Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Prologue

thus they are also called "Mt. Hou Kou."
    Teiei nodded her head.
    "There is no bigger responsibility than taking care of the kirin, but there is also no greater happiness.
    When the Taika hatches, you should also help us take care of him. However, you must be very careful."
    Teiei's words made Youka's eyes glimmer.
    "Can I help? Really?"
    Actually, Youka had felt a little dissatisfied. Serving the kirin was an important job for the nyosen on  Mt. Hou. The remaining jobs were only a few chores. There was a young kirin on Mt. Hou at the time, but  because Youka was new, she had not been able to join the task of caring for the kirin.
    Teiei laughed.
    "But you have to figure out the lay of the land first."
    "Yes!"
    Youka nodded vigorously.
    A few days ago, the Shashinboku finally bore another fruit, and this one was called "Taika."
    Youka's thoughts had already drifted over onto that little fruit.
    The time from when the Taika is formed to when the kirin is hatched is ten months. A newly born little  kirin is extremely adorable. To be able to get so close to the little kirin in order to take care of it, she only  had to think of such a situation and she would become so happy, she could not help but laugh.
    More poppy flower petals floated from somewhere, silently dropping onto the surface of the water...
    "Are those poppies?"
    Someone from behind suddenly spoke to them, and Teiei stopped picking up the petals. She turned  around and saw a woman coming out of Kaidou Palace, which was near Kaidou Spring.
    Youka looked at the woman uncertainly as she had an unfamiliar face. She couldn't tell her age by her  appearance. She looked like she was very young, but she also looked as if she had already passed middle  age. She was wearing clothes and accessories that were more magnificent than the ordinary nyosen, and  from this, Youka could tell that her status was definitely very high.
    "Genkun!"
    Teiei kneeled hurriedly. This scared Youka and she quickly kneeled down with Teiei.
    This woman was the head of the nyosen at Houro Palace, Tensen Gyokujo Hekika Genkun--
    Gyokuyou.
    "They're probably flowers from the poppy garden that were blown here by the wind."
    Teiei replied. Gyokuyou lifted her pretty face and looked at the sky through an opening in the crags.
    "The wind is blowing quite strangely today."
    Gyokuyou wrinkled her brow as she stared at the sky for a moment, and then she turned to look at  Youka.
    "You're called Youka? Have you gotten used to life on Mt. Hou yet?"
    Gyokuyou had spoken to Youka so suddenly that for a time, she didn't know quite what to do.
    Before she became a nyosen, Youka had only heard Gyokuyou mentioned in legends, a distant figure.
    Now that this honorable goddess was standing right in front of her and had spoken to her, how could she not  panic?
    "Y...yes."
    "But she still gets lost!"
    Teiei grinned as she added this. Youka heard this and turned red again.
    Gyokuyou's laugh sounded like a silver bell.
    "Everyone is like this when they first arrive. Even Teiei got lost a long time ago. You'll be fine in a  little while."
    Youka secretly glanced at Teiei, who was also laughing.
    "That's right. Youka's memory is much better than mine. She's also diligent and isn't afraid of getting  tired."
    Gyokuyou gave a tiny smile.
    "That's wonderful."
    Youka's face became a deeper red.
    "N...no. I still make mistakes often and get lectured."
    "Of course you'll get lectured before you become experienced. You shouldn't take it too seriously."
    "Yes."
    Gyokuyou looked at Youka, who was the kneeling down with her forehead earnestly on the ground,  and smiled again. She then looked at Teiei who was also smiling at Youka.
    "That's right, I've heard that the Nyokai of Tai has been born."
    "Yes."
    Gyokuyou did not often stay at Houro Palace. Her whereabouts drifted from place to place. Even Teiei  didn't know where she ordinarily was, nor did she know when or where she would appear. Though Teiei was  very curious, this was not something that a good nyosen could ask about.
    "What's her name?"
    "Sanshi."
    "Where is Sanshi right now?"
    "She is standing guard under the Shashinboku, never stepping away an inch."
    When she heard Teiei say this, Gyokuyou raised her red lips into a smile.
    "The devotion a nyokai has for her kirin is extremely deep!"
    Teiei also smiled and nodded.
    A kirin did not have parents, yet the nyokai was very similar to a kirin's parent, as she was responsible  for protecting them. A