Chapter 8 Act III-1

After waking up from sleep, the excitement should also calm down. Even though they crawled into the blanket with such expectations, the words of Eb and Arold turned into wine that made people sleepless. "As for whether to accept it or not, we will reply tomorrow night." This sentence resounded in my head again and again, just like when I was drunk. He took Holo, who claimed to be the only daughter of the Bran family, as collateral in exchange for two thousand Trini silver coins.It would be best if he could pull out 2,500 silver coins, use some money to buy furs, take a boat down the Roma River, and sell them before everyone else.

It is said that the furs concentrated in Reynolds can be sold at three times the original price even if the tariff is reduced. Although I always feel that this wishful thinking is too loud, but I can't help but calculate it in my heart. Assuming that it can be exchanged for two thousand silver coins, if it is tripled, a profit of four thousand silver coins will be obtained.Eb and Yalord jointly demanded 80% of the benefits.He also said that the relationship and intelligence expenses, as well as the hotel building mortgaged by Alolde as a guarantee, could also be owned by Lawrence. Even so, the building itself is only equivalent to 1,500 silver coins at most. Isn't 80% of the profit too outrageous? Lawrence just made this protest, but immediately shut up.

Because the other party said that if everything goes well, the management rights of the Arold Hotel will be handed over to Lawrence along with the building. Any businessman will know the value involved. A hotel can be opened as long as there is a building, and a stable income can be expected.Therefore, in order to protect their own vested interests, the existing hotels strongly reject the entry of new competitors.If the foreign test wants to use money to buy the management right, I don't know how much it will cost to buy it. and.If one opened a hotel in the city of Reynolds, it would not be too far from here to the city of hot springs, Newhira, and this could be used as a base to search for Yoiz, which is very close to there.

It would be abnormal if he could think of nothing and remain calm in the face of such conditions. However, in Eb's account, there is a feeling that things are arranged too cleverly.Although it seems reasonable on the surface, it always feels a little wrong. Perhaps this is a manifestation of timidity in the face of huge interests in front of you. Or.It was because the focus of this plan was on Lawrence's fund preparation, and this preparation method was to temporarily mortgage Holo. When in the port town of Pazio, Holo was caught by the pursuers as Lawrence's stand-in. At that time, there was really no choice but to adopt the best strategy at the time, which was filed by Holo.

This time, Lawrence sold Holo again for his own business interests. Merchant was a profession that was scorned and reproached by the Church.Lawrence felt that he could finally understand the reason. In the deep darkness, Lawrence was thinking that even if Holo was allowed to act as a nobleman, there should be no problem. This sleepless night will last forever. While he was thinking about this kind of thing—— "You." Lawrence woke up to Holo's call. "...Ugh...is it morning...?" The feeling that the dawn will never come, is it a dream? Lawrence opened his eyes and found that the light was coming into the house through the wooden window, and he heard the sound that seemed to announce that the people in the town had started to move. the uproar.

Lawrence seemed to fall asleep unknowingly while he was feverishly thinking about this and that. Glancing at Holo who was standing by the bed, she was about to sit up when she realized that she was sweating while sleeping. Lawrence recalled the first time someone proposed a big, lucrative deal to him since his debut.At that time, the profuse sweating was as severe as bedwetting.Of course, in the end it was just a hoax. "What did you do last night?" Although her tone was a little unhappy, she wasn't teasing herself, it was probably out of concern for herself.Reaching out to touch his neck, he found that it was covered with sticky sweat.If Holo was sweating so much while sleeping, Lawrence would have been worried too.

"It's a very exciting . . . big deal." After throwing back the blanket, the sweat caught the cold morning air and became as cold as ice. Holo sat down on her bed and threw the handkerchief over.Lawrence caught it gratefully, and was about to use it to wipe off his sweat, only to find—— "This... can I see it as a concern for me?" "Of course we have to get our scent first." He didn't know if he had tried some new hair trimming method, but the handkerchief Holo handed him was covered with hair. It would be terrible to use this thing to wipe sweat.

