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

Input:
However, this was an army on the march with possibility hanging over them that an enormous enemy might assault them from the rear at any moment. Furthermore, Lawrence himself was nothing more than extra baggage. Rather, it was Hilde, who had created this circumstance, who deserved all the credit for the brilliance of his strategy. That was why, even as Hilde slept within the wicker cage, that cage had been moved from Lawrence's wagon bed to one of the mercenary wagons that carried their equipment and supplies.
Having no feel for the land, Lawrence could not function as a guide, of course; neither could he work in tandem with the mercenaries. Furthermore, Lawrence's horse-drawn wagon was fundamentally unsuited to traveling along mountain roads, and snow-covered roads all the more so; there was no small chance of the wagon wheels getting stuck.
Though the same went for the wagons belonging to the mercenary company, Lawrence's baggage was for his own benefit and had little to do with the mercenaries themselves.
Neither Luward nor Moizi had shown any sign of displeasure whatsoever, but the same did not go for their subordinates.
Getting someone to help a person get a stuck wagon wheel out of the snow was no different than finding a needle in a haystack.
Besides, Lawrence had other reasons for his mood not lightening the entire time. Luward and Moizi had clearly anticipated it when they had looked at the spread-out map.
Even as a person thought, If we're lucky, the season will soon be over, one also thought, Isn't it time already? Won't it ever change?, and so on. And thanks to a single sentence thrown their way, the predeparture nighttime meal was long exhausted, with the time now reaching the beloved hour of breakfast.
The slope suddenly increased, the road narrowed, and the horse-drawn wagon was no longer able to progress. At Moizi's command, the mercenary group's baggage was brought down from its wagons, and the horse-drawn wagons were overturned on the spot. Experienced hands removed the wheels of the wagons with sleds installed in their stead. Such equipment was natural for those considering marching an army through the winter. However, Lawrence's horse-drawn weapon was not so well made as to have such tricks in store.
Though it was not a cheap thing, either.
Not having had the courage to sit on the wagon bed on this winter road from the start, Lawrence had been walking ahead of his horse, leading it by the reins the whole time, but thanks to that, now that they were stopped his sweat was rapidly cooling his body.
Even so, the chill he felt that moment was not because of the cold. It was because Moizi came rushing over during a pause between giving orders.
"Mr. Lawrence."
It was not unusual for a mercenary on the march to bear a grim face.
However, to a merchant's eyes, accustomed to reading the expressions on people's faces, Lawrence could clearly see that he had come to say something unpalatable.
"The wagon, you mean?"
So, when Lawrence said it first, Moizi looked at Lawrence with earnest eyes, his expression not softening one fragment as he nodded. "It must be a difficult decision for a merchant."
Abandon your wagon, in other words.
For the independent selling everything save his life for the sake of money, buying one was the fulfillment of a fond wish. The assets Lawrence had amassed for several years that had ridden with him served as proof that he was a proper traveling merchant.
The odds of losing it during his travels had not been low. There were times when his wagon wheels had been stuck in the mud while traveling alone, and he wondered if it was all over. Even so, right now the wagon wheels were neither stuck in snow nor broken.
But to advance any farther, it had to be abandoned.
"I knew this was coming."
Lawrence managed to smile, stoutly waving it off.
It was much harder than walking away from the deposit he had paid for the store.

Output:
And he raised his hand to call someone, giving orders to switch the baggage onto the horse, and what could not be loaded moved to the company's sleds.
"Then, let us be off," said Moizi.
Just like that, it was over.
The switch from wheels to skids ended shortly after. Time was precious, and the road was long.
Without pausing for breath, the mercenaries resumed their advance.
Illuminated by torchlight, the snow-packed road made an eerie white glimmer.
When Lawrence turned around, his wagon stood silent atop the white road.
It was not that anything was getting any worse at this point.
It was just that, to a traveling merchant such as himself, the sense of loss was like leaving part of himself behind.
Perhaps it would have been a bit easier with Holo there, but he did not know when the rendezvous would take place.
If things went poorly, it was possible Lawrence would be discarded on the side of the road, just like his wagon. It was not impossible at all that it might come to battle.
As his wagon vanished into the darkness, it remained in the back of his mind like an ill omen.
Afterward, they advanced across a number of roads, arriving at a small unoccupied traveler's lodge.
They rested to change shifts, and finally, dawn broke.
It was not the morning sun that Luward had yearned for, but a thinly clouded dawn instead.
They said it would take three to four days to reach Svernel. Though the distance was not so great, moving a large number of people over snowy mountain roads made for slow movement by its nature. However, as the same would be true for any pursuer, when Luward and Moizi had spoken about coming affairs, they had no concerns with the speed of their advance.
More than that, since Hilde's stratagem had driven Luward and his men into the narrow mountain roads by denying them any other choice, what they needed to think of above all else was what to do once they emerged from the mountain roads.
"The first thing that stands out is that Svernel holds a strategic position in the northlands."
It was when they were emerging from their first rest break at a small lodge for merchants that warded off the cold, something ever present wherever in snowy regions.
Inside the tent where crucial decisions were to be made concerning their advance, Moizi was the first to speak.
"However, I have my doubts as to whether any proper military strength can be raised there."
"In other words, even including us won't change the situation by much."
The reason Moizi did not reply was not because there was any room for uncertainty in what was said. It was because as Luward's eyes gazed at the spread-out map, he could confirm it with his own eyes.
"There are the letters Mr. Lawrence received, but..."
With that said, Lawrence looked over the letters spread out to the side of the map. They were written by Hilde's own hand and bore the stamp of the Debau Company. The text was concise and precise, giving the reader the strong impression that the writer was highly capable.
However, the smudged characters, from not having given the ink time to dry, made it plain to any observer they had been penned in haste. Furthermore, despite the gravity of their contents, the letters had not been sealed with wax.
"How about heading north from Svernel and requesting the cooperation of the former lord?"
"Klaus von Havlish the Third, you say. Certainly he has not cooperated with the Debau Company whatsoever, but I would not call him part of the rebel faction."
"What's his disposition?"
As Luward asked, Moizi spent a while in silence, stroking his beard.
"I have heard no rumors of valor concerning him. His territory must be fairly broad. He controls a number of roads that reach the north side of the mountain range. To head farther north from Svernel, using one such road is inevitable. Meaning trade to the north side of the mountain range cannot occur without passing through Havlish's lands. The same stands if the Debau Company went there in search of new mining sites."


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

Input:
And he raised his hand to call someone, giving orders to switch the baggage onto the horse, and what could not be loaded moved to the company's sleds.
"Then, let us be off," said Moizi.
Just like that, it was over.
The switch from wheels to skids ended shortly after. Time was precious, and the road was long.
Without pausing for breath, the mercenaries resumed their advance.
Illuminated by torchlight, the snow-packed road made an eerie white glimmer.
When Lawrence turned around, his wagon stood silent atop the white road.
It was not that anything was getting any worse at this point.
It was just that, to a traveling merchant such as himself, the sense of loss was like leaving part of himself behind.
Perhaps it would have been a bit easier with Holo there, but he did not know when the rendezvous would take place.
If things went poorly, it was possible Lawrence would be discarded on the side of the road, just like his wagon. It was not impossible at all that it might come to battle.
As his wagon vanished into the darkness, it remained in the back of his mind like an ill omen.
Afterward, they advanced across a number of roads, arriving at a small unoccupied traveler's lodge.
They rested to change shifts, and finally, dawn broke.
It was not the morning sun that Luward had yearned for, but a thinly clouded dawn instead.
They said it would take three to four days to reach Svernel. Though the distance was not so great, moving a large number of people over snowy mountain roads made for slow movement by its nature. However, as the same would be true for any pursuer, when Luward and Moizi had spoken about coming affairs, they had no concerns with the speed of their advance.
More than that, since Hilde's stratagem had driven Luward and his men into the narrow mountain roads by denying them any other choice, what they needed to think of above all else was what to do once they emerged from the mountain roads.
"The first thing that stands out is that Svernel holds a strategic position in the northlands."
It was when they were emerging from their first rest break at a small lodge for merchants that warded off the cold, something ever present wherever in snowy regions.
Inside the tent where crucial decisions were to be made concerning their advance, Moizi was the first to speak.
"However, I have my doubts as to whether any proper military strength can be raised there."
"In other words, even including us won't change the situation by much."
The reason Moizi did not reply was not because there was any room for uncertainty in what was said. It was because as Luward's eyes gazed at the spread-out map, he could confirm it with his own eyes.
"There are the letters Mr. Lawrence received, but..."
With that said, Lawrence looked over the letters spread out to the side of the map. They were written by Hilde's own hand and bore the stamp of the Debau Company. The text was concise and precise, giving the reader the strong impression that the writer was highly capable.
However, the smudged characters, from not having given the ink time to dry, made it plain to any observer they had been penned in haste. Furthermore, despite the gravity of their contents, the letters had not been sealed with wax.
"How about heading north from Svernel and requesting the cooperation of the former lord?"
"Klaus von Havlish the Third, you say. Certainly he has not cooperated with the Debau Company whatsoever, but I would not call him part of the rebel faction."
"What's his disposition?"
As Luward asked, Moizi spent a while in silence, stroking his beard.
"I have heard no rumors of valor concerning him. His territory must be fairly broad. He controls a number of roads that reach the north side of the mountain range. To head farther north from Svernel, using one such road is inevitable. Meaning trade to the north side of the mountain range cannot occur without passing through Havlish's lands. The same stands if the Debau Company went there in search of new mining sites."

