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

Input:
Lawrence poured more ale into her mug, which had gone empty in an instant.
She looked at him uncertainly and deliberately puffed out her fluffy tail.
"What else could be so good for nothing?"
"Well...There's the traveling merchant's cunning."
Lawrence smiled, and Holo chugged the ale again, then skillfully fell backward onto the bed.
"You're going to spill that someday."
"'Tis a dream of mine to fall asleep soaked in liquor."
"That's silly. Come on."
He reached out for the mug of ale sitting on her stomach, and she obediently handed it to him.
It seemed the gears in her head were still churning behind her closed eyelids.
"To think that I, once called the Wisewolf of Yoitsu, would ever fret so much over what to do with a flower..."
"If you could concoct amazing ideas for trading goods one after the other, I would have become the president of a company a long time ago."
"Fool. I would be saving the money, so 'twould all be mine."
She rolled over onto her stomach, rested her chin on her arms, and wagged her tail back and forth.
Perhaps she was imagining a hoard of riches the height of mountains and a luxurious life filled with drink and meat.
"But flowers..."
Lawrence groaned, then Holo came to sit beside him. Her tail smacked him gently on the back.
"If only they were roses."
"Oh?"
"Townspeople use roses a lot in festivals and such, so you can sell them in bunches. People cover the roads with them when royalty and nobility come visit as well. And even farther south, businesses use them in expensive food and candies; they're really popular."
"Ohhh?"
She drew closer to him, as if very interested in hearing more. Lawrence quickly gave a disclaimer, saying he only had some secondhand information before continuing.
"Apparently almond milk, rose water, and sugar are all necessities for noble banquets. And especially, when they mix them all together, it makes a thick and sweet soup that smells of flowers. Then you boil that with rice and drink it with raspberry cider after the meal. Or you can add ginger to make it refreshing and then boil with quail or duck. Those weakened by illness get better almost immediately after drinking this, I've heard."
Holo had completely forgotten to blink, and she gulped.
Though they had already taken their meal while they were brainstorming in the dining room, it seemed she could still eat more. While he found himself exasperated, he also thought it was funny to see this silly side of Holo, strung along by her appetite, and he continued.
"What's even more amazing is the candy from the countries with deep-blue seas, where more than half the year could be counted as summer."
Holo grasped the clothes around his waist, her tail whipping back and forth.
"Even in hot countries, where they harvest dates, there are amazingly tall mountains that have ice hidden on their peaks all year round. In the boiling heat, the nobles send their servants up the mountainsides and have them cut out some ice. Then, they shave it with blades to make fluffy snow, mix it with sugar, then finally cover it in rose water, the skin of a tart fruit they call lemon boiled with honey, and honey itself."
He piled snow into an imaginary bowl and pretended to pour honey over it, and Holo's eyes followed his hands in fascination.
"Then, when it's all cold, they eat it with a silver spoon. It makes a crunch inside their mouths, and the cold, tart honey rolls down their throat...Ow, ouch...Holo!"
She was gripping his thigh, her nails digging into his flesh.
"...We must...go south after this..."
"No. We are not."
He regretted getting so carried away.
"It's more expensive than honeyed peaches anyway, so we can't afford it in the first place."
"Ohhh..."
Holo suddenly seemed like she would cry and then bit into his leg.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
As she dug her fangs into his legs, as though wanting him to suffer with her, Holo suddenly raised her head.
"Sheesh, my clothes might rip..."
"But wait."
"What is it now?"

Output:
Holo had been learning unnecessary things on her merchant's journey.
"If there were, then who would pay that much for it?"
Her tail smacked him on his back.
"And rose water? It exists, yes? Is it also expensive?"
"What?"
Lawrence questioned her while Holo mumbled something to herself with a distant look. She must have been using all the knowledge she had gained thus far and was thinking about how she might be able to make ice candy.
Then suddenly, when consciousness returned to her eyes, they wavered with angry flames and turned on Lawrence.
"Which do you think is more valuable: the price of that rose water or whatnot or the warmth from my tail on cold nights, hmm?"
Even the highest-quality wolf fur was inferior to deer fur, and deer fur was not as good as rabbit fur, and rabbit fur was no match for fox fur, but even fox fur was nothing compared to that of the ermine. Ermine fur could be traded as is for silver trenni coins, and if one wanted to buy rose water they would have to trade the same weight in gold. This fact would deeply hurt her pride as a wolf.
However, Lawrence was not worried she would rip him to shreds because she had made some sort of misunderstanding.
"All the wolf fur lined up in a market might not be able to buy a single drop of rose water."
Holo's eyes widened. She was speechless.
Before long her hands began to tremble, then her shoulders, then her ears, then her tail.
As she lifted her upper lip, showing the two sharp canines beneath, Lawrence spoke.
"But do you know what it is you put on your tail?"
"...Huh?"
The tail that she constantly combed and caressed day in and day out without rest was puffed out so large in just the slightest bit of anger, and the ends of the hairs glinted like thin bundles of glass.
What was it that gave it that sheen and a sweet scent that tickled his nose?
Holo gazed at her own tail, then turned toward Lawrence.
"The warmth of your tail is much more expensive than any rose water. So, so much more."
Lawrence dropped his shoulders with a sigh.
"You can't find the oil you use at an oil merchant's. It was from an apothecary. And it would be absolutely absurd to use it in cooking. But since you picked it out only by scent and bought it without looking at the price, and well, that simply shows how good your nose is. You managed to pick out the most expensive thing from the apothecary without a second thought."
Holo pestered him for expensive things whenever he made a foolish blunder of equal worth, so Lawrence could never protest with much strength. And so he would loosen the string around his coin purse as he was told, and Holo bought what she wanted without much hesitation. But this was typically something that the women of nobility used and not something a merchant would give as a present to his daughter.
Plenty of which had been rubbed into the tail of one blank-eyed Holo.
"That is collected from the clear top layer that appears when rose water is made, and then it's diluted in different oil. Of course, there are tales of a tyrant of a large empire from long ago who gave it as gift to a princess, but it didn't compare to undiluted, refined oil pressed from even a single rose petal. According to legend, after using as many flower petals that equaled the weight of ten fat horses, the tyrant finally managed to fill a small vial the size of the tip of his pinkie. But even the perfumed oil that you use would need a wagonful of..."
Lawrence got that far in his story when his words caught.
"Full of..."
"...Hello?"
Holo wore a nervous expression on her face and peered up at him from below.
Then Lawrence suddenly whipped around.
He looked not at Holo's worried face but to her fluffy, wagging tail.
"A wagonful?"
"Fwa?!"
Holo let out an odd cry and tried to stand up.
Lawrence did not even notice as he gripped her tail and stared hard at it.
"O-oh, my tail...You're so violent—"


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

Input:
Holo had been learning unnecessary things on her merchant's journey.
"If there were, then who would pay that much for it?"
Her tail smacked him on his back.
"And rose water? It exists, yes? Is it also expensive?"
"What?"
Lawrence questioned her while Holo mumbled something to herself with a distant look. She must have been using all the knowledge she had gained thus far and was thinking about how she might be able to make ice candy.
Then suddenly, when consciousness returned to her eyes, they wavered with angry flames and turned on Lawrence.
"Which do you think is more valuable: the price of that rose water or whatnot or the warmth from my tail on cold nights, hmm?"
Even the highest-quality wolf fur was inferior to deer fur, and deer fur was not as good as rabbit fur, and rabbit fur was no match for fox fur, but even fox fur was nothing compared to that of the ermine. Ermine fur could be traded as is for silver trenni coins, and if one wanted to buy rose water they would have to trade the same weight in gold. This fact would deeply hurt her pride as a wolf.
However, Lawrence was not worried she would rip him to shreds because she had made some sort of misunderstanding.
"All the wolf fur lined up in a market might not be able to buy a single drop of rose water."
Holo's eyes widened. She was speechless.
Before long her hands began to tremble, then her shoulders, then her ears, then her tail.
As she lifted her upper lip, showing the two sharp canines beneath, Lawrence spoke.
"But do you know what it is you put on your tail?"
"...Huh?"
The tail that she constantly combed and caressed day in and day out without rest was puffed out so large in just the slightest bit of anger, and the ends of the hairs glinted like thin bundles of glass.
What was it that gave it that sheen and a sweet scent that tickled his nose?
Holo gazed at her own tail, then turned toward Lawrence.
"The warmth of your tail is much more expensive than any rose water. So, so much more."
Lawrence dropped his shoulders with a sigh.
"You can't find the oil you use at an oil merchant's. It was from an apothecary. And it would be absolutely absurd to use it in cooking. But since you picked it out only by scent and bought it without looking at the price, and well, that simply shows how good your nose is. You managed to pick out the most expensive thing from the apothecary without a second thought."
Holo pestered him for expensive things whenever he made a foolish blunder of equal worth, so Lawrence could never protest with much strength. And so he would loosen the string around his coin purse as he was told, and Holo bought what she wanted without much hesitation. But this was typically something that the women of nobility used and not something a merchant would give as a present to his daughter.
Plenty of which had been rubbed into the tail of one blank-eyed Holo.
"That is collected from the clear top layer that appears when rose water is made, and then it's diluted in different oil. Of course, there are tales of a tyrant of a large empire from long ago who gave it as gift to a princess, but it didn't compare to undiluted, refined oil pressed from even a single rose petal. According to legend, after using as many flower petals that equaled the weight of ten fat horses, the tyrant finally managed to fill a small vial the size of the tip of his pinkie. But even the perfumed oil that you use would need a wagonful of..."
Lawrence got that far in his story when his words caught.
"Full of..."
"...Hello?"
Holo wore a nervous expression on her face and peered up at him from below.
Then Lawrence suddenly whipped around.
He looked not at Holo's worried face but to her fluffy, wagging tail.
"A wagonful?"
"Fwa?!"
Holo let out an odd cry and tried to stand up.
Lawrence did not even notice as he gripped her tail and stared hard at it.
"O-oh, my tail...You're so violent—"

