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

Input:
It was only when he awoke, with a sensation like missing a stair-step, that he realized he'd fallen asleep.
"...Mph..."
He wiped a bit of drool from the corner of his mouth with the blanket.
"Maybe I shouldn't have," he murmured to himself, remembering that the blanket belonged to Holo. He finished wiping his mouth with his own sleeve, then still lying on his side, glanced up at the sky.
He felt like he'd been asleep for only a short time, but at some point the cloud cover had thinned, and a bit of moon-light was now escaping through. He shivered and drew the blanket tighter around himself but soon realized that the source of his shiver was not the cold.
If it had been pitch-dark, it would've been impossible to find his way back to the blanket after relieving himself, but fortunately his eyes could see in this light, so he sat up. If he tried to endure and went in his sleep, well—the thought was too awful to contemplate. There was the fact that he was right by Holo and Aryes, and above all the insects would be terrible.
He remembered a bed-wetting incident many years in the past and shivered again.
The reason he went a fair distance away from his blanket was both because he simply didn't like the idea of going near where he slept and because the idea of being seen by Aryes was flatly humiliating.
Once he got far enough away, he was finally able to relieve himself.
"Whew..." The moment of bliss over, Klass sighed, satisfied, and turned around.
But between the darkness and his sleepiness, he had difficulty retying his trousers' drawstring. He looked down at his fumbling hands as he walked lazily back.
As he was tottering back to where he'd slept, Klass murmured his thanks at having just finished his business.
"What, so you never noticed me?" There in the gloom that left only the barest outlines of the world visible, Holo's amusement-narrowed eyes were still strangely bright.
"Th-thought you were an owl spirit!"
"Hmph, and yet I am a wolf."
When he could not laugh, she stepped on his foot.
Klass hesitated to protest, whereupon Holo walked away, so he gave up entirely.
Once she was a short distance away, she looked over her shoulder at him and beckoned him near.
"Wh-what?"
Holo stopped and sat, motioning for Klass to sit beside her, which he did. Once they were sitting, they were roughly the same height, with Klass shorter than Holo only by the length of her ears.
"I've something I wish to ask you," she said.
"Something to ask me...?"
Klass wondered what it could possibly be that she would make a point of asking at this dark hour, when Holo slowly spoke.
"'Tis about Antheo, under whom you worked for a time."
"The lord?"
"Aye. Are you quite certain that he died?"
Klass remembered that when he was relating the events leading to his journey, Holo had seemed to take notice of the lord.
Perhaps they had been friends.
"'Quite certain,' you say...I just...I don't know."
The lord's younger brother had simply arrived with his retainers and declared it to be so, after all.
"Hmph...but from what I heard, he had a habit of going on long journeys."
"Ah, well, that is—after a while, he would come back with strange objects or people."
It was the collective opinion of the servants that his strangest habit of all was the stone building with Aryes in it.
"So what you're saying is that even at best you don't know where he traveled. Dim hope, indeed," said Holo with a sigh, lying down on the spot.
Not so much as a bug made a sound, and the only thing breaking the silence was the swishing of Holo's tail.
"Did you know him?" asked Klass.
"Me? No, nothing of the sort."
Holo lay sideways, propping her head up with an elbow on the ground.
From what he could tell of her form lit by the hazy moon-light, she was used to sleeping outside. Holo stayed like that for a while, looking at nothing in particular, and was silent, and Klass did not ask any further questions.
It was Holo who finally broke the silence.

Output:
"Im...mort...?"
"Immortality. It means living forever without getting old."
Klass could only mouth a befuddled, "Wha—?"—what would be the point of such a thing?
"Heh. You've only just been born, so of course you can't imagine it." Klass pulled his chin in, offended, and Holo regarded him. "Compared to many other creatures, humans live quite a bit longer, but they still grow old and decrepit in a twinkling. Even I cannot claim not to understand why one would want to avoid such a fate."
While Klass still couldn't really wrap his head around this, something suddenly occurred to him. "Oh—but I'm sure you'll always stay young and pretty the way you are now, Miss Holo!" he said hastily.
Holo was briefly taken aback, then smiled, showing her fangs. "Something about being reassured by a child so young rubs me the wrong way. But of course, my beauty is eternal."
She sniffed and flicked her tail and seemed genuinely proud of this.
In any case, she wasn't angry, which was a relief.
"But your words are half right," said Holo.
"Huh?"
"'Twas not I that would use the immortality elixir," said Holo with a self-deprecating smile, sounding somehow embarrassed.
Klass barely managed to ask, "Then who?" when—
"One more thing," said Holo, glancing behind her. "So I hear Aryes lived in the same building since birth? Is that true?"
He hadn't told Holo anything about that, so she must have heard it from Aryes last night when they slept side by side, but Klass had no idea why Holo would look to him to confirm the story.
But setting inquiry aside, Klass told her what he knew.
"I-I think so. At least, the adult servants all said so."
"Hmmm." Though it was not clear whether she was actually interested or not, Holo nodded and gazed off into the distance.
"What's the matter?" Klass finally asked, unable to resist, which Holo shook her head at.
"Ah, 'tis well. But if Antheo is truly dead, that means I've no longer a destination. I meant it as a bit of a joke, but I may be traveling with you for quite some time."
***
Klass fortunately managed not to say anything, but his preference for traveling alone with Aryes must've shown on his face.
Holo raised an eyebrow bitterly. "I may well be a nuisance, but to have it show so plainly on your face hurts a bit."
"N-no, I didn't mean—"
"Ah, so I can stay with you forever?" asked Holo with a grin, which Klass could now hardly shake his head at.
And it was true that Aryes's charm was enough to balance out Holo's malicious smile.
So Klass nodded slowly, eliciting a chuckle from Holo. "At that rate, you'll have no cause to complain if your dear Aryes slaps you clean across your face."
Her brilliant smile turned into a mean-spirited grin.
Evidently spirits could read minds.
"Heh-heh. Ah, well, 'tis the right of all children to be honest. Should you be fool enough to bring her flowers, I'll be kind enough to let you."
Finding a retort was more trouble than it would be worth, so Klass simply cast his gaze up to the moon.
"Still, I envy you."
***
Holo spoke as though muttering to herself, then sat up and crossed her legs.
He could see only a bit of her profile, so it was hard to be sure, but she seemed to be looking far off into the distance.
Holo was silent for a while, then looked back at Klass and spoke.
"What would you do if wolves were to appear right now and attack?"
It was an unexpected question and it took him off balance, but Holo the spirit was here, so surely there was nothing to fear.
"Er, I'd try not to get in your way...," Klass immediately answered, and Holo smiled a bit ruefully, then flopped down on her side.
Klass flinched away because not only did she lay on her side, she also rested her head right in his lap.
"'Tis a logical answer indeed, but there's nothing so hated as a selfish male."
"I-I see..."
"You do not see. You should've said something more like 'I would sacrifice myself to protect you.' Come now," she said, slapping his leg, which could only mean that she wanted him to actually say it.


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

Input:
"Im...mort...?"
"Immortality. It means living forever without getting old."
Klass could only mouth a befuddled, "Wha—?"—what would be the point of such a thing?
"Heh. You've only just been born, so of course you can't imagine it." Klass pulled his chin in, offended, and Holo regarded him. "Compared to many other creatures, humans live quite a bit longer, but they still grow old and decrepit in a twinkling. Even I cannot claim not to understand why one would want to avoid such a fate."
While Klass still couldn't really wrap his head around this, something suddenly occurred to him. "Oh—but I'm sure you'll always stay young and pretty the way you are now, Miss Holo!" he said hastily.
Holo was briefly taken aback, then smiled, showing her fangs. "Something about being reassured by a child so young rubs me the wrong way. But of course, my beauty is eternal."
She sniffed and flicked her tail and seemed genuinely proud of this.
In any case, she wasn't angry, which was a relief.
"But your words are half right," said Holo.
"Huh?"
"'Twas not I that would use the immortality elixir," said Holo with a self-deprecating smile, sounding somehow embarrassed.
Klass barely managed to ask, "Then who?" when—
"One more thing," said Holo, glancing behind her. "So I hear Aryes lived in the same building since birth? Is that true?"
He hadn't told Holo anything about that, so she must have heard it from Aryes last night when they slept side by side, but Klass had no idea why Holo would look to him to confirm the story.
But setting inquiry aside, Klass told her what he knew.
"I-I think so. At least, the adult servants all said so."
"Hmmm." Though it was not clear whether she was actually interested or not, Holo nodded and gazed off into the distance.
"What's the matter?" Klass finally asked, unable to resist, which Holo shook her head at.
"Ah, 'tis well. But if Antheo is truly dead, that means I've no longer a destination. I meant it as a bit of a joke, but I may be traveling with you for quite some time."
***
Klass fortunately managed not to say anything, but his preference for traveling alone with Aryes must've shown on his face.
Holo raised an eyebrow bitterly. "I may well be a nuisance, but to have it show so plainly on your face hurts a bit."
"N-no, I didn't mean—"
"Ah, so I can stay with you forever?" asked Holo with a grin, which Klass could now hardly shake his head at.
And it was true that Aryes's charm was enough to balance out Holo's malicious smile.
So Klass nodded slowly, eliciting a chuckle from Holo. "At that rate, you'll have no cause to complain if your dear Aryes slaps you clean across your face."
Her brilliant smile turned into a mean-spirited grin.
Evidently spirits could read minds.
"Heh-heh. Ah, well, 'tis the right of all children to be honest. Should you be fool enough to bring her flowers, I'll be kind enough to let you."
Finding a retort was more trouble than it would be worth, so Klass simply cast his gaze up to the moon.
"Still, I envy you."
***
Holo spoke as though muttering to herself, then sat up and crossed her legs.
He could see only a bit of her profile, so it was hard to be sure, but she seemed to be looking far off into the distance.
Holo was silent for a while, then looked back at Klass and spoke.
"What would you do if wolves were to appear right now and attack?"
It was an unexpected question and it took him off balance, but Holo the spirit was here, so surely there was nothing to fear.
"Er, I'd try not to get in your way...," Klass immediately answered, and Holo smiled a bit ruefully, then flopped down on her side.
Klass flinched away because not only did she lay on her side, she also rested her head right in his lap.
"'Tis a logical answer indeed, but there's nothing so hated as a selfish male."
"I-I see..."
"You do not see. You should've said something more like 'I would sacrifice myself to protect you.' Come now," she said, slapping his leg, which could only mean that she wanted him to actually say it.

