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

Input:
As he stood there, an uneasy impatience nagging at him, Holo tugged on his sleeve.
"Is something the matter?"
If he openly expressed his jealousy over Myuri, Holo would surely taunt him for being a fool again.
He had dignity to maintain, both as a father and a husband.
"Nothing, actually."
"Mm."
She smiled at him, her all-knowing wisewolf smile, but she did not poke him any further.
They then lit the fire, boiled plenty of mushrooms in their pot, then found plenty more to take home.
It was summer in Nyohhira.
It was a good season, where the cool breeze offered relief from the strong rays of the sun.
***
One day, a saint sent by God built a hermitage on a stretch of land that was once home to a scattered farming village. Starved of God's love, many came to visit the hermitage, which became a place for locals to trade, which in turn attracted merchants. Before any realized it, a village had sprung up around the hermitage, and in time, it grew into a town.
This was the basic premise of Salonia's creation myth, but a traveling merchant acquaintance told her that the likeliest story was that a charismatic individual who was not quite who they claimed to be came to live in the area, jumped on the bandwagon to develop the area, and made it look like a town, at least superficially. When priestess Elsa first heard that, she thought, How typical, as she scanned Salonia's busy streets with honey-colored eyes.
Elsa originally lived in a village very far from Salonia, but she left her family behind to visit various churches around the world. These churches were no longer keeping up with the ways of the world and were struggling to adapt to the times, which made people with sharp executive abilities like her a necessity. She had eventually found herself here, happily moving from place to place as the Church demanded; she was, of course, a very pious woman.
But hearing the truth behind Salonia's creation myth was chilling because it served as a reminder that there were very few things in this world that were genuine.
And so, she was not surprised when she saw that Salonia's church had been left in the care of a bishop who was vaguely untrustworthy. And when money trouble once again reared its ugly head, all she could do was give a little sigh.
"Someone seems irritated, no?"
Salonia was currently gripped by excitement for the festival that would be the high point of their grand market, yet Elsa sat under the eaves of an out-of-the-way tavern nestled in a quiet side street; she looked up when she heard the familiar voice speak to her.
"Fancy seeing you here."
The young girl with flaxen hair did not bother to reply to Elsa's statement, nor did she bother to ask permission to sit with Elsa before taking a seat opposite her and calling over the tavernkeeper in a practiced manner.
The mismatch of her sage-like demeanor and her youthful appearance stemmed from the fact that she was currently inhabiting a temporary form. She was, in fact, a centuries-old wolf spirit, and whenever Elsa looked at her, it always struck her how much the way she thought about wolves had changed ever since they met.
She didn't know if this was a good or bad thing, but she was certain that this wolf avatar would be furious with her if she shared these thoughts with her.
"'Tis quite a shock to find you in such a desolate, sad place," Holo said, accepting the wine and the meat-and-vegetable stew the tavernkeeper brought her.
"Because this stew is delicious. And it is quiet here."
"Ah, yes. You are no pompous official of the Church. You are a village girl."
Elsa felt rather embarrassed still being called a "girl" after having three children of her own, but perhaps their meeting decades ago felt like a recent development to a spirit who had lived for centuries.
She brought her ale up to her lips as the thought crossed her mind.
"And you are well off enough to be drinking at lunch."

Output:
This wolf spirit, who once ruled over a village's wheat harvest, through some sort of divine grace came to marry an airy merchant. Having had a small hand in bringing them together, Elsa was happy to see that they always got along so well, but they were unfortunately so close that it was almost unpleasant sometimes.
Or perhaps they were so close that they ended up fighting again—and just as that possibility occurred to Elsa, Holo let her shoulders fall the way a much older woman might have, and responded as she sipped her wine.
"He's quite popular here. He's always gone somewhere once the sun rises."
Her wolf ears, hidden beneath her headkerchief, twitched in displeasure.
This wolf was surprisingly shy and a loner to boot; she must have decided she would much rather sit with someone she found annoying because of all the lectures instead of wandering the town alone.
"He has indeed solved a few big problems thus far, hasn't he?"
First there was the enormous, complicated matter of debt that had weighed upon the people of Salonia. Merchants who had come to the market for trade had been unable to repay their borrowed money, yet he had been able to erase almost all of that debt without spending a single coin—it was hardly distinguishable from magic at that point.
That was more than enough to go down in the town's history, yet he had even resolved a problem involving the man who had established a fish pond that had once saved Salonia from starvation. It was under Lawrence's direction that they dug a hole in the town plaza to make a little pond reminiscent of the sea that served as the stage for a little play.
They poured hot water into the freshly dug pond and filled it with a hot spring mix brought from Nyohhira, turning it into a place where the adults could soak their feet and the children could play to their hearts' content; it added a touch of color to the market's excitement.
Of course, Holo had always stood by Lawrence's side as he solved these problems. The people knew her as the great merchant Kraft Lawrence's young wife, who kept her husband on a short leash, projected a powerful presence, and could hold her liquor like no other; Elsa was certain that Holo was plenty popular in her own right.
"I would think you have had plenty of invitations to go drinking yourself, no?"
It was not long ago that Holo had been tasked with choosing the drinks that would be served at the festival that marked the end of the seasonal festival, which ended with her dead-drunk in the middle of the day.
She would certainly have no trouble finding others to drink with now. And considering how her love of alcohol was second to none, Elsa thought she would have little reason to decline an invitation, yet the woman sitting across from her turned away, an unmistakable weariness in her expression.
"'Twas only fun in the beginning."
"Too much attention, I take it?"
As self-important as she seemed, Holo preferred to be alone. Yet she hated being put on a pedestal. The pagan gods were all similarly difficult to understand, but perhaps that was what made them who they were.
Elsa brought her cup of lukewarm ale to her lips to find it was mostly empty.
She had finished her lunch; perhaps it was time to return to the church.
As that thought crossed her mind, she noticed how Holo was glumly sipping at her wine, having only bitten into her chicken and made no progress on her stew at all.
When she saw how anxiously the wolf sat hunched over on her spot, Elsa knew she could not leave her be.
She sighed. She was astonished at how little had changed with this wisewolf since they first met, yet that also brought her considerable relief.
"More wine, please!" Elsa ordered, raising up her empty mug toward the inside of the building, and Holo's eyes widened when she did so.
"I know if you simply had nothing to do, you would be back at your room at the inn sleeping. You want to speak with me, don't you?"


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

Input:
This wolf spirit, who once ruled over a village's wheat harvest, through some sort of divine grace came to marry an airy merchant. Having had a small hand in bringing them together, Elsa was happy to see that they always got along so well, but they were unfortunately so close that it was almost unpleasant sometimes.
Or perhaps they were so close that they ended up fighting again—and just as that possibility occurred to Elsa, Holo let her shoulders fall the way a much older woman might have, and responded as she sipped her wine.
"He's quite popular here. He's always gone somewhere once the sun rises."
Her wolf ears, hidden beneath her headkerchief, twitched in displeasure.
This wolf was surprisingly shy and a loner to boot; she must have decided she would much rather sit with someone she found annoying because of all the lectures instead of wandering the town alone.
"He has indeed solved a few big problems thus far, hasn't he?"
First there was the enormous, complicated matter of debt that had weighed upon the people of Salonia. Merchants who had come to the market for trade had been unable to repay their borrowed money, yet he had been able to erase almost all of that debt without spending a single coin—it was hardly distinguishable from magic at that point.
That was more than enough to go down in the town's history, yet he had even resolved a problem involving the man who had established a fish pond that had once saved Salonia from starvation. It was under Lawrence's direction that they dug a hole in the town plaza to make a little pond reminiscent of the sea that served as the stage for a little play.
They poured hot water into the freshly dug pond and filled it with a hot spring mix brought from Nyohhira, turning it into a place where the adults could soak their feet and the children could play to their hearts' content; it added a touch of color to the market's excitement.
Of course, Holo had always stood by Lawrence's side as he solved these problems. The people knew her as the great merchant Kraft Lawrence's young wife, who kept her husband on a short leash, projected a powerful presence, and could hold her liquor like no other; Elsa was certain that Holo was plenty popular in her own right.
"I would think you have had plenty of invitations to go drinking yourself, no?"
It was not long ago that Holo had been tasked with choosing the drinks that would be served at the festival that marked the end of the seasonal festival, which ended with her dead-drunk in the middle of the day.
She would certainly have no trouble finding others to drink with now. And considering how her love of alcohol was second to none, Elsa thought she would have little reason to decline an invitation, yet the woman sitting across from her turned away, an unmistakable weariness in her expression.
"'Twas only fun in the beginning."
"Too much attention, I take it?"
As self-important as she seemed, Holo preferred to be alone. Yet she hated being put on a pedestal. The pagan gods were all similarly difficult to understand, but perhaps that was what made them who they were.
Elsa brought her cup of lukewarm ale to her lips to find it was mostly empty.
She had finished her lunch; perhaps it was time to return to the church.
As that thought crossed her mind, she noticed how Holo was glumly sipping at her wine, having only bitten into her chicken and made no progress on her stew at all.
When she saw how anxiously the wolf sat hunched over on her spot, Elsa knew she could not leave her be.
She sighed. She was astonished at how little had changed with this wisewolf since they first met, yet that also brought her considerable relief.
"More wine, please!" Elsa ordered, raising up her empty mug toward the inside of the building, and Holo's eyes widened when she did so.
"I know if you simply had nothing to do, you would be back at your room at the inn sleeping. You want to speak with me, don't you?"

