'Twould even be strange for those who have talons."
"...That's true. There would be three of those, and marks would have shown up on the other side, too."
"Also, these holes were not created by brute force."
"Huh?"
No sooner than Lawrence had made a noise to clarify, Holo suddenly and forcefully gripped his side.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"If you were not so flabby, you would have been crushed when I grabbed you."
Holo let him go, and Elsa nodded, interested.
"Indeed, the bell still holds its shape quite well."
"If one were to bite hard enough to create holes, then the bell would have either lost its shape or the force would have left cracks throughout, but that does not seem to be the case at all. And these holes are odd."
Holo examined the holes closely, illuminated by the candlelight, and squinted.
"How does one create holes like this?"
Lawrence peered at them again, but he did not quite understand what Holo was getting at. There were four strange openings in a row, and he could only picture a dog biting into metal leaving marks like those behind.
However, he could not ignore her point that it had been hung high in the bell tower, and there were no signs of the warping or cracks that obviously should have been left behind if something did bite into it.
"In truth, I would assume that this bell has nothing to do with the legend..."
It was a rational inference, but Holo herself did not seem to entirely believe it.
Lawrence asked, "First of all, despite all the odd points about this and accepting the assumption that something left these bite marks"—Holo and Elsa looked at Lawrence—"do you think this is something you can deal with?"
The candlelight wavered and flickered, even though there was no wind.
Or perhaps that was because Holo gave an undaunted smile.
"I am Holo the Wisewolf. I will not go down so easily, except perhaps against the Moon-Hunting Bear."
She was the embodiment of a massive, towering wolf who lived in wheat.
That was what helped them settle on their next move.
Once the sun set, everyone working the fields returned home, and after dinner, in order to save costs on candles, they all got ready for the next day and went to sleep.
It was precisely during this time of evening that Holo finally revealed her wolf form.
"You should wait here."
"Fool. You lose your cool surprisingly fast. As if I'm going to let you handle this alone."
Lawrence mimicked Holo, which earned him an annoyed swipe from her massive tail.
Lawrence's protests seemed to only reach deaf ears as he lay flipped over on the ground, but Elsa also weighed in.
"I want to avoid any fighting as much as possible. If there really is something up there, then we do always have the option of just leaving it alone."
"It depends on who or what it is. It would be nice if it is willing to communicate."
Elsa nodded, helped Lawrence up onto Holo's back, then gripped her Church crest.
"May God watch over you."
"You always have quite the nerve."


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

Input:
"Us wolves hate gold," Holo said and brought her face closer to the open holes in the bell. "...A scent still lingers...Ha-choo!"
Holo wiped her nose after she sneezed, then rubbed it again on Lawrence's sleeve.
She must have really hated the smell.
"I would not have minded much if it were just a legend, but this bell is here, and I could not help but wonder, you know."
Lawrence looked down at the bell and groaned. If whoever bit into this bell was still here, then he started to think that the story he heard at the inn about people going into the mountain and then never coming back might not be entirely made up.
However, he heard an exasperated sigh, then looked to see Holo sniffle.
"You fool," she said with a nasal voice, then kicked the bell with a dong. "This bell hung from that tall bell tower, no? How would one of us bite into it?"
""Oh.""
Lawrence and Elsa voiced their sudden understanding at the same time, and Holo turned her head in exasperation.
"Birds do not have teeth. 'Twould even be strange for those who have talons."
"...That's true. There would be three of those, and marks would have shown up on the other side, too."
"Also, these holes were not created by brute force."
"Huh?"
No sooner than Lawrence had made a noise to clarify, Holo suddenly and forcefully gripped his side.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"If you were not so flabby, you would have been crushed when I grabbed you."
Holo let him go, and Elsa nodded, interested.
"Indeed, the bell still holds its shape quite well."
"If one were to bite hard enough to create holes, then the bell would have either lost its shape or the force would have left cracks throughout, but that does not seem to be the case at all. And these holes are odd."
Holo examined the holes closely, illuminated by the candlelight, and squinted.
"How does one create holes like this?"
Lawrence peered at them again, but he did not quite understand what Holo was getting at. There were four strange openings in a row, and he could only picture a dog biting into metal leaving marks like those behind.
However, he could not ignore her point that it had been hung high in the bell tower, and there were no signs of the warping or cracks that obviously should have been left behind if something did bite into it.
"In truth, I would assume that this bell has nothing to do with the legend..."
It was a rational inference, but Holo herself did not seem to entirely believe it.
Lawrence asked, "First of all, despite all the odd points about this and accepting the assumption that something left these bite marks"—Holo and Elsa looked at Lawrence—"do you think this is something you can deal with?"
The candlelight wavered and flickered, even though there was no wind.
Or perhaps that was because Holo gave an undaunted smile.
"I am Holo the Wisewolf. I will not go down so easily, except perhaps against the Moon-Hunting Bear."
She was the embodiment of a massive, towering wolf who lived in wheat.
That was what helped them settle on their next move.
Once the sun set, everyone working the fields returned home, and after dinner, in order to save costs on candles, they all got ready for the next day and went to sleep.
It was precisely during this time of evening that Holo finally revealed her wolf form.
"You should wait here."
"Fool. You lose your cool surprisingly fast. As if I'm going to let you handle this alone."
Lawrence mimicked Holo, which earned him an annoyed swipe from her massive tail.
Lawrence's protests seemed to only reach deaf ears as he lay flipped over on the ground, but Elsa also weighed in.
"I want to avoid any fighting as much as possible. If there really is something up there, then we do always have the option of just leaving it alone."
"It depends on who or what it is. It would be nice if it is willing to communicate."
Elsa nodded, helped Lawrence up onto Holo's back, then gripped her Church crest.
"May God watch over you."
"You always have quite the nerve."

Output:
"Listen—even if you get shaken loose, I will not be picking you up."
"I won't fall, so long as you don't pull any mischief."
Just as he said that, Holo almost deliberately shuddered, then immediately dashed off.
Lawrence turned back to see Elsa waving them off, but he quickly grabbed tightly onto Holo's fur and pressed himself down onto her. They went faster and faster, the wind whipping in his ears, drowning out the rumble of Holo's footsteps. The moon only occasionally peeked out from between the clouds, making the nighttime fields of maiden grass look like a pitch-black lake.
From Holo's back, as she dashed through the silhouetted scenery, Lawrence caught the briefest glimpse of her world for a moment.
Lawrence, who believed that they knew absolutely everything about each other, was realizing all over again that he was in love with Holo who was not human but a wolf.
Normally, it scarcely registered, but it was times like these that the difference between them struck him hard.
If he were to tell her that despite that, he was surprisingly okay with clinging to a powerful bundle of fur, Holo would surely make a face that would be a mix of embarrassment, displeasure, and hurt, with her tail meandering back and forth. As he smiled at the image, he endured the small upswelling of fear he felt.
He was not sure how long he spent like that, but after some time, the whipping wind in his ears finally abated, and he could hear the light sounds of Holo stepping firmly on the ground.
When he looked up, he found they had, at some point, come to a copse, and he could see the moon hiding behind the clouds beyond the cluster of trees. It seemed like they had reached the foot of the mountain.
He had heard the journey would take several hours by horse, but of course, Holo had much longer and more powerful strides.
"Are you sure we're okay barging in on its territory like this?"
If there was something in the mountain, he wondered if it would be better if they observed the area a little bit before approaching like this.
"I smell naught but the usual scent of deer."
It was hard to tell from up on Holo's back, but her nimble footwork carried them over small height differences and some stones without much jostling.
No matter what she said, she was never honest about making sure he was safe on her back.
"Can you tell where it was that face was painted?"
"For now, we shall make our way up to the highest peak. We might perhaps learn something from the view up there."
"Makes sense," Lawrence responded right as Holo sped up. Or perhaps it only seemed that way because they were going up a steeper incline now that they were traversing the mountain paths. If he tried to climb this himself, he would almost certainly just end up breaking his bones, but Holo ascended with the speed of a horse galloping across a flat plain. He could clearly tell by her steps, her breathing, and how her large tail swayed that she was enjoying the climb.
Holo's home was not in the towns of humans.
Lawrence knew that the place she truly belonged was deep in the woods.
"We are here."
Holo stopped at a spot that was sparsely dotted with trees. It almost looked like a plaza at first glance. Lawrence realized he must have been gripping her fur much tighter than he had thought. After easing his tense fists, he carefully slid off Holo's back as she lay with her stomach on the ground.
There were layers upon layers of soft, fallen leaves on the ground; there was little doubt that a short dig would be all that was needed to turn over some good soil.
"It doesn't look like it used to be a bald mining mountain. This is the reason why they can get as much water from the wells as they like, huh?"
He gently kicked the leaves underfoot and scattered some acorns; once his eyes grew used to the darkness, he could see saplings sprouting here and there.