Output:
But he got the feeling that if he didn't say it, she'd be angry, and she wasn't going to release him until he did.
And yet he hesitated for a while, but at Holo's deliberate throat clearing, he composed himself. He took a deep breath as though he were about to jump into cold water, stuck his chin out, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth.
"I...I would sacrifice..."
"Hmph."
"...S-sacrifice..."
"Mm?"
"...Myself..."
Having gotten this far, his mind went blank.
When he stopped without continuing the sentence, Holo rolled her eyes and muttered, sitting up, "Sacrifice myself to protect," she prompted.
"Oh, right, 'Sacrifice myself to protect you.'"
Having finished this, he realized that it was a short thing to say, but it had felt like reciting a lengthy poem.
Even after he finished repeating the line, he left his chin up, and his eyes remained closed.
He knew all too well that Holo was looking at him, as her gaze was so keen it felt as though something were poking his cheeks.
"Heh. Aye, I suppose that'll do," said Holo, finally turning her gaze away.
Klass let his chin drop and took a deep breath as though having just emerged from underwater.
"Still, if that's so difficult you'll have a hard time climbing that next step."
"Er, next step?"
"Aye." Holo's reply and her action were simultaneous.
Immediately thereafter, Klass was quite sure he had died.
Not only could he not move, but he couldn't even breathe or blink.
"Heh."
Klass could not tell whether Holo had actually let slip a chuckle or if the sensation of her finger softly tracing his ear had made him imagine one.
What he could tell was that Holo had wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
The silence continued for a while.
His left ear began to tingle, which he realized later was because of the sensation of Holo's breath upon it.
He had no idea why she was doing this.
It was dreamlike and stifling all at once.
"Goodness, if I were to bite you like this, it's as though you would just die on the spot."
Holo's words were like a hand thrust into the mud of his mind.
Though she was obviously making a joke, nothing about this seemed funny to Klass, and he was finally able to turn his head.
What met his gaze when he did so was the moonlit glow of her beautiful amber eyes and her preternaturally white fangs.
That and her dizzyingly sweet scent.
Even in this state, with his field of vision tilting wildly, the one thing he could see strangely clearly were those white fangs, her lips curled up to reveal them.
At that moment, he truly believed she was about to devour him.
As Holo's mouth with its fangs approached him, some part of his numbed mind murmured that he wouldn't even mind it if she did.
A sensation akin to sleepiness made him close his eyes.
All that remained was her scent.
Yet—
***
Holo did not eat Klass.
"Ho, I can't very well devour you thus," she said lightly, suddenly releasing him from her embrace.
In that instant it felt to Klass like the dreamlike layers that had enfolded him all popped like so many bubbles.
No—they had popped.
He was stunned for a moment, then looked at Holo as though he'd dropped his favorite sweet on the ground.
What happened next made his heart break at her distant face.
Holo giggled. "When you look at me like that, it makes me want to continue, it does."
She tapped him on the nose with her index finger, and he knew she was joking.
Klass finally realized it.
He'd been toyed with.
"Don't be angry. It's not as though I'm offering not to do it only if you'll protect me from that."
"Huh?" Like a well-trained dog, Klass looked in the direction Holo nodded. "Oh—" His mouth froze in the shape of a cry. "A-Arye—!"
He couldn't finish the word.
There at the end of his gaze was Aryes, who was supposed to be sleeping a short distance away.


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

Input:
But he got the feeling that if he didn't say it, she'd be angry, and she wasn't going to release him until he did.
And yet he hesitated for a while, but at Holo's deliberate throat clearing, he composed himself. He took a deep breath as though he were about to jump into cold water, stuck his chin out, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth.
"I...I would sacrifice..."
"Hmph."
"...S-sacrifice..."
"Mm?"
"...Myself..."
Having gotten this far, his mind went blank.
When he stopped without continuing the sentence, Holo rolled her eyes and muttered, sitting up, "Sacrifice myself to protect," she prompted.
"Oh, right, 'Sacrifice myself to protect you.'"
Having finished this, he realized that it was a short thing to say, but it had felt like reciting a lengthy poem.
Even after he finished repeating the line, he left his chin up, and his eyes remained closed.
He knew all too well that Holo was looking at him, as her gaze was so keen it felt as though something were poking his cheeks.
"Heh. Aye, I suppose that'll do," said Holo, finally turning her gaze away.
Klass let his chin drop and took a deep breath as though having just emerged from underwater.
"Still, if that's so difficult you'll have a hard time climbing that next step."
"Er, next step?"
"Aye." Holo's reply and her action were simultaneous.
Immediately thereafter, Klass was quite sure he had died.
Not only could he not move, but he couldn't even breathe or blink.
"Heh."
Klass could not tell whether Holo had actually let slip a chuckle or if the sensation of her finger softly tracing his ear had made him imagine one.
What he could tell was that Holo had wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
The silence continued for a while.
His left ear began to tingle, which he realized later was because of the sensation of Holo's breath upon it.
He had no idea why she was doing this.
It was dreamlike and stifling all at once.
"Goodness, if I were to bite you like this, it's as though you would just die on the spot."
Holo's words were like a hand thrust into the mud of his mind.
Though she was obviously making a joke, nothing about this seemed funny to Klass, and he was finally able to turn his head.
What met his gaze when he did so was the moonlit glow of her beautiful amber eyes and her preternaturally white fangs.
That and her dizzyingly sweet scent.
Even in this state, with his field of vision tilting wildly, the one thing he could see strangely clearly were those white fangs, her lips curled up to reveal them.
At that moment, he truly believed she was about to devour him.
As Holo's mouth with its fangs approached him, some part of his numbed mind murmured that he wouldn't even mind it if she did.
A sensation akin to sleepiness made him close his eyes.
All that remained was her scent.
Yet—
***
Holo did not eat Klass.
"Ho, I can't very well devour you thus," she said lightly, suddenly releasing him from her embrace.
In that instant it felt to Klass like the dreamlike layers that had enfolded him all popped like so many bubbles.
No—they had popped.
He was stunned for a moment, then looked at Holo as though he'd dropped his favorite sweet on the ground.
What happened next made his heart break at her distant face.
Holo giggled. "When you look at me like that, it makes me want to continue, it does."
She tapped him on the nose with her index finger, and he knew she was joking.
Klass finally realized it.
He'd been toyed with.
"Don't be angry. It's not as though I'm offering not to do it only if you'll protect me from that."
"Huh?" Like a well-trained dog, Klass looked in the direction Holo nodded. "Oh—" His mouth froze in the shape of a cry. "A-Arye—!"
He couldn't finish the word.
There at the end of his gaze was Aryes, who was supposed to be sleeping a short distance away.

Output:
Just after he realized his back had broken out in a cold sweat, Aryes averted her eyes, just like she had when they'd watched the rabbit in the field.
Klass felt like he'd been caught doing something very bad. No—this was very bad.
Although he didn't know exactly what was so bad, his brain ran in circles trying to come up with some kind of excuse.
Next to him, Holo chuckled in a lowered voice.
She still hadn't entirely released him from her arms, so he could feel her chortling; it was just like the sound of a rabbit thumping to warn of approaching danger.
"I have heard that love burns brighter when its road has many obstacles," Holo said.
"N-no, that's not—!"
"Well, then there's no need for concern, is there?" she shot back.
He glared resentfully at her, but she seemed to regard his harsh gaze as a gentle ray of spring sunlight. "This won't do. When I see such a lovely cub, I can't help but tease it," she said, lightly releasing him from her arms. She stretched with a groan, then waved her tail grandly.
He felt just like a dog that had been soundly beaten in a play fight, and the comparison was not just hypothetical.
Because, after all, he'd been toyed with again.
"You cannot simply gaze greedily at a thing forever," whispered Holo low enough that Aryes, who was undoubtedly listening in, would not be able to hear. Cocking her head, she continued. "But you've learned something now, yes?"
"Huh?" he replied, not understanding.
Holo's face looked irritated. "Ah, 'tis well," she said, shaking her head. "But know this: It's not only wolves that will bare their fangs at you and her. Far from it, as she is a young maiden."
"Wha—?"
"You've about as much charm as you have lesser traits. Now all you need is courage." These last words were delivered as Holo stood and ruffled Klass's hair.
He angrily pushed her hand away, but Holo only laughed and walked unconcernedly back to where she had slept.
Her movements were so light it was easy to think that the exchange that had just happened was nothing more than a brief dream during his night's sleep.
In any case, he watched Holo recede; she did not clarify her last words to him.
He slumped and let slip a sigh less from dejection than from relief at having been released by Holo the wolf.
Then he reached up to fix his mussed hair but suddenly stopped short.
It would be a shame to straighten it, he realized, since it acted as a landmark by which he could continue the dream.
As soon as Holo reached her destination, she seemed to have a hushed conversation there, immediately after which Aryes met Klass's eyes for a brief instant.
He suddenly felt like it would be a very bad idea to leave his hair mussed.
Klass fixed his hair and sighed again.
Holo and Aryes talked quietly for a while but eventually were silent.
Klass took the opportunity to return to where he'd been sleeping.
He was very tired, and suddenly felt he understood less than ever before.
"Still," he murmured into his blanket.
There was one thing he did understand.
While they both might smell nice, Holo and Aryes were nothing alike.
And if he had to choose which one he liked better...
Klass put the question to himself but smacked his own head before answering.
The night was wearing on.
He sighed so heavily it seemed like his blanket would be blown off.
A strange feeling of guilt made him unable to look at Aryes the next morning.
But Holo seemed to have patched things up nicely, since after Aryes finished her morning prayers, she greeted him as happily as she always did without hesitation or awkwardness.
He was honestly relieved at this, but a feeling of loneliness lingered in his chest.
Klass was surprised to realize that he'd been expecting Aryes to have misunderstood and therefore be in a foul temper.
As he hastily told himself that he most certainly did not want to attract Aryes's affection, he started to think of himself as more and more foolish.
And yet—, he thought.


