Next morning they left Xi'an and continued their way through the countryside. They visited a town called Baoji with a temple and the tomb of Emperor Yandi, one of the forefathers of the Chinese, who taught the Chinese to farm and discovered the medicinal herbs to make the lives of the Chinese easier, and also with a memorial temple of Zhuge Liang. Watanuki bought omamori for Mr Zhuge too. Then they visited Maijishan Grottoes near a town called Tianshui, many caves with beautiful Buddhist clay statues, mostly of Amida, Kannon, Ananda and Kashyapa. Then they came to a town called Linxia and stopped in a Chinese inn, and Tsuzuku said they are going to see the Baling Caves. Tsuzuku led them to a river and called a boat and told the boatman to take them to the Baling Caves. Tsuzuku explained that the caves could be reached only by boat and that only in the summer and autumn. They got to the caves. The caves were large and meandering and full of beautiful Buddhist murals, reliefs and statues. They wandered in the caves for a long time and then returned to the rock face where the boatman waited for them and got back to Linxia. Next morning they left Linxia.
As they continued their journey, the green hills gradually gave way to smooth mountains. Then they came to a large town.
'Oh, this is Xining,' Tsuzuku said. 'Our goal.'
They got into the town and stopped in a Chinese inn. Then they went to roam around the town. They came to a beautiful mosque with blue domes and white arches.
'This is the Great Mosque of Xining,' Tsuzuku said.
'This is how mosques usually look,' Watanuki said.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'The one in Xi'an is unique.'
Then they walked out of the town and strolled among the mountains for some time. Finally they came to a large beautiful lake with islands.
'This is the Qinghai Lake, Koko Nor in Mongolian,' Tsuzuku said. 'Both of these names mean the same - Blue Sea. It does look like a sea, doesn't it? It's one of the largest lakes in China. It's a salty lake. On one of the islands there's a temple called the Heart of the Lake.'
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
When they returned to the town, Watanuki asked:
'And where is the village, Ryuusenkyou? You said it was near Xining.'
'The papers I found say that there is an underground passage in the kura of one of the temples of Xining, and it leads to the village,' Hajime said. 'The village is in a secluded valley.'
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
'We'll go there now!' Tsuzuku said. 'Why delay that?'
'Why, really?' Matsuri smiled.
They came to a small beautiful old Chinese temple and came inside. They found a kura, an old building. Hajime searched the kura and lifted one floor board. They saw steps leading down. They went down the steps and found themselves in a dark vaulted passage. Eve raised his hand, and a blue wave of power accompanied by large dancing snowflakes washed over him and light appeared around him. They walked along the passage and at last saw light and steps leading up. They went up the steps and saw a charming Chinese village in a beautiful valley surrounded by high mountains. There was a beautiful arch with an inscription saying, 'Dragon Springs Village.' they walked along the village and saw a Japanese inn with roofs and trees showing above a wall and an inscription saying, 'Tsubame Ryokan' on the gate.
'Tsubame Ryokan, Swallow Inn, a good name,' Tsuzuku said.
They walked through the gate and through a beautiful Japanese garden, and in one of the buildings they found a tall, slender young woman with large dark eyes and black shining hair in a complicated knot, in a pink kimono. She was sitting on the floor.
'Good evening. We would like to stay here,' Tsuzuku said. 'I am Ryuudou Tsuzuku. Meet my brothers Ryuudou Hajime, Ryuudou Owaru and ryuudou Amaru, my cousins Toba Matsuri-chan and Watanuki Kimihiro, Kimihiro-kun's lover Doumeki Shizuka-kun, my lover Evelyn Ravenscroft and our friend Kyuuhou Ryuuou-san.'
'Good evening,' the young woman said. 'I am Tsubame Yunohana, the owner of this inn. You are welcome.'
'Thank you.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'You have a beautiful name.'
'Thank you.' Yunohana smiled.
'Evening flower?' Watanuki asked.
'Flower of the warm water, literally,' Doumeki said. 'Flowers of sulfur, hot-springs encrustation.'
'that's right.' tsuzuku smiled.
The travelers sat down. Yunohana rose and went out and some time later returned carrying a tray with a dish of shelled shrimps seasoned with fragrant tea and embellished with tea leaves and ten pairs of chopsticks. She put the tray on the floor and sat down.
'What a fragrance,' Watanuki said.
'These are Biluo shelled shrimps,' Yunohana said. 'They are seasoned with Biluochun tea that is grown on the east and west hills of the Dongting Lake.'
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
'Tsuzuku-san is a courtier and Hajime-san is an Imperial Guard, right,' Yunohana asked.
'Yes, but in the kingdom of Wu.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'And what brings you here?' Yunohana asked.
'I found in the family archives that our family comes from Ryuusenkyou, and that we are descended from the Four Dragon Kings, so we went here to learn more about that,' Hajime explained.
'Oh,' Yunohana said. 'In this valley there really was a family descended from the Four Dragon Kings, and their name was Ryuudou. But one day a young heir of this family left the valley to seek adventures.'
'Oh,' Hajime said.
'I really see a blue dragon inside of Hajime-san, a red dragon inside of Tsuzuku-san, a white dragon inside of Owaru-kun and a black dragon inside of Amaru-kun,' Yunohana said. 'But I see no dragons inside of Matsuri-san or Kimihiro-san.'
'In Matsuri-chan the dragon blood is maybe diluted.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'She's the daughter of our father's sister. And Kimihiro-kun is not from that side of the family. He's our distant cousin because he's a descendant of the wizard Clow Reed like us.'
'Oh,' Yunohana said.
'So this is really the homeland of our ancestors,' Tsuzuku said.
'Yes. You can look in the temple here for more details,' Yunohana said.
