Chapter 2 Act I-2

Lawrence shook off the redundant thoughts from his mind; he focused on establishing a deep friendship with the outstanding young businessman in front of him. Not long after that, Lawrence and his party arrived in Camelson at sunset. In the restaurant, the table is centered on a hot pot with carp meat and root vegetables, surrounded by a variety of fish and shellfish dishes. Perhaps it was somewhat influenced by the fact that Amati, who helped arrange the hotel, was a large fishmonger. The dishes on the table were quite different from the main meals and the southern countries where most of the meat dishes were served.Among them, the steamed snail meat dishes are particularly eye-catching.

Since conch is generally said to be the elixir of life, and river snails are the cause of colic, people who live further south than Camelson do not eat snail meat, although they eat bivalve molluscs.Church notices even stated that there were demons living in the snails and warned people not to eat them. However, rather than saying that this is a divine teaching written in the Bible, it is better to say that this is a notice with a more serious warning meaning.Lawrence also once lost his way and encountered a river on the way of business, and ate the snail meat because he couldn't restrain his hunger, which caused severe abdominal pain.After that experience, not only the river snails, but even the conch Lawrence didn't dare to touch them anymore.

Luckily, the snail dishes weren't served in small plates for one person, and the snail meat was perfectly to Holo's liking. Lawrence pushed all the food he didn't dare to eat to Holo. "Hmm... so shellfish tastes like this." While admiring, Holo used the tip of the knife she borrowed from Lawrence to pick out the snails one by one and put them into her mouth.As for Lawrence, he was eating pike that had been sprinkled generously with salt. "Be careful if you eat too much, you will get a stomachache." "Ok?" "There are demons living in the river snails. If you accidentally eat them, you will end up miserable."

Holo looked at the snail meat she had just hooked out, tilted her head slightly, and put the snail meat into her mouth. "Who do you think we are? We don't just know how to distinguish good or bad wheat." "Then you also said that you once ate chili peppers, and your fate turned upside down." Lawrence's accusation made Holo a little angry. "No matter how powerful it is, you can't tell the taste just by its appearance. It's bright red, and it looks like a ripe fruit." As Holo spoke, she dug out the snail meat, and she sipped from her cup now and then, closing her eyes hard.

Because there is no strict monitoring by the church in this area, distilled alcohol, which is regarded as prohibited by the church and cannot be sold openly, can be seen everywhere. The glasses in the hands of Holo and Lawrence were filled with almost transparent wine called burning wine. "Shall I order you a glass of rum?" "..." Holo shook her head silently. The way she closed her eyes tightly made one think that if she took off her robe, she would definitely see the swollen tail. After Holo finally swallowed the drink, she let out a long sigh, and then wiped the corners of her eyes with her cuff.

Holo, who drank the wine known as the soul-shaking wine, was certainly not dressed as a nun.She was a city girl dressed up with a triangular turban on her head. Before the meal, when Lawrence and Holo, who had changed their clothes, went to thank Amati again, his expression at that time said that he was as worthless as possible.Not only Lawrence, but even the hotel owner who was watching couldn't help laughing. As for Holo herself, as if she wanted to aggravate her crime, she pretended to be a lady more vigorously than usual to thank Amati. If you saw Holo's eating and drinking appearance now, Amati must have lost her dreams on the spot.

"... Suck. It smells so nostalgic." I don't know if the wine was too strong, or because of homesickness, Holo said with tears in her eyes. Indeed, the further north you go, the more soul-stirring booze you get. "Distilled wine with such a high alcohol concentration, I don't even know the taste after drinking it." Holo, who was tired of eating shellfish, occasionally ate grilled fish or stewed fish dishes. She happily replied: "The shape or shape will be forgotten after ten years, but the taste or smell of things will be forgotten even after dozens of years." This year, it will not be easily forgotten. The taste of this wine is nostalgic, very similar to Joyz's wine."

"After all, there are more spirits in the north. You used to drink spirits like this?" Lawrence looked at the wine in the glass first, then at Holo and said.With a small piece of grilled fish sticking to the corner of her mouth, Holo said triumphantly, "Isn't it suitable for a noble wolf to drink rum?" Although Lawrence thought that Holo's girly appearance would be more suitable for drinking honey milk, let alone rum, he still agreed with a slight smile. Presumably the smell of the wine reminded Holo of her hometown nostalgia. Although it was a delicious meal that had not been eaten in a long time, it was not the only reason for Holo's happy face.

