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

Input:
"This is Karlan, the port city. And I guess at the bottom here, this area south of the forest must be a pond or a lake. Either way, there's another small river flowing south from there. And that means if they manage to cut a path through the forest and build a road to the lake, they could easily carry cargo from north to south by boat. And voilà—a convenient trade route."
If there were a road that went from the north of the forest to the southern lake, then they could build a pier there, along with warehouses to store cargo and inns to house travelers. Merchants would naturally follow. And due to the dense woods, they would not lack material to raise buildings and build boats. Setting up charcoal-burning huts and smithies would be the first thought of any merchant.
The road would connect north and south, opening the way to seaports—it was the perfect trade route for exporting metal, charcoal, and lumber. Lawrence could easily imagine the booming business the village would see.
"If people use the road, then the landlord can collect taxes. Lumber will sell like hotcakes. Before long, new villages would pop up and the population would grow. This map would change dramatically."
Holo's tail swished back and forth in displeasure.
"But it was said that if they do not accept this plan, then the fires of this village will be snuffed out. Why is that?"
She pointed to the village in which she and Lawrence were staying.
If he were to look out the window, he might be able to see the tip of a giant shapely finger.
"That would be because of where Karlan is located. See, look at the forest—" Lawrence pointed at the Tonneburg Woods. "Picture an even bigger map, one that contains the woods and everything around it. This forest stands in the way of Karlan doing any trade with landlocked communities. They have no choice but to rely on the river flowing from Salonia, but that's also obvious to the lords who hold land along the river."
Holo lifted her head, then nodded. "They are under their thumbs."
Even if ships could reach their harbor, Karlan would have no choice but to watch the products in their warehouses rot if they were unable to do trade with the villages and towns farther inland. The only easy path into the rest of the continent was that river, and if Lawrence were one of the landlords along the river, then he would capitalize on that leverage without a second thought and levy heavy taxes at his checkpoint.
That was precisely why Karlan wanted a different path that would allow them easy access to the rest of the continent.
Holo played with the piece of jerky sticking out of her mouth.
"If Lord Tonneburg were to turn down Karlan's proposal, then the new road would have to take a large detour around the western edge of the forest. They probably used this to threaten the lord." Lawrence traced a finger along the left side of the map. "A new road on the western side of the forest would completely divert the small, but steady, trickle of merchants that pass through this village on their way south. The merchants from Karlan, at the very least, would have no reason to come to the eastern side of the forest, especially when their return trip would require traveling by river with high travel tolls. And so trade that only existed because merchants incidentally stopped by would vanish, and the villagers would have to venture elsewhere to sell their wares. And that's doubly true when there aren't any decent roads."
Holo quietly chewed on her jerky, which was still sticking out of her mouth. She was likely thinking back on the rickety bridge they had to cross to get here.
"That said, I'm sure there are reasons why Karlan doesn't necessarily want to build a road that runs along the western edge of the forest. If there weren't any, then it would probably be under construction right now."

Output:
It was likely that Karlan had recently gained ambitions to develop and flourish as a port city. But it was surrounded on all sides by powerful individuals who were already well established—there was not much room for Karlan to carve out a niche.
In his mind, Lawrence pictured a child who was physically growing, but was uncomfortable due to their small clothes.
"Building a new road isn't very easy to begin with," Lawrence said, his gaze dropping to the flask of mead in Holo's hands. She glumly handed Meyer's gift to him. After a sip, he returned it to her and continued. "It's easy to collect taxes on a river, but that isn't the case with regular roads. And so landlords typically make up for the cost of building those roads and their maintenance by forcing the commonfolk who live nearby to work on it. Those people have no choice in the matter—they typically spend three or four days a week laboring with absolutely no compensation. And in the meantime, their fields go neglected, and their lives get harder. I honestly thought they were going to tell me that their village was going to die out because of these troubles."
But all the mayor talked about was the cycle of the livestock, the manure that fertilized the wheat fields, and the forest that supported the livestock.
"What we know so far makes it seem like even if they are forced to work on the development of the land, it won't be so bad. That means Lord Tonneburg is probably a better person than we think, and that he has little intention of exploiting the villagers. But in that case, something else will have to make up the difference."
Holo brought the flask to her lips but did not drink. Her intelligent eyes stared at the map.
"Building a road is hard enough under normal circumstances. It's that much more difficult to do in heavily forested land. At the same time, they'll get quite a lot of lumber from cutting down trees to make room for the road. And they could easily make up for the cost of building the road after factoring in the profits that will be generated by the smithies and other things that come later. Karlan seems to be especially keen on getting lumber, so even if they compromise on a great deal with Lord Tonneburg, they probably thought it all added up. And from Lord Tonneburg's perspective, he probably thought it would be more beneficial to take them up on this proposal instead of watching helplessly as a new road wraps around the forest...even if it means losing a part of the forest's wealth."
"Mm."
"And Meyer seems to be a skilled ranger. I bet Lord Tonneburg already asked him to find the best route through the forest."
It was then that he and the Karlan council saw they could both profit from this and decided to work together.
"That's what things look like in the merchant's world," Lawrence said. "What does the wolf think?"
Holo huffed a little sigh at the question, readjusting her position on the bed. She then whipped her head to the side, ripping apart the sinewy jerky in her mouth; the only times she ever really acted wolflike in this manner was when she was in a bad mood.
"Only the most witless of fools would build a road here."
Lawrence looked at the map, and then to Holo. "You mean like how the mayor explained?"
Everyone would lose everything the forest had to offer. Even if Holo did not quite understand how the manure from free-roaming livestock fertilized wheat fields, she was intimately familiar with how the plants in the forest grew after watching them for countless years.
"Humans will walk here, they will burn charcoal along the paths, and then create metal, no? At that point, the road ceases to be a simple path in the forest. It divides one wood in two, creating entirely separate places." Noticing Lawrence's weak response, Holo continued with a sigh. "Shall we consider the fox?"
"The fox?"
"You merchants think of the land in your reliance for roads for your cargo. That makes you a cat. Cats claim the paths that go from house to house."


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

Input:
It was likely that Karlan had recently gained ambitions to develop and flourish as a port city. But it was surrounded on all sides by powerful individuals who were already well established—there was not much room for Karlan to carve out a niche.
In his mind, Lawrence pictured a child who was physically growing, but was uncomfortable due to their small clothes.
"Building a new road isn't very easy to begin with," Lawrence said, his gaze dropping to the flask of mead in Holo's hands. She glumly handed Meyer's gift to him. After a sip, he returned it to her and continued. "It's easy to collect taxes on a river, but that isn't the case with regular roads. And so landlords typically make up for the cost of building those roads and their maintenance by forcing the commonfolk who live nearby to work on it. Those people have no choice in the matter—they typically spend three or four days a week laboring with absolutely no compensation. And in the meantime, their fields go neglected, and their lives get harder. I honestly thought they were going to tell me that their village was going to die out because of these troubles."
But all the mayor talked about was the cycle of the livestock, the manure that fertilized the wheat fields, and the forest that supported the livestock.
"What we know so far makes it seem like even if they are forced to work on the development of the land, it won't be so bad. That means Lord Tonneburg is probably a better person than we think, and that he has little intention of exploiting the villagers. But in that case, something else will have to make up the difference."
Holo brought the flask to her lips but did not drink. Her intelligent eyes stared at the map.
"Building a road is hard enough under normal circumstances. It's that much more difficult to do in heavily forested land. At the same time, they'll get quite a lot of lumber from cutting down trees to make room for the road. And they could easily make up for the cost of building the road after factoring in the profits that will be generated by the smithies and other things that come later. Karlan seems to be especially keen on getting lumber, so even if they compromise on a great deal with Lord Tonneburg, they probably thought it all added up. And from Lord Tonneburg's perspective, he probably thought it would be more beneficial to take them up on this proposal instead of watching helplessly as a new road wraps around the forest...even if it means losing a part of the forest's wealth."
"Mm."
"And Meyer seems to be a skilled ranger. I bet Lord Tonneburg already asked him to find the best route through the forest."
It was then that he and the Karlan council saw they could both profit from this and decided to work together.
"That's what things look like in the merchant's world," Lawrence said. "What does the wolf think?"
Holo huffed a little sigh at the question, readjusting her position on the bed. She then whipped her head to the side, ripping apart the sinewy jerky in her mouth; the only times she ever really acted wolflike in this manner was when she was in a bad mood.
"Only the most witless of fools would build a road here."
Lawrence looked at the map, and then to Holo. "You mean like how the mayor explained?"
Everyone would lose everything the forest had to offer. Even if Holo did not quite understand how the manure from free-roaming livestock fertilized wheat fields, she was intimately familiar with how the plants in the forest grew after watching them for countless years.
"Humans will walk here, they will burn charcoal along the paths, and then create metal, no? At that point, the road ceases to be a simple path in the forest. It divides one wood in two, creating entirely separate places." Noticing Lawrence's weak response, Holo continued with a sigh. "Shall we consider the fox?"
"The fox?"
"You merchants think of the land in your reliance for roads for your cargo. That makes you a cat. Cats claim the paths that go from house to house."