'Thanks, we will.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Destiny brought you far from home,' Yunohana said.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'We live near Wuxi.'
'Oh, the South,' Yunohana said. 'There is Heaven above, and on the Earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.'
'Yes, it's a lovely land.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'You must have seen many interesting things during your journey,' Yunohana said.
'Yes, Lushan Mountain, Poyang Lake, Prince of Teng's Pavilion, Hengshan Mountain, Dongting Lake, Yuelu Mountain, Yuelu Academy, Yueyang Tower, Yellow Crane Tower, Lute Platform, golden snub-nosed monkeys, a Shennongjia Yeren, Xi'an, Huaqing Hot Springs, the tomb of Youkihi-sama, Maijishan Caves, Baling Caves and Qinghai Lake.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Oh,' Yunohana said. 'But a lot of these places aren't on the way from Wuxi to Xining!'
'We first went to Fujian to pick up Kimihiro-kun and Shizuka-kun who live there in an old temple in a large bamboo forest.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'Us being my brothers, Matsuri-chan and me. Ryuuou-san and Eve-chan joined us later.'
'Oh,' Yunohana said.
'But how do you know that many of those places aren't on the way from Wuxi to Xining?' Tsuzuku asked. 'This place is secluded!'
'Many Taoists and beings that can fly stop in this ryokan.' Yunohana smiled.
'Oh,' Tsuzuku said. 'Ryuuou-san and maybe Matsuri-chan are beings that can fly, though they didn't come here by air.'
'Really?' Yunohana asked.
'Yes, Ryuuou-san is a nine-headed bird and Matsuri-chan is maybe a phoenix.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Maybe?' Yunohana asked.
'A powerful witch said she saw a phoenix inside of Matsuri-chan and as she also saw dragon inside of us and a nine-headed bird inside of Ryuuou-san, well.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'What witch was that?' Yunohana asked.
'You have probably heard about her,' Watanuki said. 'The Witch of Dimensions, Ichihara Yuuko-san. She's my friend.'
'Oh,' Yunohana said. 'I heard about her, of course.'
'She's that well known?' Tsuzuku asked.
'She's probably the most powerful witch in the world,' Watanuki said.
'Oh,' Tsuzuku said.
'That's a beautiful thumb ring, Shizuka-san,' Yunohana said. 'Dark jade and golden flowers.'
'Yes, it is,' Doumeki said. 'Kimihiro gave it to me.'
'Kimihiro-san has a very good taste.' Yunohana smiled.
'Yes,' Doumeki said
'Are you an archer, Shizuka-san?' Yunohana asked.
'Yes, I have third dan,' Doumeki said.
'Oh,' Yunohana said.
At this point entered a tall, slender young person with long shining black hair, large dark eyes and fine features, in a blue Chinese robe and with a flute in one hand and a basket of flowers in another.
'Konbanwa, Yunohana-chan,' the guest said.
'Konbanwa, Saiwa-san.' Yunohana smiled.
'New guests?' Saiwa asked.
'Yes, Saiwa-san.' Yunohana smiled.
'Introduce me, please.' Saiwa smiled.
'All right.' Yunohana smiled. 'Saiwa-san, meet Ryuudou Hajime-san, his brothers Ryuudou Tsuzuku-san, Ryuudou Owaru-kun and Ryuudou Amaru-kun and their cousins Toba Matsuri-san and Watanuki Kimihiro-san and Kimihiro-san's lover Doumeki Shizuka-san, Tsuzuku-san's lover Ravenscroft Evelyn-san and their friend Kyuuhou Ryuuou-san. And this is Ran Saiwa-san.'
'Ran Saiwa-san or Lan Caihe in Chinese, one of the Hassen, Eight Taoist Sages?' Doumeki said.
'Yes.' Saiwa smiled.
'Eh?' Watanuki said.
'I told you that Taoists often stay here.' Yunohana smiled.
'Indeed,' Doumeki said.
Saiwa sat down near them.
'They say that Ran Saiwa-san is a wandering flutist whose gender is unknown,' Doumeki said.
'I am male.' Saiwa laughed. 'And I am a wandering flutist, yes.'
'A wandering flutist?' Watanuki asked. 'I know another one, he's a komusoh. His name is Kudou Yuusuke-san. Have you met?'
'No,' Saiwa said. 'But if I meet him I'll tell him that I met you.'
'I feel that you are very powerful, Saiwa-san,' Watanuki said.
'You are powerful too, all of you.' Saiwa smiled. 'I feel that Kimihiro-san is a seer, Shizuka-san is an exorcist, Evelyn-san is a wizard, Ryuuou-san is a nine headed bird, and oh, Matsuri-san is a phoenix and Hajime-san, Tsuzuku-san, Owaru-kun and Amaru-kun are dragons, a blue one, a red one, a white one and a black one, exactly like the Four Dragon Kings! There once was a family called Ryuudou in this valley, descended from them. Are you their descendants then?'
'Yes,' Hajime said. 'I've found in the family archives that our family comes from this valley and that we are descended from the Four Dragon Kings, so we went here.'
'I see,' Saiwa said.
'I looked in the family archives because Kimihiro-kun said I felt not quite human,' Hajime said.
'Well, he was right, and that's not surprising, because he's a powerful seer.' Saiwa smiled.
'Really?' Watanuki said.
'Yes.' Saiwa smiled. 'You aren't sure?'
'Not quite,' Watanuki said.
'Rest assured that you are.' Saiwa smiled.
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
'Yunohana-san told us about our ancestors and said to look in the kura of the local temple for more,' Hajime said.
'Yes, they must have the records,' Saiwa said. 'I can go with you and help you.'
'Thank you, Saiwa-san,' Hajime said.
'Do you serve at court?' Saiwa asked.
