Spice & Wolf 06 by Hasekura Isuna

Author:Hasekura Isuna
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780759531116
Publisher: Yen Press
Published: 2012-06-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

The walk along the riverbank took its toll.

Having traveled for so long on a wagon, though he wasn’t exhausted, Lawrence found it difficult to keep pace with Col.

He wondered how his feet were supposed to keep up this speed.

It made him long for the days when he had been accustomed to traveling on foot and could travel twice as fast as the envious wagon-bound merchants if he was in a hurry.

“There’s no gain in hurrying so,” Lawrence finally said.

“Yes, sir,” the boy replied meekly, slowing his pace.

Ragusa’s suddenly lightened vessel had headed downriver with Holo aboard and was soon out of sight. The boats behind it were all larger, and because they were all being stopped at the checkpoint, the river was very quiet.

The calm river’s surface was slick looking and shiny, like the slime trail left behind a snail, and it was amusing to watch.

Lawrence almost wanted to say that it looked as though glass had been laid down on the earth, but that seemed a bit exaggerated.

Suddenly a fish splashed through the surface, ruining the glassy look.

“Um, Master–?” The little fish beside Lawrence took the opportunity to make its own splash.

“What is it?”

“About the eni…”

“Ah. You’re wondering if there’s any money to be made?” asked Lawrence sharply, perhaps out of habit from spending time with Holo. Col nodded, face sober.

The boy thought making money was shameful.

Lawrence faced ahead, inhaling the cold air through his nose and exhaling from his mouth. “I doubt it.”

“I… see.”

Col was wearing Holo’s robe; when he slumped in dejection, it looked like Holo slumping in dejection.

Lawrence shocked himself by reaching his hand out, but Col seemed only slightly surprised when his head was patted.

“Though I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be having trouble with money.” Lawrence pulled his hand back from Col’s head, opening and closing his fingers several times.

He had expected it to feel different from Holo’s, but apart from the lack of ears, it felt much the same.

Seen from behind, the only difference Col’s figure cut would be the lack of the bulge that Holo’s tail created.

“What do you mean?”

“Hmm? Just what I said. Even among wandering scholars, the really clever ones have more money than they can carry and drink wine every day.”

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but there were definitely students who earned enough to pay to hear a dozen lectures from a professor clear to the end.

Col had become involved in bookselling because he didn’t have enough for even a single lesson.

“Uh, er… I guess there are some like that, yes.”

“Have you ever wondered how they get their money?”

“… Surely they steal it from others, I should think.”

When looking at someone who’s achieved something beyond imagining, it’s easy to assume his dishonesty.

One simply concludes he’s using some fundamentally different method.

Col’s estimation this time was a bit low.

“I expect they’re earning money much the same way you do.”

“Huh?” Col looked at Lawrence with an expression of disbelief.

It was the same expression Holo used when Lawrence managed a truly excellent verbal comeback.

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