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

Input:
Just after he realized his back had broken out in a cold sweat, Aryes averted her eyes, just like she had when they'd watched the rabbit in the field.
Klass felt like he'd been caught doing something very bad. No—this was very bad.
Although he didn't know exactly what was so bad, his brain ran in circles trying to come up with some kind of excuse.
Next to him, Holo chuckled in a lowered voice.
She still hadn't entirely released him from her arms, so he could feel her chortling; it was just like the sound of a rabbit thumping to warn of approaching danger.
"I have heard that love burns brighter when its road has many obstacles," Holo said.
"N-no, that's not—!"
"Well, then there's no need for concern, is there?" she shot back.
He glared resentfully at her, but she seemed to regard his harsh gaze as a gentle ray of spring sunlight. "This won't do. When I see such a lovely cub, I can't help but tease it," she said, lightly releasing him from her arms. She stretched with a groan, then waved her tail grandly.
He felt just like a dog that had been soundly beaten in a play fight, and the comparison was not just hypothetical.
Because, after all, he'd been toyed with again.
"You cannot simply gaze greedily at a thing forever," whispered Holo low enough that Aryes, who was undoubtedly listening in, would not be able to hear. Cocking her head, she continued. "But you've learned something now, yes?"
"Huh?" he replied, not understanding.
Holo's face looked irritated. "Ah, 'tis well," she said, shaking her head. "But know this: It's not only wolves that will bare their fangs at you and her. Far from it, as she is a young maiden."
"Wha—?"
"You've about as much charm as you have lesser traits. Now all you need is courage." These last words were delivered as Holo stood and ruffled Klass's hair.
He angrily pushed her hand away, but Holo only laughed and walked unconcernedly back to where she had slept.
Her movements were so light it was easy to think that the exchange that had just happened was nothing more than a brief dream during his night's sleep.
In any case, he watched Holo recede; she did not clarify her last words to him.
He slumped and let slip a sigh less from dejection than from relief at having been released by Holo the wolf.
Then he reached up to fix his mussed hair but suddenly stopped short.
It would be a shame to straighten it, he realized, since it acted as a landmark by which he could continue the dream.
As soon as Holo reached her destination, she seemed to have a hushed conversation there, immediately after which Aryes met Klass's eyes for a brief instant.
He suddenly felt like it would be a very bad idea to leave his hair mussed.
Klass fixed his hair and sighed again.
Holo and Aryes talked quietly for a while but eventually were silent.
Klass took the opportunity to return to where he'd been sleeping.
He was very tired, and suddenly felt he understood less than ever before.
"Still," he murmured into his blanket.
There was one thing he did understand.
While they both might smell nice, Holo and Aryes were nothing alike.
And if he had to choose which one he liked better...
Klass put the question to himself but smacked his own head before answering.
The night was wearing on.
He sighed so heavily it seemed like his blanket would be blown off.
A strange feeling of guilt made him unable to look at Aryes the next morning.
But Holo seemed to have patched things up nicely, since after Aryes finished her morning prayers, she greeted him as happily as she always did without hesitation or awkwardness.
He was honestly relieved at this, but a feeling of loneliness lingered in his chest.
Klass was surprised to realize that he'd been expecting Aryes to have misunderstood and therefore be in a foul temper.
As he hastily told himself that he most certainly did not want to attract Aryes's affection, he started to think of himself as more and more foolish.
And yet—, he thought.

Output:
In his mind, Holo was mysteriously charming.
"...Oh."
Feeling as though he'd become just a bit cleverer, he nodded to himself, but then his head was suddenly smacked, and he snapped out of his reverie.
He looked up to see Holo's displeased face.
"Hurry. Will you not eat? You're last to finish again."
Klass was startled by the sudden strike, but at the same time, he was suddenly worried that the contents of his imaginings had somehow been seen.
He jammed the wheat bread that Holo had again provided into his mouth, swallowing it along with his secret thoughts.
"Eating with haste is an art unto itself," muttered Holo, sounding so bored that the events of the previous night might never have happened.
Klass couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, but evidently she wasn't reading his mind. He sighed in relief.
He once again wound up carrying everyone's luggage, and they set off walking.
Today Holo and Aryes walked side by side with the burdened Klass walking ahead.
He tilted his ear to try and hear their happy conversation; it seemed they were still discussing liquor. While a moment ago grape wine had been the topic, they were now discussing some kind of brown wine made with bread.
In any case, having suffered defeat at the hands of the wine earlier, it was not a topic that deeply interested Klass.
Raspberry juice mixed with water and honey was a far tastier treat, in his opinion.
However, Klass did not have the gumption to turn around and tell that to the musical chirps of laughter behind him.
Doing so would only elicit sad smiles of pity from them, he was sure.
He kept the lead, sulking at having been left out of the conversation, when he realized that groves of bushes and stands of boulders were becoming more frequent.
The landscape was beginning to shift from plains to scrub, and from the hilltops, the dark forms of trees were visible.
The forest spread out ahead to their right, and far off in the distance, there was a small mountain visible.
In contrast, the view to the left was all tall grass and thickets, and if he looked closely, he could see pools of water dotting the area. It was becoming a marshland.
"'Tis a lovely view," said Holo, standing beside Klass, and beside her was Aryes, who put her hand to her mouth, surprised.
And now that she mentioned it, Klass realized that while they had climbed many hills, this was the first time they'd seen scenery like this.
"Pretty great scenery, eh?" said Klass proudly, looking at a surprised Aryes—but Holo was between them, and she elbowed Klass.
Ignoring Holo and Klass, Aryes looked off into the distance, taking in the view, then spoke in a hesitant voice.
"Er, is...is that the sea?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the marsh.
"No, that's a swamp," said Klass.
"Swamp?"
"It's sort of like a pond. But it's shallower and muddier."
Aryes nodded her understanding. A swamp meant there would be catfish, and Klass dearly wanted to catch one of the strange fish and show it to Aryes, just to see her reaction. Ignorant of this, Aryes continued. "So—" she asked, "is the sea anything like this?"
"The sea is much, much bigger!"
Klass had never actually seen the sea in person, but he'd heard about it. As he explained, he traced a great circle in the air with both arms, at which point Holo cut in.
"And just how big is it?"
"Wha—?" said Klass, at a loss for words. Aryes took her gaze from the swamp and looked at Klass questioningly.
After fumbling for a moment for a reply, Klass repeated what he'd been told about the sea. "It's so big that no matter which way you look—left, right, straight ahead—all you can see is the sea."
At this explanation, Aryes exhaled her wonderment, while Holo being Holo seemed to realize that Klass had never actually seen the sea. She grinned.


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

Input:
In his mind, Holo was mysteriously charming.
"...Oh."
Feeling as though he'd become just a bit cleverer, he nodded to himself, but then his head was suddenly smacked, and he snapped out of his reverie.
He looked up to see Holo's displeased face.
"Hurry. Will you not eat? You're last to finish again."
Klass was startled by the sudden strike, but at the same time, he was suddenly worried that the contents of his imaginings had somehow been seen.
He jammed the wheat bread that Holo had again provided into his mouth, swallowing it along with his secret thoughts.
"Eating with haste is an art unto itself," muttered Holo, sounding so bored that the events of the previous night might never have happened.
Klass couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, but evidently she wasn't reading his mind. He sighed in relief.
He once again wound up carrying everyone's luggage, and they set off walking.
Today Holo and Aryes walked side by side with the burdened Klass walking ahead.
He tilted his ear to try and hear their happy conversation; it seemed they were still discussing liquor. While a moment ago grape wine had been the topic, they were now discussing some kind of brown wine made with bread.
In any case, having suffered defeat at the hands of the wine earlier, it was not a topic that deeply interested Klass.
Raspberry juice mixed with water and honey was a far tastier treat, in his opinion.
However, Klass did not have the gumption to turn around and tell that to the musical chirps of laughter behind him.
Doing so would only elicit sad smiles of pity from them, he was sure.
He kept the lead, sulking at having been left out of the conversation, when he realized that groves of bushes and stands of boulders were becoming more frequent.
The landscape was beginning to shift from plains to scrub, and from the hilltops, the dark forms of trees were visible.
The forest spread out ahead to their right, and far off in the distance, there was a small mountain visible.
In contrast, the view to the left was all tall grass and thickets, and if he looked closely, he could see pools of water dotting the area. It was becoming a marshland.
"'Tis a lovely view," said Holo, standing beside Klass, and beside her was Aryes, who put her hand to her mouth, surprised.
And now that she mentioned it, Klass realized that while they had climbed many hills, this was the first time they'd seen scenery like this.
"Pretty great scenery, eh?" said Klass proudly, looking at a surprised Aryes—but Holo was between them, and she elbowed Klass.
Ignoring Holo and Klass, Aryes looked off into the distance, taking in the view, then spoke in a hesitant voice.
"Er, is...is that the sea?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the marsh.
"No, that's a swamp," said Klass.
"Swamp?"
"It's sort of like a pond. But it's shallower and muddier."
Aryes nodded her understanding. A swamp meant there would be catfish, and Klass dearly wanted to catch one of the strange fish and show it to Aryes, just to see her reaction. Ignorant of this, Aryes continued. "So—" she asked, "is the sea anything like this?"
"The sea is much, much bigger!"
Klass had never actually seen the sea in person, but he'd heard about it. As he explained, he traced a great circle in the air with both arms, at which point Holo cut in.
"And just how big is it?"
"Wha—?" said Klass, at a loss for words. Aryes took her gaze from the swamp and looked at Klass questioningly.
After fumbling for a moment for a reply, Klass repeated what he'd been told about the sea. "It's so big that no matter which way you look—left, right, straight ahead—all you can see is the sea."
At this explanation, Aryes exhaled her wonderment, while Holo being Holo seemed to realize that Klass had never actually seen the sea. She grinned.