'Aniki, Owaru, Amaru, Matsuri-chan and me yes, but in the Kingdom of Wu.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'Kimihiro and Shizuka are priests in a small lovely old temple in Fujian, and Ryuuou-san is a knight errant.'
'I see,' Saiwa said. 'The Kingdom of Wu? That's far away.'
'Yes,' Tsuzuku said. 'We live near Wuxi.'
'Southern Jiangsu is a lovely land.' Saiwa smiled. 'I'll visit you some day.'
'You are welcome.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'That's a lovely thumb ring, Shizuka-san.' Saiwa smiled.
'It was Kimihiro's gift,' Doumeki said.
'I see,' Saiwa said. 'Are you an archer?'
'Yes,' Doumeki said.
'What dan are you?' Saiwa asked.
'Third,' Doumeki said.
'Impressive,' Saiwa said.
'You know about those things, I see,' Watanuki said.
'Well, I'm a wandering flutist after all, for many hundreds of years.' Saiwa smiled.
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
'Do you know that there is a very good rotenburo here?' Saiwa asked.
'Yes, we want to go there,' Tsuzuku said.
'May I join you?' Saiwa asked.
'Of course.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Now let's go to the temple,' Saiwa said.
'Yes,' Tsuzuku said.
They left the inn and walked through the village till they came to a small beautiful temple. They walked through the gate of the temple. A tall, slender young man with black eyes and black hair tied in a ponytail and with two long locks on the sides of his face, in a white and blue wide closed robe, was sweeping the courtyard of the temple.
'Good afternoon, Soseki-san.' Saiwa smiled.
'Good afternoon, Saiwa-san.' Soseki smiled. 'You brought some friends, I see?'
'Yes.' Saiwa smiled. 'Meet Ryuudou Hajime-san, his brothers Ryuudou Tsuzuku-san, Ryuudou Owaru-kun and Ryuudou Amaru-kun, their cousins Toba Matsuri-san and Watanuki Kimihiro-san, Kimihiro-san's lover Doumeki Shizuka-san, Tsuzuku-san's lover Ravenscroft Evelyn-san and their friend Kyuuhou Ryuuou-san. And this is Tatsumiya Soseki-san, the priest of this temple, Tatsumiya Temple.'
'Glad to meet you.' Soseki smiled.
'Tatsumiya, Dragon Temple?' Doumeki asked.
'Yes, because this is Ryuusenkyou Village.' Soseki smiled.
'I see,' Doumeki said.
'Hajime-san and his brothers are apparently descendants of the Ryuudou family that lived here,' Saiwa said.
'Oh?' Soseki said. 'I can see four dragons exactly like the Four Dragon Kings inside of Hajime-san and his brothers, a blue dragon inside of Hajime-san, a red dragon inside of Tsuzuku-san, a white dragon inside of Owaru-kun and a black dragon inside of Amaru-kun.'
'I found in the family archives that our ancestors lived here and were descended from the Four Dragon Kings,' Hajime said. 'Then we were told that in the kura of this temple there could be some more papers about that. Could I take a look?'
'Of course!' Soseki smiled. 'I'll show you the way.'
'Thank you very much.' Hajime bowed.
Soseki put his broom against the gate.
'Follow me,' he said.
He walked away, and the guests followed him.
'Hajime-san is an Imperial Guard, and Tsuzuku-san is a courtier, ne?' Soseki asked.
'Yes, but in the Kingdom of Wu, not in this Kingdom of Wei.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'That's far away from here.' Soseki smiled.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'There are no dragons inside of Kimihiro-san and Matsuri-san, I see,' Soseki said.
'Matsuri-chan is the daughter of our father's sister, and Kimihiro-kun is our cousin because he is a descendant of the wizard Clow Reed too,' Tsuzuku explained.
'Oh, Clow Reed?' Soseki said. 'That's a powerful combination.'
'Yes, it is.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'That's a beautiful fan, golden with a powerful bamboo.' Soseki smiled.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'It's a tessen, ne?' Soseki asked.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
Soseki led them through the beautiful Japanese garden to the kura. The kura was a large beautiful old building. They entered the kura. There were many shelves with books and many nooks inside. Hajime confidently went to one of the nooks. Tsuzuku, Owaru, Amaru and Matsuri followed him. Watanuki, Doumeki, Eve, Ryuuou and Saiwa began to look through the books near the entrance of the kura.
'There sure are a lot of books here,' Watanuki said.
'Yes,' Doumeki said.
Some time later they suddenly saw that the nook where Hajime, Tsuzuku, Owaru, Amaru and Matsuri went to was on fire. Eve jumped to his feet and raised his hand with the ring, Saiwa raised his hand too, but suddenly a beam from the ceiling fell to the nook.
'Tsuzuku-chan!' Eve shouted. But then something rushed up from the nook and broke through the ceiling. And then they saw through the hole in the roof four powerful Chinese dragons, a blue one, a red one, a white one and a black one and a beautiful red Chinese phoenix by the blue dragon's side, all five of them soaring in the sky. Then suddenly black clouds appeared in the sky and rain started falling down. The rain put the fire out instantly.
'Wow!' Watanuki said.
They went outside and looked at the four dragons and the phoenix soaring in the blue sky above the tall green trees. Ryuuou looked at them and suddenly turned into the nine headed bird, flew up and joined the dragons and the phoenix. Saiwa looked at the dragons, the phoenix and the nine headed bird and suddenly turned into a white crane, flew up and joined them. Eve looked at the dragons, the phoenix, the nine headed bird and the white crane and raised his hand. A blue wave of power accompanied by large dancing snowflakes washed over him, and he turned into a golden phoenix. He flew up and soared by the red dragon's side.
'Only we can't turn into anything,' Watanuki grumbled.
