Riku stood at the head of the table. His declaration hung in the air. The room was filled with a heavy, serious silence. He had announced his departure. He seemed to have made up his mind.
Then suddenly, Barou burst out laughing.
It was not a small chuckle. It was a deep, booming, belly laugh that echoed through the longhouse and shattered the tense atmosphere completely.
Riku stared, confused. "Chief? What's so funny?"
Barou wiped a tear from his eye. He slapped his knee. "Oh, lad. You almost had me."
He grinned, his face a mask of pure amusement. "All that talk about finding teachers and seeing the world... just say you want to go on an adventure! There's no need to make up such a grand excuse!"
Riku's mouth opened, then closed. "That's not... I'm serious, Barou. This is important."
