sale.
“Oh, and you probably know this already, but try to act a little more nunlike at the next checkpoint. They’ll be more lenient on a nun.”
“Hmph. I’m not so foolish as to stir up trouble in a city such as this. But do I even resemble a nun?”
“There’s no trouble on that count.”
As soon as he said it, Lawrence regretted it. Holo had endured much suffering at the hands of the Church. Saying she looked like a nun might make her angry.
“Heh, is that so?” Holo said, giggling. She seemed happy—surprisingly so.
“...What, you’re not angry?”
“Hm? Why would I be?”
“Well, I mean...the Church is your enemy, more or less.”
“Not necessarily. ’Tis the same as having someone like you around. Nuns are all fundamentally kind, and even a wolf like me can tell that most of them are quite lovely. Beauty transcends species.”
For his part, Lawrence understood well enough but was mostly glad she wasn’t cross.
And it was true that many nuns were beautiful. This may well have been partially because they were so assiduously meek, pure, and ascetic, but there was also the fact that the illegitimate child of many a noble became a nun.
Many a beautiful woman contrived to use her beauty to become the mistress of a wealthy noble, and many a fetching noble daughter was seduced by a rake, who wielded poetry and art like a weapon.
Often the children resulting from such liaisons were more hale and healthy than their legitimate siblings—most likely because the men and women able to seduce nobility were formidable themselves.
Such children were the cause of a fair share of succession struggles, but most of them would enter an abbey—thus many of the abbey’s brothers and sisters were handsome indeed.
“I don’t think I could suffer the constant fasting, though,” said Holo.
Lawrence laughed openly.
As they progressed down the road that ran alongside the great wall, a lively group of people became visible at its end.
It was the southeast entrance.
The huge gate was flung open, and while some people entered the city, others left, setting out on their travels.
The inspections of people and goods were conducted as one passed through the walls, and despite the volume of traveler s. there was little waiting since so many inspectors were on duty.
However, unlike Poroson, not a single person bothered to form a line, so unless one was familiar with the protocol, it was possible to wind up standing outside the gate for hours. Lawrence knew the procedure, though, and he guided his horse forward, trying his best to avoid colliding with anyone; threading his way past less-knowledgeable folk; and finally arriving at the road that passed under the archway, carved out of the stone wall, which led into the city. In times of war, this was an important point to defend, so the walls here were very thick. Lawrence glanced up to see a thickly timbered gate suspended above the crowds, and with a chill, he wondered what would happen if it were to fall—though he’d never heard of such an accident. Just past the gate, there was an opening in the roof through which boiling oil could be poured on invading enemies should they breach the wall. The stone around the opening was discolored, perhaps due to frequency of use.
Just past the walls was the inspection checkpoint, and beyond that, Lawrence could see the streets of Ruvinheigen.
Any large city hemmed in by walls—not just Ruvinheigen—had to expand upward, rather than outward, owing to limited space. Ruvinheigen was particularly challenged in this regard, and the city which greeted Lawrence was reminiscent of a ship’s hold piled high with goods. Several buildings looked ready to overflow at any moment. Still beyond those, he could see the high, high roof of Ruvinheigen’s great cathedral.
“You there, merchant!” a voice called out.
Lawrence shifted his attention to a guard wearing thin leather armor who pointed at him.
“Staring at the city will
“Oh, and you probably know this already, but try to act a little more nunlike at the next checkpoint. They’ll be more lenient on a nun.”
“Hmph. I’m not so foolish as to stir up trouble in a city such as this. But do I even resemble a nun?”
“There’s no trouble on that count.”
As soon as he said it, Lawrence regretted it. Holo had endured much suffering at the hands of the Church. Saying she looked like a nun might make her angry.
“Heh, is that so?” Holo said, giggling. She seemed happy—surprisingly so.
“...What, you’re not angry?”
“Hm? Why would I be?”
“Well, I mean...the Church is your enemy, more or less.”
“Not necessarily. ’Tis the same as having someone like you around. Nuns are all fundamentally kind, and even a wolf like me can tell that most of them are quite lovely. Beauty transcends species.”
For his part, Lawrence understood well enough but was mostly glad she wasn’t cross.
And it was true that many nuns were beautiful. This may well have been partially because they were so assiduously meek, pure, and ascetic, but there was also the fact that the illegitimate child of many a noble became a nun.
Many a beautiful woman contrived to use her beauty to become the mistress of a wealthy noble, and many a fetching noble daughter was seduced by a rake, who wielded poetry and art like a weapon.
Often the children resulting from such liaisons were more hale and healthy than their legitimate siblings—most likely because the men and women able to seduce nobility were formidable themselves.
Such children were the cause of a fair share of succession struggles, but most of them would enter an abbey—thus many of the abbey’s brothers and sisters were handsome indeed.
“I don’t think I could suffer the constant fasting, though,” said Holo.
Lawrence laughed openly.
As they progressed down the road that ran alongside the great wall, a lively group of people became visible at its end.
It was the southeast entrance.
The huge gate was flung open, and while some people entered the city, others left, setting out on their travels.
The inspections of people and goods were conducted as one passed through the walls, and despite the volume of traveler s. there was little waiting since so many inspectors were on duty.
However, unlike Poroson, not a single person bothered to form a line, so unless one was familiar with the protocol, it was possible to wind up standing outside the gate for hours. Lawrence knew the procedure, though, and he guided his horse forward, trying his best to avoid colliding with anyone; threading his way past less-knowledgeable folk; and finally arriving at the road that passed under the archway, carved out of the stone wall, which led into the city. In times of war, this was an important point to defend, so the walls here were very thick. Lawrence glanced up to see a thickly timbered gate suspended above the crowds, and with a chill, he wondered what would happen if it were to fall—though he’d never heard of such an accident. Just past the gate, there was an opening in the roof through which boiling oil could be poured on invading enemies should they breach the wall. The stone around the opening was discolored, perhaps due to frequency of use.
Just past the walls was the inspection checkpoint, and beyond that, Lawrence could see the streets of Ruvinheigen.
Any large city hemmed in by walls—not just Ruvinheigen—had to expand upward, rather than outward, owing to limited space. Ruvinheigen was particularly challenged in this regard, and the city which greeted Lawrence was reminiscent of a ship’s hold piled high with goods. Several buildings looked ready to overflow at any moment. Still beyond those, he could see the high, high roof of Ruvinheigen’s great cathedral.
“You there, merchant!” a voice called out.
Lawrence shifted his attention to a guard wearing thin leather armor who pointed at him.
“Staring at the city will
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