Output:
They had fuel. They had tools. They had materials. Everything needed was already on hand. Not only that, it was the sort of thing where the result was guaranteed before they even started. On top of all this, the product was not the bulky kind.
"This is it! This is the answer!"
Lawrence finally raised his head from his sea of ideas and showed Holo a smile.
Then, when he finally realized that her face was red and there were tears brimming at the edges of her eyes, it was much too late.
"You...fool!"
She puffed out her cheeks as far as she could.
But even if she fell from the bed at that very moment, Lawrence could not stop smiling.
"This could be something amazing!"
He leaped up hand in hand with Holo, who was still sadly checking to see if he had left an odd mark on her tail from gripping it so tightly.
She recoiled at his outburst, slightly frightened.
"And it'll be useful for the maintenance of your tail!"
Holo, whose tail had just been treated horribly, was about to say something, but Lawrence gave her hand a tug and she almost tumbled from the bed.
"W-wait, wait, you!"
"Come on—what are you doing? Let's go!"
He grasped the tallow candle on the candlestand on the wall and opened the door.
"We can help these people and make a fortune, too!"
Holo sighed in irritation, but she did not shake off Lawrence's hand.
Here we go again crossed her face for a moment, but a small smile of amusement appeared afterward.
The flowers, full of oil that could catch fire by just the light of the summer sun, as well as possessing an effusive aroma, bloomed endlessly before them.
In the very center of that flower field, they prepared a copper distilling pot with a narrowed opening in the shape of a flattened jar, clay, and the glass vials that Amalie's father had so passionately collected.
Once the fuel was lit, they could gather as much as they needed from the field afterward.
With everything they had readied, they would be able to turn the purple flower field that only brought disaster into a product that could be traded for gold.
"Something like this?"
The landlady Amalie had her sleeves rolled up and was stuffing clay into the mouth of the distilling pot. It was filled to the brim with flower petals and water she had drawn from the river.
"And then, into this glass bottle..."
Skillfully combining it with the clay, Lawrence attached the thin mouth of the glass bottle diagonally. In reality, they would ask a specialist glassmaker to create a pipe or prepare a copper tube, but this was just a makeshift version.
They first had to be certain if it was possible.
"And now I will light it."
The one that spoke uneasily was the representative of the villagers, the village head. The villagers all looked very unsettled, wondering what on earth they would do with boiled flowers in a distilling pot, as they watched from a distance.
They should have all the tools and procedures they needed.
Lawrence watched as he lit the fire, the stems and leaves plucked from the flowers also catching, and the smoke rose into the air.
"And...so?"
Amalie, who stood beside him, asked as though giving a prayer.
When he told her his idea the night before, she had been just as excited—if not even more so—than he was and nearly went straight into the field with sickle in hand, but Yergin managed somehow to hold her back. It seemed, however, that she had not been able to get any sleep due to her excitement, and the circles under her eyes were as dark as ash.
Yergin lamented that she should have maintained her dignity as a landlord, but despite how tired she looked, she behaved quite lively.
Though she looked meek, perhaps that did not mean she preferred being absorbed in meditation.
"Once it starts boiling, the steam will seep into the glass bottle. Then, we chill it with water."
The villagers, who were neglecting their farmwork to answer the call to gather here, were all holding wooden buckets and standing at attention, however reluctantly.
"It won't be long now...Look."


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

Input:
They had fuel. They had tools. They had materials. Everything needed was already on hand. Not only that, it was the sort of thing where the result was guaranteed before they even started. On top of all this, the product was not the bulky kind.
"This is it! This is the answer!"
Lawrence finally raised his head from his sea of ideas and showed Holo a smile.
Then, when he finally realized that her face was red and there were tears brimming at the edges of her eyes, it was much too late.
"You...fool!"
She puffed out her cheeks as far as she could.
But even if she fell from the bed at that very moment, Lawrence could not stop smiling.
"This could be something amazing!"
He leaped up hand in hand with Holo, who was still sadly checking to see if he had left an odd mark on her tail from gripping it so tightly.
She recoiled at his outburst, slightly frightened.
"And it'll be useful for the maintenance of your tail!"
Holo, whose tail had just been treated horribly, was about to say something, but Lawrence gave her hand a tug and she almost tumbled from the bed.
"W-wait, wait, you!"
"Come on—what are you doing? Let's go!"
He grasped the tallow candle on the candlestand on the wall and opened the door.
"We can help these people and make a fortune, too!"
Holo sighed in irritation, but she did not shake off Lawrence's hand.
Here we go again crossed her face for a moment, but a small smile of amusement appeared afterward.
The flowers, full of oil that could catch fire by just the light of the summer sun, as well as possessing an effusive aroma, bloomed endlessly before them.
In the very center of that flower field, they prepared a copper distilling pot with a narrowed opening in the shape of a flattened jar, clay, and the glass vials that Amalie's father had so passionately collected.
Once the fuel was lit, they could gather as much as they needed from the field afterward.
With everything they had readied, they would be able to turn the purple flower field that only brought disaster into a product that could be traded for gold.
"Something like this?"
The landlady Amalie had her sleeves rolled up and was stuffing clay into the mouth of the distilling pot. It was filled to the brim with flower petals and water she had drawn from the river.
"And then, into this glass bottle..."
Skillfully combining it with the clay, Lawrence attached the thin mouth of the glass bottle diagonally. In reality, they would ask a specialist glassmaker to create a pipe or prepare a copper tube, but this was just a makeshift version.
They first had to be certain if it was possible.
"And now I will light it."
The one that spoke uneasily was the representative of the villagers, the village head. The villagers all looked very unsettled, wondering what on earth they would do with boiled flowers in a distilling pot, as they watched from a distance.
They should have all the tools and procedures they needed.
Lawrence watched as he lit the fire, the stems and leaves plucked from the flowers also catching, and the smoke rose into the air.
"And...so?"
Amalie, who stood beside him, asked as though giving a prayer.
When he told her his idea the night before, she had been just as excited—if not even more so—than he was and nearly went straight into the field with sickle in hand, but Yergin managed somehow to hold her back. It seemed, however, that she had not been able to get any sleep due to her excitement, and the circles under her eyes were as dark as ash.
Yergin lamented that she should have maintained her dignity as a landlord, but despite how tired she looked, she behaved quite lively.
Though she looked meek, perhaps that did not mean she preferred being absorbed in meditation.
"Once it starts boiling, the steam will seep into the glass bottle. Then, we chill it with water."
The villagers, who were neglecting their farmwork to answer the call to gather here, were all holding wooden buckets and standing at attention, however reluctantly.
"It won't be long now...Look."

Output:
"This is how the steam will cool and become water."
The sound of bubbling, boiling water came from inside the distilling pot, and steam silently steeped into the glass bottle. Though it was spring, the mountains upstream were still in a snowy season, so the waters from the river were cold. Whenever they poured water onto the glass, it cooled, and they could see the inside.
"There is more and more water..."
Amalie raised her voice in surprise.
"Is that...oil...on the water surface?"
"It looks like it's a success."
Gathering near the mouth of the leaning glass bottle was a film of oil.
It already smelled strongly of flowers around them, and under the hood that covered her eyes, Holo pressed her hand against her mouth.
After watching them repeat the same activity for a while, Lawrence reached out to remove the glass bottle.
But Yergin interrupted him.
"It will be my job to endlessly carry on this work now."
Or perhaps it was his way of making sure a guest did not get burned.
Lawrence smiled and gave his spot to Yergin.
His thick palms gently grasped the glass bottle and released it from the clay, making sure the contents did not spill.
"Whoa."
"What a smell!"
The scent that wafted from it was so tremendous that the surrounding villagers unwittingly cried out.
And when held up to the sun, there was a clear divide between water and oil in the bottle.
Yergin pointed the opening of the bottle toward his mistress, Amalie.
Then she dipped her finger into the oil slightly and wiped it onto the cloth she had prepared.
"...Incredible."
That was all she could manage, shocked as she was.
"It will take a lot of flowers to make perfumed oil, but that's not a problem here. And an apothecary will dilute such a strong perfume with oil before quickly selling it off. A traveling merchant like myself only needs a bit of the original oil in a small vial. It would be fine in the rain and wouldn't put too much pressure on my wagon."
He did not know how much they would be able to sell, but at least they would have a lot, and it smelled wonderful.
It seemed Lawrence could safely expect the villagers to cut more than enough flowers.
"The only problem is..."
When Lawrence spoke up again, Amalie, who had been engrossed in sniffing the oil she rubbed on the cloth, as well as Yergin, Holo, and the village head, looked at him.
"...once you finish working on this, whatever you eat that night will smell sweet."
Everyone laughed, and Yergin even clapped.
"This wise traveler has shared splendid wisdom with us. Now, we must overcome this challenge that God has given us and make this field of flowers our boon!"
There was a veritable mountain of flowers to be cut, and then the villagers had to pluck the stems before drying them, all so they would burn better.
Not only that, they had to carry on with their normal farmwork, and once the season changed, the flowers would fall.
There was no time to stand around.
The place suddenly burst into a hive of activity, and Lawrence, in a very traveler-like manner, took one, then two quiet steps away.
Then a hand landed on his shoulder with a thud.
"Oh."
He turned around, and it was Holo.
"How about it? Aren't you impressed with my cunning?"
She would allow him to puff out his chest in pride a little.
When he spoke, and as soon as she showed him an exasperated smile under the hood she had pulled down to her nose, she twisted her body and drove her fist straight into his stomach.
"Guh?!"
"'Tis the grudge for my tail, you fool."
"Augh..."
It did not hurt that much, but his body buckled in surprise.
Then Holo peered at Lawrence's face when it grew closer, and there was quite a scary smile on her face that he could see even with the intervening cloth, and then she spoke.
"I shall never, ever forget that you mussed up my tail."
"N-no, wait—"
"And so..."
Holo drew closer.


