Kazan looked over to the table and a plate of raw fish he had on top of it, and looked to be unsatisfied with the amount present. He got up, shaking dust off him before turning to Ozpin. "I was not expecting guests. Please excuse me while I get more food for you both," Kazan growled. He stood up before fetching a straw barrel, throwing the sling over his shoulder and heading outside.

Glynda sat silent, before commenting to Ozpin once she heard his footsteps fade beyond the wooden door. "Well, he's certainly pleasant, isn't he?"

Beacon's headmaster laughed quietly. "That's mostly due to his upbringing. Alongside his family name, I suppose."

"What do you mean?" Glynda inquired.

"His clan had been instilled with this extreme sense of clan pride. From my understanding, most of the clan members saw this as a sign that they have a responsibility to the whole of Remnant to help resolve conflict. Kazan, however," Ozpin remarked, pointing his cane at the door the Yamaoka heir went through. "Seems to have missed the memo. He carries only the pride, and not the compassion."

"And I suppose that brings me to my next question," Glynda continued. "Why do you know him in the first place?"

Ozpin poked at the fire once again, stirring it, attempting to keep it burning a little longer as Kazan was outside finding additional food. He paused, as though unsure where to begin. He took a deep sigh as he rested his hands on his cane, his head following suit. "I met him a few years ago during a brief trip I took here. You were busy with something else, I imagine. I was here during a mourning event for the victims of Kuroyuri. After the funeral ceremony had ended, I spent the rest of my stay in Anima mostly sightseeing. My tour guide had mentioned a ruined section of the Oniyuri province, but advised against going there for my safety. There were rumors going around regarding bandits and the ghost of a demon. An oni, they called it. The latter piqued my interest. Naturally, I went there anyway."

"And what did you find there? Rather, what did you expect to find?"

"In all honesty, nothing really. I was just exploring the ruins when the aforementioned bandits came out of the bushes demanding I give them anything I had on me."

"And I presume this is when you met the boy?" Glynda guessed.

It was here that Ozpin adopted a pensive look. "Yes. There was no ghost, no demon. Just a teenager, dressed in rags with a bamboo stick. He mentioned something about how the ruins were sacred grounds, but I didn't particularly listen. Watching him work— no, watching him fight was...interesting. He clearly lacked experience and refinement, but there was something so focused and yet so savage about his approach. In fairness the bandits mostly consisted of just some small-time criminals, so anyone with an atom's worth of competence placed them at a massive disadvantage. In any case, I felt leaving his talent defending dilapidated ruins was a waste."

The door opened with a slight creak, revealing Kazan, smoking pipe in hand with a basket of fish hanging from his back. He glanced between the blonde and the gray haired guests, before setting his basket down. "I see you've been telling stories."

Ozpin gave a sly smile. "Well, as your patron I feel I'm afforded a few tales of grandeur."

Glynda looked at Ozpin with confusion. "Patron?"

"I had intended to repay him for the 'rescue' so to speak, but he's too good for repaid kindness."

"The Yamaoka Clan does not take what it does not earn." Kazan interrupted, as he was prepping the fish for a quick grill. "We are above charity."

"Considering the condition you're living in, I'd assume you would set aside your clan's...values and take it." Glynda mused, gesturing to the stone and mud walls of the hut.

Ozpin chucked slightly. "Unfortunately not. So instead I offered him a 'job' so to speak. In exchange for the support I'd give him, he'd do a favor for me. Speaking of which, I believe it's time I ask for that favor."

Kazan raised an eyebrow curiously. "Ho, and what would that be?"

"Ahem," Ozpin coughed, clearing his throat. "I'd much rather you not be so rash. Please, do consider my request."

Ozpin looked to Kazan expectantly, awaiting his answer, and upon seeing him nod his head in agreement, continued. "I'd like for you to join Beacon Academy."

Kazan immediately stood up aggressively, as if he'd just been insulted, before gripping the table beside him tightly with one hand, exhaling deeply and forcing himself to return to his seat, the furious expression on his face returning to its normal blank state. Glynda had mimicked Kazan's movement defensively p, expecting some form of attack from the teen before putting her riding crop away. Kazan spoke, his frustration evident in his begrudging tone. "We've had this discussion prior to this visit on multiple occasions. My answer remains unchanged, I have more important things to take care of."

"Like sitting in this dank hut and waiting for the rot to fester?" Ozpin said steely.

"You cur!" Kazan nearly smashed his chair against the wall. "Don't you dare insinuate that I am wasting my time! You have no righ-"

"As your patron I have the right to know where exactly my funds are going. You've made little improvement to either your living conditions or your choice of attire." Ozpin said evenly. Glynda stared at Beacon's headmaster from the corner of her eye. This was mildly out of character for him, this cold and calculated persona. She had seen him act this way before, but in her opinion the current situation did not at all justify it.

"The state of my home and my clothes are of no concern to an outsider, much less my patron," Kazan replied haughtily. "The business of the Yamaoka clan is just that: the business of the clan."

Ozpin sighed. "To this day I have never asked any other favor from you. When I look at you I see potential, and I do not wish that potential squandered." He pulled out a thermos from a satchel, unscrewing the lid and sipping what Glynda guessed to be coffee. "I give you an ultimatum: either do the favor I ask of you, or I'm within my rights to take my patronage elsewhere."

Kazan's furious gaze did not leave Ozpin's direction for quite some time, before he eventually relented and turned his regular blank expression to the fire, which was now roasting skewered fish. After a few more minutes, he handed both Glynda (who had been mostly silent during the heated exchange) and Ozpin a skewer of fish. They ate in silence, before Kazan spoke in a low voice. "Your terms are...acceptable. I will attend your school Ozpin. But please, I ask for some time to prepare some things before I leave my homeland."

Ozpin nodded, glad that they were in agreement for once. "Very well. I assume it won't take longer than a day?" After seeing Kazan's affirmative nod, he continued. "In that case I will make arrangements to have you sent to Vale. If you don't mind, I'd like you to accompany you. Glynda hasn't seen much of Anima in a while and I miss the scenery."

Kazan glanced at Ozpin before turning his gaze back to the crackling of the fire. "If you insist, but bear in mind I prefer not having my time wasted playing local tour guide."

As Ozpin and Glynda left the hut to retire to their tents outside, Kazan kept himself near the fire, staring intently as he planned out the next day. Too many things to try and bring, and not nearly enough time to try and take them all. He gazed upwards, above the frame of the only door in his modest hut. A jade crest, with soot and ash tarnishing its ornate face. Kazan's expression softened into something more timid than the typical scowl. "This is only a minor setback," he told the crest, more than himself. "This won't interfere."

Glynda could feel a pair of eyes boring holes into the back of her head like lasers, even through her sleep induced haze. She already knew who it was, but she didn't feel like getting up in the morning. That was until he started banging pots and pans together. Nearly cursing under her breath, she threw the cover of her sleeping bag off her before exiting her tent and using her semblance, snatching Kazan's cooking ware out of his hands and tossing them into the forest.

"It took me 6 months to pay for those," Kazan said dryly. He sighed, before closing the door to his house and saying, "In any case, wake him," he gestured towards Ozpin's tent. "I would wish to not waste any more time than I've already lost."