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

Input:
Nothing in this world was free.
"The debt alone can be slowly repaid. Even if it isn't paid off by my son's time, it should be settled by my grandson's time."
Lawrence knew of plenty of lords who borrowed money and never intended to pay it back, so this alone convinced him Matthias was a man of character.
"But I am no expert in the matters of coin. I believe I am a man who can be easily swayed if I place myself in the hands of a skilled merchant. Am I wrong?"
Matthias at last turned to look at Lawrence, who gave an honest nod.
"No. Forgive me."
A wry smile crossed Matthias's face.
Though it was not a particularly peaceful method, Lawrence's plan was to show that keeping the wolves away would take an unrealistic amount of money if they wanted to develop parts of the forest, and to show that it would have far-reaching consequences. Anyone would then see that only a foolish ruler would still insist on following the plan knowing all this.
"Of course, I would have pushed ahead with the plan, no matter what was suggested to me," Matthias said. "But that would make me seem like a fool. And I do not want that. Do you understand?"
Matthias was not the sort to force his subjects into submission. The way he led was offering his people a good reason to follow him. Lawrence's presence was causing them to quarrel even more. They reasonably wanted to avoid calling off the plan if possible.
That, however, naturally brought Lawrence to one response.
"Would you mind if I gave you my personal views on the matter?" Lawrence asked.
Matthias gave an awkward smile. "We walk shoulder to shoulder. Of course you may."
"Then forgive me if this assumption is off base, but have your financial issues forced you to accept Karlan's plan, no matter what the conditions?"
Lawrence was essentially telling him that it was foolish to allow someone else to hold the reins of his territory's fate, but Matthias did not seem to be enraged by the implication—he only heaved a long, thin sigh.
"My grandfather and father—and myself, I suppose—have spent too much of our energy trying to protect the forest." Matthias gazed distantly down the forest path, then turned to look at Lawrence. "The Church has long suspected us of heresy."
"—Ah." On Lawrence's map of the situation, a new waterway opened up, changing the entire lay of the land. "I... I see."
As his eyes scanned the perfectly good forest, one that had gained Holo's approval, Lawrence hummed.
Matthias needed to be seen cutting the forest down.
He had to show the world that the forest was not holy or inviolable, and that his family was not worshipping the forest itself like heretics might have.
Tired, Matthias's shoulders dropped.
"The situation surrounding the Church is constantly changing. Both the old guard and the Twilight Cardinal, who's criticizing the old guard, are working desperately for the sake of their people. And any who do not belong to their specific camps are treated as enemies. Do you understand?"
I do, because the Twilight Cardinal is essentially my son.
For a brief moment, Lawrence pictured himself saying that out loud, then quickly swallowed his words.
"You mean to say that no matter which side you choose, your forest is still a problem."
"Precisely. If I choose one, then the other will see me as the enemy. And no matter which one I choose, the woods themselves stink of heresy. It is deep and dense, after all."
A forest like this was not unusual in Nyohhira. Venturing farther north would eventually lead to genuinely thick forests where the lifeblood of Holo's kind still beat, where no human had ever set foot.
But this part of the world had been under human rule for a very, very long time. It was not unusual to stumble upon fields as far as the eye could see.
A deep, dark forest was much too exceptional.
"Our account books are filled to the brim with red numbers—beggars like me cannot be choosers."
Lawrence nodded, rearranging the entire situation in his mind.

Output:
Matthias cackled at the stereotypical depiction of pagans.
"You are correct. Karlan will be able to develop further if they're able to build a road that cuts through our forest. They could also mediate on our behalf with the more powerful members of the Church—the city trades with distant lands on a near daily basis, you see. By allowing them to extract lumber from the forest and build a road through it, then it will both solve the heresy problem and the debt problem, both of which have plagued us for a long time. I cannot think of this as anything but a God-given opportunity for my sons to inherit a clean slate."
And that was why Matthias did not heed Meyer or the mayor, no matter how much they warned him of the dangers. And Meyer, who had finally lost his patience, brought along a merchant who might give them an infallible reason Matthias would have to acknowledge, so Matthias himself decided to lay bare all his innermost thoughts.
Wait a minute, Lawrence thought. Matthias can't possibly be that simple of a ruler.
"You must have a very special reason to tell me all this."
Matthias was exposing his family's humiliation to him—a total and complete stranger.
There was no doubt that Matthias had come up with countless options for himself. As they walked through the forest, he turned to Lawrence and said, "I learned of your deeds in Salonia when word reached Karlan. A larger allotment of lumber coming from Salonia naturally means less wood taken from my forest. So you can imagine how worried I was."
"I...apologize."
"Ha-ha. Still, when I heard of what you did in Salonia, what intrigued me the most wasn't actually the lumber."
"It wasn't?" Lawrence asked, hesitant.
"I grew doubtful if I should trust in Karlan's ability to conduct business to begin with."
Lawrence wordlessly turned to look at Matthias—there was something questionable about that.
"The lumber tariff negotiations in Salonia were actually a part of the plan from Karlan. And that made me reconsider what the true extent of their power was. If a random merchant could show up and foil them so easily, then I wondered if the rest of the plan would come to fruition at all."
Lawrence understood the apprehension, but it was then that he realized there was something he needed to confirm. It was something that had sat in the corner of his mind ever since he met Meyer.
"Do you mind if I ask you something? Why does Karlan want lumber this badly?"
Matthias dipped his head before answering. "While an offering of lumber would demonstrate that I am not a heretic, Karlan's true hope is to gain the Church's goodwill in exchange for the lumber, which everyone is hurting for right now."
Unlike Tonneburg, Karlan was not under suspicion of heathenry—so why were they just as eager to deal with the Church? Only those who did not understand commerce would ask a question like that. There was no greater trade partner in the world, after all.
"It's not as if I have no love for this forest. The Tonneburg family has done what it can to protect it for generations. And as my people have probably explained already, these woods play an important part in supporting the wheat fields of this region. I understand its value better than anyone. But our account books are full of red numbers, we are suspected of heresy, and the continued existence of my dominion itself is in now in question."
Left with no other choice, Matthias had taken on a bet knowing full well the risks.
But now he had started to doubt the capabilities of the plan's masterminds.
There was no way he was telling Lawrence every detail of this story just because he wanted to vent.
Matthias, as though waiting for Lawrence to arrive at that conclusion, suddenly looked at him with the expressionless face of a leader.


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

Input:
Matthias cackled at the stereotypical depiction of pagans.
"You are correct. Karlan will be able to develop further if they're able to build a road that cuts through our forest. They could also mediate on our behalf with the more powerful members of the Church—the city trades with distant lands on a near daily basis, you see. By allowing them to extract lumber from the forest and build a road through it, then it will both solve the heresy problem and the debt problem, both of which have plagued us for a long time. I cannot think of this as anything but a God-given opportunity for my sons to inherit a clean slate."
And that was why Matthias did not heed Meyer or the mayor, no matter how much they warned him of the dangers. And Meyer, who had finally lost his patience, brought along a merchant who might give them an infallible reason Matthias would have to acknowledge, so Matthias himself decided to lay bare all his innermost thoughts.
Wait a minute, Lawrence thought. Matthias can't possibly be that simple of a ruler.
"You must have a very special reason to tell me all this."
Matthias was exposing his family's humiliation to him—a total and complete stranger.
There was no doubt that Matthias had come up with countless options for himself. As they walked through the forest, he turned to Lawrence and said, "I learned of your deeds in Salonia when word reached Karlan. A larger allotment of lumber coming from Salonia naturally means less wood taken from my forest. So you can imagine how worried I was."
"I...apologize."
"Ha-ha. Still, when I heard of what you did in Salonia, what intrigued me the most wasn't actually the lumber."
"It wasn't?" Lawrence asked, hesitant.
"I grew doubtful if I should trust in Karlan's ability to conduct business to begin with."
Lawrence wordlessly turned to look at Matthias—there was something questionable about that.
"The lumber tariff negotiations in Salonia were actually a part of the plan from Karlan. And that made me reconsider what the true extent of their power was. If a random merchant could show up and foil them so easily, then I wondered if the rest of the plan would come to fruition at all."
Lawrence understood the apprehension, but it was then that he realized there was something he needed to confirm. It was something that had sat in the corner of his mind ever since he met Meyer.
"Do you mind if I ask you something? Why does Karlan want lumber this badly?"
Matthias dipped his head before answering. "While an offering of lumber would demonstrate that I am not a heretic, Karlan's true hope is to gain the Church's goodwill in exchange for the lumber, which everyone is hurting for right now."
Unlike Tonneburg, Karlan was not under suspicion of heathenry—so why were they just as eager to deal with the Church? Only those who did not understand commerce would ask a question like that. There was no greater trade partner in the world, after all.
"It's not as if I have no love for this forest. The Tonneburg family has done what it can to protect it for generations. And as my people have probably explained already, these woods play an important part in supporting the wheat fields of this region. I understand its value better than anyone. But our account books are full of red numbers, we are suspected of heresy, and the continued existence of my dominion itself is in now in question."
Left with no other choice, Matthias had taken on a bet knowing full well the risks.
But now he had started to doubt the capabilities of the plan's masterminds.
There was no way he was telling Lawrence every detail of this story just because he wanted to vent.
Matthias, as though waiting for Lawrence to arrive at that conclusion, suddenly looked at him with the expressionless face of a leader.

