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

Input:
"We've of course explained to the Laud Company, but we've told other companies, too...We can't pay."
"Could you show me any proof?"
"Hey!" some of the others shouted, but the association president twisted his lips before walking over to the accounting desk and pulling out a thick bundle of paper.
"The way our association works is that orders come in internally; then we send out those orders to the companies as an association. Make sense?"
"I've been to other cities before. I understand."
If left alone, places with financial muscle might buy up all the food and whatnot to serve at their inn for themselves. Even with nice, clean beds, an inn would get no guests without wine or meat or bread, so the association took charge of orders to reduce unnecessary competition among inns.
And at the same time, the association could amass leverage when dealing with the places they ordered from by consolidating orders.
"Our payment to the Laud Company is...well, as you can see, it matches up with that bond you got there."
"It does, yes."
"And...here's a list of all the people who're late on paying."
"S-sir!" some unintentionally burst out. There was a whole series of inn names listed on the paper, and there was a dense wall of numbers in record. These were the businesses who had outstanding payments due, regardless of how they had placed their orders through the association.
"If they put off payment out of temporary embarrassment, then they deserve to be embarrassed. Or do you want to see this merchant here run off to the church with this bond in hand?"
Laud was a company that did business in the same city as them, but Lawrence was clearly an outsider. Though they feuded with the company, with whom they have had ties since their grandfathers' time, there was one final line that they would never cross as people from the same city.
An outsider, though, could conceivably rely on whatever authorities they could without thinking of the consequences.
And the same logic made it possible for them to reveal shameful details and discuss their long-standing feud with an outsider in a way that they never would with Laud.
"...That is quite an amount, but do you mind if I ask you why these people have put off paying? It seems quite obvious that all the inns have been flooded with business."
The president shut the account book with a thud and said with a bothered tone, "You said you're a traveling merchant, yeah? You might not know this, since you're on the guest side of things, but running an inn is real hard work."
Lawrence didn't think this was the time to mention that he ran a bathhouse in Nyohhira, so he simply nodded meekly.
"In cities like these, most of our guests are merchants who are frequent patrons. They stay for a long time to settle accounts from the last grand market and to make purchases, and they drink and eat a lot in order to gather information from their buddies. So they're good customers who steadily fill up the rooms, but it's because they're good customers that consequently makes them a burden."
"Is it deferred payment?"
When Lawrence spoke, the association president shrugged his shoulders.
"That's exactly right. They drink and drink and eat and eat, but it all goes on their tab. That said, if everything went on a tab, nothing would get done, so it's the custom here for most people to settle their accounts once at the midpoint of the market."
When he said that much, Lawrence knew what he was trying to say.
"All those payments are being delayed?"
"Yeah. Things are particularly slow this year, and they say the reason they can't pay is..."
"...Is because someone else hasn't paid them."
The president nodded; then several of the association members—inn owners, essentially—started to gather around Lawrence.

Output:
"We want to pay. If old man Laud and those other company people took an arrogant attitude with us, we'd be the ones in shame! But there are considerably more people begging us to wait this year, which has caused us no end of trouble."
"Exactly. Y'see, the lumber merchants are particularly bad this year. Tellin' us that the people they sell their wood to aren't paying them and then come cryin' to ask us to wait! They should be makin' plenty of money considering how marked up lumber is these days. They're just playing the damn victim card!"
Lawrence knew all about the markup on lumber. That was one of the reasons why they were able to sell the cursed mountain for such a high price.
"Well, that's just the obvious example, but if you count all the merchants, most of 'em are asking to delay their bills. These people'll stay with us next year and the year after that, and it's not a stretch to think their apprentices will, too. They come crying to us, saying we have to wait. But they eat our food and drink our drink. We need to make orders for ourselves in order to live. Actually, our payments to the bakers and butchers are also delayed, but those idiot merchants who don't understand facts are practically treating us like we run dens of evil."
Everyone there gave their approval.
Lawrence glanced at Holo, and she shrugged, uninterested. It seemed as though they were not offering up half-baked stories in an attempt to get off the hook.
"I understand your predicament very well," Lawrence said, putting the Laud Company bond back into his breast pocket. "And we've had a good heart-to-heart, Mr. President."
He should pay his respects since he had been shown the accounts book, and before Lawrence came, they had been pressured for all sorts of things, so perhaps they felt like making excuses was too much of a hassle.
"No, I'm glad you understand."
The association president extended his hand, and Lawrence gripped it firmly. After seeing that, the other association members, perhaps relieved after voicing their grievances, sought handshakes from him, too. Some even invited him to stay at their inn, so long as he paid in cash, and a wry smile spread across his face. They were not crooks or bad people. They were regular residents of the city who showed mercy to those struggling to pay and felt responsibility for not being able to pay themselves.
They left, passing under the eaves where the sign with the tankard and knife hung, and Lawrence gave a little sigh.
"Well, what are you going to do?"
Lawrence did not respond to Holo's question and looked to the villager.
"Do you know where an inn called the Hay and Scythe is?"
The villager looked at him blankly and responded, "It's the biggest inn in Salonia."
"Could you take me there? They had the most unpaid charges in that account book."
Both Holo and the villager looked surprised.
"Are you going to confirm if the people here were lying?"
Holo's tired yet somewhat irritated tone of voice was likely because she thought he did not trust her ears. The people of the inns association had not lied. They truly could not pay the companies they had ordered from because of guests who had yet to pay their tabs.
"I'm not going to see if they've lied. I'm going to examine the substance of the truth."
"Hmm?"
Holo looked at him dubiously, but he patted her shoulder and asked the villager to guide them.
Everything in trade was tied together.
That was why following it would bring them to the cause, so they should go and take a look after coming this far.
"Now, time to see if there really is a demon here."
Who was the cheapskate who refused to pay at the very beginning? Lawrence, Holo, and the villager walked through the lively city and made their way toward the Hay and Scythe, where they chatted up some of the merchants gathered there. The first two were a bust, but they found the merchant they were looking for by the third one.
"...Really? You aren't actually representatives of the Church, are you?"


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

Input:
"We want to pay. If old man Laud and those other company people took an arrogant attitude with us, we'd be the ones in shame! But there are considerably more people begging us to wait this year, which has caused us no end of trouble."
"Exactly. Y'see, the lumber merchants are particularly bad this year. Tellin' us that the people they sell their wood to aren't paying them and then come cryin' to ask us to wait! They should be makin' plenty of money considering how marked up lumber is these days. They're just playing the damn victim card!"
Lawrence knew all about the markup on lumber. That was one of the reasons why they were able to sell the cursed mountain for such a high price.
"Well, that's just the obvious example, but if you count all the merchants, most of 'em are asking to delay their bills. These people'll stay with us next year and the year after that, and it's not a stretch to think their apprentices will, too. They come crying to us, saying we have to wait. But they eat our food and drink our drink. We need to make orders for ourselves in order to live. Actually, our payments to the bakers and butchers are also delayed, but those idiot merchants who don't understand facts are practically treating us like we run dens of evil."
Everyone there gave their approval.
Lawrence glanced at Holo, and she shrugged, uninterested. It seemed as though they were not offering up half-baked stories in an attempt to get off the hook.
"I understand your predicament very well," Lawrence said, putting the Laud Company bond back into his breast pocket. "And we've had a good heart-to-heart, Mr. President."
He should pay his respects since he had been shown the accounts book, and before Lawrence came, they had been pressured for all sorts of things, so perhaps they felt like making excuses was too much of a hassle.
"No, I'm glad you understand."
The association president extended his hand, and Lawrence gripped it firmly. After seeing that, the other association members, perhaps relieved after voicing their grievances, sought handshakes from him, too. Some even invited him to stay at their inn, so long as he paid in cash, and a wry smile spread across his face. They were not crooks or bad people. They were regular residents of the city who showed mercy to those struggling to pay and felt responsibility for not being able to pay themselves.
They left, passing under the eaves where the sign with the tankard and knife hung, and Lawrence gave a little sigh.
"Well, what are you going to do?"
Lawrence did not respond to Holo's question and looked to the villager.
"Do you know where an inn called the Hay and Scythe is?"
The villager looked at him blankly and responded, "It's the biggest inn in Salonia."
"Could you take me there? They had the most unpaid charges in that account book."
Both Holo and the villager looked surprised.
"Are you going to confirm if the people here were lying?"
Holo's tired yet somewhat irritated tone of voice was likely because she thought he did not trust her ears. The people of the inns association had not lied. They truly could not pay the companies they had ordered from because of guests who had yet to pay their tabs.
"I'm not going to see if they've lied. I'm going to examine the substance of the truth."
"Hmm?"
Holo looked at him dubiously, but he patted her shoulder and asked the villager to guide them.
Everything in trade was tied together.
That was why following it would bring them to the cause, so they should go and take a look after coming this far.
"Now, time to see if there really is a demon here."
Who was the cheapskate who refused to pay at the very beginning? Lawrence, Holo, and the villager walked through the lively city and made their way toward the Hay and Scythe, where they chatted up some of the merchants gathered there. The first two were a bust, but they found the merchant they were looking for by the third one.
"...Really? You aren't actually representatives of the Church, are you?"

