The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

like Shoukou and beating the crap out of farmers. That's not the kind of soldiering I care to do."
    "I see."
    "But it'd be nice if I could follow through on something like that."
    "How so?"
    Koshou tore his eyes away from the sansui and laughed bitterly. "When you're a soldier, you don't need to go to school, and it doesn't matter where you came from. If I could become a soldier somewhere, I could send Sekki away from Wa Province. He's got a good head on his shoulders, so I want to do what I can to make sure he succeeds in life. I want to take him away from here, but until he turns twenty, I got to find work somewhere. Even if I'm looking for a wife, he's coming along, too."
    Koshou and Sekki didn't have parents. They'd been in the care of the orphanage until Koshou turned twenty. When he got his independence, Koshou took custody of Sekki. Unfortunately, Koshou had been born in Takuhou, and there was a surplus of land in Takuhou. Not because the amount of land was growing but because the population was shrinking due to the constant turmoil. Many farmers abandoned the land. The unluckier ones stayed and died.
    Sekki was registered on the Takuhou census as well, so it was pretty much assured that when he turned twenty, he would get a partition in Takuhou. Even if he wanted to sell out and buy a shop in the city, land elsewhere was more valuable. Those landowners would have the upper hand when it came to making advantageous deals for themselves.
    "If he hung in there and attended a local secondary school, it'd have to be a school in Wa. If Sekki demonstrated promise, he could go to university or at least the provincial academy and become a civil servant. But he'd still be stuck in Wa. Even if I found myself a wife and transferred my partition, Sekki couldn't come with me. That's how things stand now. To do right by Sekki, I'd have to become a soldier in another province, and Sekki would have to find a wife there as well . . . . "
    With that, Koshou clapped his hands. "Well, Suzu, how are things going?"
    "Oh, stop it." Suzu playfully hit Koshou with the basket she was gathering the greens with. "That kind of thinking isn't like you at all. Wouldn't it be better to make Wa Province a nice place to live by the time Sekki turns twenty?"
    Koshou grinned. "That's for sure."
    Sekki piped up, "Rather than what worries others, what about what worries me?"
    At the sound of his voice, Suzu and Koshou started and turned to the main wing of the inn.
    "For example, even if we went to another province, I wouldn't stop worrying about my big brother. Being short tempered and liable to fly off at the handle and all."
    Sekki ignored the glare Koshou directed at him and smiled at Suzu. "It's just about lunchtime."

    Most of the guests staying at the inn had some reason for being there, so the lion's share of the income was earned at mealtimes. The old man who stood guard in the kitchen was not without talent, and kept the tavern neat and trim. As a consequence, it had gained some small fame in this forlorn corner of the city. The clientele, though, was anything but "high class."
    Because alcohol was served, bar fights were the norm. If Koshou wasn't there, things tended to get out of control. "Business has really picked up, thanks to you, Suzu," Sekki laughed as they prepared the noonday meal.
    "Don't be silly."
    "A girl is a strange sight around here. Many have returned, but women are still scarce in Kei. It's because the last empress had them all expelled."
    "Oh."
    "And because they were glad to get away from a dump like this, they're not eager to return. Those who know a craft or have some sort of ability aren't coming back. It's going to take some time."
    After lunch, the only hangers-on were the same men who always hung out in the tavern. There definitely was not a woman in sight. Not a one. It was very odd.
    And then she came into the tavern.
    Suzu was wiping down the tables and stopped what she was doing. The girl wore a shabby-looking overcoat that made her look like a boy. But having met her before, Suzu knew at once she was a girl.
    "It's you . . . . "
    And that unforgettable crimson hair.
    The girl's gaze fell upon her and her eyes widened. "You must be Suzu."
    "Yes," Suzu nodded. "Thank you, for before."
    The girl had tended to Seishuu when he was run over and killed. Since then, Suzu hadn't had the chance to express her gratitude.
    "No need to thank me," the girl said, shaking her head.
    Suzu pulled out a chair for her.