"Eh?!" both Hyobe and Enatsu quickly turned to him, trying to figure out if he was speaking seriously.

The young merchant's eyes were genuinely concerned, while Hyobe's gaze reflected hope and comfort. ??

"Are you serious?" the man with the stick asked incredulous, unable to believe what he had just heard. historical

"Yes, why not," Yoichi affirmed firmly.

"Um... wait a second. Let me and my partner argue in private, okay? It will take only a second," Enatsu interrupted, rising from the table and literally dragging Yoichi with him.

At a quick pace, the trader walked with his companion to the exit of the tavern. The two friends stopped right by the door, away from the prying ears of the crowd.

"But are you crazy, Yoichi? Face such a dangerous dungeon on your own? Are you going to die? I don't! Fuck! I still have a wonderful life ahead of me and..."

"Hey, Enatsu!" Yoichi interrupted, stopping his friend who was panicking. "Stay calm and try to explain to me. You talked about a boss... what kind of boss?" he requested, trying to understand.

"You're right... I should have talked about it earlier, but... I never thought I'd have to explain all these things to anyone. So, there are some very special places, okay? Places dominated by evil demons, who have no intention of siding with us humans", Enatsu explained, trying to be brief but clear. "Well, these places are called dungeons. In each dungeon live demons, more or less rare, to defend their territory. Precisely for this reason, in recent years, more and more tamers are pushing themselves in dungeons to capture these demons and embezzle unknown relics."

"Relics? What do you mean?"

"Special weapons, magical objects, formulas for ancient potions. No one really knows what can be found within dungeons. They are cursed places, created by ancient demons before man set foot in Lumya!" Enatsu stuttered, emphasizing the danger of the mission proposed to them by that unknown man.

"You never told me about it. Well, I think this is a good opportunity to get compensation, right? That guy said he's got a lot of money and..."

"No, no, no. Maybe you missed the part where I said you would die. What the fuck! We're talking about our lives, Yoichi! Is your life really worth some gold money?"

"No, of course not. But are you sure we won't be able to defeat that boss? I'm convinced that if we fought together and with the right tactics, we'd be able to get that necklace back before we knew it!" Yoichi stated with conviction. Despite fighting and winning only one battle, the young tamer seemed to be particularly confident in his abilities.

"The answer is no. Don't count on me. If you want to go and commit suicide at Blackvault Mines, go ahead, I will not follow you," the merchant repeated, unwilling to compromise.

After venting his tension, Enatsu walked back to Hyobe's table. Yoichi stood still near the tavern door, thinking.

How dangerous can some bats be? I'm sure Kenji and I could grab that necklace with our eyes closed! Although I still feel like a stranger in this world, I can bet that earning money would suit me!

After his remarks, Yoichi and his Oracle reached the table at the large oval room's end.

"So? Have you made a decision? Can I count on you?" Hyobe asked, impatient.

"N..."

"Of course you can. I'm going to get your wife's necklace back, you better believe it," Yoichi affirmed, anticipating his partner's response. Keeping his head in his hands, Enatsu made him realize that he absolutely disagreed with his decision.

"Thank you! Thank you very much, my friend! You will see, the reward that awaits you will not disappoint you! I'm willing to pay you with all my savings to get my wife's necklace back in my hands!" Hyobe replied, grabbing Yoichi's hands and sincerely thanking him.

Kenji jumped on his tamer's legs as if it wanted to take part in the discussion. Its large ruby red eyes stared at Hyobe for a few seconds.

The Nekage's neck bent left and right, trying to sense the man's intentions with its instinct. Soon after, it jumped back to the floor, dozing.

"Well. I think it's time to go. Enatsu and I are headed to Goldhaven, someone is waiting for us. As soon as I am ready to reach the Blackvault Mines, I'll recover what you've lost and come back here. Is that clear?" Yoichi commanded, setting out the terms of the deal.

"Yes, Yoichi. All clear. I will be here waiting for you. Where do you want me to go in these conditions?" Hyobe sobbed, pointing to his leg paralyzed by injuries.

One last handshake sanctioned the end of that conversation. Yoichi got up from his stool and walked to the exit. With a bitter taste in his mouth, superficially greeting the unknown man, Enatsu followed him. Sora perched on his right shoulder.

The innkeeper and his daughters greeted their welcome guests, recommending they to keep returning to the Sleepy Owl tavern. Young Yukiko took a gander at Yoichi for one last time, trying to catch his eye, but failing.

Trapped in his thoughts and determined to complete his next assignments, Yoichi walked out the tavern door.

The morning sun had slowly descended towards the tall Bronzeforest's oaks' tops, giving Ambershire an even more magnetic look. Its white walls and the statue of Emperor Nishiyama were shrouded in the orange afternoon light.

"Come on, Enatsu. Our stop here lasted longer than expected. Do you think we can get to Goldhaven before nightfall?" Yoichi asked, continuing to walk. "Enatsu?"

The merchant stood still for a moment under the banner of the Sleepy Owl. Continuing to think silently, he followed Yoichi without answering his question.

"Oh, c'mon. What's the matter, Enatsu? I thought you were an adventurer! Why the long face?" Yoichi complained, walking next to his friend. "Don't think about the Blackvault Mines now, okay? Let's focus on our next goal. Takamori asked us to join him at the Tamer District, at his guild's headquarters, remember?"

"No, Yoichi. He asked you, not me!" Enatsu angrily affirmed, showing a hidden side of his always kind character. "I'm not a tamer, I'm just a merchant. The Nightblades' guild master has no interest in talking to a merchant. Is it so hard to understand?"