Output:
"These landowning lords are stereotypical mutts. They draw the lines on their papers telling everyone precisely what belongs to them."
"And what about the foxes?"
"Foxes appear to be like both, but they are exceptionally greedy. They cannot live in smaller forests. Splitting a large wood in twain does not create two territories. It will simply be too small for the foxes, and then they will no longer have any place to live."
Huh. Lawrence was impressed, but he was not entirely sure how this was relevant. Sensing this, Holo looked at him like he was a disappointing apprentice.
"No foxes means more rats, and without any predators, the fawns will thrive."
"Hmm. I guess you're right."
"An excess of deer and mice means saplings shall be eaten away, and that will cause the forest to grow thin. All that will remain will be higher trees that are covered in needly leaves, making the wood dark and quiet. 'Tis not a suitable wood for fattening pigs and goats."
The needly-leafed trees she mentioned were likely conifers. Broad-leafed trees, ones that struggled to reach greater heights, made easy meals for deer and other critters of the forest, so only the taller coniferous trees could survive uncontrolled booms of wildlife. And when the canopy inevitably started blocking sunlight from reaching the forest floor, new grasses would not grow there. Just as the mayor so passionately proclaimed, it would have a huge impact on the undergrowth that indirectly supported the wheat fields.
"'Twould look like a nice acorn—one full of holes that has most certainly been hollowed out by pests."
If a road cut through the forest, with charcoal-burning huts and smithies built along it, and Karlan's lumber was felled here instead of being brought in from Salonia, then the forest's interior would change drastically.
It was very much the same as an insect burrowing through an acorn and consuming the insides.
"From my point of view, forests such as these will eventually come back to life given enough time."
From the way she spoke, Lawrence knew right away that she was speaking about spans of time that were far beyond the scope of human lives.
It naturally showed that what the mayor and Meyer were saying was no exaggeration.
"But Meyer must've explained that to Lord Tonneburg, right?" Lawrence asked.
In response, Holo only took a silent sip from the flask. She must have also thought that, considering his skill, Meyer was aware of all of this.
That meant either the topic was too foreign for the lord to comprehend, or he understood and still decided it could not turn out that badly and went ahead with Karlan's proposal anyway. Whatever the truth, that led a very vexed Meyer to throw himself at Lawrence and Holo's mercy after spotting them in Salonia.
Lawrence sighed and stood from his chair. Once he sat down beside the sullen wolf, he unfolded himself to lay on the bed.
As he stared at the ceiling, Holo peered down at him with an indescribable expression.
"It's honestly a good plan, at least on paper."
And that was why Lord Tonneburg decided to go along with it. While there were some concerning details, a deal without apprehensions was either a scam or had simply not been examined thoroughly enough. It was hard to consider the lord's decision a foolish one.
Meyer had asked Lawrence to fix his lord's miscalculations, somehow persuading him that the plan itself was not viable at all.
Then what is it they must do to protect both forest and wheat fields?
Lawrence heaved a great sigh, and his eyes darted to Holo's face as she remained sitting.
Holo was sharp—she noticed his gaze right away, and her ears straightened.
But since she did not turn to look at him, Lawrence spoke.
"Just to be clear, I'm not secretly thinking that we've been thrown into a cumbersome problem or anything."
The hairs on Holo's tail stiffened, like a rabbit taking a deep breath.
"Even a dog will find a bone if it goes for a walk, they say."
***


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

Input:
"These landowning lords are stereotypical mutts. They draw the lines on their papers telling everyone precisely what belongs to them."
"And what about the foxes?"
"Foxes appear to be like both, but they are exceptionally greedy. They cannot live in smaller forests. Splitting a large wood in twain does not create two territories. It will simply be too small for the foxes, and then they will no longer have any place to live."
Huh. Lawrence was impressed, but he was not entirely sure how this was relevant. Sensing this, Holo looked at him like he was a disappointing apprentice.
"No foxes means more rats, and without any predators, the fawns will thrive."
"Hmm. I guess you're right."
"An excess of deer and mice means saplings shall be eaten away, and that will cause the forest to grow thin. All that will remain will be higher trees that are covered in needly leaves, making the wood dark and quiet. 'Tis not a suitable wood for fattening pigs and goats."
The needly-leafed trees she mentioned were likely conifers. Broad-leafed trees, ones that struggled to reach greater heights, made easy meals for deer and other critters of the forest, so only the taller coniferous trees could survive uncontrolled booms of wildlife. And when the canopy inevitably started blocking sunlight from reaching the forest floor, new grasses would not grow there. Just as the mayor so passionately proclaimed, it would have a huge impact on the undergrowth that indirectly supported the wheat fields.
"'Twould look like a nice acorn—one full of holes that has most certainly been hollowed out by pests."
If a road cut through the forest, with charcoal-burning huts and smithies built along it, and Karlan's lumber was felled here instead of being brought in from Salonia, then the forest's interior would change drastically.
It was very much the same as an insect burrowing through an acorn and consuming the insides.
"From my point of view, forests such as these will eventually come back to life given enough time."
From the way she spoke, Lawrence knew right away that she was speaking about spans of time that were far beyond the scope of human lives.
It naturally showed that what the mayor and Meyer were saying was no exaggeration.
"But Meyer must've explained that to Lord Tonneburg, right?" Lawrence asked.
In response, Holo only took a silent sip from the flask. She must have also thought that, considering his skill, Meyer was aware of all of this.
That meant either the topic was too foreign for the lord to comprehend, or he understood and still decided it could not turn out that badly and went ahead with Karlan's proposal anyway. Whatever the truth, that led a very vexed Meyer to throw himself at Lawrence and Holo's mercy after spotting them in Salonia.
Lawrence sighed and stood from his chair. Once he sat down beside the sullen wolf, he unfolded himself to lay on the bed.
As he stared at the ceiling, Holo peered down at him with an indescribable expression.
"It's honestly a good plan, at least on paper."
And that was why Lord Tonneburg decided to go along with it. While there were some concerning details, a deal without apprehensions was either a scam or had simply not been examined thoroughly enough. It was hard to consider the lord's decision a foolish one.
Meyer had asked Lawrence to fix his lord's miscalculations, somehow persuading him that the plan itself was not viable at all.
Then what is it they must do to protect both forest and wheat fields?
Lawrence heaved a great sigh, and his eyes darted to Holo's face as she remained sitting.
Holo was sharp—she noticed his gaze right away, and her ears straightened.
But since she did not turn to look at him, Lawrence spoke.
"Just to be clear, I'm not secretly thinking that we've been thrown into a cumbersome problem or anything."
The hairs on Holo's tail stiffened, like a rabbit taking a deep breath.
"Even a dog will find a bone if it goes for a walk, they say."
***

Output:
"It's an old human saying. It means that once you act, there will always be consequences."
Lawrence gave a small smile as he moved his hand, burying his fingers into the fur of her tail.
She immediately whipped it out of range, bringing it back only to smack the back of his hand.
"Fortune and misfortune are neighbors." Lawrence repeated the motion, this time tangling his fingers through the fur. "Both good and bad things ebb and flow, like interwoven strands of rope. And the rope itself is sturdy enough to hold what's most important together."
As Holo stared at Lawrence's hand playing with her tail, a look of understanding crossed her expression right before it scrunched into a frown.
"The latter half of that sounds like a falsehood."
"It's not a saying yet, but I bet it'd really take off in Nyohhira."
Holo narrowed her eyes and dropped her shoulders, tired.
"You know, I'm glad we came across this problem here. If Salonia's wheat harvest got worse, then it would eventually start affecting the prices of the wheat we order in Nyohhira. And even if we fail to get through to Lord Tonneburg, we can get ahead of the issue and start thinking about what we can do to prepare."
There was a special sort of excitement in his voice when he spoke of commerce. Holo listened to him, not once doubting him.
"So long as we don't make a total mess of this, I think it'll end in our favor either way."
Lawrence had told himself falsehoods in order to convince himself to take on Meyer's request, but what he said now was no lie.
He stopped digging his fingers into Holo's fur and began to run his palm along the length of her tail.
Though she had fallen behind on maintenance what with all the hangovers and the travel, her tail was still as soft as ever.
She did not like having her tail played with, but despite her grouchy attitude, she relented and allowed him to do as he pleased. Perhaps she felt like she owed him a debt for getting him involved in a problem that seemingly had no solution.
Yet just as it was said that merchants had two tongues, Lawrence did, in fact, have an idea.
He played with the fur on her tail as he gathered his thoughts.
Lawrence did not consider himself exceptionally gifted, but he did have an advantage over other merchants. To be more specific, he had Holo—and because she was at his side, he could approach things from angles other humans could never imagine.
This plot to cut down the forest was among those things.
"I guess the goal is to make it seem like Lord Tonneburg's calculations are off. That seems manageable enough."
Holo's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Probably. But there's something we need to check. Tomorrow we'll talk to Meyer and..."
Lawrence gave a loud yawn as he talked. They had been traveling for days and days, and now faced with his first big problem in a long while, he realized that he had been using his brain more than he had thought.
He knew he had to blow out the candle, close the window, and get under the blankets since the nights were growing colder, but it was too much for him; his eyes remained closed.
But not a moment later the light vanished from beyond his eyelids, and he heard the creak of the window shutters closing. He felt the wooden frame of the bed shift, and soon, he was covered in blankets.
Though this was normally a routine that Lawrence always carried out, there was an exception like this about once a year.
"I am the wolf who presides over the harvest," Holo murmured beneath the covers.
That night, Lawrence dreamed he was a seed-bed, buried in the earth.
I must work hard to produce beautiful blossoms, he thought.
Lawrence joined the old priest in morning prayer, said a word of thanks as he munched on the stale bread that sat on the altar as an offering to God, then entered Meyer's care.


