Wolf & Parchment, Volume 1

by Isuna Hasekura

  Just by looking at the number of fish brought to Atiph’s port town, Col understood what that meant. The fish caught in the northern seas reached dinner tables far inland, and there was still much left over. Hyland was saying they were not cornered in a fight where they had no chance of winning, and those words were persuasive.

  All the conditions had been met.

  The only thing left to do was stand up.

  “Col, I want your skills,” Hyland said.

  “After, I will most absolutely repay you. There should be more than enough room to find a seat for you in the new Church.”

  Hyland meant they would accommodate Col during the creation of the new Church. The young man could not even force himself to say that he did not want that. To stand in the pastoral cornerstone would mean being able to deliver salvation to many people.

  But talk about the new Church that Hyland and the Kingdom of Winfiel would create was much more enthralling than that. If it were to come to fruition, then a great deal of the masses would become able to receive the true teachings of God.

  However, there was still one thing that bothered him.

  “Heir Hyland, I want to ask you something.”

  “What is it?”

  This kind of question was, in a sense, betraying Hyland.

  However, it was not that simple to change a point of view of something that had continued for so long.

  “Is the purpose of this new Church to overthrow the existing Church?”

  While there were bad aspects to the Church, there were also some good. Col’s wish was not to smash it into millions of pieces but to straighten the warped pillars.

  “I don’t want to do that. If we create a new church, this Church may change their ideas. As it stands, I think it may stay the way it is now for all of eternity.”

  It was not anger that brimmed in Hyland’s eyes.

  What crossed his mind was the archbishop’s humble smile as he flattered the papal officer.

  The world would not change so easily.

  “Of course, I hope a world will come where, as a result of this change, the people have the choice of choosing whichever church they fancy—new or old.”

  “…It sounds like you’re supposing such a thing could never be a reality.”

  “It is not wholly a problem of faith. This is politics. We must do everything in our power to make sure it does not end up that way. Someone must take the step forward.”

  Hyland’s gaze was piercing.

  There would be danger.

  But Col once left his village without paying a single mind to that danger.

  Then he remembered the moment he had felt that some things in this world were worth believing in.

  “What can I do?”

  It was immediately after he said that.

  “No.”

  Myuri, who had been listening beside him the whole time, interrupted.

  Then, she pushed herself between him and Hyland, forcing him back farther into the room.

  “No, he won’t do it. Brother’s not gonna help the likes of you.”

  “M-Myuri?!”

  Col managed to straighten his posture and hold her back.

  He sensed her strength—she was sincere.

  “That’s enough…”

  “No, you should listen to what the little miss has to say.”

  For a moment, Col did not know who spoke. On the other side of Myuri, Hyland was smiling.

  “I don’t want to trick or threaten people to join my side. I’ve had too much of the taste of that in the court.”

  His smile was so soft, Col almost thought it belonged to a woman, but his eyes were cold as glass.

  “I have had so many brothers who did not share my blood. But the kind ones who stood by me or paid attention to the feelings of others either perished or were sent away. The ones who remain are the cockroaches that refuse to die.”

  He had heard that bloody fights between those of the same flesh and blood were endless in the circles of nobility. He imagined that those quarrels became incomparable once rights of succession were included in the equation. Once he understood that from Hyland’s perspective, he felt it was clear why Hyland himself possessed an impressive amount of theological knowledge. It was impossible all that was gained hastily for show. He needed it to heal the hunger and scars of his soul.

  And perhaps that was the reason he always gave candy and kind words to the ill-mannered Myuri.

  “I have my own reasons to look to God for guidance, much like how you want to stop your brother.”

  “…”

  Myuri stopped and fell into a frozen silence. Did Hyland know why she was acting up?

  Then the noble looked toward the hallway and must have realized that it was time. He stood and spoke quickly.

  “Col, the Debau Company should be coming for you two. When they do, ask them to think of a way to save me. At this rate, I will just be used as a hostage of war. The Kingdom of Winfiel will already be at a disadvantage, and without me, wicked plans might worm their way into the creation of the new Church.”

  However, Hyland was of royal blood, and people with such power should have many avenues to seek assistance.

  It was just as Col was wondering why the Debau Company would come save them and not Hyland.

  “The Debau Company will not come to my rescue unconditionally. They will be weighing the scales of profit.”

  Hyland and the Debau Company were tied together by mutual gain. Once things began going well for the kingdom in their fight against the pope, the Debau Company would obtain trade privileges. That was why the company cooperated and accommodated him. It was simply for personal gain. There had to be something that was of equal value to rescuing Hyland, who had been declared a heretic by the pope and arrested on orders of the city council.

  “Th-then, we’ll call on the kingdom—”

  Col was about to argue, but Hyland stopped him with a kind smile.

  “My family is even more untrustworthy. If I did rely on them, there’s no small chance they would assassinate me.”

  Col was shocked.

