by Fuyumi Ono
"And he loves sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong," Rokuta chimed in.
"I'm telling you the way things really are. Officials don't get together in the name of mutual cooperation. Even if once in a while a kingdom requests aid from another, such things are always carried out in purely diplomatic terms. We have no allies, only interests. This is a world where, except out of need, even neighbors avoid forging international relations."
"So even with twelve kingdoms, nobody ever forms some sort of United Nations and does anything together?"
"History suggests no precedents."
"Because it's expressly not allowed, like not invading another kingdom?"
"Hmm." Rokuta and Shouryuu exchanged glances. "It's never been confirmed one way or another. The subject itself is so extraordinary it simply hasn't ever come up before."
"No doubt."
"But there's probably isn't any other way. The Royal Tai cannot escape his own kingdom. No such rumors have come to our attention. Taiki most likely has been swept away and cannot venture back under his own power. We know this simply because he has not yet returned. In the absence of both the Royal Tai and Taiki, what can the people of Tai hope for? Even if there are more people like Risai, organizing the people and raising an army has become impossible, has it not? Tai cannot save itself. That's why the other kingdoms must lend a hand. If we don't have enough kirin, then we must ask the other kingdoms for help."
Youko paused and said, "In the first place, weren't any eyebrows raised when Tai announced a change in government? The Phoenix never sang, and yet a new king was enthroned. No matter how you look at it, that was just wrong. Didn't anybody bother to see for themselves what was going on, or confirm all the rumors?"
"Naturally, we were--" Shouryuu said, but Rokuta interrupted. "At first, formal emissaries and informal observers were sent to Tai, but were not allowed to enter Kouki. Having no vantage point from which to observe, they adopted a wait-and-see stance. Since then, things have been pretty much left to their own devices. I, for one, have repeatedly urged that conditions in Tai be investigated, and ways be found to offer assistance."
"But, of course," Youko said with a faint smile. "So far as the other kingdoms are concerned, they're screwed, right?"
Everybody in the room collectively drew their breath. "Your Highness--" scolded Keiki in a small voice.
Koukan and Enho seemed frozen with surprise. Shouryuu drew his brows into something of a scowl. "I think that was uncalled for."
"But it's the truth, isn't it? We stand around watching from the sidelines. Sooner or later the ranka of the new Tai kirin begins to grow. Everything goes back to square one. And in En, nobody's feathers get ruffled."
"Yeah, that's about it," Rokuta answered before Shouryuu could interject.
"Rokuta."
"This custom of not intervening in the internal affairs of other kingdoms is, when you get right down to it, nothing more than an excuse. The fact is, in Youko's case, you went around sticking your fingers into every pie in the kitchen. You just haven't found a good reason to get involved, because the Royal Tai and Taiki aren't around, and can't petition you personally. I dare say, you haven't been trying hard enough to find yourself a good reason, and that's because of that little moat called the Kyokai separating En and Tai."
Shouryuu was on the verge of answering when Rokuta waved his arms wildly. "Don't give me any more of your lame excuses. At the end of the day, you're worried about the refugees. Refugees flowing in from other kingdoms stir too many pots in En. That's why you keep an eye on Kei and Ryuu and track any developments there, and lend a hand if you can. But there's the Kyokai between En and Tai. Not many refugees make it across the Kyokai to En. Compared to Kei, it's almost nothing. Little harm will come to En by standing by and doing nothing."
"You mean because it's not in En's national interest."
"That's what I mean."
"I'm the King of En," Shouryuu said roughly. "So of course I act in En's national interest. You fault me for that? That is the only reason I exist."
Rokuta glanced at Youko, as if seeking out moral support. "That's about the best you can expect out of a guy like him. Even if you're the only one with her shoulder to the wheel, I'll throw my weight behind your efforts. One way or another, I want to get the little pipsqueak back here."
"The little pipsqueak."
"He really was small. And so totally timid. But not without his charms. I've met him on many occasions. If he is suffering wherever he is right now, I want to help him."
"And I'll do whatever I can."
