When Takuma's demon became a little bigger than luggage, the young tamer from Grimbrook spurred his horse. "Let's go, Yoichi. We've got a long way to go," he spoke. From his tone of voice, he seemed more enthusiastic than his new fellow traveler.

Behind the two adventurers, Gompachi and other people from the village gathered under the statue. Each of them, in his own way, greeted the two tamers, wishing them good luck.

​​

In Grimbrook, Yoichi had unexpectedly found good food, lots of information to find the blacksmith Shusaku, and, to top it all off, a new traveling companion.

The two young men rode over the wooden bridge at the main entrance and followed the outer wooden walls until they pointed their horses north. When that happened, Takuma further spurred his steed, causing it to quicken its pace.

"Yah! Come on!" - Holding up the reins with both hands and stepping barefoot onto the horse's back, the Grimbrook tamer distanced himself from his companion, who had not expected such a sudden change in speed.

Yoichi did not understand why Takuma had moved so quickly away from his village but followed him on horseback. The Inoshuma reached the same speed as the other horse in a bunch of seconds.

On the west area of Grimbrook, on the side facing the escarpment that separated the valley from the Bronzeforest, there was a small field of Crimson Lotus. In addition to the demon-repellent plant, other vegetables and fruit trees were clustered in that spot, perhaps especially suited for cultivation due to its strategic location. In that position, the trees were ventilated to the right point and received a good amount of sunlight.

After a few hundred meters traveled in a matter of seconds, Yakuma slowed down and Yoichi did the same. The Southborne Mountains were back in the same direction as the outward journey so the young tamer was sure to ride north.

"Here. This is the Waveless River, the river my grandfather told you about," Takuma explained, sticking his arm out past his horse and pointing to the only waterway its hooves.

A small river with irregular banks and gentle curves meandered through the valley. Its water entered a series of small sinkholes in the ground, all of which pointed toward the cultivated fields of Grimbrook.

Yoichi noticed that the river water, though it really didn't seem to be carried by any current, was traveling in the direction of the village. According to that old man's account, this river originates in Oakenfair and arrives right here, he thought. I wonder if it continues into the Bronzeforest as well.

Trying to pass the time by studying that detail, he looked carefully at the riverbed, riding beside its bank. The hollow, blunt bed reflected the low energy of that waterway.

Unlike normal meandering rivers, characterized by strong currents that carved out each meander eroding the outer banks, the Waveless River was named that way precisely because it seemed to be in a perpetual state of stillness.

Also, just as Gompachi had spoken, small white corals were harrumphing on the sides of the river bed, their 'heads' pointing toward the sun and their small fusiform bodies intertwined with each other.

As Yoichi pondered how bizarre nature could be in that magical world, Yakuma broke the silence again.

"I don't know the reason why you came to Grimbrook, but I'm really grateful to you, man" - the red-haired boy turned to Yoichi and exchanged a genuine smile with him. "My grandfather Gompachi is very strict and never let me leave outside the village. Ever since my father died, I have been taking care of my mother and siblings. You must have impressed him, Yoichi!" he added, briefly telling him his story.

"I didn't say anything special, I promise. I think your grandfather only trusts me because I'm a student of one of his old trusted friends," Yoichi replied. "I didn't expect to find tamers so far away from the villages surrounding Goldhaven. Usually, the people who own an Oracle hang out in the capital area or are on a mission on behalf of their guilds," he continued.

"Grandpa Gompachi always told me that you don't have to be a member of a guild to be a strong warrior. Today, when he let you into my house and said you could lead me to your guild, I couldn't believe my ears!" the Grimbrook tamer rejoiced. "Anyway, don't worry. I'll accompany you to Oakenfair and then I'll go on my way. I have no intention of stand in your way."

"Your demon..." Yoichi interrupted. "What kind of demon is it? It's so weird and I've never seen something like it. Not even in Goldhaven's Tamer District," he asked.

"Are you talking about Karasu? It's a Sutotoko, a scarecrow demon. It is the evolution of a Kabotoko. It's true, it's not very common around here, and me too, I've never seen anyone else of its own kind," Takuma confirmed. "I couldn't tell you where to find another Sutotoko, Karasu is my Oracle, so I didn't make any effort to get one! Hahah!" he chuckled, being self-ironic.

"That's cool! I must admit it, when it stood there looking at me earlier, it slightly creeped me out! Hahah!"

Yoichi and Takuma joked like two friends who had known each other for years. There was immediate empathy and friendship between them, even though the social context in which they had lived was diametrically opposite.

The young Grimbrook warrior looked at Yoichi as if he were his older brother, and it didn't bother him in the least. The thought of making such a long journey in the company of a chatterbox like Takuma cheered Yoichi up, and he didn't even feel tired.

Following the river, the Valley of the Northern Waters seemed to extend all the way to the horizon, and though the travelers' eyes tried to travel beyond the snow-capped peaks of the Southborne Mountains, all they could see were rivers and giant expanses of pristine grassland.

North of Goldhaven, as Enatsu had explained to Yoichi many times, the Tentochu people cared deeply about nature and tended not to deface it. The faction's largest cities, for this very reason, were restricted to the central belt from west to east.