Output:
"Most likely. Surely the man surviving to this point is a simple matter of geography. The present lord aside, his ancestors were probably benevolent."
"We can't rely on him, then," Luward said with a groan.
Dawn had broken, but the direction of the wind made for snowy weather.
With clouds in the sky, the day would be short. In that meaning as well, they had no time to think deeply about the matter.
"So, we really don't have any sane choice other than to enter the town of Svernel. But..." Luward sighed as he spoke. "We can't escape any farther north. Am I right?"
"Yes. The food stores cannot take it. If we slip past Svernel, there are only run-down villages along the way to the next proper town. Even if they 'cooperate,' I am doubtful we can live off it."
Even if they consumed a village's food like a plague of locusts, a run-down hamlet's food stores had limits. And it was the coldest part of winter.
The first customer Lawrence ever gained as a traveling merchant was from such a village, forsaken by other traveling merchants. That was why he was painfully aware of the condition of such a place in the deep of winter.
Even if Luward and his men did go to one, it would without doubt lead to the complete destruction of the village.
"It's perfect. The hole we've been driven into has a dead end." The wounds seemed very fresh as Luward spelled it out.
However, this was certainly not some special kind of wisdom that came exclusively to those being pursued.
There was one other reason why Hilde's strategy was so remarkable.
And this was the preeminent reason why Lawrence, a mere traveling merchant, was part of this meeting.
"So, when do you think Miss Holo will rendezvous with us?" Luward spoke while his gaze remained down upon the map.
Holo's existence was akin to what the joker was to card games. The lone trump card capable of felling even an emperor.
"She expected to return to Lesko today or tomorrow at earliest."
But it was scarcely possible every last thing had gone according to plan.
"Once she arrives in Lesko, she'll realize the Debau Company has been taken over. I wonder what she'll do after that? Look for us, probably."
Lawrence wanted to praise Hilde for having seemingly taken truly everything into account while making preparations.
"He referred to this possibility when handing me the letter at the inn. It seemed he'd always planned to go to Svernel should anything happen. Mr. Hilde apparently worked it out with his companion who headed to Kieschen with Holo."
"In other words..."
Luward took in a large breath, his body seemingly growing as large as a bear's.
Apparently, clearing the air required chilling his insides first.
"...He instigated all this to get his paws on military might."
Neither Luward nor his men had actually seen Holo in her wolf form. However, the legends that told of Holo that Lawrence had heard here and there hardly did her justice.
"If you're thrown into battle empty-handed, all you think of is running away. But if you have a weapon in your hands, even a small one, you can show a lot of bravery, even in a reckless situation. That is why you tie a spear to the hands of new recruits for their first battle but...who knew the same could be done to us."
"I'm sorry, but can we really trust Miss Holo so far?"
Flattery was not the job of a strategist.
At Moizi's misgivings, Luward raised an eyebrow as his chin twitched. "That's what has Mr. Lawrence so calm, isn't it?"
Those were by no means words of praise.
But it was the truth.
"...Yes. If Holo can rendezvous with us, certainly that would mean great military strength. However—"
Holo had no intention of doing battle.
Luward interrupted Lawrence with a wave of his hand. "You can save the rest. What I want now are facts."
He had been brushed off. It twisted his gut how he could be a traveling merchant and still be treated as less than a person.
"So Svernel really has to be our objective."


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

Input:
"Most likely. Surely the man surviving to this point is a simple matter of geography. The present lord aside, his ancestors were probably benevolent."
"We can't rely on him, then," Luward said with a groan.
Dawn had broken, but the direction of the wind made for snowy weather.
With clouds in the sky, the day would be short. In that meaning as well, they had no time to think deeply about the matter.
"So, we really don't have any sane choice other than to enter the town of Svernel. But..." Luward sighed as he spoke. "We can't escape any farther north. Am I right?"
"Yes. The food stores cannot take it. If we slip past Svernel, there are only run-down villages along the way to the next proper town. Even if they 'cooperate,' I am doubtful we can live off it."
Even if they consumed a village's food like a plague of locusts, a run-down hamlet's food stores had limits. And it was the coldest part of winter.
The first customer Lawrence ever gained as a traveling merchant was from such a village, forsaken by other traveling merchants. That was why he was painfully aware of the condition of such a place in the deep of winter.
Even if Luward and his men did go to one, it would without doubt lead to the complete destruction of the village.
"It's perfect. The hole we've been driven into has a dead end." The wounds seemed very fresh as Luward spelled it out.
However, this was certainly not some special kind of wisdom that came exclusively to those being pursued.
There was one other reason why Hilde's strategy was so remarkable.
And this was the preeminent reason why Lawrence, a mere traveling merchant, was part of this meeting.
"So, when do you think Miss Holo will rendezvous with us?" Luward spoke while his gaze remained down upon the map.
Holo's existence was akin to what the joker was to card games. The lone trump card capable of felling even an emperor.
"She expected to return to Lesko today or tomorrow at earliest."
But it was scarcely possible every last thing had gone according to plan.
"Once she arrives in Lesko, she'll realize the Debau Company has been taken over. I wonder what she'll do after that? Look for us, probably."
Lawrence wanted to praise Hilde for having seemingly taken truly everything into account while making preparations.
"He referred to this possibility when handing me the letter at the inn. It seemed he'd always planned to go to Svernel should anything happen. Mr. Hilde apparently worked it out with his companion who headed to Kieschen with Holo."
"In other words..."
Luward took in a large breath, his body seemingly growing as large as a bear's.
Apparently, clearing the air required chilling his insides first.
"...He instigated all this to get his paws on military might."
Neither Luward nor his men had actually seen Holo in her wolf form. However, the legends that told of Holo that Lawrence had heard here and there hardly did her justice.
"If you're thrown into battle empty-handed, all you think of is running away. But if you have a weapon in your hands, even a small one, you can show a lot of bravery, even in a reckless situation. That is why you tie a spear to the hands of new recruits for their first battle but...who knew the same could be done to us."
"I'm sorry, but can we really trust Miss Holo so far?"
Flattery was not the job of a strategist.
At Moizi's misgivings, Luward raised an eyebrow as his chin twitched. "That's what has Mr. Lawrence so calm, isn't it?"
Those were by no means words of praise.
But it was the truth.
"...Yes. If Holo can rendezvous with us, certainly that would mean great military strength. However—"
Holo had no intention of doing battle.
Luward interrupted Lawrence with a wave of his hand. "You can save the rest. What I want now are facts."
He had been brushed off. It twisted his gut how he could be a traveling merchant and still be treated as less than a person.
"So Svernel really has to be our objective."

Output:
In the first place, in the event of war, Luward and Moizi had planned to make money off those fleeing toward the outskirts of Yoitsu. This was also for the purpose of preventing the wounded and fleeing from heading to Yoitsu and threatening the livelihoods of those who dwelled in the villages there.
By that thinking, for the Myuri Mercenary Company to deliberately head to Svernel, premised on the thought of joining the rebellion there, was a bad joke indeed.
But Luward was not some mere beaten dog driven into a corner by a hare.
As he gazed at the map, he added, with a lighthearted tone such as one would use to say, Let's go have a drink...
"I mean, all we have to do is rob enough food and run."
Lawrence had let it slip from the forefront of mind, but these were mercenaries.
"All right, forward march!" shouted Luward.
They were reliable men, but they lived in a different world.
Right now, there was no wisewolf beside him. He would have liked to hear her make a small chuckle at the foolishness of humans.
Hilde awoke sometime after they took breakfast and set out.
Anyone would have found the head of a marching army and his strategist taking care of a hare to be odd—and people ignorant of Hilde's true nature all the more so.
In the end, the plate came around to Lawrence once more.
"Fatten him up well," said the mercenary with a laugh, handing Lawrence the wicker cage that held Hilde.
Not that Luward or Moizi had said it, but rumors steadily broadened to the effect a merchant's scheme had forced Luward and his men to head to Svernel. So it was easy for them to identify who was responsible.
The mercenaries around Lawrence did not come close, opening the distance both in front and behind him. At this range, should any sign of betrayal present itself, he could be instantly slain in a wall of spears.
It was a bitter pill to swallow.
Even though Hilde had awoken, he did not carelessly raise his voice, carefully assessing the situation instead.
"We can speak a little."
As Lawrence spoke, he brought a damp cloth near Hilde's lips. After taking a sniff, Hilde took the moisture into his mouth, clumsily drinking with a radiant twinkle in his eyes.
"...To Svernel?"
It was a curt question.
And with those two words, Lawrence was certain that Hilde's earlier question had been a complete and utter fabrication.
"Just as you planned."
The least Lawrence could do was to answer with rancor. His words made Hilde hold his breath for a moment and then slowly exhale. Lawrence brought the cloth close to his lips once more; Hilde drank more steadily than earlier.
"Right now...where are we?"
The murmur of his voice was by no means restraint on his part. From the luster of his coat, he truly did not have the energy for more.
"We entered the mountain passes and left a small mountain lodge this morning. Right now, I see two mountains to the east and one mountain to the north."
If he had a sense of geography, that would surely suffice. Hilde nodded. "And Miss Holo?"
Then, that question. Everyone was depending on Holo. The tightening in his chest every time it came up might have been him feeling responsible he could not shoulder burdens as heavy as Holo, or perhaps it was simple jealousy.
Probably both, he thought.
"Not yet. However, if she returns to Lesko, you said you'd planned to head to Svernel, yes?"
"...Yes. There are...limited routes between both places. My flying companion will likely find us immediately..."
Humans were limited to land and sea, but the sky was for birds alone. Lawrence did not bother to nod as he pulled out some bread with a rustle, showing it to Hilde. "Food?"
"...I am unsure if I can hold it down."
"Let's moisten it, then."
Lawrence had taken care of numerous weakened animals in his travels as a merchant. He had even pulverized wheat or beans, added hot water, and packed the paste into their mouths, forcibly if necessary.
But since Hilde could understand speech, there was no need to force his mouth open.


