That day, we never came to a clear conclusion. The dilemma with Asya didn’t go anywhere, so we took our leave and continued searching. We never found Sorah’s brother afterwards. I felt as if we lost our only chance in such a long time. But Ruri’s words still stuck with me the next day. 

 

[System Announcement] Lingual Cognizance UP

2834 >>> 3012 +178

The following morning I spent leisure time checking my travel rucksack. A couple of strayebeast hides and a surplus of chi’an coins from Great Zhou. I dug in deeper and pulled out the sand golem core back from the fight in the Kucina Desert. As I got a closer look at it, I could probably use it for something now that we were in civilization. Though I had no clue on what it could be used for. So today, I decided to find a craft shop. 

In spite of the search I left the inn early and set off to the streets. I’d grown tired of seeing the same roads and crowds, so I opted to explore a new section of Mogumogu. Studying the Koronese-Wawaqi dictionary my ears could pick up more and more words from the locals’ scattered conversations, but I couldn’t piece together any context yet. 

My bag bounced behind me while I marveled at the unfamiliar sights. I lost count of the number of taverns I passed, plazas buzzing with chatter and endless stalls opening up for the day. Somehow, the place reeked of animal odor. 

I ate breakfast at a food stand nearby. Sitting outside, I took out the golem core and dropped it on the table. I needed to find somewhere to use that thing. Then my shoulder tensed up. 

“Good day! Fancy meeting you here.” A man spooked me from behind. I faced him from my chair. 

“Miss Biyu’s brother?” 

“Ah, glad you remember me.” The man that intruded on the discussion yesterday walked up with a wave. He took a chair and seated himself across from me. “You know, leaving your loot—this golem core—in the open is a bad habit. If you did this in D’Orient it would be stolen in five minutes.” 

I reluctantly shoved it into my bag. “...Thanks for letting me know. “What’re you doing here?” 

“Well, I was just visiting the Court branch here. Kahokayo and I are actually from Yubiyubi.” 

“The Court…” I scratched my chin. He didn’t wear any gray uniform, but civilian clothes. “Do you perhaps know Arbitrator D’Émori then?” 

He paused for a moment, while he slumped back and looked to the sky. “Oh, Rosée? We know each other alright, but I wouldn’t say we’re close.”

“Hm… yet you call her ‘Rosée’—”

“Merely a pet name to tease her.” Biyu’s brother chuckled and scoffed with a gesture. “How’d it go yesterday with my sister and all? Find new things for your search?”

Should I really share information with this guy? I knew he was Biyu’s brother, however Biyu herself didn’t acknowledge his offer of assistance. Tightening my lip I let one slip. “We saw one of the kids, but he ran off and disappeared somewhere… now we have no idea where they could be.”

The brother folded one leg over the other while he pondered. He most likely heard a significant portion of the conversation yesterday. So being this generic would work. No reference of Asya and Sorah’s father should suffice. “Huh. If you scared the little guy off, then the other one you’re searching for was in the vicinity. Kid could’ve gotten separated.”

“That’s… you mean they split them up?—”

“It’s my best guess with the small details you gave. You all better find him fast, the D’Orientois trafficking ring isn’t no joke, even in the twin cities.” He gestured his finger around with a deadeye look. “Speaking of which, what are you doing around these parts? I take it you’re going to do something with that expensive golem core.” 

My mind lingered on his first inference. If Asya and the father were nearby, then we got the younger brother to separate. That meant we couldn’t find Asya and Sorah’s father in one swoop. I switched to the question. “I want this sand golem core to be made into something. Anything I can use.” 

“Hah, why didn’t you say so before wandering all over? I’ll show you a place.”

“Sir, I can find it if you tell me—”

“C’mon. It’s where your brother Yodomi got his sword forged.”

I shrugged my shoulders and went with him, packing my sack with the golem core. Maybe I could leech off a discount having this guy around. We approached a building a block away, made of stone with a sign hanging outside reading ‘Miéki Honu’. Biyu’s brother flung the doors open and walked nonchalantly inside. 

“Good day, Honu.” He waved his hand with a gentle smile. I stepped cautiously and scanned the room. “How’s the apprentice?”

A bearded blacksmith, Honu, raised his head from the counter and dusted off his leather gloves. “Mister Biyu, good day to you as well. Iyuri’s already up to shape with everything.”

“Ah, that is a delight to hear.”

“D’you have a new commission for us again?” He huffed and turned his back to the many tools and weapons hung on the walls. “Last time it took some time to forge that ‘weapon’.”

I inferred he meant Yodomi’s katana. That type of sword was unusual in this part of the world. Knowing I had to speak up I stood before Honu and took the golem core from my sack. I learned a few Koronese words just for the occasion. “Hello. I’m here with golem core. Can you make something?” 

“...Mister Biyu. Why did you have to bring someone like him here? One of the ‘koribinayumi’.” Honu paused and glanced at me. Since Koroné had cut itself off from the Royal Marshal no one should be able to recognize me or the others… sweat began to condensate around my neck. No, of course there would be someone that knew. But the Biyu siblings and D’Émori had no reaction to our real names. 

“Ah, why not? It’s no trouble at all. How about giving this job to the trainee, eh?”

“If you insist… Iyuri!” 