Output:
That was likely the one thing he had been wanting to ask Lawrence the most.
Matthias had ignored the villagers' efforts and pleas to stop and pushed ahead with the plan with Karlan. Even if he had started having doubts about Karlan's plan, he had no one to help him change course.
There was a powerlessness about Matthias that was obvious—Lawrence knew that even if he refused, he would not be cut down by the sword hanging at the lord's waist.
Matthias was a good leader.
And because he was a good leader, he was bound by a great many things.
At this point, Lawrence felt it unlikely that he would be able to help with Meyer's request of keeping the forest intact. That was not because Matthias had found out about his secret maneuvers, but because Matthias had little option.
Since Matthias's territory was under suspicion of heresy or paganism, they were at risk of being consumed by the growing rift in the Church and being ground to dust in the ensuing power struggle if they did nothing. And due to the lord's ongoing debts, it was likely that his territory would be shattered into tiny pieces by those who hungered for coin.
"If I may confirm something with you," Lawrence spoke up. "Are the debts owed to Karlan?"
If they were, then that would make Matthias's position all the more difficult. It would be even more likely that the city was taking advantage of that leverage and dragging him into a dishonest plan.
"No. It's the greedy merchants from Kerube."
There was good reason for his strong tone—the unpleasant interactions involving debt they had been shouldering since his grandfather's time.
It seemed Matthias decided to work with Karlan because he, too, had a bone to pick with Kerube.
Lawrence was starting to see the pieces on the board.
If there was anything he could do for the sake of the forest, it was side with Matthias.
"I have a request as well," he said.
"Money?" Matthias asked.
The expression on his face told him that Matthias wondered if this merchant was also just after coin in the end; Lawrence only shrugged in response, disrespectful as it was.
"Promise me you'll let Meyer off the hook. He'll be invaluable in ensuring the forest continues to exist."
Matthias stared blankly for a moment before donning a troubled smile. "Why would I ever punish him to begin with? I hadn't even considered it." He gave a coarse cough of a laugh, as though telling Lawrence it was an absurd idea. "Meyer loves the forest more than anyone. Even me. All he ever thinks about are the trees. That's why I'll need him by my side when the people from Karlan come to build their road. Those sea dwellers will have no idea what sort of foolish mistakes they'll be making."
Perhaps Meyer had spared no effort to protect the Tonneburg Woods, the ones Matthias's family had worked hard to preserve over generations, precisely because he knew Matthias trusted him so.
"I need to reward Meyer for bringing you here."
***
Lawrence looked at Matthias.
The conflict was evident on his face.
"Back to the matter at hand. I believe you just mentioned the possibility of Karlan trying to dupe you. Have there been any signs of that?"
"...No. My doubts are not that strong, nor do I wish to doubt them so. I just believe it's more likely that the Church is unfairly taking advantage of them, rather than the city actively exploiting my weakness."
The reasoning behind that hunch came from hearing rumors about a passing merchant who happened to foil their plans in Salonia. Which meant that even if they were able to intercede on Matthias's behalf with the Church, it was questionable as to whether they would be able to hold proper negotiations.
"Do you think they'll be selling off the forest for cheap, then?"
Reluctantly, Matthias nodded. The fate of his land hinged on the outcome of this deal, yet he had no choice but to leave it in the hands of others. Lawrence could tell by that gesture alone that he was beset by helplessness.


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

Input:
That was likely the one thing he had been wanting to ask Lawrence the most.
Matthias had ignored the villagers' efforts and pleas to stop and pushed ahead with the plan with Karlan. Even if he had started having doubts about Karlan's plan, he had no one to help him change course.
There was a powerlessness about Matthias that was obvious—Lawrence knew that even if he refused, he would not be cut down by the sword hanging at the lord's waist.
Matthias was a good leader.
And because he was a good leader, he was bound by a great many things.
At this point, Lawrence felt it unlikely that he would be able to help with Meyer's request of keeping the forest intact. That was not because Matthias had found out about his secret maneuvers, but because Matthias had little option.
Since Matthias's territory was under suspicion of heresy or paganism, they were at risk of being consumed by the growing rift in the Church and being ground to dust in the ensuing power struggle if they did nothing. And due to the lord's ongoing debts, it was likely that his territory would be shattered into tiny pieces by those who hungered for coin.
"If I may confirm something with you," Lawrence spoke up. "Are the debts owed to Karlan?"
If they were, then that would make Matthias's position all the more difficult. It would be even more likely that the city was taking advantage of that leverage and dragging him into a dishonest plan.
"No. It's the greedy merchants from Kerube."
There was good reason for his strong tone—the unpleasant interactions involving debt they had been shouldering since his grandfather's time.
It seemed Matthias decided to work with Karlan because he, too, had a bone to pick with Kerube.
Lawrence was starting to see the pieces on the board.
If there was anything he could do for the sake of the forest, it was side with Matthias.
"I have a request as well," he said.
"Money?" Matthias asked.
The expression on his face told him that Matthias wondered if this merchant was also just after coin in the end; Lawrence only shrugged in response, disrespectful as it was.
"Promise me you'll let Meyer off the hook. He'll be invaluable in ensuring the forest continues to exist."
Matthias stared blankly for a moment before donning a troubled smile. "Why would I ever punish him to begin with? I hadn't even considered it." He gave a coarse cough of a laugh, as though telling Lawrence it was an absurd idea. "Meyer loves the forest more than anyone. Even me. All he ever thinks about are the trees. That's why I'll need him by my side when the people from Karlan come to build their road. Those sea dwellers will have no idea what sort of foolish mistakes they'll be making."
Perhaps Meyer had spared no effort to protect the Tonneburg Woods, the ones Matthias's family had worked hard to preserve over generations, precisely because he knew Matthias trusted him so.
"I need to reward Meyer for bringing you here."
***
Lawrence looked at Matthias.
The conflict was evident on his face.
"Back to the matter at hand. I believe you just mentioned the possibility of Karlan trying to dupe you. Have there been any signs of that?"
"...No. My doubts are not that strong, nor do I wish to doubt them so. I just believe it's more likely that the Church is unfairly taking advantage of them, rather than the city actively exploiting my weakness."
The reasoning behind that hunch came from hearing rumors about a passing merchant who happened to foil their plans in Salonia. Which meant that even if they were able to intercede on Matthias's behalf with the Church, it was questionable as to whether they would be able to hold proper negotiations.
"Do you think they'll be selling off the forest for cheap, then?"
Reluctantly, Matthias nodded. The fate of his land hinged on the outcome of this deal, yet he had no choice but to leave it in the hands of others. Lawrence could tell by that gesture alone that he was beset by helplessness.

Output:
"One more question."
"Go on, then. You already know about our most humiliating circumstances; you may as well ask about everything else."
Lawrence had a feeling that if Matthias were one of the guests at his bathhouse, he would have been a lovely patron to have.
"Which faction of the Church do you personally side with?"
Matthias's eyes fell shut at the question; Lawrence realized belatedly, as the question left his mouth, that this was not a question to be asked lightly. Because if Matthias was on the side of the Church's old guard, that meant he would be working with Col's enemies.
And along that same logic, it was a sharp fork in the road that might show Matthias which side Lawrence belonged to.
But Matthias was no fool; he had the courage to follow the necessary path with no hesitation, even in the darkness.
"I sympathize with the Twilight Cardinal." His straightened back sagged from a lack of confidence. "I am not sure how you feel, however..."
"It's all right," Lawrence gave a genuine smile—not a merchant's one. "I'm relieved."
Matthias blinked, then smiled. He had perhaps assumed that a cruel and greedy merchant would take the side of the more compatible Church conservatives.
"That does make me wonder, however," Lawrence began.
"About what?"
"If the Twilight Cardinal is really asking for lumber in exchange for his support. Especially in your case, Lord Matthias—your problem directly relates to faith."
Col, at least, would not do such a thing—he would come see Matthias for himself to ascertain whether or not the lord could be trusted, then put a neat little bow on their talks with one handshake. Col had left Nyohhira with the intent of examining the culture of the Church, investigating where they wielded their power to chase excessive profits and enact reform.
That naturally made Lawrence suspect that Karlan was exploiting Tonneburg's weakness to profit off the lumber.
But the lord was knowledgeable—he spoke up first.
"Whatever they claim their ideals to be...things are not always so cut-and-dry in the real world."
It was not as though Col could personally keep an eye on every little happening, so it was entirely possible that Karlan's representative had simply treated the petition to a religious authority like they would have in the olden days.
"And it is not simply because I've started having doubts over Karlan's negotiating power that I suspect the Twilight Cardinal's camp might be forcing the city's hand."
"And that means?"
"Not long ago, things were mostly settled between Karlan and the Twilight Cardinal's camp—all that was left was my payment. I went to the city to have a look over the contract drafted by a clerk in Karlan. And that is the first time I came face-to-face with someone who represented the Twilight Cardinal in all this."
Upon realizing that he did not meet Col directly, Lawrence realized it was not Col who asked for the lumber; while that gave him some relief, an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach at the same time.
This was likely the first big deal the officials of Karlan had ever mediated, and that came with many firsts. There was no doubt they were bumbling along, playing things by ear as the deal progressed.
And at last, someone directly associated with the Twilight Cardinal appeared before the worried lord.
If that person only made his worries worse instead of easing them, then it was quite clear what kind of impression they would have made on Matthias.
"Do you think the merchants in Karlan are being duped by someone using the Twilight Cardinal's name?"
***
Matthias gave no answer, but that meant his doubt was too strong for him to say no outright.
It was hard to tell whether or not he believed it was a shame to start doubting someone he had trusted once; he opened his mouth, as though reorganizing his thoughts.