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

Input:
In the first place, in the event of war, Luward and Moizi had planned to make money off those fleeing toward the outskirts of Yoitsu. This was also for the purpose of preventing the wounded and fleeing from heading to Yoitsu and threatening the livelihoods of those who dwelled in the villages there.
By that thinking, for the Myuri Mercenary Company to deliberately head to Svernel, premised on the thought of joining the rebellion there, was a bad joke indeed.
But Luward was not some mere beaten dog driven into a corner by a hare.
As he gazed at the map, he added, with a lighthearted tone such as one would use to say, Let's go have a drink...
"I mean, all we have to do is rob enough food and run."
Lawrence had let it slip from the forefront of mind, but these were mercenaries.
"All right, forward march!" shouted Luward.
They were reliable men, but they lived in a different world.
Right now, there was no wisewolf beside him. He would have liked to hear her make a small chuckle at the foolishness of humans.
Hilde awoke sometime after they took breakfast and set out.
Anyone would have found the head of a marching army and his strategist taking care of a hare to be odd—and people ignorant of Hilde's true nature all the more so.
In the end, the plate came around to Lawrence once more.
"Fatten him up well," said the mercenary with a laugh, handing Lawrence the wicker cage that held Hilde.
Not that Luward or Moizi had said it, but rumors steadily broadened to the effect a merchant's scheme had forced Luward and his men to head to Svernel. So it was easy for them to identify who was responsible.
The mercenaries around Lawrence did not come close, opening the distance both in front and behind him. At this range, should any sign of betrayal present itself, he could be instantly slain in a wall of spears.
It was a bitter pill to swallow.
Even though Hilde had awoken, he did not carelessly raise his voice, carefully assessing the situation instead.
"We can speak a little."
As Lawrence spoke, he brought a damp cloth near Hilde's lips. After taking a sniff, Hilde took the moisture into his mouth, clumsily drinking with a radiant twinkle in his eyes.
"...To Svernel?"
It was a curt question.
And with those two words, Lawrence was certain that Hilde's earlier question had been a complete and utter fabrication.
"Just as you planned."
The least Lawrence could do was to answer with rancor. His words made Hilde hold his breath for a moment and then slowly exhale. Lawrence brought the cloth close to his lips once more; Hilde drank more steadily than earlier.
"Right now...where are we?"
The murmur of his voice was by no means restraint on his part. From the luster of his coat, he truly did not have the energy for more.
"We entered the mountain passes and left a small mountain lodge this morning. Right now, I see two mountains to the east and one mountain to the north."
If he had a sense of geography, that would surely suffice. Hilde nodded. "And Miss Holo?"
Then, that question. Everyone was depending on Holo. The tightening in his chest every time it came up might have been him feeling responsible he could not shoulder burdens as heavy as Holo, or perhaps it was simple jealousy.
Probably both, he thought.
"Not yet. However, if she returns to Lesko, you said you'd planned to head to Svernel, yes?"
"...Yes. There are...limited routes between both places. My flying companion will likely find us immediately..."
Humans were limited to land and sea, but the sky was for birds alone. Lawrence did not bother to nod as he pulled out some bread with a rustle, showing it to Hilde. "Food?"
"...I am unsure if I can hold it down."
"Let's moisten it, then."
Lawrence had taken care of numerous weakened animals in his travels as a merchant. He had even pulverized wheat or beans, added hot water, and packed the paste into their mouths, forcibly if necessary.
But since Hilde could understand speech, there was no need to force his mouth open.

Output:
Lawrence seemingly smeared the moistened bread on Hilde's mouth to put it in, dripping the water in the cloth down to his lips. Hilde's eyes narrowed. It seemed hard for him, but he finally swallowed it down. After repeating this a few more times, Hilde listlessly shook his head side to side. "...Pathetic."
"Hm?"
"For me...to end up like this..." Hilde's feeble-sounding voice brought a strained smile to Lawrence.
It was certainly not a smile of unnecessary sympathy for the wounded.
No, it was a smile directed at himself.
"With a single utterance, you bound Mr. Luward's thoughts to your own will. You've amassed a great fortune and left everyone guessing whether you'll move left or right. And now you want even more?"
Hilde kept Lawrence in the corner of his eye. There was an unfathomable prudence in his eyes. Even in his weakened state, his eyes betrayed no hint of emotion. Within his heavy ingenuity and intellect lay a deep sense of caution.
"True...if one desires too much, one will fail."
"Like your enemy."
At Lawrence's words, Hilde closed his eyes and made a painful-sounding laugh.
"Pursuit?"
"None at the moment. But if it comes, we should hear of it from the lookouts today or tomorrow."
It would come. The addition of one small mercenary band to the enemy could be dismissed as trivial. While that might be so, right about now the town had to be in an uproar at Hilde's disappearance. One could call it human nature to put two and two together.
It was hard to believe a person such as Hilde would be ignored.
"Right now, you should sleep. I may be envious, but you are a splendid merchant. I think, when the time comes, your wisdom will prove very valuable, far more than that of a mere traveling merchant like myself."
He could only admire Hilde for deploying a strategy Lawrence could not even grasp the whole splendor of. Furthermore, he had Luward, the leader of an army on the march, in his grasp, and Lawrence himself had become akin to a hostage left alive because he was on such good terms with Holo.
Those thoughts brought out the words he used to flail himself.
Even if a merchant was resigned to licking the boots of the other party, if he became servile, he lost. But knowing that did not mean one could do anything about it.
"...I shall do as you advise," Hilde said after staring at Lawrence for a while. His eyes did not scoff at the servile Lawrence. Hilde had no reason to do so, for he was an excellent merchant.
As Hilde closed his eyes, Lawrence covered his body with a blanket. If he wore a face like this when reuniting with Holo, she would give his backside a good hard kick, he thought.
Something in his head slackened. The situation—with Hilde's greatness right before his eyes, Luward and his men seeing him as only a traveling merchant, and everyone around him depending solely on Holo—might have put him in a bit of a sulky mood.
It was foolish, he thought. Perhaps having spent so much time with Holo had given him notions about being a wolf himself. Lawrence smiled at his own absurdity as he walked in the center of the silent mercenaries.
He then realized it had been a very long time since he had walked in silence. My journeys were always like this before I met Holo, he thought with fresh wonder. Furthermore, he could barely remember what it felt like back then. Lawrence was amazed with himself at how much he had taken traveling with Holo for granted.
They climbed a plateau, crossed a frozen swamp, and walked on deer and hare tracks as they moved forward. It was already past noon as they made a rapid pace toward the horizon, as if fleeing from the cold.
When he raised his head, thinking this was about when Holo would be asking what they were having for supper, the mercenaries around him raised their heads as well, as if waking up. Perhaps it was the coincidence that made Lawrence expect to see Holo there when the mercenaries all looked back together.


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

Input:
Lawrence seemingly smeared the moistened bread on Hilde's mouth to put it in, dripping the water in the cloth down to his lips. Hilde's eyes narrowed. It seemed hard for him, but he finally swallowed it down. After repeating this a few more times, Hilde listlessly shook his head side to side. "...Pathetic."
"Hm?"
"For me...to end up like this..." Hilde's feeble-sounding voice brought a strained smile to Lawrence.
It was certainly not a smile of unnecessary sympathy for the wounded.
No, it was a smile directed at himself.
"With a single utterance, you bound Mr. Luward's thoughts to your own will. You've amassed a great fortune and left everyone guessing whether you'll move left or right. And now you want even more?"
Hilde kept Lawrence in the corner of his eye. There was an unfathomable prudence in his eyes. Even in his weakened state, his eyes betrayed no hint of emotion. Within his heavy ingenuity and intellect lay a deep sense of caution.
"True...if one desires too much, one will fail."
"Like your enemy."
At Lawrence's words, Hilde closed his eyes and made a painful-sounding laugh.
"Pursuit?"
"None at the moment. But if it comes, we should hear of it from the lookouts today or tomorrow."
It would come. The addition of one small mercenary band to the enemy could be dismissed as trivial. While that might be so, right about now the town had to be in an uproar at Hilde's disappearance. One could call it human nature to put two and two together.
It was hard to believe a person such as Hilde would be ignored.
"Right now, you should sleep. I may be envious, but you are a splendid merchant. I think, when the time comes, your wisdom will prove very valuable, far more than that of a mere traveling merchant like myself."
He could only admire Hilde for deploying a strategy Lawrence could not even grasp the whole splendor of. Furthermore, he had Luward, the leader of an army on the march, in his grasp, and Lawrence himself had become akin to a hostage left alive because he was on such good terms with Holo.
Those thoughts brought out the words he used to flail himself.
Even if a merchant was resigned to licking the boots of the other party, if he became servile, he lost. But knowing that did not mean one could do anything about it.
"...I shall do as you advise," Hilde said after staring at Lawrence for a while. His eyes did not scoff at the servile Lawrence. Hilde had no reason to do so, for he was an excellent merchant.
As Hilde closed his eyes, Lawrence covered his body with a blanket. If he wore a face like this when reuniting with Holo, she would give his backside a good hard kick, he thought.
Something in his head slackened. The situation—with Hilde's greatness right before his eyes, Luward and his men seeing him as only a traveling merchant, and everyone around him depending solely on Holo—might have put him in a bit of a sulky mood.
It was foolish, he thought. Perhaps having spent so much time with Holo had given him notions about being a wolf himself. Lawrence smiled at his own absurdity as he walked in the center of the silent mercenaries.
He then realized it had been a very long time since he had walked in silence. My journeys were always like this before I met Holo, he thought with fresh wonder. Furthermore, he could barely remember what it felt like back then. Lawrence was amazed with himself at how much he had taken traveling with Holo for granted.
They climbed a plateau, crossed a frozen swamp, and walked on deer and hare tracks as they moved forward. It was already past noon as they made a rapid pace toward the horizon, as if fleeing from the cold.
When he raised his head, thinking this was about when Holo would be asking what they were having for supper, the mercenaries around him raised their heads as well, as if waking up. Perhaps it was the coincidence that made Lawrence expect to see Holo there when the mercenaries all looked back together.

