Chapter 5 Act III-1

Early in the morning, the streets of Camelson come alive with life. Crossing the north-south main street and heading west, you can see signs like road signs being erected here and there. Lawrence and the young man glanced at the signs while running.He found that those signs really looked like road signs, but he couldn't understand what was written on them.The signs had written words that Lawrence had never seen, and some of them were decorated with flowers, turnip leaves, and wheat straw. These brands should be used in today's Rajola Festival, but it's a pity that Lawrence doesn't have the time to find out the truth.

The young man may be called around by Mark all day long. He moves very fast without being out of breath.Even Lawrence, who was quite confident in his physical strength, could barely keep up.Just when Lawrence was almost out of breath, the two finally arrived at the foreign firm. The always-closed hard wooden door of the foreign firm, which gives people a strong sense of exclusivity, is open generously, and about three businessmen are drinking at the entrance early in the morning. The three of them were talking happily facing the inside of the foreign company, but when they found Lawrence coming to the foreign company, they waved to Lawrence and shouted towards the inside: "Hey! The famous knight Hashim is here!"

Hearing that he was called Hashem the Knight, Lawrence was convinced that what the young man told him was not a lie or a joke. This is a famous love story told in Arias, a land of passion surrounded by sea and vineyards. The court knight Gento Ra Hashim is the protagonist of this story. However, despite being called a knight, Lawrence was not at all happy. The knight Hashim fought bravely for the noble girl Elisa he loved, and accepted the duel waged by the king's son Philip III with Elisa as a bet, and finally met the tragic fate of losing his life. Lawrence ran up the stone steps, pushing aside the cheering merchants and rushing into the foreign firm.

Everyone's eyes focused on Lawrence as if a long gun was being shot at a criminal being punished. In the innermost part of the foreign company, that is, in front of the bar where the owner of the foreign company sits. There stood Philip III, the king's son. "I declare it again!" A high-pitched, boyish voice sounded in the lobby of the foreign firm. The voice came from Amati, who was not wearing the oily tanned leather coat worn by the Fishmongers' Chamber of Commerce, but was wearing the robes necessary for ceremonial occasions, dressed like a son of a nobleman. Amati stared straight at Lawrence, and all the merchants in the hall stared at Amati with bated breath.

At this moment, Amati raised her dagger and a piece of parchment and declared: "I will pay the debt on the slender shoulders of the pilgrimage nun. When the goddess of beauty is free, I will face the guardian Luo in heaven." Saint Lambaldos of the En Commercial Guild swears, I am willing to dedicate my loyal love to Holo, the pilgrimage nun!" A voice mixed with laughter and exclamations, and an unbelievable heat echoed in the hall. Amati completely ignored these voices. He slowly lowered his hand, turned the dagger in his right hand 180 degrees, grabbed the hilt and handed it to Lawrence, saying, "Miss Holo told me what happened to her. and the way she was treated. I intend to use my status and property as a free man to get back her wings of freedom, and I intend to propose to her.”

What Mark said yesterday emerged vividly in Lawrence's mind. Once a guy at that age is fascinated, he will dare to do anything ridiculous. With a bitter mood, Lawrence first looked at the hilt of the sword that Amati handed out, and then at the parchment. Because there was still some distance between Lawrence and Amati, it was difficult to see what was written on the paper: But Lawrence thought to himself, it should be an article that specifically wrote what Amati just said.The red seal in the lower right corner of the parchment must not be a wax seal, but a blood seal. Contract law is used in areas where there is no notary public, or when a contract of greater value than a commissioned notary is desired.The so-called contract law is that the person who stamped the blood on the contract handed over the dagger to the other party, and then swore to God.

When unable to abide by this contract, the blood-marked person must either kill the opponent with a dagger, or slash at his own throat. Once Lawrence accepts the short sword that Amati offered, the contract will be formally established. Lawrence, of course, took no action, as he had never imagined how things would turn out. "Mr. Lawrence." Amati's eyes were sharp, as if the words were coming from the eyes. Lawrence didn't feel able to hide from Amati with third-rate excuses or neglect. Amid the pain, he said something to buy time: "It is true that Holo owes me a debt, and it is also true that I asked her to repay the debt by praying for a safe journey. However, this does not mean that the debt is paid off, and she is unwilling to do it again." Be my traveling companion."