Output:
"So, we'll pass between the forest and the marsh. The town's not far beyond, but...," explained Holo, gnawing on some jerky as the trio then took their midday meal.
Her explanation seemed to imply something unpleasant, so Klass asked her about it. "Is the road rough?"
"No. When I came this way from the town, it was not so difficult. 'Tis much faster to cut through the forest—and more dangerous. What worries me is not the road, but what lies beyond it."
"Beyond it?"
"Aye. To be frank, I mean the state of your coin purse."
Hearing this, Klass untied his bindle and thrust his hand into it, still chewing on a piece of jerky he'd gotten from Holo.
In it was the money he'd received from travelers and other visitors to the mansion.
After rummaging around, he finally produced five coins. All of them were smaller than the end of his thumb, and three of them were mostly black with spots of green; the other two were rusty and gray.
They had been Klass's most treasured possessions for a long time.
"Oh ho, so this is your fortune, is it?" said Holo, mildly surprised. Klass nodded proudly.
Living for a half year on these might be hard, but he was sure they'd be able to get by for three months at least.
"Is this money?" asked Aryes, peering at the currency in Klass's palm.
"Sure is."
"I was taught that money is the root of all evil. But it's nothing like what I thought."
Klass amused himself by wondering what she did think it was like.
For a moment, he didn't comprehend the words he heard next.
"I'm not certain this will buy a piece of bread," she said.
There was a short pause; then Klass replied. "Huh?"
"I don't well understand the thing called money. I can quickly know the quality of a pelt, though, so 'tis hardly a burden, but..."
As she spoke, Holo went through her own things just as Klass had and produced a small pouch.
Untying the white and purple drawstring, she emptied the contents into her open palm.
The shock that hit Klass when he saw them was no different from being struck on the head.
"I think this bought a loaf of bread. With this silver one, you can buy a lot. What think you? I know not the details, but you can tell the difference between this and yours, can you not?"
Klass understood so well it hurt.
In the palm of Holo's hand were large, thick coins carved with surprising intricacy.
The ones that she said would buy a loaf of bread were a beautiful red-brown color while the ones that would buy many loaves were a bolder, dull white-silver color.
"Just being in a town costs money, to say nothing of the bread you'll need to buy to continue your travel. What do you imagine you'll do?" said Holo, putting her own coins back in her pouch.
The sound they made was not a light jingling, but rather a strong clink.
Just as when he'd come to understand the vast size of the world, Klass felt his chest fill with an angry sadness.
Holo was not in the wrong, and yet she seemed like a villain to him in that moment, and he tried to find words to hurl at her, but they would not come.
Just as it seemed like his only reply to her would be tears, someone else interrupted.
"Bread is the fruit of labor. If we work, we'll be fine," said Aryes, directing a smile at Klass.
She was trying to be considerate of him.
His face reddened, and he reconsidered their options, furiously rubbing the tears from his eyes. "Th-that's right. If we work, we'll be all right."
"Mm," said Holo, nodding but not smiling. Flashing her fangs and biting off another piece of jerky, she continued. "What if a hard day's work doesn't buy you a day's worth of food? What then?"
"W-we'll just work harder!" Klass was not totally confident, but he stole a glance at Aryes, who was nodding along with him. This gave him a bit of courage, and he looked back at Holo.
"You'll work harder, will you? Aye, and then the question becomes whether there's work for you at all."
This was more of Holo's banter. Klass guessed as much and opened his mouth to reply, but Holo cut him off.


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

Input:
"So, we'll pass between the forest and the marsh. The town's not far beyond, but...," explained Holo, gnawing on some jerky as the trio then took their midday meal.
Her explanation seemed to imply something unpleasant, so Klass asked her about it. "Is the road rough?"
"No. When I came this way from the town, it was not so difficult. 'Tis much faster to cut through the forest—and more dangerous. What worries me is not the road, but what lies beyond it."
"Beyond it?"
"Aye. To be frank, I mean the state of your coin purse."
Hearing this, Klass untied his bindle and thrust his hand into it, still chewing on a piece of jerky he'd gotten from Holo.
In it was the money he'd received from travelers and other visitors to the mansion.
After rummaging around, he finally produced five coins. All of them were smaller than the end of his thumb, and three of them were mostly black with spots of green; the other two were rusty and gray.
They had been Klass's most treasured possessions for a long time.
"Oh ho, so this is your fortune, is it?" said Holo, mildly surprised. Klass nodded proudly.
Living for a half year on these might be hard, but he was sure they'd be able to get by for three months at least.
"Is this money?" asked Aryes, peering at the currency in Klass's palm.
"Sure is."
"I was taught that money is the root of all evil. But it's nothing like what I thought."
Klass amused himself by wondering what she did think it was like.
For a moment, he didn't comprehend the words he heard next.
"I'm not certain this will buy a piece of bread," she said.
There was a short pause; then Klass replied. "Huh?"
"I don't well understand the thing called money. I can quickly know the quality of a pelt, though, so 'tis hardly a burden, but..."
As she spoke, Holo went through her own things just as Klass had and produced a small pouch.
Untying the white and purple drawstring, she emptied the contents into her open palm.
The shock that hit Klass when he saw them was no different from being struck on the head.
"I think this bought a loaf of bread. With this silver one, you can buy a lot. What think you? I know not the details, but you can tell the difference between this and yours, can you not?"
Klass understood so well it hurt.
In the palm of Holo's hand were large, thick coins carved with surprising intricacy.
The ones that she said would buy a loaf of bread were a beautiful red-brown color while the ones that would buy many loaves were a bolder, dull white-silver color.
"Just being in a town costs money, to say nothing of the bread you'll need to buy to continue your travel. What do you imagine you'll do?" said Holo, putting her own coins back in her pouch.
The sound they made was not a light jingling, but rather a strong clink.
Just as when he'd come to understand the vast size of the world, Klass felt his chest fill with an angry sadness.
Holo was not in the wrong, and yet she seemed like a villain to him in that moment, and he tried to find words to hurl at her, but they would not come.
Just as it seemed like his only reply to her would be tears, someone else interrupted.
"Bread is the fruit of labor. If we work, we'll be fine," said Aryes, directing a smile at Klass.
She was trying to be considerate of him.
His face reddened, and he reconsidered their options, furiously rubbing the tears from his eyes. "Th-that's right. If we work, we'll be all right."
"Mm," said Holo, nodding but not smiling. Flashing her fangs and biting off another piece of jerky, she continued. "What if a hard day's work doesn't buy you a day's worth of food? What then?"
"W-we'll just work harder!" Klass was not totally confident, but he stole a glance at Aryes, who was nodding along with him. This gave him a bit of courage, and he looked back at Holo.
"You'll work harder, will you? Aye, and then the question becomes whether there's work for you at all."
This was more of Holo's banter. Klass guessed as much and opened his mouth to reply, but Holo cut him off.

Output:
His mouth froze in the shape of a silent "Wha—?"
"You've neither strength nor skill, and you know no one in the town. I hear things are different in the human world if you can read and write, but..."
Klass, of course, could not read, but then he remembered that Aryes could.
"You can read, right, Aryes?" he asked her, at which she gave a thin smile.
Now there were no problems.
But as soon as he thought as much, Holo sighed again. "So what will Klass do as Aryes is toiling away?"
Klass felt as though a spear had pierced his chest.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind if Klass waited for me."
"Th-that's right. I'll wait."
Holo regarded Klass with a narrow-eyed gaze, and he bit his lower lip.
He'd never be able to do anything so pathetic.
"Still, I can't imagine there are so many jobs that involve reading and writing." Holo traced little circles in the air with her piece of jerky, then poked her cheek with the pointed, bitten-off end. Klass watched this, glaring at her quasi-mutinously and wondering why she was suddenly bringing this up.
It was as though she was trying to tell him to give up the journey.
"However, I've been thinking," said Holo.
Thinking what? Klass muttered inwardly.
Holo turned her gaze of beautiful amber eyes off into the distance. "What would you say to turning back here?" While Klass was stricken with surprise and unable to reply, she brought her gaze back from the distance. "From here we could fetch some water from the marsh, and if you took my food, you could make it back. There's no gain in forcing yourselves onward. And though you say you were driven from the mansion, you're yet children. If you appeal to their emotions, I'm sure all would be well."
Klass understood her proposal all too well, but something about it filled him with such anger that he was unable to nod.
Suddenly he realized what that was.
It was his promise with Aryes.
They were going to see the sea.
"I can tell what you're thinking, boy," said Holo with a tired laugh. "If you continue with any goal or plan or destination, what will happen when your food runs out? When you have no money and no work? Will you beg? Will you sit on the roadside dressed in rags, covered in mud and filth?"
Somehow he understood what Holo was saying. He knew that she was right.
And yet he wanted desperately not to turn back.
"You're rather stubborn," said Holo.
Immediately thereafter, Aryes—who'd been quietly listening to Holo—spoke up. "I-I would also like to go and see the ocean. And see more of the world."
Klass looked to Aryes, feeling suddenly rescued.
Holo regarded her through half-lidded eyes. "And?" was her only reply.
"But I know little of the world. I cannot refute a single thing you've said, Miss Holo. And I've learned that the world is filled with all manner of suffering."
"Aye," said Holo, nodding, satisfied.
Klass could practically hear his own despondence.
To think that their promise to journey through the world had been so dear—!
But Aryes did not continue. She lowered her hood, fingering something around her neck.
"Aryes?"
Unmindful of Klass's inquiry, Aryes finally grabbed hold of some kind of chain and pulled it free.
From underneath her clothes emerged a stone as green as a quail's egg.
"Is—is that...," murmured Klass, gazing at the stone that dangled from the chain as it glittered, catching beams of sunlight now and again.
It looked exactly like something a noblewoman had worn upon being invited to the mansion by the lord.
Word of it had reached even Klass, thanks to the talk of the older servants—particularly the women.
It was a jewel—one so valuable it was said it could buy a whole village.
"I've been told this is a very precious thing, so perhaps it could buy us some bread."
As soon as Klass heard these words, he faced Holo defiantly.
His journey with Aryes was hardly impossible.
He pictured Holo's face at a loss for words at Klass's imagined retort—but the expression that met his gaze was not what he expected.