Output:
When Lawrence finally had to accept she was not coming, he realized that he had fallen for Holo to a truly pathetic degree.
Shortly thereafter, the advance came to a halt and people gathered all around Luward. A report had come that there had indeed been pursuers dispatched from Lesko. There was a faint sense of tension enveloping everything around him.
Then, Luward faced his audience and spoke.
"Just now, I've received word pursuers from Lesko are drawing near us."
There was no murmur among the mercenaries. It was quiet enough to hear a drop of water falling onto the ground as they awaited their leader's next words.
Luward seemed satisfied with that as he spoke grandly.
"Our opponents are roughly three to four times our numbers."
Unsurprisingly, he heard a light inhale of breaths.
However, since they judged themselves to be the most valiant mercenaries of all, they did not falter at all. Fiery looks mixed with caution poured onto Luward in silence.
"Also, besides being well funded, they aren't a bunch of weaklings under the command of the third son of a noble half playing around. Their mountaineering is just as good or better than ours. At the very least, it's a fine opponent to test our valor against."
A fine opponent to test one's valor against. It was like referring to a retreat as advancing in a different direction. Among the mercenaries, small chuckles spread around, along with wondering out loud who the opponent was, with blustering laughter mixed in.
Lawrence had heard that, normally, one belittles their opponent to reduce fear before engaging in battle.
Saying straight up what a dangerous situation might have been to warn them not to let their guard down, but even more than that, to tell them there was nowhere to run.
In these narrow passes, even if they fled into the mountains, this was a barren, snowy place in wintertime. They would freeze or starve to death in no time.
Even a mouse driven into a corner had no choice but to bare its teeth to the cat and fight.
"So, what unit is this anyway?" one of the mercenaries asked, unable to bear the suspense any longer.
Not a single person looked in the direction of that mercenary, their eyes squarely on their leader, Luward, since they were all thinking the same thing.
The mercenary business was a small world.
If one knew who they were facing, they would know his skill level and tactics, too.
Though knowing their opponent did not necessarily improve the situation, there would surely be some measure of relief merely in knowing who they would be fighting.
"You really want to know?"
Luward had such a serious face as he spoke that the mercenaries murmured all around. Even Lawrence held his breath. There were times when knowing was a relief; sometimes, it was better not to know.
Either way, if the pursuers caught up, there would be battle.
But these were vain mercenaries. Another mercenary spoke for the rest of them.
"Who is it?"
As the question was asked, everyone's murmurs truly stopped that instant.
Luward smiled at the silliness as he looked at his feet. He raised his face.
Everyone held their breath.
Luward said this.
"The Hugo Mercenary Company."
Lawrence had heard that name in Lesko. He was sure the man commanding that unit was named Rebonato.
The Debau Company was not taking any chances. Whatever the Myuri Mercenary Company's objective, no matter how small in size, they had sent a force with overwhelming numbers, forged over the course of a hundred battles.
Lawrence clenched his fists.
But the next moment, cheers went up all around.
"Come on! Don't scare us like that, boss!"
"If you'd scared me any more, I'd have pissed my pants!"
A clamor arose from many lips, with protests mixed with laughs as sword and spear were raised.
Lawrence felt like a fairy was tickling his nose. He had no idea why they were suddenly filled with such joy.


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

Input:
When Lawrence finally had to accept she was not coming, he realized that he had fallen for Holo to a truly pathetic degree.
Shortly thereafter, the advance came to a halt and people gathered all around Luward. A report had come that there had indeed been pursuers dispatched from Lesko. There was a faint sense of tension enveloping everything around him.
Then, Luward faced his audience and spoke.
"Just now, I've received word pursuers from Lesko are drawing near us."
There was no murmur among the mercenaries. It was quiet enough to hear a drop of water falling onto the ground as they awaited their leader's next words.
Luward seemed satisfied with that as he spoke grandly.
"Our opponents are roughly three to four times our numbers."
Unsurprisingly, he heard a light inhale of breaths.
However, since they judged themselves to be the most valiant mercenaries of all, they did not falter at all. Fiery looks mixed with caution poured onto Luward in silence.
"Also, besides being well funded, they aren't a bunch of weaklings under the command of the third son of a noble half playing around. Their mountaineering is just as good or better than ours. At the very least, it's a fine opponent to test our valor against."
A fine opponent to test one's valor against. It was like referring to a retreat as advancing in a different direction. Among the mercenaries, small chuckles spread around, along with wondering out loud who the opponent was, with blustering laughter mixed in.
Lawrence had heard that, normally, one belittles their opponent to reduce fear before engaging in battle.
Saying straight up what a dangerous situation might have been to warn them not to let their guard down, but even more than that, to tell them there was nowhere to run.
In these narrow passes, even if they fled into the mountains, this was a barren, snowy place in wintertime. They would freeze or starve to death in no time.
Even a mouse driven into a corner had no choice but to bare its teeth to the cat and fight.
"So, what unit is this anyway?" one of the mercenaries asked, unable to bear the suspense any longer.
Not a single person looked in the direction of that mercenary, their eyes squarely on their leader, Luward, since they were all thinking the same thing.
The mercenary business was a small world.
If one knew who they were facing, they would know his skill level and tactics, too.
Though knowing their opponent did not necessarily improve the situation, there would surely be some measure of relief merely in knowing who they would be fighting.
"You really want to know?"
Luward had such a serious face as he spoke that the mercenaries murmured all around. Even Lawrence held his breath. There were times when knowing was a relief; sometimes, it was better not to know.
Either way, if the pursuers caught up, there would be battle.
But these were vain mercenaries. Another mercenary spoke for the rest of them.
"Who is it?"
As the question was asked, everyone's murmurs truly stopped that instant.
Luward smiled at the silliness as he looked at his feet. He raised his face.
Everyone held their breath.
Luward said this.
"The Hugo Mercenary Company."
Lawrence had heard that name in Lesko. He was sure the man commanding that unit was named Rebonato.
The Debau Company was not taking any chances. Whatever the Myuri Mercenary Company's objective, no matter how small in size, they had sent a force with overwhelming numbers, forged over the course of a hundred battles.
Lawrence clenched his fists.
But the next moment, cheers went up all around.
"Come on! Don't scare us like that, boss!"
"If you'd scared me any more, I'd have pissed my pants!"
A clamor arose from many lips, with protests mixed with laughs as sword and spear were raised.
Lawrence felt like a fairy was tickling his nose. He had no idea why they were suddenly filled with such joy.

Output:
As Luward cheerfully spoke, the mercenaries raised their voices to display their displeasure at the Hugo Mercenary Company and the "fat and stupid" Rebonato who commanded them.
But Lawrence still had no idea what they meant by it.
"Well, let's play along to give him a good excuse at least."
Luward had spoken; the rest was left to Moizi.
"So, that's how it is! Forward march! Walk quickly if you want to sleep under a roof even a day sooner!"
The mercenaries gave Moizi's spirited command a lackluster, halfhearted response.
They were finally dismissed and returned to their previous formation, but the atmosphere had completely changed from just before.
Could they really be that relieved that it was the Hugo Mercenary Company pursuing them?
Perhaps dialogue was an option to begin with? Certainly, Luward and Rebonato were drinking partners and seemed to get along well. But mercenaries that would not switch sides if they were paid enough gold simply did not exist.
When Lawrence returned to his own horse, Hilde's face was peeking out slightly from the wicker cage mounted on the horse's back.
"What is going on?"
The earlier shouts had apparently woken him up.
As the vanguard was setting out without delay, Lawrence went along with the flow and replied, "Pursuit approaches, apparently."
Those words brought neither surprise nor sadness to Hilde. The eyes wordlessly facing Lawrence betrayed nothing.
"Though they don't seem to be worried about it at all..."
Lawrence spoke while taking the wicker cage down from the horse's back, wrapping one arm around it.
Hilde thought about that for a while, seeming to carefully select his words as he replied, "It must be a unit they know well."
Then, he made a sigh of relief. Hilde seemed to know what this, too, meant.
"What do you mean?"
As Lawrence asked his question, Hilde's ears rose a little.
"It is quite simple. Mercenaries are not quite the barbarians the world fears them as; they will not simply do anything for money. In particular, they rarely raise their blades against their own kind."
Lawrence had begun to understand over the last several days that mercenaries were far from mere crazed killers.
However, that did not immediately put him at ease by any means.
"Therefore, the employer's side...has a fair bit of difficulty handling them."
The hare within the wicker cage narrowed his eyes as he laughed.
Lawrence had always seen things from the perspective of those attacked by mercenaries.
In Hilde's case, he was the one hiring them.
"On the battlefield, killing is chiefly the role of knights and thugs hired for short periods. The job of real mercenaries is to capture their opponents alive. That way, they receive ransom for their captives as well. They do not pillage nearby towns or villages any more than necessary. In Lesko...you surely saw how they live. In particular, the good relations the units have with each other."
Certainly, Luward had spent two whole days drunk, seeming to show his face in every corner. He had used letting others know about the Debau Company's issuing a new currency as cover for heavy drinking all night long.
As Lawrence nodded, Hilde made a somewhat exasperated sigh.
"There are people in mercenary companies who have a long history together. Their bonds were born in the course of meeting together on the battlefield many times over. They are a group that dances to its own tune."
"Then..."
"Yes. That is why...one truly hires them not for offensive strength, but as a check upon others.
"Though they are used to pillage towns and villages and lay waste to the countryside, depending on circumstances. Even by mistake, one does not hire mercenaries to pursue other mercenaries, particularly when the two units know each other well. If one did so, it would be...a waste of money."


