Uzziah turned out to be a well-mannered lad with a penchant for discipline. He used the honorifics correctly, showed proper deference to the preceptors, and exhibited every trait of a gracious host.

The boy had alert, inky eyes and pitch-black braided hair. The young Yamazaki was about Kento's height, darker in complexion, and looked much more weathered. He had an air of maturity around him that made others do his bidding.

As the group proceeded towards the main edifice of the ...