CHAPTER SEVEN

1

   "Taiki, you can leave the palace today."
   The summer solstice had actually passed some time ago, but it wasn't until now that Teiei spoke these words.
   The day had finally arrived. Taiki put down the chopsticks with which he was using to eat breakfast.
   "Yes..."
   He had gotten up earlier this morning than usual, and even the clothes that Sanshi had prepared for him were all much more ornate than usual. Taiki had already mentally prepared himself for this.
   Youka patted his back gently. "You don't have to be this nervous."
   "Youka, will you accompany me when I go?"
   Youka smiled. "Yes. I'll also be by your side the whole time."
   "What about Sanshi?" Taiki had a feeling that she would say no.
   Teiei nodded and her answer wasn't far from the one he wanted to hear. "Of course Sanshi will come with you. Except, Sanshi has to hide herself. You might not be able to see her, but she'll definitely be nearby."
   Taiki heaved a disappointed sigh. If Sanshi had to hide nearby, that meant that when the time came, she wouldn't be holding his hand, not to mention that she wouldn't be able to gently stroke his back.
   "I understand..."

   Teiei and Youka were in the front, followed by over ten ceremonial nyosen, and Taiki was in the middle as they walked onto the small paths, all the way to the gate of Houro Palace without stopping.
   The nyosen in front of him took down the bolt of the door.
   Before the door was opened, Taiki remembered the vast wilderness that was the exterior of the maze, but after the door was opened, the scene outside had underwent a complete change.
   The towering crags stretched out in layers, creating waves upon waves of green, and between these rocks was an expansive grassland, upon which there was a flood of colors. Tents had been pitched one after another, and countless flags had been raised everywhere. Fences had been built with stakes to which horses and unusual animals had been tied, and on which harnesses and cloths had been hung to dry. Not to mention that there was a variety of people, dressed in a variety of styles.
   Just like this, a busy little village had appeared.
   Taiki began to feel apprehensive and couldn't help but grab Teiei's hand.
   "There is no need to be afraid. Would you like to adjust your breathing?"
   Taiki used his eyes to express consent and then straightened his chest even more and took a deep breath.
   Teiei held his hand and prepared to walk forward. A man at a nearby tent saw this and kneeled down to bow. This movement spread outward like a ripple, as the people scattered about the grass in discussion all kneeled down to bow.
   Taiki tightened his grip on Teiei's hand, as he looked straight ahead at the quivering hairpins on the heads of the nyosen walking in front of him, hoping to rely on this to shake off the torment of being stared at by innumerable eyes.
   "Are you still all right?" asked Youka's gentle voice from behind.
   "Yes... Can we speak?"
   "Yes, there's no need to be so shy."
   "Okay."
   The ceremony seemed not to be as difficult as he had thought it was going to be. At this, he heaved a sigh of relief.
   "Is this all the people?"
   Teiei replied, "No, only half of them have come first."
   "Oh, good..."
   When he looked around, he saw a great many people wearing armor. There were many very young people and a lot of old people as well, and there were numerous men, but also lots of women.
   "I didn't think there would be so many women here."
   Teiei smiled, but her smile was not as natural as it usually was, as if she were suppressing her emotions. It was probably because Teiei was also very nervous, but just had a different way of expressing it.
   "Well, of course... would you rather serve under a king or a queen?"
   "I don't know."
   The road from the great gate to Hoto Palace was paved with stones. Many adults had gathered on either side of the road, kneeling down with their heads lowered. This sort of scene looked unnatural.
   "Why is everyone bowing?"
   "They are paying their respects to you." Teiei knew that had she used the word "status" to explain it to Taiki, he probably wouldn't understand, so she stopped herself from using it.