"Of course, but I am confident that she will give up being your traveling companion for me." "Oh~!" There was another small cry in the hall. Although Amati didn't look like he was drunk, he looked very much like Philip III. "...and, while not 100 percent religious, Holo is a nun. To get married—" "If you think I don't understand the regulations in this area, then you should worry too much. Because I know Miss Holo doesn't belong to any monastic order." In order to prevent the word "bad" from blurting out, Lawrence could only close his lips tightly.

There are two types of pilgrimage nuns.One is the denomination to which they belong, monks who do not have a stronghold such as a beggar order recognized by the church.The other is itinerant nuns who do not belong to any order and "profess" monks. Most of the itinerary nuns belong to this category of self-proclaimed monks, and they do so only for the convenience of travelling.Of course, since they did not belong to any order, they were not subject to the marriage restrictions imposed by the clergy. Amati knew that Holo was a self-proclaimed monk.In this way, it is impossible to find a monastic order now, and then trick each other to deceive Amati. He continued, "Actually, I am not willing to propose a contract to Mr. Lawrence in this form. Presumably everyone present Think I’m Philip III in the story of the knight Hashim? However, according to the city law of Kamelsen, when a woman has a debt, the guardian of the woman will be the creditor. Of course—”

Amati paused at this point, coughed, and then continued: "If Mr. Lawrence, as the guardian, is willing to agree unconditionally to my proposal to Miss Holo, then there is no need to come up with such a contract." .” The drama of two men competing for women, which is rarely seen by chance, is the best topic to add to the fun of the banquet. The merchants, snickering under their breath, watched the unfolding events. As long as they were experienced businessmen, they probably wouldn't think that the relationship between Holo and Lawrence was as described by Amati.Rather, it's only a problem if one really thinks that itinerant nuns who are burdened with debts are praying for merchants to travel safely in order to pay off the debts.Most people would naturally think that the nun was with the businessman because she was unwilling to be sold to pay off her debts, or she was with the businessman voluntarily.

Presumably Amati has also thought about the possibility of this, but he must think it is the former. Rescue the poor, beautiful nun from her fate, from the shackles of her debts: it must have been an above-board reason for Amati to take such a daring move in spite of all eyes. Even if Amati didn't think so, the current situation made Lawrence a villain. "Mr. Lawrence, are you willing to accept the contracted dagger?" The merchants who were watching the situation grinned silently, showing their teeth. The traveling merchant with a beautiful woman by his side is about to be snatched away by a young fish merchant because of insufficient defense. It's rare to see such a sideshow. And no matter what excuse Lawrence used to refuse, it would only make him look embarrassed. In this case, Lawrence had no choice but to show a majestic demeanor that would not lose to Amati. Moreover, Lawrence believed that Holo would never travel with Lawrence because Amati helped her pay off her debts, so there was nothing to worry about. "I'm not so careless that I signed the contract without even reading it." Amati nodded, put away the dagger, and handed out the parchment contract. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Luo Lun slowly approached Amati and accepted the contract for review. As expected, the content written in the contract is not much different from Amati's declaration just now, but it is expressed in a simple article. Among the contents of the contract, what Lawrence is most concerned about is the amount of arrears that Amati should repay. How much did Holo say? Seeing that Amati can declare so confidently, it may be quite a cheap amount. Following that, Lawrence found the amount in a line of text. Lawrence thought for a moment that he was delusional. A thousand trinity silver coins. Lawrence did feel a sense of security spreading in his heart. "Are you sure that the description on this contract is correct?" Lawrence read the content of the contract again from the beginning, and confirmed that there were no trap descriptions that could be