Output:
Holo peered up at Elsa, as though she had been waiting for her to say something like that.
"...Will you not laugh at me?"
Though the role was temporary, Elsa was still a priestess.
"I cannot call myself a servant of God if I laugh at the plight of others."
Holo still looked away briefly, downed the rest of her wine in a single gulp, and ordered herself another, not wanting to fall behind.
Many villagers would have knelt before her in ages past, honored with words of prophecy or whatever else they would like to hear; but now, as she sat hunched over her cup of wine, Holo looked like a village elder who had grown so old she seemed like a child again.
"That fool does not understand a single thing about me."
Elsa absently thought about how this was essentially her catchphrase, yet she urged Holo to continue out of slight interest.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know that he has been summoned to take part in some complicated discussions?"
"Oh?"
Lawrence was presently the most famous individual in Salonia, and many likely thought that any problem in his care would be solved immediately. She had heard that he was being made to intervene in anything and everything from business dealings to marital disputes; she wondered which one it could be this time.
"I have heard it is related to your job."
"Ah-ha." Elsa understood immediately. "Is this about the town tariffs?"
"I am not quite sure. But I hear tell of merchants just like him butting heads with one another."
"I've heard the same."
Holo's brow furrowed, perhaps dissatisfied with Elsa's casual response.
But Elsa, too, gave a sigh, and Holo stared blankly at her.
"That very same problem is why I am not looking forward to returning to the church. It's quite a stupid situation."
That was why she had gone out of her way to have lunch here; without warning, Elsa heard the rhythmic rustling of fur against fabric.
"Oh ho?"
Holo had seemed so lifeless not moments earlier, but her energy came back the moment she saw how troubled Elsa looked. Her fluffy tail was wagging with delight beneath her clothes. Elsa could hardly believe the woman, but she did not hate how open and frank she was.
"Discussions about the tariffs for all the goods that flow into town are going on at the assembly hall right now. I suppose it would be easier for you to understand if I told you this meeting would determine whether that wine of yours would be a cheap or expensive drink."
Holo looked down at the mug in her hands, then gulped down the wine along with the information.
"There are wine merchants who wish to import the wine for cheap, and there are the ale merchants who wish to subject wine to higher tariffs since that is their competition."
"Mm."
"Though who exactly manages these clashes of interest changes from town to town. Here, it is the church's responsibility."
Elsa supposed that part of the reason for this was because a saint had a hand in the town's founding myth, but in truth, the church was heavily involved in the process because they earned great profits from those tariffs.
"Ah, yes, the one in charge of the church here is a fishy sort. He is quite fun to drink with, but I suppose you're not too fond of him."
"He's not a bad person, but unfortunately, he's always been a bit of a smooth talker..."
The entity that originally called on Elsa to help was the church in the Vallan Bishopric. There she had reunited with Lawrence and Holo, gotten their help, and managed to sell off a lot of the church's assets for a high price. The bishop in Salonia had caught wind of this and managed to shove all of Salonia's problems onto Elsa. The work itself was not a problem for her, but she was not exactly happy with the situation. This feeling was exacerbated by the enormous profits the Salonia church claimed for itself despite ostensibly being an establishment meant to preach and practice asceticism and temperance.


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

Input:
Holo peered up at Elsa, as though she had been waiting for her to say something like that.
"...Will you not laugh at me?"
Though the role was temporary, Elsa was still a priestess.
"I cannot call myself a servant of God if I laugh at the plight of others."
Holo still looked away briefly, downed the rest of her wine in a single gulp, and ordered herself another, not wanting to fall behind.
Many villagers would have knelt before her in ages past, honored with words of prophecy or whatever else they would like to hear; but now, as she sat hunched over her cup of wine, Holo looked like a village elder who had grown so old she seemed like a child again.
"That fool does not understand a single thing about me."
Elsa absently thought about how this was essentially her catchphrase, yet she urged Holo to continue out of slight interest.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know that he has been summoned to take part in some complicated discussions?"
"Oh?"
Lawrence was presently the most famous individual in Salonia, and many likely thought that any problem in his care would be solved immediately. She had heard that he was being made to intervene in anything and everything from business dealings to marital disputes; she wondered which one it could be this time.
"I have heard it is related to your job."
"Ah-ha." Elsa understood immediately. "Is this about the town tariffs?"
"I am not quite sure. But I hear tell of merchants just like him butting heads with one another."
"I've heard the same."
Holo's brow furrowed, perhaps dissatisfied with Elsa's casual response.
But Elsa, too, gave a sigh, and Holo stared blankly at her.
"That very same problem is why I am not looking forward to returning to the church. It's quite a stupid situation."
That was why she had gone out of her way to have lunch here; without warning, Elsa heard the rhythmic rustling of fur against fabric.
"Oh ho?"
Holo had seemed so lifeless not moments earlier, but her energy came back the moment she saw how troubled Elsa looked. Her fluffy tail was wagging with delight beneath her clothes. Elsa could hardly believe the woman, but she did not hate how open and frank she was.
"Discussions about the tariffs for all the goods that flow into town are going on at the assembly hall right now. I suppose it would be easier for you to understand if I told you this meeting would determine whether that wine of yours would be a cheap or expensive drink."
Holo looked down at the mug in her hands, then gulped down the wine along with the information.
"There are wine merchants who wish to import the wine for cheap, and there are the ale merchants who wish to subject wine to higher tariffs since that is their competition."
"Mm."
"Though who exactly manages these clashes of interest changes from town to town. Here, it is the church's responsibility."
Elsa supposed that part of the reason for this was because a saint had a hand in the town's founding myth, but in truth, the church was heavily involved in the process because they earned great profits from those tariffs.
"Ah, yes, the one in charge of the church here is a fishy sort. He is quite fun to drink with, but I suppose you're not too fond of him."
"He's not a bad person, but unfortunately, he's always been a bit of a smooth talker..."
The entity that originally called on Elsa to help was the church in the Vallan Bishopric. There she had reunited with Lawrence and Holo, gotten their help, and managed to sell off a lot of the church's assets for a high price. The bishop in Salonia had caught wind of this and managed to shove all of Salonia's problems onto Elsa. The work itself was not a problem for her, but she was not exactly happy with the situation. This feeling was exacerbated by the enormous profits the Salonia church claimed for itself despite ostensibly being an establishment meant to preach and practice asceticism and temperance.

Output:
"Ahem. Anyway, all interests regarding money will be laid bare at this meeting, and everyone will be desperate to speak their piece. And I believe that Mister Lawrence has been saddled with that responsibility, and his opinion carries great weight..."
Perhaps the reason Holo looked so upset was because she was sad that he was not around to entertain her. Elsa thought that if that were truly the case, then she would simply say so, but she knew well that the pair tended not to be very honest with their feelings with each other and needlessly suffered because of it at times.
They were two peas in a pod, yes, but she thought it would do them good if they could at least put themselves in each other's shoes.
"I understand he has an important role to play in this town, yes. And he has done more than enough to atone for the sin of leaving me by my lonesome," Holo said proudly, and Elsa decided to give nothing more than a vague hum in response. The wisewolf continued, saying, "But the problem is that he dives headfirst into these problems in the first place."
"Is that so? It is true that this is causing the townsfolk great distress, and it must be resolved at some point. As an outsider, Mister Lawrence is perfectly suited to settle the town's disagreements. I believe he is fulfilling his role rather well, and you must be proud of his accomplishments, are you not?"
"Yes, 'tis true...," Holo muttered.
Elsa sighed and said, "I believe Mister Lawrence is doing all this to show you just how capable he actually is."
Ever since reuniting at the church in the Vallan Bishopric, just from looking Elsa could tell that Holo was practically all that Lawrence ever thought about, and she could easily see from everything he did that he was in high spirits about his first journey in ten years.
And though she thought that this selfish maiden quite liked that part about him, the wolf herself gave a heavy sigh.
"...This is the third time in a row now. I feel a burp coming on."
Holo reminded Elsa of an old neighborhood stray who grew languid after receiving too much attention from the children.
Elsa could tell that Holo was disappointed, but she felt as though the answer to this problem was plain as day.
"Why not tell him this? You are not a newlywed wife," she told her outright, and Holo simply hunched over and sipped her wine.
"'Twould be easy if I could do such a thing. In a way...I am the one who encouraged the fool in the first place..."
Though in her true form she was a wolf big enough to decimate entire armies, she would tuck her tail between her legs in fear of a single ex-merchant, and Elsa found that very curious. As that thought crossed Elsa's mind, interest bubbled up inside her—what sort of trap had this wolf gotten herself ensnared in this time?
"How so?"
Though she sat up straighter, Holo tensed her shoulders and neck, gazing into empty space, and spoke again with the umpteenth sigh, "You had a hand in bringing him and I together."
Elsa's eyes widened despite herself; she was not so much confused about why Holo suddenly brought this up, but more in shock from Holo suddenly thanking her.
"Do not make that face... 'Twas by your encouragement that we joined hands. You know this."
When Elsa rode in the same carriage as Holo, the main reason Holo had seemed so uncomfortable was because she was aware of just how much of a debt she owed the church woman.
"Either way, we are together now. In truth, I am happy. Painfully so."
"I...suppose you are, yes. And to be honest, Mister Lawrence spoils you too much."
The centuries-old wolf replied, with good grace, "He does so because he wants to."
"Even so..."
Though it had only been a bit more than a decade since they started a family together, they were naturally much closer now than they were when they first met.
Elsa took a sip of her own wine, washing down the sweet sentimentality.
"But one could say that me taking his hand was the same as pulling him away from the path he wished to pursue, no?"