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

Input:
"Listen—even if you get shaken loose, I will not be picking you up."
"I won't fall, so long as you don't pull any mischief."
Just as he said that, Holo almost deliberately shuddered, then immediately dashed off.
Lawrence turned back to see Elsa waving them off, but he quickly grabbed tightly onto Holo's fur and pressed himself down onto her. They went faster and faster, the wind whipping in his ears, drowning out the rumble of Holo's footsteps. The moon only occasionally peeked out from between the clouds, making the nighttime fields of maiden grass look like a pitch-black lake.
From Holo's back, as she dashed through the silhouetted scenery, Lawrence caught the briefest glimpse of her world for a moment.
Lawrence, who believed that they knew absolutely everything about each other, was realizing all over again that he was in love with Holo who was not human but a wolf.
Normally, it scarcely registered, but it was times like these that the difference between them struck him hard.
If he were to tell her that despite that, he was surprisingly okay with clinging to a powerful bundle of fur, Holo would surely make a face that would be a mix of embarrassment, displeasure, and hurt, with her tail meandering back and forth. As he smiled at the image, he endured the small upswelling of fear he felt.
He was not sure how long he spent like that, but after some time, the whipping wind in his ears finally abated, and he could hear the light sounds of Holo stepping firmly on the ground.
When he looked up, he found they had, at some point, come to a copse, and he could see the moon hiding behind the clouds beyond the cluster of trees. It seemed like they had reached the foot of the mountain.
He had heard the journey would take several hours by horse, but of course, Holo had much longer and more powerful strides.
"Are you sure we're okay barging in on its territory like this?"
If there was something in the mountain, he wondered if it would be better if they observed the area a little bit before approaching like this.
"I smell naught but the usual scent of deer."
It was hard to tell from up on Holo's back, but her nimble footwork carried them over small height differences and some stones without much jostling.
No matter what she said, she was never honest about making sure he was safe on her back.
"Can you tell where it was that face was painted?"
"For now, we shall make our way up to the highest peak. We might perhaps learn something from the view up there."
"Makes sense," Lawrence responded right as Holo sped up. Or perhaps it only seemed that way because they were going up a steeper incline now that they were traversing the mountain paths. If he tried to climb this himself, he would almost certainly just end up breaking his bones, but Holo ascended with the speed of a horse galloping across a flat plain. He could clearly tell by her steps, her breathing, and how her large tail swayed that she was enjoying the climb.
Holo's home was not in the towns of humans.
Lawrence knew that the place she truly belonged was deep in the woods.
"We are here."
Holo stopped at a spot that was sparsely dotted with trees. It almost looked like a plaza at first glance. Lawrence realized he must have been gripping her fur much tighter than he had thought. After easing his tense fists, he carefully slid off Holo's back as she lay with her stomach on the ground.
There were layers upon layers of soft, fallen leaves on the ground; there was little doubt that a short dig would be all that was needed to turn over some good soil.
"It doesn't look like it used to be a bald mining mountain. This is the reason why they can get as much water from the wells as they like, huh?"
He gently kicked the leaves underfoot and scattered some acorns; once his eyes grew used to the darkness, he could see saplings sprouting here and there.

Output:
"I'm not sure what they mean by a curse...but if there's been mining residue left behind, then maybe they're talking about the pollution? But there's still a lot of trees, and it feels too peaceful for that to be the main issue..."
Instead, the atmosphere around them felt appropriate for a ghost to suddenly appear.
"Mm."
Holo, who had been fawning over Lawrence with her nose, lifted her head, then looked around at their surroundings with sharp eyes.
"I do not know if there is still something here, but...there is no doubt that there once was."
Lawrence looked at her in surprise, and she met his gaze, as though urging him to look at the woods.
"The types of trees dotting this mountain are odd."
"They are?"
"They would not come to be like this naturally. Every tree planted here drops its leaves in the winter and bears nuts. And starting at the skirt of the mountain, nearly every tree has been planted with neat regularity."
Nut-bearing deciduous trees made for excellent firewood and could also be used as nursery beds for mushrooms. And since they were planted with regularity, that brought Lawrence to one conclusion.
"So they've been planted. Does that mean it didn't grow back naturally on its own?"
"'Tis likely. And 'tis the same for as far as I can see. I have never laid eyes on such a sight as this."
Holo, who had spent centuries looking at and roaming through forests, could tell that there was something strange about the mountain.
"For nature to return on its own on such a wide scale would require centuries to begin with. Had the mountain not gone bare only a scant few decades ago? There is no questioning that someone has been caring for it."
"Could it be the villagers?"
Holo turned her large nose to Lawrence and huffed.
"They would need a population the size of an ant colony. And humans are intelligent. They would not do something so foolish as plant nothing but their favorite trees. 'Tis not a good thing to plant only one type of tree."
The way she said favorite caught Lawrence's attention.
"Do you have a hunch as to who might have planted these trees?"
"This solves one mystery in that terrible painting," Holo huffed in displeasure and turned to look at Lawrence with reproachful eyes. "I knew I should get that painting back in the port fixed. The picture must be done properly; otherwise, the correct story will not reach future generations."
Lawrence was astonished that she still had not given up on the painting, but he responded with a question.
"Which mystery, the face at the peak? Or?"
"The angel beside the face. 'Tis not the angels you speak of."
"But it had wings."
"It only seems so because of the awful workmanship. Those are not wings."
There was something that looked like wings attached to the back of the person who had been supporting God's face. But what if things were not what they seemed at first?
Lawrence looked at Holo, and the queen of the forest revealed the answer.
"'Tis a squirrel. The squirrel's tail goes up its back, making it seem like wings."
At that moment, Lawrence realized what it was about the woods that had felt slightly strange. Then he understood why so many trees had grown in such a short period of time and why they were all the type that produced nuts.
"Digging holes to bury tree nuts is their specialty. They can stuff a handful of nuts into their mouth and carry them around as well. That surely sped up their work. Either way, there is no questioning that this forest was created by a squirrel."
Part of the puzzle, which had been full of mysteries, had been somewhat illuminated now.
However, he still had a question.
"If it really is a squirrel, then those bite marks on the bell are still a puzzle. Or wait, is it possible that its claws left those marks?"
"A squirrel trying to crush a bell in a display of its own strength? If those tiny squirrel paws are responsible for those holes, then...it would certainly have to be a squirrel the size of a mountain."


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

Input:
"I'm not sure what they mean by a curse...but if there's been mining residue left behind, then maybe they're talking about the pollution? But there's still a lot of trees, and it feels too peaceful for that to be the main issue..."
Instead, the atmosphere around them felt appropriate for a ghost to suddenly appear.
"Mm."
Holo, who had been fawning over Lawrence with her nose, lifted her head, then looked around at their surroundings with sharp eyes.
"I do not know if there is still something here, but...there is no doubt that there once was."
Lawrence looked at her in surprise, and she met his gaze, as though urging him to look at the woods.
"The types of trees dotting this mountain are odd."
"They are?"
"They would not come to be like this naturally. Every tree planted here drops its leaves in the winter and bears nuts. And starting at the skirt of the mountain, nearly every tree has been planted with neat regularity."
Nut-bearing deciduous trees made for excellent firewood and could also be used as nursery beds for mushrooms. And since they were planted with regularity, that brought Lawrence to one conclusion.
"So they've been planted. Does that mean it didn't grow back naturally on its own?"
"'Tis likely. And 'tis the same for as far as I can see. I have never laid eyes on such a sight as this."
Holo, who had spent centuries looking at and roaming through forests, could tell that there was something strange about the mountain.
"For nature to return on its own on such a wide scale would require centuries to begin with. Had the mountain not gone bare only a scant few decades ago? There is no questioning that someone has been caring for it."
"Could it be the villagers?"
Holo turned her large nose to Lawrence and huffed.
"They would need a population the size of an ant colony. And humans are intelligent. They would not do something so foolish as plant nothing but their favorite trees. 'Tis not a good thing to plant only one type of tree."
The way she said favorite caught Lawrence's attention.
"Do you have a hunch as to who might have planted these trees?"
"This solves one mystery in that terrible painting," Holo huffed in displeasure and turned to look at Lawrence with reproachful eyes. "I knew I should get that painting back in the port fixed. The picture must be done properly; otherwise, the correct story will not reach future generations."
Lawrence was astonished that she still had not given up on the painting, but he responded with a question.
"Which mystery, the face at the peak? Or?"
"The angel beside the face. 'Tis not the angels you speak of."
"But it had wings."
"It only seems so because of the awful workmanship. Those are not wings."
There was something that looked like wings attached to the back of the person who had been supporting God's face. But what if things were not what they seemed at first?
Lawrence looked at Holo, and the queen of the forest revealed the answer.
"'Tis a squirrel. The squirrel's tail goes up its back, making it seem like wings."
At that moment, Lawrence realized what it was about the woods that had felt slightly strange. Then he understood why so many trees had grown in such a short period of time and why they were all the type that produced nuts.
"Digging holes to bury tree nuts is their specialty. They can stuff a handful of nuts into their mouth and carry them around as well. That surely sped up their work. Either way, there is no questioning that this forest was created by a squirrel."
Part of the puzzle, which had been full of mysteries, had been somewhat illuminated now.
However, he still had a question.
"If it really is a squirrel, then those bite marks on the bell are still a puzzle. Or wait, is it possible that its claws left those marks?"
"A squirrel trying to crush a bell in a display of its own strength? If those tiny squirrel paws are responsible for those holes, then...it would certainly have to be a squirrel the size of a mountain."

