Chapter 5 third act

Even if you want to impart wisdom to Cole, who is always gullible, telling him case by case of fraud is endless. What should be taught to him is the trick to prevent being deceived. Also, if you know one or two ways to make money, as long as you are not greedy, you can also make a little money. certainly.It is very difficult for most people to achieve this "not greedy". "If someone proposes something profitable to you, you must first consider 'what the other party relies on to make money'. In other words, you don't need to consider your own gain, but your own loss. Most of the Fraud can be avoided through this method.”

"However, no matter what you do, there will be times when it goes well or not, right?" "Of course. However, that kind of thing is usually very lucrative. In the case of a large disparity in the proportion of gains and losses, it is better not to make a move. Whether it is the proportion of 'winning' is too large, or ' If the proportion of loss is too large, it is not acceptable." "Even if 'get' accounts for a large proportion, it won't work..." Cole is worthy of being a person who is willing to spend money to study in this era, and he is tireless and quick-witted.

Lawrence was also reluctant at first, but with such a quick response, he still felt very motivated. "Looking at your expression, it seems that you don't accept it?" "Ah. No... yes." "Living in this world, you'd better hold that you will only encounter bad things and never good things. You must not see good things happen to others, and think that you may also encounter them. Why? Because There are many, many people who enter your field of vision, and among many people Of course, there will be one or two lucky ones.However, personally.Thinking that you will encounter good luck is like pointing your finger at someone and predicting that this person will have good luck.Do you think that prophecy will come true?"

Even if it is the words learned from the teacher, once I teach them to others, I will naturally and deeply appreciate the gold content in them. If Lawrence can also thoroughly implement this principle, then the journey with Holo will become smoother. "So, on this basis, let's turn the topic back to the certificate trap among you..." Holo was leisurely listening to their conversation. At the beginning, Holo just looked at Lawrence, who was speaking seriously, with a half teasing smile. Since then, she has turned into a purely happy expression. The boat went down the river very smoothly, although it was a bit cold, but there was no wind.

It's different from when I was traveling alone and doing business, and it's also the same as the two of us after meeting Holo. It's an incredible sense of stability when traveling is different.Lawrence had a strange feeling, as if there had been something exactly in this form since ancient times. Lawrence was teaching Cole while thinking about what it was. Although there is no Holo with a wicked smile by her side, as long as she looks back, What is this feeling of warmth even though it is on the river in mid-winter? have no idea.Although I didn't know it, my body became relaxed naturally.

The communication with Cole also became smoother. Cole began to grasp Lawrence's thoughts, and Lawrence also began to understand Cole's doubts. Although I didn't meet many lucky people, maybe it can be said that I met quite a few good people. Just at this time-- "Haha, you are still busy." Hearing Ragusa's voice suddenly, Lawrence felt as if he had just woken up from his sleep. Apparently Cole feels the same way.The expression that suddenly came to his senses seemed to say that he didn't know what he was doing just now. Ah, what's wrong? "No, because the next checkpoint is the last checkpoint today, so I want to ask

Would you like to buy something for the night. " "Ah, is that so..." Lawrence winked at Holo and asked her to check the bag full of food first. Although a few breads were distributed to Cole, there should be no shortage of them. "It should be enough." "It seems so." "Ah, that's fine. But—" Ragusa stretched his waist, leaned his body on the cargo, and showed a generous smile. "This is really the fruit of a lie. It seems that he is indeed an excellent disciple." Of course he was talking about Cole.Cole immediately lowered her head shyly.

It's so different from someone who puffs out his chest when he's praised. "I have also hired a few little ghosts, but few of them lasted for a year. As for A guy who can work hard even without scolding or beating, it can almost be said to be a miracle. " Ragusa smiled, and Lawrence agreed with "Maybe so". The reason why homeless students are disgusted and taboo by people is because they are lawless act.They don't work, they don't achieve anything, they don't have any credit at all. Although it is forced by the situation, but in order to obtain labor fees, work hard and be more enthusiastic

Cole, who listened to Lawrence's teaching, was already enough to gain the trust of others. However, Cole, who was baffled by the sudden praise, didn't seem to understand this. a truth. Holo was the one who laughed the most. "Then, there's chores to do at the next pass, but—" "Ah, yes, please let me help you." "Hahaha, if you act like this, you may be reprimanded by the teacher. "what?" Facing the stunned Cole, Lawrence could only smile and say "I can't help it", and then went on to said: "I suppose the fellow wants to be neither a merchant nor a boatman, does he?"

Cole widened her light blue eyes, and looked at Lawrence and Ragusa alternately. It was easy to see that he was trying to mobilize his mind with all his might. Even if it wasn't for Holo, there would be a feeling of wanting to focus on his future. "...Yes, um. I want to study canon law." "Oh, that's a pity." "That's what happened." "Well. Since no one can monopolize it, then the only option is to give up. The one who makes the most money is always a god." Ragusa smiled and sighed as if singing, then sat up, walked to the stern and picked up the bamboo pole.