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

Input:
"This is how the steam will cool and become water."
The sound of bubbling, boiling water came from inside the distilling pot, and steam silently steeped into the glass bottle. Though it was spring, the mountains upstream were still in a snowy season, so the waters from the river were cold. Whenever they poured water onto the glass, it cooled, and they could see the inside.
"There is more and more water..."
Amalie raised her voice in surprise.
"Is that...oil...on the water surface?"
"It looks like it's a success."
Gathering near the mouth of the leaning glass bottle was a film of oil.
It already smelled strongly of flowers around them, and under the hood that covered her eyes, Holo pressed her hand against her mouth.
After watching them repeat the same activity for a while, Lawrence reached out to remove the glass bottle.
But Yergin interrupted him.
"It will be my job to endlessly carry on this work now."
Or perhaps it was his way of making sure a guest did not get burned.
Lawrence smiled and gave his spot to Yergin.
His thick palms gently grasped the glass bottle and released it from the clay, making sure the contents did not spill.
"Whoa."
"What a smell!"
The scent that wafted from it was so tremendous that the surrounding villagers unwittingly cried out.
And when held up to the sun, there was a clear divide between water and oil in the bottle.
Yergin pointed the opening of the bottle toward his mistress, Amalie.
Then she dipped her finger into the oil slightly and wiped it onto the cloth she had prepared.
"...Incredible."
That was all she could manage, shocked as she was.
"It will take a lot of flowers to make perfumed oil, but that's not a problem here. And an apothecary will dilute such a strong perfume with oil before quickly selling it off. A traveling merchant like myself only needs a bit of the original oil in a small vial. It would be fine in the rain and wouldn't put too much pressure on my wagon."
He did not know how much they would be able to sell, but at least they would have a lot, and it smelled wonderful.
It seemed Lawrence could safely expect the villagers to cut more than enough flowers.
"The only problem is..."
When Lawrence spoke up again, Amalie, who had been engrossed in sniffing the oil she rubbed on the cloth, as well as Yergin, Holo, and the village head, looked at him.
"...once you finish working on this, whatever you eat that night will smell sweet."
Everyone laughed, and Yergin even clapped.
"This wise traveler has shared splendid wisdom with us. Now, we must overcome this challenge that God has given us and make this field of flowers our boon!"
There was a veritable mountain of flowers to be cut, and then the villagers had to pluck the stems before drying them, all so they would burn better.
Not only that, they had to carry on with their normal farmwork, and once the season changed, the flowers would fall.
There was no time to stand around.
The place suddenly burst into a hive of activity, and Lawrence, in a very traveler-like manner, took one, then two quiet steps away.
Then a hand landed on his shoulder with a thud.
"Oh."
He turned around, and it was Holo.
"How about it? Aren't you impressed with my cunning?"
She would allow him to puff out his chest in pride a little.
When he spoke, and as soon as she showed him an exasperated smile under the hood she had pulled down to her nose, she twisted her body and drove her fist straight into his stomach.
"Guh?!"
"'Tis the grudge for my tail, you fool."
"Augh..."
It did not hurt that much, but his body buckled in surprise.
Then Holo peered at Lawrence's face when it grew closer, and there was quite a scary smile on her face that he could see even with the intervening cloth, and then she spoke.
"I shall never, ever forget that you mussed up my tail."
"N-no, wait—"
"And so..."
Holo drew closer.

Output:
"Wha—? No, we don't even know if it'll sell..."
"Oh, do you not wish to continue sleeping in warmth at night?"
Her reddish-amber eyes glinted like boiled fruit.
Though he had come here for the tantalizing promise of making a quick profit, it did not seem like his wallet would be getting any fatter in the end.
"...Okay."
He replied obediently, and Holo grinned like an innocent girl.
Then, she spoke.
"I must clean out your wallet regularly, after all."
***
He looked at her, and she happily clung to his arm.
The villagers were busily working while Yergin and Amalie were in the middle of a heated conversation.
They suddenly noticed the two of them and came over with attractive, beaming smiles.
"Mr. Lawrence, there is no doubt that you are a gift from God!"
When she said that, Lawrence responded with a troubled smile, lightly raising his hand.
His other arm was in the grip of a greedy wolf, making sure he would not be taken away.
"I'm nothing of the sort. If anything, I'm more like a sacrifice for someone who was once called a god...," he murmured quietly to himself.
"'Tis the pleasure of the merchant-sort to help others."
Holo's tail wagged underneath her robe as she made the remark.
Lawrence gazed up at the beautiful blue sky. Winter had ended, and it was nearly spring.
That was the story of a field of flowers that filled his entire body with sweetness whenever the wind blew.
Standing before the dusty shed, Lawrence finally awoke from the memories that wafted from the small vial.
It seemed that its potency had not faded over the years.
"Now I remember. Myuri wasn't at all interested in this little vial."
"While it may smell nice, and while it is sweet, it cannot be eaten, after all."
Myuri was too much of a child to be content with simply enjoying the scent of flowers.
"That fool was much more interested in hiding the hand mill. 'Tis why it may be hiding in a place that does not occur to us."
Their only daughter, Myuri, loved pranks more than anything and was obsessed with treasure hunting as well as adventure stories.
"That reminds me of a certain someone..."
"Yes, of you, how you are obsessed with treasure and how you try stuff as much as you can in that purse of yours."
"No, I'm thinking of someone who will pick out the best piece of jerky from a bag of rations and hide it for later."
"No, you fool."
"Oh ho. It seems there are things even the wisewolf doesn't know."
"I surely know much more than you!"
The two continued this back-and-forth as they knocked shoulders, exiting the shed together and walking back to the main house. Though they bickered, their hands were clasped together tightly.
Wafting behind them as they walked was a sweet scent.
It was not that of a flower, however, but something entirely different.
Perhaps it was the fragrance of happiness.
***
The snow was melting, the festivals celebrating the coming spring had ended, and a season of fresh green had arrived.
There was still time before the guests seeking to escape the heat of summer showed themselves, while the noisiest and most frantic season of winter was still some ways away. The village had calmed some, as the buildings were being mended or rebuilt in preparation for the next season, and every bathhouse was quiet.
The bathhouse Col worked at, Spice and Wolf, was no exception. There were no guests; the master, Lawrence, had gone to a village assembly, and his wife, Holo, had curiously tagged along for once. The more likely story was that it was a meeting only in name and was actually a drinking party with lots of good seasonal food. The woman in charge of Spice and Wolf's kitchen, Hanna, had also gone out to gather mushrooms and mountain vegetables and such. And so, having worked throughout the morning, Col found himself bored before lunch.


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

Input:
"Wha—? No, we don't even know if it'll sell..."
"Oh, do you not wish to continue sleeping in warmth at night?"
Her reddish-amber eyes glinted like boiled fruit.
Though he had come here for the tantalizing promise of making a quick profit, it did not seem like his wallet would be getting any fatter in the end.
"...Okay."
He replied obediently, and Holo grinned like an innocent girl.
Then, she spoke.
"I must clean out your wallet regularly, after all."
***
He looked at her, and she happily clung to his arm.
The villagers were busily working while Yergin and Amalie were in the middle of a heated conversation.
They suddenly noticed the two of them and came over with attractive, beaming smiles.
"Mr. Lawrence, there is no doubt that you are a gift from God!"
When she said that, Lawrence responded with a troubled smile, lightly raising his hand.
His other arm was in the grip of a greedy wolf, making sure he would not be taken away.
"I'm nothing of the sort. If anything, I'm more like a sacrifice for someone who was once called a god...," he murmured quietly to himself.
"'Tis the pleasure of the merchant-sort to help others."
Holo's tail wagged underneath her robe as she made the remark.
Lawrence gazed up at the beautiful blue sky. Winter had ended, and it was nearly spring.
That was the story of a field of flowers that filled his entire body with sweetness whenever the wind blew.
Standing before the dusty shed, Lawrence finally awoke from the memories that wafted from the small vial.
It seemed that its potency had not faded over the years.
"Now I remember. Myuri wasn't at all interested in this little vial."
"While it may smell nice, and while it is sweet, it cannot be eaten, after all."
Myuri was too much of a child to be content with simply enjoying the scent of flowers.
"That fool was much more interested in hiding the hand mill. 'Tis why it may be hiding in a place that does not occur to us."
Their only daughter, Myuri, loved pranks more than anything and was obsessed with treasure hunting as well as adventure stories.
"That reminds me of a certain someone..."
"Yes, of you, how you are obsessed with treasure and how you try stuff as much as you can in that purse of yours."
"No, I'm thinking of someone who will pick out the best piece of jerky from a bag of rations and hide it for later."
"No, you fool."
"Oh ho. It seems there are things even the wisewolf doesn't know."
"I surely know much more than you!"
The two continued this back-and-forth as they knocked shoulders, exiting the shed together and walking back to the main house. Though they bickered, their hands were clasped together tightly.
Wafting behind them as they walked was a sweet scent.
It was not that of a flower, however, but something entirely different.
Perhaps it was the fragrance of happiness.
***
The snow was melting, the festivals celebrating the coming spring had ended, and a season of fresh green had arrived.
There was still time before the guests seeking to escape the heat of summer showed themselves, while the noisiest and most frantic season of winter was still some ways away. The village had calmed some, as the buildings were being mended or rebuilt in preparation for the next season, and every bathhouse was quiet.
The bathhouse Col worked at, Spice and Wolf, was no exception. There were no guests; the master, Lawrence, had gone to a village assembly, and his wife, Holo, had curiously tagged along for once. The more likely story was that it was a meeting only in name and was actually a drinking party with lots of good seasonal food. The woman in charge of Spice and Wolf's kitchen, Hanna, had also gone out to gather mushrooms and mountain vegetables and such. And so, having worked throughout the morning, Col found himself bored before lunch.