'Are you jealous?' Doumeki asked.
'Of course not!' Watanuki shouted.
'Oh, the Four Dragon Kings!' A young female voice said.
Watanuki turned and saw a tall slender young girl with very dark skin, long shining black hair and dark eyes, in a white kimono with wide sleeves and a red hakama.
'No, their descendants.' Watanuki smiled. 'They are my cousins, Ryuudou Hajime, Ryuudou Tsuzuku, Ryuudou Owaru and Ryuudou Amaru. The red phoenix is another cousin of mine, Toba Matsuri-chan, the golden phoenix is Tsuzuku's lover Ravenscroft Evelyn-san, the nine headed bird is our friend Kyuuhou Ryuuou-san, and the white crane is Ran Saiwa-san. Only we two can't turn into anything. I am Watanuki Kimihiro, and this is my lover Doumeki Shizuka.'
'Oh,' the girl said. 'And I'm Tatsumiya Mana, a miko here, I'm the daughter of the priest of this temple.'
'Soseki-san?' Watanuki asked. 'We met him.'
'Yes.' Mana smiled. 'I didn't know there were descendants of the Four Dragon Kings.'
'They didn't know that too,' Watanuki said. 'They learned about that just recently and came here all the way from the Kingdom of Wu.'
'Kingdom of Wu!' Mana said. 'That's far away!'
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled. 'We hear this a lot.'
'But there is no dragon inside of you,' Mana observed.
'I come from another side of the family.' Watanuki smiled. 'I am their distant cousin because I am descended from the wizard Clow Reed like them.'
'Clow Reed was a powerful wizard,' Mana said. 'And I feel great power in you.'
'Well, I don't know about great, but I'm a seer,' Watanuki said. 'And Doumeki here is an exorcist. Evelyn-san is a wizard, and Ryuuou-san is just a nine headed bird.'
'Oh!' Mana said.
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled.
'So are you from the South too, Watanuki-san?' Mana asked.
'Yes, Doumeki and me are from Fujian, and my cousins are from Wuxi in Jiangsu.' Watanuki smiled. 'Ryuuou-san is from Hubei, and Evelyn-san is English.'
'In the sky there are nine headed birds, and on the Earth there are Hubei people?' Mana smiled.
'Yes, Ryuuou-san said that this saying appeared because there are really many nine headed birds among Hubei people.' Watanuki smiled.
'Really?' Mana said.
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled.
'South is a lovely land,' Mana said.
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled.
'And Evelyn-san is English? That's amazing!' Mana said.
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled. 'We met in Xi'an. He is traveling around China because he likes it very much.'
'Oh,' Mana said.
Suddenly the four dragons and the red phoenix turned into naked figures that started to fall.
'Sorry, Mana-chan, I must help my cousins,' Watanuki said.
'Maybe I can help too, as I'm a miko,' Mana said.
'All right,' Watanuki said.
The five figures were falling behind the trees. The nine headed bird, the golden phoenix and the white crane flew down following them. Watanuki, Doumeki and Mana went there too.
When Watanuki, Doumeki and Mana came there, they saw that the Ryuudou brothers and Matsuri were sitting on the grass naked. Eve, Ryuuou and Saiwa were standing near. Eve took off his cloak and put it on Matsuri's shoulders. He was wearing a black old-fashioned suit and a white shirt underneath the cloak.
'May I get clothes for you?' Saiwa asked.
'All right,' Tsuzuku said.
Saiwa waved his hand and suddenly the Ryuudou brothers and Matsuri were dressed much as they were dressed before.
'Thank you, Saiwa-san.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'But I've lost my fan. It was a lovely fan.'
'What kind of fan do you wish, Tsuzuku-kun?' Eve asked.
'A golden one with a powerful pine tree and iron ribs as before.' Tsuzuku smiled.
Eve raised his right hand with the ring and a blue wave of power accompanied by large dancing snowflakes washed over him, and then a golden folding fan with a powerful pine tree and iron ribs appeared in his hand. He offered the fan to Tsuzuku. Tsuzuku took it and fanned himself slowly. Matsuri smiled.
'Is that a tessen, Tsuzuku-sama?' Mana asked.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'It's a fine one,' Mana said.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Nee, Hajime-niisan, Matsuri-chan is a phoenix to your dragon! Now you see you must marry her?' Tsuzuku smiled.
Hajime blushed.
'Yes.' Matsuri smiled.
'And I can be a phoenix to your dragon too, Tsuzuku-kun.' Eve smiled.
Tsuzuku smiled back.
'Was it you who called the rain, Amaru-kun?' Doumeki asked.
'Yes.' Amaru smiled. 'I thought that if I am a black dragon, my power must be water.'
'Indeed.' Doumeki said.
'Then Tsuzuku's power must be fire.' Matsuri smiled. 'How fitting.'
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'And then Hajime's power must be wind, and Owaru's power must be void. How does void manifest as a power?' Matsuri asked.
'I wonder,' Tsuzuku said.
'Do all the dragons lose their clothes when they transform?' Matsuri said.
'Yes,' Mana said.
'Oh, who's that?' Matsuri asked.
'Oh sorry, this is Tatsumiya Mana-chan, Soseki-san's daughter,' Watanuki said. 'Mana-chan, meet my cousins Ryuudou Hajime, Ryuudou Tsuzuku, Ryuudou Owaru, Ryuudou Amaru and Toba Matsuri-chan, Tsuzuku's lover Ravenscroft Evelyn-san, our friend Kyuuhou Ryuuou-san and Ran Saiwa-san, one of the Hassen.'
'I know Saiwa-san.' Mana smiled. 'Good evening, Saiwa-san.'
'Good evening, Mana-chan.' Saiwa smiled.
