The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

take one or two days to reach Takuhou. Meikaku will empty out in the meantime. Why we let this opportunity slip through our fingers?"
    "Ahh--" went the murmur through the room.
    Kantai beckoned to the three "merchants." He said, "I'm giving you the opportunity to remove the stigma from your names. Together with your followers, set forth to Takuhou. Be sure to arrive before the provincial guard."
    The stigma? Shoukei puzzled, but the men answered in unison: "Yes!"
    Kantai turned to Saibou, man seated in front of a display cabinet. "And how shall we proceed?"
    Saibou thought it over for a moment. He looked at Kantai and said, "Leave Meikaku to me. You go to Takuhou."
    Kantai smiled. "Cat's out of the bag, eh?"
    "I know you have a fondness for hotheads like that bunch. However, I'm asking you to start a war. As soon as your men are provisioned, set forth for Takuhou. Our objective is not Gahou's assassination, but to make the Empress aware that something is rotten in Wa Province. Don't turn this into a do-or-die effort. Lose if you must. I'll figure something out afterward."
    "Thank you!"
    Shoukei raised her voice. "I want to go to Takuhou too."
    "Oh?" Saibou looked at her.
    "A friend of mine is in Takuhou, fighting alongside the Shu On Rebels. Please allow me."
    Saibou nodded. "Shoukei, you said your name was? Can you ride a pegasus?"
    "I can."
    "Then accompany Kantai. Go and assist those brave souls."
    Shoukei bowed deeply. "I won't disappoint you!"

Chapter 70
    " J ust how many--!" exclaimed Koshou, as Shoukei explained how they had come to be here. She'd returned with the five thousand citizen soldiers, escorting them into the castle. Koshou finally got to ask his original question: "How many men do you have left in Meikaku?"
    Shoukei looked at Kantai, and Kantai smiled mischievously. "Twice the number we sent here."
    The uproar momentarily filled the calm guard tower.
    When the onslaught came from every direction in the brightening dawn, the few hundred remaining provincial guard encamped at the West Gate couldn't surrender fast enough. Kantai's irregulars whittled the air calvary down to half their original number and forced them to withdraw. Suffused with the rays of the morning sun, the castle compound filled with ringing cheers. But this was not the end of things. The rest of provincial army was scheduled to arrive the day after tomorrow.
    "Unfortunately, we've got to keep the provincial guard pinned down here for three days. Given three days, by the time the guard hears about the state of emergency in Meikaku and are ordered to return, the die will have already been cast."
    Koshou looked up at the ceiling and heaved a big sigh. "Step on a cockroach, and there's a hundred more where that one came from. I assume you've got mates aiming to take out Gahou."
    "What? No. We've got no plans to knock off Gahou and take over the provincial castle. We only hope to sully his image and tarnish his name. That you'd actually schemed to overrun a prefectural castle was a huge surprise on our end."
    Koshou laughed loudly. "A feather in our caps, then. When guys like us lock our jaws on something, we don't let go so easy."

    When Shoukei emerged onto the wall walk, Suzu and another girl were looking down at the castle compound.
    "It's a good thing you weren't wounded," Shoukei said.
    Suzu glanced back over her shoulder. "Yeah," she said. With a shining countenance, she turned to the girl next to her. "Youshi, this is--"
    Recognizing her, Shoukei burst out, "It's you!"
    The girl reacted with equal surprise. Taken aback, Suzu said, "You already know each other?"
    The girl nodded. Shoukei spoke up. "She saved my life in Meikaku. I didn't get a chance to thank you. I never imagined we would have met in such a place as this."
    "No problem," the girl answered, with a smile.
    "Your name is Youshi? We didn't have time to introduce ourselves before."
    "This is unbelievable," said Suzu. "Youshi, this is Shoukei."
    Youshi flashed her a smile, as did Shoukei in return. They lined up on either side of Suzu, shoulder to shoulder, and gazed down at the foot of the wall walk.
    "It's incredible, all these people," Suzu blurted out.
    Shoukei grinned. "You didn't expect it?"
    "Not in a million years. To be honest, I have to wonder if it's the best tack to take."
    "Smooth sailing certainly doesn't await us. The provincial guard are on the march and headed our way. They'll get here tomorrow or the day after. Today's our one chance to take a