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

Input:
"One more question."
"Go on, then. You already know about our most humiliating circumstances; you may as well ask about everything else."
Lawrence had a feeling that if Matthias were one of the guests at his bathhouse, he would have been a lovely patron to have.
"Which faction of the Church do you personally side with?"
Matthias's eyes fell shut at the question; Lawrence realized belatedly, as the question left his mouth, that this was not a question to be asked lightly. Because if Matthias was on the side of the Church's old guard, that meant he would be working with Col's enemies.
And along that same logic, it was a sharp fork in the road that might show Matthias which side Lawrence belonged to.
But Matthias was no fool; he had the courage to follow the necessary path with no hesitation, even in the darkness.
"I sympathize with the Twilight Cardinal." His straightened back sagged from a lack of confidence. "I am not sure how you feel, however..."
"It's all right," Lawrence gave a genuine smile—not a merchant's one. "I'm relieved."
Matthias blinked, then smiled. He had perhaps assumed that a cruel and greedy merchant would take the side of the more compatible Church conservatives.
"That does make me wonder, however," Lawrence began.
"About what?"
"If the Twilight Cardinal is really asking for lumber in exchange for his support. Especially in your case, Lord Matthias—your problem directly relates to faith."
Col, at least, would not do such a thing—he would come see Matthias for himself to ascertain whether or not the lord could be trusted, then put a neat little bow on their talks with one handshake. Col had left Nyohhira with the intent of examining the culture of the Church, investigating where they wielded their power to chase excessive profits and enact reform.
That naturally made Lawrence suspect that Karlan was exploiting Tonneburg's weakness to profit off the lumber.
But the lord was knowledgeable—he spoke up first.
"Whatever they claim their ideals to be...things are not always so cut-and-dry in the real world."
It was not as though Col could personally keep an eye on every little happening, so it was entirely possible that Karlan's representative had simply treated the petition to a religious authority like they would have in the olden days.
"And it is not simply because I've started having doubts over Karlan's negotiating power that I suspect the Twilight Cardinal's camp might be forcing the city's hand."
"And that means?"
"Not long ago, things were mostly settled between Karlan and the Twilight Cardinal's camp—all that was left was my payment. I went to the city to have a look over the contract drafted by a clerk in Karlan. And that is the first time I came face-to-face with someone who represented the Twilight Cardinal in all this."
Upon realizing that he did not meet Col directly, Lawrence realized it was not Col who asked for the lumber; while that gave him some relief, an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach at the same time.
This was likely the first big deal the officials of Karlan had ever mediated, and that came with many firsts. There was no doubt they were bumbling along, playing things by ear as the deal progressed.
And at last, someone directly associated with the Twilight Cardinal appeared before the worried lord.
If that person only made his worries worse instead of easing them, then it was quite clear what kind of impression they would have made on Matthias.
"Do you think the merchants in Karlan are being duped by someone using the Twilight Cardinal's name?"
***
Matthias gave no answer, but that meant his doubt was too strong for him to say no outright.
It was hard to tell whether or not he believed it was a shame to start doubting someone he had trusted once; he opened his mouth, as though reorganizing his thoughts.

Output:
The priest he mentioned was the one who accompanied Matthias, who hosted Lawrence and Holo the night before, and then promptly informed Matthias of their arrival.
"But when we arrived at the meeting, I had no choice but to doubt the contract. Perhaps it's what you might call the forest dweller's instinct. It was a bit of a vain struggle, but I told them I would like to take the contract home and confer with my vassals one last time. But there is little we can do at this point. There were countless times I thought about calling it all off. So perhaps in a way, it was part of my own will that Meyer went around looking for people who could help us."
Matthias's fears were all too apparent.
"And he found you."
He had grasped at straws until a ray of hope appeared at the final hour.
But Lawrence still could not understand why Matthias doubted the Twilight Cardinal's representative so intensely. All of Karlan was in on the plan, so they should have gotten all of the facts about this person straight. The Kingdom of Winfiel was not a distant country—it was just across the strait; so close it almost seemed like anyone could reach it with a quick swim. And the old priest himself had confirmed an acquaintance of his was there, too. Then where did the seed of doubt come in?
Just as that question crossed his mind, Matthias spoke.
"A wolf."
"Excuse me?"
Lawrence's eyes widened as he scanned the trees. He thought for a moment Holo had lost her patience.
"She's a wolf." Matthias's eyes were wide and blank, as though he was reliving a nightmare. "The merchant from the Kingdom of Winfiel came to handle the negotiations on behalf of the Twilight Cardinal. She displayed her wealth by wearing the gaudiest clothes I've ever seen in my life—she was like the colorful birds of legend from the south. But I knew on the inside that she was a wolf, that she was evil, and that I could not let my guard down around her, a monster that lurked in the shadows of the deepest—"
"Lord Matthias, please, calm down."
When Lawrence spoke, Matthias scanned the forest in fear.
"This person has been confirmed to be a legitimate representative of the Twilight Cardinal, right? What was her name?"
If this were a renowned merchant, then it would not be difficult for Lawrence to use his connections to find out who it was. All he really had to do was ask Col himself.
"The wolf, yes..."
A gust of wind blew past them; Lawrence almost thought he heard the sound of animal feet hitting the earth as it did.
"She called herself Eve Bolan."
***
The lord made his home in the deep forest, which was why his instinct was spot-on.
Lawrence ground his teeth. Whether it was in an awkward smile or out of frustration was hard to tell.
Of course Matthias had every right to doubt her.
***
Lawrence and company went back the way Meyer brought them, and when they arrived at the checkpoint in which Holo had suffered her hangover, they stayed the night before going downriver.
Boats were stopped on the river as always, but it seemed as though they were pausing to take a break before heading into town to sell all their merchandise, so it was not hard to find a ship that would take them the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, the merchant that had lent them his cart was still at the inn, and he seemed generally displeased when Lawrence asked to nullify the agreement, but when Meyer offered him a cask of the forest's best honey, he graciously accepted.
"Sir Lawrence," Meyer said at last when their boat began to take them downriver; he had been rather silent this entire time. "I am not exactly sure what to say..."
"It's all right," Lawrence purposefully flashed a complacent smile. "Lord Matthias has promised a reward."
That reward was nothing more than forgiveness for now, but Meyer didn't know that; the news was enough to offer him some much-needed emotional support.
"And after listening to what Lord Matthias had to say, I've learned of another reason that I must get involved."
"Is...that so?" Meyer asked.


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

Input:
The priest he mentioned was the one who accompanied Matthias, who hosted Lawrence and Holo the night before, and then promptly informed Matthias of their arrival.
"But when we arrived at the meeting, I had no choice but to doubt the contract. Perhaps it's what you might call the forest dweller's instinct. It was a bit of a vain struggle, but I told them I would like to take the contract home and confer with my vassals one last time. But there is little we can do at this point. There were countless times I thought about calling it all off. So perhaps in a way, it was part of my own will that Meyer went around looking for people who could help us."
Matthias's fears were all too apparent.
"And he found you."
He had grasped at straws until a ray of hope appeared at the final hour.
But Lawrence still could not understand why Matthias doubted the Twilight Cardinal's representative so intensely. All of Karlan was in on the plan, so they should have gotten all of the facts about this person straight. The Kingdom of Winfiel was not a distant country—it was just across the strait; so close it almost seemed like anyone could reach it with a quick swim. And the old priest himself had confirmed an acquaintance of his was there, too. Then where did the seed of doubt come in?
Just as that question crossed his mind, Matthias spoke.
"A wolf."
"Excuse me?"
Lawrence's eyes widened as he scanned the trees. He thought for a moment Holo had lost her patience.
"She's a wolf." Matthias's eyes were wide and blank, as though he was reliving a nightmare. "The merchant from the Kingdom of Winfiel came to handle the negotiations on behalf of the Twilight Cardinal. She displayed her wealth by wearing the gaudiest clothes I've ever seen in my life—she was like the colorful birds of legend from the south. But I knew on the inside that she was a wolf, that she was evil, and that I could not let my guard down around her, a monster that lurked in the shadows of the deepest—"
"Lord Matthias, please, calm down."
When Lawrence spoke, Matthias scanned the forest in fear.
"This person has been confirmed to be a legitimate representative of the Twilight Cardinal, right? What was her name?"
If this were a renowned merchant, then it would not be difficult for Lawrence to use his connections to find out who it was. All he really had to do was ask Col himself.
"The wolf, yes..."
A gust of wind blew past them; Lawrence almost thought he heard the sound of animal feet hitting the earth as it did.
"She called herself Eve Bolan."
***
The lord made his home in the deep forest, which was why his instinct was spot-on.
Lawrence ground his teeth. Whether it was in an awkward smile or out of frustration was hard to tell.
Of course Matthias had every right to doubt her.
***
Lawrence and company went back the way Meyer brought them, and when they arrived at the checkpoint in which Holo had suffered her hangover, they stayed the night before going downriver.
Boats were stopped on the river as always, but it seemed as though they were pausing to take a break before heading into town to sell all their merchandise, so it was not hard to find a ship that would take them the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, the merchant that had lent them his cart was still at the inn, and he seemed generally displeased when Lawrence asked to nullify the agreement, but when Meyer offered him a cask of the forest's best honey, he graciously accepted.
"Sir Lawrence," Meyer said at last when their boat began to take them downriver; he had been rather silent this entire time. "I am not exactly sure what to say..."
"It's all right," Lawrence purposefully flashed a complacent smile. "Lord Matthias has promised a reward."
That reward was nothing more than forgiveness for now, but Meyer didn't know that; the news was enough to offer him some much-needed emotional support.
"And after listening to what Lord Matthias had to say, I've learned of another reason that I must get involved."
"Is...that so?" Meyer asked.

