E17 - Traveling Merchant's Shallow Thinking and Town Merchant's Signboard

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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:35] (Flashback) Holo
    No...
[00:37] (Flashback) Holo
    I do not wish to be alone again...
[00:40] (Flashback) Holo
    However, it does not matter. I remember now.
[00:42] (Flashback) Holo
    There is... That is right,
    there is someone who loves me.
[00:48] Holo
    What are you to me?!
[00:50] (Flashback) Holo
    No, what am I to you?!
SIGN    Spice and Wolf
[02:28] Marc
    Goodness. What'd I tell you?
SIGN    Episode 17
    Traveling Merchant's Shallow Thinking and Town Merchant's Signboard
[02:31] Marc
    You were so confident. Look at yourself now.
[02:34] Lawrence
    There was an unforeseen accident.
[02:36] Lawrence
    It was completely unexpected and I—
[02:38] Marc
    Just admit that you let your guard down.
[02:41] Marc
    Be honest with yourself.
[02:44] Lawrence
    You're absolutely right.
[02:45] Marc
    So? What're you here for?
[02:48] Marc
    If you're asking for money,
    I've got to turn you down.
[02:50] Lawrence
    I want to know which way
    the wind is blowing.
[02:52] Lawrence
    Even if I plan to set sail,
[02:55] Lawrence
    as an outsider, it's hard to get
    a reading on the day-to-day market.
[03:01] Marc
    Give it up.
[03:03] Marc
    Just like how you can't stop
    a horse that's gained momentum,
[03:06] Marc
    it's rare for rising prices to suddenly stop.
[03:09] Marc
    The price board that was hastily made
    next to the stone merchant
[03:12] Marc
    shows that the number of people waiting
    to buy keeps growing against the sellers.
[03:17] Marc
    There's no hint of the price
    dropping within a day or two.
[03:21] Marc
    Our almighty God is the only one
    who can change the direction of the wind.
[03:26] Lawrence
    Then, I'll just have to pretend to be God.
[03:30] Lawrence
    I can't imagine Amati falling
    for a predictable price drop.
[03:35] Marc
    Are you trying to plan a price crash?
[03:38] Lawrence
    What else can I do?
[03:41] Lawrence
    I have to turn the pyrite in his hands
    into plain rocks by sunset tomorrow.
[03:55] Lawrence
    A trap that'll make him
    misinterpret the market...
[03:58] Lawrence
    Something that will cause
    a crash in prices...
[04:01] Lawrence
    Is there anything like that?
[04:04] (Flashback) Lawrence
    Then, I'll just have to pretend to be God.
[04:10] Lawrence
    God...
[04:12] (Flashback) Holo
    Please tell me again at what price you
    wish to purchase these fur pelts?
[04:15] (Flashback) Holo
    It seems my vision
    has suddenly tilted one way...
[04:24] (Flashback) Holo
    Great sir.
[04:25] (Flashback) Holo
    Do you have the time to hesitate?
[04:28] Lawrence
    If it were Holo...
[04:38] Man A
    Take a look at this!
[04:40] Man A
    Don't be too surprised.
[04:43] Men
    Whoa...
[04:45] Man B
    You went all in, didn't you?
[04:48] Man C
    Are you planning on quitting
    your job as a wheat merchant?
[04:50] Man A
    It's rumored that the price
    will be as much as double tomorrow.
[04:53] Man C?
    Double?! Are you sure?
[04:54] Man A
    It's a solid bet.
[04:56] Man A
    If you furled your sails
    just because of the festival,
[04:58] Man A
    you'll miss the perfect
    chance to set sail!
[05:00] Man D
    Looks like this isn't the time
    to be diligently buying wheat!
[05:04] Men
    You're right!
[06:03] Lady
    That was delicious!
[06:04] Man
    The freshwater fish
    was just as good as rumored!
[06:17] Innkeeper
    Mr. Lawrence.
[06:20] Lawrence
    Oh, excuse me.
[06:22] Lawrence
    Can I help you?
[06:23] Innkeeper
    I have letters for you.
[06:27] Lawrence
    Who are they from?
[06:28] Innkeeper
    They were both from your companion.
[06:31] Innkeeper
    One is written by me in place of
    your companion at her request.
[06:36] Lawrence
    May I have a light?
[06:40] Lawrence
    Two hundred silver coins in cash.
[06:43] Lawrence
    Pyrite worth three hundred silver coins.
