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

will become accustomed to it very quickly."
    "Yes..."
    Risai smiled at the slightly troubled Taiki and then looked up at Gyousou. "Actually, besides coming  especially to congratulate you, I have also come to bid you farewell."
    Gyousou furrowed his brow. "Are you leaving the mountain?"
    "Yes. On the one hand, I feel as if it is time I should be returning, so I will descend the mountain with  those who are leaving tomorrow."
    Gyousou nodded. "That's good. You must take good care of yourself. When the time comes, we will  meet again in Tai Kingdom."
    "Yes. Thank you for your grace."
    - - - - -
    After the brief meeting, seeing Risai getting ready to leave Tankei Palace, Taiki turned to Gyousou  and asked, "Can I see Madam Risai off?"
    Gyousou smiled.
    "Go ahead." Just as he finished speaking, Gyousou suddenly raised his hand. "Ah, Risai."
    "Yes?"
    "The Kingun is short one general. What do you think?"
    Facing Gyousou's invitation, Risai smiled calmly. "I believe that there must be other candidates more  suited to this position than I. Compared to the merits and character of each general, I am lacking by far. I  believe that there are more appropriate candidates that my lord should be able to promote."
    "I understand." Gyousou smiled just slightly, and with his eyes, he indicated that Risai could depart.
    After Risai took a bow and exited the palace, Taiki went after her and caught up with her.
    "Madam Risai, don't you want to be a general of the Kingun?" Taiki walked with Risai upon the  narrow paths amid the strange crags.
    "It is not that I do not want to. I just believe that there should be other candidates who are better than  I am. I would like to give the position up to an even more exceptional person."
    "Madam Risai, you really are great," Taiki mumbled to himself.
    Risai saw that Taiki's face was full of worry and asked with concern, "You seem to be very weary. Is  there something on your mind?"
    "No."

    No matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem as if nothing was wrong.
    "Is there something bothering you?" asked Risai once more. Taiki lifted his head and looked at Risai.
    "Madam Risai, since Gyousou has turned out to be the king, are you happy?"
    Risai blinked her eyes and understood what was troubling Taiki. "Of course I am happy. Do you  remember? I had said to you before that Sir Gyousou would certainly make an excellent king..."
    "Of course I remember."
    "If it had not been Sir Gyousou, and instead been I who was chosen, I do not think that even I could  have convinced myself of the fact. To become the ruler of one's own kingdom, you need to have the  admiration of the people, as well as their whole-hearted respect. That is what a truly good leader is. You  have made the right choice. For that, I thank you."
    Taiki wanted to smile, but he couldn't.
    "Kou, do not think about it too much. The ruler is decided by the Heavens."
    Risai's words of comfort were like a sharp pain stabbing into his heart.
    - - - - -
    "Taiho, why do you look so unhappy?" asked Gyousou, after he saw Taiki coming back into the  palace, having seen Risai off.
    "It's nothing."
    "It seemed like Risai also felt uncertain... Every time I look at you, I feel as if I had kidnapped you."
    "No..."
    Youka, who had been at the side holding back, smiled. "However, when the Taiho has to leave Mt.  Hou, it will become very lonely here, like when he was still very little, he was initially in Hourai. Then, it  wasn't easy to get used to life over here, and now he has to depart again."
    Gyousou nodded. But Youka's words shook Taiki's heart. He hadn't even thought of the day he had to  leave Mt. Hou and the nyosen. Gyousou beckoned to Taiki.
    "...When you were in Hourai, what was your name?" Taiki hesitantly walked to Gyousou's side.
    Gyousou laughed, "Everyone calls you Taiho. I fear that asking you to shoulder this great responsibility in  such a short time might be overwhelming. Come, tell me your name."
    "...Takasato Kaname."
    On the palm of his hand, he wrote out the characters of his name. Gyousou laughed. “A very good  name. You are literally „important" to Tai Kingdom.” [note: the character for kaname can mean  ‘important.’]
    Taiki shut his eyes.
    "Your surname is very interesting. Did you know that there is also a peak on Mt. Hou called Kouri?"  [note: takasato and kouri are written with similar characters.]
    "No."
    "It is said that the souls of the dead will return to this place. If you add a grass radical to