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protrusions. He felt a lot like Mt. Hou. It was not known where Genbu came from. His neck and shell were not the
slightest bit damp. In the middle of the shell, there was a very small palace hall. There was no one inside, as if it was
there for a night's stay and rest.
In the journey of this turtle--it wouldn't be right it a boat--Hakkei Palace, the royal palace of Tai Kingdom had already
begun preparing various items for the welcome of the king.
Taiki stood in the front part of the shell, and the first thing that entered his view was a steeply shaped small island.
As they became closer, he discovered that on the horseshoe shaped island, along the bay, there were an unclear
number of towering buildings.
The walls and the pillars and railings were all white. The blue of the roof was deeper than that of Houro Palace. The
winds around the inlet were still and tranquil. The images reflecting off of the surface of the water looked from the air
like a beautiful painting.
"That is Hakkei Palace. It is beautiful, is it not?"
A little lost in thought, Taiki nodded at the sound of Gyousou's voice.
"Those are the Outer Halls of the government. The ones on the other side should be the Inner Halls." Gyousou
raised his hand and gestured.
 "Kouri, when the time comes, you will live in Jinju Hall. It is over there." Gyousou pointed at a structure by the water.
"I'm living there too? Don't I serve you?"
"Yes, Kouri. Although it can be said that you are a minister, you are not like the other ministers. If we were to use a
boat as an analogy for the kingdom, the ruler is the sail and the kirin is the anchor. One cannot be without the other."
"Yes..."
Genbu finally arrived at the inlet. A countless number of flags had been placed all around the royal palace. A great
number of people were arranged neatly in front of the big structure, all prostrating on the ground. For the second time,
Genbu rested his head on the shore to let the two disembark.
Passing through the prostrated crowd, the two people proceeded towards the palace in the front. They received the
congratulations of the group of people, however Taiki was in a state of dismay.
Whether if it was those who knelt before him or those who served him, he had long gotten used to it. He was already
accustomed to a life of luxury. The standard of the things prepared in the royal palace were far from that of Houro
Palace.
He wanted badly to call Sanshi to come out and hold his hand. But Youka had already told him time and time again
that when he chose a ruler and left the mountain for his home kingdom, he would be considered an adult. Sanshi no
longer performed the role of his wet nurse, but that of a shirei. A shirei could not be called out in the midst of a crowd
as he pleased.
Thus, only after an entire day of ceremony ended and after he returned to his room and let the curtains above his bed
down was he able to really relax.
"Sanshi..."
Eight attendants lived in the room next door and satisfied Taiki's requests as necessary. So, he quietly called out
Sanshi's name.
"Is everything all right?"
Every time Sanshi would immediately appear in front of Taiki, yet this time, he heard only her voice, but he didn't see
her.
"Sanshi."
"You are already an adult. I cannot appear whenever you call me."
"You can't?" Taiki sat on a big blanket, though the blankets at Rosen Palace were much bigger than this.
"Although you cannot see me, I will always be by your side."
"But..."
"Goodnight."
Since this was all Sanshi said, there was nothing for Taiki to do but to lay down obediently, but he wasn't tired at all.
Suddenly, he smiled. He could feel two hands reach out from under the bedding with his fingers. He knew those were
Sanshi's hands.
Sanshi's hands tightly held Taiki's hands
"...Goodnight."
"Hnn."
It was very hard for him to calmly close his eyes. He slept very shallowly. Even the dream he had was very clear in
Taiki's mind. It had been a nightmare.
2
When a kirin arrived in his native kingdom, he assisted the ruler in governmental affairs in his position as Saiho. It
didn't matter how old or young he was, the kirin could not avoid the responsibility he was born into.
Taiki had to begin playing the role of Saiho.
When the time came, he had to get out of bed and put on clothes that conformed with the protocol of his position;
when the time came, he had to go to the Outer Halls and attend the Morning Council. After that, it was necessary for
him to be present at the king's side and assist in government. For the time being, he could only sit at one side and
listen, because that was the kirin's responsibility and duty.
After midday had passed and the afternoon's work was finished, the king would retire to his quarters. The Saiho
could then also retire to his own room, but until Gyousou went to bed, he did not leave his side.
Currently, Gyousou's first order of business was to prepare for his own coronation ceremony.
On another side, he also had to formulate a new organization. Of the things that the previous king had left behind,
the things that should be kept will be kept, and the things that should be discarded will be discarded. Other things like
the appointments and dismissals of the ministers and the modifications of law are also quite important issues.
"How do you want to address the Daishi's complaints?"
Gyousou laid on a couch in his room as he looked over official documents. Taiki sat on the floor nearby.
"Pay no attention to him."
It was because the previous king was excessively extravagant that he eventually lost his way. Gyousou understood
that for this reason, he had to reduce the number of those who served him to as few as possible. As a result, many
attendants and court ladies did not have much to do. Even the palace halls not frequently used were locked up.
The Daishi was the head of the palace musicians. He complained that the king had dismissed too many musicians.
"I am a military man after all. I will simply tell him that I do not understand music."
 "...But, it will also be difficult for those people who were dismissed..."
"Do you know how many musicians the previous king left behind?"
Taiki shook his head. "No."
"I do not know either. However, I am certain the number is extraordinarily high. It seemed like every time I went into
the Inner Halls, a different piece of music would rise out of each palace hall. Also, there was never a break in the music
over the course of an entire day. The musicians would play, regardless of whether or not the king was in the Inner
Halls or not. We could even hear the music during the Morning Council."
"Is that so...?"
"The talented musicians in the palace should have no trouble finding other employment. We will keep a few of the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]