Output:
Beside him sat the sweet mead that had recently become a regular part of his diet. With a twinge of regret for his laziness, he took a sip and leaned his head back toward the heavens, spreading before him as one beautiful blue sky.
There was nothing else he could wish for, and he even felt like he was approaching the happiness God's teachings spoke about. Closer than he ever could from opening his theology texts...
"Ah..."
He wanted it to last forever.
He placed his work and his disciplined devotion to study on the side and indulged himself in a bout of laziness, when—
"Broootheeer!"
Col thought he could just make out a distant voice.
For a moment, he thought he had dozed off and imagined it in a dream, but then he heard it again, more clearly.
"Brotheeer!"
It seemed that Myuri, who had gone to play in the river, had returned. The only daughter of the master of Spice and Wolf, Lawrence, and his wife, Holo, Myuri often called him "brother" in admiration. She was about twelve or thirteen and was about the right age if she were to be married off early, and when he thought about that, he grew a bit sad.
That being said, lately, he was concerned in a completely opposite manner.
"I'm in the bath!"
He called to her, but before long, he could hear her feet slapping against the ground, finally followed by Myuri appearing in the baths.
"There you are! Brother!!"
When she looked at him, her face instantly lit up.
Though her facial features and eye color were the same as her mother's, the two smiled differently. Holo's smile had a softness to it, like slowly being boiled in honey, but Myuri's was exactly like the summer sun.
It shone brightly and sometimes burned others.
"Brother! Look, look! Look at this! Isn't it cool?!"
She shook the cage she held with both arms and jogged over to him. Her clothes were soaked because she had probably been so focused on playing in the river that she had fallen in several times.
She was covered with countless fresh cuts, her energy and innocence unchanged since childhood, and her smile was filled with a charm that could not help but elicit a similar response from those who saw it. She had a great power to make others feel her youth and naïveté.
But at a certain point, her smile became concerning.
"Myuri, if you run like that—"
—You'll slip was how he planned to complete his thought, but he never had a chance.
Myuri had been so fixated on running that when she tried to stop at the edge of the bath, her feet completely flew out from under her.
"Huh?"
Then, she, along with the cage she carried, plunged directly into the bath.
***
The spray covered Col's head, and beyond his dripping wet bangs, he could see bubbles gathering on the surface of the water. Girls of twelve or thirteen were encouraged to learn embroidery and cooking, instructed not to show their teeth when they smiled, and taught how to shyly tilt their heads. But all these things were so far removed from Myuri's daily life.
He would be sad if Myuri, who he had taken care of as his own sister, were to be married off, but recently, he was starting to worry whether anyone would take her as a bride. He sighed and went to pull Myuri up, as she had yet to come up on her own, but then he realized—
Something was moving in the water.
"Pwah!"
Myuri finally lifted her head above the water.
"Myuri, what on earth have you—?"
"Brother! Don't just stand there!"
She did not even look at him as she stared into the water and braced herself for something.
Then slowly, she submerged herself completely into the water, and this time, her face and arms immediately returned to the surface.
"Hey...Stay still!"
She shouted at a fat, round lamprey eel dancing in her grip.
"Ah, ah, it's gonna get away, it's gonna—Eek!"
The lamprey slipped out of her hands, and Myuri, chasing after it in a strange stance, dove into the water again.


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

Input:
Beside him sat the sweet mead that had recently become a regular part of his diet. With a twinge of regret for his laziness, he took a sip and leaned his head back toward the heavens, spreading before him as one beautiful blue sky.
There was nothing else he could wish for, and he even felt like he was approaching the happiness God's teachings spoke about. Closer than he ever could from opening his theology texts...
"Ah..."
He wanted it to last forever.
He placed his work and his disciplined devotion to study on the side and indulged himself in a bout of laziness, when—
"Broootheeer!"
Col thought he could just make out a distant voice.
For a moment, he thought he had dozed off and imagined it in a dream, but then he heard it again, more clearly.
"Brotheeer!"
It seemed that Myuri, who had gone to play in the river, had returned. The only daughter of the master of Spice and Wolf, Lawrence, and his wife, Holo, Myuri often called him "brother" in admiration. She was about twelve or thirteen and was about the right age if she were to be married off early, and when he thought about that, he grew a bit sad.
That being said, lately, he was concerned in a completely opposite manner.
"I'm in the bath!"
He called to her, but before long, he could hear her feet slapping against the ground, finally followed by Myuri appearing in the baths.
"There you are! Brother!!"
When she looked at him, her face instantly lit up.
Though her facial features and eye color were the same as her mother's, the two smiled differently. Holo's smile had a softness to it, like slowly being boiled in honey, but Myuri's was exactly like the summer sun.
It shone brightly and sometimes burned others.
"Brother! Look, look! Look at this! Isn't it cool?!"
She shook the cage she held with both arms and jogged over to him. Her clothes were soaked because she had probably been so focused on playing in the river that she had fallen in several times.
She was covered with countless fresh cuts, her energy and innocence unchanged since childhood, and her smile was filled with a charm that could not help but elicit a similar response from those who saw it. She had a great power to make others feel her youth and naïveté.
But at a certain point, her smile became concerning.
"Myuri, if you run like that—"
—You'll slip was how he planned to complete his thought, but he never had a chance.
Myuri had been so fixated on running that when she tried to stop at the edge of the bath, her feet completely flew out from under her.
"Huh?"
Then, she, along with the cage she carried, plunged directly into the bath.
***
The spray covered Col's head, and beyond his dripping wet bangs, he could see bubbles gathering on the surface of the water. Girls of twelve or thirteen were encouraged to learn embroidery and cooking, instructed not to show their teeth when they smiled, and taught how to shyly tilt their heads. But all these things were so far removed from Myuri's daily life.
He would be sad if Myuri, who he had taken care of as his own sister, were to be married off, but recently, he was starting to worry whether anyone would take her as a bride. He sighed and went to pull Myuri up, as she had yet to come up on her own, but then he realized—
Something was moving in the water.
"Pwah!"
Myuri finally lifted her head above the water.
"Myuri, what on earth have you—?"
"Brother! Don't just stand there!"
She did not even look at him as she stared into the water and braced herself for something.
Then slowly, she submerged herself completely into the water, and this time, her face and arms immediately returned to the surface.
"Hey...Stay still!"
She shouted at a fat, round lamprey eel dancing in her grip.
"Ah, ah, it's gonna get away, it's gonna—Eek!"
The lamprey slipped out of her hands, and Myuri, chasing after it in a strange stance, dove into the water again.

Output:
Col stood before Myuri and the fish splashing about in the bathwater, took a deep breath, then exhaled.
"Myuri!"
His calm and peaceful moment had vanished in an instant.
When Col told this story, the person placing a skewered fish over the red-hot coals in the hearth chuckled. She had flaxen-colored hair and red eyes, and her face was the same as Myuri's. Their physiques were even similar; she did not look much older than fourteen, and if she stayed silent she was nothing but a pretty little girl. However, her smile inspired an odd feeling in all who saw it. That was likely due to the grimness of living such a terribly long time.
Myuri's mother, Holo, was not human. On the wall, illuminated by the light of the hearth, was a shadow of her large triangular ears and her tail. She was the avatar of a wolf, called Holo the Wisewolf, who was once worshipped as a god and lived in wheat and would live on for hundreds of years.
"It is not funny. We were lucky that there are no guests here during this season."
"What, with fish in the bath, it shall save us some time when we must collect snacks to go with our drink, will it not?"
Holo's response was one of amusement.
The fish they managed to rescue from those that Myuri had thrown into the baths were left to live in a barrel filled with water while the rest had been boiled. It seemed like a waste to throw them out, but it also did not seem appropriate to offer such things to the other villagers, so they smoked some of them while the rest were grilled and salted for their meal.
The reason they did not think to use the fish in a hot pot was because it seemed sad to boil the poor things even more.
"And so where has that fool gone?" Holo asked as she sprinkled more salt onto the fish before licking her fingers.
"Mr. Lawrence scolded her, so now she should be cutting firewood."
Then Holo looked up from the fish, which made a juicy sizzling sound as it cooked.
"Hmm?"
Then, the large, triangular ears on the top of her head twitched. Though she was hundreds of years older than him and the wife of the bathhouse master, Col thought her ears and fuzzy tail were, to speak frankly, very cute. When he was younger, she had allowed him to cling to that tail countless times.
"Is something the matter?"
"Mm. 'Tis much too quiet for woodcutting."
There were no guests at the bathhouse, and it was silent all around. It was almost quiet enough to hear a mouse yawn.
If Holo, whose vaunted ears were literally as sharp as a wolf's, said so, then there was significance to this silence.
"Mr. Lawrence should be watching over her..."
"My dear husband had plenty of drink. He may very well be sleeping."
Holo, too, had had plenty to drink.
"I'll go check."
Col stood, and Holo called after him.
"Mm. Ah, while you're gone, please place the raisins in water."
"Raisins?"
He turned around, and Holo's eyes glittered as she wagged her tail.
"'Tis a gift from someone who had traveled south. They were given to us at the meeting. They are quite sweet eaten as they are, but I was told after steeping them overnight in water, using that water in bread dough will make for a very sweet and delicious bread."
Holo was many times more childish than Myuri when it came to food.
But raisin bread did sound good.
"Little Col, you are fond of sweets, are you not? 'Tis well to sample some before putting them in the water. I grant you permission in my name."
She called him the way she used to back when he first met Holo and Lawrence as a young boy, and he felt a little embarrassed.
But he still preferred sweet mead to bitter ale even though he had grown up, so he could not protest her treating him like a child.
"Thank you. I'll try some."
"Go ahead."
Holo sent him off, her interest already returned to the frying fish. A small smile appeared on Col's face, and then he headed toward the back of the building.