"We are worried about you." "sorry." When Lawrence was worried, she would obviously make some unbelievably nasty jokes, but when she did the same thing, she couldn't help it. "This is also something that is easy to imagine. The other party proposed a big deal." "The fox?" Although Lawrence thought it was a wolf, from the perspective of the real wolf - Holo, it seemed that he could only be regarded as a fox. "Ah, to be precise, it should be Eb. It was proposed by the businesswoman and the owner of this hotel, Arold." "Well……"

Holo's seemingly perfunctory "Oh, yeah" attitude wasn't out of indifference to the matter. Her tail puffed up slightly. "Now I just heard about the content, but haven't collected evidence yet, and of course I haven't answered yet. It's just..." After stroking the bulging tail, Holo narrowed her eyes and asked back: "only?" "Benefit--" "Compared to my favor...?" Lawrence, who was interrupted, closed his mouth that had just opened, tried to open it again, and then closed it again. Holo must be trying to say that there must be greater dangers ahead of huge benefits.

A dog who has been burned by a stove will never go near a stove again. The only people who get burned again and again are the humans who want to get the chestnuts in the stove. Roasted chestnuts are very sweet. So Lawrence held out his hand to the raging fire. "Very huge." Holo's reddish amber eyes gradually narrowed into thin lines.Instead of flicking her tail, she rustled and scratched the bases of her ears.Even so, Lawrence still couldn't just helplessly give up the deal with Eb.He remembered the scene when he first refuted to the master. "The interest is the hotel itself, or more."

What that meant, Holo probably didn't know. With this expectation, Lawrence said succinctly. There was silence for a while. For Lawrence, this is not a difficult time.Because her reddish amber eyes are showing a shape similar to a full moon. "That...isn't it very close to your dream?" "...That's right." Lawrence replied firmly.Holo's knife-sharp atmosphere was immediately swept away, and she lowered her right ear in an instant. "Then why are you bothered?" As a result, such a sentence was uttered. "Of course we remember that your dream is to own your own shop. If this is the case, there is no room for us to intervene." After speaking, she pulled her tail to her hand and began to groom her hair. On the contrary, there was a look of helplessness on her face. Facing Holo's unexpected reaction, Lawrence didn't know what to do for a moment, and stood there in a daze. Thinking that she would be willing to accept Holo's involuntary denial, or that if she said that such a deal was dangerous, it would turn into a meaningful conversation about whether Eb's words were true or not. Of course, this was indeed a rare opportunity, but if the danger accounted for a greater proportion, he also thought about giving up. If you have money, you can earn it later. However, it was impossible for him to meet the second Holo again. "What's the matter, Ru Ye has a dog face that seems to want to be cared by others." He stroked the beard on his chin reflexively, maybe because he was caught by what she said. "Do you really like being opposed by us so much?" Although Holo's tail was burnt brown, that was only the color of the outer fur, and the inner fur was as white as snow. She is pinching the hairballs with those hairs. "I was going to be refuted by you, and if I analyzed that the situation was not good, I would honestly retreat." Lawrence replied honestly.Holo smiled helplessly. "Is that because you expected our clever minds and foresight?" "There is also this reason." "Others?" It's useless to hide it, she will only dig it out and make fun of it in the end. It's just that, as a man, he is reluctant to speak out. "Don't you make a disgusted expression?" Holo let out a dry laugh, curtly cursing "big ass". "Then, let me ask you the other way around, why did you suddenly change your attitude? You obviously hate me for meddling in it so much?" "Humph." Was it because the tail hair was sucked into the nostrils, or because Lawrence's words were not worth mentioning? Although it was mostly the latter, she did not show a very unhappy expression. "You are really... No, forget it. Anyway, we know that you are a big stupid ass. Don't look at us like this, we actually feel a little uncomfortable saying this or that to you." I wonder if Holo gave Lawrence a fierce look as if he was about to bite him