Such things as talents, regardless of any profession, will be vying for. "that……?" "Haha, it's nothing. As long as you continue to study like this, you will definitely become a doctor in the near future." "what……" Cole nodded incomprehensibly. As soon as the boat reached the trestle, he was called by Ragusa to help. The remaining Lawrence reconsidered what Ragusa said. indeed.The one who makes the most money is always God. "You seem to feel very sorry." "what?" After asking a rhetorical question, Lawrence nodded again. "Indeed. I really feel very sorry." "However, there is still a chance." Lawrence was slightly taken aback by Holo's words, turned Holo's body around and said: "Isn't it enough to help me become a businessman in my own right?" "Because you have an apprentice, you can be considered as your own." Did you mean to ask yourself to take on an apprentice? Lawrence did tell Holo that once he got the shop, it felt like the adventure was over at that moment. Regarding this point, Holo said that it would be all right to have an apprentice. "However. It's still too early for me." yes? "That's right. If it's another ten years, no, another fifteen years, maybe—" Ten years later, if it was a few years ago, it would be unimaginable, but now I'm already at an age where I can almost predict that time. Of course I couldn’t do it when I thought I could do anything, but now I There are not many choices in front of you. "In another ten years, uh... even you should become more masculine Yes. " "……What does it mean?" "Want to know?" Seeing her smirk, there must be something very powerful Dong Er hiding in the dark. Lawrence felt that the principle of "one thing more is worse than one thing less" should be implemented, so Give up fighting back. "Hehe, so smart." "Thank you very much for your compliment." Holo thumped Lawrence's shoulder, puffing out her cheeks in a posturing manner. Lawrence responded with a smile, then reached for the stack of paper. Although my thinking was interrupted just now, the problem of copper coins does have enough to induce The attraction of businessman curiosity. Although it's not thinking about how to make money, let alone revealing the secrets of the Zein Chamber of Commerce It's exposed, but just thinking ""If you analyze this stack of things, maybe you can solve the mystery "Tuan". It has already moved his heart. "You really are a philistine male." "What did you say?" "I'm so fascinated by that kind of paper. Is it more interesting than chatting with us?" I really don't know if I should laugh or not. However, if she said "Are you still jealous of paper?", she would definitely be Beat it up. "Just because the quantity of the three boxes does not match, why do you feel so interested?" "Why...it's hard for me to answer when you say that. I can only say that it's because I'm happy up.Don't worry, I won't be involved in the commotion this time no matter what, you can tell me about that to rest assured. " ． , Lawrence flipped through the stack of papers while talking, and soon found the words "Jean Chamber of Commerce" paper, and then found another. If this is the case, it might be like that. "... Sensing that Holo seemed about to say something, Lawrence raised his head. Holo sat down, and grabbed the blanket with one hand. Her tail was wagging disapprovingly under the hem of her robe. Moreover, her expression seemed very unwilling. "You are a person, sometimes you are really clever when negotiating with others." Holo occasionally shows a side that is easy to guess her mind. Although Keer should take care of him, but after he leaves, I hope you can put your mind on it. Put it on us - think she is thinking about such a thing, is it because she is too selfish Believe it? "So, do you want any help?" "...Well, that doesn't matter." Lawrence recalled that Holo hadn't been able to bluntly ask himself to buy her an apple before. Although her face was dissatisfied, her ears moved happily. ． "This spelling - Zeon Chamber of Commerce. You can help me find out the words that contain this word. You should be able to read words." "Well, it doesn't matter what it is?" "That's right." The number of pieces of paper that Cole holds is indeed quite large. Probably some of them were pinched in the hand and some were stuffed into the bag when they were stolen, and there were some crumpled papers among them. And some of them were covered with fingerprints, and the color became lighter after rubbing, as if to advertise the fact that they had passed through many hands. There were about a hundred of those papers, and Lawrence gave some of them to Holo.The two searched for the name of the Zeon