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
'Are you friends?' Mana asked.
'Yes, we met today at Tsubame Ryokan.' Saiwa smiled.
'I see,' Mana said.
'So you are a dragon too, Mana-chan?' Matsuri asked.
'Yes, and my father too,' Mana answered. 'Everyone here is.'
'What kind of dragon are you, Mana-chan?' Matsuri asked.
'A golden one,' Mana answered. 'Father is a purple one.'
'Oh,' Matsuri said.
'I wonder why did we never transform before,' Tsuzuku said.
'Our kind usually transforms when we encounter something that would kill even a very strong person,' Mana explained.
'Oh, I see,' Tsuzuku said. 'There was a fire in the kura, and a beam fell on us.'
'That would do it.' Mana nodded.
'Then Amaru-kun called a rain and quenched the fire so don't worry,' Tsuzuku said. 'And we'll donate to your temple.'
'Thank you very much,' Mana said.
'Can our kind transform at will?' Tsuzuku asked.
'Yes, once you transform for the first time,' Mana answered.
'That's good to know.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Tsuzuku-sama is a courtier and Hajime-sama is an imperial guard, right?' Mana asked.
'Yes, but in the kingdom of Wu, and not in this kingdom of Wei.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'I know, Watanuki-san told me,' Mana said.
'I see,' Tsuzuku said.
'But as you are a courtier, then maybe you need a bodyguard,' Mana asked.
'I am just a clerk in the board of ceremonies, but there are plenty of dangers around.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'But your father must give you his blessing.'
'Oh, he will.' Mana smiled.
They went to find Soseki. He was sweeping around the temple.
'Otou-san, i want to be Tsuzuku-sama's bodyguard, and he agreed,' Mana said.
'My blessings, mana-chan.' Soseki smiled.
'Yatta,' mana said.
Tsuzuku smiled.
'Take good care of her, Tsuzuku-san,' Soseki said.
'I will,' Tsuzuku promised.
I know kyuudo and exorcisms, so I'll guard you well, Tsuzuku-sama,' mana said.
'Thank you, mana-chan.' Tsuzuku said.
They returned to the inn and relaxed in the onsen.
'The onsen here is wonderful, as is the inn and the whole valley,' Tsuzuku said.
'You know, Ryuusenkyou also can mean 'Dragons' Fairyland',' Doumeki said.
'You are right, Shizuka-kun, senkyou can also mean fairyland,' Tsuzuku said.
Watanuki looked at the young courtier, broad-shouldered and slender in his white fundoshi, his hair red and his eyes amber.
'Tsuzuku-kun, are you sure that you aren't part fox,' Watanuki asked.
'Not at all.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'I'll look in the family archives when we return,' Hajime said.
'Do it, aniki,' Tsuzuku said. 'Maybe another journey awaits us.'
'Maybe,' Hajime said.
'Teach me English, Eve-chan,' Tsuzuku asked suddenly.
'All right.' Eve smiled. 'Ohayo would be good morning.'
Good morning,' Tsuzuku repeated.
'Konnichiwa would be good afternoon,' Eve said.
'Good afternoon,' Tsuzuku said.
'Konbanwa would be good evening,' Eve said.
Good evening,' Tsuzuku said.
'Oyasumi nasai would be good night,' Eve said.
'Good night,' Tsuzuku said.
'Ogenki desu ka would be how are you,' Eve said.
'How are you,' Tsuzuku said.
'Excellent,' Eve said. 'Genki desu would be fine, thanks.'
'Fine, thanks,' Tsuzuku said.
'Arigatou would be thank you,' Eve said.
'Thank you,' Tsuzuku said.
'Domo arigatou gozaimasu would be thank you very much .' Eve said.
Thank you very much,' Tsuzuku said.
'Gomen nasai would be i'm sorry,' Eve said.
'I ''m sorry,' Tsuzuku said.
'And sumimasen would bе excuse me,' Eve said.
'Excuse me,' Tsuzuku said.
'You learn very well,' Eve said.
'I stood on Ao's head.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'I had to memorize many chinese books to be able to do it.'
'Yes, of course.' Eve smiled.
'Sensei,' Tsuzuku said.
Eve smiled.
'Hajime, you must marry Matsuri-chan now,' Tsuzuku said.
'I will as soon as we get home,' Hajime said.
'That's good!' Tsuzuku said. 'I'll marry Eve-chan when you'll marry Matsuri-chan. You know that i can't marry before you.'
'Yes,' Hajime said.
'Ryuuou-san, Ryuuou is a shogi piece, is that a coincidence?' Tsuzuku asked.
'No.' Ryuuou smiled. 'My father loved shogi, and ryuuou, dragon king, is the strongest piece in shogi, a promoted rook.'
'I know.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'I like shogi.'
'Really? So do i!' ryuuou exclaimed.
'Let's play shogi someday,' Tsuzuku said.
'All right.' ryuuou smiled.
'What is your house like, Tsuzuku-san?' Saiwa asked.
'Oh, it has a lake with lotuses and large rocks, and a garden with rocks and pavilions south of it, and beautiful buildings north and east of the lake, right on its shores, and south-east of the lake is a small garden court with moon gates, bridges, walls and buildings, my humble residence,' Tsuzuku said.
'Sounds lovely,' Saiwa said.
'It is,' Tsuzuku said. 'I dream about my home, though faraway lands are lovely.'
'I look forward to seeing such a lovely place,' Saiwa said.
'You won't be disappointed,' Tsuzuku said.
Next morning they left the inn and the valley, mana with them. They walked by the underground passage, Eve lighting the way as before. They came to their inn in Xining, took their carriage and rode away.