Shouryuu pounded his fist on the table. "Kei herself still hovers on the edge of chaos. Should the Royal Kei be dividing her efforts for the sake of other kingdoms? You're traipsing down the garden path."
"It's the fellowship of the taika. I can't abandon them."
"And as a fellow taika, let me warn you. This is not the time for you to be setting off on such adventures."
"But is En going to act?"
Shouryuu seemed momentarily at a loss for words. "Who do you think I am, first and foremost? I am the servant of En. It's not my job to fix the problems of other kingdoms! En has no end of problems of her own. Are you telling me, the King of En, to put everything on hold and run off and help Tai?"
Youko looked at Rokuta. "Enki, whatever you've got I'm willing to give it a try. The rejuvenation of Kei may be delayed somewhat, but whatever refugees cross the border into En, I believe the good-hearted Royal En will take care of them."
"Youko!"
"Oh, and that reminds me. I think it'd be better to have a contingent of the Imperial Guard organize the refugees in wagon trains and safely escort them to the En border."
Illustration
"That's a good idea."
"The debtor wouldn't be trying to out-bluff the debtee, would she?" objected Shouryuu.
"The same goes for you too," Youko said with a wry smile. "En is the only one of the northern kingdoms that enjoys both wealth and stability. Whenever anything happens in this hemisphere, even if the people stay where they are, they turn to En for help. If Tai goes to the dogs, it's a sure bet that, before long, the entire population will grab anything that floats and head for En. The youma and the Kyokai may stand in their way, but that will soon be their only option."
Youko looked down at her hands. There was no avoiding the fact of how small her hands were.
"Kei is hardly in the position to be looking after the affairs of other kingdoms. We have yet to restore our own fortunes. Even after we turn the corner, shake us upside down by the ankles and we still wouldn't have any surplus to share. But I can't stand by while Tai wastes away. The fate that awaits the people of Tai is the same one that awaits the people of Kei."
"The people of Kei?"
"Nobody lives forever. Nobody reigns forever. I intend to restore Kei to her rightful place. But I can't know for certain if I'll be able to accomplish that goal. There's no guarantee I won't stray from the Way before I can make it happen. And when I'm gone, what becomes of my people? Everything comes down to how we treat Tai now."
Youko turned to her retainers: Keiki, Koukan, and Enho. "I'm sure you are asking yourselves, here we are treading water, and yet we throw our remaining life vests to Tai? I'm fully aware of these feelings. Yet I also feel that I must save Tai. I will do what I can. And not only for the people of Tai. For the people of Kei as well. Against the possibility that the same thing will ever happen to Kei."
"Your Highness--" Keiki raised a warning voice, but Youko shook her head.
"Of course, I have no intent of straying from the Way. I do want to be the best empress I can be. But all the wishing in the world won't necessarily make it so. I don't think any ruler sets out to ruin his kingdom on purpose. And some, like Tai, were brought low by insurrection and revolt. That's why I want to lay down some precedents in preparation for the day that I perish, or stray from the Way. I want to shore up the dikes against the day the floods will come so my pe
ople will have refuge even without an empress."
With that, Youko said to the startled Shouryuu and Rokuta, "I know that every ounce of energy I expend on Tai delays the resuscitation of my own kingdom. The people may become impatient and wish to shake the dust of Kei from their feet. And I can do nothing to stop those who say En is a better place than Kei and choose to emigrate there. Kou has already begun to crumble. Those in the northern quarter of Kou will of course turn to En for help. Asking En to bear the burdens of Kou, Kei and Tai all by herself is asking too much."
I have thought this thing through, Youko said to herself.
"But that is not now the current reality. Kei will grow less chaotic, we will produce our own surpluses in time. What I'm saying is, once we become that kind of kingdom, I want to think about the ways we can help the refugees from other kingdoms. The people flee their kingdoms because they are in chaos. I mean, rather than supporting their homelands out of sheer necessity, they should be proactively assisted. And even when people have not fled their kingdom, policies should be in place so that they can endure until the next king is enthroned."
