Wolf & Parchment, Volume 1
Page 12
All the fundamental teachings found in the scripture lay within the first seven chapters, and the rest was about the travels of the prophets who had been given the words of God and the memoirs of their disciples. Of course, Col’s translation was provisionary, and there were plenty of things that needed to be adjusted, but the general idea should have been communicated.
Then, he also felt relieved that he made it in time. Hyland, who had been running around laying the groundwork for the plan, just yesterday finally began serious talks with the archbishop at the Church.
From what he had heard, he imagined the town would be completely on the side of Winfiel Kingdom. A church built on the townspeople’s respect as well as their donations surely could not ignore their wishes.
The first seven chapters of translated scripture that contained the basic teachings of God would unquestionably support this idea.
And his heart felt full when he thought about how the townspeople were so interested in God’s teachings.
The world was not without worth. What was right was right, and the path would continue to the truth.
Long after the scribes returned home at dusk, he could somehow feel the last droplets of sunlight from the roof on the other side of the street.
“Brother! Are you done?”
Myuri was the only one who would open a door without knocking.
When he turned toward her, it felt like he was seeing her face for the first time in a long while.
“Didn’t you say you’d be finished sometime today?”
“I did, just now.”
“Good, good.”
He could not help but smile as she spoke like a parent. “Have you learned a thing or two about hard work?”
“Of course. I’ve been doing so much every day. Everyone needs me everywhere. But what surprised me the most is how many jobs need to be done.”
As Col checked the ink of the translation as it dried on the parchment, his heart relaxed at Myuri’s enjoyment.
“Companies are the waterwheels that move the world, you know.”
“There’s lots of boring and tedious work, though.”
“That’s how it is.”
“I know, but…I had to count the coins packed in these crates, and there were enough to drive me crazy! And there’s so much money, and I spent all day counting it until my hands were black, but I only got a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of it!”
Now that he thought about it, there was indeed a night where she was particularly bothered by the smell on her hands. He had thought she touched a fish or something similar, but it seemed she was repelled by the smell of coin.
“But it’s weird.”
“Weird? What is?”
“The money changers had me running around doing errands for them, but they don’t use any of that money.”
“They might be keeping it safe for someone else or planning to use it for a large transaction. Perhaps for export.”
“Export? You mean selling it to other towns? But everyone here is upset because there’s no change, though.”
“If there’s a place that needs it more than they do here, then it would be more profitable to sell it there. It happens often.”
“Huh. That’s weird.”
He wanted to brag that through that export of coin, he had discovered an incredible trick long ago, but he resisted since it was childish.
“Anyway, I don’t want to do work like that. Work at the port is the most fun.”
“The port?” he questioned, and Myuri’s eyes lit up.
“They pile up cargo so high on big boats, and then you jump on top of it and throw everything down to people waiting for them on land. The port is packed with ships jostling together, and it’s hard because they’re always rocking back and forth when the waves come in! Especially today because a really skinny and long boat like a dragonfly came in around sunset and tried to force its way in, and because they didn’t know the customs here, everyone shouted at one another!”
Myuri sniffed, puffing out her chest. She acted the part of a competent errand boy, already counting herself as a member of the Debau Company. She was an honest and energetic girl, and perhaps it helped her blend in easily around such places.
When she mentioned a boat that looked like a dragonfly, she was likely referring to the quick ones that did not depend on the wind and were instead propelled forward by man power with dozens of oars lined up on either side. Perhaps there had been cargo that required urgent delivery.
Setting that aside, he briefly imagined her jumping onto the tall mountains of cargo in the noisy port.
“Erm…Isn’t that rather dangerous?”
“Yeah, lots of people fell into the sea. I’m the only one who didn’t!”
Myuri spoke proudly. In Nyohhira, she was fine jumping from creek to creek to play beside icy rapids. Of course, she was a skilled swimmer.
But that was not the problem.
“I am looking after you in place of Lawrence and Holo. If you happen to get hurt, what will you do?”
“Oh, I know. If I become damaged goods, then someone has to take responsibility.”
“…”
He breathed a heavy sigh. She was acting knowledgeable about the things Miss Helen and the other dancers told her, even though she did not understand.
“I meant something a little different, but…that’s roughly correct.”
“Really?”
As soon as she said that, there came the sound of a mooing cow.
“More importantly, I’m hungry. Oh, can you go out now that you’re finished working?”
Col had been eating in the room for these past few days. Myuri seemed to want to eat things they did not have in Nyohhira that could be found in the busier parts of town. But when it was apparent that he would not budge, she had obediently had someone from the company buy her a meal before eating her bread and other foodstuffs in the room.
“Yes, yes, very well. It’s been a while since I’ve moved my body; it feels like if I don’t, then I might just become stone.”
