My Demon Pet System

Just before Yoichi lost hope of finding anyone in that godforsaken place, about ten people appeared in the fountain square. Surrounding the central monument, consisting of a statue of a man whose head had been destroyed, were the usual columnar buildings.

In that cold gray stone, the wooden doors of those houses were strictly closed, except for a couple of them. In front of one house, indeed, an elderly couple was enjoying that tranquillity. 

A man and a woman, both in their eighties, were sitting in their rocking chairs. The woman was crocheting something while the man lazed blissfully with his eyes closed and arms crossed. 

Across the street from their house, two more doors were open to the square. A grown man outside the door was intent on talking to the residents of that building, while another man was carrying a wheelbarrow full of heavy pieces of rough rock.

Incredibly, Oakenfair seemed alive, albeit only in such a small space. As had happened with Yoichi in Grimbrook, everyone present turned to look at him and Takuma. Noticing that the red-haired tamer had a horse, they soon figured out that they were two adventures from the outside.

As Yoichi took a step toward the fountain, the man in front of the door walked away quickly, covering his head with a hood, and the people peeking out of the wooden door closed in, pretending not to have seen anything.

"No, wait! Please! We're not here to hurt anyone. We just want directions!" Yoichi exclaimed. Despite his good intentions, the young tamer felt like a criminal.

Unfortunately, the Goldhaven warrior's words were lost in the wind. After their arrival, the square had emptied and all the passersby had vanished as if they had seen wild demons. The only ones still standing in their positions were the two older adults.

The old lady was standing still in her chair and looking at Yoichi with the crochet hooks in her hands. The gentleman, probably her husband, hadn't noticed anything and continued to hum blissfully.

"Don't worry, ma'am," Yoichi spoke, raising his arms and showing everyone that he wasn't armed. "We're not who you think we are. We're just here looking for someone. Do you happen to know a man named Kinnojo?" - Yoichi asked everything he wanted to know in one sentence, knowing that without those directions, he and Takuma would have to continue wandering aimlessly.

"Why should I speak to filthy Demon Hunters? You people have ruined our beautiful city. Now leave, please." - The kind expression on the old lady's face changed within seconds, and her angry look made Yoichi shudder. 

"We're not Demon Hunters! We're just tamers from the south!" Yoichi complained, stepping forward with his hands in the air. On his left leg, the scabbard of Ryutaro's katana dangled, making his story less believable.

The elderly locals didn't seem to fully understand the difference between a standard tamer and a Demon Hunter. All the old lady cared about were the weapons that hung from Yoichi's body.

"You are not welcome here. And by the way, you should know that Kinnojo no longer sells the rare spices he once collected. Time passed for him too, and his legs are too old and tired to climb mountains," the old woman in the rocking chair replied.

Her loud words suddenly woke up her husband. The white-haired, shaggy man ruffled his white moustache with one hand, opened his eyes and looked at his wife. 

"What's the matter with you? Why didn't you let me sleep?" he grunted, immediately noticing that his woman did not have her gaze turned toward him. When she pointed one of the long metal sticks she used to sew at Yoichi, the man jerked out of his chair.

"What about these? Who are these two guys?!" he asked his wife. She shook her head and shrugged, not knowing how to answer him. "We have no money nor anything else to give you. Your colleagues have already taken everything from us, so now get the hell out of here," the old man exclaimed angrily. Moving an arm to the side of his chair, he grabbed a wooden stick with a menacing air. 

"Don't worry," Yoichi continued, "as I was explaining to your woman, we are not Demon Tamers. We are travellers in search of a person. We mean you no harm, we are only interested in finding Kinnojo, the spice merchant" he replied.

"Uh? Kinnojo? Tut! That old fart lives in his store in the upper town. When you reach a square similar to this one but with a statue of a woman with two swords, you'll be almost there. Just ask for directions," the old man with the white mustache explained as if he wanted to get rid of Yoichi and Takuma as soon as possible.

Yoichi's eyes sparkled with happiness: finally, someone had deigned to tell him the merchant's location without having to beg. Behind him, Takuma held the reins of his horse and listened to the conversation.

"Oh, thank you very much, sir! You've been a great help to me. I don't know how to thank you!" Yoichi rejoiced, leaning his upper body forward and showing respect to such an older man. 

Faced with that gesture of kindness and friendliness, the elderly couple began to believe the story of that mysterious traveller. Straightening his back, Yoichi asked, "Did Demon Hunters really rob you?" - That question amazed even Takuma. 

"Why do you want to know, boy? Who are you?" the old man asked.

"I'm just a warrior from the capital who doesn't like injustice. He is my travelling companion. I was wondering what kind of man would rob a couple of kind gentlemen like you" - Yoichi's savoir-faire, even in a particular situation like that, restored the quiet. 

Very slowly, the window next to the door that had been closed a few seconds earlier opened slightly. Behind it, the people who had been hiding in the house listened in curiosity.

"The real Oakenfair doesn't exist anymore, boy. This place died many years ago when the new emperor withdrew his guards from the city to fortify his personal escort. Since that time, anarchy and violence took over. My younger fellow citizens had no choice but to emigrate away from this hell" - Holding the wooden head of the staff in his hands, the old man in the rocking chair chose to trust Yoichi's good face.