ORIGINAL STORY BY ISUNA HASEKURA
The incarnation of a wolf?
If that's the case, this letter is outright blackmail.
If you don't want her to be taken to the church,
you must stay put until the business deal is finished.
Yes. But there's no guarantee that they won't go to the church once it's done.
Moreover, we have already invested
quite a bit in silver Trenni coins, which are supposedly increasing in value.
If we withdraw now, we will suffer a huge loss.
We have no choice but to take action.
But let's say that we retrieve your companion and harbor her.
If they report us and we're raided by the church,
we will have no choice but to act like obedient lambs.
There is nowhere you can hide within this town.
What if I take her and leave this town?
We're completely surrounded by plains.
You'd have to be really lucky to escape.
They might take her to another town and report her there.
At that point, there's no stopping them.
If you think about what they will gain,
there is no way of solving this with money.
After all, this is their chance to get rid of us, their competitors.
So you're saying we have to give up on
our profit and wait for them to report on us?
If only there was something we could use against them...
We do have one thing.
We can become the whistleblowers and tell
the church that Medio Trading Company has your companion.
But that will put you in a tight spot.
In the worst-case scenario, you might testify against us.
I most definitely will.
The biggest gain that comes from that silver coin deal
are the privileges you can obtain from the King of Trenni, right?
Yes. According to our research,
the royal family is under considerable financial strain.
They must be.
After all, they're going as far as melting down
existing coins to create more silver coins with lower purity.
That may create more money for now,
but in the long run, it will ruin their reputation and cause more damage.
The royal family must really be tight on money
to decrease the silver content despite that.
In exchange for the silver coins they need to melt down,
there is a high chance that they will give out
privileges like mining rights,
the right to set tariffs, and rights to regulate the market.
That is the biggest gain we can expect from this time's
purchasing of silver coins.
Well then, before Medio Trading Company can expose us,
why don't we complete that deal first
and use that "biggest gain" as a bargaining chip?
And make them buy the privileges from us?
Yes. If they have to choose between
those privileges and shutting down your company,
don't you think Medio Trading Company will give up on exposing us?
But we are sworn enemies
and they have what it takes to burn us at the stake.
I don't know if they will negotiate with us.
No, but look at it from the perspective of the King of Trenni.
Huh?
He wouldn't want the public to know that he made a deal with a company
that was exposed as heretics.
I see.
If we are flagged by the church,
the king, who made a deal with us, will also become the church's enemy.
If we enter into a contract with him first,
Medio wouldn't be able to report anything that would incur the king's enmity.
It would be a double suicide, if anything.
If our trading company
requests compensation
and the return of your companion in exchange for the privileges...
Yes, I'm sure they will agree.
That is the only way for Medio Trading Company
to gain those privileges.
Your methodology sounds good.
But that will come with great difficulties.
According to my speculation,
Medio Trading Company hasn't finished collecting silver coins.
What is that based on?
This involves taking advantage of the king's weakness.
That is why they were scheming to attain silver coins
secretly and cheaply, by using merchants like us.
If they already had enough silver coins,
they could've gone to the church as soon as they got Holo.
But rather than doing that, they tried to stop us.
That shows their lack of confidence.
Meaning, they are not yet finished collecting silver coins.
I see.
Then how do you plan to take action?
I will take back Holo
and stay on the run until negotiations are done.
That's absurd!
Even if we can't escape them completely, we can buy some time.
During that time, I need you to collect silver coins and start negotiations.
That's impossible!
Then will you report Holo?
I will testify against you, if you do.
If you cooperate with us, we can be on the run for a day or two.
This is an incarnation of a wolf, we're talking about.
This time, she purposely got caught just to let me escape.
Humans are no match for her
if she uses her abilities like normal.
Let me ask you...
How much time do you need
to collect enough silver coins to negotiate with the king?
If we head to Trenni Castle right now by horse,
we can arrive before sunset tomorrow.
If we can agree to a deal on the spot, we can come back
the day after tomorrow, around sunrise.
"Right now"?
But you still don't know how many silver coins you will end up with.
We'll negotiate with estimates.
As long as we can collect
the actual silver coins by the settlement date, it's fine.
Can you make the king agree to a deal on the spot?
At Milone Trading Company, we can make anyone
agree to a deal on the spot if we put our mind to it.
So, you already know where Holo is, right?
We are the Milone Trading Company.
We experience things like surprise attacks on our employees
and people setting fire to our stores all the time.
So we are fully prepared for emergency situations.
However, there is one big obstacle.
-The church? -That's right.
They are spread out across more nations and towns than us,
and are prepared for anything.
And so,
we must put an end to this before they make their move.
Honestly, I wanted to identify who is
behind Medio Trading Company before starting negotiations.
Then we could've found out where they're getting coins
and seized that for ourselves or approximated from there.