“There were so many times I actually thought you died.”
Myuri cackled, and she suddenly raised her head as though she had realized something.
“Oh, Brother!”
“What is it?”
“Since we’re going out, you shouldn’t dress like that,” she said, and he looked down at himself, but nothing had changed since he left Nyohhira.
He pressed his hand against his cheek to check if there was something on his face, but Myuri shook her head in a fit.
“Get rid of that priest-looking coat.”
“What?”
“Just do it!”
He did as he was told and removed the coat, and Myuri carefully inspected him from head to toe before groaning.
“But you still kind of look like it…”
“Myuri? What are you talking about?”
“Brother, put your head down.”
It was too much trouble to ask again, so as he did as he was told and lowered his head, she roughly ruffled his hair.
“…Myuri.”
“How about this…? Oh! This might work!”
After glancing around, she opened the pot of ink, dipping the tip of her pinkie into it and drawing a quick line on his cheek. She did the same on the other side and then stepped back to examine him.
“Well, whatever.”
“Myuri.”
There was a hint of anger in his voice, but Myuri did not flinch, placing both hands on her hips and puffing out her chest.
“It’s dangerous to walk around outside dressed like a priest now.”
“…What?”
“All the men that do heavy labor are all worked up.”
As the curtains of night drew over the sunset, Myuri’s eyes glinted threateningly in the faint darkness.
“During breaks at work, I’ve been collecting all sorts of information from the townspeople. I’ve been working hard.”
“All sorts…?”
His only response was a blank stare, and Myuri’s expression changed to one of clear displeasure.
“You really didn’t think I was working just to amuse myself because I was bored, did you?”
“No…”
He had been absolutely certain that was the case.
“Sheesh! See, this is why I say you’re no good! You have no idea what that blondie is scheming!”
Of course, Col did not think that people of high status such as Hyland acted for simple reasons.
However, Myuri’s thorough distrust in him seemed to go beyond that.
“You’re really only looking at a fourth of the world, Brother.”
“Not even half?”
The world was made up of men and women. It appeared he did not know a thing about women, so that left a half. Even if he woefully accepted this evaluation of himself, where did that second half come from?
Then, Myuri’s expression became troubled yet slightly sad, and she spoke.
“You only ever look at the good parts of people.”
This innocent and naive girl sometimes dug into deep places.
“But people aren’t bundles of goodwill. Right?”
It was a cold truth. If Myuri, who was half his age, had to tell him this, then perhaps he truly was only seeing less than a fourth of the world.
As he stared vacantly, she placed her warm hand on top of his.
“But I could never imagine you doing anything evil, Brother.”
He gazed down at her, and the girl who was always doing evil things was giggling.
“So I’m going to protect you. I’ll keep an eye out where you’re not looking and make sure you don’t fall backward off a cliff.”
He thought for a moment how cheeky she sounded, but she had saved him from being run over by a wagon when he had been too caught up in his thoughts.
He could not think of anything to say in return, but it was beneath him to stay silent.
“Then, what should I be looking at with my narrow field of vision?”
Myuri gave him a sidelong glance before shaking her head in exasperation.
“Isn’t there someone you can’t take your eyes off of?”
Her usage of that phrase was a bit off, but she was much too proud of herself.
That discrepancy was funny to him, and he could not help but smile.
“Of course.”
“Of course!”
She grinned, baring her teeth. Then, she placed her forehead on his arm.
“That’s why…”
“Huh?”
Her voice was muffled, and he could not hear her, but by the time he asked for clarification, she had already let go of his arm.
“More importantly, I’m hungry!”
He got the sense that she said something important to him but also that she had rubbed her nose against him mostly to satisfy an itch. At any rate, it was true that he could not take his eyes off her.
“Don’t eat too much.”
“Okay.”
Her noncommittal response was typical.
He followed her as she quickly exited the room, a slight smile of exasperation on his face.
The energy of the town at night was different from how it was during the day.
It was more similar to Nyohhira’s—a feast of drink and meat.
Unlike in the sleepy hot spring village, though, sturdy, muscular men sat on long benches that jutted out onto the roads, making a ruckus. They were probably the men who unloaded cargo at the docks, craftsmen who cut wood with big saws, or the workers who braided the ferociously thick ropes that tied the largest ships to the piers. The men, baked in salt and alcohol, had piercing laughs and yells that carried a particular kind of impact.
Then, Col understood immediately that Myuri’s earlier caution was correct.
“So what’s the archbishop gonna do?”
“An assistant priest was the only one who showed up to prayer this morning. They’re so scared of Lord Winfiel!”
“No, no, the archbishop and Lord Winfiel were meeting the whole time inside the church.”
