Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Chapter 7

feat. Once, the late king had asked King En to grant me a duel."
    "Did you win?"
    "I lost," laughed Gyousou happily. "We fought three times, and I only won once. The late king was  very pleased with my one victory, so he bestowed this sword upon me. I do not use this sword to fight with,  so it really is a treasure."

    "King En is truly very powerful."
    "He was too much for me, but I tried my best." At this, that frightening expression reappeared on  Gyousou's face. "Had I also lived five-hundred years, I believe that King En would not be a match for me."
    This was Gyousou's utmost confidence in himself.
    If he hadn't said it with such a serious tone, it might not have scared Taiki. It was just this expression  that appeared every now and then that really frightened him.
    "I would also very much like to have a sugu..."
    Risai looked at Keito. Gyousou quickly replied, "I know a good place to look for them. Why don't I  take you there?"
    "Really?"
    "I have almost completed everything here that I came to do. I was thinking that perhaps I could find  another sugu before the next Ankou Day."
    "You already have Keito. You wanted another one?"
    "If I could get another sugu, then Keito could rest more. Three might be too many, but I think two is  a perfect number."
    "I understand your meaning. It's just that...are you really willing to let others know where to find  them?"
    "Why not? If a person wants one, they should catch one for themselves."
    "Aren't you afraid that other people will exhaust the place of sugu?"
    Gyousou laughed lightly. "What is there to be afraid of? Those who want to become master to a sugu  are required to have many skills."
    - - - - -
    After they left Gyousou, Taiki let out a big sigh, but he knew that he was still very anxious.
    "What's the matter?"
    "Nothing..."
    Risai could see Taiki's mood in his face.
    "Kou, are you still afraid of Sir Gyousou?"
    "Madam Risai, it seems like you don't feel it at all."
    "I think that he is able to strike fear into the hearts of all the enemies who face him... What I mean is,  he truly makes other people feel a little nervous."
    "So that's it..."
    "He has a frightful ambition. You see a friendly dog and relax, but then you realize that it's really a  wolf, and so you're paralyzed with fear. Do you know that feeling?"
    This had perfectly described his emotions.
    "I know exactly what you're saying."

    Risai murmured, "It is just as the rumors said. He has an extraordinary ambition... It's too bad he's not  the king."
    "Really?" Taiki was truly afraid of Gyousou.
    Risai nodded. "A ruler isn't simply a good person. A ruler who is too compassionate will lead his  kingdom astray, and one who is too modest will bring his kingdom to ruin... I sincerely believed that Sir  Gyousou was the one."
    "Madam Risai, do you really mean that?"
    Risai looked at Taiki, whose head was raised toward her, and smiled. "After meeting Sir Gyousou, I  am a little embarrassed that I came to climb the mountain. --Sir Gyousou is really the strongest of the  strong."
    "It doesn't look like there's a ruler among those who have climbed the mountain."
    When Youka said this, a month and a half had already passed since the summer solstice.
    It was late at night with the moon high in the sky, and the insects chirped continuously.
    "Then...it should be okay if we don't go to Hoto Palace tomorrow, right?"
    Youka nodded as she tidied up the bed.
    Sanshi silently helped Taiki change clothes.
    "I suppose we could just close the gates of the outer palace. That way, we can let everyone know that  they should stop hoping."
    "And then what?"
    "And then we let things happen. If you want to go outside and play, you might as well."
    "Really?"
    "Yes, since there'll be people to help us watch out for you. You're probably going to look for Sir  Gyousou and Madam Risai, right? As long as those two are there, then we don't need to worry. Also, Sanshi  will be by your side."
    After that day when he talked to Gyousou, Taiki always stopped by to visit him.
    Ordinarily, he would first pay a visit to Risai, and then after he played with Hien, he would visit  Gyousou. Eventually, it became an unexpected sort of routine.
    Occasionally, Gyousou still made Taiki's heart jump, but after a while, he got used to that too. There  were normally very few men on Mt. Hou, so after Taiki became familiar with Gyousou, if he didn't visit him,  he would feel as if something was missing.
    "Then..." Taiki looked up at