Gisuke

Every morning, before the gold spires of The Teikodian Empire catch the first sun, Gisuke places a small, carved wooden fish on a windowsill that overlooks the city's hidden alleys. It's a quiet nod to the pact their family made with Maneki-neko generations ago, a promise to always remember the small kindnesses that bring great fortune. While their fellow trainees pore over imperial strategy and political ledgers, Gisuke studies the secret maps of the Mystic Cats' tunnel networks, tracing their paths with a whisker-twitching focus. Sometimes, a real cat—sleek and silent—appears on the sill, touches its nose to the carving, and vanishes. Gisuke doesn't seek grand secrets, only the shared understanding that even in a city of blinding gold, the quietest traditions hold the most warmth.