Output:
Meyer nodded slowly and sighed. "Thank you. We need you, for our forest's sake."
Lawrence took Meyer's hand and shook it; and at the boat captain's prompting, they took a seat.
Holo, who had been silent the entire time Lawrence spoke with Meyer, did not settle in Lawrence's lap; instead, she put a considerable distance between herself and him as she took her seat. She acted like a traveling nun, one who decided to accompany him simply because their destinations happened to be the same. Ever since he had summarized his conversation with Matthias to her, she had been acting like that, silent.
But it was clear why—she had determined that Eve was using Col's name to make a quick and tidy profit. And from what Matthias told them, Eve was wearing terribly gaudy clothes, spending appalling sums on song and dance, emphasizing her ostentatious wealth to Matthias.
Eve of course wore imposing clothes that suited the great merchant she was at their wedding, but that, too, felt more like a foil to Holo's lackadaisical attitude. At her core, she always prided herself on being a stern wolf, but it never seemed like she ever wanted to give in to the luxuries of the material world.
And so when Matthias told Lawrence of how Eve seemed to have given into her greed, Lawrence felt, somehow, like he had been betrayed.
And what troubled Lawrence even more was Eve's position. All he had to do was think back on the letters they received, jointly written by Col and Myuri—Holo always told him that they carried with them the scent of joy of travel. Then, at some point, the letters said, they reunited with Eve, and she turned out to be a reliable ally ever since.
Col was straightforward in his personality, and Eve always had a soft spot for him. And Eve gave off a certain scent of danger that differed from the crafty wisewolf that intrigued Myuri—it was clear from her writing that she had taken to the woman. Perhaps Eve was using her deep relationship with the two to collect fees from would-be petitioners and then was splurging with her extraordinary profits.
Col set off on his journey because he believed that justice was a worthy pursuit. And Matthias, who stood on the brink of the fate of his forest, was clearly not a bad ruler.
The jewels decorating Eve's vestments glittered with the fires that were going to burn the forest that Matthias's family had spent generations trying to protect.
It was one of the world's greatest absurdities, and perhaps Eve's treachery was the same.
But at the very least, Lawrence now understood whose side he needed to be on.
"Dear," Holo called to Lawrence once, long after the boat set sail from the checkpoint, but she said no more. She did not doze, nor did she snack; she simply stared blankly at the passing fields. Perhaps she was having trouble expressing what she felt.
Lawrence offered a reassuring nod and a smile in return.
Relief passed over her features for a brief moment, but she quickly hardened her expression and trained her gaze on the distance.
Throughout their wedding, Lawrence had caught glimpses of Holo and Eve deep in conversation.
When that thought crossed his mind, he could feel himself gritting his teeth even harder.
He was perfectly used to watching treachery unfold in the world of commerce, but that was not what this was to Holo. His wife was the sort to keep ancient promises, even long after the hearts of the people had long moved past them. That was what had kept her watching over the wheat in Pasloe for centuries.
Though Lawrence would never match Holo in some things, the human world was his field of expertise.
Over and over Lawrence turned over the conversation he had with Matthias in his head as he kept his gaze fixed straight ahead toward the port town of Karlan.


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

Input:
Meyer nodded slowly and sighed. "Thank you. We need you, for our forest's sake."
Lawrence took Meyer's hand and shook it; and at the boat captain's prompting, they took a seat.
Holo, who had been silent the entire time Lawrence spoke with Meyer, did not settle in Lawrence's lap; instead, she put a considerable distance between herself and him as she took her seat. She acted like a traveling nun, one who decided to accompany him simply because their destinations happened to be the same. Ever since he had summarized his conversation with Matthias to her, she had been acting like that, silent.
But it was clear why—she had determined that Eve was using Col's name to make a quick and tidy profit. And from what Matthias told them, Eve was wearing terribly gaudy clothes, spending appalling sums on song and dance, emphasizing her ostentatious wealth to Matthias.
Eve of course wore imposing clothes that suited the great merchant she was at their wedding, but that, too, felt more like a foil to Holo's lackadaisical attitude. At her core, she always prided herself on being a stern wolf, but it never seemed like she ever wanted to give in to the luxuries of the material world.
And so when Matthias told Lawrence of how Eve seemed to have given into her greed, Lawrence felt, somehow, like he had been betrayed.
And what troubled Lawrence even more was Eve's position. All he had to do was think back on the letters they received, jointly written by Col and Myuri—Holo always told him that they carried with them the scent of joy of travel. Then, at some point, the letters said, they reunited with Eve, and she turned out to be a reliable ally ever since.
Col was straightforward in his personality, and Eve always had a soft spot for him. And Eve gave off a certain scent of danger that differed from the crafty wisewolf that intrigued Myuri—it was clear from her writing that she had taken to the woman. Perhaps Eve was using her deep relationship with the two to collect fees from would-be petitioners and then was splurging with her extraordinary profits.
Col set off on his journey because he believed that justice was a worthy pursuit. And Matthias, who stood on the brink of the fate of his forest, was clearly not a bad ruler.
The jewels decorating Eve's vestments glittered with the fires that were going to burn the forest that Matthias's family had spent generations trying to protect.
It was one of the world's greatest absurdities, and perhaps Eve's treachery was the same.
But at the very least, Lawrence now understood whose side he needed to be on.
"Dear," Holo called to Lawrence once, long after the boat set sail from the checkpoint, but she said no more. She did not doze, nor did she snack; she simply stared blankly at the passing fields. Perhaps she was having trouble expressing what she felt.
Lawrence offered a reassuring nod and a smile in return.
Relief passed over her features for a brief moment, but she quickly hardened her expression and trained her gaze on the distance.
Throughout their wedding, Lawrence had caught glimpses of Holo and Eve deep in conversation.
When that thought crossed his mind, he could feel himself gritting his teeth even harder.
He was perfectly used to watching treachery unfold in the world of commerce, but that was not what this was to Holo. His wife was the sort to keep ancient promises, even long after the hearts of the people had long moved past them. That was what had kept her watching over the wheat in Pasloe for centuries.
Though Lawrence would never match Holo in some things, the human world was his field of expertise.
Over and over Lawrence turned over the conversation he had with Matthias in his head as he kept his gaze fixed straight ahead toward the port town of Karlan.

Output:
The rumors alone that tariffs might fall had the tax-collecting soldiers carrying out their job in a perfunctory manner, and the town was filled with a cheery air.
Though they had most certainly not found themselves at an enormous port city, all of the buildings facing the river were grand in all four of their stories, and farther down the river they could see a church bell tower, one that also acted as a lighthouse.
Beyond that lay an azure sea, where the dark of night was steadily seeping in and changing its colors toward the horizon; only a faint flare of the sunset remained on the line between sky and sea. The sky was cloudless. One could stand upon the cliffs, squint, and faintly see the lights of Winfiel on the other side.
"Let's go get our room at the inn that Meyer told us about and then go check out the taverns. How about it?"
Lawrence stepped onto the dock first and held out his hand for Holo to take. She staggered a bit, the sea still in her legs, and then gave a bit of a mumbled reply. Lawrence said no more after that, either, and made his way to the inn following the directions he had been given.
The inn that served as their destination was empty enough that Lawrence did not even need to give Meyer's name. Every place in town was normally crowded at this time of year, considering all sorts of products were being sold off in the pre-winter rush, including freshly harvested wheat, so it was clear that talks about tariffs were having a considerable effect. The innkeeper was obviously troubled by the approaching winter—his inn should be busy.
As Lawrence listened to the innkeeper complain about his hopes that the tariff talks would end soon, he recalled all of the things Matthias told him. The seasons changed even in lands across the sea, so the Twilight Cardinal, and by extension, Eve, wanted to wrap up this deal with Karlan before winter came.
Under normal circumstances, he would consider this regular trade sense, but he could not shake the impression that this was their way of wanting to put a bow on the transaction before their schemes were revealed.
That Eve herself had personally come to the relatively unknown port town of Karlan strengthened his doubts that she was causing problems in places Col was unaware of.
According to what Matthias heard in their meeting, Eve was staying in Karlan, whose access to the sea was just as convenient, instead of Kerube due to a long-standing grudge, even though she had business in the mainland regarding the incident with the Church.
Lawrence, of course, was wholly aware of this grudge. There had been a historic kerfuffle surrounding the legendary sea creature, the narwhal. And though he logically did not want to deny the possibility, this was still Eve.
When his interests conflicted with hers, he could trust nothing but her attachment to profit.
"People sure do change, huh?" Lawrence remarked as they walked around Karlan under the darkening sky. "I hear she holds huge banquets at the tavern every night."
Holo could keep up with anyone when it came to drinks, but Eve could rent out an entire establishment for her parties, which meant a lot of drinks. All the bards and dancers would gather in one place, and the best chefs in town would come to the tavern for work.
Eve, who had once chased profit and profit alone like an icicle honed by a blade, had been a bad person once upon a time, yes. But she was, at the same time, the ideal merchant in Lawrence's mind.
Which meant the swirl of emotions in his chest likely stemmed from disappointment.
They had even come to blows once at the Lenos inn, which had acted as her storehouse, over an allotment of furs and smuggling of rock salts.
What had she said back then?
Lawrence had asked her what exactly it was that inspired her passion to pursue coin so single-mindedly—how had she responded?
It seemed the ultimate end of her road had been a disappointing one.
"I think the tavern the innkeeper mentioned was around here..."