Output:
Lawrence assured the merchant with a smile, "I swear to God I'm not," and listened to his story.
Exactly as the inns association and the Laud Company did, the lumber merchant grumpily poured out his grievances about the people he was trading with.
It sounded like he had sold to a company that dealt in lumber, but they had not properly paid him back. He even went as far as to claim that he should stop selling lumber to companies in the city if he did not want to make the Debau Company angry.
And apparently, it was not just the lumber merchant but all the merchants who came and went from the city and were staying at the inns; the wool merchants and oil merchants, even specialty merchants who dealt with the smoking of herring were all in dire straits.
Lawrence gave his thanks and bought him a glass of wine.
Neither Holo nor the villager asked where they were going to next.
The villager knowingly led the way—"It's over here"—and brought them to the company that dealt in lumber.
As they stood in the high-ceilinged loading area, the scent of wood wafting about them, they listened to another deluge of complaints.
"It's the craftsmen! Their laziness is causing all this! They order all the materials they want, then don't produce anything and just wait for prices to go up! How many times do they think we've given them an advance on materials when they were having a rough time?! The ungrateful lot of them! And whose side are you on, huh?!"
The villager saved Lawrence just as the merchant edged up close to him, and they rushed out of the company.
"The craftsmen next, then," Lawrence said. Holo was already finding the whole process a tedious exercise, but he of course did not stop.
However, the place that served as the craftsmen's association was different from all the other places, so when they arrived at the woodworkers' union hall, Lawrence asked Holo to hang back.
"You moron! Our artisans would never do a thing like that! You want a good punch to the mug, huh?!"
Lawrence had his lapels grabbed, and the other hardy and short-tempered masters closed in on him and pinned him against the wall. The villager acting as his guard tried to save him, but he was outnumbered.
"We guarantee our artisans are delivering top-quality goods! You're not getting away with siding with the people who aren't paying us!"
After being taunted, threatened, and then somehow escaping, he met up with Holo, who could tell at a glance what had happened. She gave the craftsmen's association building a withering look and clenched her jaws, but Lawrence figured he had been let off rather easy. He patted Holo's shoulders in order to calm her down and smiled.
"The masters were genuinely on edge. And if we peek into the artisans' alley over there, that should make everything clear. You can hear them singing and hammering wood. They're not being lazy with work at all."
"Perhaps so, but..."
Lawrence adjusted his wrinkled clothes, and Holo groaned in vexation.
"More importantly, who is at fault here?" asked the taciturn villager impatiently.
The chain of transaction seemed to continue endlessly.
If they were to head to the swordsmiths' union next, for example, the villager could already see he might lose one of his ears.
"At the very least, there's somebody that's not paying the woodworkers."
The villager sighed and scratched his head in defeat. Holo wore a dissatisfied frown, not pleased about how Lawrence had been the target of so much hostility.
Lawrence, however, felt something close to conviction.
Despite how everyone was doing their job, no one was being paid. Trade was established by a long chain of interactions, which meant that if no one was getting their money, then there most certainly was a stingy fellow who was refusing to pay near the top.
That being said, while the world of trade felt infinite, it in fact was not.
Lawrence's experience and wisdom whispered to his soul.
The turning point that led to the right path was right in front of him.


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

Input:
Lawrence assured the merchant with a smile, "I swear to God I'm not," and listened to his story.
Exactly as the inns association and the Laud Company did, the lumber merchant grumpily poured out his grievances about the people he was trading with.
It sounded like he had sold to a company that dealt in lumber, but they had not properly paid him back. He even went as far as to claim that he should stop selling lumber to companies in the city if he did not want to make the Debau Company angry.
And apparently, it was not just the lumber merchant but all the merchants who came and went from the city and were staying at the inns; the wool merchants and oil merchants, even specialty merchants who dealt with the smoking of herring were all in dire straits.
Lawrence gave his thanks and bought him a glass of wine.
Neither Holo nor the villager asked where they were going to next.
The villager knowingly led the way—"It's over here"—and brought them to the company that dealt in lumber.
As they stood in the high-ceilinged loading area, the scent of wood wafting about them, they listened to another deluge of complaints.
"It's the craftsmen! Their laziness is causing all this! They order all the materials they want, then don't produce anything and just wait for prices to go up! How many times do they think we've given them an advance on materials when they were having a rough time?! The ungrateful lot of them! And whose side are you on, huh?!"
The villager saved Lawrence just as the merchant edged up close to him, and they rushed out of the company.
"The craftsmen next, then," Lawrence said. Holo was already finding the whole process a tedious exercise, but he of course did not stop.
However, the place that served as the craftsmen's association was different from all the other places, so when they arrived at the woodworkers' union hall, Lawrence asked Holo to hang back.
"You moron! Our artisans would never do a thing like that! You want a good punch to the mug, huh?!"
Lawrence had his lapels grabbed, and the other hardy and short-tempered masters closed in on him and pinned him against the wall. The villager acting as his guard tried to save him, but he was outnumbered.
"We guarantee our artisans are delivering top-quality goods! You're not getting away with siding with the people who aren't paying us!"
After being taunted, threatened, and then somehow escaping, he met up with Holo, who could tell at a glance what had happened. She gave the craftsmen's association building a withering look and clenched her jaws, but Lawrence figured he had been let off rather easy. He patted Holo's shoulders in order to calm her down and smiled.
"The masters were genuinely on edge. And if we peek into the artisans' alley over there, that should make everything clear. You can hear them singing and hammering wood. They're not being lazy with work at all."
"Perhaps so, but..."
Lawrence adjusted his wrinkled clothes, and Holo groaned in vexation.
"More importantly, who is at fault here?" asked the taciturn villager impatiently.
The chain of transaction seemed to continue endlessly.
If they were to head to the swordsmiths' union next, for example, the villager could already see he might lose one of his ears.
"At the very least, there's somebody that's not paying the woodworkers."
The villager sighed and scratched his head in defeat. Holo wore a dissatisfied frown, not pleased about how Lawrence had been the target of so much hostility.
Lawrence, however, felt something close to conviction.
Despite how everyone was doing their job, no one was being paid. Trade was established by a long chain of interactions, which meant that if no one was getting their money, then there most certainly was a stingy fellow who was refusing to pay near the top.
That being said, while the world of trade felt infinite, it in fact was not.
Lawrence's experience and wisdom whispered to his soul.
The turning point that led to the right path was right in front of him.

Output:
He was a traveling merchant who had been around the world, after all.
"...Dear?" Holo anxiously called to Lawrence as he stood, unmoving.
Her reddish-amber eyes changed hue with determination, with fear, with unease. They were the kaleidoscopic eyes of a wolf.
Holo's eyes, almost the color of wine, gave him a revelation.
"Oh yeah, that's it."
Trade was one long thread.
Even a miscellaneous assortment of cities and trade that seemed willy-nilly actually had very obvious connections.
"Our pilgrimage will end at the next place."
Holo and the villager looked at Lawrence as though he was suffering from a bout of out-of-season sunstroke.
But he was already quite confident he had figured it out.
His clue was something that could almost certainly be found nearby when Holo was in town.
"Next..."
Lawrence whispered into the villager's ear, and he led the way.
He did not ask who the bad person was there. He only confirmed with him that it was he who was the bad one. Both Holo and the villager realized the answer the moment they stood in front of the building.
Holo's tail was clearly puffed in anger under her coat.
Where they headed after the woodworkers' union was a place that required an item that was considered the most important among wood products and was most sought after—barrels.
That was, in short, the brewers' association, and if one was to name something that went in barrels, it would be alcohol.
And so if the brewers' association was unable to pay for the barrels, then who was at fault?
Companies that dealt in alcohol.
"That bald man duped us."
They stood before the Laud Company, and Holo's eyes glinted. The villager, their substitute guard, scratched his head as though he had been dazzled by a spectacular performance.
All merchants were troubled since they were not getting paid, but as they went back through each transaction, they had come back to the starting point.
Then it was clear who was at fault here.
That was because the mouse's parents had gone in search for a groom for their daughter and ultimately came back to their nest.
"...That's what I wanted to say, but sure enough...," Lawrence said, hesitant, and for a moment, Holo looked at him in astonishment.
"What are you talking about? You tracked down the fox's trail and have caught its tail, no?"
The villager nodded, too. In both their heads, they were likely seeing things unfolding where Lawrence dashed into the company, proclaimed to Laud that he had seen through his evil deeds, and strung him up.
But things would not go so easily as that.
"The Laud Company only seems like the bad people here simply because this is where we started. What would you think if we were lumber merchants and we marched in to yell at the woodworkers' union?"
"...Ah."
She must have pictured all the places they had been so far and imagined coming back to where they were at the end.
The transaction was a circle, and there was no way to know where the starting point was.
"Wh-what is this, then...? What does this mean?"
"It's like a snake eating its own tail."
The villager's simile was on point.
"...Then what shall we do? Do we simply do as the bald one told us to do?"
Holo seemed to be entirely on Elsa's side.
And this was not exactly the sort of situation that would end neatly if they were to yell at Laud and confront him with evidence.
"Well, this isn't something an ex–traveling merchant like me can deal with easily."
Lawrence finally had a firm grasp on the situation.
Yet, there was nothing he could do.
Not as a former traveling merchant, at least.
Lawrence shrugged in a display of helplessness, but he already had a plan in his head.
That was because over a journey that felt short yet long, former traveling merchants had established assets that were hard to come by out of their many adventures. If he used those, he could turn this impossible staircase around and straighten this whole thing out.
It was then he turned to Holo, deciding it was about time to reveal his hand.
He froze.