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

Input:
"It's an old human saying. It means that once you act, there will always be consequences."
Lawrence gave a small smile as he moved his hand, burying his fingers into the fur of her tail.
She immediately whipped it out of range, bringing it back only to smack the back of his hand.
"Fortune and misfortune are neighbors." Lawrence repeated the motion, this time tangling his fingers through the fur. "Both good and bad things ebb and flow, like interwoven strands of rope. And the rope itself is sturdy enough to hold what's most important together."
As Holo stared at Lawrence's hand playing with her tail, a look of understanding crossed her expression right before it scrunched into a frown.
"The latter half of that sounds like a falsehood."
"It's not a saying yet, but I bet it'd really take off in Nyohhira."
Holo narrowed her eyes and dropped her shoulders, tired.
"You know, I'm glad we came across this problem here. If Salonia's wheat harvest got worse, then it would eventually start affecting the prices of the wheat we order in Nyohhira. And even if we fail to get through to Lord Tonneburg, we can get ahead of the issue and start thinking about what we can do to prepare."
There was a special sort of excitement in his voice when he spoke of commerce. Holo listened to him, not once doubting him.
"So long as we don't make a total mess of this, I think it'll end in our favor either way."
Lawrence had told himself falsehoods in order to convince himself to take on Meyer's request, but what he said now was no lie.
He stopped digging his fingers into Holo's fur and began to run his palm along the length of her tail.
Though she had fallen behind on maintenance what with all the hangovers and the travel, her tail was still as soft as ever.
She did not like having her tail played with, but despite her grouchy attitude, she relented and allowed him to do as he pleased. Perhaps she felt like she owed him a debt for getting him involved in a problem that seemingly had no solution.
Yet just as it was said that merchants had two tongues, Lawrence did, in fact, have an idea.
He played with the fur on her tail as he gathered his thoughts.
Lawrence did not consider himself exceptionally gifted, but he did have an advantage over other merchants. To be more specific, he had Holo—and because she was at his side, he could approach things from angles other humans could never imagine.
This plot to cut down the forest was among those things.
"I guess the goal is to make it seem like Lord Tonneburg's calculations are off. That seems manageable enough."
Holo's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Probably. But there's something we need to check. Tomorrow we'll talk to Meyer and..."
Lawrence gave a loud yawn as he talked. They had been traveling for days and days, and now faced with his first big problem in a long while, he realized that he had been using his brain more than he had thought.
He knew he had to blow out the candle, close the window, and get under the blankets since the nights were growing colder, but it was too much for him; his eyes remained closed.
But not a moment later the light vanished from beyond his eyelids, and he heard the creak of the window shutters closing. He felt the wooden frame of the bed shift, and soon, he was covered in blankets.
Though this was normally a routine that Lawrence always carried out, there was an exception like this about once a year.
"I am the wolf who presides over the harvest," Holo murmured beneath the covers.
That night, Lawrence dreamed he was a seed-bed, buried in the earth.
I must work hard to produce beautiful blossoms, he thought.
Lawrence joined the old priest in morning prayer, said a word of thanks as he munched on the stale bread that sat on the altar as an offering to God, then entered Meyer's care.

Output:
"I also thought there must be something I could show you to help you, Sir Lawrence," Meyer said to him, smiling at Holo as they walked around the village in the early hours, watching her bite into a loaf as big as her head.
"So...you'd like to see the village smithy?"
Though it seemed as though he wanted to suggest that visiting the village market or the wheat fields might bring them closer to the core of the problem, Lawrence only nodded in response.
"Of course."
Meyer looked worried that Lawrence might not fully grasp what the mayor told him the day before, but Lawrence had business in the smithy. Unable to turn him down, Meyer led the two of them into the forest.
A smithy used a great amount of water and wood, so many of them were often situated among the trees.
"And yes, last night, the father was gracious enough to allow me to study a map of the area. If that map is to be trusted, then I believe Lord Tonneburg's decision was a sound one."
Meyer nodded.
Lawrence continued, "Am I correct in assuming that the port of Karlan is desperate to build a road headed inland so that it may develop further?"
"You are. Karlan has a good port, but their only lifeline to the rest of the continent is the river you traveled a few days past, all because these woods sit in the way. But..." Meyer faltered as a herd of sheep and goats cut across their path.
The villager following the livestock offered Meyer a polite greeting—it was likely they were about to venture into the forest.
"I question whether people would use a road that cuts through the forest in the first place, in all honesty."
The mayor might have been different, but Meyer was not only thinking of the forest's devastation, but also possible mistakes in Lord Tonneburg's calculations.
"You don't think profits will be as high as what Karlan has promised Lord Tonneburg?"
Said lord was expecting quite a tidy profit from various sources in exchange for cutting down the valuable forest. Merchants from Karlan would use the new road, and the tolls levied from their passage were projected to be very lucrative indeed.
"A path through the woods will seem convenient at first, yes. One can get on near the stream at the southern edge of the forest, then travel all the way to the Roef River. But there are no towns of note along the way, and even though the larger cities of Kerube and Lenos sit down and upriver respectively, Lenos is more akin to Kerube's loyal servant, and Kerube is like a mean-spirited older brother to Karlan. They are both port cities who deal in similar goods."
That reminded Lawrence of the rope analogy he gave Holo the night before.
Towns had their own commercial areas, and those territories were comparable to the turf of cats and dogs.
There was a limited supply for exported and imported goods, and the one who could secure the most was the winner.
"Kerube will not take kindly to Karlan trying to intrude on their territory. And the reason Karlan does not want to use a road on the western edge of the forest, one that passes near the sea, is because that would put them inside Kerube territory, and the disputes over tariffs would be endless."
All that Lawrence had guessed after analyzing the map was mostly correct.
And Meyer, too, seemed to believe that Karlan was perfectly aware of all of this.
If that was true, then the kind Lord Tonneburg was being duped, and he would wind up with the short end of the stick.
Meyer's sharp hunter's eyes had latched onto that possibility.
"But I am no merchant. If I were to say such a thing, my lord would not heed my warning. It would be like me giving advice on how to fish in the ocean—hardly convincing."
Who said what was extremely important.
"And the forest undergrowth and wheat are topics far too mystifying for him. Only those who spend most of their time among the trees, within the fields, and beneath the vast sky will understand."


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

Input:
"I also thought there must be something I could show you to help you, Sir Lawrence," Meyer said to him, smiling at Holo as they walked around the village in the early hours, watching her bite into a loaf as big as her head.
"So...you'd like to see the village smithy?"
Though it seemed as though he wanted to suggest that visiting the village market or the wheat fields might bring them closer to the core of the problem, Lawrence only nodded in response.
"Of course."
Meyer looked worried that Lawrence might not fully grasp what the mayor told him the day before, but Lawrence had business in the smithy. Unable to turn him down, Meyer led the two of them into the forest.
A smithy used a great amount of water and wood, so many of them were often situated among the trees.
"And yes, last night, the father was gracious enough to allow me to study a map of the area. If that map is to be trusted, then I believe Lord Tonneburg's decision was a sound one."
Meyer nodded.
Lawrence continued, "Am I correct in assuming that the port of Karlan is desperate to build a road headed inland so that it may develop further?"
"You are. Karlan has a good port, but their only lifeline to the rest of the continent is the river you traveled a few days past, all because these woods sit in the way. But..." Meyer faltered as a herd of sheep and goats cut across their path.
The villager following the livestock offered Meyer a polite greeting—it was likely they were about to venture into the forest.
"I question whether people would use a road that cuts through the forest in the first place, in all honesty."
The mayor might have been different, but Meyer was not only thinking of the forest's devastation, but also possible mistakes in Lord Tonneburg's calculations.
"You don't think profits will be as high as what Karlan has promised Lord Tonneburg?"
Said lord was expecting quite a tidy profit from various sources in exchange for cutting down the valuable forest. Merchants from Karlan would use the new road, and the tolls levied from their passage were projected to be very lucrative indeed.
"A path through the woods will seem convenient at first, yes. One can get on near the stream at the southern edge of the forest, then travel all the way to the Roef River. But there are no towns of note along the way, and even though the larger cities of Kerube and Lenos sit down and upriver respectively, Lenos is more akin to Kerube's loyal servant, and Kerube is like a mean-spirited older brother to Karlan. They are both port cities who deal in similar goods."
That reminded Lawrence of the rope analogy he gave Holo the night before.
Towns had their own commercial areas, and those territories were comparable to the turf of cats and dogs.
There was a limited supply for exported and imported goods, and the one who could secure the most was the winner.
"Kerube will not take kindly to Karlan trying to intrude on their territory. And the reason Karlan does not want to use a road on the western edge of the forest, one that passes near the sea, is because that would put them inside Kerube territory, and the disputes over tariffs would be endless."
All that Lawrence had guessed after analyzing the map was mostly correct.
And Meyer, too, seemed to believe that Karlan was perfectly aware of all of this.
If that was true, then the kind Lord Tonneburg was being duped, and he would wind up with the short end of the stick.
Meyer's sharp hunter's eyes had latched onto that possibility.
"But I am no merchant. If I were to say such a thing, my lord would not heed my warning. It would be like me giving advice on how to fish in the ocean—hardly convincing."
Who said what was extremely important.
"And the forest undergrowth and wheat are topics far too mystifying for him. Only those who spend most of their time among the trees, within the fields, and beneath the vast sky will understand."