easily misinterpreted.Of course, Lawrence also tried to find if there were any records that he could use instead of traps. However, the hard and difficult articles in the contract are precisely to prevent Lawrence from such an opportunity, and it is also a countermeasure to prevent being dragged down. Seeing Amati nodding, Lawrence could only nod along. "I see." After Lawrence finished speaking, he handed the contract to Amati and gestured with his eyes. Amati handed the dagger hilt to Lawrence again. Lawrence reached out to the hilt of the sword, and the contract was formally established at this moment. All the merchants present are witnesses to this contract.And more importantly, this dagger is sworn in the name of the guild's sage Rambaldos. The merchants raised their voices and clinked their glasses together, arbitrarily drawing conclusions for this sideshow. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the two parties watched each other quietly, and then handed over the contract and dagger to the tired-looking master of the foreign firm for safekeeping. "The deadline for fulfilling this contract is the last day of the festival, which is tomorrow's sunset. Do you have any objections?" Lawrence nodded in response to Amati's inquiry, and deliberately said: "Please pay a thousand Trini silver coins in cash, and never accept haggling or installment payment." Even if Amati is a fish merchant who transports fresh fish with three carriages, it is impossible for him to have the financial resources to easily spend a thousand silver coins.If he was a businessman with such deep pockets, Lawrence would have heard of it. Of course, if the purchase amount is up to 1,000 Trini silver coins, I believe Amati can easily do it. However, to put it a bit harshly, Amati's behavior was tantamount to buying Holo for a thousand silver coins.As long as Lawrence didn't intend to sell Holo, the thousand silver coins would just go directly from Amati's purse into Lawrence's purse. If Amati really does this, he will definitely suffer from lack of funds to buy tomorrow's fresh fish.Even if Holo really accepted Amati's proposal.Presumably, the harsh life and business will meet the two of them.Although poets would say that money can't buy love, the opposite is also true. "Then, Mr. Lawrence, let's meet here tomorrow as well." Even so, Amati still had an excited expression on his face. He walked out of the foreign company from the hall with his head held high, and no one stopped him.All eyes immediately focused on Lawrence. If he didn't say anything at this time, everyone would think that he was a worthless traveling merchant who had been tricked by Amati. Lawrence turned up his collar and said confidently, "I think, if it's just a small favor to settle the debt, my partner won't give in to him." There was a burst of cheers from all around, as if saying "well said".And the shouts of "Lawrence twice, Amati four times! Who wants to bet?" immediately rang out and surrounded the entire foreign firm. The person who volunteered to be the banker was a salt merchant that Lawrence was also familiar with. When he saw Lawrence looking at him, he grinned at Lawrence. Lawrence's multiplier will be set relatively low, which means that the merchants present judge the situation to be unfavorable for Amati.When Lawrence saw the account of the thousand silver coins, the sense of security that spread in his heart was not based on his observations with high expectations.But based on common sense, the contract proposed by Amati is obviously a foolhardy move. The merchants who kept betting one after another probably also bet on Lawrence.The higher the bet amount, the stronger Lawrence's confidence will be. Although Lawrence was almost not frightened when he heard Amati's declaration that he would propose to Holo, the possibility of Amati's fulfillment of the declaration was quite low. And although at present, Amati is already at a disadvantage: there is still one last hurdle that can make Lawrence feel more at ease. In other words, as long as Holo didn't nod her head in agreement, Amati and Holo couldn't possibly get married. For this, Lawrence has absolute confidence. Amati couldn't have known that Holo and Lawrence were looking for their home in the north together. Lawrence once said to Holo that intelligence was more important than anything else to a merchant.If you don't get the information, it's like going to the battlefield blindfolded. The current Amati is a typical lack