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

Input:
He was a traveling merchant who had been around the world, after all.
"...Dear?" Holo anxiously called to Lawrence as he stood, unmoving.
Her reddish-amber eyes changed hue with determination, with fear, with unease. They were the kaleidoscopic eyes of a wolf.
Holo's eyes, almost the color of wine, gave him a revelation.
"Oh yeah, that's it."
Trade was one long thread.
Even a miscellaneous assortment of cities and trade that seemed willy-nilly actually had very obvious connections.
"Our pilgrimage will end at the next place."
Holo and the villager looked at Lawrence as though he was suffering from a bout of out-of-season sunstroke.
But he was already quite confident he had figured it out.
His clue was something that could almost certainly be found nearby when Holo was in town.
"Next..."
Lawrence whispered into the villager's ear, and he led the way.
He did not ask who the bad person was there. He only confirmed with him that it was he who was the bad one. Both Holo and the villager realized the answer the moment they stood in front of the building.
Holo's tail was clearly puffed in anger under her coat.
Where they headed after the woodworkers' union was a place that required an item that was considered the most important among wood products and was most sought after—barrels.
That was, in short, the brewers' association, and if one was to name something that went in barrels, it would be alcohol.
And so if the brewers' association was unable to pay for the barrels, then who was at fault?
Companies that dealt in alcohol.
"That bald man duped us."
They stood before the Laud Company, and Holo's eyes glinted. The villager, their substitute guard, scratched his head as though he had been dazzled by a spectacular performance.
All merchants were troubled since they were not getting paid, but as they went back through each transaction, they had come back to the starting point.
Then it was clear who was at fault here.
That was because the mouse's parents had gone in search for a groom for their daughter and ultimately came back to their nest.
"...That's what I wanted to say, but sure enough...," Lawrence said, hesitant, and for a moment, Holo looked at him in astonishment.
"What are you talking about? You tracked down the fox's trail and have caught its tail, no?"
The villager nodded, too. In both their heads, they were likely seeing things unfolding where Lawrence dashed into the company, proclaimed to Laud that he had seen through his evil deeds, and strung him up.
But things would not go so easily as that.
"The Laud Company only seems like the bad people here simply because this is where we started. What would you think if we were lumber merchants and we marched in to yell at the woodworkers' union?"
"...Ah."
She must have pictured all the places they had been so far and imagined coming back to where they were at the end.
The transaction was a circle, and there was no way to know where the starting point was.
"Wh-what is this, then...? What does this mean?"
"It's like a snake eating its own tail."
The villager's simile was on point.
"...Then what shall we do? Do we simply do as the bald one told us to do?"
Holo seemed to be entirely on Elsa's side.
And this was not exactly the sort of situation that would end neatly if they were to yell at Laud and confront him with evidence.
"Well, this isn't something an ex–traveling merchant like me can deal with easily."
Lawrence finally had a firm grasp on the situation.
Yet, there was nothing he could do.
Not as a former traveling merchant, at least.
Lawrence shrugged in a display of helplessness, but he already had a plan in his head.
That was because over a journey that felt short yet long, former traveling merchants had established assets that were hard to come by out of their many adventures. If he used those, he could turn this impossible staircase around and straighten this whole thing out.
It was then he turned to Holo, deciding it was about time to reveal his hand.
He froze.

Output:
"Wait, what?"
She did not even wipe them away with her hand. Her eyes were wide open as tears continuously poured out, almost expressionless. The only thing that gave away an emotion was how she bit slightly at her lip.
"Hey, Holo?"
Lawrence hurriedly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her, but Holo continued to cry.
The villager was flustered, too, but he looked around the area and found an alley next to the Laud Company and pointed them to it.
Lawrence only thanked him with a glance and walked over with Holo, still holding her, to the quiet alley, out of sight from others.
"Hey, what's wrong—what happened?"
He tried to have her sit on a nearby crate, but she refused, shaking her head.
The bewildered Lawrence was beside himself and did all that he could.
He slowly wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, making sure he did not distress her.
As Holo shrunk down and cried, he was shocked—had she always been this small?
"...I am sorry," Holo said in his arms.
"No...you don't have to apolo—"
"I do."
Holo shook her head, then pushed away against Lawrence's chest.
That was not out of rejection.
Lawrence understood that she did it out of self-condemnation.
"I have to..." Holo sniffled, still crying. Lawrence was at a loss, without the slightest idea as to why she was crying. Yet, for him, who had been to so many places and had spent such a long time with her, hand in hand, he knew what to do not logically but emotionally when he looked at her face.
There were times when Holo, who had spent so much of her life alone, unlike their daughter, Myuri, was caught in a languid darkness. She blamed herself.
Lawrence knew well what he should do in times like this.
He gave her another hug with a little more force this time, then gripped her shoulders and peered into her eyes.
"You'll tell me about it, right?"
Her red eyes, damp with tears, were like those of a young child. That was her weakness, one she only ever showed him. She nodded slowly, then he urged her to sit on the crate, and she spoke.
"I went...sniff, to see...the rabbit, no?"
It was so sudden that it confused him, but he understood that "the rabbit" must have referred to Hilde.
"You mean, to Mr. Hilde? That's...when you went to the Debau Company, right?"
Holo nodded, and a tear fell to her knee.
"They were...amazing. It was a big...a big company."
The Debau Company had almost total control over trade in the northlands, and they even minted their own currency. For all intents and purposes, they could even be considered the most powerful figures up in the whole north, which had no large dominant countries due to geography. Lawrence would not be surprised if the Debau Company's main branch had turned into a castle at this point.
"They had so many things...a literal mountain of gold...And when the rabbit heard what I had to say, he called in some smart-looking people and came to a decision in an instant."
There were likely plenty of distinguished people, and they probably could not spend too much time on one case because they were busy. At the same time yet, there was a part of him that still wondered why she stayed out there for four days in that case.
Had she truly pestered them for meat and drink and spent the whole time eating and drinking?
"I was shocked...It is such a big mountain that that squirrel held so dear. The fate of the mountain had been decided in the span of a few moments. Truly in a flash. That massive and good mountain that the foolish squirrel treasures from the bottom of her heart. And the rabbit decided on its sale in just a few blinks of the eye..."
Lawrence could easily imagine what sort of shock Holo suffered at the Debau Company. Great merchants like Hilde dealt with gold more valuable than their lives on a daily basis. Even Lawrence, who was deeply familiar with trade, thought of it as a tale of a different world, so Holo must have been unspeakably shocked.


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

Input:
"Wait, what?"
She did not even wipe them away with her hand. Her eyes were wide open as tears continuously poured out, almost expressionless. The only thing that gave away an emotion was how she bit slightly at her lip.
"Hey, Holo?"
Lawrence hurriedly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her, but Holo continued to cry.
The villager was flustered, too, but he looked around the area and found an alley next to the Laud Company and pointed them to it.
Lawrence only thanked him with a glance and walked over with Holo, still holding her, to the quiet alley, out of sight from others.
"Hey, what's wrong—what happened?"
He tried to have her sit on a nearby crate, but she refused, shaking her head.
The bewildered Lawrence was beside himself and did all that he could.
He slowly wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, making sure he did not distress her.
As Holo shrunk down and cried, he was shocked—had she always been this small?
"...I am sorry," Holo said in his arms.
"No...you don't have to apolo—"
"I do."
Holo shook her head, then pushed away against Lawrence's chest.
That was not out of rejection.
Lawrence understood that she did it out of self-condemnation.
"I have to..." Holo sniffled, still crying. Lawrence was at a loss, without the slightest idea as to why she was crying. Yet, for him, who had been to so many places and had spent such a long time with her, hand in hand, he knew what to do not logically but emotionally when he looked at her face.
There were times when Holo, who had spent so much of her life alone, unlike their daughter, Myuri, was caught in a languid darkness. She blamed herself.
Lawrence knew well what he should do in times like this.
He gave her another hug with a little more force this time, then gripped her shoulders and peered into her eyes.
"You'll tell me about it, right?"
Her red eyes, damp with tears, were like those of a young child. That was her weakness, one she only ever showed him. She nodded slowly, then he urged her to sit on the crate, and she spoke.
"I went...sniff, to see...the rabbit, no?"
It was so sudden that it confused him, but he understood that "the rabbit" must have referred to Hilde.
"You mean, to Mr. Hilde? That's...when you went to the Debau Company, right?"
Holo nodded, and a tear fell to her knee.
"They were...amazing. It was a big...a big company."
The Debau Company had almost total control over trade in the northlands, and they even minted their own currency. For all intents and purposes, they could even be considered the most powerful figures up in the whole north, which had no large dominant countries due to geography. Lawrence would not be surprised if the Debau Company's main branch had turned into a castle at this point.
"They had so many things...a literal mountain of gold...And when the rabbit heard what I had to say, he called in some smart-looking people and came to a decision in an instant."
There were likely plenty of distinguished people, and they probably could not spend too much time on one case because they were busy. At the same time yet, there was a part of him that still wondered why she stayed out there for four days in that case.
Had she truly pestered them for meat and drink and spent the whole time eating and drinking?
"I was shocked...It is such a big mountain that that squirrel held so dear. The fate of the mountain had been decided in the span of a few moments. Truly in a flash. That massive and good mountain that the foolish squirrel treasures from the bottom of her heart. And the rabbit decided on its sale in just a few blinks of the eye..."
Lawrence could easily imagine what sort of shock Holo suffered at the Debau Company. Great merchants like Hilde dealt with gold more valuable than their lives on a daily basis. Even Lawrence, who was deeply familiar with trade, thought of it as a tale of a different world, so Holo must have been unspeakably shocked.