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

Input:
"Ahem. Anyway, all interests regarding money will be laid bare at this meeting, and everyone will be desperate to speak their piece. And I believe that Mister Lawrence has been saddled with that responsibility, and his opinion carries great weight..."
Perhaps the reason Holo looked so upset was because she was sad that he was not around to entertain her. Elsa thought that if that were truly the case, then she would simply say so, but she knew well that the pair tended not to be very honest with their feelings with each other and needlessly suffered because of it at times.
They were two peas in a pod, yes, but she thought it would do them good if they could at least put themselves in each other's shoes.
"I understand he has an important role to play in this town, yes. And he has done more than enough to atone for the sin of leaving me by my lonesome," Holo said proudly, and Elsa decided to give nothing more than a vague hum in response. The wisewolf continued, saying, "But the problem is that he dives headfirst into these problems in the first place."
"Is that so? It is true that this is causing the townsfolk great distress, and it must be resolved at some point. As an outsider, Mister Lawrence is perfectly suited to settle the town's disagreements. I believe he is fulfilling his role rather well, and you must be proud of his accomplishments, are you not?"
"Yes, 'tis true...," Holo muttered.
Elsa sighed and said, "I believe Mister Lawrence is doing all this to show you just how capable he actually is."
Ever since reuniting at the church in the Vallan Bishopric, just from looking Elsa could tell that Holo was practically all that Lawrence ever thought about, and she could easily see from everything he did that he was in high spirits about his first journey in ten years.
And though she thought that this selfish maiden quite liked that part about him, the wolf herself gave a heavy sigh.
"...This is the third time in a row now. I feel a burp coming on."
Holo reminded Elsa of an old neighborhood stray who grew languid after receiving too much attention from the children.
Elsa could tell that Holo was disappointed, but she felt as though the answer to this problem was plain as day.
"Why not tell him this? You are not a newlywed wife," she told her outright, and Holo simply hunched over and sipped her wine.
"'Twould be easy if I could do such a thing. In a way...I am the one who encouraged the fool in the first place..."
Though in her true form she was a wolf big enough to decimate entire armies, she would tuck her tail between her legs in fear of a single ex-merchant, and Elsa found that very curious. As that thought crossed Elsa's mind, interest bubbled up inside her—what sort of trap had this wolf gotten herself ensnared in this time?
"How so?"
Though she sat up straighter, Holo tensed her shoulders and neck, gazing into empty space, and spoke again with the umpteenth sigh, "You had a hand in bringing him and I together."
Elsa's eyes widened despite herself; she was not so much confused about why Holo suddenly brought this up, but more in shock from Holo suddenly thanking her.
"Do not make that face... 'Twas by your encouragement that we joined hands. You know this."
When Elsa rode in the same carriage as Holo, the main reason Holo had seemed so uncomfortable was because she was aware of just how much of a debt she owed the church woman.
"Either way, we are together now. In truth, I am happy. Painfully so."
"I...suppose you are, yes. And to be honest, Mister Lawrence spoils you too much."
The centuries-old wolf replied, with good grace, "He does so because he wants to."
"Even so..."
Though it had only been a bit more than a decade since they started a family together, they were naturally much closer now than they were when they first met.
Elsa took a sip of her own wine, washing down the sweet sentimentality.
"But one could say that me taking his hand was the same as pulling him away from the path he wished to pursue, no?"

Output:
If anything, Elsa thought it would be more apt to say that it was not a wise idea to leave Lawrence to his own devices, considering how shaky the man could be sometimes, but it sounded as though Holo had her own thoughts on the matter.
"Are you saying that you made a mistake?"
"...He had the chance to follow a path that would have led him to becoming the world's greatest merchant, one who could rule the world. But I said to him that I'd had enough of such nonsense and steered him away from it."
That was not a sphere of livelihood that overlapped much with Elsa's own, so she was only vaguely aware of such things, but she knew that Lawrence had saved one of the biggest, most influential companies in the northlands and had been invited to join them.
Had he accepted, it was very likely his wit and Holo's wisdom together could have made him an unimaginably wealthy man in some city or another.
That said, Elsa had a hard time picturing Lawrence as a big name, lording over dozens and dozens of people. She thought that the size of the bathhouse in Nyohhira was perfect for him, but perhaps that was not the case for Holo.
As Elsa dropped her shoulders—Love is truly blind, she thought—Holo spoke up.
"And...I found myself expressing this to him."
***
Elsa's own thoughts about how foolish that was must have been plain on her face. With a pained expression, Holo growled, baring her fangs.
Elsa sighed and cleared her throat at the same time, then looked straight at Holo and said, "Mister Lawrence prefers his life with you over everything else, and so he has internalized your wishes. I doubt he regrets his choice."
"I know!"
Nearby birds flew away, shocked by Holo's sharp yell.
She repeated, annoyed, "I know," and dropped her head into her hands. "I had been too relaxed once we left for our first journey in years... And I had so much time to think in the cart, at nights in the inns... And most importantly..." She stared down at the table. "When I see him lit by the glow of unfamiliar hearths, I see just how much he has aged in the time we have spent together. I never notice that in the familiar confines of the bathhouse."
Holo still looked like a young girl, much the same as she did when Elsa first met her, and she would likely remain the same when Elsa was old enough to need a cane. In her eyes, ten, twenty years was nothing more than a short temporal detour.
But that was not the case for Lawrence.
As they traveled around in the same fashion as they had when they first met, Holo couldn't help but notice the undeniable signs of age in his impulses, in the fires that illuminated his profile.
Elsa knew that Holo walked around with pen and paper, writing down things that happened in her daily life.
It was an act meant to commit certain moments to memory that would be otherwise washed away by the unrelenting torrent of time.
Elsa could no longer laugh or find exasperation when it came to Holo; she reached out across the table and placed her hand over the wolf's own small hand.
"I realize that he has given me something so great." Holo stared at the hand on hers before pulling it away with a self-deprecating smile. "We visited your company, the Debau Company? When we sold your mountain. How dizzyingly large it was. It was a bustling, dazzling place, so full of life. When I think about how I stole him away from such a life...I am overcome with fear."
Elsa, too, was from a small village called Tereo, so she could easily imagine the sort of shock that Holo experienced. She had been shocked by her own drive to make a name for herself in the world, one she had never felt before she first laid eyes on a massive cathedral in a large city.
Of course, that was now but a vestige of a dream that perhaps could have come true once; she knew that much of the appeal would be lost if she were to actually achieve it, and there was no guarantee that she would have the same wonderful things in life if she had decided to walk a different path.


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

Input:
If anything, Elsa thought it would be more apt to say that it was not a wise idea to leave Lawrence to his own devices, considering how shaky the man could be sometimes, but it sounded as though Holo had her own thoughts on the matter.
"Are you saying that you made a mistake?"
"...He had the chance to follow a path that would have led him to becoming the world's greatest merchant, one who could rule the world. But I said to him that I'd had enough of such nonsense and steered him away from it."
That was not a sphere of livelihood that overlapped much with Elsa's own, so she was only vaguely aware of such things, but she knew that Lawrence had saved one of the biggest, most influential companies in the northlands and had been invited to join them.
Had he accepted, it was very likely his wit and Holo's wisdom together could have made him an unimaginably wealthy man in some city or another.
That said, Elsa had a hard time picturing Lawrence as a big name, lording over dozens and dozens of people. She thought that the size of the bathhouse in Nyohhira was perfect for him, but perhaps that was not the case for Holo.
As Elsa dropped her shoulders—Love is truly blind, she thought—Holo spoke up.
"And...I found myself expressing this to him."
***
Elsa's own thoughts about how foolish that was must have been plain on her face. With a pained expression, Holo growled, baring her fangs.
Elsa sighed and cleared her throat at the same time, then looked straight at Holo and said, "Mister Lawrence prefers his life with you over everything else, and so he has internalized your wishes. I doubt he regrets his choice."
"I know!"
Nearby birds flew away, shocked by Holo's sharp yell.
She repeated, annoyed, "I know," and dropped her head into her hands. "I had been too relaxed once we left for our first journey in years... And I had so much time to think in the cart, at nights in the inns... And most importantly..." She stared down at the table. "When I see him lit by the glow of unfamiliar hearths, I see just how much he has aged in the time we have spent together. I never notice that in the familiar confines of the bathhouse."
Holo still looked like a young girl, much the same as she did when Elsa first met her, and she would likely remain the same when Elsa was old enough to need a cane. In her eyes, ten, twenty years was nothing more than a short temporal detour.
But that was not the case for Lawrence.
As they traveled around in the same fashion as they had when they first met, Holo couldn't help but notice the undeniable signs of age in his impulses, in the fires that illuminated his profile.
Elsa knew that Holo walked around with pen and paper, writing down things that happened in her daily life.
It was an act meant to commit certain moments to memory that would be otherwise washed away by the unrelenting torrent of time.
Elsa could no longer laugh or find exasperation when it came to Holo; she reached out across the table and placed her hand over the wolf's own small hand.
"I realize that he has given me something so great." Holo stared at the hand on hers before pulling it away with a self-deprecating smile. "We visited your company, the Debau Company? When we sold your mountain. How dizzyingly large it was. It was a bustling, dazzling place, so full of life. When I think about how I stole him away from such a life...I am overcome with fear."
Elsa, too, was from a small village called Tereo, so she could easily imagine the sort of shock that Holo experienced. She had been shocked by her own drive to make a name for herself in the world, one she had never felt before she first laid eyes on a massive cathedral in a large city.
Of course, that was now but a vestige of a dream that perhaps could have come true once; she knew that much of the appeal would be lost if she were to actually achieve it, and there was no guarantee that she would have the same wonderful things in life if she had decided to walk a different path.