Because of an unexpected incident, Holo deeply felt that she was getting closer and closer to her hometown, Yoiz.Like a girl receiving an unexpected gift, she expressed her sincere joy. However, Lawrence couldn't help but look away from Holo who looked like this. It wasn't that Lawrence was worried that Holo would laugh at him because he looked fascinated by Holo, so he turned his eyes away. Regarding the rumors that Joyz had died long ago, Lawrence had been hiding it from Holo all along.Because of this fact, Holo's innocent smile that reminded her of her hometown turned into a dazzling blazing sun in Lawrence's eyes.

Even so, Lawrence was still unwilling to spoil the rare and pleasant dining atmosphere. In order not to let Holo see through his heart, Lawrence changed his mood, and said to Holo who was reaching for the stewed carp with a smile on his face, "It seems that stewed carp suits your taste." "Well, the boiled carp...is so delicious. Have another bowl." Because the carp stew was served in a large pot, Holo couldn't reach it, so Lawrence helped her serve it.Every time Lawrence helped Holo, there were more onions on his wooden tray.It seemed that Holo would not dare eat even boiled onions.

"Where did you eat carp? There should be very few places where you can eat carp, right?" "Huh? In the river. Because of the clumsy movements of the carp, I caught it in two or three strokes." So, Holo must have caught the fish in wolf form. "I've never eaten raw carp, is it delicious?" "Fish scales get caught between the teeth, and there are too many fish bones. We often see birds swallow whole small fish and think it's delicious. Raw fish is not to our liking." Lawrence couldn't help but imagine Holo catching a huge carp, and then making a creaking sound, biting the carp from its head. Carp is famous for its longevity. The church not only calls carp a holy fish, but also calls it a servant of the devil.Therefore, only in the northern region will the field carp be eaten. Indeed, it might seem silly to be in awe of a slightly longer-lived carp in this northern land where wolves like Holo can be found. "The food cooked by humans is really delicious. However, not only is the craftsmanship good, but every fish that has been selected is very fresh. That young man named Amati has a good eye for picking fish." "He's very young. Also, he trades an incredible amount of fish." "Based on this comparison, what is the cargo on your carriage?" Holo's gaze suddenly became indifferent. "Huh? That's a nail. Like this table...it's useless." "Of course we know it's a nail. We mean you're going to buy something more glamorous. Or are you intimidated by your failed experience in Rüppenhagen?" After hearing this, Lawrence felt a little angry, but Holo's accusation was true, so he couldn't refute it. Because of his insatiable greed, Lawrence bought military equipment with an astonishing amount of double his property. As a result, he faced bankruptcy and almost had to be a slave until he died.Not only that, Lawrence also caused trouble for Holo, making Holo feel humiliated. For all these reasons, Lawrence finally bought nails in Rüppenhagen.The purchase amount is about 400 Trini silver coins.This was considered a rather conservative purchase, and Lawrence had a lot of cash left in his hand. "Although the product is not that eye-catching, it should have a good profit. Moreover, the carriage is not full of glitzy things." Holo tilted her head slightly to look at Lawrence while clutching the barracuda bone like a wild cat. Lawrence thought of a good line. He coughed lightly and said, "I have you in my carriage." Although this sentence may sound pretentious, Lawrence felt that it was beautiful, so he couldn't help laughing. However, when Lawrence smiled and drank the wine, and looked at Holo, he found that Holo stopped the movements in his hands, with a helpless look on his face. "...Anyway, your level is at most like this." Then, after saying so, Holo sighed. "You are considerate of me and you will not lose a piece of meat!" "Once you are too gentle with a male, the male will suddenly get carried away. If you let the other party know the taste and are forced to listen to the same words over and over again, how can it be tolerated." "Well……" Lawrence thought it would be impossible to keep silent, so he retorted, "Okay, then I'll—" "Big ass." Lawrence's words were interrupted. "How much is it worth for a male to be gentle?" "..." Lawrence frowned and drank sullenly, but the hunting wolves didn't let him go. "Also, if we look downcast, will you want to be gentle with us?" Seeing Holo say so with an innocent smile, Lawrence was at his wit's end. Holo was too cunning. Lawrence looked at Holo with resentful eyes, and Holo immediately smiled when she saw this. After finishing the long-awaited decent dinner and returning to the hotel room, the street outside the hotel finally became quiet. Although it was dusk when Lawrence and others arrived in