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

Input:
As Luward cheerfully spoke, the mercenaries raised their voices to display their displeasure at the Hugo Mercenary Company and the "fat and stupid" Rebonato who commanded them.
But Lawrence still had no idea what they meant by it.
"Well, let's play along to give him a good excuse at least."
Luward had spoken; the rest was left to Moizi.
"So, that's how it is! Forward march! Walk quickly if you want to sleep under a roof even a day sooner!"
The mercenaries gave Moizi's spirited command a lackluster, halfhearted response.
They were finally dismissed and returned to their previous formation, but the atmosphere had completely changed from just before.
Could they really be that relieved that it was the Hugo Mercenary Company pursuing them?
Perhaps dialogue was an option to begin with? Certainly, Luward and Rebonato were drinking partners and seemed to get along well. But mercenaries that would not switch sides if they were paid enough gold simply did not exist.
When Lawrence returned to his own horse, Hilde's face was peeking out slightly from the wicker cage mounted on the horse's back.
"What is going on?"
The earlier shouts had apparently woken him up.
As the vanguard was setting out without delay, Lawrence went along with the flow and replied, "Pursuit approaches, apparently."
Those words brought neither surprise nor sadness to Hilde. The eyes wordlessly facing Lawrence betrayed nothing.
"Though they don't seem to be worried about it at all..."
Lawrence spoke while taking the wicker cage down from the horse's back, wrapping one arm around it.
Hilde thought about that for a while, seeming to carefully select his words as he replied, "It must be a unit they know well."
Then, he made a sigh of relief. Hilde seemed to know what this, too, meant.
"What do you mean?"
As Lawrence asked his question, Hilde's ears rose a little.
"It is quite simple. Mercenaries are not quite the barbarians the world fears them as; they will not simply do anything for money. In particular, they rarely raise their blades against their own kind."
Lawrence had begun to understand over the last several days that mercenaries were far from mere crazed killers.
However, that did not immediately put him at ease by any means.
"Therefore, the employer's side...has a fair bit of difficulty handling them."
The hare within the wicker cage narrowed his eyes as he laughed.
Lawrence had always seen things from the perspective of those attacked by mercenaries.
In Hilde's case, he was the one hiring them.
"On the battlefield, killing is chiefly the role of knights and thugs hired for short periods. The job of real mercenaries is to capture their opponents alive. That way, they receive ransom for their captives as well. They do not pillage nearby towns or villages any more than necessary. In Lesko...you surely saw how they live. In particular, the good relations the units have with each other."
Certainly, Luward had spent two whole days drunk, seeming to show his face in every corner. He had used letting others know about the Debau Company's issuing a new currency as cover for heavy drinking all night long.
As Lawrence nodded, Hilde made a somewhat exasperated sigh.
"There are people in mercenary companies who have a long history together. Their bonds were born in the course of meeting together on the battlefield many times over. They are a group that dances to its own tune."
"Then..."
"Yes. That is why...one truly hires them not for offensive strength, but as a check upon others.
"Though they are used to pillage towns and villages and lay waste to the countryside, depending on circumstances. Even by mistake, one does not hire mercenaries to pursue other mercenaries, particularly when the two units know each other well. If one did so, it would be...a waste of money."

Output:
"...All the real authority is probably being held by the lords. My subordinates would never consent to employing money in such a clumsy..." Hilde's mouth stopped mid-sentence.
Then, he made a somewhat embarrassed laugh.
"I should say, the traitors...would not do such a thing."
Lawrence did not know how to react to that. All he really understood was that Hilde truly was a great merchant.
So that was why Luward said Rebonato had done well for himself. He had been paid good money to pursue them without any intention of engaging in real battle whatsoever. Perceiving this, Luward would engage them just enough that they could make excuses to their employer. A fine trade, indeed.
"But with this the state of things, we might just manage." Hilde suddenly spoke.
"Eh?"
"To make that determination, surely...then, even if Miss Holo is absent...or perhaps..."
Within the cage, his head under the blanket, Hilde gazed far into the distance.
He was immersing himself in his thoughts, continually thinking about his next move.
But Lawrence could not follow whatsoever. This was on too grand a scale for him to grasp.
There really was a world known only to those who made great fortunes move.
The time when he wanted to peer into that world, even just a little, had passed.
So he asked, "Would you like to drink some water?"
Hilde finally looked back at Lawrence, stating politely, "I would indeed."
After the following morning, the Myuri Mercenary Company was overtaken by the Hugo Mercenary Company, the pursuers dispatched by the Debau Company.
An envoy from the company brought a demand to surrender and hand Hilde over. They had understood what had happened with Hilde immediately. That Hilde and the mercenaries vanishing during the same night were tied together was not bad thinking on their part.
But whether the demand was for good reason or not, no one ever heard of mercenaries submitting to a demand for surrender.
No one would ever hire mercenaries that surrendered just because the going got rough. Hence, those who sullied their flag through surrender suddenly lost their way. As a result, they vanished from the battlefield.
So the world was full of undefeated mercenary companies.
"Fire!"
In the end, the Debau Company side probably meant to rout the Myuri Mercenary Company for its connection to Hilde regardless; after a declaration of war, battle commenced.
But this was not a direct clash between the mercenaries, but rather, an exchange of arrow fire.
From time to time, arrows poured down like rain. Various soldiers defended themselves with wooden shields while others loosed arrows when the other side was preparing to fire its next volley.
During those intervals, Lawrence and the others advanced; once they had gone ahead a little ways, the archers advanced as well.
So far, there had been only two wounded, and it seemed they had been hit by stray arrows while collecting arrows that had already fallen.
What was hard to believe was how the scale of arrows being traded back and forth required the combined efforts of several towns' worth of craftsmen to make. Though they had been properly maintained, the arrow tips had been blunted from having been fired so many times. That was why one of the two wounded was merely bruised. If not hit in a bad place, even a child probably would not die from such arrows.
Even so, with large men yelling battle cries as they let a great many arrows fly, it would look like a fierce battle to any observer.
From time to time, Lawrence could make out a merchant in the enemy ranks sent by the Debau Company to keep an eye on things, but he was the only one who seemed to have sweaty palms as he meekly observed the battle.
"While remaining in their seats, eminent merchants can move great amounts of goods and people from one place to another. But almost none of them actually see people and things in motion. That the cunning can fool them is not because they're incompetent. It's because they're careless."


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

Input:
"...All the real authority is probably being held by the lords. My subordinates would never consent to employing money in such a clumsy..." Hilde's mouth stopped mid-sentence.
Then, he made a somewhat embarrassed laugh.
"I should say, the traitors...would not do such a thing."
Lawrence did not know how to react to that. All he really understood was that Hilde truly was a great merchant.
So that was why Luward said Rebonato had done well for himself. He had been paid good money to pursue them without any intention of engaging in real battle whatsoever. Perceiving this, Luward would engage them just enough that they could make excuses to their employer. A fine trade, indeed.
"But with this the state of things, we might just manage." Hilde suddenly spoke.
"Eh?"
"To make that determination, surely...then, even if Miss Holo is absent...or perhaps..."
Within the cage, his head under the blanket, Hilde gazed far into the distance.
He was immersing himself in his thoughts, continually thinking about his next move.
But Lawrence could not follow whatsoever. This was on too grand a scale for him to grasp.
There really was a world known only to those who made great fortunes move.
The time when he wanted to peer into that world, even just a little, had passed.
So he asked, "Would you like to drink some water?"
Hilde finally looked back at Lawrence, stating politely, "I would indeed."
After the following morning, the Myuri Mercenary Company was overtaken by the Hugo Mercenary Company, the pursuers dispatched by the Debau Company.
An envoy from the company brought a demand to surrender and hand Hilde over. They had understood what had happened with Hilde immediately. That Hilde and the mercenaries vanishing during the same night were tied together was not bad thinking on their part.
But whether the demand was for good reason or not, no one ever heard of mercenaries submitting to a demand for surrender.
No one would ever hire mercenaries that surrendered just because the going got rough. Hence, those who sullied their flag through surrender suddenly lost their way. As a result, they vanished from the battlefield.
So the world was full of undefeated mercenary companies.
"Fire!"
In the end, the Debau Company side probably meant to rout the Myuri Mercenary Company for its connection to Hilde regardless; after a declaration of war, battle commenced.
But this was not a direct clash between the mercenaries, but rather, an exchange of arrow fire.
From time to time, arrows poured down like rain. Various soldiers defended themselves with wooden shields while others loosed arrows when the other side was preparing to fire its next volley.
During those intervals, Lawrence and the others advanced; once they had gone ahead a little ways, the archers advanced as well.
So far, there had been only two wounded, and it seemed they had been hit by stray arrows while collecting arrows that had already fallen.
What was hard to believe was how the scale of arrows being traded back and forth required the combined efforts of several towns' worth of craftsmen to make. Though they had been properly maintained, the arrow tips had been blunted from having been fired so many times. That was why one of the two wounded was merely bruised. If not hit in a bad place, even a child probably would not die from such arrows.
Even so, with large men yelling battle cries as they let a great many arrows fly, it would look like a fierce battle to any observer.
From time to time, Lawrence could make out a merchant in the enemy ranks sent by the Debau Company to keep an eye on things, but he was the only one who seemed to have sweaty palms as he meekly observed the battle.
"While remaining in their seats, eminent merchants can move great amounts of goods and people from one place to another. But almost none of them actually see people and things in motion. That the cunning can fool them is not because they're incompetent. It's because they're careless."