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

Input:
Col stood before Myuri and the fish splashing about in the bathwater, took a deep breath, then exhaled.
"Myuri!"
His calm and peaceful moment had vanished in an instant.
When Col told this story, the person placing a skewered fish over the red-hot coals in the hearth chuckled. She had flaxen-colored hair and red eyes, and her face was the same as Myuri's. Their physiques were even similar; she did not look much older than fourteen, and if she stayed silent she was nothing but a pretty little girl. However, her smile inspired an odd feeling in all who saw it. That was likely due to the grimness of living such a terribly long time.
Myuri's mother, Holo, was not human. On the wall, illuminated by the light of the hearth, was a shadow of her large triangular ears and her tail. She was the avatar of a wolf, called Holo the Wisewolf, who was once worshipped as a god and lived in wheat and would live on for hundreds of years.
"It is not funny. We were lucky that there are no guests here during this season."
"What, with fish in the bath, it shall save us some time when we must collect snacks to go with our drink, will it not?"
Holo's response was one of amusement.
The fish they managed to rescue from those that Myuri had thrown into the baths were left to live in a barrel filled with water while the rest had been boiled. It seemed like a waste to throw them out, but it also did not seem appropriate to offer such things to the other villagers, so they smoked some of them while the rest were grilled and salted for their meal.
The reason they did not think to use the fish in a hot pot was because it seemed sad to boil the poor things even more.
"And so where has that fool gone?" Holo asked as she sprinkled more salt onto the fish before licking her fingers.
"Mr. Lawrence scolded her, so now she should be cutting firewood."
Then Holo looked up from the fish, which made a juicy sizzling sound as it cooked.
"Hmm?"
Then, the large, triangular ears on the top of her head twitched. Though she was hundreds of years older than him and the wife of the bathhouse master, Col thought her ears and fuzzy tail were, to speak frankly, very cute. When he was younger, she had allowed him to cling to that tail countless times.
"Is something the matter?"
"Mm. 'Tis much too quiet for woodcutting."
There were no guests at the bathhouse, and it was silent all around. It was almost quiet enough to hear a mouse yawn.
If Holo, whose vaunted ears were literally as sharp as a wolf's, said so, then there was significance to this silence.
"Mr. Lawrence should be watching over her..."
"My dear husband had plenty of drink. He may very well be sleeping."
Holo, too, had had plenty to drink.
"I'll go check."
Col stood, and Holo called after him.
"Mm. Ah, while you're gone, please place the raisins in water."
"Raisins?"
He turned around, and Holo's eyes glittered as she wagged her tail.
"'Tis a gift from someone who had traveled south. They were given to us at the meeting. They are quite sweet eaten as they are, but I was told after steeping them overnight in water, using that water in bread dough will make for a very sweet and delicious bread."
Holo was many times more childish than Myuri when it came to food.
But raisin bread did sound good.
"Little Col, you are fond of sweets, are you not? 'Tis well to sample some before putting them in the water. I grant you permission in my name."
She called him the way she used to back when he first met Holo and Lawrence as a young boy, and he felt a little embarrassed.
But he still preferred sweet mead to bitter ale even though he had grown up, so he could not protest her treating him like a child.
"Thank you. I'll try some."
"Go ahead."
Holo sent him off, her interest already returned to the frying fish. A small smile appeared on Col's face, and then he headed toward the back of the building.

Output:
But he could not spot the raisins that Holo mentioned. Perhaps Lawrence used them as bait to lure Myuri into chopping wood. Thinking this, Col went outside and peered inside the firewood shed. Lit by the stars and the moon, leaning against a mountain of logs was the master, Lawrence, fast asleep.
"...Mr. Lawrence."
Col murmured, irritated, and Lawrence's breath paused for a moment with a "Ngh," but his quiet snoozing started soon again. He still looked young, similar to how he was when they first met, but he always said self-deprecatingly that he could not hold his liquor as well as he used to now that he had grown older, and it seemed that was no exaggeration.
And of course, Myuri was nowhere to be seen. There was a blanket over Lawrence's body, and Col could guess that was Myuri's work. He wished to think that, of course, it was a daughter's consideration for her father, but it was more likely a scheme to make sure her father did not get too angry that she skipped out on chopping wood.
Perhaps it was his weakness as a father, but Lawrence had never lost his temper with Myuri even once.
"But where has she gone?"
Holo and Lawrence returned home before dinner, and once her father learned of what happened, he immediately ordered Myuri to cut wood. She was probably hungry. Not only had she inherited Holo's face and red eyes but also her appetite. It was unthinkable for her to go to bed without eating.
As he considered this, he could hear the sounds of water splashing over Lawrence's soft snoring.
"She's in the baths?"
A little ways away from the firewood shed, Col emerged onto the stone path extending out from the bathhouse.
He followed it and arrived at the wide-open outdoor baths, but at the entrance, he already found traces of Myuri's presence.
"...How many times do I have to tell her not to throw her clothes everywhere before she'll stop...?"
He grumbled with a sigh and began collecting her scattered clothes. He folded each piece carefully, and as he at last bundled the pile with her waist wrap, he could hear her voice coming from the other side of the partition.
"Come on, you can do it!"
Whatever she was doing, it sounded like she having quite a time. It could be that children from other bathhouses had come over to play. They were all infamously naughty children, but Myuri stood out even among them, and she was naturally their boss.
Wondering what they were doing at this hour, he rounded the partition, and his jaw dropped.
He let the nicely folded pile of Myuri's clothes fall to the floor at the absurd sight.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha! Mm?"
A stark-naked Myuri noticed Col.
The light of the stars and the moon was much brighter than any candle, clearly illuminating the scene. Myuri, her hair of ash with silver flecks inherited from her father, wagged her fluffy tail of the same color as she stood proudly on the rocks surrounding the edge of the bath without a single stitch on.
This time, Col set aside his disappointment in her lack of shame as a young maiden. He even forgave how the wolf ears and tail she inherited from Holo, which she usually kept hidden, were out in the open.
He could even ignore the hemp sack she gripped in her right hand, and the mountain of what seemed to be raisins, freshly hoisted from the bag, in her left hand.
No, the true problem lay where Myuri was looking.
On the small island in the middle of the bath, two bears stood face-to-face.
"Myuri...Wh-what are...?"
"Ah-ha-ha, Brother! Just in time!"
Myuri spun around, nimbly skipped over to him, and threw herself into his chest without any reserve or consideration.
Though she was thin and delicate and he stood one head above her, she was tomboyish and had the intensity of youth about her.
Col managed to catch her, but before he could launch into a scolding, she lifted her head.
"See, see, Brother? Look at that!"
Beaming and using the hand with which she gripped the sack, she pointed to the center island.


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

Input:
But he could not spot the raisins that Holo mentioned. Perhaps Lawrence used them as bait to lure Myuri into chopping wood. Thinking this, Col went outside and peered inside the firewood shed. Lit by the stars and the moon, leaning against a mountain of logs was the master, Lawrence, fast asleep.
"...Mr. Lawrence."
Col murmured, irritated, and Lawrence's breath paused for a moment with a "Ngh," but his quiet snoozing started soon again. He still looked young, similar to how he was when they first met, but he always said self-deprecatingly that he could not hold his liquor as well as he used to now that he had grown older, and it seemed that was no exaggeration.
And of course, Myuri was nowhere to be seen. There was a blanket over Lawrence's body, and Col could guess that was Myuri's work. He wished to think that, of course, it was a daughter's consideration for her father, but it was more likely a scheme to make sure her father did not get too angry that she skipped out on chopping wood.
Perhaps it was his weakness as a father, but Lawrence had never lost his temper with Myuri even once.
"But where has she gone?"
Holo and Lawrence returned home before dinner, and once her father learned of what happened, he immediately ordered Myuri to cut wood. She was probably hungry. Not only had she inherited Holo's face and red eyes but also her appetite. It was unthinkable for her to go to bed without eating.
As he considered this, he could hear the sounds of water splashing over Lawrence's soft snoring.
"She's in the baths?"
A little ways away from the firewood shed, Col emerged onto the stone path extending out from the bathhouse.
He followed it and arrived at the wide-open outdoor baths, but at the entrance, he already found traces of Myuri's presence.
"...How many times do I have to tell her not to throw her clothes everywhere before she'll stop...?"
He grumbled with a sigh and began collecting her scattered clothes. He folded each piece carefully, and as he at last bundled the pile with her waist wrap, he could hear her voice coming from the other side of the partition.
"Come on, you can do it!"
Whatever she was doing, it sounded like she having quite a time. It could be that children from other bathhouses had come over to play. They were all infamously naughty children, but Myuri stood out even among them, and she was naturally their boss.
Wondering what they were doing at this hour, he rounded the partition, and his jaw dropped.
He let the nicely folded pile of Myuri's clothes fall to the floor at the absurd sight.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha! Mm?"
A stark-naked Myuri noticed Col.
The light of the stars and the moon was much brighter than any candle, clearly illuminating the scene. Myuri, her hair of ash with silver flecks inherited from her father, wagged her fluffy tail of the same color as she stood proudly on the rocks surrounding the edge of the bath without a single stitch on.
This time, Col set aside his disappointment in her lack of shame as a young maiden. He even forgave how the wolf ears and tail she inherited from Holo, which she usually kept hidden, were out in the open.
He could even ignore the hemp sack she gripped in her right hand, and the mountain of what seemed to be raisins, freshly hoisted from the bag, in her left hand.
No, the true problem lay where Myuri was looking.
On the small island in the middle of the bath, two bears stood face-to-face.
"Myuri...Wh-what are...?"
"Ah-ha-ha, Brother! Just in time!"
Myuri spun around, nimbly skipped over to him, and threw herself into his chest without any reserve or consideration.
Though she was thin and delicate and he stood one head above her, she was tomboyish and had the intensity of youth about her.
Col managed to catch her, but before he could launch into a scolding, she lifted her head.
"See, see, Brother? Look at that!"
Beaming and using the hand with which she gripped the sack, she pointed to the center island.