Chamber of Commerce together. . " Lawrence knew what kind of thing it was just by looking at it, and as long as he knew the kind, he could roughly guess where the name of the chamber of commerce appeared. As for Holo, because the handwriting on it is also very scribbled, it's hard to see if you don't observe it carefully from top to bottom. One, it was easy to detect that she was anxious after glancing at Lawrence. Maybe she is not reconciled to being inferior to Lawrence in every aspect. Lawrence pretended not to notice and slowed down his work. "But, you." "Ok?" Because even if she slowed down, Lawrence's side was still faster. Holo probably wanted to take an obstructive tactic—this kind of thought came up unconsciously, and she was really a little oversensitive. During the conversation, Holo not only did not continue her homework, but put down the papers and looked into the distance. "What's wrong?" "...No. Nothing." Lawrence asked back, and Holo shook her head, turning her gaze back to her hand. However, even Holo, who is a genius of lying, is a little reluctant to insist that this appearance is "nothing". "Don't use such obvious methods to attract people's attention." I thought she would be angry, but Holo took it one step further. She smiled as if mocking herself, and then tidied up the paper in her hand. "No, we just remembered some boring things." Crash—Holo finally turned over a sheet, and slowly closed her eyes. "What's the matter?" "It's really boring... We were just wondering what kind of town we would reach if we went down this river." Hearing Holo's words, Lawrence couldn't help but raised his face, and stared at the downstream direction of the river. There is no trace of the sea yet, and only flat wilderness and slow water flow appear in sight. Of course, the shadow of the port town of Kenroube is still invisible. But for some reason, I always feel that Holo's words contain more than the words themselves. meaning. What's more, when Holo says "it's a boring thing", it's generally not a boring thing. "I've only passed by two or three times by boat, and I haven't actually visited the city to take a closer look." "It doesn't matter that way. What kind of town is it?" Hearing what Holo said, there was no need for Lawrence to hide.He awakened his knowledge from the memory of the past. "The end of the river is a large delta. People in the city did not live there. Instead, they built many inns and unloading yards for chambers of commerce, and there were also many exchange offices, which were very lively. Residential houses were built in the north of the delta. The side and the south side. Although they are all called Kenroube together, the relationship between the top and bottom and the middle is very bad." "Ooh." Although Holo was still looking at the paper in her hand, it was hard to tell if her eyes were reading the text. "At that time, I was passing there on a large trade ship connecting distant countries, that is, I used Kenlube as a supply port in the middle. Because the ship is very large, it cannot approach the flat and shallow places like the delta, so I just Transferred to a small boat and came to the delta." He paused here to observe Holo's reaction. This kind of words, instead of listening to yourself here, it is better to actually look at it. Lawrence originally thought so, but Holo didn't seem to have such thoughts. "So, what did you see on the continent?" Although his eyes were on the paper in his hand, his focus was on the far side. Seeing Holo listening to Ken Rube's situation like this, Lawrence felt as if he was leading a blind man. However, Lawrence hesitated for a moment, and Holo immediately turned her eyes to him, urging him to speak wordlessly. Although Lawrence was a little concerned, he continued: "...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the first thing that greets me is being washed by the sea water and the sea wind The wreckage of a wrecked ship.They took the broken hull for a gate.Once you pass through, you come to a place that, although full of activity and shouting, is different from the market in the city.There aren't any individual items for sale, but wholesale deals in dizzying quantities.To put it bluntly, it is a market specially designed for merchants.All the goods that landed there started from there and were transported to other distant countries.And there is... that's right.There are also plenty of shops that provide short-lived entertainment during arduous boat trips.Inside...well.There must be something of the kind that makes you frown. " Seeing Lawrence shrugging his shoulders in a pretentious manner, Holo couldn't help