Output:
"The quickest way to learn more is to ask the squirrel itself...Can you tell if it's here on the mountain?"
"My nose does not work so well, likely because I can smell metal here and there. Well, it has created a place full of delicious treats, so it must be hiding somewhere. If it was okay for me to howl, I could send a message asking it to come out all the way to the other side of the mountain."
There were regular villages covering the area just beyond the foot of the mountain. While there were few fields, perhaps due to poor access to water in the region, there was plenty of grass, so the locals raised sheep and goats. If they heard a wolf howling, it would certainly mean trouble for their livelihoods.
"We'll leave that as our last option."
"Then we have no choice but to conduct our own search. Well, I am sure the squirrel will notice if we spend the night here."
What would happen if a massive wolf suddenly appeared one day in what was supposed to be a self-made paradise full of treats?
Most any squirrel would certainly come to at least ask its business.
"We're sleeping outside, then? But I haven't brought anything...Gah!"
As Lawrence was talking, Holo's tail wrapped around him and flipped him over, but her soft fur caught him on his back.
"Are you not satisfied with sleeping in my fur?"
Big Holo turned to him with red eyes and fangs.
Lawrence could tell what sort of mood Holo was in at a glance, but to the average onlooker, he probably looked like a poor traveler who was about to be eaten.
"Oh yeah, we spent a night like this right when we first met Miss Elsa, didn't we?"
That was the time they had suddenly found themselves involved in a fight that stemmed from a feud between Elsa's village and a nearby town, so they slept outside in the woods after a hasty escape.
Lawrence stroked the fur of her tail, reminiscing, when she swatted him with that same tail.
"You have quite the nerve to speak of other females whilst you lay in my fur."
He lay on Holo's side, and he could hear a growl like rolling thunder coming from beneath him.
"It might get a little cold tonight, so I figured it might be better to make it a little warmer."
"You fool."
Holo curled up and bumped Lawrence with her nose.
Then, seemingly satisfied with teasing him for the moment, she huffed, stretched her limbs as though she had been lounging, and flicked her ears.
"It has been quite a while."
Holo seemed extremely happy.
In Nyohhira, Holo would occasionally find jobs to do, then wander the mountains in her wolf form, but Lawrence rarely ever went with her. There were also many guests in Nyohhira, and a few sometimes went out into the mountain during their stay, so chances to change into her wolf form were few and far between.
As Holo happily cradled him in her bosom, Lawrence could not help but say, "I thought you hated when we did this."
Humans were humans. Wolves were wolves.
Lawrence and Holo had always avoided having such an obvious truth thrust in their faces.
Holo started to lift her head when he spoke, but she reconsidered mid-movement, then relaxed once more as she rested her chin on the blanket of fallen leaves.
"It depends on my mood."
Her slitted red eyes were likely twinkling in playful self-deprecation. Indeed, whenever she was in a bad mood—even in Nyohhira—she would return to her wolf form and go for a soak in the springs.
"Whims are Your Majesty's special privileges," he said, stroking her fur, and her tail shivered in delight.
"You truly are a fool," Holo said with a rumbling sigh as she closed her eyes.
Lawrence flashed a small smile, relaxed, and let himself sink into her.
Drowsiness set upon him immediately as he lay among the warm fur that smelled of the woods.


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

Input:
"The quickest way to learn more is to ask the squirrel itself...Can you tell if it's here on the mountain?"
"My nose does not work so well, likely because I can smell metal here and there. Well, it has created a place full of delicious treats, so it must be hiding somewhere. If it was okay for me to howl, I could send a message asking it to come out all the way to the other side of the mountain."
There were regular villages covering the area just beyond the foot of the mountain. While there were few fields, perhaps due to poor access to water in the region, there was plenty of grass, so the locals raised sheep and goats. If they heard a wolf howling, it would certainly mean trouble for their livelihoods.
"We'll leave that as our last option."
"Then we have no choice but to conduct our own search. Well, I am sure the squirrel will notice if we spend the night here."
What would happen if a massive wolf suddenly appeared one day in what was supposed to be a self-made paradise full of treats?
Most any squirrel would certainly come to at least ask its business.
"We're sleeping outside, then? But I haven't brought anything...Gah!"
As Lawrence was talking, Holo's tail wrapped around him and flipped him over, but her soft fur caught him on his back.
"Are you not satisfied with sleeping in my fur?"
Big Holo turned to him with red eyes and fangs.
Lawrence could tell what sort of mood Holo was in at a glance, but to the average onlooker, he probably looked like a poor traveler who was about to be eaten.
"Oh yeah, we spent a night like this right when we first met Miss Elsa, didn't we?"
That was the time they had suddenly found themselves involved in a fight that stemmed from a feud between Elsa's village and a nearby town, so they slept outside in the woods after a hasty escape.
Lawrence stroked the fur of her tail, reminiscing, when she swatted him with that same tail.
"You have quite the nerve to speak of other females whilst you lay in my fur."
He lay on Holo's side, and he could hear a growl like rolling thunder coming from beneath him.
"It might get a little cold tonight, so I figured it might be better to make it a little warmer."
"You fool."
Holo curled up and bumped Lawrence with her nose.
Then, seemingly satisfied with teasing him for the moment, she huffed, stretched her limbs as though she had been lounging, and flicked her ears.
"It has been quite a while."
Holo seemed extremely happy.
In Nyohhira, Holo would occasionally find jobs to do, then wander the mountains in her wolf form, but Lawrence rarely ever went with her. There were also many guests in Nyohhira, and a few sometimes went out into the mountain during their stay, so chances to change into her wolf form were few and far between.
As Holo happily cradled him in her bosom, Lawrence could not help but say, "I thought you hated when we did this."
Humans were humans. Wolves were wolves.
Lawrence and Holo had always avoided having such an obvious truth thrust in their faces.
Holo started to lift her head when he spoke, but she reconsidered mid-movement, then relaxed once more as she rested her chin on the blanket of fallen leaves.
"It depends on my mood."
Her slitted red eyes were likely twinkling in playful self-deprecation. Indeed, whenever she was in a bad mood—even in Nyohhira—she would return to her wolf form and go for a soak in the springs.
"Whims are Your Majesty's special privileges," he said, stroking her fur, and her tail shivered in delight.
"You truly are a fool," Holo said with a rumbling sigh as she closed her eyes.
Lawrence flashed a small smile, relaxed, and let himself sink into her.
Drowsiness set upon him immediately as he lay among the warm fur that smelled of the woods.

