"Oh. Well, yeah. You probably know my guild better than I do," Yoichi replied, trying to be friendly. Even though Takuma looked like a guy who was too boisterous and out of control for his taste, he conveyed a sense of friendship to Yoichi.

The two tamers looked at each other and smiled, feeling a strange empathy. Yoichi had recently begun to believe in destiny, and if everything was truly the result of a larger scheme, even the tamer of that strange scarecrow could play a role in his life.

​​

"Okay, listen up gentlemen," the young tamer added. "I thank you for your thoughtfulness and certainly, if Takuma would like to accompany me on my mission, I will not stop him. However, although I would stay in your village to talk with you, I have a schedule to keep. In five days I must be in Ambershire," Yoichi explained.

"Five days? If you come with me it will take us four if all goes well," Takuma quickly replied. Without any warning, he threw himself off the bed and knelt in front of Yoichi. At the same time, his scarecrow demon did the same, mimicking its tamer's movements and kneeling on the wooden floor. "Karasu and I will never be in your way, Yoichi-Sama! We will safely escort you to Oakenfair and do whatever you say, but please... please take us with you!"

Takuma's pleas were exaggerated and inappropriate. Yoichi, embarrassed by the fact that the boy in front of him was pleading with him as if he were a king, invited his interlocutor to stand up.

"All right, all right!" he puffed, nodding. "Can we go now? It will be harder to follow the Waveless River without daylight," he ordered, stepping back and approaching the exit door.

"That's the spirit! I can sense your attunement already! Remember, Takuma... Yoichi is not required to stay in your company and could dismiss you at any time. Be nice to him, and if you are lucky, you will be able to visit the capital of Tentochu," the old Gompachi rejoiced. Without consulting Yoichi first, he made up that innocent but utterly absurd story as if he wanted to get rid of his grandson.

"Of course, Grandpa Gompachi! I will not disappoint your expectations, I will become a tamer as strong as you!" Takuma replied, standing up and clenching his fists. Incredibly, once again, his scarecrow mirrored his movements.

Just as Yoichi was about to walk through the exit door, those words caught his attention. I knew that Gompachi was a tamer! He thought. Only a tamer could know all those details about Shusaku or Emperor Tatsui's men. I guess I was right to trust him, he reflected.

The young tamer of the Nightblades left the wooden house of Gompachi's family, politely greeted the lady who was breastfeeding the baby, and walked to the center of the square.

Waiting for Takuma to finish his preparations to leave, Yoichi got lost in the beauty of that sculpture. He couldn't help but wonder about the powers of the fire phoenix of the previous Emperor of Tentochu. Was Shinzo's Torasagi just as powerful?

Minutes passed like seconds and a hand on his shoulder interrupted that stream of thoughts. "Karasu and I are ready to go!" Takuma thundered, a smile printed on his face. "I don't mean to sound insolent but... do you happen to need a horse?" he asked.

Without answering, taking advantage of Takuma's genuine admiration for him, Yoichi pulled Ichiro's Demon Tooth from his backpack and wedged it into the ground beneath his feet. In a play of swirling, yellowish lights, the Inoshuma took shape, showing Takuma its majesty.

"Wooo! It's beautiful!" Takuma gasped, as his eyes glowed like two comets. "I've never seen such a mighty Inoshuma! What's its name?" he begged. The young tamer from Grimbrook approached the horse demon fearlessly, extending a hand towards its muzzle.

"Hey, wait a..." - Yoichi tried to warn his new companion of Ichiro's domineering nature, but his words were interrupted by the scene before his eyes. Incredibly, Ichiro was allowing Takuma to pet it without complaining.

The mighty Inoshuma was not used to familiarizing itself with everyone and had repeatedly shown that it was kind only to its tamer. However, as its muzzle and nose were being stroked by that funny guy, Ichiro closed its eyes, enjoying the moment of cuddling.

"Its name is Ichiro. It's my best traveling companion," Yoichi smiled, petting his horse's mane and then jumping on its back. Takuma detached himself from his new companions, hurrying to the back of his house. The funny scarecrow remained motionless in the same position.

The demon's face, characterized by that perpetual smile sewn into the fabric, looked particularly disturbing. Balancing alternately on its right and left leg, Karasu waited for its tamer next to Ichiro.

The Inoshuma avoided making eye contact with the scarecrow. Even Ichiro, who wasn't afraid of anyone, didn't feel comfortable next to the ambiguous-looking demon.

"Here I am!" - A clatter of hooves accompanied Takuma's distant words. The Grimbrook warrior was astride a splendid brown and white spotted stallion.

His horse's hooves were partially covered in long, smooth fur, which covered its ankles reaching down to the ground. Takuma's steed was clearly a northern horse, accustomed to living in hostile weather conditions.

Like Ichiro's saddle, his horse's saddle was equipped with large side bags, wide enough to carry everything necessary to face a long journey. In just a few minutes, indeed, Takuma had been able to fill them to the brim.

Who knows what he must have put in them, Yoichi thought, continuing to look at the bags. Next to them, Takuma's bare feet rested in the metal rings of the saddle.

"Come on, let's go!" he affirmed roguishly. Karasu, the scarecrow demon, made a strange upward leap, landing on the horse's back and crumpling in on itself. The scarecrow's wooden legs and arms became dizzyingly short and its entire body was reduced to a small cube of straw and wood.