Camelson, the chaos in the city far exceeded Lawrence's imagination. If Amati hadn't met, Lawrence would definitely have to go to the foreign company, and asked the foreign company to help arrange a hotel.Not only that, but maybe you will end up renting a room in a foreign company. The streets of Camelson are lined with wheat straw dolls and wooden sculptures of unknown imitations. Not only in the street, but also in the narrow alleys, bands or clowns can be seen leading the audience around. go. On the Grand Plaza at the southern end of Camelson, the market with greatly extended business hours is still open, and the entire square is filled with vitality that matches the name of the Grand Bazaar.Not only that, even artisans who are not normally allowed to retail goods have set up stalls on the street outside the market. Lawrence opened the wooden window to cool down his hot body from drinking strong alcohol. Under the beautiful moonlight, Lawrence saw several vendors closing their stalls. The hotel that Amati arranged for the two of Lawrence was one of the best low-level hotels in Camelson, and it was a hotel that Lawrence would never choose to stay in.The room for the two is located on the second floor of the hotel and faces the avenue leading from the city center to the north and south. The hotel is located near the intersection of the avenues extending to the east and west.According to Holo's wishes, there are two beds in the room.However, Lawrence couldn't help suspecting that it might be because of Amati's insistence that he had arranged a room with two beds. Although this kind of suspicion made Lawrence feel a little superior, at least he was grateful for Amati's help in arranging the room, so he turned his gaze out of the window and decided not to be suspicious anymore. Pedestrians on the wide street are all staggering. Lawrence chuckled, and looking back, he found Holo in the room sitting cross-legged on the bed, looking like he couldn't drink enough, pouring wine into a wooden cup. "You, if you look miserable tomorrow, I won't talk to you. Haven't you forgotten that time when you were hangovered in Pazio?" "Huh—? Don't worry. No matter how much good wine you drink, there will be no aftereffects. However, if you don't drink it, there will be aftereffects in our hearts. How can we not drink it?" After pouring the wine, Holo took a sip happily, and bit into the dried trout that was left over from dinner. Lawrence thought that if Holo was indulged like this, she would eat and drink happily alone until she passed out.For Lawrence, however, Holo's good mood was more than he could have wished for. This was because there was something that made Lawrence feel a little hard to talk about. The reason why Lawrence changed his business route that was almost fixed every year to and from the place, and came to Camelson in this cold winter season, which he used to come to in summer, was, of course, to go to Holo's hometown. However, Lawrence did not ask where Holo's hometown Joyz was located.Although Lawrence had heard the name of the town of Joyz, it was only heard in ancient legends, and he didn't know the actual geographical location. Along the way, the reason why Lawrence didn't ask for the detailed geographical location was because when Holo mentioned her hometown, although Holo would smile for a while because of nostalgia, she immediately remembered that no matter in terms of time or geographical location There is a long distance from the hometown, and it looks sad. Although Lawrence felt that he was worthless, this reason alone was enough to make him hesitate to bring up the topic of his hometown. but.Lawrence wanted to bring up the topic of his hometown now.Holo shouldn't be too sad.So Lawrence made up his mind. He sat down on the desk next to the wall and said, "By the way, before you get drunk, I want to tell you something first." Holo's exposed ears and tail responded immediately. Her gaze slowed a step to look at Lawrence. "What's up?" The wise wolf seemed to sense from Lawrence's tone that Lawrence didn't want to chat with her.The corner of Holo's mouth curled into a slight smile, clearly expressing her good mood now. Lawrence slowly opened his heavy lips and said, "It's about your hometown." Hearing Lawrence's cutting into the topic, Holo suddenly smiled silently, followed by a sip of wine. Lawrence had expected Holo to show a serious expression, but her reaction surprised Lawrence. Lawrence wondered if Holo might be drunk, so Holo gulped down the drink and said, "You really don't know where you are. We guessed it more or less, and I've been worried that I don't know what you are. It’s time to ask.” Saying that, Holo smiled and looked at her face reflected in the glass, and sighed softly, "Anyway, you must think that if you bring up the topic of Yoiz, we will feel sad again? We look so Is it fragile?" Lawrence originally planned to blame Holo for crying because he dreamed of his hometown, but then thought