Output:
She squeezed tight.
"You...you could have been there."
"...What?"
Astonished, Lawrence asked in turn, and Holo lifted her head to look at Lawrence. Regret was written all over her face.
"That rabbit invited you. To come to that company."
Her mouth moved, and he understood what it was that hid behind her eyes.
When the Debau Company faced a crisis and seemed like it might split apart, Lawrence had taken Hilde's side and been a help in making them whole. At the conclusion of that incident, Hilde had invited Lawrence to join the renewed Debau Company. He had refused.
He had turned down an offer to walk the path of success, one that was so great it was impossible for any merchant to even begin to imagine a better one.
"Ahhh..."
Lawrence made a noise like he had been suddenly caught out in the rain and looked up at the sky.
What Holo meant was that it would not have been all that odd if Lawrence had been the one making the decision of whether to buy the mountain for Tanya the squirrel's sake, doing so with a nod and holding the quill that gave final approval.
He remembered Elsa reprimanding those priests.
Even if one were to weigh loss and profit on the scales, for what reason did anybody choose profit anyway?
Lawrence had answered that question, not by choosing the path of gold but the path in the forest covered in fallen leaves.
All for the scent of the woods and the lonely wolf who lived there.
"I...understood that I shut a door for you. You could have...You could have commanded such a great number of people in such an amazing...in such a lively place of trade, but I..."
As her tears, which had just started to calm, began to flow again, Lawrence kissed her on the cheek.
"Your tears are salty," Lawrence said and smiled. "If I went to the Debau Company and became someone with influence, I think your tears would taste like alcohol right about now."
Money was infinite. But time was not. Had he gone to a place like the Debau Company, it would have been like living with a thousand woodpeckers. A good night's sleep would have eluded him forever.
He surely would not have been able to sit, holding Holo in his lap, staring at the fire in the hearth with nothing else to do. He would absolutely never be able to enjoy the changing of the seasons by seeing the color of the leaves in the forest, going out into the woods to forage for wild vegetables in the spring, mushrooms in the summer, or tree nuts in the autumn.
Instead, he would have gotten to indulge himself with the gourmet dishes that line the long dining tables of the Debau Company, but that would have only been fun at first.
He knew he would never get tired of a life with Holo.
Lawrence felt not even the slightest hint of regret over his choice. That was why he had no idea why Holo had been at the Debau Company for four days and why the dam on her old fears had collapsed.
Now he understood why she had gotten upset when he was filled with childlike excitement over the amount on the money order.
And then coming in on top of that was what he had just said about how the likes of a mere ex-merchant like him could do nothing when faced with the Laud Company and the odd makeup of this city.
Holo agonized over the fear that she was the very person who had stolen away the possibility for Lawrence to become a great merchant who could have solved any problem in an instant.
"You should probably give up your nickname of wisewolf," he said with a dry smile, cradling Holo's head in his arms, while she dug her nails into his hands. "Because you have no idea how happy I am."
Holo froze, and she gulped in air as though she would start crying again.
Lawrence tousled Holo's hair before pressing his head onto hers.
"And don't you want to hear the rest of what I was about to say?"
***
Holo looked up at Lawrence
like a toddler left alone in a wheat field.
"This isn't something an ex–traveling merchant like me can deal with easily, but I have plenty of assets that I gained from our adventures."


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

Input:
She squeezed tight.
"You...you could have been there."
"...What?"
Astonished, Lawrence asked in turn, and Holo lifted her head to look at Lawrence. Regret was written all over her face.
"That rabbit invited you. To come to that company."
Her mouth moved, and he understood what it was that hid behind her eyes.
When the Debau Company faced a crisis and seemed like it might split apart, Lawrence had taken Hilde's side and been a help in making them whole. At the conclusion of that incident, Hilde had invited Lawrence to join the renewed Debau Company. He had refused.
He had turned down an offer to walk the path of success, one that was so great it was impossible for any merchant to even begin to imagine a better one.
"Ahhh..."
Lawrence made a noise like he had been suddenly caught out in the rain and looked up at the sky.
What Holo meant was that it would not have been all that odd if Lawrence had been the one making the decision of whether to buy the mountain for Tanya the squirrel's sake, doing so with a nod and holding the quill that gave final approval.
He remembered Elsa reprimanding those priests.
Even if one were to weigh loss and profit on the scales, for what reason did anybody choose profit anyway?
Lawrence had answered that question, not by choosing the path of gold but the path in the forest covered in fallen leaves.
All for the scent of the woods and the lonely wolf who lived there.
"I...understood that I shut a door for you. You could have...You could have commanded such a great number of people in such an amazing...in such a lively place of trade, but I..."
As her tears, which had just started to calm, began to flow again, Lawrence kissed her on the cheek.
"Your tears are salty," Lawrence said and smiled. "If I went to the Debau Company and became someone with influence, I think your tears would taste like alcohol right about now."
Money was infinite. But time was not. Had he gone to a place like the Debau Company, it would have been like living with a thousand woodpeckers. A good night's sleep would have eluded him forever.
He surely would not have been able to sit, holding Holo in his lap, staring at the fire in the hearth with nothing else to do. He would absolutely never be able to enjoy the changing of the seasons by seeing the color of the leaves in the forest, going out into the woods to forage for wild vegetables in the spring, mushrooms in the summer, or tree nuts in the autumn.
Instead, he would have gotten to indulge himself with the gourmet dishes that line the long dining tables of the Debau Company, but that would have only been fun at first.
He knew he would never get tired of a life with Holo.
Lawrence felt not even the slightest hint of regret over his choice. That was why he had no idea why Holo had been at the Debau Company for four days and why the dam on her old fears had collapsed.
Now he understood why she had gotten upset when he was filled with childlike excitement over the amount on the money order.
And then coming in on top of that was what he had just said about how the likes of a mere ex-merchant like him could do nothing when faced with the Laud Company and the odd makeup of this city.
Holo agonized over the fear that she was the very person who had stolen away the possibility for Lawrence to become a great merchant who could have solved any problem in an instant.
"You should probably give up your nickname of wisewolf," he said with a dry smile, cradling Holo's head in his arms, while she dug her nails into his hands. "Because you have no idea how happy I am."
Holo froze, and she gulped in air as though she would start crying again.
Lawrence tousled Holo's hair before pressing his head onto hers.
"And don't you want to hear the rest of what I was about to say?"
***
Holo looked up at Lawrence
like a toddler left alone in a wheat field.
"This isn't something an ex–traveling merchant like me can deal with easily, but I have plenty of assets that I gained from our adventures."

Output:
Lawrence had a plan in his head that excited him beyond belief.
"The very same adventures I went on with you. And in the end, I'm still here with you. What I'm going to do next is only possible because I chose you."
Lawrence stood up in front of Holo.
"Besides, in business, just because something is big doesn't mean it's interesting."
Lawrence extended his hand to Holo, and after a moment of hesitation, she grasped it.
"I'll show you the magic of trade. You'll at least get to see me in a new light."
He then teasingly poked her cheek, and she finally gave him a smile, albeit a crooked one.
"...You fool."
Lawrence smiled, pulled Holo along as he walked, then collected the villager who was waiting patiently for them a slight distance away to tell him his plans. He was to summon the bishop and the mayor, the people who held authority over the bishopric's assets, to the church.
Though the villager was bewildered, he obediently followed Lawrence's instructions, the man who had uncovered the mystery of trade in the city.
Lawrence then led Holo by the hand and headed for the center of town.
There was a magnificent church, and inside was their old acquaintance, Elsa.
She was the strongest female priest he knew.
"...Might I ask the secret to your perfect relationship?"
They entered the church and called for Elsa, who unusually greeted them with a joke.
They had probably been gripping each other's hands tightly, which had made her say that.
"It is because you were present at our wedding."
Elsa donned an exasperated smile before asking what business Lawrence had at the church.
As he explained, her expression immediately changed, and she picked up the Church's ecclesiastical code book that sat alongside the scripture. She had apparently been talking with the Salonia bishop about what in the Church's authority might be useful for relieving the trouble in the city.
There, Lawrence's knowledge of trade and experience came into the mix.
When Elsa was finished listening to his plan, she asked a most reasonable question.
"...I understand the logic, but will it really go as you plan?"
Her question was likely also the bishop's question. A merchant had been arrested, an act believed to have been for the good of the city's economy, but which had thrown the city into even more confusion.
But Lawrence had absolute confidence.
If Elsa helped, then this would doubtlessly be solved.
"Please trust me. That is exactly what this town is missing."
The people from the Vallan Bishopric, who came a little later, stared at him blankly.
But it was hard to imagine that things would get better if they remained idle spectators.
Elsa made the decision.
"I'll trust you."
Lawrence went to shake her hand, but he remembered that Holo still had a grip on his.
He tried to pull his hand free, but Holo looked away in a huff and refused to let go.
"I would never take him from you."
Elsa shot her a tired smile. Holo simply pouted even more in response.
"Let us go."
To untangle what had become so tangled.
Together, they left the church.
Above them hung only a beautiful autumn sky.
After tracing the transactions, they had discovered that no one was able to pay, and everyone was suffering.
It had seemed like someone had to be at fault, but no one was.
"That is why there is no swindler to be found. Please believe me. I will erase all the Laud Company's debts in such a way that the Vallan Bishopric does not lose a single copper of their fortune."
No matter what Elsa said, the money from the mountain sale to the Debau Company belonged to the Vallan Bishopric. They would of course need a decision made by the people of the bishopric if they were to use it, but they hesitated, as was to be expected.
That was because Lawrence suggested taking on the Laud Company's debt for them.
"You say that, but..."