because of the "how come" expression on Lawrence's face. "Really... In the end, we can only use our mouths and brains for ourselves. For example, we think that as long as we can talk to you leisurely, it is enough. The reason why we give you advice as if we are telling the truth of the world is because of To make it happen. Seriously, it's really hard." Holo turned her displeased face to her tail after blowing away the ball of pure white hair that she pinched her fingers in one breath. "You just need to weigh the benefits you can get and the risks you may encounter, and if you think it's appropriate, then make a move. Opening a store is your dream, right? We don't want to hinder you." "Don't say anything to get in the way-" "Besides, if we weren't here, you wouldn't consider refusing at first, but accept it first. If you find out that the other party wants to lie to you, you will conversely calculate the other party to make huge profits. This level of courage and drive, You should have it too? Where did you throw it?" Hearing Holo's accusation, Lawrence only felt as if some ancient memory had suddenly been awakened. Indeed, when the port town of Pazio got involved in the silver coin business, he had the same level of arrogance.Because he is very eager to obtain opportunities to make money, he intends to rely on the prudent thinking of "don't trust anyone" to make up for a certain degree of risk. It's just that it's really hard to imagine that it was a few months ago.It's obviously not even half a year, but now I feel that such a self only exists in the ancient memory. Holo curled up on the blanket, facing Lawrence, pulling her tail up to her chin. "There's nothing like the human male guarding his nest." Hearing these words, Lawrence couldn't help moaning "Woo". It was only after hearing others say this that I realized—the conservative city wall that sprouted in my heart at some point is the city wall that I once thought had nothing to do with me and existed for protection. "Of course, we won't say there's anything wrong with that. You treat us... Well, the way you look at us with trepidation is indeed very cute." The joke at the end reflected Holo's mood more faithfully. Of course, that might just be Holo's strategy. "We have always made some willful demands on you, so you will also mention it to us occasionally. Then, if you will forget us..." Lawrence was about to answer "Nothing" right away, but sensing Holo's intentions, he swallowed the words. "Then let's bite you from behind and don't let go, and you can turn around with confidence." Holo grinned, showing her sharp teeth. There might not be many people who are as polite as Holo, even among businessmen who value human feelings. Moreover, Lawrence knew many businessmen who had become more patient with families but had lost their drive altogether. If you think it's okay to be a thrifty traveling businessman for the rest of your life, then of course it doesn't matter. But when he asked himself "Does this really matter?", Lawrence was not straightforward enough to nod without hesitation. If he sent Holo back to his hometown and continued to travel and do business, he might get enough money to open a shop in the near future. However, when it comes to buildings that contain hotel management rights, that kind of dream is even sadly elusive.Hotels and franchises, just thinking about what could be done with such discretionary property was exciting enough. If you can challenge it, you should give it a try—of course you will feel that way. "However, there is a problem with the plan they proposed that makes me hesitate." "Oh?" Holo lifted her eyelids with interest. Lawrence scratched his head casually, and said in a heartbeat: "In order to prepare the funds required for the transaction, you must be used." Holo's expression didn't waver in the slightest, which was probably a hint to urge him to continue talking. "Present you as the daughter of a noble family, and then hand it over to the chamber of commerce as collateral." After hearing this, Holo immediately snorted. "Could that be the reason why you sweated while sleeping?" "...Aren't you angry?" "As for the fact that you think we will be angry, of course we will be angry." I've heard this phrase before. However, Lawrence didn't know the reason. "Don't you understand...?" I feel like I have become a boy from the chamber of commerce who can't even answer simple questions. "You are really... Aren't we your partners? If it helps your