On their way to Xi'an a large ayakashi enveloped the carriage. Watanuki gasped. But mana instantly covered Tsuzuku with her body, though he was a lot taller, and chanted, 'Om abira unkyan sharakutan!' there was a flash of white light, and the ayakashi disappeared.
'Thank you, mana-chan.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Tsuzuku-sama,' Mana said.
When they arrived to Xi'an, Eve asked to come to the great wild goose pagoda late in the evening. They went. Eve went to where the bell was. There were no people around this time. Eve wrote, 'Lucinda Ravenscroft', and gave the paper to the priest.
'Who is this Ravenscroft Lucinda-san, Eve-chan?' Tsuzuku asked.
'My mother, of course,' Eve said.
'I want to meet her,' Tsuzuku said.
'I'll bring her for our wedding,' Eve said.
'I look forward to that,' Tsuzuku said. 'I'll learn English well to be able to speak with her.'
That evening Lucinda Ravenscroft, who was sitting in an armchair near the fireplace and embroidering, heard a clear sound of a bell and had a feeling that her son Eve said to her, 'hello, mother, i miss you.' she was amazed and glad.
When the travelers came to the manor of clear stream, Li Bailong and Li Meilin welcomed them in a pavilion, watershield soup with shrimps on the table.
'Welcome back,' Meilin said.
'Thank you,' Tsuzuku said.
'And who are your friends?' Meilin asked.
'Evelyn Ravenscroft, my lover, ran Saiwa-san and Tatsumiya Mana-chan, a miko and my bodyguard,' Tsuzuku said. 'Eve-chan, Mana-chan, meet Li Bailong and his younger sister Li Meilin.'
'Ran Saiwa-san? Lan Caihe, one of the Hassen?' Meilin asked.
'Yes.' Saiwa smiled.
'Please play something,' Meilin asked.
'Of course.' Saiwa asked, put his flute to his lips and played a tender chinese melody.
'Wonderful!' Meilin said.
Saiwa smiled.
'Ano, why does a clerk need a bodyguard?' Meilin asked.
'Mana-chan volunteered to be my bodyguard,' Tsuzuku said. 'She is from the people that live in the valley our ancestors came from. She is the daughter of the priest in the temple there.'
'Oh,' Meilin said.
'And Evelyn-san is a foreigner?' Bailong asked.
'Yes, he is English.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'He's a wizard.'
'Really?' Meilin said. 'Please show some magic!'
'All right.' Eve smiled. He raised his hand, and a blue wave of power, accompanied by large dancing snowflakes, washed over him. Then bright butterflies danced in the air and then disappeared.
'Wow!' Meilin said.
Eve smiled.
'When did you meet Evelyn-san, Tsuzuku-san?' Meilin asked.
'In Xi'an when we left clear stream,' Tsuzuku said.
'That's quick,' Meilin said.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'I see you have a new fan, Tsuzuku-san,' Meilin said.
'My old one perished in a fire,' Tsuzuku said. 'Eve-chan gave me a new one.'
'It's beautiful,' Meilin said.
'Thank you,' Eve said.
'Eve-chan made it himself with his magic,' Tsuzuku said.
'Oh,' Meilin said.
'What is that valley like, Tsuzuku-san?' Bailong asked.
'A beautiful valley with a charming village with a nice ryokan with an onsen, and a nice temple,' Tsuzuku said. 'Our ancestor, ryuudou Subaru, left the valley to seek adventures.'
'I see,' Bailong said.
'Hajime-niisan is going to marry Matsuri-chan when we return, and then I'll marry Eve-chan, as i can't marry before Hajime-niisan,' Tsuzuku said.
'Congratulations!' Meilin said.
'Kimihiro-kun, how about you marry Shizuka-kun when i marry Eve-chan?' Tsuzuku asked.
'What!' Watanuki said.
'Oh, do you know that Kimihiro-kun is our cousin?' Tsuzuku said. 'His teacher, a very powerful witch, said that he was a descendant of the wizard Clow Reed like us.'
'Really?' Meilin said. 'That's great!'
'So now i can call him itoko-san,' Tsuzuku said.
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled. 'I'm very glad you сan.'
'Of course, itoko-san.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'We are going right to our manor now, so Kimihiro-kun will stay with us and be at my wedding and Tsuzuku's wedding,' Matsuri said.
'That's great,' Meilin said.
'And ryuuou-san, Saiwa-san and of course mana-chan will be staying with us too,' Matsuri said.
'Oh,' Meilin said.
'I look forward to seeing your house and the south, Tsuzuku-sama,' Mana said. 'Of course, i will guard you very well!'
'Of course, Mana-chan.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Mana-chan exorcised a large ayakashi that wrapped around our carriage with only a short chant,' Matsuri said.
'Really?' Meilin said.
Next morning they left clear stream, but they did not go south to Wuhan but went east and rode among green hilly plains.
They came to a large beautiful lake.
'This is the Chaohu lake,' Tsuzuku said. 'They say once there was a town here, but its inhabitants were wicked, so the heavens decided to drown it. The dragon king who was charged with that found only two virtuous people in that town, an old woman and her daughter, and he led them out, and the town was drowned by this lake.'
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
They came to a large beautiful river, crossed it by a bridge and saw a large city surrounded by a powerful wall with towers.
'Oh, this is Jianye, our capital,' Tsuzuku said. 'Maybe we'll meet some acquaintances.'
They rode through the gate and along the streets with houses surrounded by walls with trees and roofs showing above the walls. Suddenly they saw Minoru in red wide closed robe and white loose trousers, a fan in his hand, with lady Hirugao in yellow open wide robes in many layers over a white kimono and a red hakama, and lady Asagao with Yuzuki, dressed like lady Hirugao, only lady Asagao in pink robes and Yuzuki in red ones.
'Stop!' Tsuzuku said and the carriage stopped. He opened the curtains.