Output:
When he pointed that out, Myuri looked at her own hands in surprise, but she immediately smiled.
"Eh-heh-heh. Do you want some?"
"Myuri!"
He promptly admonished her, and she tensed her shoulders, flattened her ears, and closed her eyes.
However, she did not let go of the raisins, and even when he reached out to take them back, she spun around to evade him.
"Come on, Brother, stop being so loud."
He felt a headache coming on as she complained. He was starting to lose track of what he should be angry about, but for now, he was certain that his main concern was the bears, glaring at each other in the center island.
"No, tell me what that is."
Nyohhira was a place nestled deep in the mountains, and one could come across wild animals even within the village. If anything, the bathhouses beyond the center of the village were intruding on the territory of those who dwelled in the surrounding forests. Of these, wolves and bears were the most feared. At a normal bathhouse, this would have caused a commotion that would draw the attention of the entire village.
"That? They said they wanted to have some raisins, so I said that whoever wins the fight can have some."
"...A fight?"
"Yeah. No biting or scratching. I don't want them getting hurt. The one that falls into the water first loses."
Myuri, an avatar of a wolf like her mother, seemed to be able to communicate with the forest animals. It was almost like a fairy tale. But if it was, then Myuri infused a limitless innocence into the story, almost to the point of cruelty.
"N-no, if you make those two bears fight..."
Lawrence had insisted they install a center island in the baths, and he worked incredibly hard to put the stones together so that the musicians would have a place to perform elegantly. It was a jewel of his sweat and toil, and of course, he only ever imagined that humans would be standing on it. As the bears stared intently at each other, circling while watching for any stray moves, the edges of the island were already falling apart. Once the fight began in earnest, Col could already imagine how the island would end up.
But even if he tried to stop the bears, he did not think that they would understand him.
Would it be a better idea to get Holo's help?
As he was considering this, the naked Myuri thrust the raisins up high.
"Hey, if you wish to have these, you shall show me your strength!"
She made her declaration, perhaps imitating how her mother spoke.
And the bears, with their appetites and pride on the line, menacingly bared their fangs at each other.
Please stop.
Before Col could say it, Myuri carried on.
"Ready...Fight!"
With an earth-rumbling growl, the bears began to fight. Their frightening strength raised waves in the bath, and the center island trembled, as though in fear.
Every time a stone fell into the water, there was a loud plop, plop.
As Col helplessly watched the bears, now standing on two legs while pushing and jostling each other, he noticed Myuri had come to stand next to him.
"Hey, Brother?"
At some point, he had begun to feel a bit of fear whenever he heard "Brother."
Lit by the stars and moon, Myuri's unclad body looked like it had been sculpted from silver and ice. She was looking up at him with an adorable smile.
"Brother, who do you think will win?"
Absolutely unfettered innocence.
Before long, a corner of the island collapsed, and both bears fell into the water.


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

Input:
When he pointed that out, Myuri looked at her own hands in surprise, but she immediately smiled.
"Eh-heh-heh. Do you want some?"
"Myuri!"
He promptly admonished her, and she tensed her shoulders, flattened her ears, and closed her eyes.
However, she did not let go of the raisins, and even when he reached out to take them back, she spun around to evade him.
"Come on, Brother, stop being so loud."
He felt a headache coming on as she complained. He was starting to lose track of what he should be angry about, but for now, he was certain that his main concern was the bears, glaring at each other in the center island.
"No, tell me what that is."
Nyohhira was a place nestled deep in the mountains, and one could come across wild animals even within the village. If anything, the bathhouses beyond the center of the village were intruding on the territory of those who dwelled in the surrounding forests. Of these, wolves and bears were the most feared. At a normal bathhouse, this would have caused a commotion that would draw the attention of the entire village.
"That? They said they wanted to have some raisins, so I said that whoever wins the fight can have some."
"...A fight?"
"Yeah. No biting or scratching. I don't want them getting hurt. The one that falls into the water first loses."
Myuri, an avatar of a wolf like her mother, seemed to be able to communicate with the forest animals. It was almost like a fairy tale. But if it was, then Myuri infused a limitless innocence into the story, almost to the point of cruelty.
"N-no, if you make those two bears fight..."
Lawrence had insisted they install a center island in the baths, and he worked incredibly hard to put the stones together so that the musicians would have a place to perform elegantly. It was a jewel of his sweat and toil, and of course, he only ever imagined that humans would be standing on it. As the bears stared intently at each other, circling while watching for any stray moves, the edges of the island were already falling apart. Once the fight began in earnest, Col could already imagine how the island would end up.
But even if he tried to stop the bears, he did not think that they would understand him.
Would it be a better idea to get Holo's help?
As he was considering this, the naked Myuri thrust the raisins up high.
"Hey, if you wish to have these, you shall show me your strength!"
She made her declaration, perhaps imitating how her mother spoke.
And the bears, with their appetites and pride on the line, menacingly bared their fangs at each other.
Please stop.
Before Col could say it, Myuri carried on.
"Ready...Fight!"
With an earth-rumbling growl, the bears began to fight. Their frightening strength raised waves in the bath, and the center island trembled, as though in fear.
Every time a stone fell into the water, there was a loud plop, plop.
As Col helplessly watched the bears, now standing on two legs while pushing and jostling each other, he noticed Myuri had come to stand next to him.
"Hey, Brother?"
At some point, he had begun to feel a bit of fear whenever he heard "Brother."
Lit by the stars and moon, Myuri's unclad body looked like it had been sculpted from silver and ice. She was looking up at him with an adorable smile.
"Brother, who do you think will win?"
Absolutely unfettered innocence.
Before long, a corner of the island collapsed, and both bears fell into the water.

Output:
Even so, he still knit his eyebrows and let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry that it's always like this...Col."
As though sensing his displeasure, Lawrence, stacking stones with a pale face, spoke weakly.
Though he seemed hungover, the bathhouse master was someone with a strong sense of responsibility, so he would not leave the cleanup for his daughter's misconduct to another alone.
"I don't think Myuri means any harm, but...I don't think she knows when to stop..."
"N-no, it's not..."
Placing another stone on the pile, Col cut himself short and offered a feeble laugh.
"Well...I suppose...just a little..."
His hand lifted another heavy rock into place with a clack, and he was suddenly reminded of his own anxiety.
"But, I swear, where on earth has she run off to on her own?"
Lawrence, who saw the terrible state of the baths in the morning, was merciless in admonishing her for once, but it must have fallen on deaf—or wolf—ears. The girl was nowhere to be found.
Even if she were around, her small arms would find it tough to lift many of those stones, so it would have only created unnecessary trouble. That being said, showing sincerity was important. If she simply sat at the side and reflected on her actions quietly, that would have been enough whether she helped or not.
"If she only behaved a little better, then there would be no cuter daughter..."
Lawrence sounded exactly like an overly fond parent, but it was true that if Myuri behaved, there was no one more adorable. She smiled a lot, was always cheerful, and was constantly full of energy, though she also had some thoughtful parts. She may have been a prankster, but she was not naturally malicious.
She did not have to be wise and crafty like her mother, Holo, but if only she could be slightly more obedient. As the pair ruminated over the thought while collecting the stones scattered about the bath floor, they could hear Holo's distant voice.
"Dear."
Though it was not loud by any means, her voice sounded like it had been carried in on the wind. There was a certain softness to Holo's tone when she called Lawrence "dear," and that might have been why.
Col looked up, and Holo was standing on the path to the bathhouse. An apron she did not often wear was tied around her waist, and her arms up to her elbows were completely white. It seemed she was trying to make the raisin bread.
"Come take a look at the fire on the stove. I do not know how strong it must be."
"Ah...Miss Hanna isn't back yet?"
"'Tis a good season. Well, perhaps 'tis well she stretches her wings once in a while."
Hanna, like Holo, was not human and was the embodiment of a bird or something of the sort. She was a talented woman who worked harder than anyone else in the kitchen, but things like this did happen sometimes.
"But the fire, dear."
"Ah, um."
Lawrence glanced at Col.
"Please, go ahead."
He did not smile at them because they were his employers. It was simply that he was happy watching the village's most renowned couple of lovebirds.
"Sorry. I'll be right back."
"I have some prepared for you, too, little Col. Look forward to it for me."
Holo spoke and turned on her heel, and Lawrence followed.
Col saw them off as Holo slowly leaned her face in toward Lawrence, and he scratched the tip of her nose.
Holo's tail, which was exposed since there were no guests around, swished about happily.
His strain from stacking stones softened as he watched them go together.
He recentered himself and started piling stones one by one, when a chill suddenly shot down his spine.
Or perhaps, it was a premonition.
"Broootheeer!"
He heard Myuri's voice, who was liable to kick everything about with a smile, and he felt his gut tense up. Even Myuri was so busy in the summer, and especially in the winter, that she did not have any free time to be mischievous, but when there was a moment of respite, like during the current season, someone had to deal with all her energy.