of information.Because as long as he was negligent, even if he ran all over the city and tried his best to raise a thousand silver coins to help Holo pay off his debts, Holo was still very likely to go north with Lawrence. While thinking about these things, Lawrence apologized to the owner of the foreign firm for causing a commotion due to irresistible factors, and then left immediately. The merchants would definitely turn their attention to Lawrence after placing their bets, and Lawrence thought it would be best to leave before then.Because he didn't want to be the topic of the banquet. Lawrence pushed and pushed among many merchants, and after finally getting out of the foreign firm, he found someone he knew standing outside the foreign firm. That man was Bartos who introduced the chronicler Diana to Lawrence. "You're really in big trouble." Seeing Lawrence responding with a wry smile, Bartos also smiled sympathetically—he immediately said "but", and continued: "I think Mr. Amati thought of a way to allocate funds, so he will Make a contract." Hearing Bartos' unexpected speech, the wry smile on Lawrence's face disappeared. "No way?" "Of course, that method doesn't seem very decent." Lawrence thought it couldn't possibly be the way he did it in Rüppenhagen. There are no goods subject to high tariffs in Camelson.If it will not be taxed, of course there is no point in smuggling. "I don't think it will take long for the news to reach everyone's ears, so I won't go into details. If I defend Mr. Lawrence too much, Mr. Amati, who mustered up the courage to declare boldly in the foreign firm, is too pitiful Yes. I just want to tell Mr. Lawrence about this earlier." "why?" Bartos smiled like a boy. "Because no matter what the reason is, it is a happy thing to have a traveling partner. If this partner is taken away, it would be too cruel for the traveling merchant." Bartos said with a smile on his face, his appearance made people feel that there was no false truth. "You should go back to the hotel earlier, it's better to quickly formulate countermeasures." In Lawrence's eyes, Bartos was like a trade partner who was willing to negotiate a large deal with Lawrence on favorable terms.After Lawrence saluted him, he walked towards the hotel. Amati has already thought of a way to allocate funds. Although Lawrence miscalculated this matter, there is still something between Lawrence and Holo that Bartos does not know. Lawrence thought back and forth several times in his mind while walking on the street that was restricted from passing due to the festival. He came to the conclusion that Holo couldn't possibly fall for Amati. Lawrence told Holo who was staying at the hotel what had happened, but received a surprisingly cold reaction from Holo. Holo was surprised when she heard the news of the young man sent by Mark: but now, she seemed to think that grooming her tail was more important.Holo, who was sitting cross-legged, put her tail on her lap and combed it. "So, did you accept that contract?" "Ok." "Is it……" Holo said indifferently, and immediately shifted her gaze to the tail.Seeing Holo's disinterested expression, Lawrence couldn't help feeling sorry for Amati. Lawrence looked out the wooden window and said to himself, "There's nothing to worry about," when Holo suddenly said, "You." "What's up?" "What would you do if that innocent young master did pay a thousand silver coins?" Lawrence thought, if he answered "What and how?" Holo would definitely look bored. Holo must have wanted to know what was the first thought that came to Lawrence's mind when he was asked that question. After pretending to think for a while, Lawrence deliberately chose an answer that was not the best answer and replied, "After paying off all the money you spent, I will give you the rest." The ears on Holo's head moved slowly, and her eyelids covered half of her eyes. "Don't test us." "It's unfair that I'm the one who gets tested every time." "Humph." After Holo snorted boredly, she turned her gaze back to the tail at hand. Lawrence deliberately didn't say the first thought that came to his mind. Besides, Lawrence was trying to see if Holo would notice that he was keeping silent on purpose. "If Amati completes the contract, I will abide by the contract." Although Holo didn't look up.But of course Lawrence knew that Holo wasn't looking at the tail at all. "Of course, you are free, you can do what you want." "You are quite confident." Holo changed her cross-legged position so