[06:47] Lawrence
    Assets that can be liquidated...
[06:49] Lawrence
    This is the division of Amati's assets!
[06:56] Lawrence
    Holo...
[07:01] Lawrence
    This is Amati's handwriting...
[07:06] Lawrence
    Let's see.
[07:07] Lawrence
    In God's name...
[07:12] Lawrence
    Contract of marriage?!
[07:20] Lawrence
    Holo...
[07:26] Lawrence
    Please bring out all the money
    I've left with you!
[07:33] (Flashback) Innkeeper
    Bars that Mr. Amati regularly visits?
[07:44] Man E
    What was that all about?
[07:46] Man F
    It's that guy from the association!
[07:53] Man G
    Hey! Watch where you're going!
[08:03] Lawrence
    Excuse me.
[08:10] Lawrence
    Good evening.
[08:15] Amati
    Do you have business with me?
[08:16] Lawrence
    There's no need to be so alarmed.
[08:19] Lawrence
    I came to talk business with you.
[08:26] Lawrence
    This is a nice and quiet place.
[08:28] Amati
    It's difficult to enjoy
    a quiet drink in other places.
[08:30] Amati
    This is a very valuable place of mine.
[08:33] Amati
    What are you plotting?
[08:36] Lawrence
    To be frank,
    I'd like you to buy my pyrite.
[08:40] Amati
    Huh?
[08:41] Lawrence
    I'd like you to buy my pyrite.
[08:43] Lawrence
    I currently have five hundred Trenni
    silver coins worth of pyrite,
[08:46] Lawrence
    according to today's market value.
[08:48] Amati
    You must be joking.
[08:50] Lawrence
    I'm not.
[08:51] Amati
    You already know that I'm making money
    by reselling pyrite, don't you?
[08:55] Amati
    Knowing that, what's your intention
    behind selling pyrite to me?!
[09:00] Amati
    Could it be that you truly
    don't care about Ms. Holo
[09:03] Amati
    as long as you recover the
    money owed to you?
[09:06] Lawrence
    No, Holo is very precious to me.
[09:10] Amati
    Why, then?
[09:11] Lawrence
    Of course, I don't just
    plan to sell it to you.
[09:14] Lawrence
    I'd like to sell it to you on credit.
[09:16] Amati
    On credit?
[09:18] Lawrence
    Yes.
[09:19] Amati
    What do you mean?
[09:21] Lawrence
    In other words, I'd like to sell you pyrite
    currently worth five hundred Trenni coins,
[09:24] Lawrence
    at the current market value
    tomorrow evening.
[09:27] Lawrence
    Then speak to me again tomorrow evening.
[09:31] Lawrence
    No, I'd rather have
    the money right now.
[09:35] Lawrence
    In other words, I'd like to receive
    five hundred coins, in advance, right now.
[09:40] Lawrence
    Then, I will hand over the pyrite
    to you tomorrow evening.
[09:52] Amati
    So, I'll get the pyrite calculated at today's
     rate even if the price has risen?
[10:02] Lawrence
    That's right.
[10:03] Lawrence
    For example, I sell you
    one piece of pyrite
[10:07] Lawrence
    worth one thousand
    two hundred Illaid on credit.
[10:10] Lawrence
    I would get the money from you now.
[10:13] Lawrence
    Then, even if the pyrite is worth
    two thousand Illaid by the end of tomorrow,
[10:17] Lawrence
    I would still give you
    that one piece of pyrite.
[10:21] Amati
    On the other hand, even if the price
    drops down to two hundred Illaid,
[10:26] Amati
    I will still only get one piece of pyrite.
[10:29] Lawrence
    Exactly.
[10:34] Amati
    Why not just trade normally?
[10:37] Amati
    We're only putting a day
    between a standard trade.
[10:40] Amati
    This is no different than usual...
[10:44] Amati
    No, it is different.
[10:47] Amati
    So, that's your plan.
[10:49] Amati
    Selling on credit means receiving money
    by selling an item you don't have.
[10:56] Amati
    If you buy on credit and the item
    gains that much in value,
[10:59] Amati
    you make that amount of profit.
[11:01] Amati
    So, if you sell on credit, you're
    hoping the value of money will increase.
[11:05] Amati
    In other words, you want the value
    of the item you sell to decrease in value.
[11:12] Lawrence
    As expected,
    you're quick to catch on.