Output:
Holo had been keenly watching the rabbit roast, her large tail thumping up and down, when she suddenly lifted her head. Before Lawrence could say anything, she dashed off. The way she moved was completely different from when she had brought him to the peak. Like in a gust of wind, the fallen leaves whirled into the air, and she vanished from sight in an instant—quick wit and a reaction fit for a master hunter of the forest.
Lawrence was dumbfounded, but he reminded himself that Holo would never get lost in the mountains, much less miss a place where meat was being cooked. He turned his attention back to the roasting meat, and just as he was about to help himself to an early bite of a thigh dripping with fat, he thought he spotted Holo's ears poke up from the cliffside beside the stream. A moment later, her whole body emerged.
"Oh, welcome...back?"
Holo carried an enormous squirrel in her mouth, the likes of which he had never seen.
"It came to take a look at us."
She had been carrying the squirrel by the scruff of its neck, and even when she let it go, it stayed curled up in a ball.
Its characteristic body-size tail was shivering, and it was hunched over, cradling its head.
This squirrel would certainly surpass Lawrence in height if it stood up straight, but right now it only looked like a perfectly round ball of fur.
"Does it understand words?"
"Come now."
Holo poked it with her nose and the squirrel's head snapped up, and the moment its eyes met with Lawrence's, he understood. He could tell right away that there was intelligence in its eyes.
"We did not come here to bring ruin to this forest," he said, and the squirrel's mouth—much too small for the size of its body—moved but produced no words. "And of course, that wolf there isn't going to take your life."
The squirrel closed its mouth and glanced back at Holo.
"That depends."
Then, when Holo flashed a fang-filled grin, it immediately curled up again.
"Hey," Lawrence warned her, and she huffed before sitting behind Lawrence with the squirrel on the opposite side.
At last, the squirrel lifted its head slightly and looked at Lawrence.
"Are you...human?"
What it really wanted to ask was why he was working with a wolf.
"I used to be a merchant, but I'm now a bathhouse owner—my name is Kraft Lawrence." He introduced himself and extended a hand. The squirrel's adorably round eyes flicked back and forth between Lawrence's face and his hand several times before it timidly reached out in return. Though its paw was small for how large its body was, it was still a bit bigger than Lawrence's hand.
Lawrence took the opportunity to discreetly check its claws, but he had a feeling that they were much too small to have created the holes in the bell.
"It's nice to meet you. And that there is, uh..." Lawrence felt a bit embarrassed, so he cleared his throat. "My wife, Holo."
That was the first time in his life that he learned that squirrels could look astonished.
The squirrel, so surprised it almost fainted, immediately came back to its senses.
"A human...and a wolf...A human and a wolf!"
It looked alternatingly at Lawrence and then Holo, and its large, round body almost bounced when it said that.
If Lawrence had judged correctly, it almost seemed overjoyed.
"Then my dream of a human and a squirrel being together isn't just a dream!"
It was Lawrence's turn to be surprised; he reflexively turned around to look at Holo, who seemed rather intrigued.
"Heh-heh, oh, but how cheeky would it be for me and the master...? Wait, but...," it said, rubbing its hands together and curling up its tail.
There were rumors that something on this cursed mountain was guarding its territory and killing any intruders.
This squirrel did not seem a likely suspect in the slightest.
"Um," Lawrence called out to get its attention, only for it to jump in surprise and immediately straighten its posture, eyes blinking.


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

Input:
Holo had been keenly watching the rabbit roast, her large tail thumping up and down, when she suddenly lifted her head. Before Lawrence could say anything, she dashed off. The way she moved was completely different from when she had brought him to the peak. Like in a gust of wind, the fallen leaves whirled into the air, and she vanished from sight in an instant—quick wit and a reaction fit for a master hunter of the forest.
Lawrence was dumbfounded, but he reminded himself that Holo would never get lost in the mountains, much less miss a place where meat was being cooked. He turned his attention back to the roasting meat, and just as he was about to help himself to an early bite of a thigh dripping with fat, he thought he spotted Holo's ears poke up from the cliffside beside the stream. A moment later, her whole body emerged.
"Oh, welcome...back?"
Holo carried an enormous squirrel in her mouth, the likes of which he had never seen.
"It came to take a look at us."
She had been carrying the squirrel by the scruff of its neck, and even when she let it go, it stayed curled up in a ball.
Its characteristic body-size tail was shivering, and it was hunched over, cradling its head.
This squirrel would certainly surpass Lawrence in height if it stood up straight, but right now it only looked like a perfectly round ball of fur.
"Does it understand words?"
"Come now."
Holo poked it with her nose and the squirrel's head snapped up, and the moment its eyes met with Lawrence's, he understood. He could tell right away that there was intelligence in its eyes.
"We did not come here to bring ruin to this forest," he said, and the squirrel's mouth—much too small for the size of its body—moved but produced no words. "And of course, that wolf there isn't going to take your life."
The squirrel closed its mouth and glanced back at Holo.
"That depends."
Then, when Holo flashed a fang-filled grin, it immediately curled up again.
"Hey," Lawrence warned her, and she huffed before sitting behind Lawrence with the squirrel on the opposite side.
At last, the squirrel lifted its head slightly and looked at Lawrence.
"Are you...human?"
What it really wanted to ask was why he was working with a wolf.
"I used to be a merchant, but I'm now a bathhouse owner—my name is Kraft Lawrence." He introduced himself and extended a hand. The squirrel's adorably round eyes flicked back and forth between Lawrence's face and his hand several times before it timidly reached out in return. Though its paw was small for how large its body was, it was still a bit bigger than Lawrence's hand.
Lawrence took the opportunity to discreetly check its claws, but he had a feeling that they were much too small to have created the holes in the bell.
"It's nice to meet you. And that there is, uh..." Lawrence felt a bit embarrassed, so he cleared his throat. "My wife, Holo."
That was the first time in his life that he learned that squirrels could look astonished.
The squirrel, so surprised it almost fainted, immediately came back to its senses.
"A human...and a wolf...A human and a wolf!"
It looked alternatingly at Lawrence and then Holo, and its large, round body almost bounced when it said that.
If Lawrence had judged correctly, it almost seemed overjoyed.
"Then my dream of a human and a squirrel being together isn't just a dream!"
It was Lawrence's turn to be surprised; he reflexively turned around to look at Holo, who seemed rather intrigued.
"Heh-heh, oh, but how cheeky would it be for me and the master...? Wait, but...," it said, rubbing its hands together and curling up its tail.
There were rumors that something on this cursed mountain was guarding its territory and killing any intruders.
This squirrel did not seem a likely suspect in the slightest.
"Um," Lawrence called out to get its attention, only for it to jump in surprise and immediately straighten its posture, eyes blinking.

Output:
The words the angel of the mountain instantly caught Lawrence's interest, but he could tell the squirrel's expression was frantic.
They did need to hear what it had to say, so he obeyed for the moment.
"Understood. Holo?" Lawrence called to her, and with a bothered sigh, Holo opened her mouth and ate the rabbit roasting on the campfire whole, then dipped her front paw into the stream beside her and put out the fire.
"Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, yes, everything should be all right for now." The squirrel breathed a sigh of relief, then looked apologetically at Lawrence. "And...could you possibly leave this place? The angel of the mountain might get angry."
That phrase appeared again, but he could not let it slide this time.
"Is the angel of the mountain that bearded face?"
Then, after a blank stare from the squirrel, it tilted its head.
"Well...I've never seen the angel. Have you?"
***
They were not quite on the same page. There was almost no question that it was the squirrel who had planted the trees that currently carpeted the mountain, and it was very likely the squirrel who stood next to that eerie face in the painting at the cathedral.
Was that face the angel of the mountain?
"You were the one who planted the trees here on the mountain, right?"
"Oh yes! Yes! There wasn't anything on this mountain once upon a time, but now it's come back like this! I'm sure the master will compliment me!"
The squirrel gleefully jiggled its torso up and down as it spoke. It took a few moments for Lawrence to register that it probably intended to jump. Since it scattered its acorns everywhere and was living in a mountain forest filled with all its favorite trees as far as the eye could see, it had likely indulged a little too much.
That aside, there was something else that caught Lawrence's attention.
"Who is this master you've been mentioning?"
"The master made me his apprentice."
Even with the face of a squirrel, it could still smile.
Not only that, but just seeing that smile was enough to warm his heart. Lawrence felt like he might get drawn in, but he had to get information from this squirrel in order to solve the mystery of this mountain.
"Is your master...a human? A craftsman, perhaps?"
"Yes. The master has incredible power—something called alchemy."
The squirrel spoke gleefully, but Lawrence gulped.
He now knew that the legend left behind in the cathedral was not entirely made up.
"Are you an alchemist, too?"
Lawrence suddenly tensed at the innocent question.
This nonhuman was cheerful, pleasant, and a bit airheaded.
But that was the attitude it took with people recognized as allies. In stories of encountering monsters deep in the woods, it was only natural to expect that it might suddenly change its tune when dealing with those who were not considered friends.
If he fumbled in answering that they were not alchemists, and it suddenly turned its claws on them...It was just as that thought crossed his mind...
"We are in a hurry. If you do not tell us everything you know, you may meet the same fate as that rabbit!"
Holo stepped in front of Lawrence, opening her mouth to better display all her sharp fangs, cornering the squirrel.
It was pressure enough to turn the squirrel on its back and make its large, warm eyes go wide in fear.
"Hey, Holo," Lawrence hurriedly admonished her, but she turned her red eyes to look at him.
"You fool. Think back on the rumors of this mountain. If those who enter never come back, then who is it putting those people in their graves? We have someone right here who specializes in digging holes to bury their food!"
Much as a human was a human and a wolf was a wolf, nonhumans were not human.
Holo had prioritized Lawrence's apprehensions precisely because she was not human.
Though she had protected him in a sense, he was a little sad about that.