"Youko--"
"What I'm saying is, there should be some sort of goodwill warehouse. A food bank in each region. In the case of famine or the ravages of war, these warehouses can be opened to assist those in need. Ideally, they would be located between the kingdoms. If a kingdom could not bear the burden, the other kingdoms would consolidate their surpluses and when a refugee problem presented itself, open up those warehouses."
She continued, "I've only thought this through in general terms, but witnessing Risai's flight to Kei, I believe that somewhere, somehow, the establishment of such institutions is necessary. Risai coming here to plead on behalf of her kingdom convinces me that the other kingdoms should be available to intercede and open their warehouses. I hadn't known there were these sins with instantaneous punishments, or about customs of non-intervention. So maybe I'm approaching the subject too simple-mindedly."
"Youko," Rokuta said, half in amazement, "you sure do come up with some interesting ideas."
"Well, it's not really my idea. It's something people in that other world thought up. It didn't exist when you were living there."
"Huh."
Youko said to Shouryuu, "If nobody's done it before, then I want to give it a shot. See how it flies. Can't we petition the other kingdoms and ask for their assistance?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"I'd be happy to try, but as the new girl on the block, I don't think the other rulers will give me so much as a backward glance."
Shouryuu mulled things over for a while. Finally he said, "Everybody's so eager to put us up on this pedestal as the 'great power.' Now it's Tai. Not long ago it was Kei. And now that Kei is finding her feet, Kou is crumbling. To make matters worse, storm clouds are gathering over Ryuu as well. One after the other, En's neighbors have succumbed, falling against us like so many dominoes. I'm not omnipotent, you know. Our storehouses are not inexhaustible. And you want me to shoulder this as well?"
Rokuta turned to the exasperated Shouryuu with a surprised look. "What's this? You never noticed before what's going on here?"
"What?"
Rokuta grinned. "It's because you're the Angel of Death."
Shouryuu frowned at him fiercely. "I'm making my best effort, working as hard as I can, and this is the thanks I get? All right, we'll search for Taiki. I might as well be the one leading the charge."
"Thank you." Youko smiled broadly and bowed her head. "Sometime in the future I promise to repay all the debts I have amassed."
"Those are the terms I should be stating."
"But of course," Youko laughed. "For as long as the Royal En shall live, and until the day En itself descends into chaos, I promise to make Kei all that Kei can be. Set you mind at ease. You can trust me on this."
Chapter 26
Around dinnertime, Youko went to see Risai and inform her that they'd decided to look for Taiki.
"I don't know how much help we'll be able to expect from the other kingdoms, or what kind of search we can mount for Taiki until we actually start sounding them out. For the time being, it is a very small step. But at least we're moving forward."
Risai couldn't find the words to express her gratitude. Youko gave her a smile and hurried out of the parlor. The balance of the time she was devoting to Tai would have to be made up by burning the midnight oil.
"I don't know how to thank her," Risai said to herself.
"It's great, isn't it?" a voice called out. Keikei came into the parlor to tend to his "butler" duties. "If they can get the other rulers from the other kingdoms to pitch in, we'll find him for sure."
"Yes. For sure," echoed Suzu.
Risai could only nod in amazement. Compared to the six years she had battled constantly with despair, with no sign of redemption in sight, new vistas were opening before her eyes.
The salvation of Tai had begun. Such was the joy in her heart that she couldn't fall asleep that night. Lying on her bed, turning Youko's words over in her mind, her joy turned to anxiety halfway through the night.
What if they couldn't find Taiki, despite their efforts? The strong possibility that they would was deeply reassuring. Yet those feelings just as easily turned to hopelessness, and then to fear. It wasn't that she doubted Youko in the slightest. Her life had, for far too long, turned in directions not of her choosing. Her expectations had been dashed, her hopes ruined. And she knew of nothing that would suggest otherwise this time around.
How likely was the happy promise of Taiki returning unharmed? Even if he managed to be found, no end of harm could befall him in the meantime.
Once she started thinking along those lines, her worries made sleep impossible.
Unable to bear the pain bearing down on her chest, with a great deal of effort, Risai struggled out of bed. Her condition had improved enough that Suzu no longer kept an all-night vigil by her bedside, and retired to her own quarters. Suzu wouldn't be there to assist her, but neither would she be there to castigate her for leaving her bed.