[11:15] Amati
    What an interesting way to do business.
[11:18] Amati
    It looks like I cannot see the extent
    of this world if I only trade in fish.
[11:21] Lawrence
    This time, you can gain a proportional
    profit from the rise in prices
[11:25] Lawrence
    if you buy five hundred coins
    worth of pyrite from me,
[11:28] Lawrence
    but your losses will be that much
    bigger if the value goes down.
[11:34] Amati
    That's true.
[11:35] Amati
    If you make a profit, I will take a loss.
[11:39] Amati
    This is...
[11:41] Lawrence
    Mr. Amati, I am challenging you to a duel.
[11:49] Amati
    You can't really call this a duel.
[11:52] Amati
    We can't possibly do this trade
    without putting it in writing.
[11:56] Amati
    Even if the price goes down
    before the end of the day tomorrow,
[12:00] Amati
    I will probably sell the loan
    document earlier in the day,
[12:04] Amati
    as long as it rises enough to meet
    the amount needed for the contract.
[12:06] Amati
    This is far too disadvantageous
    to you, Mr. Lawrence.
[12:10] Amati
    After all, even a small rise in price
    would be enough for me to reach my goal.
[12:15] Amati
    I don't wish to accept a deal
    where I gain from your loss.
[12:22] Lawrence
    It may seem that way
    if you only look at this deal alone,
[12:26] Lawrence
    but this amount of
    disadvantage is just right.
[12:29] Amati
    What do you mean?
[12:30] Lawrence
    There's a chance that Holo tears up
    the contract of marriage with you.
[12:35] Lawrence
    You also have an agreement
    with her, don't you?
[12:37] Lawrence
    Even if you pay off her
    one thousand silver coin debt,
[12:40] Lawrence
    you're shouldering the heavy risk
    that she may not say yes.
[12:45] Lawrence
    This disadvantage is minor
    compared to yours.
[12:50] Amati
    I don't think that's something
    you need to worry about.
[12:54] Amati
    I heard the two of you got
    into a very severe fight.
[12:58] Lawrence
    Holo has cried in my arms three times
    since we started traveling together.
[13:03] Lawrence
    She's pretty cute when she's like that,
    but she's a stubborn one.
[13:10] Lawrence
    There are times when she acts
    in opposition to her feelings.
[13:13] Lawrence
    In other words...
[13:15] Amati
    I accept.
[13:17] Amati
    I accept your challenge, Mr. Lawrence.
[13:20] Amati
    I... I...
[13:22] Amati
    I thought it would be too cruel of me
    to take everything away from you.
[13:29] Amati
    However, if that's how you choose to speak,
    I accept this challenge.
[13:33] Amati
    With it, I will take everything
    from you, Mr. Lawrence!
[13:42] Lawrence
    Then, you accept this deal?
[13:47] Amati
    Gladly!
[13:56] Marc/Lawrence
    Cheers!
[14:06] Lawrence
    This is good beer!
[14:07] Marc
    Wheat harvests have been
    great everywhere this year.
[14:10] Marc
    The wheat for beer has to be used for
    bread instead when the harvests are bad.
[14:14] Marc
    Guess we have the gods
    of harvest to thank for that!
[14:18] Lawrence
    You're right!
[14:20] Lawrence
    But my business with you is a little
    too serious to be telling you over drinks...
[14:25] Marc
    Is it a money-making scheme?
[14:27] Lawrence
    I wonder about that...
[14:29] Lawrence
    It's profitable in a sense,
    but that's not my goal this time.
[14:32] Marc
    Meaning?
[14:33] Lawrence
    Doesn't the wholesale purchase of wheat
     usually focus around the end of the festival?
[14:37] Marc
    It does.
[14:39] Lawrence
    I'd like a certain rumor to be spread.
[14:42] Marc
    I'm not doing anything dangerous.
[14:44] Lawrence
    It might be risky if you spread it yourself,
[14:47] Lawrence
    but it shouldn't be a problem
    for your apprentice to say.
[14:51] Marc
    Tell me what it is.
[14:53] Lawrence
    When I give the signal,
    I want him to say this:
[14:57] Lawrence
    "I wonder if it's about time
    for the price of wheat to go up."
[15:02] Marc
    Are you planning to make the prices
    of those stones drop using a rumor?
[15:06] Lawrence
    Something like that.