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

Input:
Lawrence had a plan in his head that excited him beyond belief.
"The very same adventures I went on with you. And in the end, I'm still here with you. What I'm going to do next is only possible because I chose you."
Lawrence stood up in front of Holo.
"Besides, in business, just because something is big doesn't mean it's interesting."
Lawrence extended his hand to Holo, and after a moment of hesitation, she grasped it.
"I'll show you the magic of trade. You'll at least get to see me in a new light."
He then teasingly poked her cheek, and she finally gave him a smile, albeit a crooked one.
"...You fool."
Lawrence smiled, pulled Holo along as he walked, then collected the villager who was waiting patiently for them a slight distance away to tell him his plans. He was to summon the bishop and the mayor, the people who held authority over the bishopric's assets, to the church.
Though the villager was bewildered, he obediently followed Lawrence's instructions, the man who had uncovered the mystery of trade in the city.
Lawrence then led Holo by the hand and headed for the center of town.
There was a magnificent church, and inside was their old acquaintance, Elsa.
She was the strongest female priest he knew.
"...Might I ask the secret to your perfect relationship?"
They entered the church and called for Elsa, who unusually greeted them with a joke.
They had probably been gripping each other's hands tightly, which had made her say that.
"It is because you were present at our wedding."
Elsa donned an exasperated smile before asking what business Lawrence had at the church.
As he explained, her expression immediately changed, and she picked up the Church's ecclesiastical code book that sat alongside the scripture. She had apparently been talking with the Salonia bishop about what in the Church's authority might be useful for relieving the trouble in the city.
There, Lawrence's knowledge of trade and experience came into the mix.
When Elsa was finished listening to his plan, she asked a most reasonable question.
"...I understand the logic, but will it really go as you plan?"
Her question was likely also the bishop's question. A merchant had been arrested, an act believed to have been for the good of the city's economy, but which had thrown the city into even more confusion.
But Lawrence had absolute confidence.
If Elsa helped, then this would doubtlessly be solved.
"Please trust me. That is exactly what this town is missing."
The people from the Vallan Bishopric, who came a little later, stared at him blankly.
But it was hard to imagine that things would get better if they remained idle spectators.
Elsa made the decision.
"I'll trust you."
Lawrence went to shake her hand, but he remembered that Holo still had a grip on his.
He tried to pull his hand free, but Holo looked away in a huff and refused to let go.
"I would never take him from you."
Elsa shot her a tired smile. Holo simply pouted even more in response.
"Let us go."
To untangle what had become so tangled.
Together, they left the church.
Above them hung only a beautiful autumn sky.
After tracing the transactions, they had discovered that no one was able to pay, and everyone was suffering.
It had seemed like someone had to be at fault, but no one was.
"That is why there is no swindler to be found. Please believe me. I will erase all the Laud Company's debts in such a way that the Vallan Bishopric does not lose a single copper of their fortune."
No matter what Elsa said, the money from the mountain sale to the Debau Company belonged to the Vallan Bishopric. They would of course need a decision made by the people of the bishopric if they were to use it, but they hesitated, as was to be expected.
That was because Lawrence suggested taking on the Laud Company's debt for them.
"You say that, but..."

Output:
But they eventually gave in. That was likely due to a combination of Elsa's endless lectures and, more importantly, Laud's promise of "I'll pay this back without fail."
They would continue to be longtime associates after this, after all.
"Now, then."
Lawrence took a group that included Elsa, the bishop of Salonia, and ten others for a bluff and headed for the brewers' association. They had sold alcohol to the Laud Company but were now in financial distress because they had not received payment. There, he presented to them the Debau Company's money order.
"I will pay off the Laud Company's debt with this money order."
The brewers' association president blinked in amazement at the sight of the Debau Company's motto and the massive amount of money written on the money order.
Since members of the Church had also marched in, the president had for certain thought he would be thrown into jail, but on the contrary, they had offered to pay a debt. Of course he would be confused.
"I—I, uh, I appreciate it, but..."
What is he planning?
With a smile, Lawrence said, "There is only one condition for me leaving this money with you: There is another debt we ask that you pay off with the amount you've collected on this debt."
The association president stared blankly at him, but if he could have his loan paid back, then it was not entirely terrible since ultimately their debts would get lighter. Even though there was a condition for taking payment, a staunch clergywoman was standing before him and even the bishop who had thrown a merchant in jail not too long ago.
There was no way he could refuse.
"U-understood..."
Lawrence nodded at his response, then Elsa, who was well versed in both numbers and faith, had taken care of the procedures. After leaving someone behind to watch over the money order, they headed to the next place. Several people from the brewers' association tagged along, wanting to see this strange procession to the end.
At the next place they visited, the woodworkers' union, the fierce-looking woodworkers were of course taken aback by the sudden appearance of a crowd and their proposed idea, but they ultimately also agreed to the proposal with puzzled looks. In exchange for taking the payment for the barrels from the brewers' association, they would pay forward the money to clear their own debts.
Several of the woodworkers then joined the group, and they all headed toward the Hay and Scythe. When they found the lumber merchant who Lawrence had talked to, they first had to calm him down as he immediately fell into a fit of despair that the time for him to be arrested had finally come. Then they had him call the other lumber merchants over. They coordinated the merchants' debts and paid them off, arranged all the debts they had and put them together, then urged them to pay those off at the next place. As the group headed to the next place, the lumber merchants of course came along.
At the inns association, the association president welcomed Lawrence and the bunch with an expression as though he had seen a dragon in broad daylight, then agreed to the condition of paying the Laud Company after receiving payment for his loan.
And when they left, of course, people from the inns association came along as well.
When their group, now swollen in numbers, made their way to the Laud Company, Laud himself waited restlessly for them with his subordinates under the eaves of the building.
When Lawrence returned with a whole mass of city folk in tow, Laud practically jumped.
"And the results?!"
Elsa showed him the parchment with payment from the inns association written on it, and Laud gave her a powerful hug.
And once Laud visited the brewers' association again, the circle would finally be closed.
"...Oh, God...!" the brewers' association president murmured, as though he had just seen a miracle.
The Laud Company, who had been paid by the inns association, took the payment and headed toward the brewers' association.


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

Input:
But they eventually gave in. That was likely due to a combination of Elsa's endless lectures and, more importantly, Laud's promise of "I'll pay this back without fail."
They would continue to be longtime associates after this, after all.
"Now, then."
Lawrence took a group that included Elsa, the bishop of Salonia, and ten others for a bluff and headed for the brewers' association. They had sold alcohol to the Laud Company but were now in financial distress because they had not received payment. There, he presented to them the Debau Company's money order.
"I will pay off the Laud Company's debt with this money order."
The brewers' association president blinked in amazement at the sight of the Debau Company's motto and the massive amount of money written on the money order.
Since members of the Church had also marched in, the president had for certain thought he would be thrown into jail, but on the contrary, they had offered to pay a debt. Of course he would be confused.
"I—I, uh, I appreciate it, but..."
What is he planning?
With a smile, Lawrence said, "There is only one condition for me leaving this money with you: There is another debt we ask that you pay off with the amount you've collected on this debt."
The association president stared blankly at him, but if he could have his loan paid back, then it was not entirely terrible since ultimately their debts would get lighter. Even though there was a condition for taking payment, a staunch clergywoman was standing before him and even the bishop who had thrown a merchant in jail not too long ago.
There was no way he could refuse.
"U-understood..."
Lawrence nodded at his response, then Elsa, who was well versed in both numbers and faith, had taken care of the procedures. After leaving someone behind to watch over the money order, they headed to the next place. Several people from the brewers' association tagged along, wanting to see this strange procession to the end.
At the next place they visited, the woodworkers' union, the fierce-looking woodworkers were of course taken aback by the sudden appearance of a crowd and their proposed idea, but they ultimately also agreed to the proposal with puzzled looks. In exchange for taking the payment for the barrels from the brewers' association, they would pay forward the money to clear their own debts.
Several of the woodworkers then joined the group, and they all headed toward the Hay and Scythe. When they found the lumber merchant who Lawrence had talked to, they first had to calm him down as he immediately fell into a fit of despair that the time for him to be arrested had finally come. Then they had him call the other lumber merchants over. They coordinated the merchants' debts and paid them off, arranged all the debts they had and put them together, then urged them to pay those off at the next place. As the group headed to the next place, the lumber merchants of course came along.
At the inns association, the association president welcomed Lawrence and the bunch with an expression as though he had seen a dragon in broad daylight, then agreed to the condition of paying the Laud Company after receiving payment for his loan.
And when they left, of course, people from the inns association came along as well.
When their group, now swollen in numbers, made their way to the Laud Company, Laud himself waited restlessly for them with his subordinates under the eaves of the building.
When Lawrence returned with a whole mass of city folk in tow, Laud practically jumped.
"And the results?!"
Elsa showed him the parchment with payment from the inns association written on it, and Laud gave her a powerful hug.
And once Laud visited the brewers' association again, the circle would finally be closed.
"...Oh, God...!" the brewers' association president murmured, as though he had just seen a miracle.
The Laud Company, who had been paid by the inns association, took the payment and headed toward the brewers' association.

