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

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."

    Taiki encountered a fight on his way back from taking a stroll around after he had left the tenba.
    Not a small amount of people had gathered at a place in front of him, and Taiki was wondering what  was going on when he heard the nyosen whispering. He heard the word "fight" and anxiously grabbed onto  the lower part of Youka's dress.
    Regardless of what kind of creature was involved, any sort of violence frightened Taiki for the same  reason that he was scared of blood. But it wasn't that he was fearful of getting hit. It was the actual act of  hitting that he was afraid of, and at the same time, he was terrified of the people who did such things.
    "Why is there a commotion?"
    It wasn't until they heard the nyosen's voice that the people noticed that Taiki had arrived, whereupon  they bowed down.
    "Uh... That is..."
    The masters of Mt. Hou inherently hate blood and violence, so incidents that cause bloodshed are  strictly prohibited here. However, when they do occur, those who caused the trouble are immediately  expelled from Mt. Hou.
    "Really! How can you people from Tai Kingdom be so careless and hot-blooded!" A nyosen couldn't  hold it in any longer and yelled at them as she approached the crowd.
    Because every kingdom had different local customs and practices, they all also had their own  national character. The people of Tai Kingdom were famous for their drive to outdo others. Originally, every  kingdom's characteristics would also flow into their kirin, but exceptions do occur.

    "Stop! Where do you think you are?"
    When the crowd of spectators heard the nyosen, they opened up a path.
    In the middle of the gathering stood two men. One of them was a big fellow, built like a rock and  holding a long sword. By comparison, the other man whose hands were held in fists, looked short, though  one could see that he still had a capable figure. The latter of the two men was wearing a sword, but he had  not drawn it. Also, any discerning person could tell that this spirited man, though shorter, was superior to the  other.
    It was this bold man who had attracted Taiki's attention.
    His black armor contrasted sharply with his white hair, and the sun had made his complexion dark.
    He was tall, and his physique and movements were frighteningly agile, giving off the impression that he was  a fierce beast.
    The nyosen passed through layer after layer of people, intending to put a stop to this fight, not  expecting that the fight had already resolved itself. After dodging an attack from the sword, the bare-handed  man had knocked the big fellow over with his fist.
    The big fellow hit the ground and was not able to get back up. The man looked at him and said,  "How dare you draw your sword in the honorable residence of the Mt. Hou Kou! You should be extending  our gratitude to the Kou."
    The man's movements did not contain even a bit of the arrogance of a winner, and his speech held a  modest tone.
    After he said these things coldly, he turned and met Taiki's line of sight.
    --The man's eyes were crimson, like the color of blood.
    Taiki couldn't help but grab Youka's dress tightly. Taiki feared this man from the deepest part of his  heart.
    As Taiki, who was ready to leave, tugged at Youka, the man slowly made his way over and kneeled  to him.
    "I didn't think the Mt. Hou Kou would be here as well."
    The man's expression softened greatly, very much warming Taiki's first impression of him. People  came to greet Taiki, so he had no choice but to stand there, tightening his grip on Youka's dress.
    "I'm extremely sorry to have done such disrespectful things here. I must ask the Kou of Mt. Hou to  please forgive me."
    Taiki wasn't able to reply, so Youka spoke to the man for him.
    "Please refrain from cause any more trouble on Mt. Hou."
    "I