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「甘いの蜜と苦いの鎧」 (Amai no Mitsu to Nigai no Yoroi)
“Sweet Honey and Bitter Armour”
Well if you ever needed proof why you never count your chickens before they hatch, Spice and Wolf has a prime example for you. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a good bit, because if there was ever a turning point in the story and an indication of the true stakes at play it would be Kraft experiencing how deep the depths of a wrong move can be. And just think, he’s not even out of the woods yet.
Much as teased before Kraft’s grand strategy of buying low and selling high got a harsh dose of reality courtesy of local market being upended by changing political circumstances and Kraft’s basis for his gamble. Debt has always been frowned upon (particularly in earlier times) for such reasons: it’s easy to walk into, high risk, and carries a dangerous outcome for those carrying it should it remain. In this case the outcome is Kraft being forced into indentured servitude if unable to pay at time of collection, a very serious recompense considering the life expectancy of those performing physical menial labour. The one thing about the situation though is it shows who Kraft is; he doesn’t shirk from the responsibility or pin the blame on others. Yes, he got swindled through the transfer of the debt, but he made the gamble in the first place and so must bear the responsibility. It’s hubris in perfect form, and tied to a character who can see when he himself is at fault for the outcome.
Mind you, for all Kraft accepts his role he’s not without fear. His attempted begging for a loan and snapping at Holo show he’s still human under that rational exterior, and as flawed as any when it comes to actually handling such a situation. Holo of course didn’t deserve it (as Kraft knows), but it’s always hard staying composed when your life is hanging by a veritable thread. Nevertheless that move did hurt the poor girl and is something Kraft will have to make up for because the growing intimacy between the two causes such things to leave a lasting impression. Won’t take him too long either; given just how close both have grown neither are much for letting the other off the hook that easy as some have quickly picked up on.
Of course proper reconciliation demands a solution to the conundrum Kraft finds himself in, but there’s hints aplenty to give an idea what rabbit will be pulled from the hat. After all, between Jacob’s promise of help behind the scenes, Norah’s continued screentime, and what’s shown to be a church out to eliminate those running against the grain, let’s just say the strategy will prove its weight in gold.
Preview
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The prices for armor crashing may not have been Kraft’s fault; however, buying military equipment on margin and leveraging himself is Kraft’s fault. This scenario is like getting a margin call on a stock or cryptocurrency that suddenly fell from its all-time high to its death.
Given that Kraft is getting resistance while trying to procure the funds to pay his debt off, this isn’t one of those business opportunities Jacob was referring to while setting expectations with Kraft.
I assume the church has a hand in terminating the expedition and causing the massive price drop in armor. ** JKing Beyond This Point ** If this isn’t a remake of the original series, I would have said the director should Bonnie and Clyde Holo and Kraft, then have them go down guns blazing. Since this Anime is not for the monkey-brained, I say Kraft should use Norah, maybe hold her hostage, and send the church a ransom note or something.
Oh the church was definitely involved in terminating the expedition given the whole point of it was to further spread the church’s influence. Why is anyone’s guess, but there’s always a reason behind something so significant.
I understand why none of Kraft’s business acquaintances are willing to give him a large unsecured loan, but why does the fact that he has a woman with him make them angry?
Because they think she is his lover and that he is showing her off. They find that offense. This is why Kraft wanted Holo to stay at the Inn so there would not be any misunderstandings. In a way Holo just made things worse for Lawrence.
But didn’t Holo and Kraft eventually hook up in the source material, or is this just something left to the audience’s guess?
That’s getting into serious spoiler territory. Suffice to say stuff happens 😛