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

Input:
Even so, he still knit his eyebrows and let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry that it's always like this...Col."
As though sensing his displeasure, Lawrence, stacking stones with a pale face, spoke weakly.
Though he seemed hungover, the bathhouse master was someone with a strong sense of responsibility, so he would not leave the cleanup for his daughter's misconduct to another alone.
"I don't think Myuri means any harm, but...I don't think she knows when to stop..."
"N-no, it's not..."
Placing another stone on the pile, Col cut himself short and offered a feeble laugh.
"Well...I suppose...just a little..."
His hand lifted another heavy rock into place with a clack, and he was suddenly reminded of his own anxiety.
"But, I swear, where on earth has she run off to on her own?"
Lawrence, who saw the terrible state of the baths in the morning, was merciless in admonishing her for once, but it must have fallen on deaf—or wolf—ears. The girl was nowhere to be found.
Even if she were around, her small arms would find it tough to lift many of those stones, so it would have only created unnecessary trouble. That being said, showing sincerity was important. If she simply sat at the side and reflected on her actions quietly, that would have been enough whether she helped or not.
"If she only behaved a little better, then there would be no cuter daughter..."
Lawrence sounded exactly like an overly fond parent, but it was true that if Myuri behaved, there was no one more adorable. She smiled a lot, was always cheerful, and was constantly full of energy, though she also had some thoughtful parts. She may have been a prankster, but she was not naturally malicious.
She did not have to be wise and crafty like her mother, Holo, but if only she could be slightly more obedient. As the pair ruminated over the thought while collecting the stones scattered about the bath floor, they could hear Holo's distant voice.
"Dear."
Though it was not loud by any means, her voice sounded like it had been carried in on the wind. There was a certain softness to Holo's tone when she called Lawrence "dear," and that might have been why.
Col looked up, and Holo was standing on the path to the bathhouse. An apron she did not often wear was tied around her waist, and her arms up to her elbows were completely white. It seemed she was trying to make the raisin bread.
"Come take a look at the fire on the stove. I do not know how strong it must be."
"Ah...Miss Hanna isn't back yet?"
"'Tis a good season. Well, perhaps 'tis well she stretches her wings once in a while."
Hanna, like Holo, was not human and was the embodiment of a bird or something of the sort. She was a talented woman who worked harder than anyone else in the kitchen, but things like this did happen sometimes.
"But the fire, dear."
"Ah, um."
Lawrence glanced at Col.
"Please, go ahead."
He did not smile at them because they were his employers. It was simply that he was happy watching the village's most renowned couple of lovebirds.
"Sorry. I'll be right back."
"I have some prepared for you, too, little Col. Look forward to it for me."
Holo spoke and turned on her heel, and Lawrence followed.
Col saw them off as Holo slowly leaned her face in toward Lawrence, and he scratched the tip of her nose.
Holo's tail, which was exposed since there were no guests around, swished about happily.
His strain from stacking stones softened as he watched them go together.
He recentered himself and started piling stones one by one, when a chill suddenly shot down his spine.
Or perhaps, it was a premonition.
"Broootheeer!"
He heard Myuri's voice, who was liable to kick everything about with a smile, and he felt his gut tense up. Even Myuri was so busy in the summer, and especially in the winter, that she did not have any free time to be mischievous, but when there was a moment of respite, like during the current season, someone had to deal with all her energy.

Output:
"Guh?!"
"Brother!"
His chest thudded against the pile of rocks, but Myuri pulled his arm back with a cackle.
"Hey, hey, Brother! Listen, listen!"
***
Coughing, he turned toward her only to see mud plastered on her cheeks, spiderwebs in her hair, and she must have been attacked by swarms of horseflies as her bare arms were covered in bug bites.
There was no chance for him to ask where she had been and what she had done, since Myuri, like a little puppy chasing after a thrown ball, excitedly popped out her wolf ears and tail that she typically kept hidden as she continued to rattle on.
"So! I found something really cool in the forest! You'll be so surprised, Brother! So, like, let me take you into the forest, and we'll get your—"
She only got that far.
Col understood now that, like a bath, there was only so much he could hold in.
"Um...ah, Bro...ther?"
Even Myuri noticed his expression. Her ears lowered, and her tail drooped lifelessly. Lawrence could never bring himself to really get angry at her because she was his adorable daughter, but Col was different. Though they were not related by blood, he still thought of her as his cute little sister, so he had to be strict with her.
"Myuri."
When he said her name, she recoiled.
And yet, though there was a troubled expression on her face, she still hesitantly opened her mouth.
"S...so, yeah? I'll...take you to the forest, okay?"
He felt a sort of slight respect for how she was still trying to get him to play with her, but this time she had crossed the line.
He looked fixedly and quietly at her, then spoke.
"That's enough."
Myuri was not a little kid, and she was naturally a smart girl. She knew exactly what his curt words meant.
She froze, like she had been struck in the heart with a cursed arrow, and stared up at him in a daze.
"I have work to do."
He was happy that she looked up to him like an older brother, but he could not always treat her like a small child.
He needed to admonish her as the closest thing she had to an actual older brother.
"I need to lift more stones, so please move."
He spoke with even less emotion, crouched down, and raised another piece. It was a part of the island that broke because she convinced two bears to fight. Even if she could not lift a stone, he would still forgive her if she felt responsibility for what happened the night before and sat quietly to the side.
But after Lawrence scolded her, she had run off and been gone all day. It seemed she had decided to spend time in idle amusement in the forest after seeing and listening to him.
Her mother Holo occasionally spent a fair amount of time wandering outside, but she was old enough to know self-control. Someone had to teach this young, energetic silver wolf discretion.
***
She did not speak, and as she stared at his work, it did not seem she would move, either. She was used to being reprimanded or chided, and there were even some times when she was actually happy to be scolded. However, she was not used to someone pushing her away so coolly, and her mood would quickly sour if the only responses she received were inattentive grunts.
Of course, if she showed that she was willing to apologize and reflect on her actions, then everything would end quickly, and in reality, Col was not angry but rather a little sad. Myuri did not mind at all that someone else had to clean up after her, and she left the work behind while she went somewhere to play. He did not want Myuri to be a girl like that.
Whenever he placed another stone on the pile and the now-familiar clack resounded, Myuri shrunk even smaller. He did not even have to look at her to know that she was about to cry.
She gripped her hands in front of her and let go and repeated this for a while, simply standing there. When Lawrence scolded her, she would look upset, but that was all an act. But at the moment, there was no need for Myuri to pretend.
After placing an especially large stone on top with a thud, Col sighed.


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

Input:
"Guh?!"
"Brother!"
His chest thudded against the pile of rocks, but Myuri pulled his arm back with a cackle.
"Hey, hey, Brother! Listen, listen!"
***
Coughing, he turned toward her only to see mud plastered on her cheeks, spiderwebs in her hair, and she must have been attacked by swarms of horseflies as her bare arms were covered in bug bites.
There was no chance for him to ask where she had been and what she had done, since Myuri, like a little puppy chasing after a thrown ball, excitedly popped out her wolf ears and tail that she typically kept hidden as she continued to rattle on.
"So! I found something really cool in the forest! You'll be so surprised, Brother! So, like, let me take you into the forest, and we'll get your—"
She only got that far.
Col understood now that, like a bath, there was only so much he could hold in.
"Um...ah, Bro...ther?"
Even Myuri noticed his expression. Her ears lowered, and her tail drooped lifelessly. Lawrence could never bring himself to really get angry at her because she was his adorable daughter, but Col was different. Though they were not related by blood, he still thought of her as his cute little sister, so he had to be strict with her.
"Myuri."
When he said her name, she recoiled.
And yet, though there was a troubled expression on her face, she still hesitantly opened her mouth.
"S...so, yeah? I'll...take you to the forest, okay?"
He felt a sort of slight respect for how she was still trying to get him to play with her, but this time she had crossed the line.
He looked fixedly and quietly at her, then spoke.
"That's enough."
Myuri was not a little kid, and she was naturally a smart girl. She knew exactly what his curt words meant.
She froze, like she had been struck in the heart with a cursed arrow, and stared up at him in a daze.
"I have work to do."
He was happy that she looked up to him like an older brother, but he could not always treat her like a small child.
He needed to admonish her as the closest thing she had to an actual older brother.
"I need to lift more stones, so please move."
He spoke with even less emotion, crouched down, and raised another piece. It was a part of the island that broke because she convinced two bears to fight. Even if she could not lift a stone, he would still forgive her if she felt responsibility for what happened the night before and sat quietly to the side.
But after Lawrence scolded her, she had run off and been gone all day. It seemed she had decided to spend time in idle amusement in the forest after seeing and listening to him.
Her mother Holo occasionally spent a fair amount of time wandering outside, but she was old enough to know self-control. Someone had to teach this young, energetic silver wolf discretion.
***
She did not speak, and as she stared at his work, it did not seem she would move, either. She was used to being reprimanded or chided, and there were even some times when she was actually happy to be scolded. However, she was not used to someone pushing her away so coolly, and her mood would quickly sour if the only responses she received were inattentive grunts.
Of course, if she showed that she was willing to apologize and reflect on her actions, then everything would end quickly, and in reality, Col was not angry but rather a little sad. Myuri did not mind at all that someone else had to clean up after her, and she left the work behind while she went somewhere to play. He did not want Myuri to be a girl like that.
Whenever he placed another stone on the pile and the now-familiar clack resounded, Myuri shrunk even smaller. He did not even have to look at her to know that she was about to cry.
She gripped her hands in front of her and let go and repeated this for a while, simply standing there. When Lawrence scolded her, she would look upset, but that was all an act. But at the moment, there was no need for Myuri to pretend.
After placing an especially large stone on top with a thud, Col sighed.