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

Input:
The rumors alone that tariffs might fall had the tax-collecting soldiers carrying out their job in a perfunctory manner, and the town was filled with a cheery air.
Though they had most certainly not found themselves at an enormous port city, all of the buildings facing the river were grand in all four of their stories, and farther down the river they could see a church bell tower, one that also acted as a lighthouse.
Beyond that lay an azure sea, where the dark of night was steadily seeping in and changing its colors toward the horizon; only a faint flare of the sunset remained on the line between sky and sea. The sky was cloudless. One could stand upon the cliffs, squint, and faintly see the lights of Winfiel on the other side.
"Let's go get our room at the inn that Meyer told us about and then go check out the taverns. How about it?"
Lawrence stepped onto the dock first and held out his hand for Holo to take. She staggered a bit, the sea still in her legs, and then gave a bit of a mumbled reply. Lawrence said no more after that, either, and made his way to the inn following the directions he had been given.
The inn that served as their destination was empty enough that Lawrence did not even need to give Meyer's name. Every place in town was normally crowded at this time of year, considering all sorts of products were being sold off in the pre-winter rush, including freshly harvested wheat, so it was clear that talks about tariffs were having a considerable effect. The innkeeper was obviously troubled by the approaching winter—his inn should be busy.
As Lawrence listened to the innkeeper complain about his hopes that the tariff talks would end soon, he recalled all of the things Matthias told him. The seasons changed even in lands across the sea, so the Twilight Cardinal, and by extension, Eve, wanted to wrap up this deal with Karlan before winter came.
Under normal circumstances, he would consider this regular trade sense, but he could not shake the impression that this was their way of wanting to put a bow on the transaction before their schemes were revealed.
That Eve herself had personally come to the relatively unknown port town of Karlan strengthened his doubts that she was causing problems in places Col was unaware of.
According to what Matthias heard in their meeting, Eve was staying in Karlan, whose access to the sea was just as convenient, instead of Kerube due to a long-standing grudge, even though she had business in the mainland regarding the incident with the Church.
Lawrence, of course, was wholly aware of this grudge. There had been a historic kerfuffle surrounding the legendary sea creature, the narwhal. And though he logically did not want to deny the possibility, this was still Eve.
When his interests conflicted with hers, he could trust nothing but her attachment to profit.
"People sure do change, huh?" Lawrence remarked as they walked around Karlan under the darkening sky. "I hear she holds huge banquets at the tavern every night."
Holo could keep up with anyone when it came to drinks, but Eve could rent out an entire establishment for her parties, which meant a lot of drinks. All the bards and dancers would gather in one place, and the best chefs in town would come to the tavern for work.
Eve, who had once chased profit and profit alone like an icicle honed by a blade, had been a bad person once upon a time, yes. But she was, at the same time, the ideal merchant in Lawrence's mind.
Which meant the swirl of emotions in his chest likely stemmed from disappointment.
They had even come to blows once at the Lenos inn, which had acted as her storehouse, over an allotment of furs and smuggling of rock salts.
What had she said back then?
Lawrence had asked her what exactly it was that inspired her passion to pursue coin so single-mindedly—how had she responded?
It seemed the ultimate end of her road had been a disappointing one.
"I think the tavern the innkeeper mentioned was around here..."

Output:
Holo tugged at his sleeve. "I hear music."
She was not interested in the grilled meats being served at the open-air stalls; her hood was pulled so low over her eyes, he could not see her expression.
Lawrence pictured what might be going on in her mind, swallowed, then headed in the direction she pointed.
There, they found the tavern, patrons overflowing into the street; sounds of music and clapping came from the inside. The smoke of cooking fires stung their eyes, and there came the distinct smell of meat and fish fat and expensive spices.
Lawrence's stomach grumbled in response to the onslaught of aromas; he steeled his stomach before walking in.
They dodged the ring of dancing men outside the tavern, slipped past the drunkards blocking the entrance, and were shocked by the sight of the sheer amount of people forming a circle before them. In the center of the circle, bards played music, and there were girls singing at the top of their lungs. But the patrons within the tavern did not even spare them a glance.
On the tables stacked in the very center of the establishment majestically danced a girl in red. It almost seemed as though she wore flames over her body.
Her outfit was so flashy that a priest would surely faint at the sight; but what drew the eye more was the large red umbrella she held. It was decorated with golden thread, which meant it was likely a special item from the desert countries far to the south of here. In contrast to the intense passion the strange umbrella dance gave, the girl's face was cool and calm—almost delighted. Nyohhira, too, offered patrons the chance to watch dances while partaking in drink, but this differed from any performance Lawrence had ever seen in the bathhouse.
Either way, a beautiful girl performing an elegant dance was not reason enough for the tavern to be overflowing with people. There were dishes Lawrence had never seen before lining the tables here and there, and the patrons were plenty drunk, regardless.
At a glance, Lawrence could tell that most of the patrons enjoying themselves indoors were well-off—many looked to be merchants, clerks, or mercenary captains by the looks of it. One needed a certain amount of money to participate in festivities like these.
Lawrence pushed forward, careful not to lose Holo in the crowd as he headed for the far end of the tavern. He had caught glimpses of a corner in the back where things seemed to be different. Sharp-eyed guards stood, protecting particularly well-dressed patrons.
If Matthias was right, then the exotic girl dancing with the red umbrella was a member of Eve's entourage.
Lawrence had no way of telling how rich she was now, what sort of status she held now.
And so he racked his brains, but ultimately was not sure how he should approach her.
Regardless, he knew he would speak whatever first came to mind when he saw her.
There were so many emotions swirling in the pit of his throat, after all.
Matthias's and Meyer's beloved forest, the one they were on the brink of losing, was of an entirely different world here in this tavern.
Lawrence had so much he wanted to say to the great merchant seated at the highest-status seat.
"Hey."
The guards were good; they immediately noticed where Lawrence was headed and came to stand in his way.
"Bathroom's that way."
"No, I'm going the right way."
Beyond the guards, Lawrence spotted who he was looking for.
She smiled elegantly, drinking from a delicate-looking glass cup, one that seemed like it would shatter at the slightest touch.
Though she nodded with great interest, perhaps listening to the cooks describe what sort of meal she was having, she made no move to touch the food. She ultimately passed the plate to a plump merchant sitting nearby, showing just how magnanimous she was, as though demonstrating that a leader's job was to share with others.


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

Input:
Holo tugged at his sleeve. "I hear music."
She was not interested in the grilled meats being served at the open-air stalls; her hood was pulled so low over her eyes, he could not see her expression.
Lawrence pictured what might be going on in her mind, swallowed, then headed in the direction she pointed.
There, they found the tavern, patrons overflowing into the street; sounds of music and clapping came from the inside. The smoke of cooking fires stung their eyes, and there came the distinct smell of meat and fish fat and expensive spices.
Lawrence's stomach grumbled in response to the onslaught of aromas; he steeled his stomach before walking in.
They dodged the ring of dancing men outside the tavern, slipped past the drunkards blocking the entrance, and were shocked by the sight of the sheer amount of people forming a circle before them. In the center of the circle, bards played music, and there were girls singing at the top of their lungs. But the patrons within the tavern did not even spare them a glance.
On the tables stacked in the very center of the establishment majestically danced a girl in red. It almost seemed as though she wore flames over her body.
Her outfit was so flashy that a priest would surely faint at the sight; but what drew the eye more was the large red umbrella she held. It was decorated with golden thread, which meant it was likely a special item from the desert countries far to the south of here. In contrast to the intense passion the strange umbrella dance gave, the girl's face was cool and calm—almost delighted. Nyohhira, too, offered patrons the chance to watch dances while partaking in drink, but this differed from any performance Lawrence had ever seen in the bathhouse.
Either way, a beautiful girl performing an elegant dance was not reason enough for the tavern to be overflowing with people. There were dishes Lawrence had never seen before lining the tables here and there, and the patrons were plenty drunk, regardless.
At a glance, Lawrence could tell that most of the patrons enjoying themselves indoors were well-off—many looked to be merchants, clerks, or mercenary captains by the looks of it. One needed a certain amount of money to participate in festivities like these.
Lawrence pushed forward, careful not to lose Holo in the crowd as he headed for the far end of the tavern. He had caught glimpses of a corner in the back where things seemed to be different. Sharp-eyed guards stood, protecting particularly well-dressed patrons.
If Matthias was right, then the exotic girl dancing with the red umbrella was a member of Eve's entourage.
Lawrence had no way of telling how rich she was now, what sort of status she held now.
And so he racked his brains, but ultimately was not sure how he should approach her.
Regardless, he knew he would speak whatever first came to mind when he saw her.
There were so many emotions swirling in the pit of his throat, after all.
Matthias's and Meyer's beloved forest, the one they were on the brink of losing, was of an entirely different world here in this tavern.
Lawrence had so much he wanted to say to the great merchant seated at the highest-status seat.
"Hey."
The guards were good; they immediately noticed where Lawrence was headed and came to stand in his way.
"Bathroom's that way."
"No, I'm going the right way."
Beyond the guards, Lawrence spotted who he was looking for.
She smiled elegantly, drinking from a delicate-looking glass cup, one that seemed like it would shatter at the slightest touch.
Though she nodded with great interest, perhaps listening to the cooks describe what sort of meal she was having, she made no move to touch the food. She ultimately passed the plate to a plump merchant sitting nearby, showing just how magnanimous she was, as though demonstrating that a leader's job was to share with others.