   "Should I greet them?"
   "You do not need to right now. If you wish to speak to someone, you can invite them to stand up."
   "Can I chat with them?"
   "You may after the incense ceremony. Then, you can ask them whatever you want."
   "There are a lot of big animals here..."
   "Those are youju. Everyone has ridden their youju here."
   "Oh..."
   Some of the beasts looked like tigers, and others looked like lions, while still others looked like horses and cows.
   "Can youju be subdued too?"
   "Youju are caught, and after they're tamed, they go through training. Come, and watch your step. After we go inside, please remember to bow towards the alter once."
   Taiki stopped looking around, turning his eyes forward, and realized that Hoto Palace was right in front of him.
   Hoto Palace was not quite like the structures inside Houro Palace, as all four sides had walls, and as soon as he was out of the view of all those people, Taiki was really able to heave a sigh of relief.
   The interior of Hoto Palace was both high and spacious, and an altar faced the entrance; it felt a lot like the central hall of a temple.
   Taiki did as Teiei said, and after he bowed towards the altar, he walked to the wall and made an incense offering. Then he was taken onto a platform adjacent to the wall on the right side of the room. If this were a Japanese-style room, we could say that the platform was about eight tatami mats wide. It was backed by the wall of the palace, while bamboo blinds hung down on the other three sides. The blinds facing the front had already been pulled up, and inside there was a chair. When sitting on the chair, one could see everything between the entrance to Hoto Palace and the altar.
   Taiki sat peacefully in the seat and quietly watched as the nyosen busily offered incense. Suddenly feeling eager eyes gazing upon him, he looked over and realized that many people had gathered at the entrance to Hoto Palace. After the nyosen finished offering incense, a large portion of them came to the platform in succession. When they had all assembled themselves on the platform, the blinds were then lowered. Taiki heaved a sigh.
   "You should feel much more relaxed now," said Teiei as she smiled.
   "I get really nervous when so many people are staring at me."
   "You'll get used to it in no time."
   "Can I call Sanshi to come here?"
   "Yes, as long as the blinds are down."
   After Teiei said this, Taiki called upon Sanshi, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared next to his feet. He laid on her leopard portion as she wrapped her arms around him, making him feel much more at ease. Sanshi comforted Taiki by hugging his head, and Taiki felt that her hands were so warm.
   "You look so nervous. But actually, you don't need to be so tense," said Teiei with a smile.
   "My mind knows this, but my body isn't listening to its commands... What do I do now?"
   "Those who've climbed the mountain will come and offer incense. Before we return, all that is required of you is watch them one by one as they do so. If you become bored with this, you may go outside and chat with the people outside."
   When Teiei had finished speaking, there was already a person inside of the palace offering incense. The movements of this first person to come in were abnormally stiff, and he walked like that up to the altar.
   "Taiki, do you feel any ouki?" inquired Teiei next to Taiki's ear. Taiki shook his head, signifying that he didn't know. Teiei understood what meaning Taiki was expressing.
   "No matter. If you do feel the ouki, then you can call us to you and whisper it to us."
   "Okay..."
   The person for whom offering incense was not easy, walked in front of the platform, and after taking a bow, he kneeled down. This man was old enough to be someone's father, and his build was big and fat, like that of a sumo wrestler. Taiki struggled to listen to what the nyosen and the man were talking about by the platform. However, the revelation--up to now, Taiki still wasn't clear on how it would manifest itself--did not seem to come with this man.
   Seeing Teiei's expression of inquiry, Taiki shook his head.
   Nothing strange happened that could have been the revelation.