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

Input:
His mouth froze in the shape of a silent "Wha—?"
"You've neither strength nor skill, and you know no one in the town. I hear things are different in the human world if you can read and write, but..."
Klass, of course, could not read, but then he remembered that Aryes could.
"You can read, right, Aryes?" he asked her, at which she gave a thin smile.
Now there were no problems.
But as soon as he thought as much, Holo sighed again. "So what will Klass do as Aryes is toiling away?"
Klass felt as though a spear had pierced his chest.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind if Klass waited for me."
"Th-that's right. I'll wait."
Holo regarded Klass with a narrow-eyed gaze, and he bit his lower lip.
He'd never be able to do anything so pathetic.
"Still, I can't imagine there are so many jobs that involve reading and writing." Holo traced little circles in the air with her piece of jerky, then poked her cheek with the pointed, bitten-off end. Klass watched this, glaring at her quasi-mutinously and wondering why she was suddenly bringing this up.
It was as though she was trying to tell him to give up the journey.
"However, I've been thinking," said Holo.
Thinking what? Klass muttered inwardly.
Holo turned her gaze of beautiful amber eyes off into the distance. "What would you say to turning back here?" While Klass was stricken with surprise and unable to reply, she brought her gaze back from the distance. "From here we could fetch some water from the marsh, and if you took my food, you could make it back. There's no gain in forcing yourselves onward. And though you say you were driven from the mansion, you're yet children. If you appeal to their emotions, I'm sure all would be well."
Klass understood her proposal all too well, but something about it filled him with such anger that he was unable to nod.
Suddenly he realized what that was.
It was his promise with Aryes.
They were going to see the sea.
"I can tell what you're thinking, boy," said Holo with a tired laugh. "If you continue with any goal or plan or destination, what will happen when your food runs out? When you have no money and no work? Will you beg? Will you sit on the roadside dressed in rags, covered in mud and filth?"
Somehow he understood what Holo was saying. He knew that she was right.
And yet he wanted desperately not to turn back.
"You're rather stubborn," said Holo.
Immediately thereafter, Aryes—who'd been quietly listening to Holo—spoke up. "I-I would also like to go and see the ocean. And see more of the world."
Klass looked to Aryes, feeling suddenly rescued.
Holo regarded her through half-lidded eyes. "And?" was her only reply.
"But I know little of the world. I cannot refute a single thing you've said, Miss Holo. And I've learned that the world is filled with all manner of suffering."
"Aye," said Holo, nodding, satisfied.
Klass could practically hear his own despondence.
To think that their promise to journey through the world had been so dear—!
But Aryes did not continue. She lowered her hood, fingering something around her neck.
"Aryes?"
Unmindful of Klass's inquiry, Aryes finally grabbed hold of some kind of chain and pulled it free.
From underneath her clothes emerged a stone as green as a quail's egg.
"Is—is that...," murmured Klass, gazing at the stone that dangled from the chain as it glittered, catching beams of sunlight now and again.
It looked exactly like something a noblewoman had worn upon being invited to the mansion by the lord.
Word of it had reached even Klass, thanks to the talk of the older servants—particularly the women.
It was a jewel—one so valuable it was said it could buy a whole village.
"I've been told this is a very precious thing, so perhaps it could buy us some bread."
As soon as Klass heard these words, he faced Holo defiantly.
His journey with Aryes was hardly impossible.
He pictured Holo's face at a loss for words at Klass's imagined retort—but the expression that met his gaze was not what he expected.

Output:
"Huh—?" Klass's and Aryes's voices rose in unison.
"I took notice of it right away when we were sleeping...What, did you not realize it was there, boy?"
Rocked by Holo's question, Klass shook his head.
He hadn't noticed it at all.
"You must've been distracted by the softness, eh?"
"N-no, I wasn't!" Klass yelled angrily in reply to Holo's malicious question and smile.
"Well, in any case, if you're willing to part with that, you'll be secure for a while."
"So—" Aryes began, but Holo interrupted her.
"However, are you truly prepared to do that? Precious stones have special meaning, no matter the era or nation. If it's a memento from someone, you may wish to rethink your decision."
"No, I don't know who I received this from—only that the priest said that if someday I should find myself in trouble, it would help me. I think now that time has come."
Holo scratched the tip of her nose at Aryes's answer, then spoke slowly, as though she was thinking carefully. "You say you don't know who you got it from? It had something written in the setting. What was it?"
"It's my name."
Holo's ears pricked up. "Just your name?"
"No, my name and a short message. It says...'I give this to Aryes, my daughter.'"
Holo's eyes widened, and she looked suddenly to Klass, her finger still touching her nose.
"What?" asked Klass with his eyes. If it said, "To my daughter," then that just meant it was a gift from a parent.
"Aye. That is a valuable gem, indeed. Not something that just anyone could give to a child. Surely you understand all too well what that means."
A short "Ah—" escaped Klass's lips.
The unimaginable thought stuck in the base of his throat.
Holo's gaze once again fell upon him, as though he was such a fool she didn't know how else to respond.
Aryes was the only one simply listening to Holo's words.
"So who do you think gave such a thing to you?" Holo asked.
"Huh? Er—" said Aryes. "God, I suppose."
Klass could clearly perceive Holo's chuckle.
"I'm sorry, I don't see—" began Aryes.
"Your god would hardly dirty his hands digging up gems. The one who gave that to you—"
"—Was the lord of the mansion!" Klass blurted out, unable to restrain himself.
Aryes's eyes unfocused.
"Aryes, you're the lord's—"
Daughter.
But it was such an absurd notion that despite the proof of it, he couldn't say the words.
In the resulting silence that suddenly fell, Aryes looked down at the green jewel and spoke, dazed. "Wha...? I...but...the lord of the mansion is...God?"
"No! Aryes, you're the lord's daughter, and the lord is a human!"
"But—"
Klass had no idea what to say to the troubled Aryes, but as his tone grew more strident, Holo spoke quietly.
"How does it go? 'We are all of us God's children' or some such."
Aryes nodded firmly.
"Aye."
Klass thought that was ridiculous.
He was just about to loudly say as much when someone grabbed him by the nape of the neck.
It was Holo—there was nobody else there.
"Even I understand human manners. That is not something you should say just now."
Chided by Holo's words, Klass cowered as though she'd scolded him.
Holo said nothing more and released Klass, sighing as though at a loss.
"As someone who's lived her share of years, I don't think that stone is something you should lose," she said quietly.
If Aryes was the lord's daughter and that stone had been given to her by him, then now it would be her only memento.
Even Klass didn't want to continue their journey if they had to sell it to do so. He wondered if they really did have to turn back here.
And if the revelation about Aryes's father was true, then even if they did return to the mansion, they might not be able to simply resume their previous life.
He now considered Holo's proposal more rationally than before, his gaze on the ground.
Their journey had been a short one, but he couldn't claim it hadn't been fun.
He felt a little bit better, thinking about it that way.
Klass looked slowly up at Holo. "Miss Holo, I really think we—"


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

Input:
"Huh—?" Klass's and Aryes's voices rose in unison.
"I took notice of it right away when we were sleeping...What, did you not realize it was there, boy?"
Rocked by Holo's question, Klass shook his head.
He hadn't noticed it at all.
"You must've been distracted by the softness, eh?"
"N-no, I wasn't!" Klass yelled angrily in reply to Holo's malicious question and smile.
"Well, in any case, if you're willing to part with that, you'll be secure for a while."
"So—" Aryes began, but Holo interrupted her.
"However, are you truly prepared to do that? Precious stones have special meaning, no matter the era or nation. If it's a memento from someone, you may wish to rethink your decision."
"No, I don't know who I received this from—only that the priest said that if someday I should find myself in trouble, it would help me. I think now that time has come."
Holo scratched the tip of her nose at Aryes's answer, then spoke slowly, as though she was thinking carefully. "You say you don't know who you got it from? It had something written in the setting. What was it?"
"It's my name."
Holo's ears pricked up. "Just your name?"
"No, my name and a short message. It says...'I give this to Aryes, my daughter.'"
Holo's eyes widened, and she looked suddenly to Klass, her finger still touching her nose.
"What?" asked Klass with his eyes. If it said, "To my daughter," then that just meant it was a gift from a parent.
"Aye. That is a valuable gem, indeed. Not something that just anyone could give to a child. Surely you understand all too well what that means."
A short "Ah—" escaped Klass's lips.
The unimaginable thought stuck in the base of his throat.
Holo's gaze once again fell upon him, as though he was such a fool she didn't know how else to respond.
Aryes was the only one simply listening to Holo's words.
"So who do you think gave such a thing to you?" Holo asked.
"Huh? Er—" said Aryes. "God, I suppose."
Klass could clearly perceive Holo's chuckle.
"I'm sorry, I don't see—" began Aryes.
"Your god would hardly dirty his hands digging up gems. The one who gave that to you—"
"—Was the lord of the mansion!" Klass blurted out, unable to restrain himself.
Aryes's eyes unfocused.
"Aryes, you're the lord's—"
Daughter.
But it was such an absurd notion that despite the proof of it, he couldn't say the words.
In the resulting silence that suddenly fell, Aryes looked down at the green jewel and spoke, dazed. "Wha...? I...but...the lord of the mansion is...God?"
"No! Aryes, you're the lord's daughter, and the lord is a human!"
"But—"
Klass had no idea what to say to the troubled Aryes, but as his tone grew more strident, Holo spoke quietly.
"How does it go? 'We are all of us God's children' or some such."
Aryes nodded firmly.
"Aye."
Klass thought that was ridiculous.
He was just about to loudly say as much when someone grabbed him by the nape of the neck.
It was Holo—there was nobody else there.
"Even I understand human manners. That is not something you should say just now."
Chided by Holo's words, Klass cowered as though she'd scolded him.
Holo said nothing more and released Klass, sighing as though at a loss.
"As someone who's lived her share of years, I don't think that stone is something you should lose," she said quietly.
If Aryes was the lord's daughter and that stone had been given to her by him, then now it would be her only memento.
Even Klass didn't want to continue their journey if they had to sell it to do so. He wondered if they really did have to turn back here.
And if the revelation about Aryes's father was true, then even if they did return to the mansion, they might not be able to simply resume their previous life.
He now considered Holo's proposal more rationally than before, his gaze on the ground.
Their journey had been a short one, but he couldn't claim it hadn't been fun.
He felt a little bit better, thinking about it that way.
Klass looked slowly up at Holo. "Miss Holo, I really think we—"