Output:
But Lawrence did not feel particularly pessimistic, despite what Meyer was saying. He was rather confident that, if he acted on what he thought about as he petted Holo's tail the previous night, then he could plant the seed of doubt in Lord Tonneburg.
As they followed Meyer's lead away from the village, there was an abrupt stop in the line of buildings, and the trees grew thick. After they climbed a gentle slope, they found themselves in the deep forest.
The paths around the village were comprised of packed earth, ones where a single pebble would stand out sorely. But it was soon grass that cushioned their footsteps, which then became a carpet of humus. And there was yet another layer of dried foliage on top of that, which made them feel like they were walking on clouds.
The air was moist in the morning forest; if Lawrence closed his eyes, he could easily picture himself back in Nyohhira. But the scent here was different. When that thought crossed his mind, he heard a rustle of leaves above him, and when he looked up, he spotted a squirrel running along the branches of the trees. A foolish little mouse darted out from beneath the dried leaves at his feet, rushing to hide in a nearby tree. This forest was teeming with much more life than the ones surrounding Nyohhira.
They walked for a while, and Lawrence spoke with Meyer along the way, but when Meyer went ahead to check the roads just as he did the day before, Holo murmured, "'Tis a good forest."
"This apparently used to be a river."
The path, carefully cleared of trees, was more sunken into the ground that the rest of the earth around it. Whenever it rained, the water slowly scraped away at the ground, forming a ditch, and even the river that formed as a result could change its flow as a result of fallen trees and leaf accumulation. At some point, Holo had told him in the deep mountains of Nyohhira that the forest was everchanging, and he could see that the Tonneburg Woods were undoubtedly full of life.
According to what Meyer said, the Tonneburg Woods and its environs had a lot of springwater, and it was likely due to that there were a lot of undulations in its geography.
If they were to build a road here, it would likely follow the bends of this old river. And now that Lawrence had seen the forest for himself, he was confident in his prediction.
It would likely go well if they followed through on the plan.
Whether Holo knew what Lawrence was thinking or not, she did not ask for details when dawn broke, nor did he explain. He wanted a specific situation to help him explain.
As they passed beneath the tree cover, Lawrence felt like he had become a little mouse. Eventually, they spotted the road ahead of them drenched in sunlight. There was a clearing in the dense forest where a quiet pond sat—the perfect place for a witch to live.
And sitting beside the pond were two buildings nestled side by side—old, sagging, and covered in moss.
"What an awful smell," Holo complained.
Lawrence chuckled. As they neared the building with Meyer at their side, he could tell right away that it smelled of charcoal and metal. It was different from the scents of the forest; this smell scraped at the inside of his nostrils.
"Well, if it isn't Meyer!"
One of the two buildings was more like a covered shed without any walls. Beneath it sat ironware that was no longer functional and a mound of coal. Practically buried beneath it all was a middle-aged man working, steam rising from his bare torso.
"Another busy day, smith?"
"You bet. Any spare moment I got makes me think the forest is gonna swallow me whole."
The smith glanced back over his shoulder and peeled off his thick leather gloves before appraising Lawrence and Holo.
"Guess you haven't brought me apprentices?"
With a huff, Holo turned away—a gesture, perhaps, done on behalf of all the forest dwellers in the world. Lawrence gave a nod and a smile in greeting instead.


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

Input:
But Lawrence did not feel particularly pessimistic, despite what Meyer was saying. He was rather confident that, if he acted on what he thought about as he petted Holo's tail the previous night, then he could plant the seed of doubt in Lord Tonneburg.
As they followed Meyer's lead away from the village, there was an abrupt stop in the line of buildings, and the trees grew thick. After they climbed a gentle slope, they found themselves in the deep forest.
The paths around the village were comprised of packed earth, ones where a single pebble would stand out sorely. But it was soon grass that cushioned their footsteps, which then became a carpet of humus. And there was yet another layer of dried foliage on top of that, which made them feel like they were walking on clouds.
The air was moist in the morning forest; if Lawrence closed his eyes, he could easily picture himself back in Nyohhira. But the scent here was different. When that thought crossed his mind, he heard a rustle of leaves above him, and when he looked up, he spotted a squirrel running along the branches of the trees. A foolish little mouse darted out from beneath the dried leaves at his feet, rushing to hide in a nearby tree. This forest was teeming with much more life than the ones surrounding Nyohhira.
They walked for a while, and Lawrence spoke with Meyer along the way, but when Meyer went ahead to check the roads just as he did the day before, Holo murmured, "'Tis a good forest."
"This apparently used to be a river."
The path, carefully cleared of trees, was more sunken into the ground that the rest of the earth around it. Whenever it rained, the water slowly scraped away at the ground, forming a ditch, and even the river that formed as a result could change its flow as a result of fallen trees and leaf accumulation. At some point, Holo had told him in the deep mountains of Nyohhira that the forest was everchanging, and he could see that the Tonneburg Woods were undoubtedly full of life.
According to what Meyer said, the Tonneburg Woods and its environs had a lot of springwater, and it was likely due to that there were a lot of undulations in its geography.
If they were to build a road here, it would likely follow the bends of this old river. And now that Lawrence had seen the forest for himself, he was confident in his prediction.
It would likely go well if they followed through on the plan.
Whether Holo knew what Lawrence was thinking or not, she did not ask for details when dawn broke, nor did he explain. He wanted a specific situation to help him explain.
As they passed beneath the tree cover, Lawrence felt like he had become a little mouse. Eventually, they spotted the road ahead of them drenched in sunlight. There was a clearing in the dense forest where a quiet pond sat—the perfect place for a witch to live.
And sitting beside the pond were two buildings nestled side by side—old, sagging, and covered in moss.
"What an awful smell," Holo complained.
Lawrence chuckled. As they neared the building with Meyer at their side, he could tell right away that it smelled of charcoal and metal. It was different from the scents of the forest; this smell scraped at the inside of his nostrils.
"Well, if it isn't Meyer!"
One of the two buildings was more like a covered shed without any walls. Beneath it sat ironware that was no longer functional and a mound of coal. Practically buried beneath it all was a middle-aged man working, steam rising from his bare torso.
"Another busy day, smith?"
"You bet. Any spare moment I got makes me think the forest is gonna swallow me whole."
The smith glanced back over his shoulder and peeled off his thick leather gloves before appraising Lawrence and Holo.
"Guess you haven't brought me apprentices?"
With a huff, Holo turned away—a gesture, perhaps, done on behalf of all the forest dwellers in the world. Lawrence gave a nod and a smile in greeting instead.

Output:
When Meyer introduced them, the smith gave a nod in understanding. "My apologies, then. It's mighty smoky out here. Let's talk inside."
He must have thought Holo was upset because she did not appreciate the metallic smoke that rose from the furnace.
The smith opened the door to the neighboring building and stepped inside. Meyer followed after him, and as Lawrence moved to do the same, he realized Holo did not. He turned to look at her.
For a moment, he thought it was because she did not want to step into a smith's house, but she was instead staring distantly into the trees.
It was almost as though her friends of the forest were calling to her.
"Holo," Lawrence said her name a bit forcefully. "Don't leave me."
Absently, she turned around to look at him.
"I have too much jerky to eat all by myself."
Light soon returned to those red eyes that had been peering deep into the distant woods.
For a moment, like a dream, it seemed as though Holo was on the verge of melting into the very forest itself, but her image became sharp and distinct once again.
"Indeed you do. The human world is filled with more delicacies than what the forest can offer."
Now was not the time for her return to the forest.
Lawrence accompanied Holo as she stepped into the building just as the smith started pouring them mugs of strong ale.
The still was the smith's pride and joy, something he forged with his own hands. And after draining his mug of homemade ale like it was water, he resentfully spat, "The forest is like a spring. If you take more than what comes out, then it'll dry up! That's just common sense!"
The building they were in was terribly old. The smithy itself had likely been in operation for generations, the rights to use this parcel of land passed down as time went on.
Outdated tools sat proudly on the walls. It was unlikely they would be usable in a decade or two.
Lawrence scanned the décor and quickly found what he was looking for. He also noticed how Holo's expression hardened the moment they stepped inside.
"We've got to show Lord Tonneburg that his plan's wrong, not necessarily to keep the smithy running, but for the sake of the forest."
Building a road through the forest, extracting lumber, and building new smithies would be a direct encroachment on the smith's business. It was not particularly surprising that he was against the plan.
"I've traveled various lands, and you rarely come across forests like this one. I would like it if they left it as is," Lawrence said, and the smith nodded in agreement. "That's why I will be visiting Lord Tonneburg, in hopes that he will reconsider his decision."
They were sitting in what was essentially the home of every forest dweller's mortal enemy. At that thought, Lawrence cast a quick glance at a bored Holo before continuing.
"How much labor do you think it will take to establish a new smithy in this forest?"
"A...huh?" That question took the smith by surprise. The expression on his face made it seem like he was being let down. "How much...labor?"
"Yes. I suppose I could rephrase the question and ask how easy you think it would be to build a smithy."
"Listen, mister merchant. What I mean is that I'd never build a new smithy. That's silly talk."
The smith crossed his muscular arms across his chest—he was the very picture of a stubborn forest-dwelling craftsman. Though his mouth was hidden behind a beard singed from the heat of the forge, Lawrence could tell it was curving downward in a frown. The man was imposing.
He was overflowing with pride, like he would never move no matter what happened. Lawrence could practically hear him saying that he always solved his problems by himself and he would continue to do so. Lawrence had not seen any helpers or assistants around, so he would've believed the smith.