2

   Taiki quietly watched people entering one after another to offer incense, and after two days, he began to feel bored.
   On the fourth day, he finally decided that he wanted to walk around outside.
   The offering of incense occurs for only a few hours in the morning. Taiki sat on the platform and watched those offering incense. At first, he had thought that these people who weren't nyosen were very refreshing. Since everyone's appearance and clothes each had their own special traits, it was interesting to see everybody's differences. However, very quickly, he began to feel that sitting in the chair was very bothersome.
   He only had to stay until noon before he could return to the palace, but the length of time that he had to sit was too long.
   "Can I walk around outside?"
   As soon as they heard Taiki ask this, the nyosen on the platform twittered with joy, because they had also felt bored.
   "Of course you can," replied Youka with a big smile on her face.
   "Were you all just waiting for me to ask this?"
   "Not completely," said Youka as she laughed. "However, I can't say that it hasn't been a little annoying, because, since this morning, we've already seen Pumpkin Daibu's face six times."
   Though the nyosen tried to suppress their laughter, they were unable to hold it in and began laughing.
   Among those who have offered incense, some will do it several times a day. And of those people, the first person to enter the palace and perform the rite on the first day had come every day and offered incense at least ten times before Taiki returned to Houro Palace. That man looked like a daibu from some kingdom, and his face was round and red, like a pumpkin, so they privately gave him the nickname, "Pumpkin Daibu."
   "Will it be dangerous for me to go outside?"
   Teiei smiled and said, "We'll all be by your side. With this many people, you shouldn't worry. Even if we did encounter someone up to no good, you can believe that the people in the vicinity will not stand idly by. They will definitely help you out, because everyone wants you to see their best side."
   Ten foolish people who had tried to sneak into Houro Palace had already been expelled from Mt. Hou, but none of the nyosen intended to inform Taiki of such a thing.
   "I see..."
   "When the time comes, a lot of people will surround you and want to greet you, but that would be better than sitting here as if you were doing penance, right? I think for sure that there will be those who are too impatient to wait for a ruler to be chosen, and I'm afraid that you'll eventually you'll be scared by all the flattering."
   "Then...what do I say to them?"
   "If you find the ruler, then you follow the ancient customs and bow before him..."
   "And then I vow never to abandon him, never to disobey his royal command, and pledge my loyalty to him?"
   Teiei nodded. "Correct."
   "What if they're not the ruler?"
   "Since it's the summer solstice right now, it's tradition to say, I wish you well from the solstice until the equinox, or you could say, I wish you well from the equinox until the solstice."
   "So I just wish them well until the next Ankou Day."
   "Yes."
   "What if I can't figure it out and I mess up?"
   Teiei smiled and comforted Taiki. "Don't worry. That won't happen."
   "Will Sanshi come with me?"
   "Sanshi will hide herself nearby. However, you must not call her out when we're amongst the big crowds. If you do that, she'll frighten the horses and kiju."

   The nyosen on the platform surrounded Taiki, and they all walked towards the outside of the palace. The nyosen that were not on the platform could only look on with envy, since it was their responsibility to stay in the palace for the whole day and look after the people offering incense, as well as handle the various problems of those who had climbed the mountain.
   To those who want to become the ruler, it could be said that the mountain-climbing season is a magnificent ceremony. For the nyosen, it could also be counted as an amusing activity.
   Extremely few regret becoming a nyosen, but living such a long time still makes some of them weary. Over the summer solstice, the nyosen spend a lot of time on their appearances, though it wasn't done to convey their dignity. The nyosen teased the men who had climbed the mountain with their affection for fun. While this went on, the playing would sometimes become serious, and it's not unheard of for a nyosen to descend the mountain with a man.
   It had not been easy for Taiki to leave the palace, so it was unfortunate that the first person that came to greet him was the aforementioned Pumpkin Daibu. He must have set up his camp near Hoto Palace, so that when Taiki and his group came out of the palace, he could immediately hurry to him with the utmost speed.
   It sounded like something heavy had been dropped onto the ground when he kneeled down, and he hit his forehead upon the ground probably because he used too much force as he was preparing to bow. The nyosen tried with all their strength to keep straight faces, but after seeing this, they couldn't contain their laughter anymore, nor could the other people who had gathered around and seen him.
   "M...Mt. Hou Kou, you look very pleasant today." Pumpkin Daibu was so nervous that the tone of his voice sounded strange. "I am the Shiba of Sui Province in Tai Kingdom. I am called Rohaku. I...I'm originally from Nan'you County in Ba Province--"
   Since he was crouched on the ground and speaking quickly, and also stuttering because he was nervous, Taiki couldn't hear very clearly the flattery that was directed toward him.
   "It is an extreme privilege to be able to pay my respects to your honorable self today! I wish the Kou a very long life!"
   Taiki didn't know what to do, so he glanced up at Youka. She then raised her eyebrows a little towards him. He understood the meaning in her eyes, and said to the man who was bowing, "I wish you well...until the equinox."
   The man immediately looked up, and then his shoulders suddenly drooped.
   "...Re-really? I... I see..." said the man, thinking outloud as a dejected expression came to his face. Youka stifled her laughter and lightly pressed Taiki's back.
   "Let's go. Just do as you did as we walk around."

