The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

may be small and his faculties limited, but he's not powerless. This current course of action will only make things worse. How is feeling sorry for the Taiho and covering for him any different than taking him for granted? If His Highness is in danger, and the Taiho can do something to save him, we should take all steps to allow him to do so. Denying him that opportunity is the crueler course."
    Risai couldn't help recalling Taiki's despondent air. "That's right."
    A small, satisfied smile came to Rousan's lips. "You catch on fast, Risai. That's good to know."
    Risai smiled wryly in turn. "Rousan-dono, do you think this is an assassination attempt?"
    Rousan drew her knees up to her chest. "I wish I knew," she said, drawing a deep breath. "And even if we did, we probably couldn't get there in time. Bun Province is far enough from here that it'd take several days using the air corps. Push come to shove, we don't want to end up relying on those jewels in the crown to pull us through. However, the only people who can wield them are the heads of state: the king and kirin. Under the pressure of necessity, the Taiho's shirei would be the quickest, most likely, and most reliable candidates."
    Risai started. Rousan glanced at her teasingly from beneath her brows. "If you ask me, you guys aren't aware yourselves of the extent to which you're treating the Taiho as an incompetent child. It's around somewhere, isn't it? The toutetsu?"
    "Yes--it is--"
    The kirin commanded youma known as the shirei. Taiki had the misfortune of being born and raised in Yamato. Consequently, he had only two shirei, a sadly small number. One was the guardian nyokai that raised him and so really didn't qualify. Technically speaking, he had only one shirei: the toutetsu. A powerful youma, more legend than real.
    "The monster of all monsters. That's the toutetsu. Look at you, calling a kirin who can charm a beast like that a child. It makes me wonder who the real children are." Rousan narrowed her eyes and stared off into space. "It would not be too great an exaggeration to say that the only monster superior to the toutetsu is that dear, little kirin."

Chapter 19
    R isai and her colleagues were anxious to lay their hands on evidence proving--or better, disproving --that the rebellion in Bun Province was part of a greater insurrection. But the results of their investigations were slow in coming.
    More specifically, they didn't have access to anybody with strong ties to Bun Province. And nobody seemed to be acting particularly out of the ordinary. Inside the Imperial Palace, claims that a suspicious figure had been seen here or there were often raised, but these were rumors as well, held up by nothing but hot air.
    And then the shoku turned everything upside down.
    Risai rushed from the Romon to Jinjuu Manor. The place was a wreck. She ran into others who were congregating in places free from the wreckage of the gate towers
    "Ah, Risai--"
    "Gashin. The Taiho--"
    "I don't know. I came here to see for myself."
    They continued on as they talked. One corner of Jinjuu Manor was a mountain of rubble. Seeing that the main building of palace complex--the Seiden--had not been spared, Risai felt a cold shiver run down her back.
    Proceeding through the courtyard gardens, somebody called out to them. The Daiboku--Taiki's personal bodyguard--crawled out from a collapsed building. Seirai was clinging to his back.
    "Tansui, the Taiho--" they shouted, as they raced up to them.
    "No idea. I wasn't with him when it happened. What in the world is going on?"
    The otherwise inexpressive man's expression had changed. His head was blanketed with dust and pieces of the mortar. He was covered with dozens of small wounds. On his back, Seirai was in a similar state, though he didn't appear to be suffering any grievous wounds.
    From somewhere within the ruins they heard a horse screaming in pain.
    "Why weren't you with him?" Risai asked, drawing closer. "Where did you last see him?"
    Tansui shook his head. "I was in the Seiden. Seirai called me back to the Seiden, so I left him there in the care of a retainer."
    The rumblings in the earth had ceased at some point, replaced by the sounds of people groaning and screaming. Voices cried out for help, but before assisting them, Risai and her colleagues had a more important duty to attend to. They must find Taiki. That thought occupying her mind, she heard someone else calling out. Turning around, she saw several soldiers bearing Asen