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

Input:
When Meyer introduced them, the smith gave a nod in understanding. "My apologies, then. It's mighty smoky out here. Let's talk inside."
He must have thought Holo was upset because she did not appreciate the metallic smoke that rose from the furnace.
The smith opened the door to the neighboring building and stepped inside. Meyer followed after him, and as Lawrence moved to do the same, he realized Holo did not. He turned to look at her.
For a moment, he thought it was because she did not want to step into a smith's house, but she was instead staring distantly into the trees.
It was almost as though her friends of the forest were calling to her.
"Holo," Lawrence said her name a bit forcefully. "Don't leave me."
Absently, she turned around to look at him.
"I have too much jerky to eat all by myself."
Light soon returned to those red eyes that had been peering deep into the distant woods.
For a moment, like a dream, it seemed as though Holo was on the verge of melting into the very forest itself, but her image became sharp and distinct once again.
"Indeed you do. The human world is filled with more delicacies than what the forest can offer."
Now was not the time for her return to the forest.
Lawrence accompanied Holo as she stepped into the building just as the smith started pouring them mugs of strong ale.
The still was the smith's pride and joy, something he forged with his own hands. And after draining his mug of homemade ale like it was water, he resentfully spat, "The forest is like a spring. If you take more than what comes out, then it'll dry up! That's just common sense!"
The building they were in was terribly old. The smithy itself had likely been in operation for generations, the rights to use this parcel of land passed down as time went on.
Outdated tools sat proudly on the walls. It was unlikely they would be usable in a decade or two.
Lawrence scanned the décor and quickly found what he was looking for. He also noticed how Holo's expression hardened the moment they stepped inside.
"We've got to show Lord Tonneburg that his plan's wrong, not necessarily to keep the smithy running, but for the sake of the forest."
Building a road through the forest, extracting lumber, and building new smithies would be a direct encroachment on the smith's business. It was not particularly surprising that he was against the plan.
"I've traveled various lands, and you rarely come across forests like this one. I would like it if they left it as is," Lawrence said, and the smith nodded in agreement. "That's why I will be visiting Lord Tonneburg, in hopes that he will reconsider his decision."
They were sitting in what was essentially the home of every forest dweller's mortal enemy. At that thought, Lawrence cast a quick glance at a bored Holo before continuing.
"How much labor do you think it will take to establish a new smithy in this forest?"
"A...huh?" That question took the smith by surprise. The expression on his face made it seem like he was being let down. "How much...labor?"
"Yes. I suppose I could rephrase the question and ask how easy you think it would be to build a smithy."
"Listen, mister merchant. What I mean is that I'd never build a new smithy. That's silly talk."
The smith crossed his muscular arms across his chest—he was the very picture of a stubborn forest-dwelling craftsman. Though his mouth was hidden behind a beard singed from the heat of the forge, Lawrence could tell it was curving downward in a frown. The man was imposing.
He was overflowing with pride, like he would never move no matter what happened. Lawrence could practically hear him saying that he always solved his problems by himself and he would continue to do so. Lawrence had not seen any helpers or assistants around, so he would've believed the smith.

Output:
When Lawrence was just starting out as a merchant, he often did business in places with no other competition, where the roads were so bad that no other merchants dared to venture that way.
And so he was intimately knowledgeable about some things that were unfathomable to city merchants, the ones who licked the tips of their quills to manipulate numbers and called that "trade."
One of those things served as the cause of an argument between him and Holo around the time they first met.
And that is exactly what he came here to ask.
"Building a new smithy in the forest and building a new house in the village are two entirely different things. Especially if one wants to maintain it."
Behind the smith, a great big axe, a scythe, a longsword, a spear, and other things glinted ominously. They seemed like they had seen plenty of use, too much to have been personal projects he hung up in pride—they were tools to fight against the very forest itself as it threatened to swallow the smithy whole.
And wherever there was battle, there were victory trophies.
Hanging proudly on the wall was a magnificent wolf pelt that was roughly the same size as the smith himself.
"City artisans who do not understand how terrifying the forest can be will walk right on in, encumbered by their belongings. Then once they've finished building the smithy, they'll have to work there day in and day out. What do you think? Do you think they'll be able to greet the morning in one piece?"
The smith followed Lawrence's gaze and gave a nod in understanding.
"I see—that's what you mean. There are some city merchants who come to the village and ask me to fix their ironware. That lot just wanders the trees munching on their bread. But I make sure not to give any blades to idiots like them. Nothing's more dangerous than those who don't know the forest spending an extended amount of time in it." The smith looked at Meyer, then turned his attention back to Lawrence. "The forest is in the heart of enemy territory. The smithy has found itself surrounded by wolves on moonless nights more than just once or twice. The reason I don't keep an assistant around is because I know the kid'll just get swallowed up by the trees."
A single lapse in vigilance could mean vanishing forever.
That very thing had likely happened countless times.
"But Meyer," Lawrence said, turning to the ranger. "I'm certain you've already advised Lord Tonneburg on how much it would cost to keep wolves away in order to build the roads and smithies. What do you think?"
Meyer had sat there, looking as though he was ready to speak up, and he nodded as though it was a given.
But the reason he did not speak was because he had realized Lawrence already had the rest of the story.
"I think the reason Lord Tonneburg still agreed to the plan, despite knowing about the wolves, was because he could not really picture the problem. While I imagine he comes to the forest to hunt, he likely does so in camps where he's surrounded by many beaters and those who are adept at finding their way around the forest, like Meyer."
After a moment of hesitation, Meyer said, "Sir Lawrence, there are wolves in the woods, but I wouldn't say they are particularly—"
"No, no, Meyer. They must be. How could they not? They are so dangerous, in fact, that it would take thousands of mercenaries to guard the workers that will be building the road from wolf attacks. The cost of such security will be absurdly high."
After the bewildering, theatrical speech, Lawrence flashed Meyer and the smith a mischievous grin.
At last they understood what Lawrence meant.
"You want us to pretend there was a wolf attack?"
Lawrence nonchalantly turned to look at Holo before giving his answer. Holo, who had a feeling she was going to be roped into some sort of performance, gave him a look that suggested he was the annoying pebble in her shoe.