Output:
Moizi had remained in the rear of the unit, raising his great voice as he took temporary command. However, he returned from time to time to moisten his throat with wine. Surely he had enough leeway to have snacks with his wine, too.
"From Rebonato, we have word he's nicely fooling the overseer, but what do you think?"
"It is surely as he says. This must be that one's first time laying eyes on a battlefield, after all."
Hilde seemed acquainted with the merchant sent to oversee matters. It was clear to a ridiculous extent that all was in the palm of his hand.
"So it's a greenhorn with conventional thinking, huh? He probably takes pride in printing his name in church letters. You okay with this, though?"
Luward was sitting with one leg across his horse's back, resting his cheek upon his palm. In doing so, he looked the part of a veteran mercenary. That was indeed the case, but Hilde seemed even calmer as he replied, "I think it is quite all right for you to look with your own eyes and judge accordingly."
Luward silently looked back at Hilde, but Hilde, who could do nothing but stay put within the wicker cage, seemed almost asleep.
"Well, fine," Luward said with a snort. "As long as Rebonato's well fed, we'll make it to Svernel just fine. Not trying to put your old comrades down here."
"No, surely it was the lords who decided to dispatch troops. I am not praising them out of affinity, but this is not the man they would select were they attacking us in earnest. That is surely why the overseer is so young."
"Because they know how this'll turn out even without coming to see?"
"Yes."
As they were well aware they were both in the palm of the other's hand, each was rather calm about it.
One was the one who flattered; the other was the one who was flattered. A person would think if they had the time for this, they could use it for more constructive thoughts, but instead they were shooting the breeze.
Both legitimately excellent men, their conversation went as smoothly as between two old friends.
"Well, at this rate we'll end up arriving in Svernel just like the plan you drew up."
"Yes."
"You thought we had a shot?"
As the head of a mercenary company could not be seen talking to a hare, Lawrence was carrying the wicker cage as he walked alongside the horse. Those around them thought they saw Lawrence speaking to Luward, but in reality, he had no right to get a single word in. Seen from above as well as from below, he was a porter, nothing more.
"...Yes."
"Liar. We only had a chance once Rebonato showed up."
He spoke in a lighthearted tone, but his insight penetrated rather deeply.
Depending on how one used it, even the sharpest tool could be turned into useless junk.
Just as Hilde seemed to, Luward, too, regarded how the tool called the Hugo Mercenary Company was being employed as an instant revelation of the current internal state of the Debau Company.
"Lords and nobles with their eyes wild over profits get all worked up. They figure brute force is gonna solve all their problems. That's making me treat everything you've been doing till now like water under the bridge."
"Yes. Looking at their numbers and equipment, too, it is immediately clear a ridiculous sum was expended. The lords have probably entered the office itself."
Lawrence thought Hilde must have meant that figuratively, but Luward laughed hard enough, he turned his face to the sky.
"Just because you get people with swords hanging from their hips to sit down at the table doesn't mean you can have a debate with them. On that score, the company you and Debau ran was pretty incredible. The head of a small mercenary company like me getting a glimpse of either of you was almost impossible."
Though he spoke it with invective, Lawrence heard them as nothing but the highest praise. Hilde, of course, was not the sort to be so easily pleased by flattery, but the sigh he made was not so far off from that.
Somehow, it made Lawrence think back to his dealings with Holo.


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

Input:
Moizi had remained in the rear of the unit, raising his great voice as he took temporary command. However, he returned from time to time to moisten his throat with wine. Surely he had enough leeway to have snacks with his wine, too.
"From Rebonato, we have word he's nicely fooling the overseer, but what do you think?"
"It is surely as he says. This must be that one's first time laying eyes on a battlefield, after all."
Hilde seemed acquainted with the merchant sent to oversee matters. It was clear to a ridiculous extent that all was in the palm of his hand.
"So it's a greenhorn with conventional thinking, huh? He probably takes pride in printing his name in church letters. You okay with this, though?"
Luward was sitting with one leg across his horse's back, resting his cheek upon his palm. In doing so, he looked the part of a veteran mercenary. That was indeed the case, but Hilde seemed even calmer as he replied, "I think it is quite all right for you to look with your own eyes and judge accordingly."
Luward silently looked back at Hilde, but Hilde, who could do nothing but stay put within the wicker cage, seemed almost asleep.
"Well, fine," Luward said with a snort. "As long as Rebonato's well fed, we'll make it to Svernel just fine. Not trying to put your old comrades down here."
"No, surely it was the lords who decided to dispatch troops. I am not praising them out of affinity, but this is not the man they would select were they attacking us in earnest. That is surely why the overseer is so young."
"Because they know how this'll turn out even without coming to see?"
"Yes."
As they were well aware they were both in the palm of the other's hand, each was rather calm about it.
One was the one who flattered; the other was the one who was flattered. A person would think if they had the time for this, they could use it for more constructive thoughts, but instead they were shooting the breeze.
Both legitimately excellent men, their conversation went as smoothly as between two old friends.
"Well, at this rate we'll end up arriving in Svernel just like the plan you drew up."
"Yes."
"You thought we had a shot?"
As the head of a mercenary company could not be seen talking to a hare, Lawrence was carrying the wicker cage as he walked alongside the horse. Those around them thought they saw Lawrence speaking to Luward, but in reality, he had no right to get a single word in. Seen from above as well as from below, he was a porter, nothing more.
"...Yes."
"Liar. We only had a chance once Rebonato showed up."
He spoke in a lighthearted tone, but his insight penetrated rather deeply.
Depending on how one used it, even the sharpest tool could be turned into useless junk.
Just as Hilde seemed to, Luward, too, regarded how the tool called the Hugo Mercenary Company was being employed as an instant revelation of the current internal state of the Debau Company.
"Lords and nobles with their eyes wild over profits get all worked up. They figure brute force is gonna solve all their problems. That's making me treat everything you've been doing till now like water under the bridge."
"Yes. Looking at their numbers and equipment, too, it is immediately clear a ridiculous sum was expended. The lords have probably entered the office itself."
Lawrence thought Hilde must have meant that figuratively, but Luward laughed hard enough, he turned his face to the sky.
"Just because you get people with swords hanging from their hips to sit down at the table doesn't mean you can have a debate with them. On that score, the company you and Debau ran was pretty incredible. The head of a small mercenary company like me getting a glimpse of either of you was almost impossible."
Though he spoke it with invective, Lawrence heard them as nothing but the highest praise. Hilde, of course, was not the sort to be so easily pleased by flattery, but the sigh he made was not so far off from that.
Somehow, it made Lawrence think back to his dealings with Holo.

Output:
"Meaning, if they know you're in Svernel, the merchants will say, 'It's our turn now,' and start negotiating?"
"And they might well offer various compromises to obtain my cooperation in seizing control from the lords. I believe there is every possibility of that."
In such a circumstance, it would not be strange for the imprisoned Herbert von Debau to make a return to the stage. For at the very least, Debau could weave his way through the gaps between those in power, mediate, administer, and use them as much as he could.
"Besides, arriving in Svernel safely will make people who do not know the situation see it as us slipping away, like an eel, from a force several times our number. That will serve to raise morale splendidly."
"I agree. So on top of that, assemble fighting strength, and like you said, brush off the Debau Company's demands and wring concessions out...huh? They're relying on momentum, too. There's no way those lords have any deep plan here. If the fatal flaw's the merchants realizing they're being played by the lords, they'll decide to swallow their shame and go back into their sheaths, is that it?" said Luward.
"Yes. Merchants live and die by their calculations of loss and profit."
Luward's laugh made his shoulders quiver. No doubt the fickleness of merchants amazed him.
"So, if all of this actually goes well, there'll be an appropriate payoff, I take it?"
Mercenaries were every bit as fickle as merchants. They were constantly hunting for compensation for their actions.
But since money was an unavoidable necessity for a unit to continue existing under its own banner, knowing how to gloss things over was even more important than profit and self-interest.
"Of course. A merchant's gratitude is redeemable in gold, after all."
Luward, too, seemed caught off guard by the joke. He shook with noiseless laughter for a time, finally raising a very amused laugh."Ha-ha...I get it. I get all of it. Still, I see..."
This was the first time Luward had prevaricated in his conversations with Hilde.
Hilde seemed to take note of that as well, raising his long ears much like Holo, gazing at Luward with deep interest.
"What is it?"
"Mm? Ahh, well, you see."
He really was being evasive.
It just did not feel like he was clumsily hiding something or trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
The young mercenary company leader seemed amused as well as bewildered.
And once his bewilderment calmed after a while, he looked at Hilde, as if demonstrating a small measure of resolve.
"At first, I thought it best if the Debau Company went ahead and ripped itself apart." He came right to the point. "The company looked like a sign our mercenary's luck would be running out soon."
Hilde watched Luward's face for some time. Perhaps it was his nature as a merchant, but Hilde's eyes were poised and guarded, as if words were a snare lying in wait for him.
Luward watched Hilde's look, shrugging his shoulders with a light laugh.
"It's simple. I've met someone whose principles were betrayed who's scheming to turn it all around. The situation's bad. Furthermore, the enemy's huge, even overwhelming. Because of that, he has to gather military strength together. He can't let the slightest opportunity to strike back go to waste. And, cooking up a ruse, he's finally got his way to strike back. We, the Myuri Mercenary Company, are among the few, precious lights of hope. We're not doing this for money. Actually it took all I had not to smack around the lot of you back at Lesko. In other words..."
It was likely no coincidence that many famous generals were orators.
Luward's words were strong and had a power that resonated with those who listened to them.


