Spice & Wolf: Merchant Meets Wise Wolf

Lawrence has been having a rough time. He hasn't even caused a major conflict this season (for once) and he's still being blamed for it. Scapegoating and slugging are the main themes in this week's Spice & Wolf. There's a big payoff coming up, but neither Holo nor Lawrence want to stick around Tereo long enough to become currency.

Let’s start with some common sense/agricultural advice. Enberch attributes the death caused by wheat to the “hellfire of Ridelius,” which is similar to a real parasite, the ergot fungus. When ingested by humans, the fungus’s metabolites cause ergotism, also known as St. Anthony’s fire, which can cause convulsions, gangrene, and death. Medieval Europe was familiar with the disease, but doctors didn’t connect it to the fungus until 1676, so you could argue that people in Spice & Wolf’s time wouldn’t have known to specifically blame wheat for the deaths. Then again, this setting also has women with wolf ears wandering around, so it seems unlikely that they were any further along in germ theory than our own world. We can allow for some artistic liberties from time to time.

Furthermore, it’s very possible that the wheat had nothing to do with the deaths. There’s no way to prove or disprove it, and the cause is secondary to its function: the crowbar will yank Tereo out of their lucrative trading deal with Enberch. It’s a convenient excuse, nothing more. Likewise, when pressed, the villagers seek the path of least resistance and point the finger at the most readily available scapegoats: the hated miller and the two new outsiders. Spice & Wolf is careful not to make Tereo into a monolith of small-town prejudice; the Elder shows nuances about how his feelings must intersect with the public will, and Iima is quick to lend our heroes a helping hand. But the story doesn’t shy away from the tendencies and dangers of mob mentality, either.

That’s why I love that Holo and Lawrence both conclude that the right move is to get out of Dodge. It’s cowardly, it’s smart, and it’s right. Generally, audiences expect protagonists in fiction to be good people. We want to see them selfless, reckless, heroic, and inspiring. They’re our chance to imagine humanity at its best, persevering despite the slings and arrows the world throws at them. But that’s not how Holo and Lawrence operate. They’re not heroes; they’re a merchant and a wolf. If Lawrence saw an opportunity to make a profit, I’m sure he’d stay and help Tereo negotiate, but he has no love or compassion for the townspeople. He’d rather cut his losses and run, which is perfectly in line with his character. It’s honest writing. His and Holo’s cool heads also contrast with the scattered anger of the locals. Their brains are their greatest asset and it's great to see the story showcase them in these subtle, realistic ways.

Holo and Lawrence may not be saints, but they are not monsters either. They repay Evan and Elsa's kindness by protecting them and giving them a way out. This is also a transaction in a way that fits the mindset of a merchant, but I believe we can give Holo and Lawrence a little more credit than that. As two homeless vagabonds, they sympathize with people like Evan and Elsa who live on the margins of society. Lawrence demonstrates this beautifully when he gives Evan his coin purse as collateral. Everyone in the village thinks Evan is a greedy tax collector, but Lawrence, with this gesture, implicitly tells him that he trusts him.

I also like the anticlimax of Holo’s Yoitsu research. Their journey is far from over, so it makes sense that the story continues to engage the audience. But more specifically, I like how Holo and Lawrence handle this anticlimax. It’s quiet. Holo is understandably disappointed, but she quickly gets up and the two of them resume bantering after a pause. They’re stronger than ever together. It’s a ridiculously romantic moment. Sadly, though, business comes before fun, and the group has to escape Tereo before they can even think about business.

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Spice & Wolf: Merchant Meets Wise Wolf is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Steve is on Twitter while it lasted. He still knows the song “The Wolf Whistling Song” by heart. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure on This Week in Anime.

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