Output:
It was hard to believe that this dizzying crowd and the stillness of the woods belonged in the same world.
Lawrence pushed past the guard with his chest, pressing forward, heeding no commands to stop. Hands grasped at his shoulder, and just as he tried to shrug them off, another guard held him back.
It was so loud in the tavern he could scarcely hear the person next to him; nearby patrons did not even look at him. The special guests, of course, stared in disbelief at the trespasser. One of them, the queen of the tavern, with her glass cup in hand, stared and blinked, as though wondering if she was seeing correctly.
It was Lawrence's will alone that kept him rooted in place as three guards tried to pry him away from the table, when Eve finally spoke up.
"He's an acquaintance."
Lawrence could feel through the grip on him that the guards were momentarily bewildered. And after a beat, they let go. From the nimble way they moved, it was clear they were simply not strongmen interested in gold—they were people who had spent many years with her.
Lawrence straightened his clothes and checked to make sure Holo was okay—she stood a short distance away, quietly with her coat draped over her, like a girl who had wandered into the tavern purely by accident. Lawrence, ignoring the town authorities who stared at the scene in amazement, stared straight at Eve.
"I need to speak with you."
Those staring at Lawrence turned their attention to Eve.
Eve scrunched up her nose slightly, then gently placed her glass down with a quiet huff. At the same time, the music and singing swelled, the instruments struck a powerful chord, and then it all came to an end.
Ear-splitting applause tore through the tavern, and the dancer in red gracefully smiled at the crowd.
Eve spared her one glance before deigning to stand up.
"It'll be quieter out back."
She told the other patrons to keep enjoying themselves before walking off, one guard in tow.
Lawrence followed after, and a moment later, so did Holo.
Though applause still filled the tavern, a new song began and the hall filled with even more life.
One stray dog scampered away with its tail between its legs.
The back of the building was a space shared by several other buildings, home to several empty barrels of ale and stacks of assorted cargo from the neighboring trading houses—there was no one else around.
"What happened to your bathhouse in Nyohhira? Peak season isn't too far off."
Eve also wore a long, billowing outfit, one reminiscent of the clothes the desert dwellers wore, though it was not as elaborate as the dancer's. It was either silk or wool felt—either way, it was a luxury fabric Lawrence was not familiar with. When Eve moved to sit down on one of the barrels, her guard lay a cloth over it.
"I heard tell from the deep forest that there is a wolf here."
Eve, upon her barrel, glanced away, faint smile still on her face. After thinking for a moment, she smirked, and sighed.
"Did Lord Tonneburg hire you? To save his forest?"
For just a brief moment, Eve's eyes flickered toward Holo. Eve knew what Holo really was, of course, so she had assumed they had plenty of motivation.
"No, hold on," she said and folded over, placing her hand to her mouth in thought as she stared at Lawrence. "Don't tell me you were the merchant that caused all that fuss in Salonia?"
If the lumber issue in Salonia was a part of Karlan's plan, then it had of course reached Eve's ears.
"Was that part of your grand plan?" Lawrence asked.
When he first met Eve back when he was but a peddler, she had concocted a grandiose scheme of her own both in Lenos and in Kerube in pursuit of gold. Even though it meant putting herself in danger.
Matthias was right to wonder if the Karlan negotiators were getting swept up in Eve's plot.
And by what Lawrence saw from the party in the tavern, he felt that was the right way to look at this.


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

Input:
It was hard to believe that this dizzying crowd and the stillness of the woods belonged in the same world.
Lawrence pushed past the guard with his chest, pressing forward, heeding no commands to stop. Hands grasped at his shoulder, and just as he tried to shrug them off, another guard held him back.
It was so loud in the tavern he could scarcely hear the person next to him; nearby patrons did not even look at him. The special guests, of course, stared in disbelief at the trespasser. One of them, the queen of the tavern, with her glass cup in hand, stared and blinked, as though wondering if she was seeing correctly.
It was Lawrence's will alone that kept him rooted in place as three guards tried to pry him away from the table, when Eve finally spoke up.
"He's an acquaintance."
Lawrence could feel through the grip on him that the guards were momentarily bewildered. And after a beat, they let go. From the nimble way they moved, it was clear they were simply not strongmen interested in gold—they were people who had spent many years with her.
Lawrence straightened his clothes and checked to make sure Holo was okay—she stood a short distance away, quietly with her coat draped over her, like a girl who had wandered into the tavern purely by accident. Lawrence, ignoring the town authorities who stared at the scene in amazement, stared straight at Eve.
"I need to speak with you."
Those staring at Lawrence turned their attention to Eve.
Eve scrunched up her nose slightly, then gently placed her glass down with a quiet huff. At the same time, the music and singing swelled, the instruments struck a powerful chord, and then it all came to an end.
Ear-splitting applause tore through the tavern, and the dancer in red gracefully smiled at the crowd.
Eve spared her one glance before deigning to stand up.
"It'll be quieter out back."
She told the other patrons to keep enjoying themselves before walking off, one guard in tow.
Lawrence followed after, and a moment later, so did Holo.
Though applause still filled the tavern, a new song began and the hall filled with even more life.
One stray dog scampered away with its tail between its legs.
The back of the building was a space shared by several other buildings, home to several empty barrels of ale and stacks of assorted cargo from the neighboring trading houses—there was no one else around.
"What happened to your bathhouse in Nyohhira? Peak season isn't too far off."
Eve also wore a long, billowing outfit, one reminiscent of the clothes the desert dwellers wore, though it was not as elaborate as the dancer's. It was either silk or wool felt—either way, it was a luxury fabric Lawrence was not familiar with. When Eve moved to sit down on one of the barrels, her guard lay a cloth over it.
"I heard tell from the deep forest that there is a wolf here."
Eve, upon her barrel, glanced away, faint smile still on her face. After thinking for a moment, she smirked, and sighed.
"Did Lord Tonneburg hire you? To save his forest?"
For just a brief moment, Eve's eyes flickered toward Holo. Eve knew what Holo really was, of course, so she had assumed they had plenty of motivation.
"No, hold on," she said and folded over, placing her hand to her mouth in thought as she stared at Lawrence. "Don't tell me you were the merchant that caused all that fuss in Salonia?"
If the lumber issue in Salonia was a part of Karlan's plan, then it had of course reached Eve's ears.
"Was that part of your grand plan?" Lawrence asked.
When he first met Eve back when he was but a peddler, she had concocted a grandiose scheme of her own both in Lenos and in Kerube in pursuit of gold. Even though it meant putting herself in danger.
Matthias was right to wonder if the Karlan negotiators were getting swept up in Eve's plot.
And by what Lawrence saw from the party in the tavern, he felt that was the right way to look at this.

Output:
There were no lights back here, and only a waning moon hung above them, so Eve's smile, shrouded in the dark, sent Lawrence's memories back into the past.
But time marched on, and things were different now.
He wanted to show that, but Eve's troubled tone interrupted his thoughts.
"And why is the little lady being so quiet?"
"She's—"
—not a part of this.
The moment he began to say that, Holo spoke up instead.
"Once this fool starts, he never listens to what I say."
"I—what?"
Lawrence whirled around in surprise to see Holo there.
She did not seem angry, sad, pained, or even disappointed—she had only drawn her thin shoulders up in annoyance.
"He thinks you a villain who is hoarding coin in little Col's name and spending it all on debauchery."
"Heh," Eve barked, unable to keep her mirth from showing, even with the fist in front of her mouth.
Lawrence was perplexed, unsure of what any of this meant, when Holo approached him and clapped him on his lower back.
"You assume too much. Though it is a great help when we are headed in the correct direction."
That was all she needed to say to send Lawrence's thoughts racing like the rapids through every moment from his conversation with Matthias in the forest until now.
Holo had been hurt and quiet because Eve was betraying Col and Myuri for coin—that was, at least, how the world looked from his eyes.
"'Tis about her debauchery, naturally," Holo carelessly jerked her chin toward Eve. "'Twas a secret between me and her. I cannot blame you for making false assumptions."
Eve shrugged. "Just keep a tight rein on it, okay? I don't want this to come to blows at this age."
Lawrence, looking between Holo and Eve in their obvious mutual understanding, eventually said in desperation, "I think you'd be getting all the hits in at this point..."
It was Holo who then joined in on the pummeling.
Lawrence was no match for the two women—the two wolves.
"You were pretty angry. That stubborn lord must not have had good things to say about me, huh? Do you know how hard I worked to treat him well?" Eve said, then muttered, "Hoarding?" She gave another bark of laughter.
"That is your job, no? You did not look the slightest bit hungry, even with all that delicious food around you."
Holo jerked her head back toward the tavern.
"Yeah. Guess it's because I can eat all that stuff every night. The people here said they wanted to learn how to cook popular dishes from the south, so I've been taste-testing them."
Holo's tail, swishing beneath her cloak, was like that of a dog waiting to be given scraps at the table. What happened to being a wolf? Lawrence thought, the spiteful remark his way of easing his frustration of being left out of the conversation.
"That goes for the song and dance, too. The dancers wanted to adopt what dances are popular in the south from my dancers, and bard troupes from all over the region have come for the same reason. And that's why every day is like this."
From Lawrence's perspective, it only seemed as though she was holding banquets and generously treating everyone to fancy feasts at the tavern. But now that she mentioned it, all Eve herself had been doing was sipping her drink and speaking with the chefs—that in particular seemed strange. Even to have an entire group of minstrels gathered in one place would surely cause the other establishments to complain; the guilds would not stay silent about that.
Matthias had said that Eve was showing off her wealth in their meeting, but Eve said she had done her best to treat him respectfully. They did not quite see eye to eye, which meant it was not all that strange to hear that Matthias saw her as villainous. He was just like Lawrence, ranting and raving about how Eve had reduced herself to a simple greedy merchant.
But if that had all been a mistake, then there was one thing Lawrence did not understand.
"What are you doing in this town, then?" he asked.
Eve replied, "I should be asking you the same thing."


