“How can a Nekage defeat a Tuwatako?” Shioko suddenly asked, breaking the silence. That question explicitly referred to the duel between Kenji and the demon of Kato, the defeated warrior on the outskirts of Ambershire.

“Shioko! Don’t be rude. Remember, who doesn’t know the facts, refrain from speaking” Takamori stated, reproaching his subordinate. “I witnessed the whole duel. I met your new partner because he asked me to lend him my dagger. I assure you… I’ve never seen anyone use a weapon like that. He and his Nekage moved and fought as one,” he added. ​​

“Nah, ignore Master Sada. I just exploited Kato’s arrogance, using it against him. That guy was too focused on making a good impression in front of the audience to look closely at Kenji’s movements. With an effective tactic and a bit of luck, I managed to win the fight,” Yoichi explained.

The humility of that blond-haired, scruffy-looking boy particularly caught Shioko’s attention. For the first time in a long time, the people around her did not seem empty and monotonous.

That guy who said he came from the Bronzeforest acted like he didn’t belong to that world. On every occasion, making the most of every word of his speeches, he could always put his interlocutors at ease.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m very sleepy, ” Enatsu yawned, sleepy before everyone else, as usual. “We’ll put in a full day tomorrow. We really should go to sleep,” he insisted.

“Of course, of course. Follow your companions. They will guide you to the bedrooms.”

“What about you?” Yoichi asked as his new friends began to climb the stairs.

“Me?” Takamori smiled. “I use to sleep right here, in this room. In a few minutes, Akai and I will have cleaned things up, and we’ll go to sleep. This is part of the routine: as the father of a family, a true Master takes care of his children”, the guild master replied with conviction, using another of his figures of speech.

“Who is Akai?”

After Yoichi’s question, Takamori opened up the sleeve of the long white shirt he was wearing under his leather armour with his hand. A weird-looking insect walked on his wrist, reaching his hand and letting everyone admire its oddity.

Enatsu grabbed Yoichi’s shoulder, moving him backwards and walking with arrogance over him. The merchant looked at the green insect on Takamori’s hand with extreme interest, as if looking at a trunk full of gold doubloons.

“I can’t believe it…” Enatsu mumbled, resting both hands before his mouth.

“It’s a… a mantis?” Yoichi inquired, slightly turning his head.

“That’s not just a mantis… that’s a Gokirama, an epic demon-mantis! It’s so cool!” Enatsu boomed, getting closer and closer to the insect on Takamori’s hand. The moustached man chuckled, satisfied.

“Catching this winged lady was not easy. I’ve been looking for it for months in the peaks of the Southborne Mountains. It is also thanks to it that a little man like me managed to found a guild on his own,” Takamori giggled again.

Akai was a magnificent specimen of praying mantis: unlike the common carnivorous insects known by that name, the spines on its front paws were snow-white, as were its large spherical eyes.

On the outer surface of its wings, gathered behind its elongated and pointed back, white and blue filaments decorated its insect spine.

“I had seen such beautiful specimens only in my father’s books! This demon is said to be one of the strongest of the ice demons!” Enatsu commented, using his knowledge and praising the little Gokirama, who looked absolutely harmless.

“Alright! Guys, everybody to bed! It’s late, and tomorrow morning I want you at your best. You will start your training with Rinji and me” Takamori said, pointing to the stairs and inviting his tamers to reach the tower’s third level.

After saying goodnight to their new Master, Yoichi and Enatsu followed their companions into the bedrooms. The creaking staircase, like the one downstairs, popped up on a new square room.

Unlike the other rooms that smelled old and were half-destroyed, the first bedroom looked much more clean-cut and decent.

Toshi, the pale-faced tamer, was lying on his bed. Next to it, a candle resting on the bedside table allowed him to read a book and isolate himself from his surroundings. In addition to his location, five more beds were neatly arranged in the room: three on the opposite side of the stairs, and one on each side wall.

“Yoichi, Enatsu” Shioko called. “Follow Rinji. Your room is upstairs,” the red-haired girl added, approaching her bed, in front of Yoshiko’s.

“All right. See you tomorrow morning,” Yoichi thanked, keeping on climbing the stairs behind the bald, gentle giant of the Nightblades.

The fourth and top floor of that rickety tower housed the second bedroom. Much like the first, it was more deprived of furniture and less decorated, accommodating fewer people.

Five of the seven beds were already occupied by someone. Unknown warriors were plunged into a deep sleep, blissfully snoring under their thick fur blankets.

Rinji turned to his two new companions and pointed with his hand two beds resting in the far corner of the square room. Soon after, having carried out his task, the big guy sat on his bed, making the mattress bend from his weight.

Rinji’s bed was different from the others: metal beams were placed parallel to the wooden legs to support all his mass. Looking at the scene, Yoichi wondered if that squeaky floor was able to support the giant, who probably weighed more than 330 pounds.

The two empty beds, consisting of only two thatched mattresses and two blankets, were soaked in darkness. Trying not to make too much noise, Enatsu and Yoichi moved them from their original location, detaching them from the wall and dragging them on the wooden floor.

The dim moonlight entered from a rectangular window on the south side of the building, the only one overlooking the Tamer District square.