Output:
And yet, not a single bronze coin had vanished from or entered into Lawrence's possession.
A veil of silence fell over them at the sight.
It was Lawrence who spoke first.
"As you can see, there are no extra gold coins, and there are no fewer gold coins. Everything started with this money order, and pen and ink have paid everything off—" He looked around at everyone standing there. "Under God's protection, everyone's loans have vanished without a trace!"
There was an immediate ear-piercing cheer, and their stamping feet caused the association building itself to shake. Everyone was overflowing with unexpected delight, lifting up all those present. Whether it was the bishop of Salonia or Elsa, they all sang praises for God's greatness. Among the commotion, only Holo stood alone.
But it was not from sadness but because she was a wolf dumfounded that she had been deceived by a fox.
"What do you think? It's a merchant's magic."
Holo snapped back to reality, then narrowed her eyes as though she was trying to spot her prey in the mist.
"...I do not understand it in the least..."
Lawrence shrugged, thought for a moment, then said, "Think of a crossroads."
"...Hrm?"
"There's a long cart train coming from each of the four roads. They're all hurrying, so none of them are paying attention to their surroundings."
Holo looked around, then popped her chin up, asking what happened next.
"It'd be obvious in a drawing, but any cart that enters the intersection would be blocked by a cart in front of it and wouldn't be able to go any farther. And if you look back, then somebody else's cart would be blocking the road while the driver yells foul things at you."
"Mm-hmm."
"And as more and more carts and travelers arrive, most would simply give up on ever getting out, right?"
"...And that was the situation in this city?"
Lawrence nodded.
"Something can be done, actually. If everyone moves back bit by bit to create a gap, then uses those gaps effectively to make another gap, then it can all be untangled. But when it comes to money, you can't trust anyone else, and it's difficult to get a bird's-eye view of a situation that's like a tangled intersection. Even if you were the only one to trust someone else and paid your loan, you just can't help but think that money would be used to pay someone unrelated, then just vanish into thin air."
And so it was natural that most would only focus on someone else paying what was owed to them instead of paying their own debts.
"The only person who could resolve the confusion would be someone from the window of an inn at the corner yelling orders like, You go that way, you come this way. In the world of business, the only person who can take on that job..." Lawrence pinched Holo's little nose. "...is a traveling merchant who makes his living on foot and understands how big and complicated the world is."
Holo stared at Lawrence, her nose still pinched.
"What? Are you going to say that it's your fault again that I only ever got to be a bathhouse owner in a place far away from everything else?" Lawrence let go of Holo's nose and continued. "I settled down in a bathhouse and indulge you because I wanted to. If I put my mind to it, I could use magic whenever I want to, though."
Holo squinted, her lips trembling as though she was going to cry.
But what spilled across her face was not tears but an exasperated smile.
"You fool."
Lawrence raised his shoulders in a tired shrug, then wiped away the tears pooling at the corners of Holo's eyes with a finger.
He was doing it because Holo seemed so happy, and he wondered if Elsa would make another comment if she saw them.
And speaking of the devil—or a saint, more like—Elsa appeared.
"Oh, Mr. Lawrence, come quickly!"
"Huh?"
The jostled Elsa's bun had come loose and her cheeks were red, but she gripped a bundle of bonds in her hand.


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

Input:
And yet, not a single bronze coin had vanished from or entered into Lawrence's possession.
A veil of silence fell over them at the sight.
It was Lawrence who spoke first.
"As you can see, there are no extra gold coins, and there are no fewer gold coins. Everything started with this money order, and pen and ink have paid everything off—" He looked around at everyone standing there. "Under God's protection, everyone's loans have vanished without a trace!"
There was an immediate ear-piercing cheer, and their stamping feet caused the association building itself to shake. Everyone was overflowing with unexpected delight, lifting up all those present. Whether it was the bishop of Salonia or Elsa, they all sang praises for God's greatness. Among the commotion, only Holo stood alone.
But it was not from sadness but because she was a wolf dumfounded that she had been deceived by a fox.
"What do you think? It's a merchant's magic."
Holo snapped back to reality, then narrowed her eyes as though she was trying to spot her prey in the mist.
"...I do not understand it in the least..."
Lawrence shrugged, thought for a moment, then said, "Think of a crossroads."
"...Hrm?"
"There's a long cart train coming from each of the four roads. They're all hurrying, so none of them are paying attention to their surroundings."
Holo looked around, then popped her chin up, asking what happened next.
"It'd be obvious in a drawing, but any cart that enters the intersection would be blocked by a cart in front of it and wouldn't be able to go any farther. And if you look back, then somebody else's cart would be blocking the road while the driver yells foul things at you."
"Mm-hmm."
"And as more and more carts and travelers arrive, most would simply give up on ever getting out, right?"
"...And that was the situation in this city?"
Lawrence nodded.
"Something can be done, actually. If everyone moves back bit by bit to create a gap, then uses those gaps effectively to make another gap, then it can all be untangled. But when it comes to money, you can't trust anyone else, and it's difficult to get a bird's-eye view of a situation that's like a tangled intersection. Even if you were the only one to trust someone else and paid your loan, you just can't help but think that money would be used to pay someone unrelated, then just vanish into thin air."
And so it was natural that most would only focus on someone else paying what was owed to them instead of paying their own debts.
"The only person who could resolve the confusion would be someone from the window of an inn at the corner yelling orders like, You go that way, you come this way. In the world of business, the only person who can take on that job..." Lawrence pinched Holo's little nose. "...is a traveling merchant who makes his living on foot and understands how big and complicated the world is."
Holo stared at Lawrence, her nose still pinched.
"What? Are you going to say that it's your fault again that I only ever got to be a bathhouse owner in a place far away from everything else?" Lawrence let go of Holo's nose and continued. "I settled down in a bathhouse and indulge you because I wanted to. If I put my mind to it, I could use magic whenever I want to, though."
Holo squinted, her lips trembling as though she was going to cry.
But what spilled across her face was not tears but an exasperated smile.
"You fool."
Lawrence raised his shoulders in a tired shrug, then wiped away the tears pooling at the corners of Holo's eyes with a finger.
He was doing it because Holo seemed so happy, and he wondered if Elsa would make another comment if she saw them.
And speaking of the devil—or a saint, more like—Elsa appeared.
"Oh, Mr. Lawrence, come quickly!"
"Huh?"
The jostled Elsa's bun had come loose and her cheeks were red, but she gripped a bundle of bonds in her hand.

Output:
Elsa grabbed Lawrence's hand, but this time, Holo did not hold them back.
"What, you're not stopping us?" Lawrence asked deliberately, and Holo shrugged happily.
"No need."
Then, with light wolf steps, she came to stand beside him.
"I shall always be by your side."
That was the way it had been ever since they met.
And that was how it would be ever after.
Lawrence smiled, and so did Holo.
From heaven, the commotion in Salonia must have seemed a trivial incident.
But Lawrence knew he held nothing less than a treasure in his arms.
"Holo."
He called her name, and Holo blinked.
It only took a moment for the sometimes-lonely wolf to break into a beaming smile.
***
When I was young, I left the village that was my birthplace with the hopes of mastering theology. I made my way toward a university town with no money or connections and lived as a homeless wandering student. I was laughably unprepared, and sure enough, I found myself in a dire situation of my own making, but it was by God's graces that I met the people I could call my life mentors, and it is all thanks to them I was able to get this far.
Ever since then, I have worked extremely hard, and I never planned to neglect my teachings.
And even if not everything was perfect, there were genuine signs of progress.
So while I had not exactly bided my time waiting for the moment, I did leave the hot spring village of Nyohhira to venture on a journey when the opportunity presented itself. That was two months ago.
Problems surrounding the Church have brought chaos to the world, and my journey was met with difficulties and tribulations almost right away. Even so, I managed to safely get through it all with God's protection, and I was even bestowed with an unexpected reputation. While I have found myself rather bewildered and pressured by such unwarranted regard, I have finally started to be able to carry the responsibility on these meager shoulders.
All I must do now is simply follow the path of faith while restraining and cultivating myself.
My name is Tote Col.
I am but another lamb following in God's path as best I can, but...
"Gh..."
I felt a weight on my chest and opened my eyes.
I wondered if a demon had finally appeared to test my faith, so I opened my eyes slightly, ready to greet it with all the piety I had accumulated over the years. The intruder's outline was illuminated by the faint light of dawn that filtered in through the window.
A moment later, my shoulders relaxed.
There before my eyes was, in a sense, a demon meant to lead astray a lamb of God. What lay on my chest, snoring soundly, was a young girl.
When she frolicked and tramped about in a good mood, due to her slender physique and high waist, she was like an adorable ball of cotton or wafting dandelion fluff, but when she lay on my chest, I was painfully aware of how much she had grown. It had been indescribably sweet when she had done this as a babbling baby, but there was a difficult-to-describe weight when she did this now.
She never listened, and no matter how many times I cautioned her, she incorrigibly crawled under my covers during the night. When I looked at Myuri's sleeping face, I sighed through my nose.
This was the only daughter of ex-merchant Lawrence and Holo the Wisewolf, the couple to whom I owed a great debt of gratitude, and she was essentially the little sister I had cared for since birth. The tomboyish Myuri had constantly whined about wanting to leave her hometown to see the outside world and had followed along on my journey without my permission.
Her ash-silver bangs, a remarkable color she had inherited from her father, swayed, and her long eyelashes twitched. She mumbled something or other in her sleep, and like a cat changing its sleeping position, she curled up and tried to bury her face in the blanket.
I found myself moved by the innocence of that endearing gesture and smiled, but then something suddenly struck me.