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

Input:
The words the angel of the mountain instantly caught Lawrence's interest, but he could tell the squirrel's expression was frantic.
They did need to hear what it had to say, so he obeyed for the moment.
"Understood. Holo?" Lawrence called to her, and with a bothered sigh, Holo opened her mouth and ate the rabbit roasting on the campfire whole, then dipped her front paw into the stream beside her and put out the fire.
"Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, yes, everything should be all right for now." The squirrel breathed a sigh of relief, then looked apologetically at Lawrence. "And...could you possibly leave this place? The angel of the mountain might get angry."
That phrase appeared again, but he could not let it slide this time.
"Is the angel of the mountain that bearded face?"
Then, after a blank stare from the squirrel, it tilted its head.
"Well...I've never seen the angel. Have you?"
***
They were not quite on the same page. There was almost no question that it was the squirrel who had planted the trees that currently carpeted the mountain, and it was very likely the squirrel who stood next to that eerie face in the painting at the cathedral.
Was that face the angel of the mountain?
"You were the one who planted the trees here on the mountain, right?"
"Oh yes! Yes! There wasn't anything on this mountain once upon a time, but now it's come back like this! I'm sure the master will compliment me!"
The squirrel gleefully jiggled its torso up and down as it spoke. It took a few moments for Lawrence to register that it probably intended to jump. Since it scattered its acorns everywhere and was living in a mountain forest filled with all its favorite trees as far as the eye could see, it had likely indulged a little too much.
That aside, there was something else that caught Lawrence's attention.
"Who is this master you've been mentioning?"
"The master made me his apprentice."
Even with the face of a squirrel, it could still smile.
Not only that, but just seeing that smile was enough to warm his heart. Lawrence felt like he might get drawn in, but he had to get information from this squirrel in order to solve the mystery of this mountain.
"Is your master...a human? A craftsman, perhaps?"
"Yes. The master has incredible power—something called alchemy."
The squirrel spoke gleefully, but Lawrence gulped.
He now knew that the legend left behind in the cathedral was not entirely made up.
"Are you an alchemist, too?"
Lawrence suddenly tensed at the innocent question.
This nonhuman was cheerful, pleasant, and a bit airheaded.
But that was the attitude it took with people recognized as allies. In stories of encountering monsters deep in the woods, it was only natural to expect that it might suddenly change its tune when dealing with those who were not considered friends.
If he fumbled in answering that they were not alchemists, and it suddenly turned its claws on them...It was just as that thought crossed his mind...
"We are in a hurry. If you do not tell us everything you know, you may meet the same fate as that rabbit!"
Holo stepped in front of Lawrence, opening her mouth to better display all her sharp fangs, cornering the squirrel.
It was pressure enough to turn the squirrel on its back and make its large, warm eyes go wide in fear.
"Hey, Holo," Lawrence hurriedly admonished her, but she turned her red eyes to look at him.
"You fool. Think back on the rumors of this mountain. If those who enter never come back, then who is it putting those people in their graves? We have someone right here who specializes in digging holes to bury their food!"
Much as a human was a human and a wolf was a wolf, nonhumans were not human.
Holo had prioritized Lawrence's apprehensions precisely because she was not human.
Though she had protected him in a sense, he was a little sad about that.

Output:
Holo could hear through people's lies, and that was true even for squirrels.
"Well?" Lawrence looked at Holo, who sighed through her snout.
"Had it said pretending to be a wolf, I would have bit its head right off."
"O-of course I wouldn't do that..."
The squirrel's eyes were welling with tears, which roused Lawrence's protective instincts.
"Holo, don't scare it too much."
"Hmph."
No matter how much of her evil persona was an act, her fangs had quite the impact, which was incredibly effective on squirrels who collected nuts from trees in the forest.
"I'm sorry about the rough treatment."
***
He reached out again, and the squirrel looked with bewilderment at Lawrence, then Holo.
"We came on request of the people from the church. They know about the rumors of this mountain being cursed, but they wanted us to see how much of it was true."
The squirrel took Lawrence's hand, lifting its portly body. The look of unease on its face made it seem like it was more afraid of Holo than the mention of Lawrence coming at the command of the church.
"Does that mean...you're going to ask me to leave the mountain...?"
The squirrel brought its tiny hands to its chest and peered up at Lawrence with round, pleading eyes.
It finally clicked as to why Holo was in such a terrible mood.
She had originally been unwilling to come to the mountain. That was because she knew it was very likely that things would turn out like this if all the rumors were due to a nonhuman living in the mountain.
He turned to Holo, who bitterly looked away, almost as if to say, "I told you so."
However, Lawrence had also said to her on the way here, "Things wouldn't turn out so well if someone besides us went."
Lawrence cleared his throat and turned back to the uneasy squirrel.
"Don't worry. My wife, Holo, behind me was chased out of the village wheat fields where she'd lived for centuries, too. I'm a merchant very familiar with the world, and she's a renowned wolf who was once called the wisewolf. We were just hoping to thoroughly investigate the stories about this mountain and lend you our help as much as possible."
It was an odd pair—a human and a massive, towering wolf who was supposedly his wife, appearing out of nowhere.
Just as Lawrence started to wonder if the squirrel would believe his claims, its nose twitched and it broke into a smile.
"I can smell how close you two are. I'm sure you aren't bad people."
Surprised that was a possibility, Lawrence subconsciously sniffed his own clothes, but he could not discern anything useful. It just smelled like Holo since he had spent the night sleeping in her fur.
As they chatted, Holo herself bumped Lawrence on the head.
"You have quite the sharp nose."
The squirrel blinked, then raised its shoulders and lowered its head as if to shrink itself down.
"But we are not that close. 'Tis simply that this fool cannot leave me."
Holo bumped Lawrence in a spot that was not quite his head nor his back, but she was likely happy they had been recognized as a loving couple. Noticing her honest tail, Lawrence knew he just had to leave it be.
"And your name?" Holo asked once she was done poking Lawrence.
The squirrel blinked restlessly before nodding.
"M-my name is Tanya!"
"That is quite the fashionable name."
Lawrence thought it was a rather adorable name, and when he saw the squirrel smile, any possibility it could be named anything other than Tanya disappeared from his mind. It was truly a brilliant name.
"That's what the master named me. He said it fit my human form perfectly."
Right as Lawrence found himself surprised by the idea that it could turn into a human, a change began.
He thought he felt a slight breeze, when there appeared before him a girl with soft, curly, chestnut-colored hair reaching down her back and a gentle expression on her face.
"What do you think?"


