"This?" Yoichi asked, grabbing the hilt of Ryutaro's katana. "This doesn't belong to me. It's a long story, but let's just say it belongs to someone who can't keep it now," he said, answering the old village headman's question.
"Who gave you the name Shusaku? You are young; you could never know an older man like him. You probably weren't even born when he was exiled," Gompachi replied quickly.
Actually, it's as if I was born in this world a few weeks ago, Yoichi thought, scratching the back of his head. "My master told me that Shusaku is the only one who can handle the steel I plan to use to forge the weapon. It is a rare metal that I obtained as a reward in a dungeon," he continued.
"I see," Gompachi nodded. "And tell me... who is your master?"
"Ryutaro, Gompachi-Senpai. Ryutaro-Sama is my master," the young tamer answered proudly. Every time he uttered the gatekeeper's name Yoichi clenched his fists, remembering that he was still in the prisons of the Imperial Palace.
As soon as the stranger with long blond hair said that name, the air seemed to freeze inside the tavern. Everyone present fell into a deep silence, watching Yoichi with open mouths and studying his appearance from head to toe.
Even old Gompachi, who had the look of someone who had seen everything in his life, stopped talking for a moment. Without ever removing his hat, he walked further to the barstool in front of the counter. With a jump worthy of an athletic youngster, the old man hopped on it, turning to face the innkeeper who had already placed down a glass of sake at his usual seat.
"Did you say Ryutaro, boy?" the innkeeper asked. "The legendary Ryutaro? The warrior who swept entire hordes of Kamakiri warriors alongside Emperor Tatsui?" the one-eyed man added.
"Yes, that's the one. When the new Emperor took the throne, Ryutaro was also exiled from the Palace. Shinzo forced him to become the gatekeeper of Goldhaven's sacred Dojo, forcing him into a life in the shadows. Since that day, Ryutaro-Sensei has never revealed his face again" - reassured that everyone there was loyal to Tatsui, Yoichi told them the story of his master.
"That's why he left Goldhaven. It was because he sensed my need for help. For that very reason, when we returned to the capital, he was imprisoned by the Emperor. Since that day, my master has been somewhere in the Palace dungeon," Yoichi concluded, drawing the gaze of all the men in the tavern to himself.
"That son of a bitch has no idea what he's doing!" the one-eyed man thundered. "Yeah, that insolent kid isn't even worth a tenth of the great Ryutaro, Tatsui's right-hand warrior!" another man from the back tables yelled.
Showing his usual politeness, Yoichi waited until he had finished his story before he began sipping his ramen to moisturize his dry lips. At the same time, Gompachi drank his small glass of homemade sake as if it were fresh water.
"Listen, boy. I know Shusaku's position," the old man in the sombrero-like hat revealed.
"What?! Really?!" Yoichi gulped. Exhaling quickly, the young tamer risked having vegetable broth come out of his nose.
"Yes. The indication you have been given is correct, but only in part. The old blacksmith is in Oakenfair, but he has not lived within the village for a long time," Gompachi reported. "If you've never been there, you should know that Oakenfair is a village carved entirely in the mountains and offers many secret tunnels and rocky bottlenecks. You can easily imagine that Shusaku is not the only person who has chosen to take shelter down there."
"Many outlaws hide in Oakenfair under false identities, hoping to start a new life," the man with the dagger in his belt added. From the way he openly conversed, he too, sounded like a war veteran. "Some popular rumors say that it is possible to reach even Hollowgate via a system of underground tunnels from the rock village. Of course, I have never had the pleasure of verifying such a rumor. Tut!" he huffed, sipping his beer.
"Hollowgate..." Yoichi whispered, silently consulting the archives of his memory. "Isn't that the place that houses the black market? A friend of mine told me about it once," he asked aloud, remembering Enatsu's words. The merchant told Yoichi about the black market and the Demon Hunters, the tamers who took possession of rare demons only to sell them at a high price in that place forgotten by the law.
"Okay, listen, listen," Gompachi interrupted. With his wrinkled but firm hand, he squeezed the young tamer's wrist. "Shusaku was a friend of mine. I worked at the Imperial Palace, too, many years ago, but I fled when I realized that Emperor Tatsui would soon be dead. The blacksmith passed through here from Grimbrook before continuing north, remembering that this was my home village. The first time he reached Oakenfair, I accompanied him," the old man explained.
Unbelievable! Everything is going better than I had hoped! Yoichi thought, who had even hesitated before entering that ambiguous saloon.
"The Valley of the Northern Waters stretches for several miles to the northern border of Tentochu. If you continued following the north, you might get lost in its trespass and might never reach your destination," Gompachi continued. "When you leave Grimbrook, I will lead you to the Waveless Rill, the river that will take you all the way to Oakenfair."
"You mean I'll just follow a river? I was planning to follow the mountains," Yoichi replied, continuing to eat. He saved some of the broth and began to bite the succulent meat.
"There are so many waterways in the valley. The Waveless River is the only one characterized by the presence of white corals on its banks. Its water, for which it is named, comes directly from the source of Oakrath Heights, the mountain that houses the village of Oakenfair," the old man explained. "With no detours, you'll reach your destination in just over a day. Once there, seek out the shop of Kinnojo, the spice merchant, and tell him that Gompachi sent you. He will know how to help you."
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