***

After that, the Kokufus (国府) between Tai and Ren discussed arrangements frequently, and settled on the schedule and the ambassador party.

Taiki is the chief ambassador, followed by Seirai the Fusyou and Tansui (潭翠), Taiki’s bodyguard. The vice ambassadors of the party includes Sougen (霜元), the general of Zui Province’s left army, and Asen (阿選), the general of the Imperial Guard’s right army. The four follows each brought along with them a subordinate, making the party be of nine perople. They intentionally didn’t raise the Imperial messenger flag, and set off for Ren in ordinary clothes. Even though the ambassadorial trip was described as official, in the end it was apparently a trip in which Taiki himself send people to the Emperor of Ren personally.

The Kingdom of Ren is at the southwest of this world, and is separated from the mainland by the Empty Sea (虚海, Koukai), like the Kingdom of Tai. It is the furthest kingdom to Tai. In fact, Tai and Ren have no relations whatsoever. Up till then, the two kingdoms had no diplomatic relations. To put it bluntly, the two kingdoms have no necessity to build relations. It is only that Taiki had once been indebted to Renrin (廉麟, aka Ren Taiho), the kirin of Ren. Taiki was once drifted to the alternate world, and Renrin was the one who summom Taiki from his “homeland” back to this world.

“What do you think Ren Taiho would be like?”

Taiki asked Seirai immediately after they left Kouki. The party used kijyuus to go to Ren, but of course Taiki couldn’t ride a kijyuu. Therefore, he sat comfortably in a cage-like carriage, which was carried on the back by two cattle-like kijyuus. Seirai served byTaiki's side.

“Oh my,” Seirai said surprisingly, “Taiho didn’t know about her as well?”

“No. I haven’t met her before. Well, I have seen her face, but I was just brought to this world at that time, and I was so afraid that I didn’t remember her face well.”

Taiki confessed a little sheepishly.
“In fact, I cried. I don’t know why, but I cried. I fell into sleep while crying, and when I woke up, Ren Taiho had already returned to Ren.”

“Oh, is that it... I don’t know Ren Taiho myself. In the Kingdom of Tai, there should be no one who knows who the emperor or the kirin of Ren are.”

“There are only twelve emperors and twelve kirins, so it would be great if we can become friends.”
Taiki said, and Seirai broke into a smile.

“Yes indeed... However, Taiho will sooner or later knows why they cannot be friends that easily.”

Taiki, upon hearing that, stared blankly at Seirai. However, he later definitely learnt of the reason.

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