laughing. "In those two-story hotels, the sound of lutes and harps, as well as all kinds of laughter, can be heard continuously from the rooms facing the road every day." Holo nodded slightly, without raising her eyes or head, and said: "Where did that ship go?" "The ship?" "It's the ship you're on." "Ah, that ship went south along the mainland, and finally arrived at a port town called Yolders. It was a town with many skilled craftsmen. The ship I took was mainly from north to south The boat that transported amber, that town is quite famous for its amber handicrafts. That place is further south than Pazio, who was forced into the underground waterway, and the village of Paslo, where you met. The sea is very warm, but a bit It's dark." That was when I didn't drive the carriage, and it was more relaxed than now, even when I was traveling around with contempt for my life. It was unspoken, but sea travel, the kind of sea travel in which one was forced to hide in a dimly lit room below decks, was not at all comparable to a boat ride on a river. During the voyage, I carried a whole cow bladder bag full of water, and I had to hold it desperately in order to prevent the water from leaking out in a boat that was shaking so hard to sit still. Moreover, a traveling merchant who is not a boatman would quickly become a victim of seasickness if shaken to such an extent. I vomited until there was nothing to vomit, and finally even vomited blood, and finally reached the destination when the whole person became haggard and emaciated. Thinking about it, I am really lucky that I was able to board that kind of boat three times. "Yeah. But we don't know anything about amber." "Huh? Don't you know?" Hearing Lawrence's rhetorical question, Holo looked back at him as if a little angry. Hearing Lawrence's rhetorical question, Holo looked back at him as if a little angry. I originally thought that she lived a god-like life in the forest, so she should know these things.But after thinking about it, she didn't seem to know what pyrite was last time. "It's made from the nectar of trees solidified underground. It looks like gems. For example... ah, that's right. It's just like your eyes." Lawrence pointed at Holo's face, as if she was going to look into her own eyes right away.Seeing her cross-eyed, Lawrence couldn't help laughing. "We did it on purpose." Although she said that, Holo would never say it if it was on purpose. However, if she points out this point, she will definitely not be convinced, so she still answers her like this: "Hmm. Anyway, it must be a beautiful gem." Hearing his obvious compliments these days, Holo couldn't help laughing, even though her face was full of helplessness. "Hmph, it's not bad for you. So, after getting off that ship, where did you go next?" "After that? After that is..." Lawrence just wanted to answer, but still felt a little doubtful. Suddenly asked, what happened? "Or, you can tell me the destination of that fox." Seeing Lawrence's faltering, did Holo think he couldn't remember much? So clear? No—he knew right away that wasn't the case. She was afraid of her own silence. She was afraid of giving Lawrence the question "why ask such a thing?" time. "Is Abu's destination? Since it is sold for processing fur, it should go to The place further south than Jolders is probably a town called Urfan. " "How much can you earn?" "Hmm...about three times the purchase price...this should be the minimum. If she's made that much money, she probably won't be with a traveling salesman like me Someone strike up a conversation. " Lawrence said with a smile.Holo patted him on the shoulder with an unhappy face. However, she didn't meet his eyes. It was as if he felt that once he met his gaze, he would be able to read his mind from his eyes. "Haha, but this is not a joke. If the profit reaches the level of a thousand or two thousand gold coins, then you can immediately join the ranks of superior merchants. With such a large amount of money, generally speaking You can open a shop to buy ships, get involved in trade in remote areas. Buy gold from the desert country, buy spices from the scorching country. Silk fabrics, glass crafts, and dozens of volumes of historical book transcripts that contain the history of ancient empires. Or What incredible food and creatures, even ocean gems like pearls and coral are shipped in piles. Whenever a ship like that arrives in port safe and sound, it takes me a lifetime to earn In the end, you can even set up branches of chambers of commerce in various places, and then intervene in bank transactions. Lending large sums of money to lords in various places is replaced