that her feet were planted on the ground. Her posture was a bit like the preparatory action before she was going to pounce on Lawrence every time, which made Lawrence a little shy, but she still replied immediately with confidence: "I don't have confidence, I just trust you." There can be several versions of one thing. It ended up saying the same thing, but Lawrence found it more masculine. Holo showed a surprised expression for a moment, but she seemed to be aware of Lawrence's thoughts with a quick reaction. After smiling happily, she quickly stood up from the bed and said, "Really, you are even cuter when you are panicked." "Even I deeply feel that I have grown a lot." "Hmph. Do you think that as long as you behave calmly, you are considered an adult?" "Isn't it?" "In the face of a gamble, first confirm whether you can win, and wait until you are sure that the situation is in your favor, and then act with ease. The wise wolf made a high-level statement, and Lawrence couldn't help but show his suspicion on his face as if he heard someone selling strange products. " Before Lawrence could say "That's not the case", Holo had already continued, "Anyway, you must observe the reactions around you first, and then judge whether you will lose face, right?" "Well……" "Think about a hypothetical reversal of positions. That is, we would say—" Holo coughed first, then pressed her right hand to her chest and said, "It's impossible for us to accept that contract. We want Shuiyuan and Lawrence to be together. Even if it's a debt, it's a bond between us and Lawrence." One of Lawrence's fetters. No matter how many bonds there are between us and Lawrence, as long as one of them is missing, we will not be able to bear it...In this case, even if we are humiliated here, we will not accept the contract... ...like this, how?" Holo's expression was so serious, and what she said touched Lawrence deeply. "If we heard someone say that to us, we would be breathless with joy." Although Lawrence knew that Holo was joking, he felt that what she said was not unreasonable. However, Lawrence was unwilling to admit it so bluntly.Because once admitted, Lawrence became a spineless man who accepted the contract out of respect.Moreover, if you declare so frankly in front of everyone, even if you are not laughed at on the spot, it will cause trouble afterwards. "Maybe it's really masculine. However, whether this is considered an adult's behavior is another matter, right?" Holo crossed her hands in front of her chest, let her gaze wander in the air for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, although this is a good man's performance, it is a young man's impulsive performance regardless of the consequences. Hearing this I might feel happy about my confession, but I’m afraid I’ll punch the box, hiccup.” "I'm right?" "Thought. Thinking about it this way, maybe the behavior of a good male and the behavior of a good adult are incompatible. A good male appears childish, while a good adult appears useless." If the stubborn knight heard Holo's disdain for men, he might draw his sword in anger. Seeing Bohero showing a mocking smile to himself, Lawrence certainly did not give up fighting back: "Then, if Holo the Wise Wolf, who is both a good woman and a good man, receives Amati's contract, how will she deal with it?" Woolen cloth?" Holo still had a smile on her face. With her hands still folded on her chest, she replied on the spot: "Of course I accepted the contract with a smile." Lawrence murmured silently, but Holo's smile followed him closely. Seeing Holo's light smile, seeming to be able to accept Amati's contract effortlessly, Lawrence could imagine how calm and deep she was. However, Lawrence doesn't have the same ideas as Holo. This made Lawrence realize once again that it was Holo who called himself the Wise Wolf standing in front of him. "Of course, after signing the contract and returning to the hotel, we will approach you like this without saying a word... After Holo pushed Lawrence back to the window step by step, let go of the cross The hand on the chest gently extended towards Lawrence and said, "Then bow your head." Holo's tail and ears drooped, and even her shoulders were flaccid and weak, which seemed very illusory.If this is a trap set by Holo, it must be impossible to see through. The next second came Holo's snickering, which made Lawrence feel infinitely terrified. "However, you are a good businessman. Presumably you judged that this is a gamble