[X] Ask Senjuuro if he knows anything about Makai Knights that the Basics don't cover.
"Please forgive the disorder." Senjuuro requests as he leads me inside his workshop. Looking around I see most of the items Makai Priests possess: books with Makai lore, jars with magical reagents and tools to perform various rituals. "It's been a while since I had a visitor."
"It's no problem." Personally the room doesn't give me a feeling of being messy. "Do you live here alone?"
"No, I have two apprentices. But right now they're on a training trip." He sits down on a table with a contraption resting on it. "Take a seat."
"Thank you." When I too sit down I take a closer look at the object and finally recognize. "Is this a Goryuu?"
"Yes, the most recent model. Leo-sama is really a genius: thanks to those little guys I was able to deal with the common Horrors when it was just me." He begins to massage his neck with one hand. "Aah, but even so I'm starting to feel the years piling up. Now that you're here Tetsuya-san I hope I can finish to train my apprentices in peace before retiring. But to men like us that is wishful thinking."
"Nonsense: you more than deserve it. You can rely on me as much as you want." Just because we of the Makai Order are ready to lay down our lives it doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to survive. Helping a comrade obtaining their deserved rest after a life of hardship is also a worthy endeavor.
"Thank you Tetsuya-san." He replies with a smile. "You said you have questions for me?"
"Yes: I wanted to ask you what you can tell me about Makai Knights as a whole. The education and documents I was given don't cover everything, and I am curious."
"I see, I see. Where to begin..." He begins to ponder. "I suppose starting from the beginning would do. As you surely know the Makai Knights were created as an elite group of warriors by the Makai Priests when our efforts proved insufficient to deal with the most powerful Horrors. My predecessors were able to seal some of them, but often with horrifying losses. This changed with the invention of the Soul Metal."
"Invention?"
"Correct. Soul Metal don't exist naturally, but it is created from special plants. Plants that, ironically enough, are grown by a type of seed created by a Horror. The details are in the Madou Book of Origins and I have never read it, but what I know is that this specific Horror was sealed and the seeds it left behind were experimented on until a genius Makai Priest discovered the process to create Soul Metal. In his honor all Makai Armors have a wolf theme, though I don't know if it was due to his name, his symbol or something else."
"This is hilarious." Mikazuki chuckles. "A Horror itself, even if unwilling, provided its sworn enemies the tool to efficiently hunt and oppose its kind. Karma really is a bitch."
"Mikazuki's language aside, I agree on the irony of it." I nod. "Is this why Soul Metal burns the flesh of the untrained and is dangerous to use even for Knights?"
"Yes: a strong mind and a strong body are necessary to control Soul Metal and stop it from overwhelming you. That's why Soul Metal weapons have handles wrapped in other materials, to limit direct contact, and the armors have a time limit of 99.9 seconds. Very strong and experienced Makai Knights can extend the time limit, but in general it's more convenient to just dismiss the armor and wait a few minutes before summoning it again."
So if I can extend the time limit it means I have become a strong knight? Good to know...but I also have the feeling there is more to it. I'll have to ask a Knight who achieved this feat if they have any advice to give me, I don't want to mess this up.
"Next are Madou Tools like your Mikazuki, the Madogu. Their abilities, like Horror sensing, are made possible by the fact they are Horrors themselves."
""What?!""
Me and Mikazuki say at the same time. I look down at him. "Mikazuki, you are a Horror?"
"That's the first I heard of it either!"
"Not a Horror per se." Senjuuro hurries to explain. "But rather the spirit of a pacified one. While rare, it happens that a Horror is born without enmity towards humanity. While seen as errors by other Horrors, the Makai Order has since ancient times took and gave them a new existence as Madogu, providing them with a physical body and an inner balance of yin and yang ki to help them retain their rationality."
"So that's how I was born. Hey Tetsuya: if I ever awaken Horror instincts please cut me down. I don't want to end like those lame guys."
"Don't be ridiculous. If that happens I'll first search a way to purify you, and only cut you down if there is no other choice." I raise him to my eyes' level. "You're my partner Mikazuki, and I'll never abandon a comrade. No matter their origins."
"Aww, thank you Tetsuya. Then, if you even fall to darkness, I swear I'll kick you back into the light." He laughs. "As a figure of speech of course: I don't have legs!"
"My word, I rarely saw such a strong bond between a Knight and his Madogu, especially between two as young as you." Senjuuro smiles. "Treasure it. What else...Oh yes, something you will find very interesting Tetsuya-san. When a Knight slay his hundredth Horror, they face a trial."
"A trial?"
"I'm not privy to the specifics. But if the Knight passes it he gains a Madou Horse, powerful familiars that Knights can ride. They have the ability to travel through other realms and to enhance their rider's combat abilities. A Makai Knight's most powerful techniques can only be used when riding a Madou Horse. In a way, possessing one is a sure sign of a knight's growth in the proper direction."
This is very interesting. A horse to ride like the knights of old or the legendary cavalry of the Sengoku era? Ah, but surely the trial is very hard, not to mention I only killed a single Horror so far...
"You can do it Tetsuya." As if reading my thoughts Mikazuki quips. "If there is anyone who doubt our worth we'll show them, that you deserve the title of Makai Knight."
He's right. I already knew the path I chosen was a hard one, this changes nothing.
For the sake of my dream, I'll do my best!
[] Hunt down Gates.
[] Explore the city.
[] Use the Training Room.
[] Write-in.