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

Input:
When Lawrence was just starting out as a merchant, he often did business in places with no other competition, where the roads were so bad that no other merchants dared to venture that way.
And so he was intimately knowledgeable about some things that were unfathomable to city merchants, the ones who licked the tips of their quills to manipulate numbers and called that "trade."
One of those things served as the cause of an argument between him and Holo around the time they first met.
And that is exactly what he came here to ask.
"Building a new smithy in the forest and building a new house in the village are two entirely different things. Especially if one wants to maintain it."
Behind the smith, a great big axe, a scythe, a longsword, a spear, and other things glinted ominously. They seemed like they had seen plenty of use, too much to have been personal projects he hung up in pride—they were tools to fight against the very forest itself as it threatened to swallow the smithy whole.
And wherever there was battle, there were victory trophies.
Hanging proudly on the wall was a magnificent wolf pelt that was roughly the same size as the smith himself.
"City artisans who do not understand how terrifying the forest can be will walk right on in, encumbered by their belongings. Then once they've finished building the smithy, they'll have to work there day in and day out. What do you think? Do you think they'll be able to greet the morning in one piece?"
The smith followed Lawrence's gaze and gave a nod in understanding.
"I see—that's what you mean. There are some city merchants who come to the village and ask me to fix their ironware. That lot just wanders the trees munching on their bread. But I make sure not to give any blades to idiots like them. Nothing's more dangerous than those who don't know the forest spending an extended amount of time in it." The smith looked at Meyer, then turned his attention back to Lawrence. "The forest is in the heart of enemy territory. The smithy has found itself surrounded by wolves on moonless nights more than just once or twice. The reason I don't keep an assistant around is because I know the kid'll just get swallowed up by the trees."
A single lapse in vigilance could mean vanishing forever.
That very thing had likely happened countless times.
"But Meyer," Lawrence said, turning to the ranger. "I'm certain you've already advised Lord Tonneburg on how much it would cost to keep wolves away in order to build the roads and smithies. What do you think?"
Meyer had sat there, looking as though he was ready to speak up, and he nodded as though it was a given.
But the reason he did not speak was because he had realized Lawrence already had the rest of the story.
"I think the reason Lord Tonneburg still agreed to the plan, despite knowing about the wolves, was because he could not really picture the problem. While I imagine he comes to the forest to hunt, he likely does so in camps where he's surrounded by many beaters and those who are adept at finding their way around the forest, like Meyer."
After a moment of hesitation, Meyer said, "Sir Lawrence, there are wolves in the woods, but I wouldn't say they are particularly—"
"No, no, Meyer. They must be. How could they not? They are so dangerous, in fact, that it would take thousands of mercenaries to guard the workers that will be building the road from wolf attacks. The cost of such security will be absurdly high."
After the bewildering, theatrical speech, Lawrence flashed Meyer and the smith a mischievous grin.
At last they understood what Lawrence meant.
"You want us to pretend there was a wolf attack?"
Lawrence nonchalantly turned to look at Holo before giving his answer. Holo, who had a feeling she was going to be roped into some sort of performance, gave him a look that suggested he was the annoying pebble in her shoe.

Output:
While Lawrence and Holo were out traveling, it was a wolf spirit who was managing the bathhouse in their stead. Her brother and other wolves ran a monastery a short distance away from Nyohhira, nestled even deeper into the mountains. They managed the place of worship and received hot spring guests who wished to pray, all while maintaining a veil of innocence over themselves. They would gladly take up whatever favor Holo asked of them.
But discussing wolves attacking humans with Holo almost verged on taboo, and if the smith truly felt like he was in harm's away, he would not hesitate to attack. And so Lawrence understood why she did not look so pleased, considering it could easily aggravate the relationship between wolf and human.
Lawrence, however, was a merchant.
He was confident he could sell ice in Nyohhira in the dead of winter.
"Then let us think of it this way," Lawrence said, glancing briefly at Holo. "The wolves of the Tonneburg Woods might be troublesome and cunning in equal measure. But what if they put those sea dwellers in their place and taught them what it takes to survive in these woods? Doesn't that sound exhilarating?"
The smith hummed, and Meyer dipped his head in agreement.
Lawrence redrew the lines of friend and foe.
Even the smith, who considered himself an enemy of the wolves, would side with a fellow forest dweller when it came to making a stand against outsiders. Needless to say, that should have been true for Holo as well.
Wolves were not automatically hostile toward all humans. Things changed drastically if they were fighting alongside the humans of the forest, all to preserve their pride as forest people.
It was not long before the smith said, "It is a good opportunity, yes, to show the sea dwellers just how dangerous the forest can be. I don't want people to think the wolves of the Tonneburg Woods are the same as any old wolves they can find anywhere."
He showed respect for how formidable his enemy was.
Holo observed the smith, an indescribably tickled look on her face.
Lawrence wondered what would have happened if he had brought up this very topic the previous night.
She may have grown fearful about coming into conflict with humans and rejected his plan.
But she, too, should have understood that the smith did not simply hate wolves by watching his reaction. If circumstances were slightly different, they could have been friends.
She eventually gave a weak little sigh—she finally understood that, from the perspective of a wolf, this was not such a terrible idea after all.
"I am a merchant. People hate losing more than they enjoy their profits. There are terrifying and onerous wolves in this forest; once they see with their own eyes that it will cost a fortune to make their road a reality, then the sea dwellers of Karlan and Lord Tonneburg will have no choice but to reconsider."
If they were truly going to build a road through the forest and set up new smithies, then they had quite the extensive survey to conduct. In which case, all Meyer had to do was take the regional lord out hunting under the pretense that the forest would soon grow much louder with the bustle of activity, so he should enjoy this lull before the storm. And once Lord Tonneburg understood the threat the wolves posed, then the cost of making things safe would most certainly push things beyond budget—and that, the lord would be forced to understand.
That was precisely what Lawrence came up with the night previous when he was playing with Holo's tail.
"What do you think? If both of you can help me with this, then I can immediately send word to all the hunters I know."
Meyer and the smith exchanged glances, then both turned their attention to the wolf pelt on the wall.
Those who spent much of their time in the forest knew very well the fear that came with seeing a wolf.
"Sir Lawrence." Meyer approached Lawrence and extended his hand. Lawrence grasped it in return, and the smith himself scooped them both into a big bear hug.


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

Input:
While Lawrence and Holo were out traveling, it was a wolf spirit who was managing the bathhouse in their stead. Her brother and other wolves ran a monastery a short distance away from Nyohhira, nestled even deeper into the mountains. They managed the place of worship and received hot spring guests who wished to pray, all while maintaining a veil of innocence over themselves. They would gladly take up whatever favor Holo asked of them.
But discussing wolves attacking humans with Holo almost verged on taboo, and if the smith truly felt like he was in harm's away, he would not hesitate to attack. And so Lawrence understood why she did not look so pleased, considering it could easily aggravate the relationship between wolf and human.
Lawrence, however, was a merchant.
He was confident he could sell ice in Nyohhira in the dead of winter.
"Then let us think of it this way," Lawrence said, glancing briefly at Holo. "The wolves of the Tonneburg Woods might be troublesome and cunning in equal measure. But what if they put those sea dwellers in their place and taught them what it takes to survive in these woods? Doesn't that sound exhilarating?"
The smith hummed, and Meyer dipped his head in agreement.
Lawrence redrew the lines of friend and foe.
Even the smith, who considered himself an enemy of the wolves, would side with a fellow forest dweller when it came to making a stand against outsiders. Needless to say, that should have been true for Holo as well.
Wolves were not automatically hostile toward all humans. Things changed drastically if they were fighting alongside the humans of the forest, all to preserve their pride as forest people.
It was not long before the smith said, "It is a good opportunity, yes, to show the sea dwellers just how dangerous the forest can be. I don't want people to think the wolves of the Tonneburg Woods are the same as any old wolves they can find anywhere."
He showed respect for how formidable his enemy was.
Holo observed the smith, an indescribably tickled look on her face.
Lawrence wondered what would have happened if he had brought up this very topic the previous night.
She may have grown fearful about coming into conflict with humans and rejected his plan.
But she, too, should have understood that the smith did not simply hate wolves by watching his reaction. If circumstances were slightly different, they could have been friends.
She eventually gave a weak little sigh—she finally understood that, from the perspective of a wolf, this was not such a terrible idea after all.
"I am a merchant. People hate losing more than they enjoy their profits. There are terrifying and onerous wolves in this forest; once they see with their own eyes that it will cost a fortune to make their road a reality, then the sea dwellers of Karlan and Lord Tonneburg will have no choice but to reconsider."
If they were truly going to build a road through the forest and set up new smithies, then they had quite the extensive survey to conduct. In which case, all Meyer had to do was take the regional lord out hunting under the pretense that the forest would soon grow much louder with the bustle of activity, so he should enjoy this lull before the storm. And once Lord Tonneburg understood the threat the wolves posed, then the cost of making things safe would most certainly push things beyond budget—and that, the lord would be forced to understand.
That was precisely what Lawrence came up with the night previous when he was playing with Holo's tail.
"What do you think? If both of you can help me with this, then I can immediately send word to all the hunters I know."
Meyer and the smith exchanged glances, then both turned their attention to the wolf pelt on the wall.
Those who spent much of their time in the forest knew very well the fear that came with seeing a wolf.
"Sir Lawrence." Meyer approached Lawrence and extended his hand. Lawrence grasped it in return, and the smith himself scooped them both into a big bear hug.