business, of course we are happy to donate ourselves." This was obviously a lie, but as long as certain conditions were met, Holo would nod her head in response to even a slightly forceful request.She had trusted Lawrence to such an extent. Obviously so, if Lawrence hadn't noticed this kind of trust, it's only natural for Holo to be angry. And that certain condition is the trust in Holo as a partner that "should agree to such a slightly difficult request", and for Holo, the wise wolf, "it won't get into trouble unless it encounters too many problems." " trust. Last but not least, is the respect for being someone who stands on the same footing. As long as you don't forget these things, Holo, who was entrusted, will never feel that Lawrence is using him. "I need your help no matter what." "Hmph. Although we have been your substitute once, it was a thank you gift for your kindness to us. But, it is not this time." It's not a thank you gift, nor is it a favor. what is that? Neither money nor favors. The relationships Lawrence has established with others so far are all relationships that can be changed back to zero through addition and subtraction.If you do favors to others, you will ask them to return them, and if you owe them, you will return them. Even the friendship relationship has become a credit relationship, and you deal with others like this. But the relationship with Holo is a brand new relationship completely different from all these. However, when Lawrence thought of the most suitable adjective, Holo showed an expression like "don't say it plainly". "So, what else do you care about?" "That's certainly a concern about 'is this a trap?'" Holo laughed "hehe". "If the other party has any intentions, you should let the other party be surprised. The more ambitious the other party's plan is—" These were the words Lawrence said proudly to Holo when he saw a novice businessman who proposed suspicious deals to him when he first met her. "The more far-reaching the other party's plot, the greater the benefits in turn." Holo stroked her tail and nodded. "We're Holo the Wise Wolf, and it won't work if our partner is a mediocre businessman. Indeed, there was such a conversation.Lawrence laughed. Time does pass, and people do change, too. As for whether this is good or bad, I don't know. But it is indeed a great thing to be glad if there is someone who can share this change. "Then you." "Ahh." Moreover, Holo's name seemed to be engraved on Lawrence's soul. What Holo was thinking couldn't have been more obvious. Lawrence said with a smile: "It's breakfast, right?" The first thing to do is to solve the surrounding problems. Is the businessman named Eb really in the business of stone statues, is his location in the church, and has he really fallen out with there? Just by investigating these things, we should be able to see the general situation clearly. Holo said she wanted to read a book she had borrowed from Rigoro and planned to stay at the hotel. Lawrence was on the verge of thanking her when she suggested he take a casual walk around town. However, it was a little strange to thank you at this time, so he just said, "Don't read until you cry." Holo, who was lying on the bed and flipping through the pages of the book, replied with a flick of her tail as if to say "Okay, okay".And her ears moved, maybe this sentence just hit her sore spot. Although it felt a little awkward to finish the business discussion yesterday, Lawrence still greeted Arold and walked out of the house. The cold air in the morning was not too uncomfortable, set off by the lively atmosphere of the city and the warm sunshine. Lawrence walked quickly. For Lawrence, who has no confidant in this city, the only source of useful information is the waitress at the "Tail of the Beast and the Fish's Tail". It happens to be a busy period when he is busy purchasing materials from wine merchants and butcher shops, so He decided to visit the church in the city first. After all, this town is quite vast and the roads are very complicated. Lawrence has never seen a church.But for the church in this town, he had the impression that he was taking a strong position. After all, if you come to the area near Reynolds, the aliens are no longer a rare existence, and they can be regarded as natural neighbors. In this way, the authority of the church will inevitably decline, but the morale of the Orthodox believers will rise. This is perhaps only logical, since any difficulty they encounter is