Output:
Holo would live for a very, very long time, so perhaps at some point she would have accepted these facts with little more than a sense of defeat, but when it came to her most beloved companion, she simply could not keep a level head.
That said, Elsa doubted Lawrence ever regretted for a moment the choices that led him to his current life, and she knew that saying anything she was not wholly confident in would be a disservice to him. He was so loved, and so she felt it was his responsibility to believe wholly and with conviction that his partner was happy, too.
As a member of the clergy, Elsa would often serve as mediator for when married couples had disputes. She had seen similar situations play out thousands of times before. A lecture almost bubbled out from her throat—You will live tens of times longer than any human, so why do you find yourself caught up by the most basic of entrapments?—but Holo seemed perfectly aware of her own foolishness.
Not only that, but there were particulars that only applied to her.
Elsa, who acted as intermediary for this odd couple, forcefully dragged Holo's hand back to hers and gave it an encouraging squeeze before letting it go.
"I see what's going on."
The town believed Holo dragged Lawrence around on a short leash, and at a glance it did seem as though Lawrence was completely at the mercy of Holo's whims, but it was actually Holo who could scarcely bear to be away from Lawrence.
Then again, Lawrence was not the fairy-tale prince he seemed to be at all.
"I suppose it's like thoughtlessly adding sugar to mead, which is already perfectly sweet enough."
When Elsa said that, Holo looked genuinely disappointed.
"Precisely. And now, he is approaching me with a large jar of sugar and a big grin on his face. And I thought my slip of the tongue had died with the complicated issue of debts. I so foolishly told him that he could have easily become a great merchant with his magic, considering how easily he had made all that debt disappear."
Childish though she was, it was more than enough to dispel Holo's fears, and her joy certainly would have been great.
There was a caveat to this, though, Elsa thought. She did not immediately associate Lawrence with being a sheep because of his softheartedness, but because he did not know his limits; because he was at times inconsiderate and thickheaded.
"After seeing how well it went, he now wants to settle this tariff matter cleanly and show you how capable he is, is that correct?" Elsa asked.
Holo gave a long, deep sigh.
"...Yes."
Elsa could see how a man might want to continually show off for his beloved wife.
As a servant of God, she thought it was a good thing that they were so close, that it was a good wife's job to be impressed by and compliment her husband, but that was simply a matter of logic.
She, too, had built a family after finding herself with a man who had a bottomless well of kindness, but was also a bit thick-headed as well.
She thought back on her days in Tereo, and easily pictured her husband, Evan, doing the same thing to her over and over again. She might certainly be delighted the first time, and perhaps she might force a smile the second time, but her patience would likely run out by the third.
"'Twould be nice if that were all, however."
"There's something else?"
"That church of yours came up. He has apparently been lured into some scheme by them."
When Holo put it that way, Elsa knew right away who was doing the smooth talking.
"The bishop, you mean?"
"Aye. That bishop has promised him a dubious reward in exchange for his help. And..." Holo brought her wine to her lips, gave an indulgent sip, and looked at Elsa with a dubious expression. "That fool has told me it would not be a bad idea to be nobility."
Men would always be children. Elsa pictured Lawrence innocently dreaming and smiling, and it reminded her of Evan when she scolded him for making a ruckus with the children.


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

Input:
Holo would live for a very, very long time, so perhaps at some point she would have accepted these facts with little more than a sense of defeat, but when it came to her most beloved companion, she simply could not keep a level head.
That said, Elsa doubted Lawrence ever regretted for a moment the choices that led him to his current life, and she knew that saying anything she was not wholly confident in would be a disservice to him. He was so loved, and so she felt it was his responsibility to believe wholly and with conviction that his partner was happy, too.
As a member of the clergy, Elsa would often serve as mediator for when married couples had disputes. She had seen similar situations play out thousands of times before. A lecture almost bubbled out from her throat—You will live tens of times longer than any human, so why do you find yourself caught up by the most basic of entrapments?—but Holo seemed perfectly aware of her own foolishness.
Not only that, but there were particulars that only applied to her.
Elsa, who acted as intermediary for this odd couple, forcefully dragged Holo's hand back to hers and gave it an encouraging squeeze before letting it go.
"I see what's going on."
The town believed Holo dragged Lawrence around on a short leash, and at a glance it did seem as though Lawrence was completely at the mercy of Holo's whims, but it was actually Holo who could scarcely bear to be away from Lawrence.
Then again, Lawrence was not the fairy-tale prince he seemed to be at all.
"I suppose it's like thoughtlessly adding sugar to mead, which is already perfectly sweet enough."
When Elsa said that, Holo looked genuinely disappointed.
"Precisely. And now, he is approaching me with a large jar of sugar and a big grin on his face. And I thought my slip of the tongue had died with the complicated issue of debts. I so foolishly told him that he could have easily become a great merchant with his magic, considering how easily he had made all that debt disappear."
Childish though she was, it was more than enough to dispel Holo's fears, and her joy certainly would have been great.
There was a caveat to this, though, Elsa thought. She did not immediately associate Lawrence with being a sheep because of his softheartedness, but because he did not know his limits; because he was at times inconsiderate and thickheaded.
"After seeing how well it went, he now wants to settle this tariff matter cleanly and show you how capable he is, is that correct?" Elsa asked.
Holo gave a long, deep sigh.
"...Yes."
Elsa could see how a man might want to continually show off for his beloved wife.
As a servant of God, she thought it was a good thing that they were so close, that it was a good wife's job to be impressed by and compliment her husband, but that was simply a matter of logic.
She, too, had built a family after finding herself with a man who had a bottomless well of kindness, but was also a bit thick-headed as well.
She thought back on her days in Tereo, and easily pictured her husband, Evan, doing the same thing to her over and over again. She might certainly be delighted the first time, and perhaps she might force a smile the second time, but her patience would likely run out by the third.
"'Twould be nice if that were all, however."
"There's something else?"
"That church of yours came up. He has apparently been lured into some scheme by them."
When Holo put it that way, Elsa knew right away who was doing the smooth talking.
"The bishop, you mean?"
"Aye. That bishop has promised him a dubious reward in exchange for his help. And..." Holo brought her wine to her lips, gave an indulgent sip, and looked at Elsa with a dubious expression. "That fool has told me it would not be a bad idea to be nobility."
Men would always be children. Elsa pictured Lawrence innocently dreaming and smiling, and it reminded her of Evan when she scolded him for making a ruckus with the children.

Output:
"Ah..."
Elsa sometimes heard similar complaints back in the village. The village women would often sigh, thinking they were done raising their kids, only for the largest person in the house to begin to act like a child himself.
No matter how old they got, men still acted with wide-eyed optimism, just like children. Even if that was what brought the couple together in the first place, she understood why the women would be frustrated and want them to act their age.
"And is it not strange for a sheep to walk straight for a cliff edge with a smug look on its face?"
It was not as though Holo could have opened up about any of this to her town drinking buddies, and she clearly did not have any ill will toward Lawrence himself, so she had been bottling up everything.
After a great deal of thought, she must have decided to find this alleyway tavern and pay Elsa a visit under the guise of coincidentally running into each other.
Though their personalities and lifestyles were completely different, this was why Elsa could not bring herself to hate Holo, and since they both had similar husbands and households, she could not abandon the wisewolf.
It seemed that frivolous bishop had been getting involved, too, so she could not overlook this matter as a fellow member of the clergy either. It would be unacceptable to allow the Church's reputation to fall any more than it already had.
"More drinks, please!" Elsa called as she ordered two more cups of wine.
What Holo told Elsa was not quite to the point, but she got the general gist when she applied her own knowledge to the situation.
First, many merchants were in town for the grand market at the moment, which made for a perfect opportunity to talk about plenty of longstanding issues, when the question of tariffs came up.
Wine merchants and ale merchants have always been at odds with one another, and in turn, ale merchants have always been competitors with the bakeries since they vie for the same resource. And the bakeries have traditionally never gotten along with the butchers—listening to one party's objection meant earning another party's ire.
In general, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" was logic that was easily upheld here, so parties whose interests did not conflict often teamed up to make sure their grievances were heard, but the local lord, dressed in red, would often unilaterally make decisions when it came to these matters, so they would either leave things up to divine providence and draw straws, or allow influential members of each party to cast anonymous votes.
The Salonia church bishop often took charge here, but the church itself had its own interests in many affairs concerning the town, so the participants would not so readily listen to what they had to say, especially if they were the ones getting the short end of the stick in the resulting deal. And then, out of the blue, Lawrence appears in town, a person who has great influence but little to do with any parties involved, so everyone began to promise him rewards in an attempt to flatter and gain his favor.
The woodworkers, especially, who had been suffocated by high tariffs, had been particularly aggressive in persuading Lawrence to secure them some tax relief, but the Church profited mightily from those same tariffs, which meant that the bishop was trying to get Lawrence on his side by making absurd promises.
What he suggested was purchasing privileges for some of the land surrounding Salonia—essentially making Lawrence nobility.
"He worked quite fast."