with a chance of winning, so you signed the contract. However, you will definitely take various actions secretly and be fully prepared." Holo lifted her drooping head, and while flicking her ears and tail happily, she turned her body half a circle, so that her body was close to Lawrence's side. Of course Lawrence understood Holo's meaning immediately. "You want me to take you to the festival?" "A businessman will not hesitate to bribe for a contract?" Lawrence's contract with Amati is not directly related to Holo.Even so, the success of Amati's marriage proposal is the end of the commotion.If one were to describe the situation in unadorned terms, it would be that whether Lawrence could earn the full thousand silver coins would depend entirely on Holo's mood. From Lawrence's point of view, how could he not bribe Holo, who has the right to judge? "No matter what, I have to go to gather information about Amati, so I'll take you along." "Should you take us there and collect information by the way?" "Okay." Lawrence, who had been punched in the waist by Holo, smiled and replied with a sigh. first.Amati's property should be investigated. According to speculation, it is impossible for Amati to get a thousand silver coins at a time, and Bartos also said that Amati even used undecent methods to raise money, so this should be true. However, if Amati really raised enough money, it would be troublesome.So Lawrence decided to go to Mark's vendor and ask him to help with the investigation. Since Mark's vendors were still open during the festival, Mark, who had no chance to witness the commotion with his own eyes, readily agreed.In a situation where only rumors spread and most merchants had never seen the true face of Mount Hololu, the vendor who brought Holo to Mark was quite effective. If you can sit in the front row and watch the whole commotion unfold, it's a small thing. "Also, I'm not the one running around in the city." Although the errand boy taught people sympathy, it was a road everyone had to walk, which made Lawrence feel really complicated. "However, is it okay for you to wander around with the rumored beauty?" "She herself said that she wanted to watch the La Jolla Matsuri. Besides, if I lock her up in a hotel room, wouldn't I really be the one who tied her up in debt?" "Although Mr. Lawrence said so, what is the truth of the matter?" Mark smiled and asked Holo.Holo dressed up as a normal city girl that day, and wore a fox fur scarf presented by Amati. She seemed to understand what Mark was thinking, and put her hands on her chest and replied, "There is nothing so untrue." , we were originally bound by a huge debt shackle. This shackle that makes us unable to see the future is so heavy that we can't escape even if we want to escape... If you are willing to help us take off the shackle, you will be ashamed by the flour, we I am also happy." After hearing this, Mark burst out laughing instantly. "Wahhahahaha, no wonder Amati would bow down under your pomegranate skirt. Judging from the situation, the person bound must be Lawrence." Lawrence looked away without fighting back.He knew that under the double attack of Mark and Holo, he had no chance of winning at all. However, perhaps because Lawrence is usually kind, his savior just appeared at this time. The young man ran back through the crowd. "I found out." "Oh, thank you. What's the result of the investigation?" While reporting to Mark, the young man also did not forget to say hello to Lawrence and Holo. At this time, he must not want to hear Mark or Lawrence consoling him, but to see Holo's smile. Holo, who understood the young man's mentality, tilted her head and smiled more elegantly at the young man than usual.Her sinful behavior made the young man blush. "What happened?" Seeing Mark asking with a malicious smile, the young man panicked and prepared to answer.With a master like Mark, the lad must have been tricked for a long time. "Ah, yes. Well, the taxable amount on the tax book is two hundred Iredos." "Two hundred iledos. That's... about eight hundred trinity silver coins. This amount should be Amati's current property that the town council has grasped." With a few exceptions, all town merchants who own a certain level of property must pay taxes.All tax amounts will be recorded in the tax account book, and businessmen with business contacts can read the tax account book.With the help of his friends, Mark asked a businessman who had business dealings with Amati to investigate Amati's