regarded as a test by God.Arold's longing for the southward pilgrimage may be a common phenomenon in this town. Excessive and overheated crazy believers will always exist in places where the power of the church is relatively weak. If one does not participate in the faith with this level of awareness, under the fierce wind of paganism, that kind of fire will be easily blown out.In other words, it is tantamount to sending wind to a raging fire. In this case, there is nothing suspicious about the importation of stone statues by Eb into this town.There should even be such a need. However, it is not without concerns. On the way, when he asked for directions while buying rye bread at a bakery, and then witnessed the church, Lawrence had a certain intuition—he tried to convert it into straightforward words. "Like a vault." It is not so much a church as a temple made entirely of stone. Even if the structure is normal, the evil atmosphere is completely different. Several people passed through the gates that were open to the public and went inside for morning worship. Wealthy churches can be known just by looking at their population. People think that a church without a sense of history is the least valuable church, so the building itself is not easily remodeled, but the stairs at the entrance are different. If it was a rich church, proper repairs would be made to the stairs dented by visitors. This is what the so-called rich people pay attention to appearance. As for the entrance of that church, although there was an endless stream of people coming in and out, the stone steps were trimmed very gorgeously. It can be seen at a glance that Reynolds' church has concentrated a lot of money. So, what about spending? Lawrence looked around a little and found a suitable spot. It was a path leading deep into the area separated from the church by two buildings.Although it is only slightly off the outer road, it is already a space that has no relationship with noise and sunshine.And the people who live in this space—— Even though Lawrence walked in, they didn't even raise their eyes. It takes a short incantation to wake them from their slumber. "God bless you both." After saying this, the bearded man who seemed to be dead or alive suddenly woke up. "Oh... oh? Why, isn't it alms?" The man looked Lawrence from head to toe, and seemed to think that he didn't look like a member of the church, so he said so with half expectation and half disappointment. Lawrence handed out the still warm rye bread, showing a business smile. "This is not giving, I want to ask you something." As soon as the man saw the bread, his countenance changed immediately.He didn't seem to think it mattered who Lawrence was. "Okay, just ask." The man said with a smile.The speed at which he swallowed the bread surprised even Lawrence, who was used to seeing Holo's rapid eclipse. "It's about the church." "What do you want to ask? The number of Mistress Bishop's mistresses? Or the fathers of recently born nun girls?" "Although it is indeed interesting content, it is not what I want to ask. I just want to know how much bread the church here usually bakes." Of course, the church does not know how to bake bread. This sentence means how much things will be given to the poor.Although there are not no churches and monasteries that were forced to disband because of excessive charity that dragged down their finances, but generally speaking, the amount of charity was carefully determined based on financial revenue and expenditure. And beggars who depend on this kind of charity to live will naturally know the financial situation of the church very well. "Hey. It's been a long time since I've been asked this kind of question." "Is that so?" "Businessmen like you used to come here to ask questions. Do you want to know the economic situation here? Recently, there seem to be very few people who want to win over the church. It seems that God is not promoting enough?" In a negotiation, there is a saying of "look at the other person's feet".This is not so much about finding out the opponent's weakness and taking advantage of it, but the most important thing is to see the opponent's situation clearly. At this point, the beggars who lie on the ground and look at people's feet every day are probably the group of people who can see the changes in people's foothold most clearly. Sometimes beggars are wiped out, which really means that the people in power in the city are afraid that they know too much about