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

Input:
"Ah..."
Elsa sometimes heard similar complaints back in the village. The village women would often sigh, thinking they were done raising their kids, only for the largest person in the house to begin to act like a child himself.
No matter how old they got, men still acted with wide-eyed optimism, just like children. Even if that was what brought the couple together in the first place, she understood why the women would be frustrated and want them to act their age.
"And is it not strange for a sheep to walk straight for a cliff edge with a smug look on its face?"
It was not as though Holo could have opened up about any of this to her town drinking buddies, and she clearly did not have any ill will toward Lawrence himself, so she had been bottling up everything.
After a great deal of thought, she must have decided to find this alleyway tavern and pay Elsa a visit under the guise of coincidentally running into each other.
Though their personalities and lifestyles were completely different, this was why Elsa could not bring herself to hate Holo, and since they both had similar husbands and households, she could not abandon the wisewolf.
It seemed that frivolous bishop had been getting involved, too, so she could not overlook this matter as a fellow member of the clergy either. It would be unacceptable to allow the Church's reputation to fall any more than it already had.
"More drinks, please!" Elsa called as she ordered two more cups of wine.
What Holo told Elsa was not quite to the point, but she got the general gist when she applied her own knowledge to the situation.
First, many merchants were in town for the grand market at the moment, which made for a perfect opportunity to talk about plenty of longstanding issues, when the question of tariffs came up.
Wine merchants and ale merchants have always been at odds with one another, and in turn, ale merchants have always been competitors with the bakeries since they vie for the same resource. And the bakeries have traditionally never gotten along with the butchers—listening to one party's objection meant earning another party's ire.
In general, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" was logic that was easily upheld here, so parties whose interests did not conflict often teamed up to make sure their grievances were heard, but the local lord, dressed in red, would often unilaterally make decisions when it came to these matters, so they would either leave things up to divine providence and draw straws, or allow influential members of each party to cast anonymous votes.
The Salonia church bishop often took charge here, but the church itself had its own interests in many affairs concerning the town, so the participants would not so readily listen to what they had to say, especially if they were the ones getting the short end of the stick in the resulting deal. And then, out of the blue, Lawrence appears in town, a person who has great influence but little to do with any parties involved, so everyone began to promise him rewards in an attempt to flatter and gain his favor.
The woodworkers, especially, who had been suffocated by high tariffs, had been particularly aggressive in persuading Lawrence to secure them some tax relief, but the Church profited mightily from those same tariffs, which meant that the bishop was trying to get Lawrence on his side by making absurd promises.
What he suggested was purchasing privileges for some of the land surrounding Salonia—essentially making Lawrence nobility.
"He worked quite fast."

Output:
When these revelers spotted Elsa, they quickly fixed their posture and lowered their voices. After giving them a vague, nonchalant smile, she listened to what Holo had to report.
"Were you drinking the entire time afterward?"
By the time Elsa found Holo again, there sat on the table a cup of wine she very much doubted was Holo's first and a plate of ribs that had been licked clean.
"You fool. This is a promise to become some landowning lord, you know. I had my suspicions that the fool might be tricked again, but there is a chance he is not."
"There is a chance, yes."
"Rabbits do sleep in the middle of the road from time to time."
Perhaps it was because Holo had already lived for such a long time, or she was originally like this, but she tended to have a pessimistic, depressing outlook on things. Lawrence was her sun and it was his existence that brightened her days.
"And so, he has decided to look into it himself, because he cannot ignore the chance that it might be a good deal."
But Elsa wondered if the seemingly lackadaisical but surprisingly shrewd bishop would bring something like that up in such an offhand manner. It was much more likely that Lawrence was being tricked, like Holo first suspected.
Or perhaps Holo did not want to dampen Lawrence's mood when he was delighted at the prospect of being a noble, and was trying to convince herself that it was, indeed, a very good deal.
All Elsa could do was guess when it came to discord in that department, but regardless, the point of compromise she had come up with sat beside her.
"She knows a lot about this area. I went for a quick run to fetch her after we parted ways."
"Umm... I can't say I know a lot about how the human world works, though..."
The girl sitting next to Holo, shrinking into herself, was still bigger than Holo despite how much she hunched over—and her name was Tanya.
She was a squirrel avatar who had lived in the cursed mountain, the one of legend in the Vallan Bishopric that Elsa had originally needed help with. Tanya certainly seemed like she would know the area's history in the magnitude of centuries, so perhaps this was indeed the correct choice.
But in any case, Elsa thought they could have picked a better place to meet than this.
It was starting to dawn on her that the men around them were not looking at their table because a woman in holy robes—Elsa—was spending time at a place of drink and revelry. They were looking at Tanya, who had fluffy, curly hair and voluminous curves that neither Elsa nor Holo possessed.
Any man who approached with the intention of speaking to her would quickly spot Holo, who was a minor celebrity in town, and Elsa, who wore the cloth of the Church, then quickly retreat with a vague smile.
Holo did not seem to mind at all, and Tanya had not even noticed she was being looked at to begin with, so Elsa decided not to let it bother her.
"Miss Tanya, do you know of House Voragine?"
Elsa had asked some of the Vallan Bishopric priests who were staying in town about what the bishop was planning in detail, then returned to the church to peruse the town annals. What the bishop had promised Lawrence was land and ownership privileges that once belonged to the Voragine family.
It would be a sale of the title, not a cession of it, of course, but it was still extremely difficult to buy something like privileges even with all the money in the world, so the prospect alone of being able to purchase one was almost absurd.
"Oh, yes, I do. They were quite well-known, once. It wasn't long ago, I think."
Tanya was sipping cider and nibbling on wheat bread. A dissatisfied look crossed her face; she put it down and produced a small sack filled with acorn bread she had made herself, and continued speaking, her face lighting up in delight.
"Not long ago? When exactly?"
Acorn bread was made to simply stave off hunger, so when Holo watched Tanya eat it with such delight, a sour look crossed her face as she remembered how tart and bitter it tasted.


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

Input:
When these revelers spotted Elsa, they quickly fixed their posture and lowered their voices. After giving them a vague, nonchalant smile, she listened to what Holo had to report.
"Were you drinking the entire time afterward?"
By the time Elsa found Holo again, there sat on the table a cup of wine she very much doubted was Holo's first and a plate of ribs that had been licked clean.
"You fool. This is a promise to become some landowning lord, you know. I had my suspicions that the fool might be tricked again, but there is a chance he is not."
"There is a chance, yes."
"Rabbits do sleep in the middle of the road from time to time."
Perhaps it was because Holo had already lived for such a long time, or she was originally like this, but she tended to have a pessimistic, depressing outlook on things. Lawrence was her sun and it was his existence that brightened her days.
"And so, he has decided to look into it himself, because he cannot ignore the chance that it might be a good deal."
But Elsa wondered if the seemingly lackadaisical but surprisingly shrewd bishop would bring something like that up in such an offhand manner. It was much more likely that Lawrence was being tricked, like Holo first suspected.
Or perhaps Holo did not want to dampen Lawrence's mood when he was delighted at the prospect of being a noble, and was trying to convince herself that it was, indeed, a very good deal.
All Elsa could do was guess when it came to discord in that department, but regardless, the point of compromise she had come up with sat beside her.
"She knows a lot about this area. I went for a quick run to fetch her after we parted ways."
"Umm... I can't say I know a lot about how the human world works, though..."
The girl sitting next to Holo, shrinking into herself, was still bigger than Holo despite how much she hunched over—and her name was Tanya.
She was a squirrel avatar who had lived in the cursed mountain, the one of legend in the Vallan Bishopric that Elsa had originally needed help with. Tanya certainly seemed like she would know the area's history in the magnitude of centuries, so perhaps this was indeed the correct choice.
But in any case, Elsa thought they could have picked a better place to meet than this.
It was starting to dawn on her that the men around them were not looking at their table because a woman in holy robes—Elsa—was spending time at a place of drink and revelry. They were looking at Tanya, who had fluffy, curly hair and voluminous curves that neither Elsa nor Holo possessed.
Any man who approached with the intention of speaking to her would quickly spot Holo, who was a minor celebrity in town, and Elsa, who wore the cloth of the Church, then quickly retreat with a vague smile.
Holo did not seem to mind at all, and Tanya had not even noticed she was being looked at to begin with, so Elsa decided not to let it bother her.
"Miss Tanya, do you know of House Voragine?"
Elsa had asked some of the Vallan Bishopric priests who were staying in town about what the bishop was planning in detail, then returned to the church to peruse the town annals. What the bishop had promised Lawrence was land and ownership privileges that once belonged to the Voragine family.
It would be a sale of the title, not a cession of it, of course, but it was still extremely difficult to buy something like privileges even with all the money in the world, so the prospect alone of being able to purchase one was almost absurd.
"Oh, yes, I do. They were quite well-known, once. It wasn't long ago, I think."
Tanya was sipping cider and nibbling on wheat bread. A dissatisfied look crossed her face; she put it down and produced a small sack filled with acorn bread she had made herself, and continued speaking, her face lighting up in delight.
"Not long ago? When exactly?"
Acorn bread was made to simply stave off hunger, so when Holo watched Tanya eat it with such delight, a sour look crossed her face as she remembered how tart and bitter it tasted.