  “If they went as far as negotiating with the pope over a hostage, that is to say myself, then they would likely arrange for me to become the first martyr of our new Church. They could remove an enemy from the court while also cultivating the people’s support. They would rejoice at the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. That is why I had no choice but to pin my hopes on you two. You have deep connections with the Debau Company, beyond anything that could be weighed for profit.”

  That moment, Col finally realized the biggest reason why he was the one that Hyland brought from Nyohhira.

  Hyland was connected to the Debau by profit, but Col and Myuri were different. They were family of the so-called powerhouses behind the scenes of the company, and they were treated as such. That was why Hyland so calmly calculated in Nyohhira that whatever happened, they would be rescued without any considerations to potential gain. In addition, he planned that when danger came for himself, he would borrow that influence.

  Col felt no need to despise such calculation. He was not discouraged that they had been used, either.

  That was because Hyland wore such a pained expression on his face. He even seemed regretful.

  Hyland had said he could not depend on his family. In this seaside town, where he could faintly see the Kingdom of Winfiel on a clear day from the top of the church bell tower, he was fighting for his homeland.

  Hyland, no longer having anything else to say, stood as though he had resigned himself to his fate. He walked off before Col could say anything, and the soldiers hurriedly followed.

  Col’s mind was so packed with innumerable thoughts, he felt his head might burst. Before him was a stack of problems he could not have even imagined back in Nyohhira. To be honest, he did not even know where to begin.

  But more than ten years ago, he stood by the side of a merchant who had boldly faced each and every hardship.
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br />   What would Lawrence do?

  No matter what, he should begin with the problems right in front of him.

  “Myuri.”

  Hyland had seen through her somehow, and at the moment she was silent, as though a spell had been cast on her. Just like how Hyland had concealed certain things, Myuri was hiding something, too.

  He called her name, and she suddenly came back to reality before drawing away from him. Perhaps she was surprised, as her back hit the latticed door before she sank to the floor with a thud.

  Col was about to rush to her side when she stopped him with her gaze.

  Had it been hostile and piercing, he would have been able to face it.

  But instead, Myuri seemed like she was about to cry.

  “A-are we going to…save that blondie?”

  He thought for a moment that she was simply using tears to get her way, as she had done many times in the past. That being said, he had been with her since the moment he heard her cries at birth. He could always tell how serious she was.

  His head hurt because her tears were genuine.

  “Myuri.”

  He called her name again, and he sat on the floor with a sigh. It had been quite a while since he last stooped to Myuri’s eye level. He had often lectured her like this long ago when she would not listen to him.

  “I can’t do anything about how tomboyish you are, but you received your intellect from Holo. You are also perceptive. And I know that you are truly kind. Are you saying you don’t want to save Heir Hyland, even after learning about his position? Or do you think everything we heard just now is a lie?”

  Her usual competitive spirit had quieted, and she was at a loss. It looked like she might begin crying with one more push, as her hair bristled while she squirmed.

  “Myuri, your ears.”

  She hurriedly pressed down on her head and curled up, keeping her hands there. She tightened herself into a ball like she wanted to hide in a place where no one would find her. He understood that she must have a good reason for doing so, but he could not imagine what.

  However, she did not answer when he asked, and he was used to dealing with troublesome beings who would not give a reason for avoiding his questions. What was more, unlike an elusive God, Myuri was most definitely in front of him.

  “You’ve had this attitude ever since Heir Hyland came to the bathhouse.”

  Myuri continued to curl inward, as though being beaten with a stick.

  “At first, I thought you were simply sulking because I was busy dealing with him.”

  He could not see her face anymore.

  “You’ve kept acting this way even until now, which means that this isn’t a whim of yours.”

  Like a root, hidden deep under the ground, something was there.

  “Is it something that makes it okay to treat troubled people and their important goals so cruelly?”

  Then, as he watched her, he could clearly tell that Myuri herself was lost and in pain. Even still, she did not want him to help Hyland.

  Col truly did not want to use this method because he was dealing with Myuri, but it was his last resort.

  “Why do you wish to get in the way of my dreams?”

  From the gap between her arms cradling her head, her expression pierced him.

  She widened her eyes, her whole body tensed like cornered prey, and she tightened her lips. Her body shrank in on itself enough she seemed about to disappear, and her last line of defense crumbled.

  Then, what appeared were eyes brimming with anger.

  “If you…if you want to know so bad, I’ll tell you…Okay?”

  Col had not expected she would fight back, so he recoiled. Her arms had just been holding her head as if to protect herself, but now they appeared to be suppressing something that might explode.

  He had been sure she would defend herself and give her reasons as she cried. Then, he had imagined how he would gently listen to her and quietly admonish her. He had not thought she would defiantly bully him.

  As he kept still for reasons even he did not know, Myuri declared again, “It will definitely, definitely upset you, but fine.”

  Was this Myuri’s oddly intelligent strategy? Was she planning to bare her fangs and hope he retreated?