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

Input:
Holo could hear through people's lies, and that was true even for squirrels.
"Well?" Lawrence looked at Holo, who sighed through her snout.
"Had it said pretending to be a wolf, I would have bit its head right off."
"O-of course I wouldn't do that..."
The squirrel's eyes were welling with tears, which roused Lawrence's protective instincts.
"Holo, don't scare it too much."
"Hmph."
No matter how much of her evil persona was an act, her fangs had quite the impact, which was incredibly effective on squirrels who collected nuts from trees in the forest.
"I'm sorry about the rough treatment."
***
He reached out again, and the squirrel looked with bewilderment at Lawrence, then Holo.
"We came on request of the people from the church. They know about the rumors of this mountain being cursed, but they wanted us to see how much of it was true."
The squirrel took Lawrence's hand, lifting its portly body. The look of unease on its face made it seem like it was more afraid of Holo than the mention of Lawrence coming at the command of the church.
"Does that mean...you're going to ask me to leave the mountain...?"
The squirrel brought its tiny hands to its chest and peered up at Lawrence with round, pleading eyes.
It finally clicked as to why Holo was in such a terrible mood.
She had originally been unwilling to come to the mountain. That was because she knew it was very likely that things would turn out like this if all the rumors were due to a nonhuman living in the mountain.
He turned to Holo, who bitterly looked away, almost as if to say, "I told you so."
However, Lawrence had also said to her on the way here, "Things wouldn't turn out so well if someone besides us went."
Lawrence cleared his throat and turned back to the uneasy squirrel.
"Don't worry. My wife, Holo, behind me was chased out of the village wheat fields where she'd lived for centuries, too. I'm a merchant very familiar with the world, and she's a renowned wolf who was once called the wisewolf. We were just hoping to thoroughly investigate the stories about this mountain and lend you our help as much as possible."
It was an odd pair—a human and a massive, towering wolf who was supposedly his wife, appearing out of nowhere.
Just as Lawrence started to wonder if the squirrel would believe his claims, its nose twitched and it broke into a smile.
"I can smell how close you two are. I'm sure you aren't bad people."
Surprised that was a possibility, Lawrence subconsciously sniffed his own clothes, but he could not discern anything useful. It just smelled like Holo since he had spent the night sleeping in her fur.
As they chatted, Holo herself bumped Lawrence on the head.
"You have quite the sharp nose."
The squirrel blinked, then raised its shoulders and lowered its head as if to shrink itself down.
"But we are not that close. 'Tis simply that this fool cannot leave me."
Holo bumped Lawrence in a spot that was not quite his head nor his back, but she was likely happy they had been recognized as a loving couple. Noticing her honest tail, Lawrence knew he just had to leave it be.
"And your name?" Holo asked once she was done poking Lawrence.
The squirrel blinked restlessly before nodding.
"M-my name is Tanya!"
"That is quite the fashionable name."
Lawrence thought it was a rather adorable name, and when he saw the squirrel smile, any possibility it could be named anything other than Tanya disappeared from his mind. It was truly a brilliant name.
"That's what the master named me. He said it fit my human form perfectly."
Right as Lawrence found himself surprised by the idea that it could turn into a human, a change began.
He thought he felt a slight breeze, when there appeared before him a girl with soft, curly, chestnut-colored hair reaching down her back and a gentle expression on her face.
"What do you think?"

Output:
And he also understood why Holo, behind him, was emitting such a deep, threatening growl.
"And my name is Holo, Holo the Wisewolf!"
The moment Holo bared her fangs, Tanya fell over again and instantly returned to her squirrel form.
He knew exactly what Holo was so angry about.
Tanya feasted on the bountiful nuts from the trees in this forest.
Holo did not have what the healthy and full-bodied Tanya did.
Tanya was wholly frightened of Holo, but after Lawrence explained that not wearing clothes in front of the opposite sex was practically seduction, he finally managed to calm Tanya down.
There was another reason entirely that Holo was angry, but she seemed to be aware that her own frustration was foolish. When Tanya apologized, saying she had no intentions of seducing Lawrence, Holo reluctantly accepted this.
Now that that was settled, they could finally move on to the topic at hand—the mountain.
"The master and the rest of them suddenly appeared on the mountain one day. It hadn't been that long since people had left the mountain. It was when I was just starting to plant tree nuts."
Tanya was walking ahead of Lawrence and Holo, taking them to a place that may have been the start of this whole myth.
"There were still people who came to dig up leftover metal back then, and I didn't know what to do. They were ripping up saplings that were just starting to sprout and everything..."
Tanya's tail drooped weakly.
"Then the master said to me that it was a very good thing that I was planting trees and that I should keep it up. That was because there was an angel here in the mountain who had fallen from the sky, and even though it was sleeping, it would become very angry if all the trees went away."
That was likely the story about the fallen angel, but he had a hard time imagining an angel who would be bothered even if all the trees were gone.
"And then he said that things would get bad if we angered the angel even more, so we needed to help the people understand and make sure they didn't come to the mountain anymore."
Tanya had some trouble getting over a boulder that blocked their way.
It did not seem like Holo's skill as a hunter was the reason that she had caught her so quickly.
"Then master and the others produced charcoal from somewhere, extracted metal from the stones left on the mountain, and made a big gate. I have been guarding the gate all this time."
"A gate?"
"Yes. We should be able to see it any moment now."
Tanya the squirrel of course traversed the mountain paths on all fours, but Lawrence could not help but remember her naked human form when he watched her doughy flesh move as she walked, so he found it hard to keep calm.
He had a feeling he heard Holo growling behind him, so he did his best to keep his eyes away from her.
"The master called down the angel from the gate and showed the people how angry it was. I didn't see the angel myself, though, heh-heh...It was amazing how everyone panicked. The master is a great alchemist."
Tanya turned back to look at them, her smile truly delighted.
It sounded like Tanya had lived in this area for ages, and she had been able to do nothing but watch as the mountainside withered as people came in droves to mindlessly extract metal from it.
When the mountain finally stopped producing metal and the people went away, she went straight to work putting trees back on the mountain, but people occasionally came by looking for dregs of accessible ore, trampling all over her hard work in the process.
Then along came a group of alchemists who saved Tanya.
That was how things seemed to have happened.
"Did the angel perhaps do something to the bell in the church?"
When Lawrence asked, Tanya stopped in her tracks and whirled around.
"Yes! I was so surprised! When the angel appeared from the gate, it cast the light of judgment!"
The light of what?
"It didn't bite into it?"


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

Input:
And he also understood why Holo, behind him, was emitting such a deep, threatening growl.
"And my name is Holo, Holo the Wisewolf!"
The moment Holo bared her fangs, Tanya fell over again and instantly returned to her squirrel form.
He knew exactly what Holo was so angry about.
Tanya feasted on the bountiful nuts from the trees in this forest.
Holo did not have what the healthy and full-bodied Tanya did.
Tanya was wholly frightened of Holo, but after Lawrence explained that not wearing clothes in front of the opposite sex was practically seduction, he finally managed to calm Tanya down.
There was another reason entirely that Holo was angry, but she seemed to be aware that her own frustration was foolish. When Tanya apologized, saying she had no intentions of seducing Lawrence, Holo reluctantly accepted this.
Now that that was settled, they could finally move on to the topic at hand—the mountain.
"The master and the rest of them suddenly appeared on the mountain one day. It hadn't been that long since people had left the mountain. It was when I was just starting to plant tree nuts."
Tanya was walking ahead of Lawrence and Holo, taking them to a place that may have been the start of this whole myth.
"There were still people who came to dig up leftover metal back then, and I didn't know what to do. They were ripping up saplings that were just starting to sprout and everything..."
Tanya's tail drooped weakly.
"Then the master said to me that it was a very good thing that I was planting trees and that I should keep it up. That was because there was an angel here in the mountain who had fallen from the sky, and even though it was sleeping, it would become very angry if all the trees went away."
That was likely the story about the fallen angel, but he had a hard time imagining an angel who would be bothered even if all the trees were gone.
"And then he said that things would get bad if we angered the angel even more, so we needed to help the people understand and make sure they didn't come to the mountain anymore."
Tanya had some trouble getting over a boulder that blocked their way.
It did not seem like Holo's skill as a hunter was the reason that she had caught her so quickly.
"Then master and the others produced charcoal from somewhere, extracted metal from the stones left on the mountain, and made a big gate. I have been guarding the gate all this time."
"A gate?"
"Yes. We should be able to see it any moment now."
Tanya the squirrel of course traversed the mountain paths on all fours, but Lawrence could not help but remember her naked human form when he watched her doughy flesh move as she walked, so he found it hard to keep calm.
He had a feeling he heard Holo growling behind him, so he did his best to keep his eyes away from her.
"The master called down the angel from the gate and showed the people how angry it was. I didn't see the angel myself, though, heh-heh...It was amazing how everyone panicked. The master is a great alchemist."
Tanya turned back to look at them, her smile truly delighted.
It sounded like Tanya had lived in this area for ages, and she had been able to do nothing but watch as the mountainside withered as people came in droves to mindlessly extract metal from it.
When the mountain finally stopped producing metal and the people went away, she went straight to work putting trees back on the mountain, but people occasionally came by looking for dregs of accessible ore, trampling all over her hard work in the process.
Then along came a group of alchemists who saved Tanya.
That was how things seemed to have happened.
"Did the angel perhaps do something to the bell in the church?"
When Lawrence asked, Tanya stopped in her tracks and whirled around.
"Yes! I was so surprised! When the angel appeared from the gate, it cast the light of judgment!"
The light of what?
"It didn't bite into it?"