Output:
"If this was before the alchemists came, then it must have been over fifty years ago, but not quite an entire century, yes?"
Non-humans like her and Holo considered such timespans to be short; Elsa mused at how Holo easily considered herself a young girl.
"I think it was a hero who took down a great serpent that slithered through the earth."
Holo's wolf ears twitched under her headkerchief.
That was when Elsa realized, of course, why they were looking at her like that. She was not particularly perturbed, however, and asked Tanya, "There is record of that legend in the Church annals. Did it really happen?"
"Umm... I'm not sure? I don't really like open spaces, so I rarely ever came this way. I heard about it from the people who came to dig up metal in the mountain."
"I see." Elsa nodded.
Now it was Holo's turn to speak, and she seemed somewhat jealous.
"That was not the one who protected your village?"
Tanya blinked, looking back and forth between Holo and Elsa.
Unable to respond to Holo right away, Elsa first took a sip of her wine, sour and lacking alcohol from being overheated.
"I don't know."
There was a world of meaning behind her answer.
For one thing, she was unsure if this great serpent was the same one that was worshipped as guardian spirit in her hometown of Tereo.
For another, she was unsure if the snake had indeed protected her village.
"Ah, you are a person of the Church through and through."
There were thorns in Holo's statement, and Tanya shrunk herself down, having sensed the discord in the atmosphere, but Elsa let it roll off her.
"There is no telling where it went, if it actually existed, and what it was doing in the village if it did. Personally, seeing you has partially convinced me."
"What? What did I do?"
The way grease from the grilled meat stained the corners of Holo's mouth reminded Elsa of the rest of her family and how they acted at mealtimes.
"That perhaps it decided to take a little winter's nap that turned out to be on the long side."
Before meeting Holo, Elsa had attributed a dignified quality to all the supernatural entities that made up the pagan myths across the world. But once she came across Holo and was afforded a peek into their world, she came to understand that despite a difference in senses, they were essentially the same as regular humans.
She produced a small handkerchief from her pocket, leaned across the table, wiped the corner of an annoyed Holo's mouth for her before continuing to share her thoughts. "I'm sure it would be much too lonely to sleep in a place that was too quiet."
Holo was growing more and more angry with what those words indicated, but Elsa only chuckled and turned to look at Tanya. "I suppose you wouldn't know, either, Miss Tanya. There is a myth of a great serpent in the village where I was born."
"Um... Oh!"
"But don't worry about it. I have never seen it. All that is left is a great cave where it was said to live."
Tanya still lowered her head apologetically, so Elsa continued in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Getting back on topic, due to the Voragine family's success in slaying the great serpent that once terrorized this plain, they were gifted a portion of the land and were appointed as nobility. The church here said that God loaned his power to the hero in the battle with the serpent."
Holo scoffed.
"Not once have I ever seen this God for myself."


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

Input:
"If this was before the alchemists came, then it must have been over fifty years ago, but not quite an entire century, yes?"
Non-humans like her and Holo considered such timespans to be short; Elsa mused at how Holo easily considered herself a young girl.
"I think it was a hero who took down a great serpent that slithered through the earth."
Holo's wolf ears twitched under her headkerchief.
That was when Elsa realized, of course, why they were looking at her like that. She was not particularly perturbed, however, and asked Tanya, "There is record of that legend in the Church annals. Did it really happen?"
"Umm... I'm not sure? I don't really like open spaces, so I rarely ever came this way. I heard about it from the people who came to dig up metal in the mountain."
"I see." Elsa nodded.
Now it was Holo's turn to speak, and she seemed somewhat jealous.
"That was not the one who protected your village?"
Tanya blinked, looking back and forth between Holo and Elsa.
Unable to respond to Holo right away, Elsa first took a sip of her wine, sour and lacking alcohol from being overheated.
"I don't know."
There was a world of meaning behind her answer.
For one thing, she was unsure if this great serpent was the same one that was worshipped as guardian spirit in her hometown of Tereo.
For another, she was unsure if the snake had indeed protected her village.
"Ah, you are a person of the Church through and through."
There were thorns in Holo's statement, and Tanya shrunk herself down, having sensed the discord in the atmosphere, but Elsa let it roll off her.
"There is no telling where it went, if it actually existed, and what it was doing in the village if it did. Personally, seeing you has partially convinced me."
"What? What did I do?"
The way grease from the grilled meat stained the corners of Holo's mouth reminded Elsa of the rest of her family and how they acted at mealtimes.
"That perhaps it decided to take a little winter's nap that turned out to be on the long side."
Before meeting Holo, Elsa had attributed a dignified quality to all the supernatural entities that made up the pagan myths across the world. But once she came across Holo and was afforded a peek into their world, she came to understand that despite a difference in senses, they were essentially the same as regular humans.
She produced a small handkerchief from her pocket, leaned across the table, wiped the corner of an annoyed Holo's mouth for her before continuing to share her thoughts. "I'm sure it would be much too lonely to sleep in a place that was too quiet."
Holo was growing more and more angry with what those words indicated, but Elsa only chuckled and turned to look at Tanya. "I suppose you wouldn't know, either, Miss Tanya. There is a myth of a great serpent in the village where I was born."
"Um... Oh!"
"But don't worry about it. I have never seen it. All that is left is a great cave where it was said to live."
Tanya still lowered her head apologetically, so Elsa continued in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Getting back on topic, due to the Voragine family's success in slaying the great serpent that once terrorized this plain, they were gifted a portion of the land and were appointed as nobility. The church here said that God loaned his power to the hero in the battle with the serpent."
Holo scoffed.
"Not once have I ever seen this God for myself."

Output:
"Mm?" Holo furrowed her shapely brows and glanced at Tanya beside her.
It was likely that she only looked at her to see if she knew anything, but when Tanya pulled out her second piece of acorn bread, she pulled up her shoulders as though she had done something wrong.
"And it seems the Voragine family died out after one or two generations. The land, privileges, and proceeds from the tariffs were then donated to the Church. Mister Lawrence..." Elsa paused before continuing to say, "...has been promised the family's privileges, interests, the complete set of titles, and the right to live in their fortress as a reward."
"Hmm..." A hard look crossed Holo's face as she hummed in thought. "The reward is much too generous."
The look on her face told Elsa that she was convinced her kindhearted husband was about to fall for another scheme.
"This does not seem to be a simple transfer, so I cannot say much in that regard. It would cost quite a large sum. Being able to outright buy something like this would be nothing short of a miracle—not even the greatest merchant with the biggest coffers would be able to pull this off normally. So in that sense? Yes, it is very generous. If he manages to mediate this quarrel over tariffs, after all, then what the bishop is saying is that he'd be able to become a landowning noble."
"And he is quite elated." Holo gave a deep sigh, pursing her lips.
But Elsa realized that what she was seeing was not anger. Holo was not annoyed that he was being taken in by promises too good to be true. It was almost as though she was upset that she would have to dampen her companion's excitement as he found joy in a bright future.
Lawrence doted on Holo, yes, but his wife was no slouch either.
Elsa had a vague picture of what Holo was like when she ruled over the wheat harvest in her little village. It must have been an idyllic time, much like the warm scene of a child begging their mother for something before bed.
As Holo hummed in thought, Tanya, who had been munching on her acorn bread, suddenly looked up in some sort of realization. "Oh, about the serpent..."
"Did you remember something?"
"Yes, yes I did. I remember seeing people complaining that they wanted to sell all the metal they dug up, but they couldn't do very good trade with faraway lands because of the serpent. I remember that because I thought, Serves you right."
There was a hint of anger in Tanya's voice, as though recalling the time when humans laid waste to the mountain. She aggressively bit into her acorn bread.
"Aye, 'twould be a problem with a big snake taking up camp in the area. I would be frightened if it were venomous."
"I have dreams about getting swallowed whole by snakes even when I see a little one."
Elsa was not entirely convinced by their conversation.
"...Do you all attack people?"
When she had been collecting stories on the pagan gods, the only time she had heard of them attacking humans was when they ravaged their sanctuaries, though there were some exceptions.
Regardless, the image of a great serpent roaming the plains randomly attacking people did not line up with the impression she had of Holo and the other non-humans she had met.
"I do no such thing." Holo gave a huffy response.
Tanya placed a finger to her chin and said, "Maybe it was stretched out over the field, sunbathing?"
When she mentioned it, both Elsa and Holo pictured the same thing.
When a snake big enough to swallow a cow whole stretched out to occupy an entire plain, its existence alone would be enough to disrupt trade in one manner or another, even if it was not doing anything particularly bad.
"When we ventured from your mountain to this city, we had quite a good view of the land, but how big would it have to be to occupy this plain?" Holo asked.
"In the stories of the pagan gods that I collected, I found a tale of snake long enough where the weather at its head was different from the weather at its tail," Elsa said.


