Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Prologue

did not reflect as clearly as they did back at his old home, but,  although he understood this much, he still felt as if his reflection in the mirrors was not the same as it used to  be, no matter how he looked at it.
    He had never looked at himself very closely in the mirror before, so he wasn't able to say where exactly  he was different, but the person in the mirror looked like someone else. He didn't know the reason, but it was  as if the change had occurred when he had first gone through the tunnel full of white mist.
    Right now he had also felt out clearly his own role on Mt. Hou. The nyosen would take care of the  organization of an ordinary day. All he had to do was to get up at a proper time and go to bed at a proper  time. When he was awake, he wasn't required to do anything. He just looked around everywhere and asked  the nyosen questions, all in order to get basic knowledge about life on Mt. Hou. This was his homework on  Mt. Hou.
    The nyosen who protected Taiki and carried with them an unmatched love and at the same time an  endless concern, could finally stop worrying.
    "In the beginning I was really so fretful," said one of the nyosen who were spreading a cloth over  jasmine flowers in order to dry it in the sun. The scent of the flowers covered by the cloth became stronger.
    "After all, there has never been a kirin that has spent more than ten years away from Mt. Hou."
    Youka also lifted a cloth up and gazed at that other nyosen briefly. "It doesn't matter how many years  they've been gone. A kirin is always a kirin. It's not like they'll change."
    "I guess you're right."
    The other nyosen who were folding cloths all laughed. The cloths had all absorbed the smell of the  jasmine flowers and were giving off a clear fragrance.
    "But in any case, he did grow up in Hourai, so there are still some things that are strange about him.
    Fortunately, none of it makes anyone uncomfortable."
    Youka heard this and put her hands on her hips. "How can you say that Taiki is strange!? He's much  easier to approach than the kirin who are born and grow up on Mt. Hou! If anything, we should be grateful!"
    The nyosen who were folding clothes around the area burst into laughter.
    "Youka really favors Taiki!"
    "So what!?"
    The nyosen completely surrounded the determined Youka and waved the cloths around her feet as if  they were performing the ribbon dance, and then with another shout, they spread out.
    Teiei watched them and couldn't help but laugh as well. "All right, you girls stop picking on Youka."
    The nyosen of Mt. Hou are generally a very lively bunch, but because their work is to take care of  kirin, if a kirin is not around, they can get low-spirited as well. Especially in a situation like before when  they didn't even know the whereabouts of the kirin, they had all been like balloons that had lost their air.
    Of course, there isn't always a kirin on Mt. Hou. In fact, the length of time when they are away is  probably greater than when they are present. When the kirin aren't there, the nyosen still draw water, wash  clothes or weave fabrics regardless. Everything they do is for themselves, so they do it all without much  enthusiasm. However, right now things were not like that! Right now, a kirin was living on Mt. Hou!
    Therefore, all the nyosen were also very excited. The nyosen were very fond of kirin, especially toward  this one. In actuality, none of the nyosen really had the liberty to laugh at Youka for favoring Taiki, because  of the fifty-some nyosen, almost all of them adored him.
    In regard to their poking fun at Youka's favoritism, it was probably a little bit of envy because Taiki  and Youka were comparatively closer.
    "Youka!" A crisp and clear child's voice came from far away.
    All the nyosen stopped what they were doing and turned to look at where the voice had come from.
    Just then, Taiki came down a path, running towards the open area.
    "Hide me! Hide me!" said Taiki between breaths as he ran toward Youka and hid behind her.
    "Taiki just wants to be friends with Youka!"
    "That's what I was saying!"
    The nyosen laughed and used the cloths they were holding to cover Taiki up. The little body that hid  between the jasmine bushes and Youka was completely covered by the cloths in the blink of an eye.
    The nyosen giggled. At this time, a shadow appeared on the ground. It was Sanshi coming down from  the rocks. The nyosen then all pointed to the eastern path.
    "He's over there,