Output:
It sounded like nothing more than a fairy tale, where a story of a saint's life had gotten all jumbled up. There were stories, for example, of saints appearing in a flood of light from a cave, healing a plague that had spread among the people.
In a similar fashion, she said the angel appeared from the gate the alchemists had created and cast the light of judgment on the church's bell tower, striking fear into all who witnessed the event. In that case, Lawrence could at least understand how they described it as an angel fallen from the sky.
"By the way, why were your master...the alchemists, I mean, here on the mountain?"
"The master and the rest of them are studying the sky."
"The sky?"
"They built the angel gate during the day, then studied the stars in the sky all night, after all. I'm sure they were trying to find out where the angel had fallen from."
Tanya was smiling innocently.
The story was consistent with what they already gathered. However, Lawrence was still somewhat perplexed.
That was because alchemists were even less fearful of God. If he was asked to name a type of person on this planet who had absolutely no faith in the existence of God or angels, alchemists would be the first in line.
Those alchemists could not possibly be searching the sky for the angel's home, could they?
"Where are your masters now?" Lawrence asked, and Tanya's expression quickly clouded over. Her fluffy tail deflated.
"I don't know...They left not long after that, saying they were studying the sky all over the world. I wanted them to stay forever...Isn't the sky the same wherever you go anyway?"
Tanya looked up to the sky, noting another day of dismal cloud cover.
She sighed and started walking again.
"The gate is up ahead."
Lawrence followed Tanya, his feet treading firmly on the layers of fallen leaves beneath him.
Holo was farther behind him; she had been quiet this whole time.
"Here we are. Please wait a moment."
Tanya rushed ahead and started busily pushing the fallen leaves aside.
Holo then slinked past Lawrence and gave a strong huff from her nose.
"Eep!"
The wind, strong enough to cause ripples on Tanya's soft body, blasted away all the fallen leaves in a breath. Lawrence was only somewhat exasperated with how rough that was, because his eyes widened at what lay beneath the leaves.
"Is this the gate?"
It was a large disk made of a dark-gray metal, the diameter of it as long as Lawrence was tall, and the whole thing was sunken into the ground. It was stunningly carved. Perhaps this was that eerie face that had been painted in the cathedral?
But...
Lawrence hesitated in making a judgment because the carving was of a single girl.
"Is this the angel you spoke of?" Holo asked.
The girl carved into the gate was detailed enough to match the grand size and craftsmanship of the structure—it almost seemed like she had been painted over it. The girl with her long hair and gentle expression, eyes closed as though she was sleeping, looked more like a saint than an angel.
"No, this is the master's top apprentice," Tanya said as she lifted one side of the enormous disk to stand it up. What surprised Lawrence was not Tanya's strength, but that he had assumed that since it was called a gate, it was covering up something that led underground.
However, it seemed to be nothing more than a simple disk.
Holo brought her nose closer to sniff it, then rounded to the back side, and her eyes widened.
"Look."
As Holo called to him, she glanced a signal at Tanya, who spun the disk around.
"Oh."
There was a carving of the imposing face of a bearded man covering the entire disk.
"They carved this for when they summoned the angel." Tanya spoke cheerfully when she said that, but Lawrence and Holo looked at each other wordlessly.
Most of the roles recorded in the mural were finally coming together.
"But they needed to make sure that the angel wouldn't come out of the gate after they were finished, so the master carved his top apprentice on the other side."


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

Input:
It sounded like nothing more than a fairy tale, where a story of a saint's life had gotten all jumbled up. There were stories, for example, of saints appearing in a flood of light from a cave, healing a plague that had spread among the people.
In a similar fashion, she said the angel appeared from the gate the alchemists had created and cast the light of judgment on the church's bell tower, striking fear into all who witnessed the event. In that case, Lawrence could at least understand how they described it as an angel fallen from the sky.
"By the way, why were your master...the alchemists, I mean, here on the mountain?"
"The master and the rest of them are studying the sky."
"The sky?"
"They built the angel gate during the day, then studied the stars in the sky all night, after all. I'm sure they were trying to find out where the angel had fallen from."
Tanya was smiling innocently.
The story was consistent with what they already gathered. However, Lawrence was still somewhat perplexed.
That was because alchemists were even less fearful of God. If he was asked to name a type of person on this planet who had absolutely no faith in the existence of God or angels, alchemists would be the first in line.
Those alchemists could not possibly be searching the sky for the angel's home, could they?
"Where are your masters now?" Lawrence asked, and Tanya's expression quickly clouded over. Her fluffy tail deflated.
"I don't know...They left not long after that, saying they were studying the sky all over the world. I wanted them to stay forever...Isn't the sky the same wherever you go anyway?"
Tanya looked up to the sky, noting another day of dismal cloud cover.
She sighed and started walking again.
"The gate is up ahead."
Lawrence followed Tanya, his feet treading firmly on the layers of fallen leaves beneath him.
Holo was farther behind him; she had been quiet this whole time.
"Here we are. Please wait a moment."
Tanya rushed ahead and started busily pushing the fallen leaves aside.
Holo then slinked past Lawrence and gave a strong huff from her nose.
"Eep!"
The wind, strong enough to cause ripples on Tanya's soft body, blasted away all the fallen leaves in a breath. Lawrence was only somewhat exasperated with how rough that was, because his eyes widened at what lay beneath the leaves.
"Is this the gate?"
It was a large disk made of a dark-gray metal, the diameter of it as long as Lawrence was tall, and the whole thing was sunken into the ground. It was stunningly carved. Perhaps this was that eerie face that had been painted in the cathedral?
But...
Lawrence hesitated in making a judgment because the carving was of a single girl.
"Is this the angel you spoke of?" Holo asked.
The girl carved into the gate was detailed enough to match the grand size and craftsmanship of the structure—it almost seemed like she had been painted over it. The girl with her long hair and gentle expression, eyes closed as though she was sleeping, looked more like a saint than an angel.
"No, this is the master's top apprentice," Tanya said as she lifted one side of the enormous disk to stand it up. What surprised Lawrence was not Tanya's strength, but that he had assumed that since it was called a gate, it was covering up something that led underground.
However, it seemed to be nothing more than a simple disk.
Holo brought her nose closer to sniff it, then rounded to the back side, and her eyes widened.
"Look."
As Holo called to him, she glanced a signal at Tanya, who spun the disk around.
"Oh."
There was a carving of the imposing face of a bearded man covering the entire disk.
"They carved this for when they summoned the angel." Tanya spoke cheerfully when she said that, but Lawrence and Holo looked at each other wordlessly.
Most of the roles recorded in the mural were finally coming together.
"But they needed to make sure that the angel wouldn't come out of the gate after they were finished, so the master carved his top apprentice on the other side."

