Chapter 6: Beast Hall (1)

  I was surprised about what I'd just learnt from the Acorn Master. To think that that could have been the case — that I seemed to be emitting an aura of animal spirit.

  ‘Yo man, where I come from, that's an offense,’ I said within me.

  What sort of joke was this, anyway?

  Dieing from astonishment, the Acorn Master beckoned to an attendant that stood not too far from him to provide something he'd referred to as “Hall Token”.

  It was just something I'd compare to a bacon athletes use in racing, only that it was much more beautiful. There was a symbol of a beast on it with terrifying teeth that made me shudder.

  Stretching it to me, the Acorn Master explained:

  “This is a Hall Token that could be used only in the Beast Hall. It has my spirit aura in it, so you'd be let in, easily. It is a vouch for you to enter as someone deemed of the privilege.”

  When I collected it, I'm sure he could see the confusion in my eyes, so he continued speaking, with his hands behind his back, majestically.

  “The Beast Hall is the most important guild in every kingdom. At such, people tend to crowd it in search of more knowledge, and many even end up causing a ruckus for nothing. Because of this, the Beast Hall has been made guarded from just anyone. If one needed to enter, one must have a voucher or pay a huge sum of money.

  I nodded in agreement. It made sense. It was just like the cinema back home. If it were to be left free to watch movies, the whole nation would want to fit themselves in, just to watch a movie. However, for decorum to be maintained, one had to pay some money, and for more convenience, one would have to buy a VIP ticket. This voucher was just like that VIP ticket.

  I thanked him for it. Then a question came up in my head which I did not waste anytime in asking him.

  “Umm... why would I need to go to the Beast Hall in first place?”

  His lips curved up, then he gestured with an arm.

  “As I can see, there are lots of things you're yet to learn about your gift. It is true that there has never been a mention of one being able to communicate with animals — except for beast tamers who have the ability to understand and pass informations to their savage beasts — in this part of the Phantom Dynasty. Still, I've heard of even more terrifying gifts.

  “It is my hope that your visit to the Beast Hall would increase your knowledge in beast taming, and savage beasts. And who knows, you just might be qualified to take the 1-star primary exam. It's... hard to say if you'd be able to pass it in the few months' stay you'd be having. I still have some faith in your capabilities... you have a wonderful potential.”

  I nodded and thanked him, finally grasping the meaning behind his words.

  It wasn't hard to actually understand any of the things he'd just said. After all, it seems that these beast tamers were hotcakes in this world. If I could get one of these titles for myself, there sure would be marvelous benefits to be attached.

  He exchanged a few more words with us all before leaving off in his own savage beast.

  Uncle Ramsey did not waste any more time, but had us head for his residence.

  The savage beast with him wasn't his, so it had to turn back and fly back to the city centre.

  One must know that it was impossible to take a savage beast into any other kingdom when it was not one's property. At such, it had to return immediately.

  “Unlike the animals from where you're from,” Dorothy explained to me, “savage beasts were capable of reasoning and determining their own masters. They had an IQ, and could easily tell when they're being deceived or when there's danger ahead, like any human.”

  I nodded.

  At this point, I really didn't know what to say about Roy. What was worse, no one was asking anything. My Roy is just a little bird. How did he become a savage beast all of a sudden?

  “Since this is my savage beast, then it should be let in, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Why not? As long as it has a trust level established with you over zero points, he'd be let in.”

  “Huhn?”

  ‘Sorry, could you repeat that, baby girl? 'Cause I do not understand a freaking thing you're saying!’ I could hear my brain screaming.

  Just as Dorothy was about to respond, I saw a man in a white robe with a big, red badge stuck to it, carrying three big stars.

  “Savage beasts are not allowed in!”

  He narrowed his eyes to look at me. He had this cold eyes that could give one the chill.

  ‘Hey, I thought you said they were allowed in, Dorothy!’

  “They're not?” I saw myself asking him, rather.

  He sneered at me as though I was some kind of distant enemy.

  Uncle Ramsey stepped forward.

  “Hey, that's my niece's savage beast, you've got to let it in!”

  The man's eyes widened in disbelief.

  “It's hers?”

  “Yes,” I responded, instead.

  “Humph, then we'd have to test his trust level.”

  I nodded.

  Then, another question then propped up in my head.

  ‘And how do you intend to do that? Yooo-hooo, I'm the one who talks to animals, here.’

  He suddenly took out a jade token.

  “Place your thumb here.”

  I did so without hesitating. A light beamed on it, then he asked me to take my thumb off.

  Next thing I saw, the “gentleman” walked towards Roy and, turning his head back at me, he asked me to tell Roy to stand at ease.

  I nodded and did so, telepathically.

  He placed the jade token on Roy's body, then suddenly, I saw numbers floating out of the jade token.

  “0.1...”

  “1.0...”

  “1.5...”

  “2.0...”

  “2.5...”

  “3.0...”

  “3.5!”

  The man's eyes widened in disbelief. He read the numbers, hysterically.

  ‘To think that he acted cool and well-composed, some minutes ago... Mtchew!’

  “So... can he be let in now?”

  The man stared at me as though he was looking at a monster.

  “Can he be let in?” he repeated, as though if I said one word more, he'd explode. “Of course he can! If... 3.5 trust level can't be let in, what can?!”

  I arched an eyebrow, as if to say ‘yeah right...!’ My arms were folded over my chest. Why does everyone act so... Ugh! I can't even place a word to it!

  I looked at Dorothy, only for me to see a similar reaction as the white-robed man.

  “Th-that's possible too?” she stuttered.

  I quickly turned my head to look around and saw a similar expression on everybody else's face.

  Sensing my even tenser bewilderment, the white-robed man was left with no choice but to begin explaining.

  “The trust level, as the name implies, is a way fabricated by our ancestors into checking how deep the trust of a savage beast was towards its master. It was also one of the requirements to take the beast tamers' exam... Yet, not only do you own a savage beast at such a young age, you also managed to enforce a trust level in it which ranked up to 3-star beast tamers like myself... even surpassing!”

  “Surpassing?” I asked, corking an eyebrow.

  Still choked with fear in his eyes, he continued, “To be capable of taking the 2-star beast tamer examination, one would have to present a savage beast which has already established a trust level with one of 2.5!”

  “Ah! Was it that easy for one to induce a trust level?” I asked, astonished about what I'd just learnt.

  He swallowed his saliva, making the lump on his throat to bob. So as not to die from shock, he opened the way, hands trembling. It was obvious that if he were to have tried responding to the last question, he'd have ended up puking mouthfuls of blood.

  ‘Humph, whose fault is that?’