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

Input:
There were no lights back here, and only a waning moon hung above them, so Eve's smile, shrouded in the dark, sent Lawrence's memories back into the past.
But time marched on, and things were different now.
He wanted to show that, but Eve's troubled tone interrupted his thoughts.
"And why is the little lady being so quiet?"
"She's—"
—not a part of this.
The moment he began to say that, Holo spoke up instead.
"Once this fool starts, he never listens to what I say."
"I—what?"
Lawrence whirled around in surprise to see Holo there.
She did not seem angry, sad, pained, or even disappointed—she had only drawn her thin shoulders up in annoyance.
"He thinks you a villain who is hoarding coin in little Col's name and spending it all on debauchery."
"Heh," Eve barked, unable to keep her mirth from showing, even with the fist in front of her mouth.
Lawrence was perplexed, unsure of what any of this meant, when Holo approached him and clapped him on his lower back.
"You assume too much. Though it is a great help when we are headed in the correct direction."
That was all she needed to say to send Lawrence's thoughts racing like the rapids through every moment from his conversation with Matthias in the forest until now.
Holo had been hurt and quiet because Eve was betraying Col and Myuri for coin—that was, at least, how the world looked from his eyes.
"'Tis about her debauchery, naturally," Holo carelessly jerked her chin toward Eve. "'Twas a secret between me and her. I cannot blame you for making false assumptions."
Eve shrugged. "Just keep a tight rein on it, okay? I don't want this to come to blows at this age."
Lawrence, looking between Holo and Eve in their obvious mutual understanding, eventually said in desperation, "I think you'd be getting all the hits in at this point..."
It was Holo who then joined in on the pummeling.
Lawrence was no match for the two women—the two wolves.
"You were pretty angry. That stubborn lord must not have had good things to say about me, huh? Do you know how hard I worked to treat him well?" Eve said, then muttered, "Hoarding?" She gave another bark of laughter.
"That is your job, no? You did not look the slightest bit hungry, even with all that delicious food around you."
Holo jerked her head back toward the tavern.
"Yeah. Guess it's because I can eat all that stuff every night. The people here said they wanted to learn how to cook popular dishes from the south, so I've been taste-testing them."
Holo's tail, swishing beneath her cloak, was like that of a dog waiting to be given scraps at the table. What happened to being a wolf? Lawrence thought, the spiteful remark his way of easing his frustration of being left out of the conversation.
"That goes for the song and dance, too. The dancers wanted to adopt what dances are popular in the south from my dancers, and bard troupes from all over the region have come for the same reason. And that's why every day is like this."
From Lawrence's perspective, it only seemed as though she was holding banquets and generously treating everyone to fancy feasts at the tavern. But now that she mentioned it, all Eve herself had been doing was sipping her drink and speaking with the chefs—that in particular seemed strange. Even to have an entire group of minstrels gathered in one place would surely cause the other establishments to complain; the guilds would not stay silent about that.
Matthias had said that Eve was showing off her wealth in their meeting, but Eve said she had done her best to treat him respectfully. They did not quite see eye to eye, which meant it was not all that strange to hear that Matthias saw her as villainous. He was just like Lawrence, ranting and raving about how Eve had reduced herself to a simple greedy merchant.
But if that had all been a mistake, then there was one thing Lawrence did not understand.
"What are you doing in this town, then?" he asked.
Eve replied, "I should be asking you the same thing."

Output:
And so as Holo, who was in a much better mood than she had been not too long ago, was about to sit in her seat, the proprietor came over to them to take their order and she yelled with glee, "Your best meat and drink!"
The reason Lawrence remained glum, of course, was not because he knew the funds would be going to Eve.
After watching Holo gulp down the fancy, clear wine, he looked down at his own tired expression in the reflection of the wine in his mug.
"Seriously, what on earth is going on?"
It came out more reproachful than he intended because he earnestly wished Holo would have said something earlier if she realized he had gotten the wrong idea.
"Glug... Glug... Ahhh! Sweet mead and filling ale are nice drinks, but wine is simply the best!"
They were soon brought a plate filled with freshly roasted pork, fat dripping from the carvings onto the plate—there must have been a roast going on in the kitchen at all times. What was interesting was that it came with mustard and all sorts of spices, allowing Holo to season the meat as she liked.
Lawrence stared hard at the spices, knowing that bringing some of them to an apothecary would fetch him quite the handsome penny.
"This is quite a stylish way of eating, unlike pork slathered in garlic sauce. And this... Ah! This will be quite useful in times like these."
In her hand, she held a metal spoon, the eating end of it split into three points. They had in their kitchen something of a similar shape, but as big as a spear; it was used for spit-roasted pig and putting large chunks of beef into stew pots. A very clever someone realized it would be convenient to shrink it down to use at the dining table.
And Holo did indeed manage to lift a piece of pork, coat it in spice, and bring it to her mouth, all without dirtying her hands. Most of those who ate like this were the dainty diners from the south, and this utensil had been likely introduced at Eve's suggestion.
Lawrence made a general mental note to adopt the practice into the bathhouse, too.
"Well?" Lawrence asked again, and Holo, who was too enraptured by the delicious plate of food before her, gave a bothersome shrug.
"Not much at all is going on. I've known for quite a while that she has wanted to let loose. We invited her to Nyohhira when you took me in with your slick talk, no? It was then that we spoke."
During the long reception that followed the wedding, Lawrence most certainly recalled seeing Holo and Eve speaking rather intimately with each other.
But he never learned of what they spoke, and he never would, since it did not seem like it was something he could ask about.
As Lawrence waited for her to continue, she paused, mug of wine still in her hand.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and she jumped in her seat. He saw her wolf ears prick beneath her hood.
"...'Tis nothing. The memory simply brings me back to the time," she said and took a swig of her wine. When she spoke again, it was as though she was trying to forget something. "She asked me what it felt like to create a weakness for myself."
It was Lawrence's turn to freeze.
"Weakness?"
Holo shrugged again, took another swig of wine, took a bite of her pork, took a bite of yet another dish that had arrived—fish slathered in some sort of sauce—and answered, "She is much more of a coward than I am. She had grown rather bored of hoarding gold and traveling alone, yet she had been unable to take the next step."
That caught Lawrence off guard. Holo gave a half-hearted grin as a hint of pride crossed her features.
"I have you. She has no one. 'Tis a big difference."
***
Holo and Eve certainly seemed like entirely different people, but they did have similar qualities.
A pessimistic quality, one where neither could fully believe in the future.
"I decided to believe in a foolish promise a fool like you presented to me. That foolish promise of an interesting life, of always refilling my cup the moment it went empty."


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

Input:
And so as Holo, who was in a much better mood than she had been not too long ago, was about to sit in her seat, the proprietor came over to them to take their order and she yelled with glee, "Your best meat and drink!"
The reason Lawrence remained glum, of course, was not because he knew the funds would be going to Eve.
After watching Holo gulp down the fancy, clear wine, he looked down at his own tired expression in the reflection of the wine in his mug.
"Seriously, what on earth is going on?"
It came out more reproachful than he intended because he earnestly wished Holo would have said something earlier if she realized he had gotten the wrong idea.
"Glug... Glug... Ahhh! Sweet mead and filling ale are nice drinks, but wine is simply the best!"
They were soon brought a plate filled with freshly roasted pork, fat dripping from the carvings onto the plate—there must have been a roast going on in the kitchen at all times. What was interesting was that it came with mustard and all sorts of spices, allowing Holo to season the meat as she liked.
Lawrence stared hard at the spices, knowing that bringing some of them to an apothecary would fetch him quite the handsome penny.
"This is quite a stylish way of eating, unlike pork slathered in garlic sauce. And this... Ah! This will be quite useful in times like these."
In her hand, she held a metal spoon, the eating end of it split into three points. They had in their kitchen something of a similar shape, but as big as a spear; it was used for spit-roasted pig and putting large chunks of beef into stew pots. A very clever someone realized it would be convenient to shrink it down to use at the dining table.
And Holo did indeed manage to lift a piece of pork, coat it in spice, and bring it to her mouth, all without dirtying her hands. Most of those who ate like this were the dainty diners from the south, and this utensil had been likely introduced at Eve's suggestion.
Lawrence made a general mental note to adopt the practice into the bathhouse, too.
"Well?" Lawrence asked again, and Holo, who was too enraptured by the delicious plate of food before her, gave a bothersome shrug.
"Not much at all is going on. I've known for quite a while that she has wanted to let loose. We invited her to Nyohhira when you took me in with your slick talk, no? It was then that we spoke."
During the long reception that followed the wedding, Lawrence most certainly recalled seeing Holo and Eve speaking rather intimately with each other.
But he never learned of what they spoke, and he never would, since it did not seem like it was something he could ask about.
As Lawrence waited for her to continue, she paused, mug of wine still in her hand.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and she jumped in her seat. He saw her wolf ears prick beneath her hood.
"...'Tis nothing. The memory simply brings me back to the time," she said and took a swig of her wine. When she spoke again, it was as though she was trying to forget something. "She asked me what it felt like to create a weakness for myself."
It was Lawrence's turn to freeze.
"Weakness?"
Holo shrugged again, took another swig of wine, took a bite of her pork, took a bite of yet another dish that had arrived—fish slathered in some sort of sauce—and answered, "She is much more of a coward than I am. She had grown rather bored of hoarding gold and traveling alone, yet she had been unable to take the next step."
That caught Lawrence off guard. Holo gave a half-hearted grin as a hint of pride crossed her features.
"I have you. She has no one. 'Tis a big difference."
***
Holo and Eve certainly seemed like entirely different people, but they did have similar qualities.
A pessimistic quality, one where neither could fully believe in the future.
"I decided to believe in a foolish promise a fool like you presented to me. That foolish promise of an interesting life, of always refilling my cup the moment it went empty."