that Holo should understand this himself.Holo's tail seemed to wag happily. "No, not at all." "Big ass, you should say "yes" at a time like this. " Holo seemed to get the answer she was expecting, and she seemed even happier wagging her tail. "You really care about some strange things. After you finally brought up this topic, you must have seen our reaction at dinner and thought it was okay before you spoke? Really... this bad guy." Holo, who was drinking and talking, smiled embarrassingly. "For us, your thoughtfulness is not an unhappy thing. But, it should be said that you are so stupid that people find it interesting. If you have not asked, you will find that you have gone to the wrong place when you arrive in the north. , what are you going to do then?" Lawrence just shrugged his shoulders in response to this question, and he quickly stated his purpose: "For fear that I will look stupid and go wrong, can you tell me the location of Yoiz." Holo took a sip of her drink and paused. Then, he sighed thin and long. "To be honest, we don't remember very well." As if trying to stop Lawrence from saying "don't be kidding me", Holo continued, "If you want to tell the direction, we'll know right away, it's over there." Lawrence looked in the direction Holo quickly pointed, and he knew immediately that Holo was referring to the north. "However, we don't remember how many mountains, how many rivers and how many grasslands we have crossed at all. We thought that as soon as we got nearby, we would naturally remember it. Isn't that okay?" "Don't you have any clues to know the location? The road does not extend straight forward, and it is difficult to find a reliable map when you reach the north. Some places can't even be reached without taking a long detour. Do you remember which places? Town name? We could use that as a clue, too." After thinking for a while, Hromos put his index finger on his temple and said, "The names of the towns we remember are Joyz and Nyushira. And... um, what's the matter... Pi..." "Skin?" "Pillet, Pirlo... By the way, Pirlo is modern." Seeing Holo's happy expression as if taking out something stuck in his chest, Lawrence tilted his head and said, "I've never heard of such a town. Are there others?" "Hmm—there were several towns back then, but they didn't have their own names like they do now. You can tell where they are on the other side of the mountain. There's no need to name them." Indeed, Lawrence was surprised by this several times when he first went to various places in the north to do business.When Luo Lunjin arrived at a town, he realized that only travelers knew the name of the town.Neither the inhabitants of the town nor the people who live nearby know the name of the town. Lawrence also met an old man who said that if he named the town, he would be targeted by evil gods. The so-called bad gods must be the church. "Then, let's use Nushira as a base to find it. If it's Nushira, I still know the location." "What a nostalgic name, is there still hot water gushing out there?" "I have heard that even though it was a pagan town, many archbishops and kings traveled long distances and sneaked gratefully to soak in the hot springs. There are rumors that because of the hot springs in Nyushira, they are protected from the heathens. The attack of the Crusaders." "After all, only the hot spring there does not belong to anyone." Holo said with a smile, followed by "That's it", and coughed lightly. "If it's Newhira here, it'll be over there." The direction Holo was pointing was southwest.Lawrence was honestly relieved to see Holo not pointing further north. If it is in a location further north than Newhira, there will be some areas where the snow will not melt even in summer. However, just knowing that it is in the southwest of Nyushira, the range is still too large. "How long does it take from Nyushira to Yoiz?" "Two days based on our footsteps. For humans... I don't know." Lawrence recalled a memory of sitting on Holo's back near Rubenhagen.Holo must be able to walk briskly where there is no road. In this way, the scope of the investigation starting from Nushira is indeed quite large.Trying to find a town, maybe even a small village in Yoiz, is like looking for a needle in the desert.Because Lawrence is a traveling merchant who travels between towns scattered across the vast world, he understands the difficulty better. Moreover, in the ancient legend that Lawrence heard, it was mentioned that Joyz was destroyed by the furbolg. If this ancient legend is true, it is absolutely impossible to find the ruins of a town that has perished hundreds of years ago. Lawrence was not an aristocrat who could spend his life having fun.Deviating from the original business route, the days of lingering in other regions can only last half a year at most.Moreover, the failed experience in Rüppenhagen took Lawrence further away from his dream of owning a store in the town, which also gave him less time to procrastinate. When