BXBX NOVEL Chapter 67 - Searching
The sweat on Enatsu\'s forehead increased. The test that would decide his access to the Nightblades guild had just begun, and he didn\'t know how to do it. "Sensei. Goldhaven has millions of inhabitants and stretches for several miles. How can I identify a person in just ten minutes, not knowing where to look for her?" he stammered.
"Your test has begun, Enatsu. It\'s almost been a minute," Takamori replied coolly. The guild chief stepped back. He did not seem to have any intention of providing any other clues to his student.
As Enatsu tried to control his breath and decrease the frequency of heartbeats, Yoichi watched him closely. The young tamer was convinced that with his insight, his friend could pass that test. Just like his fight against Rinji, the Enatsu test must have had a specific reading key.
If Yoichi had continued to fight the armoured giant without spotting his weakness, he would probably have been wiped out by his strength.
The cunning Takamori had studied those two tests to perfection, calculating every variable in one night. The test to which Enatsu was subjected seemed apparently impossible, but a clue, a hidden detail, could have helped his friend find Shioko.
"Enatsu!" Yoichi boomed. He attracted the merchant\'s lost gaze, "stay focused, my friend. If Sada-sensei gave you this test, it means you can complete it easily. You just have to stay focused!" he exclaimed, urging his partner to leverage his full intellectual potential.
"I... I... okay, fuck. That\'s enough, Enatsu. Try to focus, for once!" the young merchant trembled, shutting his eyes and clenching his fists.
Two minutes after the start of the test, Sora took flight in the air. The parrot demon gave itself a boost on his badger paws, jumping upwards from its tamer\'s shoulder. Flapping its feathered wings, it rose in altitude and flew hastily over the arena walls.
Enatsu\'s eyes reopened: his pupils were now yellow, his demon\'s skill had been activated. His gaze frantically moved from left to right, using the Waromu\'s developed eyesight to spot the target.
Under Sora\'s eyes, Goldhven extended in all its immensity. Its buildings were illuminated by the rays of the morning sun and repeated next to each other to the horizon.
Fortunately, the first test of his training took place during the early morning hours. Most of the capital citizens still slept blissfully in their beds, and those of the rehearsal were the last minutes of quiet before their awakening.
Reflecting on this detail, Enatsu flew with Sora to the Tamer District. Knowing that few people crowded the streets, the merchant thought he could retrace the road that came out from the Nightblades tower.
Yoichi, Takamori and Rinji continued to look at him, puzzled. While in the arena, the warm morning wind blew softly, Sora and Enatsu were facing hectic, tense moments.
Taking advantage of the air currents that blew above the city, Sora was able to move quickly from place to place, limiting itself to gliding with its wings wide open. After about a minute and a half, the parrot demon reached the Nightblades headquarters.
When it perched on the small squared window overlooking Shioko\'s room, it noticed that all the warriors were still in their beds except her.
"Fuck" Enatsu muttered, who for a brief moment had hoped that the red-haired tamer would be late and still in her room.
Rising up into the air with Sora, the merchant began to reason frantically again, studying the present and the past details. In the Tamer District square, some warriors from other guilds were chatting with each other.
While the young recruits were intent on doing manual and heavier jobs from the early hours of the morning, veteran warriors enjoyed a calm and relaxed awakening, giggling among themselves and judging the work of their subordinates.
Beyond the neighbourhood\'s stone arch, still no trace of Shioko. The white smoke from a bakery not far away incensed Sora\'s wings, intoxicating it with its scent of hot bread.
Compulsively changing direction, Enatsu\'s demon flew among the buildings, following the main road. Roads were beginning to get crowded, slowing down the research.
"Two minutes to go, Enatsu. I hope you\'re following the right track," Takamori affirmed, with his eyes closed. While the guild chief counted down the seconds in silence, the young merchant jumped scared, sure he could not complete the test in time.
Ten minutes is very little time. It\'s like looking for a needle in a haystack. If Enatsu is forced to leave the guild, I will go with him. I can\'t abandon my friend. Yoichi pondered, continuing to look at the merchant.
His friend\'s time was almost over, and the young tamer was slowly losing confidence in his abilities. Enatsu was a bright, smart young man, but ten minutes wasn\'t enough to cover the entire Goldhaven area.
Drop by drop, sweat continued to seep from his forehead, slipping on the tip of his nose. Enatsu kept controlling Sora, who was flying at its top speed.
Just as the parrot demon was flying over the main road leading to the capital\'s south gates, it stopped in mid-air. Its colourful wings continued to flap, illuminated by the sun, keeping its body still in that position.
"I got this!" Enatsu gulped, who had so far remained immersed in his thoughts. His listeners were amazed by that statement. In particular, Yoichi looked at Takamori: a mocking smile had appeared under his moustache soon after hearing those words.
With his eyes closed to stay focused, the guild master was keeping counting. Second after second, Enatsu only had one minute left.
Sora radically changed direction, quickly flying over the area it checked a few minutes before. Once it reached the place pictured in Enatsu\'s mind, the demon followed the commands of its tamer and swooped towards the target.
Enatsu knelt on the ground, caught in anxiety. He leaned his hands ahead on the cold rock of the tatami: his pupils moved berserkly at a superhuman speed.