Output:
Both Meyer and the smith ventured into the forest to prepare them a special lunch to pray for the success of their plan. Lawrence remained behind, tasked with starting the fire in the oven meant for food, careful not to ignite Holo's mood with those very flames.
"I'll ask Selim myself," he said.
It would likely weigh heavily on Holo if she were to ask her own kin to act as hunting dogs.
And the kind wolf seemed to have some resistance to the idea of deliberately spooking people.
"Do you think you could ask the wolves of the forest to make sure they don't actually hurt anyone? I'll be sure to prepare a reward for them."
Holo was always willing to flash her canines whenever she got the opportunity, but she was surprisingly sensitive when it came to affairs between humans and wolves.
Though she always teased Lawrence for being too softhearted, it was in fact Holo who was the most sensitive about this sort of thing.
"...I believe I have become restless during our first journey in many years."
She sat on a crate and hunched over, tail nervously twitching back and forth; it was likely a sign she now regretted offering her help.
"But we have to do this. Otherwise the lord is never going to change his mind," Lawrence said, tossing more kindling into the fire.
However, Holo remained glum. "To think you would suggest such a straightforward plan."
Lawrence turned around to look at her. She greeted him with piercing, narrowed eyes. Though he had thought she had been all right with everything in the end, he figured she must still be angry that he was resorting to her wolf powers.
But that was not quite it. With discontent in her voice, she said, "If you're relying on me now of all times, then I can think of plenty of other times you could have asked me to help."
"Huh?"
Lawrence responded quizzically only for Holo to turn away in a huff.
Kindling crackled in the fire, and Lawrence snapped back to the present.
She was not angry that he was asking for their help as wolves.
She was reprimanding him for not taking advantage of what she was fully capable of until now.
"I got your help when we set up the bathhouse, remember?"
It would have been impossible to set up a new bathhouse if they had failed to find new springs. That rule prevented any newcomers from easily joining the ranks of the Nyohhira bathhouses, and the reality was that all of the major springs had already been dug up and claimed.
But Holo's nose and claws had found them a spring that would have needed a great deal of luck and too much effort if it was being excavated by human hands alone. Just that was enough to make Lawrence feel like he should offer her a fresh apple beside her pillow every day for the rest of his life.
"Besides, I've asked you to do all sorts of other things. I'm almost positive."
He thought back on many trials they had been through together, but Holo's expression remained glum.
Wearing an expression that was almost identical to one he had seen on the face of their daughter Myuri, Holo said, "It seems you've found yourself in a fix at last."
Lawrence had been trying to be considerate toward Holo, but apparently, she just found it anxiety inducing. And the reason he always landed himself in these fixes was because he wanted to show off for her. But even if she knew this, Lawrence knew that Holo would remain quietly irritated and worried until he finally asked for her help.
She was upset because this was the one time he had been so quick to rely on her.
Lawrence shoved the kindling in the oven around with a stick before saying, "We use the card up our sleeve when it's the right time to play it, and that applies right now. Look." He lifted his gaze from the fire and scanned the deep forest that surrounded them. "This is a crossroads where not only the existence of this forest hangs in the balance, but also the future of the wheat fields. Am I right?"


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

Input:
Both Meyer and the smith ventured into the forest to prepare them a special lunch to pray for the success of their plan. Lawrence remained behind, tasked with starting the fire in the oven meant for food, careful not to ignite Holo's mood with those very flames.
"I'll ask Selim myself," he said.
It would likely weigh heavily on Holo if she were to ask her own kin to act as hunting dogs.
And the kind wolf seemed to have some resistance to the idea of deliberately spooking people.
"Do you think you could ask the wolves of the forest to make sure they don't actually hurt anyone? I'll be sure to prepare a reward for them."
Holo was always willing to flash her canines whenever she got the opportunity, but she was surprisingly sensitive when it came to affairs between humans and wolves.
Though she always teased Lawrence for being too softhearted, it was in fact Holo who was the most sensitive about this sort of thing.
"...I believe I have become restless during our first journey in many years."
She sat on a crate and hunched over, tail nervously twitching back and forth; it was likely a sign she now regretted offering her help.
"But we have to do this. Otherwise the lord is never going to change his mind," Lawrence said, tossing more kindling into the fire.
However, Holo remained glum. "To think you would suggest such a straightforward plan."
Lawrence turned around to look at her. She greeted him with piercing, narrowed eyes. Though he had thought she had been all right with everything in the end, he figured she must still be angry that he was resorting to her wolf powers.
But that was not quite it. With discontent in her voice, she said, "If you're relying on me now of all times, then I can think of plenty of other times you could have asked me to help."
"Huh?"
Lawrence responded quizzically only for Holo to turn away in a huff.
Kindling crackled in the fire, and Lawrence snapped back to the present.
She was not angry that he was asking for their help as wolves.
She was reprimanding him for not taking advantage of what she was fully capable of until now.
"I got your help when we set up the bathhouse, remember?"
It would have been impossible to set up a new bathhouse if they had failed to find new springs. That rule prevented any newcomers from easily joining the ranks of the Nyohhira bathhouses, and the reality was that all of the major springs had already been dug up and claimed.
But Holo's nose and claws had found them a spring that would have needed a great deal of luck and too much effort if it was being excavated by human hands alone. Just that was enough to make Lawrence feel like he should offer her a fresh apple beside her pillow every day for the rest of his life.
"Besides, I've asked you to do all sorts of other things. I'm almost positive."
He thought back on many trials they had been through together, but Holo's expression remained glum.
Wearing an expression that was almost identical to one he had seen on the face of their daughter Myuri, Holo said, "It seems you've found yourself in a fix at last."
Lawrence had been trying to be considerate toward Holo, but apparently, she just found it anxiety inducing. And the reason he always landed himself in these fixes was because he wanted to show off for her. But even if she knew this, Lawrence knew that Holo would remain quietly irritated and worried until he finally asked for her help.
She was upset because this was the one time he had been so quick to rely on her.
Lawrence shoved the kindling in the oven around with a stick before saying, "We use the card up our sleeve when it's the right time to play it, and that applies right now. Look." He lifted his gaze from the fire and scanned the deep forest that surrounded them. "This is a crossroads where not only the existence of this forest hangs in the balance, but also the future of the wheat fields. Am I right?"

Output:
And no matter which it may be, she would remain glum.
"You are a sheep," she said, "and yet you somehow manage to be so elusive in times like this."
All Lawrence could say in response was, "Sure. But if I were predictable and boring, you would have given up on me and gone to chew on some other bones a long time ago."
Holo pursed her lips and widened her eyes. And after a long moment, she sighed.
At last, she gave an exasperated smile, one that was so emblematic of the wisewolf.
"You fool."
Lawrence simply drew up his shoulders in a shrug. Holo stood from her crate and sat down beside him instead.
That meant she was done being grumpy.
"What will we be eating, I wonder."
"Probably deer. I doubt being in the forest makes it any easier to hunt, though."
"There are plenty of rabbits in this wood. And there seems to be plenty of water, which means there will likely be many of those rats with flat tails."
"Wow, that brings back memories. We haven't had those in a long time."
Holo was talking about a large rodent that lived near the water's edge. Its teeth could cut through wood, which it used to make its nests, and it was the main ingredient for a proud and popular dish among members of the clergy, who claimed that because it inhabited the water, its flesh was closer to fish than other meat.
"There are plenty of delicious foods we have yet to try in this world."
"You're right. That said, I should remind you my coin purse is not bottomless."
Holo leaned her head on Lawrence's shoulder and slumped with a frown.
"You are a stingy merchant."
"Always have been."
He grinned at her, and she offered a weary smile in return, then readjusted her head on his shoulder.
Her fluffy tail curled, wrapping around the back of his waist as though holding him closer in a hug.
The quiet forest pondside was filled only with the sound of crackling kindling.
Lawrence watched Holo close her eyes, pleased, and he gave a light sigh.
It seemed as though he would be able to save the Tonneburg Woods from danger—which was a problem entirely of his own creation, after he worked a little too hard in Salonia. Though it was not quite as bad as Holo's hangovers, he knew he should reflect on his actions.
Just as he wondered whether or not his thoughts had reached her, the tail around him suddenly retracted and she stood up. He did not need to watch her to know that she had pulled her hood over her head and covered her tail with the long hem of her coat.
Meyer and the smith had likely returned with their game.
But when he turned to look, Lawrence spotted a figure coming down the road on the path leading toward the village.
Meyer and the smith were there, of course. But both of them seemed grim, almost as though the hunters had become the hunted—and it did not take long for Lawrence to see that was indeed the case.
Because behind them, sitting majestically on horseback, was clearly the lord and his entourage.
"So you are the merchant I have heard so much about."
The tone and gaze that came from atop the horse made Lawrence instinctively search for an escape route.
"I heard you have some objections about how I manage my territory."
Both Meyer and the smith hung their heads. On either side of the lord's horse stood two conscripted farmers, both wearing leather armor that seemed unnatural on their persons and meekly holding spears.
And then there was the good-natured old priest, who seemed anxious.
It was clear who made the report to the lord, and it was not realistic for him to escape now.
Lawrence stood, as though protecting Holo, and graciously bowed his head.
"My name is Kraft Lawrence."
The graying lord gave a deep sigh, powerful enough for the hairs on his beard to shudder, and then dismounted his horse.
Though the lord did not smile, he did introduce himself politely.
"I am Matthias Egil Tonneburg."
While Lawrence was unsure at first whether or not he needed to kneel, Lord Matthias waited only a brief moment to jerk his chin in his direction.