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

Input:
"Mm?" Holo furrowed her shapely brows and glanced at Tanya beside her.
It was likely that she only looked at her to see if she knew anything, but when Tanya pulled out her second piece of acorn bread, she pulled up her shoulders as though she had done something wrong.
"And it seems the Voragine family died out after one or two generations. The land, privileges, and proceeds from the tariffs were then donated to the Church. Mister Lawrence..." Elsa paused before continuing to say, "...has been promised the family's privileges, interests, the complete set of titles, and the right to live in their fortress as a reward."
"Hmm..." A hard look crossed Holo's face as she hummed in thought. "The reward is much too generous."
The look on her face told Elsa that she was convinced her kindhearted husband was about to fall for another scheme.
"This does not seem to be a simple transfer, so I cannot say much in that regard. It would cost quite a large sum. Being able to outright buy something like this would be nothing short of a miracle—not even the greatest merchant with the biggest coffers would be able to pull this off normally. So in that sense? Yes, it is very generous. If he manages to mediate this quarrel over tariffs, after all, then what the bishop is saying is that he'd be able to become a landowning noble."
"And he is quite elated." Holo gave a deep sigh, pursing her lips.
But Elsa realized that what she was seeing was not anger. Holo was not annoyed that he was being taken in by promises too good to be true. It was almost as though she was upset that she would have to dampen her companion's excitement as he found joy in a bright future.
Lawrence doted on Holo, yes, but his wife was no slouch either.
Elsa had a vague picture of what Holo was like when she ruled over the wheat harvest in her little village. It must have been an idyllic time, much like the warm scene of a child begging their mother for something before bed.
As Holo hummed in thought, Tanya, who had been munching on her acorn bread, suddenly looked up in some sort of realization. "Oh, about the serpent..."
"Did you remember something?"
"Yes, yes I did. I remember seeing people complaining that they wanted to sell all the metal they dug up, but they couldn't do very good trade with faraway lands because of the serpent. I remember that because I thought, Serves you right."
There was a hint of anger in Tanya's voice, as though recalling the time when humans laid waste to the mountain. She aggressively bit into her acorn bread.
"Aye, 'twould be a problem with a big snake taking up camp in the area. I would be frightened if it were venomous."
"I have dreams about getting swallowed whole by snakes even when I see a little one."
Elsa was not entirely convinced by their conversation.
"...Do you all attack people?"
When she had been collecting stories on the pagan gods, the only time she had heard of them attacking humans was when they ravaged their sanctuaries, though there were some exceptions.
Regardless, the image of a great serpent roaming the plains randomly attacking people did not line up with the impression she had of Holo and the other non-humans she had met.
"I do no such thing." Holo gave a huffy response.
Tanya placed a finger to her chin and said, "Maybe it was stretched out over the field, sunbathing?"
When she mentioned it, both Elsa and Holo pictured the same thing.
When a snake big enough to swallow a cow whole stretched out to occupy an entire plain, its existence alone would be enough to disrupt trade in one manner or another, even if it was not doing anything particularly bad.
"When we ventured from your mountain to this city, we had quite a good view of the land, but how big would it have to be to occupy this plain?" Holo asked.
"In the stories of the pagan gods that I collected, I found a tale of snake long enough where the weather at its head was different from the weather at its tail," Elsa said.

Output:
Holo was right, but Elsa noticed how upset Tanya seemed—she was the one who brought up the snake because she thought it might prove useful—so she quickly changed the topic.
"E-either way, an abnormally large serpent slithering about would make it just as difficult to carry out simple trade. It makes perfect sense that the Hero Voragine vanquishing the serpent made it possible for trade to resume. It also makes sense that the right to collect tariffs was also collateral in the situation."
After throwing Elsa a cautious glance, Tanya gave her a relieved smile.
"Well, I don't quite understand, but it sounds as though some benefits gained from old efforts are being dangled before that fool's eyes. Yet...lordship, was it? Could the fool even afford something so outrageous? 'Tis not as though we are selling the bathhouse in Nyohhira..."
"What?! Are you going to live here, Lady Holo?" Tanya's eyes widened in surprise, joy coloring her eyes. "I would be so happy if you lived nearby!"
"You fool, that would nev—Actually, I do not know. I do not know. Do not make that face at me."
The mountain Tanya had so peacefully lived on had been ravaged when it was developed for mining, and when the veins ran dry, she started replanting trees, little by little. It was then that she became friends with alchemists who happened to drop by, but they, too, left without any word as to where they ended up, and she had been waiting happily for their return all the while.
Naturally, she had attached herself to Holo, and Holo, too, worried about her.
Though Tanya looked older than Holo, Holo soothed her as though she were a much larger, younger sister. The sight was silly enough to earn them a smile from Elsa; as she did so, she spotted a small group of people beyond the non-human pair. They were well-dressed merchants, having just emerged from the assembly hall, which played host to a very important meeting here in Salonia. They exchanged handshakes, stretched and pounded their backs after escaping such a long meeting.
Elsa spotted a familiar figure among the crowd, and Holo sniffed before turning around.
"As much as I am loathe to admit it, I suppose we have no choice but to hear the fool's side of the story."
The sun was beginning to set, and lanterns were being lit throughout the plaza. Though the crowd made it hard to see anything well, three women sitting outside a tavern stood out like a sore thumb. Lawrence noticed them before Holo could call out to him; a look of surprise crossed his face before he approached them with a smile and a wave.
"Now this is an interesting party."
Lawrence was clearly bewildered to see Tanya, but he quickly donned his mask of calm, like any seasoned merchant would.
"You haven't had too much to drink, have you, Holo?"
"What a fool you are."
Holo seemed displeased to see her husband, but she also looked like she was blushing. Lawrence, of course, only reacted with a slight grimace before removing his wallet from his hip and placing it straight on the table in front of them.
"I can leave this with you, because Miss Elsa's here."
Though this was his offer to pay for their drinks, Elsa was astonished by how smooth-tongued he was.
"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt your delightful evening chat," he said, attempting to leave. It was his sheep's instinct that was telling him to go.
It was Holo the wolf who stopped him.
"We are drinking because we are talking about you."
***
Lawrence tried to flash a smile with his merchant's mask, but he could not quite pull it off because he sensed something was off with Holo.
"Well, um..."
"Sit," Holo commanded, and Tanya, who had been sitting beside her, hurriedly got up from her seat and rounded the table, cautiously settling back down beside Elsa. What wafted by her was a sweet, deep forest scent, unlike perfume, and Elsa finally understood why she had attracted so much male attention.
"Should I pray?"


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

Input:
Holo was right, but Elsa noticed how upset Tanya seemed—she was the one who brought up the snake because she thought it might prove useful—so she quickly changed the topic.
"E-either way, an abnormally large serpent slithering about would make it just as difficult to carry out simple trade. It makes perfect sense that the Hero Voragine vanquishing the serpent made it possible for trade to resume. It also makes sense that the right to collect tariffs was also collateral in the situation."
After throwing Elsa a cautious glance, Tanya gave her a relieved smile.
"Well, I don't quite understand, but it sounds as though some benefits gained from old efforts are being dangled before that fool's eyes. Yet...lordship, was it? Could the fool even afford something so outrageous? 'Tis not as though we are selling the bathhouse in Nyohhira..."
"What?! Are you going to live here, Lady Holo?" Tanya's eyes widened in surprise, joy coloring her eyes. "I would be so happy if you lived nearby!"
"You fool, that would nev—Actually, I do not know. I do not know. Do not make that face at me."
The mountain Tanya had so peacefully lived on had been ravaged when it was developed for mining, and when the veins ran dry, she started replanting trees, little by little. It was then that she became friends with alchemists who happened to drop by, but they, too, left without any word as to where they ended up, and she had been waiting happily for their return all the while.
Naturally, she had attached herself to Holo, and Holo, too, worried about her.
Though Tanya looked older than Holo, Holo soothed her as though she were a much larger, younger sister. The sight was silly enough to earn them a smile from Elsa; as she did so, she spotted a small group of people beyond the non-human pair. They were well-dressed merchants, having just emerged from the assembly hall, which played host to a very important meeting here in Salonia. They exchanged handshakes, stretched and pounded their backs after escaping such a long meeting.
Elsa spotted a familiar figure among the crowd, and Holo sniffed before turning around.
"As much as I am loathe to admit it, I suppose we have no choice but to hear the fool's side of the story."
The sun was beginning to set, and lanterns were being lit throughout the plaza. Though the crowd made it hard to see anything well, three women sitting outside a tavern stood out like a sore thumb. Lawrence noticed them before Holo could call out to him; a look of surprise crossed his face before he approached them with a smile and a wave.
"Now this is an interesting party."
Lawrence was clearly bewildered to see Tanya, but he quickly donned his mask of calm, like any seasoned merchant would.
"You haven't had too much to drink, have you, Holo?"
"What a fool you are."
Holo seemed displeased to see her husband, but she also looked like she was blushing. Lawrence, of course, only reacted with a slight grimace before removing his wallet from his hip and placing it straight on the table in front of them.
"I can leave this with you, because Miss Elsa's here."
Though this was his offer to pay for their drinks, Elsa was astonished by how smooth-tongued he was.
"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt your delightful evening chat," he said, attempting to leave. It was his sheep's instinct that was telling him to go.
It was Holo the wolf who stopped him.
"We are drinking because we are talking about you."
***
Lawrence tried to flash a smile with his merchant's mask, but he could not quite pull it off because he sensed something was off with Holo.
"Well, um..."
"Sit," Holo commanded, and Tanya, who had been sitting beside her, hurriedly got up from her seat and rounded the table, cautiously settling back down beside Elsa. What wafted by her was a sweet, deep forest scent, unlike perfume, and Elsa finally understood why she had attracted so much male attention.
"Should I pray?"