Output:
It was a swift movement utterly out of the ordinary.
Klass's words stuck in his throat at the suddenness of it, and he gazed back at her.
But Holo was not looking at Klass.
Her gaze was fixed far behind him, back in the direction from which they'd come.
"It never rains but pours, eh?" she murmured, standing.
"M-Miss Holo...?" Aryes remained wordless, and Klass finally managed to call her name.
Holo now looked back at Klass.
Her face had no trace of a smile on it, and her fangs only emphasized the keen concentration of her expression.
"Listen, you, did Antheo's younger brother, the one who drove you away, strike you as a kind man?"
Another sudden question.
But this one Klass could answer immediately.
"No."
"So what do you think a man who'd come to take his elder brother's place would do if he found out there was already a directly related successor?"
This question Klass could not answer right away.
No—he didn't want to answer it.
The heir was always obvious.
"You two have good fortune indeed to have escaped before they realized," Holo murmured, smiling. "You've about as much charm as you have lesser points. What else does one need, I wonder?"
Klass remembered Holo's words from the previous night.
His stomach burned as though he'd swallowed a red-hot piece of charcoal.
"Aryes, stand up," said Klass, gathering their things and readying the stick he used in place of a proper staff.
"They're still some distance away, but—curses—they're not coming in peace. 'Tis bad enough we're being followed, but it'll be trouble indeed if we're flanked."
Klass spared a moment to glance at Aryes. He then clenched his fist and looked at Holo.
"So they're cutting through the forest, eh? Come, you—"
Klass nodded at the words. "Aryes—" he said.
Aryes, as usual, did not seem to understand the situation; she held on to her emerald gem tightly.
She was just one girl, one innocent, ignorant girl.
Klass couldn't drink wine, couldn't read or write, and wasn't even as tall as she was.
And yet—
"It'll be all right. I'm here," he said simply, holding out his hand to Aryes.
She looked at him, eyes widening a bit in surprise. He could tell Holo was watching them closely and felt suddenly self-conscious.
"...All right," she said with a little nod, hesitantly taking Klass's outstretched hand.
Her hand was soft and slender and her grip uncertain.
"Let's go."
I will protect this soft hand, Klass swore to himself, and Aryes nodded as though she could hear him.
Holo started running.
Holding on to Aryes's hand, Klass took off after her as they made for the forest.
They didn't so much run through the tall grass as swim through it.
Having passed the budding season, the forest fairly brimmed with life, and more than once it seemed to Klass that they were running through the belly of some great organism.
The forest canopy was so thick overhead that it choked out most of the sky.
Any exposed skin—cheeks, neck, hands—was immediately covered in scratches, and despite her hood, even Aryes found the corners of her eyes reddened with abrasions as though she'd cried her eyes out.
However, it was fortunate that the overgrown bushes and grass only served to hide their path, and there were still footpaths that had been cleared of rocks and roots. At the lead, Holo was picking the route as she ran so all Klass had to do was follow her, which was not too much of a hardship.
If Holo hadn't been there, Klass would've been stranded, unable to tell path from forest, occasionally tripping in the springs and rills that ran underfoot. Even the thought of it was enough to make him shiver. All it would take was one false step on a moss-covered root to turn him into an injured man, and that would be that.
To their right, the forest rose in elevation, and to the left, it descended into the swamp.
Water flowed from right to left, and whenever they encountered it, Holo would warn him, and they'd carefully cross and continue on.
As they did so, Klass held on tightly to Aryes's hand.


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

Input:
It was a swift movement utterly out of the ordinary.
Klass's words stuck in his throat at the suddenness of it, and he gazed back at her.
But Holo was not looking at Klass.
Her gaze was fixed far behind him, back in the direction from which they'd come.
"It never rains but pours, eh?" she murmured, standing.
"M-Miss Holo...?" Aryes remained wordless, and Klass finally managed to call her name.
Holo now looked back at Klass.
Her face had no trace of a smile on it, and her fangs only emphasized the keen concentration of her expression.
"Listen, you, did Antheo's younger brother, the one who drove you away, strike you as a kind man?"
Another sudden question.
But this one Klass could answer immediately.
"No."
"So what do you think a man who'd come to take his elder brother's place would do if he found out there was already a directly related successor?"
This question Klass could not answer right away.
No—he didn't want to answer it.
The heir was always obvious.
"You two have good fortune indeed to have escaped before they realized," Holo murmured, smiling. "You've about as much charm as you have lesser points. What else does one need, I wonder?"
Klass remembered Holo's words from the previous night.
His stomach burned as though he'd swallowed a red-hot piece of charcoal.
"Aryes, stand up," said Klass, gathering their things and readying the stick he used in place of a proper staff.
"They're still some distance away, but—curses—they're not coming in peace. 'Tis bad enough we're being followed, but it'll be trouble indeed if we're flanked."
Klass spared a moment to glance at Aryes. He then clenched his fist and looked at Holo.
"So they're cutting through the forest, eh? Come, you—"
Klass nodded at the words. "Aryes—" he said.
Aryes, as usual, did not seem to understand the situation; she held on to her emerald gem tightly.
She was just one girl, one innocent, ignorant girl.
Klass couldn't drink wine, couldn't read or write, and wasn't even as tall as she was.
And yet—
"It'll be all right. I'm here," he said simply, holding out his hand to Aryes.
She looked at him, eyes widening a bit in surprise. He could tell Holo was watching them closely and felt suddenly self-conscious.
"...All right," she said with a little nod, hesitantly taking Klass's outstretched hand.
Her hand was soft and slender and her grip uncertain.
"Let's go."
I will protect this soft hand, Klass swore to himself, and Aryes nodded as though she could hear him.
Holo started running.
Holding on to Aryes's hand, Klass took off after her as they made for the forest.
They didn't so much run through the tall grass as swim through it.
Having passed the budding season, the forest fairly brimmed with life, and more than once it seemed to Klass that they were running through the belly of some great organism.
The forest canopy was so thick overhead that it choked out most of the sky.
Any exposed skin—cheeks, neck, hands—was immediately covered in scratches, and despite her hood, even Aryes found the corners of her eyes reddened with abrasions as though she'd cried her eyes out.
However, it was fortunate that the overgrown bushes and grass only served to hide their path, and there were still footpaths that had been cleared of rocks and roots. At the lead, Holo was picking the route as she ran so all Klass had to do was follow her, which was not too much of a hardship.
If Holo hadn't been there, Klass would've been stranded, unable to tell path from forest, occasionally tripping in the springs and rills that ran underfoot. Even the thought of it was enough to make him shiver. All it would take was one false step on a moss-covered root to turn him into an injured man, and that would be that.
To their right, the forest rose in elevation, and to the left, it descended into the swamp.
Water flowed from right to left, and whenever they encountered it, Holo would warn him, and they'd carefully cross and continue on.
As they did so, Klass held on tightly to Aryes's hand.

Output:
For Aryes, who found the gently sloping roads of the plains taxing enough, traveling the paths that wound up, down, left, and right through the forest made her breath run ragged, and her weight on Klass's hand increased.
To Klass that felt like their pursuers actively pulling Aryes from him, so no matter how hard the running became, he kept holding her hand—and she gripped his in return, as though refusing to be left behind again.
Klass wondered how long they'd run like that.
The thick forest air stuck in his throat, and he was so tired that he didn't even mind the stickiness of it, when Aryes finally stumbled on something and fell to her knees.
"Aryes!" Klass stopped and called out over his shoulder frantically.
As soon as he stopped, sweat bloomed all over him. Though he wanted to believe he could still run, the fatigue made his body from the waist down feel as though it was stuck in mud.
Aryes was too tired to even blink properly; she clamped her lips tightly closed and nodded, as if to say, "I'm all right."
She looked very far from all right.
But the reality that they had to keep running compelled Klass's hand to move, and he pulled the exhausted Aryes to her feet.
He felt terribly about it. "Is your foot sprained?" he asked her to assuage his guilt.
Aryes had managed to stand, and she swayed giddily, unsteady for a moment, her eyes not meeting Klass's, but finally she moved her legs a bit and shook her head.
Klass relaxed his shoulders.
He still couldn't tell Aryes to press on.
"What is the matter?" Holo had evidently noticed that Klass and Aryes were no longer following her, and she'd doubled back.
Seen from behind, Holo's walking had seemed like flying, but she too was out of breath, and her face scratched here and there. The tail she was so proud of had brambles and grass caught in its tufts, and it was fluffed out, making her seem almost angry.
"Aryes—she stumbled."
"Did she sprain anything?"
At the question, Aryes again shook her head.
"Then we must keep running, or we're in trouble. We've got a bit yet to cover."
Klass didn't want to know the exact distance.
If they were more than halfway there, he was sure Holo would say so in order to cheer them up, so they must not have made it that far yet.
While he didn't want to know how much distance lay ahead of them, he did want to know what separated them from their pursuers.
Klass looked hopefully up at Holo, who smiled and plucked free a leaf that had stuck to his forehead. "Why, if the worst should happen, you've got that staff in place of a spear, have you not?"
Her kind eyes were trying to soften the terrifying reality, Klass imagined. He simply nodded, gripped his staff so tightly it hurt.
"In any case, so long as we reach the town ahead of our pursuers, we'll be all right for a while. Come, let us go," said Holo and set off running again.
If they could just get to the town—
Klass held on to that one hope and started running with Aryes.
In the manor Klass had served in, there were people even below his station who slept in the corner of the barn among the pigs on lice-infested piles of straw. They were slaves whose language he barely understood, fallen into debt and sold or taken as prisoners of war. They were forced to do the hardest labor—repairing the grape trellises or clearing new farmland.
Even Klass hated the work he had to do, so much so that four days of the week he harbored fantasies of escape. The slaves frequently did escape, whereupon the bearded steward would ride out in lieu of his often-absent lord, donning armor and rounding up the fugitives.
They, too, had embraced that single hope and fled.
If they could make it within the walls of a town, there was evidently a rule that said their pursuers could not recapture them within that town.
The town air made people free.
Klass murmured the words uncertainly to himself, now feeling painful sympathy for those poor wretches.
When three escaped, it was common for two of them to be captured and beaten.