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

Input:
"Meaning, if they know you're in Svernel, the merchants will say, 'It's our turn now,' and start negotiating?"
"And they might well offer various compromises to obtain my cooperation in seizing control from the lords. I believe there is every possibility of that."
In such a circumstance, it would not be strange for the imprisoned Herbert von Debau to make a return to the stage. For at the very least, Debau could weave his way through the gaps between those in power, mediate, administer, and use them as much as he could.
"Besides, arriving in Svernel safely will make people who do not know the situation see it as us slipping away, like an eel, from a force several times our number. That will serve to raise morale splendidly."
"I agree. So on top of that, assemble fighting strength, and like you said, brush off the Debau Company's demands and wring concessions out...huh? They're relying on momentum, too. There's no way those lords have any deep plan here. If the fatal flaw's the merchants realizing they're being played by the lords, they'll decide to swallow their shame and go back into their sheaths, is that it?" said Luward.
"Yes. Merchants live and die by their calculations of loss and profit."
Luward's laugh made his shoulders quiver. No doubt the fickleness of merchants amazed him.
"So, if all of this actually goes well, there'll be an appropriate payoff, I take it?"
Mercenaries were every bit as fickle as merchants. They were constantly hunting for compensation for their actions.
But since money was an unavoidable necessity for a unit to continue existing under its own banner, knowing how to gloss things over was even more important than profit and self-interest.
"Of course. A merchant's gratitude is redeemable in gold, after all."
Luward, too, seemed caught off guard by the joke. He shook with noiseless laughter for a time, finally raising a very amused laugh."Ha-ha...I get it. I get all of it. Still, I see..."
This was the first time Luward had prevaricated in his conversations with Hilde.
Hilde seemed to take note of that as well, raising his long ears much like Holo, gazing at Luward with deep interest.
"What is it?"
"Mm? Ahh, well, you see."
He really was being evasive.
It just did not feel like he was clumsily hiding something or trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
The young mercenary company leader seemed amused as well as bewildered.
And once his bewilderment calmed after a while, he looked at Hilde, as if demonstrating a small measure of resolve.
"At first, I thought it best if the Debau Company went ahead and ripped itself apart." He came right to the point. "The company looked like a sign our mercenary's luck would be running out soon."
Hilde watched Luward's face for some time. Perhaps it was his nature as a merchant, but Hilde's eyes were poised and guarded, as if words were a snare lying in wait for him.
Luward watched Hilde's look, shrugging his shoulders with a light laugh.
"It's simple. I've met someone whose principles were betrayed who's scheming to turn it all around. The situation's bad. Furthermore, the enemy's huge, even overwhelming. Because of that, he has to gather military strength together. He can't let the slightest opportunity to strike back go to waste. And, cooking up a ruse, he's finally got his way to strike back. We, the Myuri Mercenary Company, are among the few, precious lights of hope. We're not doing this for money. Actually it took all I had not to smack around the lot of you back at Lesko. In other words..."
It was likely no coincidence that many famous generals were orators.
Luward's words were strong and had a power that resonated with those who listened to them.

Output:
For a dream one sincerely believed in would resonate deeply with others.
"In other words, right now, we're pure mercenaries. Mercenaries through and through. This is a saying from the great Johann Schlauzenvitz: To be a mercenary, one needs power. And how much you can live as a mercenary depends on how many of the powerless need that power and how well you learn how to use it. Thinking only of swinging your sword, breathing like the air is your food, dashing across the battlefield: That's a mercenary. The perfect tool. And the simpler a tool, the more beautiful it is."
Perhaps one could call it the beauty of functionality.
The thought might anger Holo, but the way Eve earned and spent from anything and everything in search of a golden throne was beautiful, too.
But Hilde made a cold face at Luward's bountiful words. "A contract must obtain what both sides desire, nothing more, nothing less. It is the foundation of all business." He was not swayed.
Hilde was indeed a key figure in the Debau Company. A great merchant who had planned and succeeded in bringing about the issuing of a new currency, showing the town merchants like Lawrence a dream while showing mercenaries like Luward a nightmare.
Lawrence no longer held either envy or jealousy for him. Lawrence merely experienced its purity.
Luward excitedly had his eyes wide, his teeth bared. No doubt he thought with an employer like this, his mercenaries could take on the whole world.
The dream that had seemed to collapse was blossoming once more thanks to Hilde's intellect and the mercenaries' might. If things went well like this, the forbidden book that Holo was carrying might not even be necessary.
"Well, let's do our best to be good paper tigers. We want a fat reward if this works, too."
Luward's spiteful tone concealed his embarrassment. Hilde merely closed his eyes as if in gentle amusement.
"Ha-ha. Better show me some nice dreams. Don't get hit by a stray arrow now."
"You would do better to take care I do not end up as dinner."
"You're not lying."
The two shared quiet laughter together.
When they broke camp and resumed their march the next day, things unfolded much like the day before.
Though there was a huge clamor, it unfolded as a comedy, in which a single fatality ought not to result.
Even so, how they were pressed by the opponent at times, and nicely widened the distance at others, made it look like a mysteriously back-and-forth battle.
In reality, it was simple: The vanguard on sleds could not slack off when going up an incline, while the reverse was true on a downward slope. Moizi was doing a marvelous and skillful job at the helm.
From time to time, they scattered blood from sausages over the snow and made it look like they were carrying wounded men.
While the men were busy putting on a show for all they were worth, word arrived of a force from the Debau Company advancing on Svernel by a major road, separate from the Hugo Mercenary Company with the Debau Company overseer. Just as the Hugo Mercenary Company had cooperated with him, Luward no doubt wanted to hand that information over so as to owe them nothing going forward.
As Luward and Hilde had said, if one was not actually there himself, there was no way to even guess at what was going on behind the curtain. The company had grown arrogant on its throne, handing out only money and orders, manipulated by cunning people more and more.
Also, during the time he was leaving matters in the rear to Moizi, Luward was dispatching scouts to learn of Svernel's situation. If Luward and the others, having originally gathered at Lesko to seek employment with the Debau Company, proceeded to Svernel carefree and without a thought, they might well be taken for enemies and attacked.
Even putting that aside, Lawrence remained doubtful Svernel would still be willing to raise its banner against the Debau Company.
After all, the Debau Company's power and momentum showed no sign of waning as of yet.


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

Input:
For a dream one sincerely believed in would resonate deeply with others.
"In other words, right now, we're pure mercenaries. Mercenaries through and through. This is a saying from the great Johann Schlauzenvitz: To be a mercenary, one needs power. And how much you can live as a mercenary depends on how many of the powerless need that power and how well you learn how to use it. Thinking only of swinging your sword, breathing like the air is your food, dashing across the battlefield: That's a mercenary. The perfect tool. And the simpler a tool, the more beautiful it is."
Perhaps one could call it the beauty of functionality.
The thought might anger Holo, but the way Eve earned and spent from anything and everything in search of a golden throne was beautiful, too.
But Hilde made a cold face at Luward's bountiful words. "A contract must obtain what both sides desire, nothing more, nothing less. It is the foundation of all business." He was not swayed.
Hilde was indeed a key figure in the Debau Company. A great merchant who had planned and succeeded in bringing about the issuing of a new currency, showing the town merchants like Lawrence a dream while showing mercenaries like Luward a nightmare.
Lawrence no longer held either envy or jealousy for him. Lawrence merely experienced its purity.
Luward excitedly had his eyes wide, his teeth bared. No doubt he thought with an employer like this, his mercenaries could take on the whole world.
The dream that had seemed to collapse was blossoming once more thanks to Hilde's intellect and the mercenaries' might. If things went well like this, the forbidden book that Holo was carrying might not even be necessary.
"Well, let's do our best to be good paper tigers. We want a fat reward if this works, too."
Luward's spiteful tone concealed his embarrassment. Hilde merely closed his eyes as if in gentle amusement.
"Ha-ha. Better show me some nice dreams. Don't get hit by a stray arrow now."
"You would do better to take care I do not end up as dinner."
"You're not lying."
The two shared quiet laughter together.
When they broke camp and resumed their march the next day, things unfolded much like the day before.
Though there was a huge clamor, it unfolded as a comedy, in which a single fatality ought not to result.
Even so, how they were pressed by the opponent at times, and nicely widened the distance at others, made it look like a mysteriously back-and-forth battle.
In reality, it was simple: The vanguard on sleds could not slack off when going up an incline, while the reverse was true on a downward slope. Moizi was doing a marvelous and skillful job at the helm.
From time to time, they scattered blood from sausages over the snow and made it look like they were carrying wounded men.
While the men were busy putting on a show for all they were worth, word arrived of a force from the Debau Company advancing on Svernel by a major road, separate from the Hugo Mercenary Company with the Debau Company overseer. Just as the Hugo Mercenary Company had cooperated with him, Luward no doubt wanted to hand that information over so as to owe them nothing going forward.
As Luward and Hilde had said, if one was not actually there himself, there was no way to even guess at what was going on behind the curtain. The company had grown arrogant on its throne, handing out only money and orders, manipulated by cunning people more and more.
Also, during the time he was leaving matters in the rear to Moizi, Luward was dispatching scouts to learn of Svernel's situation. If Luward and the others, having originally gathered at Lesko to seek employment with the Debau Company, proceeded to Svernel carefree and without a thought, they might well be taken for enemies and attacked.
Even putting that aside, Lawrence remained doubtful Svernel would still be willing to raise its banner against the Debau Company.
After all, the Debau Company's power and momentum showed no sign of waning as of yet.