'Tsuzuku-san, Hajime-san, Owaru-kun, Amaru-kun, Matsuri-san, Watanuki-san and Doumeki-san!' Minoru said.
'Minoru-san, Hirugao-san, Asagao-san and Yuzuki-san!' Tsuzuku said.
'And who are your friends?' Minoru asked.
'Evelyn Ravenscroft, my lover, Kyuuhou Ryuuou-san, a knight errant, ran Saiwa-san and Tatsumiya Mana-chan, a miko and my bodyguard,' Tsuzuku said. 'Eve-chan, Ryuuou-san, Saiwa-san, Mana-chan, meet Fujiwara no Minoru-san, his elder sister Fujiwara no Yuzuki-san, Minamoto no Hirugao-san, Minoru-san's fiancée, and Hirugao-san's elder sister, Minamoto no Asagao-san, Yuzuki-san's wife.'
'Ran Saiwa-san, Lan Caihe of the Hassen?' Minoru asked.
'Yes.' Saiwa smiled.
'Ara, Tsuzuku-san, why does a clerk need a bodyguard?' Yuzuki asked.
'Mana-chan volunteered to be my bodyguard,' Tsuzuku said.
'Oh,' Yuzuki said.
'And Evelyn-san is a foreigner?' lady Asagao asked.
'Yes, he's English.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'He's a wizard.'
'Oh,' lady Asagao said. 'I didn't know you had a lover, Tsuzuku-san.'
'I didn't until i met Eve-chan in Xi'an on my journey.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'That's quick,' lady Asagao said. 'But you always were quick, Tsuzuku-san.'
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'Soon Hajime-niisan will marry Matsuri-chan, and then i'll marry Eve-chan.'
'Ara, congratulations!' Yuzuki said.
'Evelyn-san is so handsome!' lady Asagao said.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Evelyn-san is older than you, ne, Tsuzuku-san?' Yuzuki asked.
'Yes, I'm the younger one.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'I thought so.' Yuzuki smiled.
'I see you have a new fan, Tsuzuku-san,' lady Asagao said.
'Yes. My old one perished in a fire,' Tsuzuku said. 'Eve-chan gave me this one then.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'It's beautiful,' lady Asagao said.
'Thank you,' Eve said.
'Eve-chan made it with his magic,' Tsuzuku said.
'Oh,' lady Asagao said.
'Oh, about fans,' Tsuzuku said. 'Eve-chan told me about the language of the fan that is used in the west. It's very interesting. I'll teach that language to you.'
'A western language of the fan?' Minoru said. 'Interesting!'
'I'll also tell Nokoru-san about it,' Tsuzuku said. 'He'll be glad.'
'Yes.' Minoru smiled.
'Have you found what you were looking for?' Yuzuki asked.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'It's a lovely secluded valley with a charming village with a nice Ryokan with an onsen and a nice temple. Mana-chan is the daughter of the priest of that temple, Soseki-san. Our ancestor Ryuudou Subaru left the valley in search of adventures.'
'Oh,' Yuzuki said.
'What happened while we were away?' Tsuzuku asked.
'Oh, Hiroyasu-san married Yume-san and Harunobu-sama was promoted to fourth rank so he's a counselor now,' Yuzuki said.
'Oh,' Tsuzuku said.
'Did you enjoy your journey, Tsuzuku-san?' Yuzuki asked.
'Oh yes, we saw many interesting places such as prince of Teng's pavilion, Yuelu hill and academy, Yueyang tower, Wuhan, Xi'an, baling and Maijishan grottoes, Xining and Qinghai lake,' Tsuzuku said.
'Oh,' Yuzuki said.
'Will you come to Hajime-niisan's wedding and my wedding?' Tsuzuku asked.
'Of course!' Yuzuki said. 'We will come.'
'When auspicious dates will be chosen, we'll tell you,' Tsuzuku said.
'We'll look forward to that, Yuzuki said.
'Oh, do you know that Kimihiro-kun is our cousin?' Tsuzuku said.
'What?' Yuzuki asked.
'His teacher, a very powerful witch, said that he was a descendant of the wizard Clow Reed like us,' Tsuzuku said.
'What, Yuuko-san?' Yuzuki asked.
'Yes, Ichihara Yuuko-san,' Tsuzuku said. 'You know her?'
'She came several times to Watanuki-san's house for festivals,' Yuzuki said. 'She's charming.'
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'So Watanuki-san is your cousin?' Yuzuki said. 'That's great!'
'Yes, now i can call him Itoko-san.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled.
'It's very fortunate, Itoko-san.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Yes.' Watanuki smiled.
'I want to show Jianye to Kimihiro-kun, Shizuka-kun, Mana-chan, Ryuuou-san and Saiwa-san,' Tsuzuku said. 'Will you help me, Minoru-san, Yuzuki-san, Asagao-san, Hirugao-san?'
'Of course,' Minoru said.
'I visited Jianye before.' Eve smiled.
'So did i.' Saiwa smiled.
'Only to Kimihiro- kun, Shizuka-kun, Ryuuou-san and Mana-chan then.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'I look forward to seeing all the wonders of Jianye,' Mana said.
'Oh, Jianye is a beautiful city.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'I can imagine,' Mana said.
'Were there any poetry or shogi competitions while i was away?' Tsuzuku asked.
'Yes, several uta-awase and shogi tournaments,' Minoru said.
'It's a pity i missed them, but one can't have everything, ne?' Tsuzuku said.
'You write poetry?' Watanuki asked.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'And you play shogi well,' Watanuki said.
'Fifth dan.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
The travelers climbed out of the carriage and joined Minoru, Yuzuki, lady Asagao and lady Hirugao. The company walked together, and the carriage followed them. Tsuzuku began to teach Minoru, Yuzuki, lady Asagao and lady Hirugao the western language of the fan.