The man called ‘Iyuri’ over at the backdoor leading further into the exterior of the shop. I smelled the fresh scent of charcoal and smoke puffing from that room, as another person walked out wiping a towel on their head. “Yessir…huh?”

‘Iyuri’ had silver hair with an older complexion. He made a wrinkled sigh at the ground before staring up at us. My mouth opened immediately. 

“Are you—?”

“Tch…”

“Totshigui Itchiro…Sorah’s father.”

Biyu’s brother raised an eyebrow. Then he made a smug look. “Hoh…”

Totshigui Itchiro turned around and bolted into the back room. I couldn’t let him get away now. He must think that I was here to arrest him. Although that was never the intention. I hopped over the counter and ran the same way he escaped through. 

Steam jumped at my face as searing heat pricked my skin. Through the dim warehouse my feet navigated the tens of anvils and water tanks. I spotted him flinging the exit door open while I followed through. He tripped over an elevated floor brick in the alley. 

“Well, well, is this the person you’re looking for, Kawari?” Biyu’s brother came out from the corner of the alley. How did he arrive so quickly? Him and I approached Sorah’s father from both sides. I took a deep breath. My heart thumped. We let Asya run off somewhere, here we couldn’t afford to mess up. The father stood to his feet.

He drew a shank out from his pocket. “You won’t get me until I see Chibu myself.”

“Kawari, I take it you can handle him from here.”

I saw Biyu’s brother turn around and wave before Itchiro rushed at him. He brought the blade down on the neck. His swipe bounced off something as a magical barrier formed between them. I rushed to disarm him immediately. Itchiro turned and slashed at me. I ducked and tackled him with my hand reaching for the arm. 

“Mister Totshigui, it's me, Kaizenji Kawari!” I struggled for the makeshift knife. “Sorah’s looking for you!”

“Are you stupid!? You could be the Royal Marshal for all I care!” 

My arms trembled at his strength. His muscle mass clearly overpowered mine. We wrestled for a few seconds while Biyu’s brother watched. “Hey! A little help here?”

“Did your ears pick up what I said before? It’s up to you to pacify the man.” 

“Gh…”

Itchiro brought his other hand out and summoned his chart. This was bad. I needed to retreat before he used a skill. But it was too late. A burst of light came from his hand. White burned my eyes as my sight became useless. 

[System Warning] Debuff Skill Activation [Taiyou Flash] Base Attack DOWN

-5% Attack (1 minute duration)

Much like a flashbang I stumbled around seeing nothing but white. I couldn’t find the floor or the wall. Where was Itchiro? Did he escape from my grasp? Even after I told him about Sorah and I, he didn’t trust me. Him and his family must’ve long distrusted anyone. 

“Good grief!”—Biyu’s brother’s voice cut in—”Soyuibisu. O land of Koroné, grant thee my blessing—Standard Cleanse.” 

[System Warning] Skill Activation [Standard Cleanse] All Debuffs CLEANSE

Cleansed [-5% Attack (1 minute duration)]

My eyesight returned in an instant. I saw Biyu’s brother holding his hand out while Itchiro stood there shocked. Sorah’s father made a run for it. “Tch…”

“It is time to end this charade. Prism Cage.”

Itchiro slammed his face midrun. A magical rectangular prism surrounded him from all sides and above and left him trapped inside. He banged on the transparent barrier, seemingly tough as steel. 

I stood up and walked over to Biyu’s brother observing Totshigui Itchiro. “Thanks. I didn’t know what to do after that blinding spell…” 

“You have a lot to improve, Kawari. You couldn’t take down a single man, let alone a slightly competent one.” He put one arm on my shoulder. “So, what to do now? The man won’t believe us until we get someone he actually knows.”

“Okay… Can you release him first?”

“No. He will run away again. If I must, I shall transport him like this.” He flicked his finger up and the cage levitated to his will. I shrugged at his response. He created barriers so effortlessly and he didn’t sweat at Itchiro attacking him. 

“There’s no way we can stroll around like this. Stay here while I find Sorah and the others.” 

“Aye.”

To wait and keep that Prism Cage in effect, surely drained a lot of EP. I had to be quick. 

Eventually I found Sorah and them and led them down the same alleyway. Sorah walked erratically, as if his knees would collapse any moment. He hadn’t seen any of his family members in half a year. We all had been focused on this one goal, until something came to fruition. 

“Dad?...” Upon seeing him trapped in the Prism Cage, Sorah’s stride turned into a run. The father looked up with his melancholy eyes.

“Is that really you? Sorah?” The man placed his hand on the cage, separated by a barrier. The rest of the group caught up and watched the father and son reünite for the first time in forever. They stared at each other for a moment, before exchanging some sort of hand gestures. Sign language? That existed in this world? 

Ruri tried to approach Sorah and Itchiro, but Biyu’s brother promptly stopped her. “Hey, just what are you doing?”

“Letting them have some family bonding time. I’m removing the Prism Cage.” He snapped his fingers and the barrier dissipated into thin air. “Now we need to find that kid, Asya…”

Itchiro dropped to the ground, panting. His face tensed up before glancing up at Sorah. His son, giving a solemn smile, sniffed his nose clean and bent down on one knee. The father wrapped his arms around his child on the verge of tears.