"Kara-Te..." Dai Xin stroked his chin with one hand as he mulled over the words. He knew that Rikoku and Yunzhou actually shared many concepts in their languages, but the harder consonant sounds and the fact that words or symbols might be written the same, but pronounced differently, left him with no idea how to begin deciphering the words that Torako used. Defending oneself from armored and armed opponents sounded useful, and while the "Su-Mo" seemed less like a real martial art at first glance Dai Xin knew that many martial arts had concealed their techniques through "entertainment" such as dancing or ceremonial rituals. But what interested him the most was something that was considered "basic," yet had been the first thing to come to mind when asked about "Rikokan Martial Arts."

"Can you describe Kara-Te to me in more detail?" he asked, looking thoughtful. "What do the words mean in Yunzhan? You describe it as basic, but if it is a well-known style it can't be that simple, can it? Are there family variants, or branch styles? What are the signature techniques? How do they train?"

He practically bombarded the poor girl with questions now, unlike his generally reserved nature before...and surprisingly enough, his eyes were starting to become a little more animated as well. He was looking at Torako with an expression not unlike an inquisitive child on their first trip to the library.