tax payment. However, it is impossible for town merchants to submit correct property declarations to the town council, so Amati must have some undisclosed property.Moreover, most of the property of a businessman exists in the form of claims receivable. However, even if Amati had other property, it was impossible for him to buy Holo for a thousand silver coins at a time. In this way, if Amati really intends to reach a contract, he may only adopt methods such as borrowing money or gambling to raise a huge amount in a short period of time. "Where's Camelson's Casino?" "It doesn't mean that Camelson doesn't have a church, so you can indulge in gambling. At most, you can play poker, dice, and chasing rabbits. Seeing that there is also a limit on gold, it is impossible to raise money by gambling." He was able to give a definite answer immediately after hearing only a short question, which shows that Mark himself also thought and analyzed Amati's method of raising money. In any case, Amati's move was tantamount to buying goods that could not be exchanged for money with a thousand silver coins. No businessman would want to know the source of Amati's funds. Lawrence was thinking about such things, and when he was thinking about what investigation he would ask Mark to do next, Mark suddenly said: "By the way, speaking of gambling, I heard that apart from the bet on how the contract between you and Amati will progress In addition, there is the blocking after the contract is completed.” "after finishing?" "Hmm. That is, assuming that the contract is won by Amati, what will happen after that?" Mark smiled provocatively, while Lawrence's expression became bitter. Holo, who was the key to the victory, seemed to be interested in the wheat sheaves and flour piled up in the stalls. She asked the young man to diligently lead her the way, while she looked around. What Mark said seemed to reach Holo's ears, and she looked in Lawrence's direction. "Although you currently have the upper hand, the multiplier is 1.2. The battle is very close." "I should ask the dealer to give me some money." "Hahaha. Then, what actually happened?" Mark would ask this, of course, trying to find out information that is beneficial to the bet so that he can win money, and it is also his nature to join in the fun. Lawrence didn't pay much attention to Mark's inquiry, he just shrugged.However, Holo, who had approached Lawrence at some point, answered this question: "In this world, there are many questions that cannot be easily answered even if they have already been answered. For example, the mixing ratio of flour." "Well." Mark looked at the young man hurriedly, and the young man shook his head desperately, as if saying that he didn’t say anything.When Holo talks about flour mix ratios, he means flour purity.In order to increase the amount of flour, wheat merchants often mix some cheaper flour into the flour made from wheat. Even a wheat merchant who comes into contact with flour every day cannot tell the difference if there are only very small amounts of different flours mixed in.However, to Holo who lives in the wheat, it must be obvious at a glance. After Holo smiled maliciously, she continued, "Do you want to ask what we will do if our debts are paid off?" Holo did her housekeeping tricks—a wide, half-smiling smile. Mark shook his head vigorously like the young man, and looked at Lawrence with a look of pleading for help. "But this way, we can only directly monitor the opponent's actions." Holo's sharp remark stabbed Lawrence in the chest. "I really hope you describe it as an underwater competition. Anyway, the other party must have sent someone to monitor my every move." However, Mark, who regained his strength, sang a different tune: "No, I don't think so. Look at Amati, although he looks weak, but after all, he ran away from home and came to this frontier town, and then relied on his own strength to get what he is today. What's more, he is so young, he is self-centered in many things. Not only does he not value horizontal relationships like the merchants in our town, he even despises insidious behavior like the one just mentioned. He only believes that he can distinguish The ability of fish to be good or bad, sales eloquence, and the blessing of the gods." Lawrence said to himself, "It's almost like a knight." Thinking of Amati's ability to stand up to her current position with such a style, Lawrence couldn't help but feel a little envious. "That's why Amati fell in