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

Input:
Elsa grabbed Lawrence's hand, but this time, Holo did not hold them back.
"What, you're not stopping us?" Lawrence asked deliberately, and Holo shrugged happily.
"No need."
Then, with light wolf steps, she came to stand beside him.
"I shall always be by your side."
That was the way it had been ever since they met.
And that was how it would be ever after.
Lawrence smiled, and so did Holo.
From heaven, the commotion in Salonia must have seemed a trivial incident.
But Lawrence knew he held nothing less than a treasure in his arms.
"Holo."
He called her name, and Holo blinked.
It only took a moment for the sometimes-lonely wolf to break into a beaming smile.
***
When I was young, I left the village that was my birthplace with the hopes of mastering theology. I made my way toward a university town with no money or connections and lived as a homeless wandering student. I was laughably unprepared, and sure enough, I found myself in a dire situation of my own making, but it was by God's graces that I met the people I could call my life mentors, and it is all thanks to them I was able to get this far.
Ever since then, I have worked extremely hard, and I never planned to neglect my teachings.
And even if not everything was perfect, there were genuine signs of progress.
So while I had not exactly bided my time waiting for the moment, I did leave the hot spring village of Nyohhira to venture on a journey when the opportunity presented itself. That was two months ago.
Problems surrounding the Church have brought chaos to the world, and my journey was met with difficulties and tribulations almost right away. Even so, I managed to safely get through it all with God's protection, and I was even bestowed with an unexpected reputation. While I have found myself rather bewildered and pressured by such unwarranted regard, I have finally started to be able to carry the responsibility on these meager shoulders.
All I must do now is simply follow the path of faith while restraining and cultivating myself.
My name is Tote Col.
I am but another lamb following in God's path as best I can, but...
"Gh..."
I felt a weight on my chest and opened my eyes.
I wondered if a demon had finally appeared to test my faith, so I opened my eyes slightly, ready to greet it with all the piety I had accumulated over the years. The intruder's outline was illuminated by the faint light of dawn that filtered in through the window.
A moment later, my shoulders relaxed.
There before my eyes was, in a sense, a demon meant to lead astray a lamb of God. What lay on my chest, snoring soundly, was a young girl.
When she frolicked and tramped about in a good mood, due to her slender physique and high waist, she was like an adorable ball of cotton or wafting dandelion fluff, but when she lay on my chest, I was painfully aware of how much she had grown. It had been indescribably sweet when she had done this as a babbling baby, but there was a difficult-to-describe weight when she did this now.
She never listened, and no matter how many times I cautioned her, she incorrigibly crawled under my covers during the night. When I looked at Myuri's sleeping face, I sighed through my nose.
This was the only daughter of ex-merchant Lawrence and Holo the Wisewolf, the couple to whom I owed a great debt of gratitude, and she was essentially the little sister I had cared for since birth. The tomboyish Myuri had constantly whined about wanting to leave her hometown to see the outside world and had followed along on my journey without my permission.
Her ash-silver bangs, a remarkable color she had inherited from her father, swayed, and her long eyelashes twitched. She mumbled something or other in her sleep, and like a cat changing its sleeping position, she curled up and tried to bury her face in the blanket.
I found myself moved by the innocence of that endearing gesture and smiled, but then something suddenly struck me.

Output:
It was because of the large triangular wolf ears at the top of her head.
Myuri was a girl who had inherited the blood of a wolf, and she had magnificent wolf ears and tail. There were times the tips of her ears would tickle my nose and wake me up, but as I watched her ears comfortably twitch in time with her breathing, I gulped.
This sweet girl had adorable wolf ears, and she slept soundly without a single worry. I swallowed hard at the sight...I actually did not, but I did desperately hold back a yell as a terrifying realization dawned upon me.
"Oh no."
I threw the blanket back, and on my chest, Myuri curled up even tighter. In response, her wolf's tail swished about unhappily, looking even more fluffy than usual as it glittered under the light cascading through the window.
To be precise, it was the countless hairs that had fallen from her tail, dancing in the air, that caught the morning's light.
"...Oh, God..."
I returned my raised head back to my pillow and stared up weakly at the ceiling. Combined with how Myuri's hairs were the color of silver flecked with ash, they looked just like snow as they danced in the sunlight. One could call it a beautiful sight, but the world was not filled with beauty alone.
"Myuri, Myuri."
The girl in question was seeking the blanket, leisurely stirring. I grabbed her shoulders and shook, and this sleepyhead flattened her ears in annoyance, swatting my hands with her tail, and silver hairs flew with each and every move.
"Myuri."
"Rrrgh...It's still early, Brother..."
As Myuri tried to pull the blanket she had finally gotten a hold of back over her head as she said that, I demanded, "Clean up your hairs right this instant!"
Myuri was a girl with wolf's blood running in her veins. Shedding season had come again this year, but this was not her parents' bathhouse in Nyohhira. We were in the middle of traveling, and what's more, we were currently staying in a rented room in a noble's manor.
We could not let anyone know that Myuri was a wolf.
"Bwuh?"
With sleepy eyes, she raised her head, and a hair must have gotten in her nose, because she sneezed.
It was easy enough to wipe down the floor and table, but when it came to the blankets and other sundries, our only options were to either beat them out or tediously pick the hairs off. It would be clearly strange if a guest took their blanket to the well to wash it out, and we would need some sort of reason. When I proposed the idea that she put on a little act to manufacture a reason for washing the blanket, she glared at me with a reddened face and a fierce look in her eyes.
"I'm grown up already, so I wouldn't do something like that!"
It was not very convincing to hear her call herself grown up when she still acted like a spoiled child on a regular basis, but she was so angry about my initial plan, it was clear that claiming she had had an accident would not be an option.
And so together, we sat beside the window and worked.
"Sigh...I had not thought about this time of year at all...I am certain Mr. Lawrence must have his hands full back at the bathhouse right about now..."
Myuri's mother, Holo the Wisewolf, could not easily hide her ears and tail like Myuri.
She would be cooped up in a room at this time of year in order to keep wolf hairs from floating everywhere.
But the bathhouse was familiar territory, so they could soak in the springs at night, out of sight. That was why, since Myuri could deftly put her ears and tail away at will, I had scarcely paid any mind to her shedding season.
On the road, the shedding season took on an entirely different character.
"Uuurgh...My fingers are tired..."
Myuri whined, but those who had the blood of beasts were considered to have been possessed by demons and ran the risk of being immediately burned at the stake if discovered, especially by someone from the Church. That thought alone made me willing to face any hardship.
"Hey, Brother?"


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

Input:
It was because of the large triangular wolf ears at the top of her head.
Myuri was a girl who had inherited the blood of a wolf, and she had magnificent wolf ears and tail. There were times the tips of her ears would tickle my nose and wake me up, but as I watched her ears comfortably twitch in time with her breathing, I gulped.
This sweet girl had adorable wolf ears, and she slept soundly without a single worry. I swallowed hard at the sight...I actually did not, but I did desperately hold back a yell as a terrifying realization dawned upon me.
"Oh no."
I threw the blanket back, and on my chest, Myuri curled up even tighter. In response, her wolf's tail swished about unhappily, looking even more fluffy than usual as it glittered under the light cascading through the window.
To be precise, it was the countless hairs that had fallen from her tail, dancing in the air, that caught the morning's light.
"...Oh, God..."
I returned my raised head back to my pillow and stared up weakly at the ceiling. Combined with how Myuri's hairs were the color of silver flecked with ash, they looked just like snow as they danced in the sunlight. One could call it a beautiful sight, but the world was not filled with beauty alone.
"Myuri, Myuri."
The girl in question was seeking the blanket, leisurely stirring. I grabbed her shoulders and shook, and this sleepyhead flattened her ears in annoyance, swatting my hands with her tail, and silver hairs flew with each and every move.
"Myuri."
"Rrrgh...It's still early, Brother..."
As Myuri tried to pull the blanket she had finally gotten a hold of back over her head as she said that, I demanded, "Clean up your hairs right this instant!"
Myuri was a girl with wolf's blood running in her veins. Shedding season had come again this year, but this was not her parents' bathhouse in Nyohhira. We were in the middle of traveling, and what's more, we were currently staying in a rented room in a noble's manor.
We could not let anyone know that Myuri was a wolf.
"Bwuh?"
With sleepy eyes, she raised her head, and a hair must have gotten in her nose, because she sneezed.
It was easy enough to wipe down the floor and table, but when it came to the blankets and other sundries, our only options were to either beat them out or tediously pick the hairs off. It would be clearly strange if a guest took their blanket to the well to wash it out, and we would need some sort of reason. When I proposed the idea that she put on a little act to manufacture a reason for washing the blanket, she glared at me with a reddened face and a fierce look in her eyes.
"I'm grown up already, so I wouldn't do something like that!"
It was not very convincing to hear her call herself grown up when she still acted like a spoiled child on a regular basis, but she was so angry about my initial plan, it was clear that claiming she had had an accident would not be an option.
And so together, we sat beside the window and worked.
"Sigh...I had not thought about this time of year at all...I am certain Mr. Lawrence must have his hands full back at the bathhouse right about now..."
Myuri's mother, Holo the Wisewolf, could not easily hide her ears and tail like Myuri.
She would be cooped up in a room at this time of year in order to keep wolf hairs from floating everywhere.
But the bathhouse was familiar territory, so they could soak in the springs at night, out of sight. That was why, since Myuri could deftly put her ears and tail away at will, I had scarcely paid any mind to her shedding season.
On the road, the shedding season took on an entirely different character.
"Uuurgh...My fingers are tired..."
Myuri whined, but those who had the blood of beasts were considered to have been possessed by demons and ran the risk of being immediately burned at the stake if discovered, especially by someone from the Church. That thought alone made me willing to face any hardship.
"Hey, Brother?"