Output:
"Yes. His top apprentice takes the form of a human, but like me, she is not human. She's a cat who came from the very far south where there's nothing but sand."
"Oh?"
Holo's interest was piqued when she heard the apprentice was not human.
An alchemist traveling around with a nonhuman, though, would certainly not be surprised to find Tanya on the mountain and would likely help her.
"Since the angel has wings, it's weak against cats."
Tanya and her bright smile aside, Lawrence was fascinated by this carving of the girl. It went without saying that the quality of the carving was fantastic, but there was also an air about her, one that was not simple attractiveness but one where he could feel the happiness of the model coming through the static image.
A human alchemist traveling with a nonhuman.
That being said, a cat carved here to contain the angel and its bird wings sounded like a rather contrived reason, if anything.
Lawrence quickly felt the excitement that visited him earlier after hearing stories about the angel starting to cool. It was likely made up that this disk was the gate and the angel was behind it.
That was because he knew of a simpler reason as to why the alchemist would carve the portrait of a cat avatar whom he called his top apprentice.
"So is the angel beneath this? Is it not an insect?" Holo asked in obvious disgust, digging her claws into the ground where the disk had lay. She had absently flipped over countless stones in search of a place to sit when they lit the campfire, giving a cute squeal each time she did so. It was not because she was a city girl who hated bugs, of course, but because she did not want fleas and mites to infest her tail.
"No...It's not in the ground. This is it, the gate."
"Hmm?"
"You hear it a lot in ancient pagan tales. They say if you hang up a well-polished bronze mirror, it can act as a window to the world of the gods and stuff like that," Lawrence said, then looked to Tanya. "Miss Tanya, have you been watching over the gate this whole time?"
"Yes. I polish it every day, and..."
She quietly placed the disk down, stuck her hand in the crack of a nearby rock, and produced a well-worn, ragged hemp sack. Inside were all sorts of hammers and chisels.
"I keep his top apprentice looking clean, since she makes sure the angel will never get out, and recently I've started adding flower designs along the edges."
Now that she had mentioned it, Lawrence realized that the reason the girl carved into the disk seemed so brilliant was because of the flower patterns that surrounded her. The ornamentation itself was remarkably delicate, something the impatient Holo would give up on after a day's attempts.
At the same time, two more points clicked together in Lawrence's head.
It was one of the legends that still haunted this mountain.
The clang, clang of ghosts still mining for metal that echoed throughout the mountain night after night.
"Could it be that you work on that mostly at night, then?"
"Yes. I wouldn't want humans to see me, of course."
Tanya spoke with such pride, and Lawrence looked toward Holo.
Holo huffed in exasperation.
"In that case, Miss Tanya, does that mean you don't know how to open the gate?"
"Yes, that's true. But when the master was teaching me how to chisel, he said he would surely come again to teach me. Until then, I'm to maintain the gate and keep planting trees on the mountain."
The chisels Tanya held in hand were considerably worn. The hemp sack, also likely given to her by the alchemist, had decayed so much that it barely functioned as a receptacle.
According to what he heard at the inn, and to the records of the bell casting that Elsa had found in the cathedral, Tanya must have met the alchemist some fifty or sixty years ago.
A human's life was not that long. So long as the alchemist had not obtained the legendary philosopher's stone and the perennial youth and long life said to come with it, he would certainly never return to the mountain again.


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

Input:
"Yes. His top apprentice takes the form of a human, but like me, she is not human. She's a cat who came from the very far south where there's nothing but sand."
"Oh?"
Holo's interest was piqued when she heard the apprentice was not human.
An alchemist traveling around with a nonhuman, though, would certainly not be surprised to find Tanya on the mountain and would likely help her.
"Since the angel has wings, it's weak against cats."
Tanya and her bright smile aside, Lawrence was fascinated by this carving of the girl. It went without saying that the quality of the carving was fantastic, but there was also an air about her, one that was not simple attractiveness but one where he could feel the happiness of the model coming through the static image.
A human alchemist traveling with a nonhuman.
That being said, a cat carved here to contain the angel and its bird wings sounded like a rather contrived reason, if anything.
Lawrence quickly felt the excitement that visited him earlier after hearing stories about the angel starting to cool. It was likely made up that this disk was the gate and the angel was behind it.
That was because he knew of a simpler reason as to why the alchemist would carve the portrait of a cat avatar whom he called his top apprentice.
"So is the angel beneath this? Is it not an insect?" Holo asked in obvious disgust, digging her claws into the ground where the disk had lay. She had absently flipped over countless stones in search of a place to sit when they lit the campfire, giving a cute squeal each time she did so. It was not because she was a city girl who hated bugs, of course, but because she did not want fleas and mites to infest her tail.
"No...It's not in the ground. This is it, the gate."
"Hmm?"
"You hear it a lot in ancient pagan tales. They say if you hang up a well-polished bronze mirror, it can act as a window to the world of the gods and stuff like that," Lawrence said, then looked to Tanya. "Miss Tanya, have you been watching over the gate this whole time?"
"Yes. I polish it every day, and..."
She quietly placed the disk down, stuck her hand in the crack of a nearby rock, and produced a well-worn, ragged hemp sack. Inside were all sorts of hammers and chisels.
"I keep his top apprentice looking clean, since she makes sure the angel will never get out, and recently I've started adding flower designs along the edges."
Now that she had mentioned it, Lawrence realized that the reason the girl carved into the disk seemed so brilliant was because of the flower patterns that surrounded her. The ornamentation itself was remarkably delicate, something the impatient Holo would give up on after a day's attempts.
At the same time, two more points clicked together in Lawrence's head.
It was one of the legends that still haunted this mountain.
The clang, clang of ghosts still mining for metal that echoed throughout the mountain night after night.
"Could it be that you work on that mostly at night, then?"
"Yes. I wouldn't want humans to see me, of course."
Tanya spoke with such pride, and Lawrence looked toward Holo.
Holo huffed in exasperation.
"In that case, Miss Tanya, does that mean you don't know how to open the gate?"
"Yes, that's true. But when the master was teaching me how to chisel, he said he would surely come again to teach me. Until then, I'm to maintain the gate and keep planting trees on the mountain."
The chisels Tanya held in hand were considerably worn. The hemp sack, also likely given to her by the alchemist, had decayed so much that it barely functioned as a receptacle.
According to what he heard at the inn, and to the records of the bell casting that Elsa had found in the cathedral, Tanya must have met the alchemist some fifty or sixty years ago.
A human's life was not that long. So long as the alchemist had not obtained the legendary philosopher's stone and the perennial youth and long life said to come with it, he would certainly never return to the mountain again.

Output:
Not only was he in Holo's presence, but he did not want to take Tanya's smile away, either.
"The flower decorations are lovely; I'm sure your master will compliment you on them."
When Lawrence said that, Tanya's tail stood in delight, and she bounced in place.
Tanya still had much more to share with them, but what they quickly discovered was that Tanya had not learned much in detail from the alchemists. Additionally, the disk was not much more than a lump of metal, and it was unlikely there was some sort of mysterious trick behind it.
As Lawrence sat and watched Tanya chisel away, Holo sniffed the area but reported that she did not find anything in the end. It was unlikely that there was a fallen angel of any sort secreted away somewhere on the mountain.
And so Lawrence and Holo waited for the sun to set before going down the mountain.
Tanya accompanied the both of them to the foot of the mountain to see them off and gave them a basket, woven from tree bark, overflowing with acorns as a souvenir. Lawrence almost laughed at how fairy tale–like it was, but she had meant for it to be a little gesture of thanks, leaving them to care for the mountain.
As he watched her return to the mountain alone in the dark of night, he felt a pang in his chest.
Since before Lawrence was born, before even his grandfather's day, Tanya had lived alone in the mountain.
But while she waited and waited for the return of the alchemist she respected and called her master, she and the mountain were left to the whims of the passing of time.
"Dear," Holo called to Lawrence as they quietly dashed through the woods at the base of the mountain.
"What is it?" Lawrence asked in return, but Holo said nothing, and he felt no need to follow up. It had been a long time since they had been married, and even though Holo called him dull, Lawrence knew how she felt.
She wanted to let Tanya stay on the mountain, quietly waiting for the alchemist to return, for as long as possible.
Holo need not say anything, because that was what he intended to try to ensure.
"A squirrel avatar?"
When they returned to the cathedral, Elsa treated them to some bread she had baked earlier in the day.
When she saw the mountain of acorns Lawrence had brought back, she had mentioned that they could save some food money by grinding them into a powder and mixing it into bread, which made Holo shudder. Even a wolf would recoil from the awful taste of acorn bread.
"I see. So that is what's been happening on the mountain," Elsa said quietly once she was finished listening to Lawrence's report. "While that gives me a better grasp of who the figures in the mural are...the mystery of the bell remains unsolved."
Holo munched on her bread, defiantly swallowed it, then said, "What do you plan to do with the mountain?"
The glint in her eye was different from the usual competitive streak she had with Elsa.
Even though she seemed angry, there was something hiding behind that sharp expression.
It was concern over the fate of those who had lived in the era when the moon and the forests held primacy, who lost their homes when the human world cast the light of modern times onto them—something she had seen over and over.
"I never noticed the existence of that land...Would it satisfy you if I continued to pretend to act as such?"
They were in the reception dining hall of the empty cathedral. In a corner of the unnecessarily long dining table, Lawrence and the other two sat having their meal. There was a glass bowl filled with water sitting on the table; the light from the candle that floated in it, illuminating the entire bowl, was surprisingly bright.
Yet, when none of them spoke, the silence was unbearably heavy for how dazzling it was.
As Lawrence stared at the glittering bowl, he said, "Even if you return to your village pretending not to notice it, that doesn't mean the mountain will suddenly vanish. Sooner or later, someone will take up the matter again."