Everyone was talking about the Church and the Kingdom of Winfiel—namely, Hyland. Some were simply observing the course of events, while others bellowed their disdain for the Church’s taxes and called Hyland a savior.
Col and Myuri watched the revelers as they strolled along, and at the food stalls that were still out even after sunset, Col bought sandwiches containing a slice of cod that was deep-fried in oil. Myuri must have earned some spending money while she worked during the day because she pulled out some coins from her wallet and bought sausage, too.
“If I had come out dressed as I was, I definitely would not have been able to eat.”
He could imagine drunks catching him and closing in on him, asking whose side he was on.
“Appearance is important.”
You see? Myuri asked wordlessly with a tilt of her head. Once he smiled and nodded in response, he nudged her in the head.
As they stood on a corner of the street, eating their bread and watching people come and go, Col came to understand several things.
He learned what the men were interested in and what they talked about. Some showed the others that there were copies of a vernacular translation of the scripture. They raised cries of awe, as if declaring that was all they would need to defeat the malpractices of the Church.
These people were drunk, of course, so Col could not accept their words and actions at face value. However, he could see the extent of their expectations. If all these townspeople were on his side, then Hyland’s wishes would surely come true. Given all this, the archbishop could not ignore the wishes of the populace. He would need to work to correct the misdeeds, then join them in raising his voice against the pope.
“We might be able to achieve justice at this rate.”
Starting with the Church in Atiph, the movement would link to the next town, then the next. Col could not help but feel excited when he imagined his work helping this along.
He looked out on the town from the street corner with a hope-filled gaze, and Myuri, blending in with the scenery of the town as she leaned against the wall and nibbled at her bread, sighed.
“Justice…justice?”
“What’s the matter? Isn’t everyone facing the right direction, like Heir Hyland is?”
After Col asked his question, Myuri regarded him expressionlessly before jerking her chin like a real errand boy would.
Wondering what it was, he turned in the direction she indicated and found some rowdy men sitting on the benches of the bars along the street.
“Ha-ha-ha!”
“Here, here, look, look!”
He could hear jeers along with the barking of a dog. A drunk had jerky in his hands and was teasing a stray. That itself was not peculiar. The settlement was brimming with animals inside the walls.
“Here, it’s tithe meat! Go on and eat it up!”
He threw the jerky, and the dog ran after it at full speed and ate it. The men watched, guffawing. Then Col noticed something odd about the dog.
Someone had put a cloth around its neck to make it look like a priest.
“Father Dog! Please take our tithe bread, too!”
Every time the dog ate the food, the men would double over in laughter.
There was a half smile on Myuri’s face, but Col could not smile at all.
It was a clear desecration of authority.
“They’ve been like that since yesterday. I’m used to people drinking and getting unruly at Nyohhira, but they’re completely different. It’s a little…scary.”
Myuri finished eating her bread and brushed off the crumbs on her clothes.
“During the day today, a pastor from a church on a nearby island came. It was awful then, too.
”
“In what way?”
The dog received its food with delight. The more it wagged its tail, the harder the men laughed.
“I think it’s a rule that the boats of important people from the Church have the Church’s insignia on the sail, unpainted. So everyone knew immediately what kind of person was aboard. Then came loud applause and loud cheers.”
He glanced at her, and her expression was dark. Her countenance did not match her story.
Or perhaps Myuri would rather the pastor not be welcomed?
As he considered this, the good-looking errand boy sighed.
“No one had come to welcome him. The people from the company told me this, but apparently, he was called to support the archbishop, and since the town is hostile against the Church, he would be opposing that blondie. Everyone knew, so they greeted him with fake cheers and applause. There was no way they could turn the boat back, either. So when he was getting off the ship, the pastor hesitated and went pale. Like he knew he’d come at a bad time.”
Malice.
It was malice boiling up in opposition to authority.
“No one was really welcoming him, and it was scary to think he might be mobbed. That pastor seemed to be a nice man, and when he left the port, it looked like he was running away.”
Not everyone rested on their laurels in privilege. That was true even for the archbishop in this town. He was ardent in his holy work, so he was not a wholly bad person.
“After working here for a few days, I noticed that no one really cares about the details. I don’t know—it’s hard to explain, but it feels like that as long as there’s something to get riled up about, they’ll go for anything. Everyone is so mad, saying things like, ‘How dare they take our money away!’ When I ask if the tithes are really that expensive, they laugh and tell me they’ve never been taxed by the tithes.”
Surely it was impossible that each and every person who spent the day carrying cargo would be compelled to pay such a tax. That tax took money from things such as large companies, checkpoints, or land revenue. Of course, it was possible to think that the tithe would at some point affect the little people, but it would be difficult for those individuals to actually feel its effects.