Risai made her way along, using the walls and furniture to support her infirmed body, and finally found her way to the doors of the room. She'd only wanted to let in a little night air, but exhausted she sat down on the spot. Being reminded of the disabled state of her body irritated her to no end.
Even when Taiki was brought back, what would they do then?
Using Taiki's "royal sense," they could launch a search for Gyousou. But to do that, they would have to return Taiki to Tai. Could she do something like that? With such a weak constitution, and no ability to wield a sword? She'd be incapable of defending Taiki. Youma and brigands rampaged across Tai. Perhaps her heart was no stronger than her body. Perhaps she'd fled Tai and sought safety within the walls of the Kei Imperial Palace in pursuit of physical and mental relief. Casting a backward glance at the place from which she'd come, Tai was nothing if not a fearsome place. She could not imagine taking Taiki there.
Risai sat on the promenade and leaned against the wall with an air of melancholy. Beyond the eaves, moonlight shone down on the courtyard. She heard the lonely trill of a cicada from somewhere out in the darkness.
She didn't know what they would do after Taiki returned. She wasn't sure he would return, or that they could save Tai. She held onto these beliefs without reason, at some point in time having become far too accustomed to steeling her heart against failure and disappointment.
It was like heaven and hell had allied themselves against Tai. How many years had passed since Gyousou had disappeared? The Koushi ceremony was said to bring reason and order to the world. Had Asen performed the Koushi, and could there be reason and order in the world if the true king did not perform the ceremony?
In any case, the chaos in Tai had been underway ever since the throne had been vacated.
Several summers after losing Gyousou, Risai's search brought her to Bun Province. Secretly, in order to escape discover
y by Asen, relying on intermediaries and seeking asylum from old and trusted friends, she headed towards Tetsui. Gyousou had previously vanished from a camp in Rin'u.
Rin'u had originally been the only city in Bun Province that was home to a gemstone fountain. The oldest gemstone fountain was in Mt. Kan'you, and fountains of varying sizes spotted the landscape around it. "Company towns" were located hither and yon at the base of the mines. Though most of them had played out, news of the occasional active fountain was still heard. Even those mines had suddenly run dry. Risai couldn't say whether they too had been touched by the widening gyre of anarchy.
She found little of substance in the neighborhoods of Rin'u. The people of Tetsui would probably know more about Gyousou's whereabouts. She even harbored the hope that they might be hiding him. But when she arrived there, she found the city burned to the ground. Only the charred rubble remained. Tetsui had been abandoned. Not a breath of human life among the scarred remains. Only the shrine altar had been left unburnt, and atop it, an offering of white keihaku flowers.
The citizens of Tetsui who remained must have come here, under cover of darkness, to pray for Gyousou's safe return.
Next to the shrine, the withered riboku, scorched by the flames, stood alone forlorn and dejected. The desolate sight impressed upon Risai that, like it or not, Tai was a kingdom whose center could no longer hold. Falling apart was the only option it had left.
Risai as well had to mingle with the shadows of the night, avoiding human contact, and hiding herself from sight. She crept along the streets, looking for anybody who might knew where Gyousou was, or Eikyou or Gashin or the locations of their forces. She met with little success.
She learned that there'd been a pitched battle outside Rin'u between local rebels and the Imperial Guard, and that subsequently the Imperial Guard had grown skittish and unable to respond in force to further rebel attacks. That battle probably occurred around the time Gyousou disappeared.
It would not be that unusual for a king to get struck down amidst the fog of war. But not a king like Gyousou. Gyousou was renowned as a swordsman. No one was reckless enough to take him on in a fair fight. Except that he was leading Asen's army. Gyousou had trusted Asen and Asen's underlings. And at the height of the battle, they would be the ones watching his back. They could have overwhelmed him with superior numbers, or captured and restrained him. But did Gyousou really trust Asen that much? Considering that Gyousou had divided Asen's forces, perhaps he'd doubted Asen from the start.