Output:
"For better or worse."
At Hilde's addendum, Luward jutted his lower lip forward and shrugged.
"You've a point there. But that means we should count on Svernel."
"Is that so? Unfortunately, I have never had any actual dealings with them."
"Even so. After all, they're normal—they have walls around their town, they collect taxes, they have guilds, they regulate merchants, they carefully set the price of bread, and trading goods back and forth makes their eyes shine. They're a lot easier to predict than folks from a town with no walls and no taxes that seems to run itself as if by magic."
Hilde twitched his nose at Luward's words.
"Certainly, one must not trust people like that."
Luward slapped his horse's neck in amusement at the betrayed Hilde's deadpan joke. "Well, we'll find out when we get there. We're close enough we should arrive tomorrow or the morning after at most. We'd better finally think about how we're gonna escape Rebonato."
The word escape had a deeply resonating meaning to them. As they were not actually fighting, engineering a situation that allowed them to escape was rather difficult.
Even more so, how to dramatically raise the morale of those shut inside Svernel in the process.
"Depends a bit on how they want to play it."
As Luward spoke, he looked at the mountains yonder with distant eyes. The other mercenary company no doubt did not want to look like they had let their prey slip away through incompetence. So the Myuri mercenaries needed a fairly decent plan.
However, Hilde did not offer any wisdom from within the wicker cage; his head did not even stir from within the blanket spread all over him. He was asleep, his face buried under the blanket as if fleeing from the cold.
No doubt he thought that just because he was intelligent did not mean he should offer an answer to every dilemma.
If the best answer could be drawn out of those who excelled at this, it was enough.
Unlike with a traveling merchant, division of labor came naturally to a large company. It took great courage to entrust something to someone else. Lawrence thought, I might not be able to entrust decisions even to Holo. Yet that was something they did even when it concerned their very lives.
They were simply in a different category of business.
When Lawrence had left Lesko and come this way, he had the distinct feeling that he was buzzing around just outside the mosquito net, but it no longer bothered him. He was happy just to have a glimpse at their beautifully logical world.
As they traveled, the sun rose higher, and it became midday. Lawrence and the others had dinner, exchanged friendly chats with various people, and leisurely ate their meals as they walked. Those brought with them as "wounded" a few moments earlier did so as well, their faces half covered in pig's blood.
Amid that relaxed atmosphere, there was a suitable visitor as well.
"What? With swords and spears?" Luward spoke from atop his halted mount. He looked down at his knees to a messenger from the Hugo Mercenary Company.
"Yes. The boss wants to give the overseer bastard chills. So he wants one big battle, he says."
"Mmm..." Luward closed his eyes, raising his chin and stroking it with his hand, but thanks to youth and physical predisposition, he did not have much of a beard. From that perspective, it had a conspicuous, childlike charm to it. "But if that happens, we'll each have to hand captives over. What does he say about that?"
"Yes. The boss wants to hand four people over to you, and you to hand...roughly fifteen people over to—"
"What?"
The tenor of Luward's voice changed. That instant, like how a single wolf's growl raised the tension of the entire pack, the look in the surrounding mercenaries' eyes changed.


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

Input:
"For better or worse."
At Hilde's addendum, Luward jutted his lower lip forward and shrugged.
"You've a point there. But that means we should count on Svernel."
"Is that so? Unfortunately, I have never had any actual dealings with them."
"Even so. After all, they're normal—they have walls around their town, they collect taxes, they have guilds, they regulate merchants, they carefully set the price of bread, and trading goods back and forth makes their eyes shine. They're a lot easier to predict than folks from a town with no walls and no taxes that seems to run itself as if by magic."
Hilde twitched his nose at Luward's words.
"Certainly, one must not trust people like that."
Luward slapped his horse's neck in amusement at the betrayed Hilde's deadpan joke. "Well, we'll find out when we get there. We're close enough we should arrive tomorrow or the morning after at most. We'd better finally think about how we're gonna escape Rebonato."
The word escape had a deeply resonating meaning to them. As they were not actually fighting, engineering a situation that allowed them to escape was rather difficult.
Even more so, how to dramatically raise the morale of those shut inside Svernel in the process.
"Depends a bit on how they want to play it."
As Luward spoke, he looked at the mountains yonder with distant eyes. The other mercenary company no doubt did not want to look like they had let their prey slip away through incompetence. So the Myuri mercenaries needed a fairly decent plan.
However, Hilde did not offer any wisdom from within the wicker cage; his head did not even stir from within the blanket spread all over him. He was asleep, his face buried under the blanket as if fleeing from the cold.
No doubt he thought that just because he was intelligent did not mean he should offer an answer to every dilemma.
If the best answer could be drawn out of those who excelled at this, it was enough.
Unlike with a traveling merchant, division of labor came naturally to a large company. It took great courage to entrust something to someone else. Lawrence thought, I might not be able to entrust decisions even to Holo. Yet that was something they did even when it concerned their very lives.
They were simply in a different category of business.
When Lawrence had left Lesko and come this way, he had the distinct feeling that he was buzzing around just outside the mosquito net, but it no longer bothered him. He was happy just to have a glimpse at their beautifully logical world.
As they traveled, the sun rose higher, and it became midday. Lawrence and the others had dinner, exchanged friendly chats with various people, and leisurely ate their meals as they walked. Those brought with them as "wounded" a few moments earlier did so as well, their faces half covered in pig's blood.
Amid that relaxed atmosphere, there was a suitable visitor as well.
"What? With swords and spears?" Luward spoke from atop his halted mount. He looked down at his knees to a messenger from the Hugo Mercenary Company.
"Yes. The boss wants to give the overseer bastard chills. So he wants one big battle, he says."
"Mmm..." Luward closed his eyes, raising his chin and stroking it with his hand, but thanks to youth and physical predisposition, he did not have much of a beard. From that perspective, it had a conspicuous, childlike charm to it. "But if that happens, we'll each have to hand captives over. What does he say about that?"
"Yes. The boss wants to hand four people over to you, and you to hand...roughly fifteen people over to—"
"What?"
The tenor of Luward's voice changed. That instant, like how a single wolf's growl raised the tension of the entire pack, the look in the surrounding mercenaries' eyes changed.

Output:
Even when colluding in battle, going along as part of a tacit agreement, there were things one did not do.
"It's part of the boss's idea."
Luward snorted. He raised his sword high and said, "Explain."
"As you wish. The boss said he wants to negotiate a prisoner exchange and wants to present an ultimatum at that time."
"Negotiate?" Luward asked back. He glanced at Moizi.
"Yes. We have both suffered losses from attrition. So, there must be room to negotiate. The boss will bring that merchant overseer along to the meeting. We would like Master Luward Myuri and one other person to come to negotiate."
Lawrence imagined what that would look like.
Right in the middle of a snow-covered road, each mercenary leader paired with a merchant as they faced each other down.
Those negotiating would be on the one hand, a mercenary company that had nearly half its members taken as captives, desperately trying to escape and survive. On the other hand would be a mercenary company with overwhelming military superiority and financial resources backed by the Debau Company.
In other words, surrender now and give up on going to Svernel and they shall be permitted their lives alone.
The negotiations would no doubt be very one-sided.
And when the time came, who would be the specialist who would negotiate?
Having thought that far, Lawrence understood where this was going.
"In other words, your ignorant, pure young merchant will demand ransom for our captured comrades and will push us to surrender after that."
The messenger, who had maintained a neutral expression the whole time, cracked a smirk for a single moment before regaining his composure.
"You will become very angry at the content of the negotiations. And in the face of overbearing, unreasonable demands, you will have no difficulty taking advantage of the carelessness of a naive youth, taking him hostage. We will be forced to release our captives and allow you to escape. We will report that we sincerely tried, but someone was foolish."
"You think it'll go that smoothly? He might be young and naive, but he's still from the Debau Company."
The messenger made a blunt sigh at Luward's question.
"He's horrible. The boss has put up with him pretty well. Should've killed him on the first day."
Amid all that formality, his real opinion poked its head out.
The male messenger politely amended his words with, "Ahem, or so what everyone says."
"Got it. We were just thinking of how to get into Svernel ourselves. This is good, I think. It's what I'd expect of a plan from the famed veteran captain of the Hugo Mercenary Company."
"The captain will be proud to hear of your words. I believe we must leave it at that."
"Understood. Then, we need the particulars...or are those details being left to us?"
"The boss said as much."
Luward made a small laugh. He wanted to say, I expected as much.
"All right, we'll let you know when and how we're gonna go at it. Fine with you?"
"As you wish."
The messenger knelt and bowed his head, darting off and running across the snow immediately after.
His speed truly evoked the expression a hare on the run. In no time at all, he vanished amid the trees along the road.
"So, that's how it is, Moizi. Pick about fifteen unlucky guys. And use all of our pig's blood. For the little details...how about we do it like back at Lesso Valley?"
"...I see. Understood. I shall find for a proper place with all haste."
"Please do."
With that, various preparations began until finally all was ready.
No troupe of players performing in a plaza ever made use of such extravagant devices.
Lawrence was quite beside himself as he watched them go to work. But the mercenaries making preparations were enjoying themselves like little children.
The two armies faced off atop hills separated by a valley.