Output:
But Elsa could tell that Holo's sullen look was because she was considering how to broach the topic with Lawrence.
Not wanting to wait any longer, Elsa gave a short sigh and said, "Holo came to me with concerns that Salonia's bishop was up to no good."
Lawrence immediately understood that the first victim in this plot would be himself.
"Is this about the title?" Lawrence asked, and Holo looked away in a dramatic huff. "Is she thinking that...restless footing is more easily stolen away?"
This was doubtlessly an interaction that had repeated itself between the two since the day they met.
An obvious troubled smile crossed Lawrence's face, like the merchant he was, and he sighed.
"I have double—triple calculated the projected losses and gains, and I know that the bishop has his own motives."
"Fool," Holo spoke at last, turning wholly to face him. "Land? A noble name? That cannot come cheap. Do you plan on selling the bathhouse?"
She was a wolf avatar, once called the wisewolf—she had no interest in any renown the human world had to offer. While it might seem the case at first, this wolf whose love for meat and drinks over a banquet did not actually desire such things.
The reason Elsa scolded Holo like a child for her slovenly lifestyle was because there was nothing overly pompous about Holo that was worth mentioning, and there was a comfortable air between them as they both shared opinions on a great many things.
"Mister Lawrence, I do not think the bishop would propose an idea that would mainly benefit another. As frivolous and opportunistic as he seems, he is ruthless."
Though she typically hesitated in speaking ill of those with higher ranks in the Church, it was how she genuinely felt. Lawrence seemed to shrink away from the way Holo and Elsa looked at him, like a merchant being questioned at a checkpoint.
"Well, um... Do you mind if I give you an excuse?"
Elsa looked at Holo, and Holo sunk her canines into her grilled meat with displeasure.
"I am curious to hear what sort of flattery the bishop has been subjecting you to."
Lawrence gave a strained smile in response to what Elsa said and replied, "I will not pay a single silver myself."
"What?" Holo sputtered in disbelief.
"He proposed that, in exchange for receiving the title, the tariff levying powers that come with it, and the rights to land in the Salonia region, I pay a fixed sum to the Church every year."
***
Holo narrowed her eyes, looking at Lawrence in confusion, before turning to look at Elsa.
"I see," Elsa said. "That means he is not particularly attached to the privileges the Church has, so long as the amount of money going into his pocket is the same every year."
"Those titles are collecting dust somewhere in the church storehouse right now. It's not a loss for the bishop at all."
That meant no one's wallet would hurt in the exchange, and the bishop would earn a powerful ally in Lawrence. It was an easy-to-understand deal, one that the bishop would very likely propose.
But to Elsa, who had struggled with church ledgers throughout the land with all the turmoil that surrounded the church now, felt a discomfort, one she was not fully satisfied with.
"If he were to propose this to me, I would then be motivated to keep tariffs high. I would have to pay him every year, you see. And even if the church decides to lower tariffs in the future, they will be still expect the same amount of money from me."
The whole debt crisis in town had started when the bishop hastily threw an merchant into jail over a debt, but he was shrewd when it came to these things. He was a true scoundrel. Elsa sighed.
"And so do you plan to take the bishop's side?"
When Elsa asked, Holo, who was not interested in the details but desperately wanted to know the short answer, turned to look at Lawrence as she bit into her new plate of meat. It was almost as though she was threatening to do the same to him if she did not like his answer.
"I'm a bit conflicted."


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

Input:
But Elsa could tell that Holo's sullen look was because she was considering how to broach the topic with Lawrence.
Not wanting to wait any longer, Elsa gave a short sigh and said, "Holo came to me with concerns that Salonia's bishop was up to no good."
Lawrence immediately understood that the first victim in this plot would be himself.
"Is this about the title?" Lawrence asked, and Holo looked away in a dramatic huff. "Is she thinking that...restless footing is more easily stolen away?"
This was doubtlessly an interaction that had repeated itself between the two since the day they met.
An obvious troubled smile crossed Lawrence's face, like the merchant he was, and he sighed.
"I have double—triple calculated the projected losses and gains, and I know that the bishop has his own motives."
"Fool," Holo spoke at last, turning wholly to face him. "Land? A noble name? That cannot come cheap. Do you plan on selling the bathhouse?"
She was a wolf avatar, once called the wisewolf—she had no interest in any renown the human world had to offer. While it might seem the case at first, this wolf whose love for meat and drinks over a banquet did not actually desire such things.
The reason Elsa scolded Holo like a child for her slovenly lifestyle was because there was nothing overly pompous about Holo that was worth mentioning, and there was a comfortable air between them as they both shared opinions on a great many things.
"Mister Lawrence, I do not think the bishop would propose an idea that would mainly benefit another. As frivolous and opportunistic as he seems, he is ruthless."
Though she typically hesitated in speaking ill of those with higher ranks in the Church, it was how she genuinely felt. Lawrence seemed to shrink away from the way Holo and Elsa looked at him, like a merchant being questioned at a checkpoint.
"Well, um... Do you mind if I give you an excuse?"
Elsa looked at Holo, and Holo sunk her canines into her grilled meat with displeasure.
"I am curious to hear what sort of flattery the bishop has been subjecting you to."
Lawrence gave a strained smile in response to what Elsa said and replied, "I will not pay a single silver myself."
"What?" Holo sputtered in disbelief.
"He proposed that, in exchange for receiving the title, the tariff levying powers that come with it, and the rights to land in the Salonia region, I pay a fixed sum to the Church every year."
***
Holo narrowed her eyes, looking at Lawrence in confusion, before turning to look at Elsa.
"I see," Elsa said. "That means he is not particularly attached to the privileges the Church has, so long as the amount of money going into his pocket is the same every year."
"Those titles are collecting dust somewhere in the church storehouse right now. It's not a loss for the bishop at all."
That meant no one's wallet would hurt in the exchange, and the bishop would earn a powerful ally in Lawrence. It was an easy-to-understand deal, one that the bishop would very likely propose.
But to Elsa, who had struggled with church ledgers throughout the land with all the turmoil that surrounded the church now, felt a discomfort, one she was not fully satisfied with.
"If he were to propose this to me, I would then be motivated to keep tariffs high. I would have to pay him every year, you see. And even if the church decides to lower tariffs in the future, they will be still expect the same amount of money from me."
The whole debt crisis in town had started when the bishop hastily threw an merchant into jail over a debt, but he was shrewd when it came to these things. He was a true scoundrel. Elsa sighed.
"And so do you plan to take the bishop's side?"
When Elsa asked, Holo, who was not interested in the details but desperately wanted to know the short answer, turned to look at Lawrence as she bit into her new plate of meat. It was almost as though she was threatening to do the same to him if she did not like his answer.
"I'm a bit conflicted."

Output:
"Miss Tanya being here must mean...you three were looking into the origins of the tariffs, weren't you?"
Tanya, who had been sitting by her lonesome, not quite a part of the conversation, immediately perked up.
"A portion of the goods in this city have oddly high tariffs," Lawrence explained. "They say that stems from the Hero Voragine's work."
"He's the one who defeated the great serpent." Tanya gave her friendly smile, since she understood this conversation.
Lawrence smiled in response and continued, "That was a long time ago. And you know what they say—don't pour new wine into an old wineskin."
"...Do you mean that people doubt these origins?"
"No one likes taxes. Any strong allegation needs an equally strong excuse. Persuading people with a figure of myth who may or may not have actually existed can only go so far."
The shrewd bishop may have sensed that a shadow was being cast over the authority of an old tale.
He then set his mind into motion, trying to figure out a way to keep earning the same amount of money despite anticipating the lowered tariffs in the future.
And just as he had forced church work upon Elsa, he was dressing up a dying candle and trying to pass it off to Lawrence, assuring the merchant that the candle was all his, so long as it kept illuminating the church.
"With solid grounds for the tariffs, then I believe accepting the offer would not be a bad idea. But if it is indeed an entirely made-up story, then there is a very good chance that you would be losing out here, especially since the tariffs will indeed come down one day."
If tariff income went down despite having made the promise to pay a fixed fee each year, then whoever owned those interests would suffer huge losses. The deal offered to Lawrence was not without its disadvantages.
"'Tis as though we are meant to find this great serpent," Holo said to Lawrence with a disappointed look, her elbows planted firmly on the table either because she was drunk or vexed.
Lawrence then smiled at Holo before turning to Elsa.
"And God must have had a hand in this today, because there so happens to be a native from a village with a serpent myth right here."
Lawrence had mostly seen through the bishop's scheme.
And on top of that, he knew he had a lot of resources within his reach.
Hidden beneath their courteous smiles was a battle of wits between Lawrence and the bishop.
The winner would profit greatly, of course, but for Lawrence, it came with the extra prize of showing off to Holo.
Elsa turned to meet Holo's gaze, and she shrugged.
Holo threw back her wine cup to drown out her utterance, "You lot are unbelievable."
***
If the myth about the great serpent turned out to be true and they could provide solid proof of such, then it would be a powerful reason for them to keep tariffs as they were. But conversely, if the myth turned out to be nothing but a tall tale, then it would be very difficult for the town to maintain the historically high tariffs. That was the gist of the situation, but Elsa still had something she wanted to ask Lawrence.
The day after their conversation at the square, Salonia's grand market and the future festival were both entering their final stages. Their festival did not have venerable origins, unlike most other places, and instead was simply meant to celebrate the year's harvest, to have one last big party before the bleak winter, and to venerate a saint that had been retroactively created to fit the celebration, so it was essentially a big, ordinary feast.
Since Holo was the one who helped select the alcohol that would be served at the final ceremony, the townsfolk had roped her into helping prepare for the festival bright and early in the morning. She went to practice a quick ceremonial exchange and have adjustments made to the costume she would wear on the day.
The bishop, too, was in charge of running the festival, so he was absent from tariff meetings that day.