Output:
He wanted her to reflect on her actions.
Myuri tensed her body so much that the tips of hair atop her flattened ears seemed to quiver, but she finally nodded. Or perhaps she just barely managed to hold back tears and had been hunched over.
Either way, she hung her head, looking like the light inside her had been snuffed out as she took one, then two steps back.
She waited for a moment, probably expecting him to say something kind to her. But he only ignored her and continued stacking rocks, so she gave up, turned her back, and pattered off.
Col watched Myuri's back recede as she left the waterless bath and headed toward her room, and she looked like she was constantly wiping her face. Seeing that made his heart ache, but it was necessary for her to grow.
Then during lunch, if he asked if she thought about what she did, she would probably be her normal, bright self again.
He continued stacking stones as he mused about all this, and when the sun rose to the highest point in the sky, the main part of his work had mostly been completed. All that was left was to have someone from the village who was well-known for being an expert at arranging stonework to place wedged wood between the pieces to make sure everything stayed in place. It was not enough to simply pile stones one on top of the other—much like experience and human relationships.
Col stretched out his back, flexed his arms, and breathed a heavy sigh. He was thirsty and hungry.
Holo should have gotten around to baking the raisin bread by then, and he would love to have it with a bit of mead. If Holo, who loved to drink, saw him indulge in having sweets with sweets, she would probably be exasperated.
But he suddenly wondered if there was any more mead left in storage. The main ingredient for mead was honey, an incredible sweetener on its own as well as a preservative, so it was certainly not cheap. Additionally, mead was too sweet for the regular drinkers in the village, so its production was often low priority.
As he walked, he thought of what to do in order to secure himself some honey, which was starting to appear in shops during this season when new greenery appeared. Just then, Holo appeared from the main building.
"Oh, your stomach is quite on time."
It seemed she had been about to call him in for lunch.
"I could tell from where the sun is in the sky."
Col pointed to the heavens, and after Holo stared up at the sky in a childlike manner, she faced him again and nodded.
"You have always been the logical sort, little Col."
"Please stop calling me 'little.'"
He protested with a wry smile, and Holo waved her tail, which was a size bigger than Myuri's.
"No matter how much time passes, you are all the same as children."
There was not much he could say about that to the wisewolf Holo, who would live on for hundreds of years.
"Why do you insist that you are not children, then quarrel so?"
Her riddle-like way of speaking was due to her typical playfulness, but the topic made Col pay closer attention.
"Quarrel?"
He asked for clarification, and she crossed her arms in disappointment.
"My charming little daughter has been crying. If you were not as good as one of my own, little Col, then I would bite your head off."
She was looking hard at him with the same eyes and face as Myuri, but the air about her was different.
Perhaps she had not come to call him in for lunch but instead to discuss this.
"Er, but, well..."
He wanted to say, I would not make Myuri cry for no reason, but Holo stopped him with an irritated smile and a mischievous poke to the chest.
"I know the situation. Bears that Myuri stirred up broke the island in the bath, and while you were fixing it, the girl left to run about in the mountains. Well, it is quite right that even my mild and fair dear would grow angry."
If she knew that much, then why did she sound like she was on Myuri's side?


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

Input:
He wanted her to reflect on her actions.
Myuri tensed her body so much that the tips of hair atop her flattened ears seemed to quiver, but she finally nodded. Or perhaps she just barely managed to hold back tears and had been hunched over.
Either way, she hung her head, looking like the light inside her had been snuffed out as she took one, then two steps back.
She waited for a moment, probably expecting him to say something kind to her. But he only ignored her and continued stacking rocks, so she gave up, turned her back, and pattered off.
Col watched Myuri's back recede as she left the waterless bath and headed toward her room, and she looked like she was constantly wiping her face. Seeing that made his heart ache, but it was necessary for her to grow.
Then during lunch, if he asked if she thought about what she did, she would probably be her normal, bright self again.
He continued stacking stones as he mused about all this, and when the sun rose to the highest point in the sky, the main part of his work had mostly been completed. All that was left was to have someone from the village who was well-known for being an expert at arranging stonework to place wedged wood between the pieces to make sure everything stayed in place. It was not enough to simply pile stones one on top of the other—much like experience and human relationships.
Col stretched out his back, flexed his arms, and breathed a heavy sigh. He was thirsty and hungry.
Holo should have gotten around to baking the raisin bread by then, and he would love to have it with a bit of mead. If Holo, who loved to drink, saw him indulge in having sweets with sweets, she would probably be exasperated.
But he suddenly wondered if there was any more mead left in storage. The main ingredient for mead was honey, an incredible sweetener on its own as well as a preservative, so it was certainly not cheap. Additionally, mead was too sweet for the regular drinkers in the village, so its production was often low priority.
As he walked, he thought of what to do in order to secure himself some honey, which was starting to appear in shops during this season when new greenery appeared. Just then, Holo appeared from the main building.
"Oh, your stomach is quite on time."
It seemed she had been about to call him in for lunch.
"I could tell from where the sun is in the sky."
Col pointed to the heavens, and after Holo stared up at the sky in a childlike manner, she faced him again and nodded.
"You have always been the logical sort, little Col."
"Please stop calling me 'little.'"
He protested with a wry smile, and Holo waved her tail, which was a size bigger than Myuri's.
"No matter how much time passes, you are all the same as children."
There was not much he could say about that to the wisewolf Holo, who would live on for hundreds of years.
"Why do you insist that you are not children, then quarrel so?"
Her riddle-like way of speaking was due to her typical playfulness, but the topic made Col pay closer attention.
"Quarrel?"
He asked for clarification, and she crossed her arms in disappointment.
"My charming little daughter has been crying. If you were not as good as one of my own, little Col, then I would bite your head off."
She was looking hard at him with the same eyes and face as Myuri, but the air about her was different.
Perhaps she had not come to call him in for lunch but instead to discuss this.
"Er, but, well..."
He wanted to say, I would not make Myuri cry for no reason, but Holo stopped him with an irritated smile and a mischievous poke to the chest.
"I know the situation. Bears that Myuri stirred up broke the island in the bath, and while you were fixing it, the girl left to run about in the mountains. Well, it is quite right that even my mild and fair dear would grow angry."
If she knew that much, then why did she sound like she was on Myuri's side?

Output:
And so it was odd that Holo would be taking Myuri's side, and Col could only stand there, confused.
"Hmm. Well, if you do not understand, then I must continue calling you 'little.'"
He was like a chick with a piece of eggshell still stuck to his bottom.
The wisewolf narrowed her eyes in affection.
"Myuri is most certainly a tomboy, but she is no fool."
"That's...right."
"And she adores you."
Holo chuckled in a teasing manner, but Col never once doubted that Myuri was attached to him.
"Of course, I feel the same about her as well. She is very important to me. Which is why I want her to know composure and discretion."
"Hmph."
Holo's expression fell at that. She removed the finger from his chest only to poke him again with a bit more force.
"Both males in this family cloud their vision obsessing over things that do not matter."
Before he could ask what that meant, Holo turned on her heel and began walking back toward the bathhouse.
"M-Miss Holo?"
"Myuri cried herself hoarse, and now she sleeps from exhaustion. I shall be holding on to your raisin bread until you two make up."
Then she returned inside the bathhouse.
Col stood rooted to the spot, now alone.
Make up?
But there was nothing to reconcile. What happened between him and Myuri was not a quarrel. That was something he did because he wanted her to know what was right. There was no part that involved her.
He had been so confident, but he lost his footing listening to Holo and seeing how she acted.
Perhaps if all he wanted to do was teach her what was right, then he should have told her calmly in an easy-to-understand way. He had not needed to choose the method that would hurt her the most.
So then, why did he act like that?
He slowly dusted off his memory, and there he found a simple sentiment.
He only wanted her to apologize. It was not about what was right, nor did he want her to promise that she would never pull any more pranks—he only wanted her to say, "Sorry."
Then, even if she had gone to spend time in the forest, he would not have minded so much. Her small arms would not have been much help in stacking stones, and having her sit to the side with a blue expression would have accomplished nothing but troubling him.
And more than anything, it was because he wanted her to always be smiling.
"...Aghh, I get it..."
He recalled how he felt then and placed his hand on his forehead in exasperation.
That was because he had tried to hurt Myuri on purpose.
Myuri was precious to him, and he was always thinking about her. He was irritated with himself that he treated her so poorly despite that. This was not about what was right under the teachings of God or anything else.
When he realized this, it was most certainly a quarrel.
However, it was fact that Myuri had gone out to play without a single word of apology, and the whole beginning of this affair was surely her fault alone. He felt like the scales did not quite balance out. It was odd that Holo would take Myuri's side the way she did. That was to say nothing of how she told him that she was withholding his share of raisin bread, as though both parties were to blame. Wondering if maybe he should show how he could act like an adult, he considered that it was likely Holo was actually treating him, Myuri, and even Lawrence the same as children.
Standing in the middle of the path, he tilted his head in puzzlement.
Something was odd.
What was he missing...? As he contemplated this, he could hear footsteps echo from the front entrance to the bathhouse. It was not likely a guest during this time of year, so it was probably someone from the village.
But this visitor did not knock on the door, and he could tell by the sound that they changed direction. The footfalls approached Col, and slipping easily through the space between the trees planted for privacy was a familiar face.
"Wah!"
The intruder jumped and let out a cry. He had probably not expected anyone.
"Hello, Kalm."