by outlining the other party’s various Gradually grasp the economic lifelines of various places. Then, the most powerful thing is to become the imperial merchant of the southern emperor. When the king holds the crown ceremony, he will order 200,000 to 300,000 Lumio from the imperial merchant The crown of gold coins. If you can become that kind of businessman, you can transport any product from any country to any country just by sitting there. Nine no matter where you go, you can be received like a king. In the end, you can use A throne of gold coins." This is the golden road that all businessmen have ever dreamed of. Although many people think this is an absurd idea, in fact, there are too many businessmen who realize their overlord ambitions through this road. However, the number of people who died of exhaustion on the way of this overlord's road is also so large that even the omniscient and omnipotent God cannot accurately grasp it. Even if Abu gets this opportunity, he doesn't know if it will be so smooth in the future. Because the reason why long-distance trade can obtain high profits is precisely because it is very difficult for ships to reach their destinations without incident. Just like the literal meaning, the businessman who went bankrupt because his entire property turned into seaweed disappeared, and what Lawrence knew could not be counted on two hands. "It's like the golden road leading to the land of gold." Although I don't know how much Holo understands the depth of Lawrence's words, it seems that I can hear the charm of "daydreaming" from his tone. She seems very happy Said so: "However, you clearly missed the entrance to the golden road, it seems Not very regretful. " Hearing these words, Lawrence nodded as a matter of course. He has no regrets. because.What Lawrence wants to take is not the kind of golden road. I just felt in my heart that if I were with Holo, maybe I could go on that path. road. On the road where machinations and tricks are violently vortexed, do not be deceived by demons, do not Tempted by the evil god, hide and escape in the yin and yang, rush forward, and maybe you will be able to reach the The l¨ of the treasure. It must be an adventure worthy of centuries to come Talk about adventure stories. Facing big merchants, competing with each other in gold trading; facing kings with a long history royal family, negotiating around the breed of the highest sheep; The big fleets are fighting each other; sometimes they may also be betrayed by subordinates they have always trusted. How happy it would be to have Holo by my side on this adventure Things—Of course Lawrence also thought about it. Even so, he thought Holo would hate it. So, he asked: "Do you want to go down that path?" Holo put on an uninterested look, but still didn't nod. "Because we have to pass on your story, of course the less we have to say, the more it is good. " What a brainy guy - Lawrence thought, laughing silently laugh.Holo shot him an instant look. The less you have to say, the better. This sentence is probably a lie.hope less Something that should be the number of narrators.For example, in Lawrence's view, if someone sees If he talked proudly about Holo's sleeping appearance, he would definitely have a kind of involuntary feeling. Competitive psychology. "We don't want to hear about the golden road, what we want to hear is where you go after Amber Town The place. " It's not a grand adventure story, but the same itinerary as Lawrence has always been. Why do you want to know that kind of thing? The reason is very clear. As long as you put that feeling into words, you can know the feeling when you tell the story of the Kenlube Delta. However, Lawrence smiled lightly with his mouth closed, and did not ask Holo a rhetorical question, but answered in accordance with her question. In the town of Amber he sold the teeth and bones of animals he had bought from the north and bought salt and salted herring instead, and headed inland.On foot, in a horse-drawn carriage, occasionally in a caravan with others, across plains, across rivers, and lost in the forest.There are times of injury and times of disease.It happens from time to time that when I meet a businessman who is rumored to be dead on the road, I am overjoyed, and then laugh when I find out that rumors of my own death are spreading. For these things, Holo listened happily and calmly every day.It's like enjoying the infinite expansion of land that I haven't seen for hundreds of years.As if in amazement at how often it happens in jest.Sample. At the same time, during that long and common journey, with nothing worthy of special attention, he