The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

well past their primes. Like the madam, they were friends of Koshou.
    The character of a city depended a great deal on where you were. In most cases, the urban centers bordered the government offices to the south, with commercial markets located along the loop road. For both markets and residential areas, the low rent districts were found in the west, and trended richer toward the east.
    "In fact, urban neighborhoods are supposed to be located in the northern section," Sekki instructed Suzu. The two of them were cleaning up around the forlorn brothel.
    "Why?"
    "Don't know. It seems to have been that way in older cities. That's what it says in really old books: the government compound is located in the center, and the commoners' residences are built to the north. In such a city, the west would enjoy a higher social status than the east. But most cities are the exact opposite."
    Suzu said, "In all the cities I've been to, the most crowded areas are in the south, family estates in the center, and mausoleums and temples in the north."
    "That's how it is, isn't it? You very often find that things are the opposite in cities that have been around for a long time, that haven't met with disaster. At some point, it all got turned upside down. It really is quite odd."
    "Are you interested in things like that, Sekki?"
    "Yeah," Sekki nodded, as he washed the cooking utensils.
    "It's too bad you had to quit school."
    "Yeah. But I don't think this is the time to indulge such thoughts. It would have been nice to be born in an era when a worthy empress resided in the capital and the kingdom was at peace, but that's just the way things are."
    "It would have been nice to have been born in En or Sou."
    Sekki smiled bitterly. "Unfortunately, imagining doesn't make it so. I was born in Kei. At the end of the day, you're born where you're born, and you can only change so much after that."
    "You really do have a good head on your shoulders, Sekki. I understand why Koshou is so disappointed in the way things have turned out."
    "I do worry about my big brother. It's in his nature to get more upset about what happens to others than to himself. He's always making other people's fights his own. But taking on something this big is amazing."
    Suzu stopped what she was doing for a moment and blinked. "You don't agree with what he's doing?"
    "That's not what I mean. But as much as the people of this town make my brother mad, he doesn't get mad at Shoukou. In other words, if he got really worried and started thinking seriously about how to dispose of Shoukou, he'd conclude it'd be better to go on living and putting up with whatever came his way."
    "I get that." Suzu gazed at her hands. Getting injured always hurt. After a while, you reflexively became afraid of the pain. So you soldiered on in order to escape the pain. But at the same time, the soldiering on began to feel like an accomplishment, when nothing was actually changing.
    Sekki sighed. "But what if my brother attacks Shoukou and fails? Shoukou will become enraged, and life will only get worse for the people of Shisui. The people of Shisui, in turn, will hate my brother."
    "That's probably true."
    "That's why it's just too risky to leave him to his own devices. But I really don't know if I'm being a help or a hindrance."
    Sekki grinned mischievously. Suzu smiled as well. At that point, the aforementioned Koshou appeared. Suzu and Sekki exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
    "What's going on?"
    "Oh, nothing. What's up?"
    Kousho beckoned to Suzu from the kitchen door. "Sorry, but I have a job for your sansui."
    "You need to transport something?" Kousho often had Suzu carry goods to villages in the surrounding areas.
    "Yes, but this time it's a bit further. A two-day journey to the east by horse cart, there's a city called Houkaku. Here's a map. Go to Rou's place. He should have the items we've requested."
    Hansei Rou and Kousho were old friends.
    "I understand."
    "I'm sure Rou will do a good job packing them, but even if stopped by sentries, we cannot permit this shipment to be opened. If they were, they're bound to be stolen."
    "These are items you don't want anybody to see?"
    Kousho nodded. "Winter weapons."
    Suzu stiffened at the mention of the term.
    "They're pretty heavy, but not that bulky. Once they arrive, at the very least, we need to get these winter weapons into the skilled hands of a minimum number of our group."
    Suzu nodded. "That's fine. I'll be going, then."

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