Output:
"And?"
"That is all. When she saw us and our bathhouse, she at last realized 'twas a stupid thing to continue being the wounded wolf. Her wounds would not heal by hiding in the hollow of a tree, by always growling at her enemy. That is not the sort of hurt she has. But I suppose I cannot speak, considering how I lamented so long by myself in that wheat field..."
Eve was the daughter of former nobility from the Kingdom of Winfiel, but Lawrence had heard she had followed her predetermined fate after her family fell from grace. An affluent merchant purchased the entire family with the intent of making the reputation of their highborn family his own, and after the merchant that became her husband went bankrupt and she lost her means to live, she eventually molded herself into the merchant she was today.
When Lawrence had unveiled her plot in Lenos, and they had drawn their blades to face each other as they kept stealing each other's profits, Lawrence asked her: "Why do you keep exposing yourself to so much danger? What do you plan to do with all the money you keep hoarding?"
Eve had been ready to plunge her knife into Lawrence in that moment, yet her response came with an embarrassed tone.
"Because you expected that of me."
After stockpiling an almost pointless amount of money, she could look back on all those who came and went in her life and gloat about what she had accomplished.
Lawrence realized Holo was smiling.
"Just as she said she would, she has found joy in the world, and has at last found herself a pack she can trust."
Lawrence's eyes drifted to Eve's table. Those who stood guard around her wore clothes reminiscent of those who dwelled in the desert, just like Eve's own attire. The girl dancing joyously with her umbrella in the middle of the tavern, too, wore similar clothes.
"Heh. Can you believe how cute she was? She insisted on having the support of a pioneer before taking her first steps."
Though Holo had lived for centuries, and at one point had even been regarded as a god, she was still plenty childlike. It was also said that one returned to childhood as one grew older, however, so perhaps it made perfect sense, but the wisewolf was delighted that Eve looked to her for support.
And as Lawrence watched Holo, he finally understood why he and Holo had vastly different reactions to the exact same information from Matthias.
"But you should have told me," he repeated, his tone somewhat accusatory.
Holo looked at him like a foolish sheep. "You fool. One does not go around spilling secrets. And I know that no matter what I told you, you would not have believed me without seeing her for yourself."
"Come on, I wouldn't...," he began, but he realized she might be right. Holo was kind-hearted, and he absolutely knew he would point out to her that she was incapable of holding negative opinions of Eve, who had come to their wedding.
"And I cannot say with absolute certainty she is not concocting some sort of evil scheme, of course. But I am quite sure that she is not," she said, chuckling.
"Really?" he asked.
Holo shrugged. "Did you see how delighted she was to see us when she found us?"
It had only seemed like a look of surprise in Lawrence's eyes, and the tavern was not all that well lit at night. Holo had poor eyesight, so he doubted she had been more keenly aware of the subtleties in her expression.
If anything, it had to have been the scent she gave off. That was because all the letters Col and Myuri sent to the bathhouse in Nyohhira were always so thickly covered in the scent of joy.
But after hearing that, Lawrence could not help the smile that crossed his face when he pictured Eve's expression blossoming like a flower as she stood.
"Fine, fine. I get it now, but then what's all this about?"
The truth remained that the Tonneburg Woods were in danger.


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

Input:
"And?"
"That is all. When she saw us and our bathhouse, she at last realized 'twas a stupid thing to continue being the wounded wolf. Her wounds would not heal by hiding in the hollow of a tree, by always growling at her enemy. That is not the sort of hurt she has. But I suppose I cannot speak, considering how I lamented so long by myself in that wheat field..."
Eve was the daughter of former nobility from the Kingdom of Winfiel, but Lawrence had heard she had followed her predetermined fate after her family fell from grace. An affluent merchant purchased the entire family with the intent of making the reputation of their highborn family his own, and after the merchant that became her husband went bankrupt and she lost her means to live, she eventually molded herself into the merchant she was today.
When Lawrence had unveiled her plot in Lenos, and they had drawn their blades to face each other as they kept stealing each other's profits, Lawrence asked her: "Why do you keep exposing yourself to so much danger? What do you plan to do with all the money you keep hoarding?"
Eve had been ready to plunge her knife into Lawrence in that moment, yet her response came with an embarrassed tone.
"Because you expected that of me."
After stockpiling an almost pointless amount of money, she could look back on all those who came and went in her life and gloat about what she had accomplished.
Lawrence realized Holo was smiling.
"Just as she said she would, she has found joy in the world, and has at last found herself a pack she can trust."
Lawrence's eyes drifted to Eve's table. Those who stood guard around her wore clothes reminiscent of those who dwelled in the desert, just like Eve's own attire. The girl dancing joyously with her umbrella in the middle of the tavern, too, wore similar clothes.
"Heh. Can you believe how cute she was? She insisted on having the support of a pioneer before taking her first steps."
Though Holo had lived for centuries, and at one point had even been regarded as a god, she was still plenty childlike. It was also said that one returned to childhood as one grew older, however, so perhaps it made perfect sense, but the wisewolf was delighted that Eve looked to her for support.
And as Lawrence watched Holo, he finally understood why he and Holo had vastly different reactions to the exact same information from Matthias.
"But you should have told me," he repeated, his tone somewhat accusatory.
Holo looked at him like a foolish sheep. "You fool. One does not go around spilling secrets. And I know that no matter what I told you, you would not have believed me without seeing her for yourself."
"Come on, I wouldn't...," he began, but he realized she might be right. Holo was kind-hearted, and he absolutely knew he would point out to her that she was incapable of holding negative opinions of Eve, who had come to their wedding.
"And I cannot say with absolute certainty she is not concocting some sort of evil scheme, of course. But I am quite sure that she is not," she said, chuckling.
"Really?" he asked.
Holo shrugged. "Did you see how delighted she was to see us when she found us?"
It had only seemed like a look of surprise in Lawrence's eyes, and the tavern was not all that well lit at night. Holo had poor eyesight, so he doubted she had been more keenly aware of the subtleties in her expression.
If anything, it had to have been the scent she gave off. That was because all the letters Col and Myuri sent to the bathhouse in Nyohhira were always so thickly covered in the scent of joy.
But after hearing that, Lawrence could not help the smile that crossed his face when he pictured Eve's expression blossoming like a flower as she stood.
"Fine, fine. I get it now, but then what's all this about?"
The truth remained that the Tonneburg Woods were in danger.

Output:
And since all of that lumber was going straight to Eve, it was not unthinkable to suspect that Eve might have orchestrated a grand plan to pocket these riches, considering the scale of festivities in the tavern.
It made sense that Matthias, who was stalwart and hardy and had no interest in anything flashy, would be disappointed in what Eve was doing, and it was perfectly reasonable that he would wonder if the Karlan merchants were being deceived by her.
"Matthias's objectives and Karlan's plan all lead to Eve. Not only that, it sounds like she's been staying here for the past few days, even though this place isn't very big. If Eve's taking on such a big job herself, then she would have way too much to do, and that must mean there is a lot of money in this."
He could only think that she was plotting something nefarious yet again, but all he had pictured at the beginning quickly crumbled like a tower of sugar, and Holo licked her lips.
All he knew was that even if there were no bad people here, that did not mean a tragedy was not on the horizon. That was simply the way of the world.
The truth was that the Tonneburg Woods were very much in danger.
"I believe Eve herself will answer our last question, at least."
There came a round of applause louder than all the rest. The dancing girl had returned to Eve and was showered in appreciation and praise. The tavern patrons seemed intent on continuing to enjoy the festivities, but Eve and all the distinguished guests around her exchanged handshakes. It seemed their business was finished.
When Holo saw that, she began stuffing her mouth with the meat, as though recognizing she had made too much pointless conversation.
"We can just take that home, you know," Lawrence said with a sigh.
Holo, whose cheeks were stuffed like a squirrel's, hurriedly swallowed and said, "It matters not. Can you order another?"
She gave an innocent smile, meat juices dripping from the corner of her mouth. When Lawrence saw that, he gave the deepest sigh he had made all day.
Lawrence and Holo sat in the carriage Eve hired for them, traversing Karlan's bumpy roads.
He thought the carriage was a bit much, considering Karlan was not all that big, but Eve was based away from the city center at the seaport.
"Why here?"
It was in an inconvenient spot, loud throughout the day with the constant loading and unloading of cargo, and it took the brunt of bad weather coming from the sea. The only buildings that stood here were warehouses owned by trading companies—it was hardly a place for a traveler with money to find a comfortable stay.
One of Eve's underlings waited for their return at a big door, one half of the entrance open—it was clearly a loading dock. The windows on the second and third floors were reinforced with metal framing to withstand harsh wind and rain.
The walls even had metallic rat guards on them, ones that looked like decoration and were meant to keep away brazen thieves. It was immediately obvious that it was not comfortable inside.
"It's what I'm used to. Whenever I sleep in an unfamiliar town, I always pick buildings reminiscent of the old eras of war."
Lawrence's smile in response was tense—what she said made it seem like she was still crossing dangerous bridges.
There was likely a reason she always stayed by the sea, too. It was easier to escape if the need ever arose.
"But it seems like you still need a few drinks, don't you?"
Eve glanced behind Lawrence at Holo and smiled wryly. In Holo's arms were packets stuffed with food, and the bag atop her head was filled with freshly baked bread.
"A feast always comes with food and drink."
Though he would likely mask it as not wanting Holo to eat alone, Lawrence had scarcely eaten everything since the conversation had distracted him, and she had hopefully saved him a portion, too.
"There is no moon tonight, but no clouds either. Let's head to the courtyard."
Eve gave orders to her subordinates and led both of them inside.