  Col stood in an awkward position, and there was now something that would trouble him even more. Hyland had been taken hostage, the pope had banned the translation of the scripture, plus he and Myuri were in jail at the moment. If things continued like this, the teachings of God would remain warped, and it was even doubtful if they would live long enough to return to Nyohhira.

  But Myuri, who stood face-to-face with him, did not seem to be lying. He trusted her. She lowered her arms from around her head and let out a great sigh that even reached her shoulders as she stared unwaveringly at him. It was a glare full of anger that blamed him for everything.

  A silence similar to the one he had just experienced in the office overcame them.

  Myuri was the one who tore it apart with her fangs.

  “I don’t want to make trouble for you.”

  She had to speak slowly, and he listened carefully as he did not know what would come out of her mouth next. That was how stiffly she spoke.

  “But even I…have some things I don’t want to give up.”

  Typically, the word modest did not apply to Myuri, so when she announced something like that, there was no doubt she was being serious.

  However, they could not sit and stare at each other all day. No matter what, they had to rescue Hyland—for Col’s dreams, for Hyland himself, and for the sake of those awaiting God’s teachings.

  He breathed deeply and spoke.

  “I’ll hear it.” He then added words that showed his pride as Myuri’s older brother. “No matter how troubled I may be, I will figure something out.”

  Myuri’s hair trembled in anticipation.

  Before she said anything, he got the feeling she mouthed “stupid” to him.

  “Once you save that blondie, you’re going to become a priest, right?”

  “Yes. You were angry about that before. What does that…Don’t tell me.”

  Col came to a realization.

  “Don’t tell me this is because I might become an enemy of those considered possessed by demons once I become a priest?”

  In the scripture, there were many stories of the prophets fighting against demons. But he must have explained to Myuri properly. No matter what happened, he would always be her friend.

  “I’m not that inflexible. But if you think about how God created all things, then every living creature is a product of his—”

  “No. That’s not it at all. I don’t care about that even a little. See…see…if you become a priest, then you won’t be…”

  Myuri got into a huff, her eyes watering, and her ears and tail suddenly appeared as she spoke.

  “…You can’t get…”

  “What?”

  “Married! You won’t be able to get married!” she yelled, and everything in Col’s mind was scattered to the wind.

  “…Uh…What?” Overwhelmed by shock, he asked again. “Me?…To who?”

  He could not find the words to accurately describe Myuri’s expression.

  She probably had no idea what to do.

  Myuri was the first to calm down. She peeped through the latticed door before rubbing her hands on her face, frowning at the heat from the friction before she continued talking.

  “See, that’s why I didn’t want to say anything!”

  This time, she did not hold her head, but instead hugged her knees, looking away in a huff. Her lips were pouting and her cheeks puffing up, while her tail thumped against the floor. Col realized that though sometimes her face turned bright red from anger, this time it was doing so because she was embarrassed. Also, he was a complete fool.

  “Um…”

  “What?”

  He was heating up like a stone in the furnace.

  He needed to say something
, but he did not have the slightest idea what.

  “R-rea…No, um, since…when?”

  Instinct told him that if he asked “Really?” then she might tear out his windpipe.

  He changed up his question at the last moment.

  “…I don’t know.”

  He had a feeling she was mumbling, “How should I know, stupid?” against her knees.

  Of course, Col was aware that Myuri clung to him. She was so attached to him that it sometimes made her father, Lawrence, complain. Col thought she was cute when she did so, and he of course held her dear. But he had never looked at her in a romantic fashion.

  But when he thought about it, many things fell into place. How she played around with his vow of abstinence, how she teased him, how she willfully hid in that smelly barrel and showed him an outfit she had specifically prepared, and her incredible insistence on following him along for the journey—everything suddenly made sense. Therefore, she had to see Hyland as an enemy. Hyland came from the outside world and would take him to a faraway land.

  Then, it would be just as she had warned him. Considering the nature of his dreams, he would never be able to respond to Myuri’s feelings. At the same time, he did not want to hurt her. Col found himself trapped between these two truths, unable to move.

  He was embarrassed for his grand speech about justice and whatnot. If a personal problem arose before him, he could not dismiss it as a trivial matter. He understood how Myuri stood up to Hyland’s justice with her love alone. It balanced out quite well.

  Now the problem was how the balanced scales would tip, and even Col did not have a clue as to the answer. There were metaphysical questions in theology that were grossly overwhelming, such as how many angels could dance on the tip of a needle. But commonplace questions regarding who loved whom were even more difficult. Myuri’s indication that Col was only looking at half of half of the world was scarily accurate.

  But even though he knew the truth now, there was nothing to be done. All he could think of was to tell her how pitiful he was and that she deserved to find an even more wonderful person.

  Even he knew how miserable that would be.

  And then, as though she had seen straight through to the agony in his heart, Myuri gave off a loud sigh.