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

Input:
For Aryes, who found the gently sloping roads of the plains taxing enough, traveling the paths that wound up, down, left, and right through the forest made her breath run ragged, and her weight on Klass's hand increased.
To Klass that felt like their pursuers actively pulling Aryes from him, so no matter how hard the running became, he kept holding her hand—and she gripped his in return, as though refusing to be left behind again.
Klass wondered how long they'd run like that.
The thick forest air stuck in his throat, and he was so tired that he didn't even mind the stickiness of it, when Aryes finally stumbled on something and fell to her knees.
"Aryes!" Klass stopped and called out over his shoulder frantically.
As soon as he stopped, sweat bloomed all over him. Though he wanted to believe he could still run, the fatigue made his body from the waist down feel as though it was stuck in mud.
Aryes was too tired to even blink properly; she clamped her lips tightly closed and nodded, as if to say, "I'm all right."
She looked very far from all right.
But the reality that they had to keep running compelled Klass's hand to move, and he pulled the exhausted Aryes to her feet.
He felt terribly about it. "Is your foot sprained?" he asked her to assuage his guilt.
Aryes had managed to stand, and she swayed giddily, unsteady for a moment, her eyes not meeting Klass's, but finally she moved her legs a bit and shook her head.
Klass relaxed his shoulders.
He still couldn't tell Aryes to press on.
"What is the matter?" Holo had evidently noticed that Klass and Aryes were no longer following her, and she'd doubled back.
Seen from behind, Holo's walking had seemed like flying, but she too was out of breath, and her face scratched here and there. The tail she was so proud of had brambles and grass caught in its tufts, and it was fluffed out, making her seem almost angry.
"Aryes—she stumbled."
"Did she sprain anything?"
At the question, Aryes again shook her head.
"Then we must keep running, or we're in trouble. We've got a bit yet to cover."
Klass didn't want to know the exact distance.
If they were more than halfway there, he was sure Holo would say so in order to cheer them up, so they must not have made it that far yet.
While he didn't want to know how much distance lay ahead of them, he did want to know what separated them from their pursuers.
Klass looked hopefully up at Holo, who smiled and plucked free a leaf that had stuck to his forehead. "Why, if the worst should happen, you've got that staff in place of a spear, have you not?"
Her kind eyes were trying to soften the terrifying reality, Klass imagined. He simply nodded, gripped his staff so tightly it hurt.
"In any case, so long as we reach the town ahead of our pursuers, we'll be all right for a while. Come, let us go," said Holo and set off running again.
If they could just get to the town—
Klass held on to that one hope and started running with Aryes.
In the manor Klass had served in, there were people even below his station who slept in the corner of the barn among the pigs on lice-infested piles of straw. They were slaves whose language he barely understood, fallen into debt and sold or taken as prisoners of war. They were forced to do the hardest labor—repairing the grape trellises or clearing new farmland.
Even Klass hated the work he had to do, so much so that four days of the week he harbored fantasies of escape. The slaves frequently did escape, whereupon the bearded steward would ride out in lieu of his often-absent lord, donning armor and rounding up the fugitives.
They, too, had embraced that single hope and fled.
If they could make it within the walls of a town, there was evidently a rule that said their pursuers could not recapture them within that town.
The town air made people free.
Klass murmured the words uncertainly to himself, now feeling painful sympathy for those poor wretches.
When three escaped, it was common for two of them to be captured and beaten.

Output:
The cries of the beaten slaves and the sound of the whip across their backs echoed in his mind. It was a sound like lightning falling upon them, skin and flesh and blood from their backs flying into the air, distinct in Klass's vision.
The more Klass thought about it, the tighter he unconsciously gripped Aryes's hand.
"God is always watching over us," said Aryes gently, smiling despite her fatigue-stiffened cheeks—it seemed his worries had been conveyed though his grip.
He had to persevere.
Gritting his teeth, Klass swallowed his dire imaginings.
"Let's go."
Aryes nodded at Klass's words and began running like a fledgling flapping its wings for the first time.
Once they passed through the forest and arrived at the town, Klass could not possibly imagine what would happen next.
Would Aryes sell the gem given to her by her father, or would Klass and Aryes together try to work and make a living?
Or would they again shoulder their bags full of food and water and press on to the sea?
Holo led the two of them through the deep of the forest's gloom.
Her form was slight but somehow sturdy and reliable; when she looked back over her shoulder and grinned, Klass wasn't afraid of whatever pack of wolves might come.
So long as they made it to the town, all would be well. They'd met Holo, and she'd taught them much—Klass knew she could teach them still more.
All he had to think about now was holding Aryes's hand and running.
As the weight of his pack bore down upon him, he thought of that and he ran.
The terrible cry that seemed to split the forest was utterly unexpected.
***
Klass stopped short, and Aryes, propelled by her inertia, bumped into his shoulder and went a bit past him.
She didn't apologize—because her eyes were round as she stared into the forest.
The high-pitched cry sounded like a chicken being strangled.
Was it some sort of bird? Klass wondered.
As soon as the thought occurred to him, the cry sounded again, and there was the sound of flapping wings.
"...A bird?" he murmured, somehow overcoming the urge to collapse to the ground in exhaustion.
Aryes made a terrified face and covered her ears.
Klass again heard the sound of wings and was quite sure it was a bird.
"Aryes, are you all right? It's just a bird."
"A...a bird...?"
Her dubious gaze belied the fact that she had never imagined a bird making such a cry.
Klass had seen birds large enough to steal an infant before, so he was able to confidently reply, "That's right," and take Aryes's hand once again. "Never mind that. We have to catch up with Miss Holo!" he said, looking ahead and starting to take a step forward before stopping.
Ahead of them on the road that was beginning to veer to the right and uphill, Holo had stopped, her back to them.
It didn't seem as though she was waiting for Klass and Aryes to catch up to her.
Her head was downcast, and only her ears moved, flicking to and fro more keenly than a rabbit's.
"Miss Holo—"
Holo looked back so suddenly that Klass couldn't be sure whether it was because he'd called her name or not.
No sooner did the thought occur to him than he realized that Holo's gaze had shifted farther back behind them—down the path they had just run.
There was only one thing she could be looking at in that direction with such an uncalm gaze.
Klass swallowed and watched Holo, who came running back down the hill toward him and Aryes. Her gaze steady in the direction they'd come from, she spoke.
"Seems our tail isn't coming."
"Wha—?" Klass looked up suddenly at Holo's face, but her concentration remained focused on the distance they had come.
"Is this some kind of scheme? Still..."
"M-maybe they're lost...?"
"Possibly. I'll go have a look," said Holo, finally looking at Klass with a smile. "You two should have a rest. 'Twould be dangerous for you to run longer. There's naught to fear; I'll be back presently," she said definitively, heading back down the path after giving Klass a light pat on the shoulder.


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

Input:
The cries of the beaten slaves and the sound of the whip across their backs echoed in his mind. It was a sound like lightning falling upon them, skin and flesh and blood from their backs flying into the air, distinct in Klass's vision.
The more Klass thought about it, the tighter he unconsciously gripped Aryes's hand.
"God is always watching over us," said Aryes gently, smiling despite her fatigue-stiffened cheeks—it seemed his worries had been conveyed though his grip.
He had to persevere.
Gritting his teeth, Klass swallowed his dire imaginings.
"Let's go."
Aryes nodded at Klass's words and began running like a fledgling flapping its wings for the first time.
Once they passed through the forest and arrived at the town, Klass could not possibly imagine what would happen next.
Would Aryes sell the gem given to her by her father, or would Klass and Aryes together try to work and make a living?
Or would they again shoulder their bags full of food and water and press on to the sea?
Holo led the two of them through the deep of the forest's gloom.
Her form was slight but somehow sturdy and reliable; when she looked back over her shoulder and grinned, Klass wasn't afraid of whatever pack of wolves might come.
So long as they made it to the town, all would be well. They'd met Holo, and she'd taught them much—Klass knew she could teach them still more.
All he had to think about now was holding Aryes's hand and running.
As the weight of his pack bore down upon him, he thought of that and he ran.
The terrible cry that seemed to split the forest was utterly unexpected.
***
Klass stopped short, and Aryes, propelled by her inertia, bumped into his shoulder and went a bit past him.
She didn't apologize—because her eyes were round as she stared into the forest.
The high-pitched cry sounded like a chicken being strangled.
Was it some sort of bird? Klass wondered.
As soon as the thought occurred to him, the cry sounded again, and there was the sound of flapping wings.
"...A bird?" he murmured, somehow overcoming the urge to collapse to the ground in exhaustion.
Aryes made a terrified face and covered her ears.
Klass again heard the sound of wings and was quite sure it was a bird.
"Aryes, are you all right? It's just a bird."
"A...a bird...?"
Her dubious gaze belied the fact that she had never imagined a bird making such a cry.
Klass had seen birds large enough to steal an infant before, so he was able to confidently reply, "That's right," and take Aryes's hand once again. "Never mind that. We have to catch up with Miss Holo!" he said, looking ahead and starting to take a step forward before stopping.
Ahead of them on the road that was beginning to veer to the right and uphill, Holo had stopped, her back to them.
It didn't seem as though she was waiting for Klass and Aryes to catch up to her.
Her head was downcast, and only her ears moved, flicking to and fro more keenly than a rabbit's.
"Miss Holo—"
Holo looked back so suddenly that Klass couldn't be sure whether it was because he'd called her name or not.
No sooner did the thought occur to him than he realized that Holo's gaze had shifted farther back behind them—down the path they had just run.
There was only one thing she could be looking at in that direction with such an uncalm gaze.
Klass swallowed and watched Holo, who came running back down the hill toward him and Aryes. Her gaze steady in the direction they'd come from, she spoke.
"Seems our tail isn't coming."
"Wha—?" Klass looked up suddenly at Holo's face, but her concentration remained focused on the distance they had come.
"Is this some kind of scheme? Still..."
"M-maybe they're lost...?"
"Possibly. I'll go have a look," said Holo, finally looking at Klass with a smile. "You two should have a rest. 'Twould be dangerous for you to run longer. There's naught to fear; I'll be back presently," she said definitively, heading back down the path after giving Klass a light pat on the shoulder.

