The look on Maddox's face suggested one of both disbelief and confusion. "A hole in the..." he muttered to himself before shaking his head. After giving up on trying to guess what was going on in the other cart the friendly grin returned to his lips. "So you joined hoping to progress as a mage. A lot of people seem to join guilds for that. You sure picked a fine one for that. Not trying to gloat but Phoenix Wing may very well be the strongest guild in all of Fiore."

After his obligatory statement of pride, Maddox let his smile fade into a serious expression. He hadn't missed the last thing that Sayuri said. It was obvious that the sister she mentioned wasn't alive, judging by the tone. "But one thing I've learned, through my years of interacting with people, is that _growing stronger_ is never the _true_ reason they join," Maddox spoke up. "If what everyone said upon joining was true, Phoenix Wing would be nothing more than a dojo with optional work." He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes with that last statement.

"Whatever the case, I advise you learn how to relax." A grin formed on his face now. "It is something that most people in Phoenix Wing cannot do. But what you see before you is one of the few men that wear the mark that can also chill." His red eyes opened now. It took him a moment but now Maddox realized that Sayuri had a very similar hair color and eye color to himself. "It may sound mundane but I think you'll understand with time."