[15:08] Lawrence
    Most of the people trading pyrite
    are traveling through
[15:10] Lawrence
    to sell something and to buy
    something before heading back home.
[15:15] Lawrence
    The item they're buying to
    take back is usually wheat.
[15:20] Lawrence
    If the price of wheat is rumored to increase,
    they'll rush to buy it before that happens.
[15:25] Lawrence
    They'll sell the pyrite they bought
    to earn some side money all at once.
[15:30] Marc
    And that'll naturally
    lower the price of pyrite?
[15:35] Marc
    I didn't think you'd be such a simpleton.
[15:39] Lawrence
    That's not all.
[15:41] Lawrence
    Once all that pyrite is on the market...
[15:44] Marc
    How much?
[15:46] Lawrence
    A thousand Trenni silver coins worth.
[15:47] Marc
    A thousand?!
[15:48] Marc
    Are you stupid?! Imagine
    how much that'll hurt your wallet!
[15:52] Lawrence
    It doesn't matter how
    much the price drops.
[15:55] Marc
    What the hell are you saying?!
[15:56] Lawrence
    As long as I can get five hundred
    silver coins worth of pyrite,
[16:00] Lawrence
    my wallet won't hurt
    whether the prices go up or down.
[16:05] Marc
    Damn. You sold on credit.
[16:08] Lawrence
    Yeah. I'm doing regular trading on credit,
[16:12] Lawrence
    so my wallet is safe whether
    the price of pyrite goes up or down.
[16:17] Lawrence
    In exchange, I get no gains, either.
[16:20] Marc
    Amati might lose a lot
    of money or go bankrupt.
[16:24] Marc
    Looks like you took
    advantage of his ignorance.
[16:26] Lawrence
    No, I think he accepted
    the challenge fully knowing the risks.
[16:29] Lawrence
    He said as much.
[16:30] Marc
    Then, you still managed to get him
    to accept with that silver tongue of yours.
[16:35] Marc
    You're such a scary guy.
[16:36] Marc
    Is that all you wanted to ask me to do?
[16:39] Lawrence
    There's one more thing.
[16:41] Lawrence
    I want you to buy a large amount of pyrite.
[16:43] Marc
    You didn't find a place to buy pyrite
    before signing the contract with him?!
[16:46] Lawrence
    Unfortunately,
    I didn't have enough time.
[16:48] Lawrence
    If I go around buying a lot of pyrite
    when the sun goes up,
[16:53] Lawrence
    the prices will just continue to rise.
[16:55] Lawrence
    I want to gather it secretly,
    without affecting the market.
[16:59] Lawrence
    That's why I want you to use
    your connections as a town merchant.
[17:04] Lawrence
    It's okay even if you buy it at a slightly
    higher price than the current market, in cash.
[17:08] Lawrence
    I pay with Lumione gold coins
    once you've gathered enough.
[17:12] Lawrence
    Of course, I'll pay you well
    for your efforts, too.
[17:14] Marc
    I can't.
[17:15] Lawrence
    I see. Then... What?
[17:20] Marc
    I can't help you there.
[17:22] Lawrence
    I'll pay you! I'm not talking
    about a small amount like wages.
[17:26] Lawrence
    You've got nothing to lose!
    Isn't it a good deal?!
[17:29] Marc
    I have nothing to lose?
[17:31] Lawrence
    Of course! All I'm asking you
    to do is buy the pyrite!
[17:36] Lawrence
    I'm not asking you to invest.
[17:37] Lawrence
    And, of course, I'll pay you in cash.
[17:39] Lawrence
    What would you lose
    in a situation like that?
[17:42] Marc
    Lawrence, the max you can pay
    is about ten Lumione, right?
[17:46] Lawrence
    Isn't that enough?!
[17:48] Lawrence
    I'm not asking you to cross
    the steep mountains alone
[17:52] Lawrence
    and bring back a crazy amount of pyrite.
[17:55] Marc
    You're telling me to run around the market
    and gather the pyrite for you.
[18:00] Marc
    That's practically the same.
[18:01] Lawrence
    How is that—?!
[18:07] Lawrence
    I just want you to use
    your connections to buy pyrite.
[18:13] Marc
    I'm telling you that
    the danger's the same.
[18:17] Marc
    The dangers you're talking about
    pertain to traveling merchants.
[18:20] Marc
    But I'm a town merchant
    and my battlefield is this market.