seemed to be imagining the situation where he was always by his side. After a while, Lawrence interrupted himself when he mentioned that he transported the salt to a small village deep in the mountains to sell, and bought high-quality mink instead.Because he felt that if he continued to speak, he would violate the unwritten agreement between the two. Holo leaned against Lawrence at some point, held Lawrence's hand with her free hand, and stood there in a daze. It would take about two years to actually go through the journey Lawrence described. Because both of them walked along the ordinary but long journey, the fatigue of the journey must have begun to appear. It was a long journey that would never lead to a day of realization. The salt was handed over to the small village in the deep mountain, and the fur was correspondingly obtained at the same time.What is the next village to go to? A large wheat producing area, a port town along the river.If Lawrence continues to speak.That is equivalent to closing this journey into a wheel, and then turning it endlessly. But Holo didn't press him on. Because she knew that if she opened her mouth to urge him, the atmosphere of being intoxicated in the dream would be swept away. Now, does Holo feel regretful? Or is she happy? Lawrence thought, probably there should be both aspects.It is because I am happy that I regret it. Lawrence and their voyage will not go further south than Kenlooba, nor The west.The place after that is an eternal unknown world for the two of them.Although as long as If you take a step, you will know that it really exists, but you will never enter it world. God has spoken. The world first had language. If it is those languages ​​that create the world. Holo, who is called a god, probably intends to borrow Lawrence's words to create a temporary world. certainly.I don't want to ask her "Why do you create such a world?" question. After all, Holo had been alone in the village wheat field for hundreds of years, and that temporary The world must be a place she is too familiar with. only.Looking like this, he doesn't say anything, doesn't move, and looks at the front blankly. Fang's Holo, Lawrence would have thought, leaving such a Holo alone at the end of the journey Come.Is there really no problem? In the book I read in Treo Village, it says that Holo's hometown has perished Affection. It would be good if the inhabitants of the past have returned after a long time. But.If it weren't for that— if that is the case.You will feel a little worried. Once I imagined Holo alone in the moonlight on a cold and silent mountain In such a situation, no matter how much she thought about it, she didn't think she could just stay by herself like this. However, if she said it, she would definitely be angry like a raging fire, and she could lightly Yi surmised that she would never admit it.Moreover, the most important thing to admit is that no matter how hard Lawrence tried, he couldn't completely fill Holo's loneliness. It would be a lie to say that there is no sense of powerlessness in this way. but.On the premise of acknowledging all this, Lawrence.Go to the Drinker Chamber of Commerce and shake Holo's hand. so.As a minimum comfort.Lawrence deliberately said in a cheerful tone: "Well. It's an unremarkable trip, isn't it?" Holo cast a weary look at Lawrence, then paused for a moment. Then.She suddenly laughed—probably noticed something on Lawrence's face. "...It's true, but." "but?" Turning her head away from herself, this expression must be the one Holo is proud of—Lawrence thought. "If it's this kind of ordinary journey, as long as you don't sweat your hands, we can hold hands with you and walk leisurely." Evil smile. But it wasn't Holo who was evil. The evil one must be a god somewhere in the sky. Before Lawrence wanted to say something, Holo erased that expression, as if to say "What a fun sideshow", and returned to her usual posture.She turned over a piece of paper in her hand and let out an "oh".The way she proudly held up the paper to Lawrence completely lost the feeling she had just now. For Lawrence, who is an ordinary person, this is really difficult to emulate. Unable to follow suit, it took him a while to regain his composure. Holo smiled as if feeling helpless and waited for him to recover. It is indeed an ordinary journey. Because it was a day of peace that Holo could always have at her fingertips. "Indeed. It's something from the Zeon Chamber of Commerce. It's a memo note that was exported last summer." "Humph." Lawrence couldn't help laughing at Holo, who was snorting with a smile all over her face, as if she had found a treasure map. There