“Do you mean that other tamers might have a Nekage as their Oracle?” Yoichi inquired, intrigued.

“Of course. The same goes for me: Sora is a Waromu, and while you don’t see many around here, it’s not a very rare demon, like yours. Rather, in addition to its real name, you should give it a brand new one! You can’t keep calling it by the name of its species forever!” Enatsu explained, putting the blanket on which he had slept back in its place and preparing to leave the farm. ​​

“Of course, you’re right… I was already thinking about it… how about ‘Kenji’?” Yoichi asked, lifting the wooden table that had fallen during the recall phase of his demon pet.

“Kenji… has it any particular meaning or…?”

“Mmh… not really. I like how it sounds though and, somehow, it’s the first name that came to mind. Who knows, perhaps, before I lost my memory, I had a friend with that name”, the young farmer added, who was now beginning to get used to his new life and the new world that surrounded him.

“Well then! The name of your Oracle is a very personal thing, you have to be convinced!” Enatsu stated, grabbing the tunic hanging by the fireplace and approaching the door, waiting for Yoichi to finish preparing.

“It’s decided. My little Nekage will be called Kenji! I like it!”

As the two companions chatted and the burning in Yoichi’s chest gradually disappeared, the sun rose into the sky and the Bronzeforest shone brightly under its rays, while all the animals that inhabited it woke up to face a new day.

After pulling out the large metal key already inserted in the lock before his awakening in the new world, Yoichi went out with Enatsu and closed the door with the same key, tucking it into the pocket of his leather bag, found amid some junk flown away from under the bed.

When Yoichi turned his gaze outwards, the landscape before his eyes left him speechless: everything that the day before was barely visible due to the storm that had struck Tentochu region, was perfectly visible on that lovely autumn morning, illuminated by the sun’s rays.

Magnificent centuries-old oak trees stood majestically on the side of the road, housing hundreds of birds singing in chorus, flying towards the clear blue sky.

The fresh air and leaves piled on the dirt road, gave that landscape the typical peaceful countryside aspect, decidedly different from the city and modern chaos to which Yoichi was unconsciously accustomed.

“Wow! What a wonderful place!” he said, smiling and looking around.

“Yes, it is! Bronzeforest has always been one of my favorite places! Once, when I was just a child, my father took me here and, since then, I never forgot the beautiful colors of its trees and water streams”, Enatsu smirked, ensuring that his belt was well tied around his abdomen and beginning to walk down the street.

Although it was a not very busy country road, after less than fifty meters traveled on foot, a wooden carriage sprang into the trees, climbing the road and follow it in the opposite direction to the two adventurers.

“Hello!”

“Hello, good morning!” Yoichi cheered, politely responding to the coachman’s greeting, who held the bridles connected to a beast never seen before, similar to a horse, but with a turtle shell that covered its back. “What kind of animal is that?! Is it a demon like ours?” he asked, addressing his traveling companion.

“Ahaha! It’s nice that you’re amazed at everything, I mean it! You need to know that not all demons are used to fight or level up! Over the centuries, we human beings have understood how to make the most of their potential, letting them help us also in our daily lives! What towed the carriage is a Umakame. It’s not a great fighter and as far as I know, it doesn’t have any particular skills, but… unlike normal horses, it can tow three times their weight, tirelessly!”

“It’s amazing! Hold on… did you just say level up? How…”

“I’ve already explained it to you, there are many things you don’t know yet, but… it’s best to learn them a little at a time, right?” Enatsu smiled, continuing to walk next to Yoichi, as Sora fluttered left and right, following them from above.

“Demons can level up and even evolve in some cases. There are several ways to make your demon gain experience, but the most common and most widely used method is to defeat other demons in battle, through a real contest of strength and cunning involving both demons and tamers”, Enatsu explained, looking upwards and breathing the clear and fresh air of the forest at the top of his lungs.

“Wait, I think I understand. The Demons fight each other and the tamers do the same, using the skills of their pets to enhance themselves, right?” Yoichi asked, trying to anticipate the explanation.

“Great! I see you’ve understood perfectly how it works! So when a demon defeats the opposing demon, that is, when the opposing tamer chooses to call it back to its Demon Tooth, the fight ends and the winning demon receives an experience point. By accumulating experience points, each demon can level up and, in some cases, leveling up, it can evolve, increasing its strength and enhancing the ability shared with its tamer,” Enatsu continued, knowing that his interlocutor’s intuitiveness would not disappoint him.

“Mmh… listen, Enatsu… what is Sora’s skill? Is it the same for all Waromu?”

“Sora has the same ability as any other Waromu in Lumya, yes. I’d love to show you, but unfortunately, the Waromu’s ability is one of the few that isn’t easy to visually distinguish. I can see with its own eyes,” the young trader replied, looking Yoichi in the eye and smiling satisfied.

“You’re telling me that… can you see with Sora’s eyes? Even now?” Yoichi said astonishedly, implicitly asking him to show him what his pet was capable of.

Enatsu stopped suddenly and positioned his arms along his hips, relaxing them and closing his eyes, without adding a word.

When his eyes reopened, his brown pupils were gone and the white of his eyes had turned yellow, exactly the same color as those of Sora, his flying demon.