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

Input:
And no matter which it may be, she would remain glum.
"You are a sheep," she said, "and yet you somehow manage to be so elusive in times like this."
All Lawrence could say in response was, "Sure. But if I were predictable and boring, you would have given up on me and gone to chew on some other bones a long time ago."
Holo pursed her lips and widened her eyes. And after a long moment, she sighed.
At last, she gave an exasperated smile, one that was so emblematic of the wisewolf.
"You fool."
Lawrence simply drew up his shoulders in a shrug. Holo stood from her crate and sat down beside him instead.
That meant she was done being grumpy.
"What will we be eating, I wonder."
"Probably deer. I doubt being in the forest makes it any easier to hunt, though."
"There are plenty of rabbits in this wood. And there seems to be plenty of water, which means there will likely be many of those rats with flat tails."
"Wow, that brings back memories. We haven't had those in a long time."
Holo was talking about a large rodent that lived near the water's edge. Its teeth could cut through wood, which it used to make its nests, and it was the main ingredient for a proud and popular dish among members of the clergy, who claimed that because it inhabited the water, its flesh was closer to fish than other meat.
"There are plenty of delicious foods we have yet to try in this world."
"You're right. That said, I should remind you my coin purse is not bottomless."
Holo leaned her head on Lawrence's shoulder and slumped with a frown.
"You are a stingy merchant."
"Always have been."
He grinned at her, and she offered a weary smile in return, then readjusted her head on his shoulder.
Her fluffy tail curled, wrapping around the back of his waist as though holding him closer in a hug.
The quiet forest pondside was filled only with the sound of crackling kindling.
Lawrence watched Holo close her eyes, pleased, and he gave a light sigh.
It seemed as though he would be able to save the Tonneburg Woods from danger—which was a problem entirely of his own creation, after he worked a little too hard in Salonia. Though it was not quite as bad as Holo's hangovers, he knew he should reflect on his actions.
Just as he wondered whether or not his thoughts had reached her, the tail around him suddenly retracted and she stood up. He did not need to watch her to know that she had pulled her hood over her head and covered her tail with the long hem of her coat.
Meyer and the smith had likely returned with their game.
But when he turned to look, Lawrence spotted a figure coming down the road on the path leading toward the village.
Meyer and the smith were there, of course. But both of them seemed grim, almost as though the hunters had become the hunted—and it did not take long for Lawrence to see that was indeed the case.
Because behind them, sitting majestically on horseback, was clearly the lord and his entourage.
"So you are the merchant I have heard so much about."
The tone and gaze that came from atop the horse made Lawrence instinctively search for an escape route.
"I heard you have some objections about how I manage my territory."
Both Meyer and the smith hung their heads. On either side of the lord's horse stood two conscripted farmers, both wearing leather armor that seemed unnatural on their persons and meekly holding spears.
And then there was the good-natured old priest, who seemed anxious.
It was clear who made the report to the lord, and it was not realistic for him to escape now.
Lawrence stood, as though protecting Holo, and graciously bowed his head.
"My name is Kraft Lawrence."
The graying lord gave a deep sigh, powerful enough for the hairs on his beard to shudder, and then dismounted his horse.
Though the lord did not smile, he did introduce himself politely.
"I am Matthias Egil Tonneburg."
While Lawrence was unsure at first whether or not he needed to kneel, Lord Matthias waited only a brief moment to jerk his chin in his direction.

Output:
He did not immediately cut down Lawrence, nor did he put him in bonds. That meant he was much more open-minded than expected when dealing with an outsider who had come onto his land with the express purpose of overturning his plans.
But it did not take long for Lawrence to realize that Matthias was not so much tolerant as he was tired.
Lawrence glanced at Meyer and the smith before turning his attention to the soldiers and their awkward spears.
"Alone," the lord added.
Matthias probably assumed that Lawrence would think he would be killed alone among the trees, but Lawrence was worried about something else entirely. His primary concern was that if things even looked like they might get violent, then Holo was liable to fly into a rage and turn everyone else into forest fertilizer.
"Word of you has suddenly spread like wildfire in these parts. I wish to hear what you have to say."
He had likely heard of the lumber tariff negotiations in Salonia.
Lawrence nodded then glanced at Holo. She did not seem to sense anything out of the ordinary about this, so she only huffed in response.
Just in case, Lawrence checked where the dagger and its clasp was at his waist, then set forth to follow the lord, staying two paces behind him.
The road they took went the precise opposite direction of the one that led back to town—likely this was the one the smith used every day when he had business in the forest. It was not as though Lawrence could casually start a conversation with the distinguished person leading the way, so the two walked in total silence. As Lawrence idly watched how the dappled sunlight poured through the canopy of leaves and created deerlike spots on Lord Matthias's fur coat, the landlord finally spoke up.
"Are you from Kerube?"
It was not an entirely unexpected question. Lawrence knew right away what Matthias was worried about.
All he had to do was think of the relationship between Kerube and Karlan that Meyer painted in his story and recall that Tonneburg was partnering with Karlan on a large-scale project.
If there was the possibility of secret agents from Kerube who had come to sink the plan he had crafted with Karlan, then Lawrence had to be especially careful to avoid arousing Matthias's suspicions.
Matthias did not seem to be a fool, so Lawrence promptly came up with his answer.
"I have been to Kerube before, but in Salonia I simply worked at the behest of a priest."
"I also heard you threw away your opportunity to take up a lordship."
Lawrence cracked a little smile. "Forgive my arrogance, but I suppose there was a future in which we could have walked side by side as equals."
When Matthias turned around to look at him, there was a faint smile on his tired features, and he waved Lawrence up beside him.
"So what did Meyer say to convince you to come along? What sort of reward did he promise you?"
The way Matthias showed him that they were equals in the forest by dispensing with formalities showed that he was an affable ruler.
Lawrence, too, doubted he would be subject to some trick or ruse at this point, so he gave a relatively straightforward answer.
"He told me that your precious forest was at risk as a result of my actions. And he urged me to show you that the numbers of your plan do not quite add up using my skills as a merchant."
It was not a lie, but Matthias shot him a clearly dubious look, so he quickly added:
"As a reward, he promised honey and dried mushrooms and the like. There was a very persuasive case that they're important luxuries for running a bathhouse."
At last, Matthias finally understood how Meyer managed to rope Lawrence in.
"I see. Having something to protect can be a source of weakness at times." He ran a hand over his beard and sighed. "And my numbers, you say," he laughed dryly. "I suppose he got a good look at me lamenting over my lack of money."
Lawrence glanced up at Matthias just in time to see him feebly shrug.


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

Input:
He did not immediately cut down Lawrence, nor did he put him in bonds. That meant he was much more open-minded than expected when dealing with an outsider who had come onto his land with the express purpose of overturning his plans.
But it did not take long for Lawrence to realize that Matthias was not so much tolerant as he was tired.
Lawrence glanced at Meyer and the smith before turning his attention to the soldiers and their awkward spears.
"Alone," the lord added.
Matthias probably assumed that Lawrence would think he would be killed alone among the trees, but Lawrence was worried about something else entirely. His primary concern was that if things even looked like they might get violent, then Holo was liable to fly into a rage and turn everyone else into forest fertilizer.
"Word of you has suddenly spread like wildfire in these parts. I wish to hear what you have to say."
He had likely heard of the lumber tariff negotiations in Salonia.
Lawrence nodded then glanced at Holo. She did not seem to sense anything out of the ordinary about this, so she only huffed in response.
Just in case, Lawrence checked where the dagger and its clasp was at his waist, then set forth to follow the lord, staying two paces behind him.
The road they took went the precise opposite direction of the one that led back to town—likely this was the one the smith used every day when he had business in the forest. It was not as though Lawrence could casually start a conversation with the distinguished person leading the way, so the two walked in total silence. As Lawrence idly watched how the dappled sunlight poured through the canopy of leaves and created deerlike spots on Lord Matthias's fur coat, the landlord finally spoke up.
"Are you from Kerube?"
It was not an entirely unexpected question. Lawrence knew right away what Matthias was worried about.
All he had to do was think of the relationship between Kerube and Karlan that Meyer painted in his story and recall that Tonneburg was partnering with Karlan on a large-scale project.
If there was the possibility of secret agents from Kerube who had come to sink the plan he had crafted with Karlan, then Lawrence had to be especially careful to avoid arousing Matthias's suspicions.
Matthias did not seem to be a fool, so Lawrence promptly came up with his answer.
"I have been to Kerube before, but in Salonia I simply worked at the behest of a priest."
"I also heard you threw away your opportunity to take up a lordship."
Lawrence cracked a little smile. "Forgive my arrogance, but I suppose there was a future in which we could have walked side by side as equals."
When Matthias turned around to look at him, there was a faint smile on his tired features, and he waved Lawrence up beside him.
"So what did Meyer say to convince you to come along? What sort of reward did he promise you?"
The way Matthias showed him that they were equals in the forest by dispensing with formalities showed that he was an affable ruler.
Lawrence, too, doubted he would be subject to some trick or ruse at this point, so he gave a relatively straightforward answer.
"He told me that your precious forest was at risk as a result of my actions. And he urged me to show you that the numbers of your plan do not quite add up using my skills as a merchant."
It was not a lie, but Matthias shot him a clearly dubious look, so he quickly added:
"As a reward, he promised honey and dried mushrooms and the like. There was a very persuasive case that they're important luxuries for running a bathhouse."
At last, Matthias finally understood how Meyer managed to rope Lawrence in.
"I see. Having something to protect can be a source of weakness at times." He ran a hand over his beard and sighed. "And my numbers, you say," he laughed dryly. "I suppose he got a good look at me lamenting over my lack of money."
Lawrence glanced up at Matthias just in time to see him feebly shrug.

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