is really nothing to do with her. "Then. The export is indeed sixty boxes. In this way, this can already be said... no... it really is..." Compared with other export items, Lawrence immediately shifted the focus of his thinking to that aspect. At the same time, this is also to seal the bubble-like dreams that seem to pop up suddenly and cannot be touched too much in the depths of my mind. because.It was indeed a sweet dream. Lawrence was not young enough to understand the word decadent. "Then. Find other papers quickly." Holo suddenly finished speaking in an unhappy voice, and tugged at Lawrence's ear.Pull him up from the well of thinking. Lawrence was taken aback immediately.While covering his ears, he looked at Holo's displeased face turning back to the side of the paper, and suddenly remembered something.Speaking of which, Holo agreed to help find the name of the Zeon Chamber of Commerce from the pile of papers because she wanted him to accompany her. However, "Since this is how we think together?" This sentence was rejected by her slightly annoyed side face, and she couldn't say it. anyway.It was obviously such a gentle atmosphere just now, but it became like this in an instant.It's incredible. Holo's mood changed faster than the weather on the mountain. Could it be that he is just dull? Although Lawrence had such an idea, he also felt that this might be the girl's mind in the legend. certainly.He also added a sentence later, "Although I don't know if it's a girl or not." "That's all." It wasn't long before Holo went through all the papers and found two at last. Combined with what Lawrence found, there are seven in total. As long as it is not a chamber of commerce that can't even pack things, then similar documents will definitely be placed in a similar place.The person who stole these things from the chamber of commerce probably grabbed them back without even looking at the contents. As expected.It includes orders from last summer and the winter of the previous year, and There is a memo note from last summer. Sure enough, all the orders sent to the copper producing area were fifty-seven boxes, but the currency delivered to the Winfield Kingdom was sixty boxes. In any case, it will not import some old currency, which should undoubtedly be newly minted. The difference of three boxes should have been replenished somewhere, but there was no note showing this fact. "It seems that no decisive clue has been found yet." "It's true. But, even if the name of the Zein Chamber of Commerce is not written, there may be something related to it..." "Oh, then right away—" "No, but maybe this is really evidence of private coinage." Without responding to the excited Holo, Lawrence muttered to himself involuntarily. If it is produced in large quantities, someone may notice it, but if the quantity is small, it may not be exposed. In other words, this may also be an attempt to experiment with copper coins before privately minting gold coins. This kind of imagination is inflated one after another. If you want to prove these things, what information is needed, what information is lacking now, or whether you can use other methods to think about it——When thinking of this, Lawrence noticed He Now Luo came up with a very boring look. "......" Holo tilted her neck in displeasure, making the bones in her neck rattle. "Aren't you going to really go after that fox?" That look seemed to be saying, "Since that's the case, you shouldn't leave me alone." "...Can't you come and think about it too?" Hearing what Lawrence said, Holo raised an eyebrow, put her elbows on her knees helplessly, and rested her chin with her palms.Like the unlucky gambler at the dice game. 看来，罗伦斯摇出来的骰子点数并不是太好。 “如果那样能让汝大赚一笔的话。” “……那样的话你明明也不喜欢啊……而且．” Ok "你也并不讨厌动脑筋吧?这样思考的话也能消磨一下时间。” 听罗伦斯这么一说，赫萝的眼睛立刻瞪大到让罗伦斯大吃一惊的程度，然后好像想说些什么，但最后又闭上了嘴巴。接着她还合上双眼，也合起了手上的纸札，双手抓着风帽的边缘，把脸也藏起来了。 “怎、怎么了?” 这种举动，甚至让罗伦斯不由自主地问了这么一一句。 耳朵和尾巴正发出啪嗒啪嗒的声音。当她的手离开风帽、露出双眼的时候，呈现在面前的是一双充满怒色的眼眸。 被那毫不动摇的双眸默默地盯着，即使是罗伦斯也慌了手脚，发话道： “……为什么、要那么、生气啊?” 刚才说有如琥珀一般的那双眼睛，现在已经变成了烧红的烙铁。 “生气?汝说生气是吗?” 这下可踩中她尾巴了。 罗伦斯刚这么想的时候，就像刚才怒发冲冠的速度一般，赫萝 全身的力气都消退了。 就好像因为灌进太多水而破裂的皮袋一样。 赫萝那副意志消沉的模样，直让人担心她会不会在短短一瞬 间内消瘦起来。只见她正以幽灵般的眼神注视着罗伦斯。 “毕竟是汝啊……反正，汝肯定不知道为什么咱会说这些事情 啦……” 然后．她稍微向旁边的罗伦斯瞥了一眼，故作姿态地叹了口 gas. 就好像面对不成器的弟子，连发怒的气力都没有的师傅一样。 But—thought Lawrence. 反正她也是因为闲得慌，想让人陪陪她才说出这种话的吧。 之所以没有把这句话说出口，并不是因为说出来赫萝就会更 生气．而是因为确实读懂了罗伦斯内心所想的赫萝轻轻抬起嘴唇， 露出了尖牙的缘故。 “汝必须非常小心注意自己的发言。” 在跟随师傅当学徒的时候，罗伦斯最讨厌的就是被提问。 因为一旦回答错误就会被揍，可是沉默不语的话也会被踢。 看来罗伦斯的想法并不正确。 既然如此，剩下的手段就只有沉默了。 “真的不明白吗?” 过去的记忆又重现脑海。 罗伦斯不由自主地停止了腰背，然后挪开了视线。 “不明白的话，就那样也无所谓。” 听了这句出乎意料的话，罗伦斯转眼看过去，只见赫萝一脸认真地这么说道： “到你明白为止，咱都不跟汝说话。” “怎——!” 还没等他说完“怎么说这种小孩子气的话”，赫萝就挪开了靠在罗伦斯旁边的身体，把一起披着的毛毯扯了过去，卷到了自己的身上。 