Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Prologue

everything, so it's so hard to think of myself as their  master."
    "Your way of thinking is very strange."
    "Really...?"
    Taiki's voice sounded once more like it was full of sadness, causing Keiki to panic again. In his mind,  he couldn't help but think that he clearly wasn't suited to play this part, just like he had told Gyokuyou. He  didn't know what she had been thinking when she asked him to come.
    "Ah, I was not criticizing you."
    "Yes..." Taiki nodded his head, and said in a small voice, "It's like this at home too."
    "At home?"
    "Yes, at my home in Hourai. I could never win the love of my granny or my mom. I always made mistakes and granny would get mad, and my mom and dad would always sigh."
    The occurrence of the shoku that swept Taiki to Hourai was still clear in Keiki's memory. He had still  been on Mt. Hou at that time.
    "And then, Sanshi came to get me and I arrived at Mt. Hou. The nyosen all told me that my real home  was Houro Palace, and then I suddenly understood. Because I was not originally my parents' real child, so  60
    nothing I did was ever right. But...it's the same at Houro Palace. Though no one lectures me or cries because  of me, I still have no way of making everybody happy. I often think that perhaps I'm not a real kirin. If I'm  not, then I'm not supposed to be staying at Houro Palace, just like I wasn't supposed to be at my other home."
    Keiki finally understood. Taiki had left a place he had lived in for ten years before coming to Mt. Hou.  Keiki thought that it was just like the bit of sadness he had felt before, when he had to leave Mt. Hou. Not to  mention that the small child in front of him was someone who cried and became discouraged very easily!
    "You are a kirin. This fact, you need not doubt."
    "Really?"
    "A kirin can recognize other kirin. You definitely emanate the spirit of a kirin."
    Taiki looked up at Keiki.
    "It is something like a golden radiance. I can see it very clearly, so I'm sure that I am not wrong."
    Taiki heard this and looked at himself, and then he looked around Keiki.
    "But I...can't see it."
    "That's probably because your powers have not yet been completely released. At any rate, it is  absolutely certain that you are a kirin."
    "Then...can I stay on Mt. Hou? Even though I can't do any of the things a kirin should do?"
    "Yes."
    Taiki let out a sigh of relief and then blinked his eyes again.
    "Could it be...that you miss your home in Hourai?"
    "Yes, I think about it often, but then I feel guilty toward the nyosen again."
    "I don't have a mother, so I don't understand... Do you miss her?"
    Keiou missed her late mother very much and often thought of her home. So much so that sometimes  she would yell at Keiki and demanded that he let her return to the life she once had.
    "You don't have a mother?"
    "Most kirin do not."
    "Then I guess I'm lucky."
    "But we have our nyokai and nyosen... However, you have a mother. Do you very much hope to see  her again?"
    Taiki didn't say anything. He just nodded his head vigorously.
    "You don't need to feel ashamed toward the nyosen."
    Hearing Keiki say this, Taiki lightly nodded his head.
    "But I'm not that family's child, so there's no use in thinking about my mother."
    "I see."
    "The nyosen are so good to me. If I keep thinking of home, there will definitely be a punishment."
    "There won't."
    "Really?"
    "Of course."
    Taiki began to sob quietly. He hugged his knees and buried his face between his legs. At this, Keiki  panicked and wondered if this counted as him making Taiki cry.
    "Ah... Taiki...?"
    "I'm sorry..." After Taiki said this, he shrunk his body even smaller. Keiki was at a complete loss as to  what to do. Taiki's steel-colored hair hung down, revealing his thin neck, making him look that much more  helpless, as did his shoulders, which were wrapped around his knees. Keiki hesitated a little and then  attempted to put his hand upon Taiki's shoulder.
    "I'm sorry..." apologized Taiki again, which confused Keiki.
    "You do not have to apologize."
    Hearing Keiki say this, Taiki began to bawl. Keiki emulated the nyosen and pulled Taiki into an  embrace, and Taiki also hugged him tightly. Seeing Taiki so sad, of course Keiki empathized with him, but it  was Taiki's warmth that caused Keiki to feel fondness for him. He lightly stroked Taiki's head and Taiki  hugged him even more tightly, saying between sobs, "I...really want to go home..."
    "I understand."
    "I miss my mom..."
    Hearing Taiki say this,