Output:
"What if we got a stray dog the same color of fur as me? Wouldn't that solve this?"
"What? What are you—?" I started, then stopped.
"No matter how much I wash my tail, I just can't hide it this time of year. And I'm not confident that I can totally hide my ears and tail while I'm sleeping."
Myuri could freely tuck away her ears and tail, but it apparently felt more natural for her to have them out. That was why they would pop out on their own when she was surprised or angry.
It was much the same when she slept, which meant that if we were going to otherwise repeat this process every day, then her idea was at least worth looking into.
"If I play up the innocent little girl angle, I could probably manage bringing just one stray puppy into the manor. I'm sure they won't get mad at me."
She spoke with such a calm expression, but I could easily imagine her cradling a puppy and putting on a sly act. While I was not too happy about it as her adoptive older brother, she was strangely skilled at things like this. Her mother, Holo the Wisewolf, also used her dignity, charm, and wiles to freely direct, control, and drive her husband Lawrence, so Myuri must have inherited that part of her.
Also, the job of picking hairs off the blanket was never-ending.
"...But what are the chances of finding such a convenient puppy?" I asked, and Myuri threw off the blanket and stood.
"We just have to go looking around town! It's so nice out today anyway!"
Could that have been her goal to begin with...? I thought, but in an unusual turn of events, we had nothing planned for the day.
We had been busy for quite a while until just recently, and the stormy workdays would come again in a few days' time.
I had not been able to spend much time with Myuri recently, which was part of the reason I relented when she crawled into the blanket like an infant, begging for attention. She must have been lonely.
"I suppose we can."
Myuri's eyes immediately glittered, and she grabbed her coat.
"Yay! I'll get grilled meat, fried food, and sugared candies from the stalls!"
I sighed as she listed off treats like the unnerving chant for a spell, then stood and threw my own coat over my shoulders. It was already spring, and I figured I might not need this for much longer. Myuri's good mood was certainly thanks to the warm weather. The long, harsh winter was coming to an end, and the seasons of plenty fast approaching.
I squinted and looked out the window to see an endless pure-blue sky.
"Come on, Brother! Let's go!"
Myuri grabbed me and pulled me by the arm, and I stumbled forward.
A graceful young woman looking up at the sky, smiling at the changing of seasons.
A part of me wanted her to grow up like that, but perhaps the way she was now, so full of life and energy, was just right. And the most formidable part of her was that if she wanted to act like a proper young lady, she could absolutely do it when she had a mind to.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Myuri, clinging to my right arm, looked up blankly at me.
"It is nothing."
I patted her head with my left hand. After a brief moment passed, she shrugged and gave me a happy look.
"But the limit is one stick of grilled meat, understood?"
"Awww!"
"No 'awww's about it."
"Fine, then I'll go to a shop that has skewers thiiiiiiiis big!"
She threw out her arms like she was going to dislocate her shoulder, then clamped back down on my arm like a shark shutting its jaws.
"You promised, right?"
"No such thing exists. Oh, and metal spits don't count. We are talking about wooden skewers."
"You're so mean, Brother!"
Though she whined, Myuri rubbed her face against my arm as she smiled, enjoying herself.
A fun yet aggravating or perhaps just a regular day was about to begin.


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

Input:
"What if we got a stray dog the same color of fur as me? Wouldn't that solve this?"
"What? What are you—?" I started, then stopped.
"No matter how much I wash my tail, I just can't hide it this time of year. And I'm not confident that I can totally hide my ears and tail while I'm sleeping."
Myuri could freely tuck away her ears and tail, but it apparently felt more natural for her to have them out. That was why they would pop out on their own when she was surprised or angry.
It was much the same when she slept, which meant that if we were going to otherwise repeat this process every day, then her idea was at least worth looking into.
"If I play up the innocent little girl angle, I could probably manage bringing just one stray puppy into the manor. I'm sure they won't get mad at me."
She spoke with such a calm expression, but I could easily imagine her cradling a puppy and putting on a sly act. While I was not too happy about it as her adoptive older brother, she was strangely skilled at things like this. Her mother, Holo the Wisewolf, also used her dignity, charm, and wiles to freely direct, control, and drive her husband Lawrence, so Myuri must have inherited that part of her.
Also, the job of picking hairs off the blanket was never-ending.
"...But what are the chances of finding such a convenient puppy?" I asked, and Myuri threw off the blanket and stood.
"We just have to go looking around town! It's so nice out today anyway!"
Could that have been her goal to begin with...? I thought, but in an unusual turn of events, we had nothing planned for the day.
We had been busy for quite a while until just recently, and the stormy workdays would come again in a few days' time.
I had not been able to spend much time with Myuri recently, which was part of the reason I relented when she crawled into the blanket like an infant, begging for attention. She must have been lonely.
"I suppose we can."
Myuri's eyes immediately glittered, and she grabbed her coat.
"Yay! I'll get grilled meat, fried food, and sugared candies from the stalls!"
I sighed as she listed off treats like the unnerving chant for a spell, then stood and threw my own coat over my shoulders. It was already spring, and I figured I might not need this for much longer. Myuri's good mood was certainly thanks to the warm weather. The long, harsh winter was coming to an end, and the seasons of plenty fast approaching.
I squinted and looked out the window to see an endless pure-blue sky.
"Come on, Brother! Let's go!"
Myuri grabbed me and pulled me by the arm, and I stumbled forward.
A graceful young woman looking up at the sky, smiling at the changing of seasons.
A part of me wanted her to grow up like that, but perhaps the way she was now, so full of life and energy, was just right. And the most formidable part of her was that if she wanted to act like a proper young lady, she could absolutely do it when she had a mind to.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Myuri, clinging to my right arm, looked up blankly at me.
"It is nothing."
I patted her head with my left hand. After a brief moment passed, she shrugged and gave me a happy look.
"But the limit is one stick of grilled meat, understood?"
"Awww!"
"No 'awww's about it."
"Fine, then I'll go to a shop that has skewers thiiiiiiiis big!"
She threw out her arms like she was going to dislocate her shoulder, then clamped back down on my arm like a shark shutting its jaws.
"You promised, right?"
"No such thing exists. Oh, and metal spits don't count. We are talking about wooden skewers."
"You're so mean, Brother!"
Though she whined, Myuri rubbed her face against my arm as she smiled, enjoying herself.
A fun yet aggravating or perhaps just a regular day was about to begin.

Output:
Once she returned, our taxing work would surely begin anew.
Even the manor, which had seen a flurry of people coming and going for the past two days, was incredibly quiet for our well-earned rest.
We told the servants remaining in the manor that we were heading out and promptly set off. Just in case, I asked that no one go into our room since there were some important documents that I was in the middle of writing left in there. It was not a lie that there were such documents, so God might overlook my deceptions.
Once we left the manor, the late-morning Rausbourne streets were the same as always. It was not long ago that things were chaotic, like a great fire had swept through the city in the middle of a storm, yet normalcy had fully returned to the town.
We made our way through the nobles' quarter, passing elegant horse-drawn covered carriages, and came to the bustling downtown area. Just as a cage stuffed full of chickens and ducks passed us, a cart filled to the brim with pigs and a herd of cattle fastened together by a yoke trundled by. I felt dizzy thinking about how many people's plates that could possibly fill, but in order to fill the stomachs of those who had endured salt-cured meat and herring and old, flavorless bread throughout the winter, I figured that might not be enough.
Once I was finished praying for God to watch over the people and their livelihoods, Myuri, who had been crouching beside me, stood up.
"Okay, thanks. My brother will buy you a treat, okay?"
Responding to what Myuri said was a rather miserable-looking old dog with fur the color of burnt umber.
"Ruff," he barked weakly, then sluggishly walked on the edge of the road. There were three other stray dogs of different colors sitting at Myuri's feet; as one who had inherited the blood of wolves, the creatures recognized by all as the kings of the forests, the moment Myuri stepped onto the streets, stray dogs began to follow her.
Additionally, the reason all their fur looked so wild was because just like Myuri, they were likely in the middle of their shedding season, too. I had a feeling that if we managed to find a dog with the same color coat as her, then we would have little trouble fooling everyone else.
"Will we be able to find one?"
"Hmm, there aren't any that have the same nice fur as me, but there's a place where some that have a similar color gather, so he's going to check it out."
I did not quite understand the norms of stray dogs; perhaps it was a habit of theirs to band together with those who looked alike.
"See, there's a lot of boats that come here, right? The people who come to live here from all different places on those boats tend to live with others who hail from the same homeland."
She was referring to the cantons and ethnic enclaves that could always be found in large cities, and that was when it clicked.
"Then the dogs who have been brought from their homelands must congregate in the same places."
"Yeah. Like all these little ones here came from the eastern part of the mainland."
Though they were of different colors, their body shape did look somewhat similar.
They each wagged their tail happily whenever Myuri patted them on the head.
"And so that dog earlier is on his way to an area where silver dogs gather?"
"Probably. But their fur isn't gonna be as good as mine."
Myuri devoted herself to caring for her hair, but that dedication didn't quite extend to her fur.
She did seem to still have quite a bit of pride in it, however, as she placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.
"Okay, Brother, while that old dog is collecting the puppies we need, let's go buy him a treat!"
"Yes, yes. And we'll naturally be buying one for the wolf who commands all the stray dogs as well, right?"
"Eh-heh-heh."
Myuri grinned mischievously and I smiled wryly in turn as we joined the flow of the crowded streets.