Read Spice & Wolf III for Free Online Page B

was absent, giant companies with huge amounts of capital would soon swallow the entire marketplace. The rule was designed to prevent that from happening.
    “Would you prefer to settle up in coin or credit?” asked Mark. “Credit, if you please.”
    “Thank goodness. There are so many cash deals this time of year it’s hard to keep up.”
    While traders had no trouble keeping track of their deals in their ledger books, plenty of people bringing goods into the villages and towns would want coin and only coin.
    But currency shortages were serious problems in any town. Even if a merchant had assets to buy a particular good, without the currency to make the payment, there could be no commerce at all. And an illiterate farmer wouldn’t even blow his nose on a promissory note.
    In the wilderness, it was the knight with his sword who was strongest, but in the cities, coin equaled power. This was why the Church had grown so wealthy. Collecting tithes week after week, it could not help but become powerful.
    “So since I’m taking credit, I’ve got a favor to ask of you,” said Lawrence as Mark approached to unload the sack of nails from the wagon bed. The wheat merchant’s face grew instantly wary “It’s nothing terribly important. I’ve got to head north to take care of something, and I wondered if you’d ask after the conditions of the roads and passes up that way Your customer before me, he was from the north, no?”
    Seeing that Lawrence’s question had nothing to do with business, Mark visibly relaxed.
    His shift in expression was obviously intentional, Lawrence noted with chagrin. It was probably Mark’s way of getting back at Lawrence a bit for selling the nails so dear.
    “Aye, that’s easy enough,” said Mark. “Though it would’ve been easier for you to come in the summertime as you normally do. Must be something pretty big to get you heading up north in midwinter.”
    “Well, you know, this and that. I will say it’s nothing to do with business, though.”
    “Ha-ha-ha. Even the ever-traveling merchant can’t free himself from life’s little obligations, eh? So where are you headed?”
    “A place called Yoitsu. Heard of it?”
    Mark leaned on the cart as he raised a single eyebrow. “Can t say I have. But who knows how many little towns and villages I’ve never heard of. You want me to find someone who knows it, then?”
    “Well, in any case, we’re heading for Nyohhira, so you can ask about Yoitsu sort of ‘by the way’; that’ll be fine.”
    “Right, then. So if you’re bound for Nyohhira you’ll be crossing the Dolan Plains.”
    “You know the way, then? That makes it easier for me.”
    The wheat merchant nodded and thumped his chest, as if to say “leave it to me.” Mark would surely be able to collect the information Lawrence needed.
    This was exactly why Lawrence had come to Mark in the first place, but if he had interrupted the wheat merchant during this most busy of seasons simply to gather information without bringing some business along as well, it would have weighed on his conscience—and Mark would’ve been none too pleased.
    That is why he brought the nails to sell. Lawrence was well aware that Mark knew many of the area blacksmiths. It would be easy for Mark to sell off the nails to any of them for a tidy profit.
    Mark would even be able to ask for a portion of the payment for those nails in cash. As a wheat merchant—for whom the last chance to save up money was rapidly approaching—the chance to get a bit of hard coin into his hands would probably make him happier than any meager profit.
    And as Lawrence had expected, Mark readily agreed. That took care of the need to gather information on the upcoming travel.
    “Oh, yes. There was another thing I wanted to ask you about. Don’t worry, this will be quick,” said Lawrence.
    “Do I look that stingy?”
    Lawrence met Mark’s chagrined smile. “Does this town have any chroniclers?”
    “Chroniclers...? Oh, you