their economic situation. "I've also been to several towns, but the church here seems to be the most powerful nearby. Although the bread and beans given are not too much in quantity, they will generously give us some good things. only……" "only?" When Lawrence asked, the man closed his mouth and scratched his head. There are also orders among beggars, and those who camp near the entrance of the church in order to get alms more easily are naturally people who are very familiar with the way. Lawrence took out the two cheapest copper coins from his pocket and handed them to him. "Hehehe, it's just that besides distributing bread to us, the bishop here also spends more money everywhere." "Why would you know such a thing?" "Of course. Because they often lead the guards who drive us away like dogs, and pass here in a carriage made of a lot of money. And as long as you pay attention to the rumors, you can know who it is. As for the dinner in the church? You can tell what kind of dishes you want just by looking at the trash thrown out. By observing how many domineering guys in the city attend the dinner party, you can know the level of the guests. Hehehe, how is it?" Even if it's just to show off, they don't host the city's powerful people to a dinner party without purpose.And I heard that they are doing business, that is, buying stone statues from Eb, and then selling them at a high price after selection.So this is completely an investment behavior with a political purpose. So what exactly are they going to get? Although this is not clear, it may be the Church that holds the initiative in the Council of Fifty. Come to think of it— Lawrence thought, looking at the beggars. When a town falls into a state of war, beggars are the first to be killed... This situation is finally understandable. After all, if this is the case, no matter who they are, they will think they are spies. "If you use this skill, can't you be self-reliant?" Lawrence couldn't help but speak out.But the man shook his head while saying, "You really don't understand." "God also said that those who have nothing are the happiest. You, if you picked up black bread and two broken copper coins, would you be so happy that your belly would bulge?" The man stared at Lawrence. "I can." Smart people don't always wear fur coats. Compared with the guys who pray every day in the church, these men may be more able to embody God's teachings. "Well, so, although I don't know what your intentions are, but even if you try your best to win over the church here, you will only end up being squeezed. As far as we know, the only person who has a good relationship with this church for a long time is Alone. And lately they were shouting at each other at the top of their lungs." The image of a businessman immediately appeared in Lawrence's mind. "Is it a stone statue business?" "Stone statue? Ah, there is indeed a business in that area. What's the matter, do you know it?" "No, no... Then, what else is there to do?" Although I have never heard of such a thing, it is often the case that other things are mixed in the goods. Although Lawrence thought so, his eyes widened when he heard what the man said. "I thought the merchant was a salt merchant. Isn't he?" In trade, if there are three commodities that are particularly heavy, Lawrence can list them immediately.Slate for building materials, alum for dyeing, salt for preservation. It can be said that any of these are representative commodities that are not suitable for both Taiwan and Taiwan. Lawrence asked in a questioning tone: "Why, do you think it's a salt merchant?" "Hey, don't be so fierce. Is it a business rival? If I answer your question and cause resentment, I won't do it." Seeing the man taking a step back and showing a bored expression, Lawrence immediately came to his senses. "I'm sorry. It's just that it's not a business opponent. It's the person I plan to do business with next." "...Are you trying to find out your opponent's background? Forget it, you look like a good person, and you won't tell such obvious lies. Okay, I'll tell you." No one is more troubled than a businessman about whether he should be happy when he is told that he is a bad person. It's okay if the other party just relaxes their vigilance against him, otherwise, he can only think that he is looking down on him. "Hey hey hey. Although there are many businessmen who take advantage of guys like us, there are very few who don't despise us. There will be no one who admires