所谓的目瞪口呆，就是指这种情况了。 开玩笑的吧?罗伦斯刚想这么说，但又想起被她无视的样子，最后还是忍住了。赫萝就像小孩子一样顽固。她既然说不跟说话，那就肯定不会跟自己说半句话。 不过，如果这单纯只是突然被她无视还好一点。故意发表这样的宣言，可是赫萝的高等战术。 对这种孩子气的话作出反驳也太没有度量，跟她搞对抗反过来无视她就更没打人样子了。更重要的是，听到她说不跟自己说话就马上动摇了起来，那怎么能敌得过她。 把视线转回到手里的纸条上，罗伦斯稍微叹了口气。虽然觉得思考这个谜团也相当有趣，不过赫萝似乎并不怎么买账。就算很乐意帮忙一起挑选纸张，却不乐意一起思考这件事，这实在令人费解。 对罗伦斯来说，还是觉得跟赫萝一起为各种没什么意义的事情转动脑筋会更开心。毕竟赫萝的头脑非常聪明，罗伦斯也能学到不少东西。 还是说，她是在担心如果随便乱想这些事情的话，说不定又会被卷入到什么纠纷里面呢? 实在猜不透赫萝的心思。 罗伦斯把写着吉恩商会字样的纸条放在其他纸面上，决定暂时搁置一边。 赫萝依然没有把视线投来这边。即使是理所当然地习惯讨别人欢心的商人，一旦遇到赫萝也很难顺利做到这一点。毕竟赫萝的思维千奇百怪，既然提示了解决方法的话，那就只有遵从她的意思了。要是敢作弊的话，到时候等着自己的一定是可怕的惩罚吧。 正当罗伦斯想着这些事的时候，赫萝忽然抬起了脸。 虽说移开了身体，但是船上的空间也并不宽敞。罗伦斯马上察觉到这一点，顺着赫萝的视线看去。 她的视线正对准了河的下流方向。 是对驶在前头的船感到在意吗?就在这么想的时候，却听见仿佛有什么东西掉下来似的发出啪啦啪啦的声音。 等到发现那原来是马蹄声的时候，已经能看见一匹马如箭般从下流那边沿着河岸飞驰而来。 "What's the matter?" 罗伦斯嘀咕了一句，发现赫萝没有回答，于是向她看了一眼， 这才想起刚才她说过不跟自己说话。 这好像已经成了条件反射了。 总之，罗伦斯打算把这句话当作自言自语掩饰过去，不过这当然是掩藏不住的。 之后肯定会被她笑话吧。 虽然一想到这里就觉得心情沉重，不过接着又想到要是没能 解决问题的话，那真的有点可怕。 赫萝仿佛完全没有发现罗伦斯似的钻出了毛毯，以轻盈的步 伐走上了船靠着的栈桥。 那匹马在接近栈桥的时候放慢了脚步，在完全停下脚步之前， 一个男人从马背上眺了下来。男人虽然披着披风，但是却挽起了衣 袖．一眼就可以看出那是船夫的打扮。从栈桥走上陆地、跟他对面 相迎的拉古萨他们也似乎认识他。看到他们询问发生什么事，那个 男人就略过问候说明了起来。 无法插上嘴的珂尔大概是为了避免妨碍他们吧，虽然感到有点在意，但还是退到了跟他们相隔颇远的栈桥上。 如果是罗伦斯的话，那就毫无疑问会走近他们听听说些什么了。这种自制心还真是了不起。 也不知道是不是作出了这种评价，赫萝走近珂尔，在他耳边说了些什么。 罗伦斯当然听不到她在那里嘀咕些什么，但是珂尔听了之后先是吃惊地看着赫萝的脸，然后又窥视了罗伦斯一眼，那就肯定是跟罗伦斯有关的事了。 既然在这种状况下说出来，那就应该是不怎么友好的事吧。 珂尔又听了几句耳语，以认真的表情点了点头。 赫萝完全没有看自己一眼。 虽然没有了之前那种“赫萝会不会突然不见了踪影”的担心．不过也正因为如此，更令罗伦斯产生一种不祥的预感。 因为赫萝早就完全把握了自己这边的所有招数。 “好，喂～老师啊!” 看来船夫们正如他们的风格，三言两语就利落地结束了对话 拉古萨回过头来，一边向罗伦斯挥手一边大声喊道。 罗伦斯没办法，只好站起身子，走上了栈桥。 赫萝站在珂尔身边，跟他牵起了手。 罗伦斯尽管看到这一幕，却并没有像阿玛堤那时一样感到心里不舒服。这大概是因为两人看起来就像姐弟一样吧。 "What's the matter?" “啊啊，很抱歉啦。可能要你们稍微走一段路。” “走路?” 罗伦斯反问了一句，那个似乎已经传完话的男人再次骑上马．继续朝着上流的方向飞奔而去。 他的手上还握着一枚被染成蓝色的旗帜。 光是这样就能推测到大体情况了，应该是河里发生了什么事吧。 “因为有大型货船触了礁，听说整条河都已经被塞住了。因为一个贪心得要命，赶路赶得太匆忙啦。察觉到的日寸候已经为时 已晚．一艘接一艘地塞在那里。好像因为在河底沉着一艘不知哪儿 来的船。而且沉下去的船上没有任何船夫的影踪，大概也会闹出一 场骚动吧。 " , "that is……" 这是战争时期或者饥饿的佣兵集团袭击商船时用的手段。 在坡度平缓的原野延绵不绝的这个地区，光是在河里打一根 木桩就能让船只无法航行，这条河实在太浅，太脆弱了。 因此．他们就装作发生事故而把船沉下去，然后袭击停在那里 的船。如果平时这样做的话，也不知道会招来在那里征收关税的权 力者们多大的怨恨。 but.罗伦斯却认识一个不知死活的家伙。 看来也只摘下帽子脱下外套致敬了。 甚至还怀着率直的心情，想去为埃布鼓劲喝彩。 “那么．现在怎么样呢?” 他这样问，当然是指能不能去肯卢贝这件事了。现在大概也只 走了一半路程，但是说要徒步回去雷诺斯的话，这距离也太远了 point. 如果有马的话就另当别论，不过多数人恐怕宁肯载货也不想 载人吧。 “幸好据说没见到佣兵那类家伙的踪影，我想应该不用多久就 能恢复过来吧。不过，其他货船也满载着货物停在那里。除了有勇 气跳下河爬上岸的家伙以外，简直就是一筹莫展。所以，这艘船的 话如果稍微减少一下货物的话，就能腾出一点空余的运载量。so I 想用这艘船来把触礁船的人和货物运上陆地。就是这样，真的很抱 歉，希望你能稍微走一段路。 " 一度答应过运载客人的船夫，要是让客人上陆走路的话，是非 常有损名誉的事。不管那是不是自己的错，也都一样。 生存在这种价值观中的船夫——拉古萨的表情稍微变得暗淡 stand up. 罗伦斯当然只能这么说了。 “因为我是商人，如果能在费用上减少一点的话，我当然是很 乐意走路了。 " 虽然也不是讲什么非同业者间的友情，不过拉古萨却仿佛在 说“败给你了”似的苦笑了一下，然后还是跟罗伦斯握了握手。 现在的问题是赫萝。可是还没等罗伦斯转头看她，拉古萨就继 续说道： “不过，在这样的大冷天里，让一个毫无准备的女孩子走路也 是不行的。而且，听说那些信仰心极强的家伙因为被塞住了河而激 动不已。要是看到像女神的姑娘乘船而下的话，应该也会振作起精 神吧。 " 罗伦斯听到这句话，总算稍微松了口气。 因为光想着要又不肯和自己说话的赫萝一起走路就觉得头疼。而且就算她心情好，如果要在这么冷的天气里走路的话，赫萝肯定会满嘴抱怨的。 “就是这么回事。所以现在必须先把货物御下。” “我来帮忙吧。” “哎哟，这样的话我不就好像想请你帮忙才这么说的吗? 拉古萨笑道。 对此，就只能认为他很高明了。 说到这份上的话，罗伦斯也绝对无法拒绝。 “不过，要卸下船的也只是麦子和豆子而已。木箱还是由得它吧。” “那么我们马上动手吧。” 罗伦斯回头看了看船上的货物这么说道，拉古萨就“哦，对了”地叫了一声。 “说起来，刚才我稍微听到了俺们很开心地说着的话题呢 "what?" 罗伦斯之所以这么慌张，是因为自己跟赫萝之间的对话实在令他很难为情。 “噢，没事的，我没有听到你所担心的那些事情。” 拉卉萨狡黠地笑了起来，罗伦斯也只有报以苦笑。 “没什么，就是埃尼币的事啦。” “埃尼币的事?” “对．就是那个。那个呐，正好就是我现在运载的东西啊。” 本来也觉得他应该是在运送货币，不过没想到竟然会有这样的偶然。 或者说．拉古萨是出于恶作剧心理想要捉弄一下自己?虽然罗伦斯一瞬间闪过这样的念头，不过对每个事实考虑一番之后，又觉得应该不会那样。 如果是金币或者银币的话，本来就因为要带上护卫而不能让罗伦斯这样的旅行者坐上同一艘船。 而且，载在拉古萨船上的最多就只有十箱上下。这么一来，因为沿河往下运的总共有五十七箱，那就是说应该还有另外四艘类似的船只。 然而，他们因为事前已经决定了运载量，很难去做那种把皮草运过去大赚一笔的事情。所以他们当然会心平气和地在港口进行一如既往的作业，这就很容易被罗伦斯看中了。 这样考虑的话，从道理上也是说得通的。那么说，拉古萨也许是得到了什么新的情报。 罗伦斯向对方投以商人的眼神，而拉古萨似乎也在等着这个 时刻。 拉古萨向罗伦斯打了个眼色，意思是先把货卸了再说。then he 又以动作向同时听着自己说话的珂尔和赫萝发出信号，然后把手 搭在罗伦斯肩上，把脸凑过去说道： tt关于那件事我也稍微有点兴趣。最近这两年来，我都在固定 的日子把固定数量的这种铜币运过去。的确正如你所说，这样顺河 而下送到吉恩商会那里的铜币，就是五十七箱。虽然至今为止我都 没有在乎那总共是多少箱。不过由固定的人员各自分担固定的运 载量．加起来真的就是五十七箱。 " 赫萝让珂尔拿着一些食物、水还有酒，然后给他穿上了更换用 的长袍。那是用罗伦斯的钱来做成的高级品。 珂尔顿时大吃一惊，连忙想要辞退，但结果还是被强行套了上 go. 的确．珂尔的打扮实在太寒酸了。 也许因为是第一次穿长袍的衣服，他似乎觉得走路有点困难， 不过好像也不是完全不喜欢。 “原来是五十七箱的铜币，到了从吉恩商会出货的时候却成了六十箱。既然多出了三箱，那就意味着要不就是有人暗中多运了三箱，要不就是吉恩商会有什么不轨企图了。” 回到船上，拉古萨轻松地跳上船，扛起了小麦的袋子。罗伦斯则接过那袋小麦，把它放到栈桥上。 珂尔见状，也把自己能拿得动的豆子麻袋扯了上来。 虽然心想他还真是个热心的家伙，不过大概是想偷听罗伦斯和拉古萨的对话吧。 “虽然我一直都很感谢让我载货的吉恩商会，也信任着一起接受这份工作的同伴们。不过现在毕竟是这样的时世，就算怀疑自己在不知不觉中被利用在什么犯罪的事情上，神也应该会原谅我吧?” 虽然不是珂尔，不过现在骗人和被骗实在是理所当然的事。 “当然，拿着那张纸去吉恩商会问个清楚也许会更好，不过这一箱东西的搬运费相当不菲，如果这就是吉恩商会的弱点．那可就头疼了。” 这就是承包工作者的困扰之处。 然而，罗伦斯接过最后一袋小麦，把它堆上栈桥,回答着 “我当然也没有打算把事情揭露出来，只要顺利建起我的沙土楼阁就已经满足了。” “既然如此，那我就可以把这当作旅行商人的戏言，当作耳边风了。就算真的在不知不觉中被利用在犯罪上也是这样。， 拉古萨笑道。 对于必须在同一条河上一直工作到死的拉古萨他们来说，讨货物主人的欢心可是关乎生计的。但是，如果被犯罪者利用的话．到时候被扔进河底的也同样是他们。虽然最低限度也想知道真相。可是在同一条河里干活的人们，彼此的世界也太狭窄了．根本无法谈这样的话题。即使如此，如果是来自外部的旅行者的话—— 这样想的话大概也想得太多了，不过就算没猜中也不会相差太远。 从赫萝那里接过行李的珂尔，什么都没说就跟自已的行李合一 在一起背了起来。 他察觉到罗伦斯的视线，于是向这边看了过来，但是罗伦斯却轻轻摆r摆手．示意他先走一步。 “那么，我的同伴就拜托你了，请你最好不要太神化她哦。” “哈哈哈．要是前来跪拜的人越来越多的话可是很困扰的啦。不要紧．就算说要走路，也不用多久。，到日落之前应该是可以汇合的吧。” 罗伦斯点了点头．稍微把视线转向赫萝，可是她已经卷着毛毯躺下来了． 看到她的睡姿。罗伦斯小禁在心底深有感触地叹道：原来吵架也囱是各种各样的形式呢。