love with the attractive girl who came to the city suddenly, right? After all, the women in the city have a stronger horizontal relationship than the merchants in the town. They are always concerned about the criticism around them, and each other. Surveillance, as long as someone stands out, they will all attack; I think they are also the target of Amati's contempt. Of course, after marrying Adele, I understand that not all girls in the city are like that of." As far as traveling merchants were concerned, Lawrence could understand Mark's explanation very well.From an outsider's point of view, the women of Camelson certainly do. Lawrence glanced at Holo as she approached him.He thought to himself that under such circumstances, if he met a girl like Holo, he might fall in love with it just by looking at her.Moreover, most people would think that Holo is an ordinary girl, so it must be easier to fall in love with her. "However, even if Mr. Amati is such a person, I can still use the businessman's horizontal relationship generously. If it is a competition between knights, the insidious behavior may be blamed; but if it is a competition between businessmen, it may It is no longer acceptable to complain to others.” "Well, I agree with that too." After Mark finished speaking, he looked at Holo. Lawrence also looked at Holo again, and Holo put her hands on her cheeks as if she had been waiting for Lawrence to look at her long ago, and then said shyly, "I really hope that someone will occasionally attack from the front openly. We." Lawrence thought, Mark must have realized that it is impossible to defeat Holo. Later, Lawrence decided to ask Mark to use his connections to collect information on Amati.When asking Mark, Lawrence did not forget to add to Mark the news that Bartos said that Amati seemed to have thought of a way to allocate funds. Although Lawrence trusts Holo, if you just do nothing because of trust, Lawrence can't imagine what Holo will do to hinder him.Besides, regarding the matter of collecting information on Amati, Lawrence had other plans, thinking that he might be able to take a free ride from Amati and make some money. 因为罗伦斯与赫萝一直在马克的摊贩前面停留，只会打扰马克做生意，所以委讬马克收集情报后，两人便离开了摊贩。 卡梅尔森的街上似乎越来越有活力，即使走出市场来到广场上，仍然看得到与市场一样拥挤的人潮。 时间已接近中午时刻，沿路上吸引入的摊贩无不大排着长龙。当然了，赫萝不会因为这样就死心，她紧握着从罗伦斯手中抢来的货币，在吸引她的摊贩前面排队。 罗伦斯在远处望着赫萝排队；心想告知中午时刻的钟声差不多快响起了吧。这时，忽然传来了显得迟钝且低沉的声音。 「号角？」 说到号角，就会联想到牧羊人；这让罗伦斯记起了在留宾海根一起艇而走险的诺儿莅。但他心想，如果被直觉好的赫萝识破，那就麻烦了。 罗伦斯一边把诺儿莅的身影赶出脑海，一边寻找声音传来的方向时，顺利买到目标商品——炸面团的赫萝走了回来。 「汝刚刚有没有听到像牧羊人发出的声音？」 「有，妳都这么认为了，那果然是号角声没错。」 「这里到处都是食物的味道，咱根本闻不出来附近有没有羊只。」 「市场里面应该有很多羊吧。可是，总不会在城里吹号角啊？」 「嗯，毕竟牧羊女又不在这里呐。」 因为罗伦斯早料到赫萝会这么说，所以他没有显得太动摇。 「唔。汝如果一点都不动摇，那不就变成像是咱想要试探汝的心似的。」 「那我真是喜不自胜呢，高兴得教人害怕啊。」 赫萝一脸开心地咬下炸面团，发出酥脆的声音。罗伦斯一边微笑，一边把视线再次栘向四周，他发现人群都往相同方向移动——人们正朝着市中心前进。方才的号角声应该是祭典开始的信号吧。 「祭典八成已经开始了，要去看吗？」 「老是吃东西也很无趣。」 罗伦斯苦笑着踏出步伐后，赫萝随即跟上脚步，并伸手握住罗伦斯的手。 两人随着人群移动，沿着市场旁朝北边走去。不久后，人们的欢呼声夹杂着笛声和太鼓声传了过来。 前方可看见打扮得像赫萝般的城市女孩，或是像从职场偷跑出来、满脸黑抹抹的工匠学徒，还有衣服上别了三根羽毛的旅行布道士，以及轻便装扮的骑士和佣兵，真可说是聚集了各式各样的人。 以欢呼声传来的方向来说，其位置应该是在把卡梅尔森分成东西南北四向的两条大街交叉处。然而，因为人群聚集的缘故，根本看不见交叉路口。虽然赫萝试着拉长脖子想看祭典状况，但是就连罗伦斯都看不见了，比他娇小许多的赫萝怎可能看得见。 罗伦斯忽然想到一件事，于是他拉起赫萝的手，从大街上转进旁边的小巷子里。 有别于鼎沸不绝的大街，一进到小巷子里，四周立刻静谧下来。在这里，可看到用破布包住身体的乞丐一副自己与大街热闹气氛无缘的表情在睡觉，或是工匠们为了准备摊贩的贩卖商品，赫萝似乎立刻察觉到罗伦斯打算带她到何处，她安静地跟随着罗伦斯。 如果祭典是在大街上举行，从罗伦斯两人投宿的旅馆一定能够清楚看见祭典的盛况。 两人以轻快的脚步在行人稀少的小巷子里走着，然后从后门进到旅馆爬上二楼。 走上二楼之后，随即发现有人似乎想到同样的点子，并打算利用这个点子做生意。几间面向大街的房间房门敞开着，看来狡猾的商人拉了把椅子坐在门口，闲来无事地把弄着货币。 「就这点来说，应该感谢阿玛堤的。」 进到房间，一打开木窗，罗伦斯瞬间便发现窗户边是观赏祭典的头等位置。 只要梢梢探出头，通往东西向和南北向的两条大街交叉路口一览无遗。而且，就算只是很正常地从屋内看向窗外，也足以眺望整个祭典状况。 在交叉路口演奏着笛子和太鼓的人们，都从头部套上黑色长袍裹住全身，看来诡异无比，让人无法分辨是男是女。 在这些黑衣人后方，有装扮十分不可思议的人们步行跟随着。 有的装扮是好几个人藏在使用多人份布料缝合成的一件巨大衣服底下，头上还举着人脸面具；有的装扮是从头部套上长袍扮演着巨人，想必长袍底下是一人坐在另一人的肩上吧。其中有的巨人拿着用木棍组成的大型长剑，有的巨人拿着高过身高的大型弓箭。每当这些巨人挥舞巨型长剑或弓箭时，观众便会随之发出欢呼声。 不过，就在罗伦斯心想「表演也不过如此而已」时，听到一阵群众的齐声高呼，跟着传来了不同的乐器声。 赫萝也轻轻叫了一声，罗伦斯怕挡住赫萝的视线，于是把头探出窗外。 旅馆的位置是在交叉路口的东南边，而交叉路口的东边似乎出现了装扮奇特的游行队伍。 虽然这支游行队伍同样是由黑衣人在前头带路，但是步行跟随在后方的人们装扮与交叉路口的人们截然不同。 有的人满脸涂得乌黑、头上戴着两根牛角，有的人背着羽毛。其中也有很多人披着动物皮革，即使赫萝露出耳朵和尾巴混入游行队伍之中，相信也不会被发现吧。这支游行队伍经过之后，传来了一阵与其说欢呼声，不如用惊叫形容更加贴切的声响，同时也出现了远远超出人类身高的麦草玩偶。麦草玩偶有四只脚，外形有些像狗儿，大小比赫萝的狼模样更高大。它被架在木头组成的支撑架上，由十名左右的男子扛着支撑架前进。 罗伦斯差点儿想要与赫萝搭话闲聊，但是他发现赫萝正专心一意地注视着祭典进行，也就没出声了。 模样长得像动物、或是模仿动物外形的玩偶一个接一个地排着游行队伍来到眼前，并在成为广场的交叉路口徘徊逗留。 不久后，在队伍前头带路的黑衣人们看了看竖立在四处的路标，用手指向各个方向，然后四处走动着。 看着黑衣人的举动，罗伦斯猜测这祭典并非只是个单纯的化妆游行，而是存在着故事性，只可惜罗伦斯对这方面并不了解。就在罗伦斯想着祭典结束后再找机会问问马克时，他发现又有不同游行队伍从南北向大街的北侧走来。 这次的队伍是由正常人组成的队伍，其中有人身穿破衣，有人打扮成贵族模样，也有人打扮成骑士模样，但有一个共通点是人人手上都拿着汤匙。就在罗伦斯觉得不可思议，想着为什么大家要手拿汤匙时，三支游行队伍在交叉路口正中央碰在一块，游行者口中高喊着罗伦斯不曾听过的语言。一旁的观众发出微弱的惊叫声，并带着紧张感聆听游行者的对话，就连罗伦斯也不禁紧张了起来。