That is too bad.
I pray for your safety and success.
I promise to live up to your expectations.
The codeword to identify ourselves will be "Pireon" and "Numai."
The two main gold coins?
Doesn't it sound lucky?
Did you memorize the route?
Once underground,
I keep my hand on the wall to my right and walk forward, right?
Yes. And please wait at the end of the path.
Holo is captured inside the building on top of that?
Yes. We've confirmed that.
The retrieving process will begin with the sound of the market bells.
If it goes well, the cap will open above you at the end of the path
and your companion will come down.
If you hear the word "rache,"
please wait for our associate.
If you hear "peloso,"
please escape through the route as planned.
Either "economic boom" or "recession," huh?
Isn't it easy to remember?
We're almost there.
How dangerous!
Watch out!
I'm sorry!
Mr. Lawrence, now is your chance.
Quickly!
Who knew they were this prepared?
I've heard that the church digs
underground passages for espionage and tax evasion
under the pretense of digging graves though.
It should be here...
Please...
I don't want it to get violent.
What am I trembling for?
It's late...
Am I at the wrong place?
Rache.
Numai!
Pireon.
Holo!
So we take these and make it look like a burglary?
Hurry!
I can't get down unless you move.
What are you just standing there for?
These are yours. Take them and hurry down the path.
Okay...
Pireon.
Pireon!
Numai.
I'm glad it worked out...
There are always surprises when doing business.
There's one more person.
He will come out from another spot.
He'll give information on Medio to our people before leaving town.
-It's so well-thought-out. -I wish you the best of luck.
Good to go.
I'm glad you're safe.
Did you just say, "I'm glad you're safe"?
Yeah.
Say my name.
-Holo, right? -It's Holo the Wisewolf!
I can name every being
who has humiliated me throughout my life.
Now I have to add a new name to that list.
In other words, you!
Huh?
Did I not tell you to "come save me"?
Yes...
I...
I completely assumed that you were the one who came and...
It's so vexing just thinking about it.
Don't tell me you...
If you're a male,
it's common sense to sharpen your fangs and fight!
How could you just hide inside that hole!
Because of that, I embarrassed myself for nothing.
But you were safe, right?
I'm glad you were safe.
As long as you have that wheat,
I won't die.
I'm so cute, I easily win over male humans.
It's just that
there are no male humans who can handle me.
I told them their "thing" would fall off if they touched me
and they all turned pale and became frightened.
Jeez...
My goodness...
But there was an exception.
Huh?
Who do you think I saw among the ones
who captured me?
Who did you see?
Yarei. You know him, right?
Yarei?
From Pasloe Village.
It seems he heard my name from Zheren.
So, did you talk to him?
Just a little.
Can you guess what he said?
This guy named Zheren mentioned the name Holo.
The first thing that came to mind
was the village's god of harvest.
It was real, wasn't it?
I...
I was...
I know it's pathetic, but I was happy about that.
But after that, he said...
Those days where we had to gain your favor are in the past now.
We don't have to be afraid of your changing mood anymore.
We'll turn you over to the church and break away from the old days.
I was so upset and sad.
Well, it all depends on your perspective.
To go back to the north, you would've had to leave that land anyway.
If they want you gone,
just kick sand in their faces as you leave.
That way you don't have to hesitate either.
However, don't leave empty-handed.
We are merchants.
Anything goes, as long as we profit.
We only smile when we get our money
and only cry when we're bankrupt.
And...
we will smile.
I feel much better.
I haven't conversed with people for a few hundred years.
So it's hard to control my emotions.
This is the second time I've cried in front of you,
but I would've cried even if it wasn't you.
Do you get what I'm trying to tell you?
-To not get the wrong idea? -Yes.
I'm also putting up with you to make a profit.
Our job is to stay on the run until Milone Trading Company seals the deal.
I can't have you sobbing while we do that.
So even if the person crying in front of me wasn't you, I'd still...
That's unfair, don't you think?
It's a female's privilege.
We're here.
Were you able to catch your breath?
Not yet.
The one backing up the Medio Trading Company
is Count Erhendott.
The merchants who buy wheat within his territory
are their main sources of silver coins.
Please inform Mr. Marlheit.
Of course.
There's something special about people who bring in a good profit.
Are you talking about these ears?
Looking at you two, it makes me want to go back to being
a traveling merchant again.
I wouldn't recommend it.
You might end up picking up something like her.
Well, the driver's box is too big for just one person.
That would be a dream come true.
Look at what I go through just because I was picked up by you.
You really are unfair, you know.
But that just adds to my cuteness, right?
Well, I do think you are cute.
I'm so happy.
You, too, are such a cute little boy.
Next time, "The Merchant and Unreasonable God."
Subtitle translation by: Kiko Morita