[18:24] Marc
    It's not virtuous for a town merchant
    to jump on any great money-making deal.
[18:29] Marc
    Town merchants would rather make
    a modest living with their main job
[18:33] Marc
    than make a large profit
    on a side venture.
[18:37] Marc
    What will people think of me if I run around
[18:39] Marc
    gathering five hundred
    silver coins worth of pyrite?
[18:41] Marc
    They'll think of me as a hopeless man
[18:43] Marc
    who drowned himself in gambling
    and abandoned his stall.
[18:46] Marc
    I may be the owner of this stall,
    but I'm not the only one that's a part of it.
[18:51] Marc
    All the people who have supported this place,
[18:53] Marc
    my wife, children, and all of our relatives.
[18:58] Marc
    The honor of all of those people
    is attached to this stall.
[19:01] Marc
    Can you pay me enough money
    to match risking all of their honor?
[19:05] Marc
    Even for a small shop like this, the price
    of my signboard is surprisingly expensive.
[19:11] Marc
    If it gets damaged, a mere ten or twenty
    gold coins isn't enough to repair it.
[19:21] Marc
    That's how things are.
[19:25] Marc
    Sorry.
[19:27] Lawrence
    No, I'm sorry for being unreasonable.
[19:31] Marc
    Well, I'm sure you can't help it
    considering that companion of yours.
[19:35] Marc
    You don't need to hinder
    him so desperately.
[19:39] Marc
    She won't be swayed by
    him so easily, right?
[19:42] Marc
    Even I thought so, after seeing her
    next to you for the first time.
[19:47] Marc
    You should have more confidence!
[19:49] Lawrence
    I was slapped with a contract
    of marriage with her signature on it.
[19:52] Lawrence
    Of course, the other party is Amati.
[19:54] Lawrence
    I'm not the type to
    lose confidence over nothing.
[19:58] Lawrence
    But now, something has happened.
[20:01] Marc
    In this world, darkness can always
    be found one step ahead of you.
[20:04] Marc
    But you're still running around
    because you have a chance, right?
[20:09] Marc
    So? You got any other angles to work with?
[20:11] Lawrence
    I'll try talking to Mr. Batos first.
[20:14] Marc
    I see.
[20:15] Marc
    You plan on using that woman.
[20:19] Lawrence
    That woman?
[20:20] Marc
    Huh? Am I wrong?
[20:21] Marc
    Didn't you meet that chronicler?
[20:24] Lawrence
    I've met Ms. Diana, but I don't
    understand what you're talking about.
[20:28] Marc
    I think it would be all right for an outsider
    like you to trade with that woman.
[20:32] Lawrence
    I still don't get what you're talking about.
[20:34] Marc
    That woman controls the northern district.
[20:37] Marc
    She's the person to talk to
    if you want to deal with the alchemists.
[20:41] Marc
    Alchemists are always targeted
    for various reasons.
[20:46] Marc
    Everyone thinks the only reason so many
    can gather together is that woman.
[20:49] Lawrence
    So, what?
[20:50] Marc
    Alchemists have pyrite!
[20:54] Marc
    They're the type of people that
    reputable businesses would never work with.
[21:00] Marc
    In other words...
[21:01] Lawrence
    No one has touched their pyrite!
[21:04] Marc
    I'm happy you thought of depending on me,
    but this is all I can do for you.
[21:08] Lawrence
    No, I almost missed a huge opportunity!
[21:12] Marc
    I know I turned you down,
    but I'm really hoping for your success.
[21:16] Lawrence
    I learned something.
    That alone is a huge windfall.
[21:22] Marc
    I can't do things openly,
[21:24] Marc
    but I can at least mutter about
    the financial situation of others.
[21:29] Marc
    Come back later. I can at least point out
    places that might be interested in selling.
[21:35] Lawrence
    That'll be a great help!
[21:36] Marc
    To think you'd make a face like that.
    No wonder she's done something so bold.
[21:42] Lawrence
    What do you mean?
[21:43] Marc
    Nothing at all.
[21:44] Marc
    I'm just saying that merchants
    should stick to thinking about business.
[21:50] Marc
    I'm sure a good wind will blow.
[21:52] Marc
    Well, try your best!
[21:57] Marc
    See you later!
SIGN    Episode 18
SIGN    Goods of Intent and Negotiation of Resolve
[23:45] Holo
    Next Episode:
    Goods of Intent and Negotiation of Resolve.