   Taiki was surrounded by a group of nyosen who were looking back at the men again and again as they walked. After a stretch of road, one of the nyosen quietly said to Taiki, "It's a good thing you stopped him from saying more. Who knows how long we would have had to listen to him otherwise!"
   "...I couldn't find an opportunity to interrupt."
   "Thank goodness he won't become your master, or else he wouldn't have been worthy to serve under."
   Seeing the relief on the nyosen's face, Taiki tilted his head and asked, "Was that guy not good?"
   "If you discover the revelation, it doesn't matter if the person is good or bad. It's just that it would be too embarrassing for Tai Kingdom if even a pumpkin like that could become the king. Although it isn't too important whether the ruler looks good or not, all people are even a little bit vain. At the very least, the person who becomes the ruler should have a bit of dignity."
   "Is...that so?"
   Youka smiled and said, "Don't listen to their nonsense. The most important thing is whether or not you receive the revelation."
   The other nyosen heard Youka explaining things to Taiki so earnestly yet again and lightly flared up at her. "Come now, Youka. You say that, but from ancient times until now, has an ugly person ever become the ruler?"
   "Right, right. That's because a person's dignity can be seen from their appearance. Moreover, those who want to become ruler, whether it's their looks or their personality, must fit with the manner of a ruler."
   "When we're out in public, speak a little more quietly," warned Youka softly, and the nyosen immediately stopped talking.
   Youka saw this and couldn't help but smile. She bent down and said to Taiki, "Don't mind their idle talk. Your duty is to wait for the appearance of the revelation."
   "Okay..."