Output:
Just grateful for the chance to rest, he looked back at Aryes, whereupon his eyes widened and he shouted.
"Wha—ah—Aryes!"
Aryes had fallen on her backside as though the straining strings that held her up had been cut—only by running to her side and holding her in his arms did he manage to stop her from falling over entirely. Her breathing came neither raggedly nor quietly, and her eyes closed in exhaustion.
He remembered a few days earlier, when despite her exhaustion he'd pushed her past her limit and she'd collapsed in the middle of the road. At the time he'd been terrified, and thinking on it now chilled him to his core.
As he held Aryes and peered at her face, he heard a still, small voice say, "Water."
"Water? W-wait just a moment—"
Supporting Aryes with one arm, he dropped the bags from his back and frantically swung the water skin around from his shoulder and opened it. Most of the water within it was already gone, but he didn't hesitate to bring the opening to Aryes's mouth.
Aryes did not open her eyes, but once she realized that the vessel's opening was near, she opened her mouth and Klass carefully helped her drink.
At first, perhaps because of how dry her mouth already was, she seemed to choke but soon drank the water easily.
Not knowing when the water would stop, Aryes closed her mouth, and water spilled out of the still-tilted skin. It wet her cheeks and clothes, but she was neither angry nor surprised and simply smiled.
"Do you feel bad?" asked Klass, which Aryes shook her head at.
Her color did not look too bad, so Klass felt like he could trust her.
Having drunk some water and calmed herself, Aryes's breathing grew slow and deep.
Just as Klass was worried she might fall asleep, she squirmed a bit, and her left hand grasped Klass's right.
Aryes's eyes remained closed.
Her hand was light and weak as though made of cork, and he returned her grip, which her eyes finally opened at slightly, and she smiled.
That smile—that phosphorescently, weakly shining smile bringing with it relief and peace of mind.
At the sight of it, Klass's heart sang so high it hurt.
The moment he tried to put the feeling that welled up in his chest into words, Aryes gave what seemed like a soft sigh.
When he realized it was actually a yawn, Klass returned to his senses, his face falling in discouragement.
"Oh, you're sleepy?"
He had to smile, which Aryes seemed to find mildly embarrassing.
His lip twisted just slightly.
"You should sleep a bit," he murmured, wiping away a trickle of water that clung to Aryes's chin.
Even a small amount of sleep could make a surprising difference in the amount of exhaustion someone felt.
Drowsiness would probably claim Aryes whether he told her it was all right or not, but after a short pause, Aryes nodded politely.
Then she found a comfortable position, and by the time she reclined against Klass, she was already asleep.
Aryes's soft body sank into his arms.
She was a bit taller than him, but that hadn't stopped her from collapsing, which allowed him to preserve some piece of his manly pride.
He would've liked to let her sleep soundly for a while, but that was going to be difficult. If Holo would take a bit longer to return, he could not help thinking.
At the same time, part of Klass wanted Holo to come back as quickly as she could.
The middle of the forest was dim and so quiet.
He was uncertain about what he would do if Holo didn't return at all. He was perfectly aware, though, that uncertainty wouldn't accomplish anything.
So fear was pointless.
He shook his head to banish such feelings and took a deep breath by way of encouragement.
But even if he was able to shake his unease, he could not escape the many unpleasant realities that were closing in.
Having used it to give water to Aryes, Klass found that the water skin was now totally empty and even now lay discarded on the ground.


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

Input:
Just grateful for the chance to rest, he looked back at Aryes, whereupon his eyes widened and he shouted.
"Wha—ah—Aryes!"
Aryes had fallen on her backside as though the straining strings that held her up had been cut—only by running to her side and holding her in his arms did he manage to stop her from falling over entirely. Her breathing came neither raggedly nor quietly, and her eyes closed in exhaustion.
He remembered a few days earlier, when despite her exhaustion he'd pushed her past her limit and she'd collapsed in the middle of the road. At the time he'd been terrified, and thinking on it now chilled him to his core.
As he held Aryes and peered at her face, he heard a still, small voice say, "Water."
"Water? W-wait just a moment—"
Supporting Aryes with one arm, he dropped the bags from his back and frantically swung the water skin around from his shoulder and opened it. Most of the water within it was already gone, but he didn't hesitate to bring the opening to Aryes's mouth.
Aryes did not open her eyes, but once she realized that the vessel's opening was near, she opened her mouth and Klass carefully helped her drink.
At first, perhaps because of how dry her mouth already was, she seemed to choke but soon drank the water easily.
Not knowing when the water would stop, Aryes closed her mouth, and water spilled out of the still-tilted skin. It wet her cheeks and clothes, but she was neither angry nor surprised and simply smiled.
"Do you feel bad?" asked Klass, which Aryes shook her head at.
Her color did not look too bad, so Klass felt like he could trust her.
Having drunk some water and calmed herself, Aryes's breathing grew slow and deep.
Just as Klass was worried she might fall asleep, she squirmed a bit, and her left hand grasped Klass's right.
Aryes's eyes remained closed.
Her hand was light and weak as though made of cork, and he returned her grip, which her eyes finally opened at slightly, and she smiled.
That smile—that phosphorescently, weakly shining smile bringing with it relief and peace of mind.
At the sight of it, Klass's heart sang so high it hurt.
The moment he tried to put the feeling that welled up in his chest into words, Aryes gave what seemed like a soft sigh.
When he realized it was actually a yawn, Klass returned to his senses, his face falling in discouragement.
"Oh, you're sleepy?"
He had to smile, which Aryes seemed to find mildly embarrassing.
His lip twisted just slightly.
"You should sleep a bit," he murmured, wiping away a trickle of water that clung to Aryes's chin.
Even a small amount of sleep could make a surprising difference in the amount of exhaustion someone felt.
Drowsiness would probably claim Aryes whether he told her it was all right or not, but after a short pause, Aryes nodded politely.
Then she found a comfortable position, and by the time she reclined against Klass, she was already asleep.
Aryes's soft body sank into his arms.
She was a bit taller than him, but that hadn't stopped her from collapsing, which allowed him to preserve some piece of his manly pride.
He would've liked to let her sleep soundly for a while, but that was going to be difficult. If Holo would take a bit longer to return, he could not help thinking.
At the same time, part of Klass wanted Holo to come back as quickly as she could.
The middle of the forest was dim and so quiet.
He was uncertain about what he would do if Holo didn't return at all. He was perfectly aware, though, that uncertainty wouldn't accomplish anything.
So fear was pointless.
He shook his head to banish such feelings and took a deep breath by way of encouragement.
But even if he was able to shake his unease, he could not escape the many unpleasant realities that were closing in.
Having used it to give water to Aryes, Klass found that the water skin was now totally empty and even now lay discarded on the ground.

Output:
The moment he began to think about water, the thirst became more difficult to bear.
He looked down at Aryes curled up in his arms like a rabbit and thought.
As they'd run through the forest, they'd crossed so much fresh water that he'd started to wonder whether the entire place was flooded. If he just looked around a bit, it seemed likely he'd be able to find some.
Once he started considering this, he couldn't stop himself.
It was hard to bring himself to let go of Aryes's hands, soft as rising dough, but he slowly released his fingers and carefully rearranged their bags to support her shoulders.
This was not without a certain feeling of guilt, but he could not win against the terrible thirst within him.
Once he confirmed that Aryes was still sleeping peacefully, Klass took the water skin and stood.
It felt as though his throat hurt more with every blink.
Over and over again, he tried to swallow nonexistent saliva, imagining it was cool water.
He cast his gaze about his surroundings, looking for plants that seemed likely to grow near water.
It would be dangerous to stray too far from Aryes's side, so turning in a circle, bearlike, he searched for a likely spot and soon found one.
A short remove away he noticed a huge tree covered in moss, and behind it he found a trickle of water.
However, the tiny amount could hardly be drunk, to say nothing of filling the water skin.
After a moment's hesitation, Klass started walking upstream of the trickle.
As he climbed, careful not to slip on the moss, he soon came to a small bluff.
He peered over the edge, and before he could even raise a cry of joy, he immediately started looking for a way down.
At the base of the drop, no higher than he was tall, was a large pool—perhaps where many of these trickles ran together and collected.
The water was very clear, and the base of the pool seemed to be sandy.
In any case, Klass forced himself to be patient as he pushed through the grass and circled the pool, taking care not to trip on the suddenly rocky terrain as he approached it—and then he noticed something.
The place from which he'd first spied the pool was directly above a cave, and the pool seemed to continue on into it.
The entrance was too cramped for Klass to fit through even crouched, so he didn't know how far back the cave went.
But what he wanted was the water, the sight of which was enough to snap him back to his senses.
He knelt down and took a drink.
There was no way for Klass to express the joy he felt in that moment.
The water was cool and wet, and he gulped it ecstatically.
After drinking he didn't know how much, breathing became difficult, and he finally brought his head up, belching loudly and sighing.
It was as cold as well water in the middle of winter.
Fish swam in the pool, taking no notice of Klass whatsoever. They would trace serene paths through the exposed area, then swim back into the cave.
In the dazed, absentminded satiety that followed after Klass quenched his thirst, he watched the fish.
When he finally came to his senses with a start, he realized he'd been about to fall asleep, and he hastily wiped his mouth and slapped his own head.
If he slept here, Holo was sure to be furious at him when he returned.
Klass filled the water skin and fastened it to his waist.
Just as he lowered his mouth to the pool to take one last drink—
***
Quite suddenly he felt that he was being watched.
Thinking that perhaps Holo had come looking for him after seeing that he'd left Aryes's side, he looked around, but Holo was nowhere to be seen.
Tall grass grew around the edge of the pool, but visibility was not particularly poor.
Despite there being nowhere good to hide, he could not find the gaze's owner.
"Must be my imagination...," he murmured, partially to convince himself. He checked behind him, then turned to face the pond again, lowering his mouth to its surface—and then he saw it.
To the left of the semicircle-shaped entrance to the cave was an animal standing very still.