what I say, that's all." Hearing what he said, Lawrence couldn't help but worry about whether he should say "even if I praise you, I won't give you anything more". "However, it is also a very simple matter. From time to time, some grains of salt will fall from the goods that the merchant transports to the church. If it is cured meat or salted fish, you can tell it by the taste alone. Although it can be used to drink, But the salt isn't very tasty. That's why I think it's a salt merchant." The further inland you get, the closer the value of salt is to gemstones. Eb said the statue was brought from a port town facing the west sea. If it is refined salt, then as long as it is stuffed into the stone statue's box, it should be able to be transported without difficulty. In other words, it was secretly hidden and smuggled over. If you trade with the church for a long time, the inspection of the goods should be very loose.This is very beneficial indeed. "That's it, is there anything else you want to know?" Although it wasn't because he had told himself many things that he felt this way, but there seemed to be a certain aura in the way he was lying on the ground. However, what I want to know has basically been understood. "You taught me the secret to enjoying life, and that's enough." Things like gold nuggets seem to really roll to the ground. What Eb said about the deal with the church seemed to be true. Moreover, I also learned that the bishop in charge of the church was throwing money everywhere with some kind of political purpose. If you do this kind of thing, it is not surprising that you are trying to make money at the risk of being criticized It might be a piece of cake to buy stone statues at a low price and sell them at a high price after devoting prayers. However, if this is the case, there will be a strange thing. Will they completely give up on the stone statue transaction, which is their stable source of funding, because of one setback? Is it because they have contempt for Abu, or have they opened up a channel to purchase stone statues on their own? Although Eb also decided to leave this town very simply, the transaction may be restarted next year, and she should not give up completely so easily. This kind of sloppy approach is really a bit wrong. And, according to the beggar, Eb even quarreled with the church members with curses that could be heard outside.But Lawrence felt that there was absolutely no need for her to quarrel with the other party like this.When doing business, it is common for bad warehouses to appear. It is not uncommon for the other party to turn their backs on others for their own benefit. Although it will definitely make people feel angry, if you always trust the other party, the feeling of being betrayed will be stronger.But Eb, as a businessman, shouldn't be immature enough to think that making a fuss would solve the problem. And even though it's fallen, doesn't the church know about Abe's status as a nobleman? Eb said that in this town, there is a Chamber of Commerce that knows itself as an aristocrat. It is impossible for the sinister church, which is inferior to the chamber of commerce in terms of intelligence gathering capabilities, to not know about this. It is incomprehensible that the bishop who invited powerful nobles from all over the world to the dinner party broke up with Eve, who is a nobleman, so easily. There should be a lot of use value. Or, is it no longer useful? Is it because of this that Abu found a traveling businessman like Lawrence who met by chance, and offered him an unbelievably huge deal of thousands of silver coins? Become self-defeating? Or is it for a comeback? In any case, it is impossible to save travel expenses.In comparison, the amount is too large. Doubt that she has any purpose other than money, is this because I think too much? However, even if Abu wants to trap Lawrence, there are not many options to consider. Either make Lawrence pay and run away with the goods himself; or kill Lawrence on the way to deliver the leather; or simply sell Holo as if nothing happened. However, none of this is possible. Apart from proving that Holo is the inheritor of his own blood, any of the plans proposed by Eb are justified as a transaction.As long as the content of the transaction is declared in front of the notary, and then Lawrence sends the copy from Reynolds to the trading house in another town, then the other party cannot take reckless actions.Once the documents proving