Lawrence was thinking about these things, the words that suddenly came to his mind blurted out naturally: "Can you go back from Nyushira by yourself? Do you know the direction?" If the distance from Nyushira to Yoiz can be reached in about two days, then as Holo said, as long as she gets nearby, she will definitely remember. Because of this thought, Lawrence, who had no other intentions, casually said what he just said.However, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Lawrence discovered his slip of the tongue. Because Holo was looking at Lawrence in astonishment. While Lawrence's face showed surprise, Holo looked away. "Yes, that's right. As long as we get to Nyushira, we will definitely remember the way back to Yoiz." Saying that, a forced smile appeared on Holo's face.Lawrence thought "what's going on here", and then yelled "ah". Holo had said, back in the estuary town of Pazio, that loneliness kills. Loneliness was such a frightening thing for Holo.Even though Lawrence was harmless, Holo could still be thinking in a bad direction.Besides, Holo drank a lot. Maybe Holo interpreted that Lawrence was getting impatient looking for her homeland. "Wait a minute, don't think in a bad direction. If it only takes two days, then I can wait for you in Nyushira." "Well, that's enough. Will you take us to Nyushira? We want to see more different towns." Although the conversation was beautifully connected, it was a disappointment for Lawrence.Lawrence only thought it was Holo's clever reflexes that allowed the conversation to flow smoothly. Although the dialogue was successfully connected on the surface, there were differences under the surface. Holo had been away from her homeland for hundreds of years.Just like the ancient legend Lawrence heard, Holo must have thought of the possibility that Yoiz no longer exists. Even if she didn't think so, the years she has experienced are long enough to cause many huge changes in the world. Variety.Holo must have felt extremely uneasy. Holo.It must be the fear of going to the hometown alone. Holo's innocent smile when she thought of Yoiz because of the smell of sprinkles was probably the opposite of her uneasiness. It only takes a little thought to understand Holo's mentality.Lawrence regretted his careless speech. "Listen, I'm going to help you in any way I can. What I just said was—" "Didn't we just say how much gentleness is worth for a male? Ru, don't be too considerate, we will be very troubled." The far-fetched smile on Holo's face was mixed with a troubled expression. She put the wine glass in her hand under the bed and said, "It's too bad for us to always measure things by our own standards. After all, we only need to blink, y'all." Humans grow old. We always forget the fact that in such a short life, one year is of course very important." The moonlight from the wooden window enveloped Holo's body.In an instant, it looked so much like a phantom that Lawrence hesitated to approach it.He worried that Holo would disappear like a cloud of fog if he got close. Holo picked up the face that had been drooping since she put down the glass, and she still had a troubled smile on her face. "You are really a bad person, this expression troubles us." What should I say at this time?No suitable words came to Lawrence's mind. Here and now, there is clearly a disagreement between the two. Lawrence, however, could find no words to remedy this disagreement.Even improvising lies would be of no use to Holo. And, most importantly, Holo's words made it harder for Lawrence to speak.Lawrence couldn't say, "No matter how many years it takes, I'm going to find Yoiz and take you there."Merchants are too realistic creatures to be able to say such lines.For Lawrence, Holo, who has gone through hundreds of years, is too far away. "It's because we forgot to take things for granted. Because I feel so comfortable by your side, if I'm not careful... I'll act coquettishly." Holo said with a shy smile, her ears quivering slightly in embarrassment.Her girlish speech might have come from Holo's sincerity. However, Lawrence was not happy at all when he heard these words. Because Holo's words sounded like farewell. "Oh, we seem to be drunk. If we don't hurry to sleep, I don't know what else to say." Holo didn't fall silent, and her self-serving babbling appearance made people feel that she was trying to be brave. Even so, Lawrence was not able to speak to Holo in the end. All Lawrence could do was take care not to let Holo pack up and leave alone after the silence fell.Although he thought that such a thing should never happen, he also felt that Holo seemed like the person who would do such a thing. However, Lawrence felt worthless for himself who could only keep an eye out for this to happen, and couldn't help but want to curse at himself loudly. The night deepened silently. A drunken man's laughter came from outside the closed wooden window, but Lawrence felt a sense of emptiness when he heard it.