3

   Many people surrounded Taiki and continuously flattered him, but Taiki didn't feel anything unusual happen.
   The number of mountain-climbers, together with all their servants, added up to more than three-hundred people. Besides the masters who had come to see if they could become the ruler, the servants that followed them also had the opportunity to be chosen the ruler.
   There many who saw Taiki and rushed to be near him, but there were also people who saw him and chose not to speak with him since they hadn't planned on going forward and talking with him. The nyosen had also once mentioned to him that even if he didn't talk with the ruler, he would still recognize the ruler's presence. Unfortunately, no sort of revelation showed itself to him.
   Regardless of whether it was the people who were talking to him or the people who were not, their eyes were all filled with anticipation. When he thought about the fact there was no way to fulfill the expectations of most of them in the end, Taiki couldn't help but feel sorrowful.
   After getting a break from the crowds, Taiki heaved a sigh. Youka heard it and was concerned, so she tried to gauge his mood.
   "Are you tired?"
   "No. It's just that meeting so many people in so short a time..."
   "It's already past noon. Would you like to return to Hoto Palace? You probably want to rest a little bit. Or, we could just go straight back to Houro Palace."
   "Yeah..."
   Taiki nodded and looked around. He spotted something and yanked on Youka's hand.
   "Youka, look! That dog has wings!"
   Not far from the tents, a huge dog had been tied up among the horses. At the moment, a few men and women were tending to this mount.
   "That is a tenba. Would you like to go over and look at it?"
   "Can I?"
   "No problem." Youka held Taiki's hand and lead him closer to the tent that the dog had been tied to.
   The dog's shape was enormous with a white body and a black head, not to mention a pair of wings folded against its back. It was beautiful.
   "Isn't this...Mt. Hou Kou? I wish you the best of health." Among the men and women who were caring for the tenba, a tall and strong woman recognized Taiki and hurried to pay him her respects.
   "Is this tenba your mount?"
   "Yes."
   "Would you let the Kou see him for a moment?"
   "It would be my honor."
   The woman smiled and encouraged Taiki to get closer to the tenba. Under Youka's protection, Taiki moved slowly towards it with apprehension and realized that in reality, the tenba was much bigger than he had first thought it to be.
   "He's so big..." Taiki mumbled.
   "He's actually relatively smaller compared to most tenba," replied the woman who had kneeled down. It looked as if out of all the people who were taking care of it, she was his master.
   "Please get up. May I pet him?"
   "Thank you, Mt. Hou Kou. Of course you may pet him. His behavior is quite docile."
   After he heard her say this, he hesitated a moment and then cautiously reached his hand out. The fur of the tenba looked shiny, but it felt much harder than it looked. Taiki rubbed its neck, and the tenba closed its eyes with a comfortable look on its face.
   "He's really tame... Does he have a name?"
   "He is called Hien."
   "Hien," repeated Taiki. With its eyes still closed, Hien nuzzled against Taiki's hand as he stroked it under the ears.
   "Does he bite?"
   "Don't worry. He doesn't randomly bite people. Tenba are already a relatively docile kind of youju. Moreover, Hien's personality is especially gentle. It's very clear to him that there are people whom he should not bite."
   "How smart."
   Taiki talked with the woman about tenba for a good stretch of time. He was very interested in how she caught the tenba, how she takes care of it, and what it feels like to ride upon its back.
   The woman's answers were very easy to understand. In addition, her tone was kind, her words polite, and her voice was very clear. It all gave Taiki the sense that she was a strong person.
   To be honest, Taiki could still not determine an adult's age by looking at them. He could only guess from her appearance that she was probably older than Youka and Teiei by a lot.
   Though, this could possibly just be due to the impressions she held. It was very hard to compare the impressions of the nyosen to regular people, so he also felt like the woman's age was very far from a nyosen's.
   Nyosen in general are all very pretty. They always wore beautiful clothes and ornate hairpins, each one more extraordinary than the next.
   Opposite to that, this woman wore deep-colored men's clothing and had not even one accessory upon her body. Her dark brown hair had also not been arranged into a knot, but instead, it hung freely down to her shoulders. She was tall and her movements were graceful and gentle. She was pretty, but it was completely different than the beauty of Gyokuyou and the nyosen. It was very obvious that she was a different type of person.
   "Thank you for letting me look at Hien." Taiki was reluctant to take his hand off of Hien's body.
   "It was nothing. I believe Hien was also very happy."
   "Where are you from?"
   "I am from Jou Province. I am a General of the Jou Provincial Army, called Risai. My name is Ryushi."
   A glimmer entered Taiki's eyes.
   Every kingdom has nine provinces, each of which is ruled by a Shukou, a provincial governor. The military that the Kou controls is called the Army of the Provincial Kou, which is shortened to simply the Provincial Army. The size of this military varies in each province from two armies to four, depending on how big the province is. Thus, it follows that for each province, there are anywhere from two to four people holding the rank of general.
   "So you are a general." No wonder she felt so different from the nyosen.
   "Yes, to the best of my ability."
   Since Taiki got along so exceptionally well with her, he couldn't bear to disappoint her, but no matter which way he looked at it, he had not received the revelation.
   "...I wish you well until the equinox."
   Risai's face revealed a sliver of a self-deprecating smirk, but it lasted only a very short moment. She immediately recovered her previous smile and bowed to Taiki.
   "Thank you very much. I respectfully wish you a healthy body."
   "Thank you."
   Having to choose a suitable person was a painful task. It seemed as if the revelation would not base its occurrence on Taiki's likes and dislikes, which made Taiki feel even worse.
   "Oh... If I have time, can I come back and see Hien?"
   Risai smiled clearly and said, "Of course, anytime."