Lawrence's actions one by one are handed over to a third party, such plans will be difficult to implement. Moreover, Eb should not be so contemptuous of himself that he would fall into a trap with such a simple method——Lawrence thought with anticipation. Surely there is no special purpose? Deals are always caught between suspicion and trust. Although it is good to be cautious, if the investigation continues, the transaction will not be possible. There must always be a time for decision. While thinking about this, Lawrence walked towards the "Tail of the Beast and Fish". If the Meeting of Fifty has reached a conclusion, then new information may be circulated as an open secret. "Oh, it's really early." Lawrence came to the tavern and saw that it was empty and lifeless, so he went around along the side road and found that the girl was cleaning the barrels used to hold wine. "You don't seem very happy, is it because the water for washing the bucket is too cold?" "That's right, maybe because of this, my attitude is a bit cold." The evil girl smiled, then rubbed up the sackcloth for wiping the bucket and put it in the cleaning tool. "The businessman who came to me excitedly, do you know how many times this is already?" Everyone is working hard for their own interests. Although it is not known how many people are planning to seize the fur industry in this town, Abe seems to be convinced that he can benefit from it.Can it really be done? At this point, Lawrence also felt a little worried. "Just think of it as coming here for your own beauty, wouldn't it be fine?" "Hehe. Smiles are gold, words are silver. Do you know how many ignorant people suddenly hand me copper coins?" 虽然觉得不会有很多，但应该也不会少吧。 “不过，我其实也是来问一些不识情趣的事情啦。” “我很明白。先给商人们卖个人情的话，之后就会有好处吧。那么，你想问什么呢?” 她之所以把揉成团的麻布放下来，看来并非为了罗伦斯而中断清洗工作，而是为了倒掉桶里的水。她把那横放起来能轻易装下赫萝的桶子往外倾斜，倒掉了里面的水。 “是关于五十人会议的。” 如果这是邀约词句的话，实在是一句就算被踢上一脚也不过分的无聊话。 即使如此，姑娘还是耸了耸肩膀，作出了回答： “听说已经得出结论了。听说最后还是决定要卖掉皮草，不过听说不能赊账。” 跟从埃布那里听来的完全一致。 正当罗伦斯思考着该如何评价这件事的时候，用脚把葡萄榨汁后的残渣清理到角落里的姑娘补充了一句： “从昨晚也开始就有很多人来问呢。真是的，至少也该有一两个人给我带情信来才对嘛。” 噢～罗伦斯一边想一边高明地应答道： “因为商人的情书就是证书啊。” “的确，光是爱和被爱可不能填饱肚子呢。” 接着，姑娘又“嗯?”了一声，一边说“女人的话也不一定呢”一边豪爽地笑了起来。 罗伦斯也不禁面露苦笑，但是如果正面陪她说这种话题的话，就跟普通的醉酒汉没什么分别了。 “不过，如果在旁边看的话也会觉得肚子饱饱的呢，甚至想道谢说旬谢谢款待啊。” 姑娘先是愣了一下，然后用洗水后变得通红的手拍打着罗伦斯说道： “客人你真狡猾!也对呢，下次我也这样说好了。” 罗伦斯笑了笑，脑海里却同时认真地思索了起来。 从昨天晚上开始到姑娘这里确认情报的商人这么多，实在是有点奇怪。如果情报是顺着朋友关系泄露出来的话，他们也没必要故意找酒馆的姑娘来确认。 and.酒馆姑娘有可能直接从谁的口中听说到最新的情报吗? 那些知识，基本上是把商人们向姑娘提问时无意中泄露的情报进行重新组织而成的吧。 “那么，来问的人们都是常见的老脸孔吗?” “咦?脸孔?” 扭着麻布的手大概是因寒冷而感到疼痛吧。她皱着眉头吐了一口气，一缕白烟马上轻轻飘起。 “常来的人和不是常来的人，大概各占一半吧。只是……” “只是?” 姑娘东张西望了一会儿，然后压低声音说道： “最近外来的人很多都很粗心，能好好提问的人基本上就只有你了。” “你又来了。” 罗伦斯以营业用笑容做出回应，姑娘也“呵”地松弛了表情。 “你就是这样子不会把内心的东西吐露出来嘛。外面的人们虽然耳朵灵光，但是嘴巴却不严密。有的人还会问我'我听说采购皮草只能用现金，那是真的吗?'之类的问题呀?真是蠢到极点了。” “那还真是没有资格当商人呢。” 罗伦斯虽然笑着应了一句，但心中却并不安稳。 如果全是那么愚蠢的商人，那么做买卖应该会更轻松才对。 而且，犯这种错误的全是外来商人的话，这也是不可能的事。住在城里的人虽然经常认为出入本城的人最聪明，但是那只不过是幻想，实际上谁都差不了多少。 既然如此，那就一定是有什么目的才对。 难道是为了通过到处宣扬会议的内容，让别人知道外地商人也对会议内容了如指掌，以此令雷诺斯城的商人们发生动摇吗?或者说，由于只有用现金才能买到，货币价值就会出现暂时性上涨，这都是那些汇兑商和借贷业者提前做的手脚吗? 不过，就算外地商人流传虚假情报也根本得不到利益，所以不管目的如何，埃布所说的会议结论也应该是真的吧。 如果城外的家伙都是追求各自利益的人们，那么也可以想像到他们会采用让他人陷入混乱的手段，但是这样的话，就应该会出现各种会议内容的说法才合道理。 而且，城里的中心人物及其周边都知道会议的真正结论，也应该不是为了对城镇进行搅乱活动吧。 埃布说情报是从教会内部的协助者听说到的。 先不说其中的真伪如何，作为思考的线索，应该就是这部分了吧。 "correct." “什么?” “我想打听一下有关这个城镇的教会——” 就在罗伦斯说出这句话的瞬间。 “那个，请不要说得那么大声。” 姑娘突然绷紧了表情，拉着罗伦斯的手臂，打开那微微敞开的后门，把他推了进去。 然后，她从门缝间窥视了一下外面，确认了外面没有任何人。 到底怎么了呢?还没等罗伦斯产生这个疑问，姑娘就立刻转过身来。 “既然你问到教会的事情，那就是知道了什么皮毛了吧?” “啊，嗯，算是吧。” “别的我就不说了，但你最好还是不要插手的好。” 在宁静得不见人影的酒馆后门，看到招牌女招待一脸认真地对自己说这种话，如果是以前的自己，恐怕不管内容如何，都会被摘掉商人的面具吧。但是，现在的罗伦斯却马上反问道： “果然是有权力斗争吗?” 如果这位姑娘不具备赫萝那种程度的演技的话，这恐怕是意味着“完全说中”了。 “因为这里是专门做一些罕见食物的地方啊，大概是教会晚餐的定购处之一吧。” 罗伦斯应用了从乞丐那儿听来的话。而且，这里是教会能堂而皇之地定购肉类料理的少数店家之一。 姑娘搔了搔头，一脸不悦地叹了口气。 “我也不知道那些复杂的事情。不过听说他们到处招待一些大人物。以前还邀请过远方国家的教会大人物，我们连续两天都被迫在这里做料理呢。” 远方国家的教会大人物。 如果这样发展成权力斗争的话，他们想要干的事实在是再明白不过了。 话题开始朝着奇怪的方向发展。 “也就是说，教会正在逐步巩固自己的根基吗?” “对。而且，就跟在粘土固定成形之前不想被人触碰一个道理，他们非常在乎世间的评价。而且也对贫苦人们施舍了很多东西。明明这样，也不知道他们的钱从什么地方来，这就令人觉得越来越诡异了。所以，要是不小心说错了什么的话，也不知道会遭到什么对待。要是被教会盯上的话，迟早都会被弄得无法留在这个城镇里，这已经是坊间的共同见解了。” “如果那是真的话，你把这种事告诉我也没问题吗?” 从姑娘的口中说出的话沉重得有点出乎意料，罗伦斯半带怯意地询问道。 “所以啦，我这样跟你说话，也是很特别的优待哦。” 正如罗伦斯戴着商人面具那样，姑娘也应该戴着酒馆女招待的面具。 虽然人们常说反面的反面就是正面，但是这到底是哪一面呢？ “能够把理由告诉我作为参考吗?” “唔～如果斗胆说句的话……” 她忽然以淘气的表情笑了笑，把脸凑过来说道。 “那就是因为有其他女人的味道啦。” 由于罗伦斯背后就是墙壁，他已经无法退后，只有竭力保持原有表情，笔直地注视着姑娘。 “赌上酒馆姑娘的尊严?” “呵呵，也有这个原因啦。只要是对自己稍微有点自信的女人，都会有想出手的冲动哦。没有人这么跟你说吗?” 很可惜，自己只有被旅馆的女佣人无视的经验。 对于这一点，他可以很老实地摇头作答。 “既然这样，答案就只有一个。你身边的女人是最近遇到的。” 实在不可大意。这难道就是女人的敏锐直觉吗? “因为你看起来是个很温柔的人呢。虽然一个人游来荡去的期间可能没人理会你，但是如果知道身边有女人在的话，女人就会突然变得很在意了。只有单独一头羊的话，别人大概只会觉得连狩猎它也觉得麻烦，但是如果身旁有一头狼的话，那人家就会心想'难道是那么美味的猎物?'，自然就想抢过来了。”