They came to a large red ornate Chinese style palace.
'This is Chaotian palace where our emperor lives,' Tsuzuku said. 'See that little gate left of the main gate? The empress on her wedding day first comes to the imperial palace through this gate. The candidates who won the national examinations enter the imperial palace for the palace examinations through this gate too. I first entered the palace by this gate. And so did Hajime in his time.'
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
They walked some more and came to a tall elegant Chinese style tower made entirely of porcelain.
'This is the porcelain tower of Jianye,' Tsuzuku said. 'It's really made entirely of porcelain. It's one of the wonders of the world.'
'Wow!' Watanuki said. 'Such a tall tower made of porcelain!'
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'We the inhabitants of Wu are proud of it.'
'And you have the right to be,' Watanuki said.
They walked some more and saw a tall elegant tower by a large beautiful lake.
'This is the Xuanwu pagoda and Xuanwu Lake,' Tsuzuku said. 'They are named so because people believe that a black dragon living in this lake is Xuanwu, the guardian spirit of the north, Genbu in our language.'
'Wow, Genbu himself?' Watanuki said.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
They walked some more and went beyond the city walls. They came to a beautiful high hill covered in lush green trees, with some buildings atop the hill.
'This is the purple mountain with the purple mountain observatory,' Tsuzuku said. 'The purple mountain observatory is very famous.'
'Why is it called Purple Mountain?' Watanuki asked. 'It's green.'
'It's purple at sunset, a very beautiful sight,' Tsuzuku explained.
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
They returned to the city, walked some more and saw a beautiful large Chinese style temple.
'This is the temple of Confucius,' Tsuzuku said.
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
As they walked around the city, they suddenly saw three young men, all of them tall and slender, one with golden hair, blue eyes and mischievous expression, in a white kimono and a gray striped hakama, with a fan in his hand, another with blue hair and golden eyes and calm face, in a white kimono and blue hakama, third with black hair and gray eyes and open expression, in a white kimono and red hakama.
'Nokoru-san, Suoh-san, Akira-san!' Tsuzuku exclaimed.
'Tsuzuku-san.' Nokoru smiled.
'So you are in the town,' Tsuzuku said.
'Yes, with our report as always.' Nokoru smiled.
'We talked about you just now,' Tsuzuku said.
'Really?' Nokoru smiled.
'Yes, i have something interesting to tell you,' Tsuzuku said.
'That's intriguing,' Nokoru said.
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Matsuri-san, you are beautiful as always in these lovely chinese clothes,' Nokoru said, bowing low to Matsuri.
'Thank you, Nokoru-san.' Matsuri smiled.
'Who are your friends?' Nokoru asked.
'Our cousin Watanuki Kimihiro-kun, his lover Doumeki Shizuka-kun, my lover Evelyn Ravenscroft, Kyuuhou Ryuuou-san, ran Saiwa-san and Tatsumiya mana-chan, a miko and my bodyguard,' Tsuzuku said. 'Kimihiro-kun, Shizuka-kun, Eve-chan, Ryuuou-san, Saiwa-san and Mana-chan, meet Imonoyama Nokoru-san, Takamura Suoh-san and Ijuin Akira-san, Amenosa.'
'Tsuzuku-san told us about you,' Watanuki said. 'You use military signals to signal to your assistants with your fan, right, Nokoru-san? And the assistants are Suoh-san and Akira-san.'
'Right.' Nokoru smiled.
'Eve-chan taught me the western language of the fan,' Tsuzuku said. 'Lovers and friends and just acquaintances use it in the west. I'll teach you, and you can use it instead of the military signals.'
'That's wonderful!' Nokoru said.
'And Evelyn-san is a foreigner?' Akira asked.
'Yes, he's English,' Tsuzuku said. 'He's a wizard.'
'Really?' Akira said. 'That's great!'
'I didn't know you had a lover, Tsuzuku-san,' Nokoru said.
'I didn't before i met Eve-chan in Xi'an on our journey.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'That's quick,' Nokoru said. 'But you always were quick.'
'Yes.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'Soon Hajime-niisan will marry Matsuri-chan, and then i will marry Eve-chan, as i can't marry before Hajime-niisan.'
'Congratulations!' Nokoru said.
'Will you come to Hajime-niisan's wedding and my wedding?' Tsuzuku asked.
'Of course!' Nokoru said.
'We'll tell you when the auspicious dates will be chosen,' Tsuzuku said.
'I see you have a new fan, Tsuzuku-san,' Nokoru said.
'My old one perished in a fire,' Tsuzuku said. 'Eve-chan gave me a new one then.'
'It's beautiful,' Nokoru said.
'Thank you,' Eve said.
'Eve-chan made it with his magic,' Tsuzuku said.
'Evelyn-san is very skilled with magic,' Nokoru said. 'I know magic myself, as all Amenosa do.'
'I know.' Eve smiled. 'I travel a lot. I like traveling.'
'So do i,' Nokoru said. 'That's part of why i became an Amenosa. The other part being my detective ability, of course.'
'And Suoh-san and Akira-san?' Watanuki asked.
'They are my old school friends,' Nokoru answered. 'We are best friends. They are my kouhai, Suoh one year younger and Akira two years younger. Suoh is a ninja and my bodyguard. He volunteered to be my bodyguard.'
'Oh,' Watanuki said. 'Ninja, that's awesome. How does a ninja volunteer to be one's bodyguard?'
'He's from a family of ninja who volunteer to be bodyguards to a person they choose,' Nokoru said. 'Takamura family is a very old family.'
'Oh,' Watanuki said.
'By the way, about bodyguards,' Nokoru said. 'Why does a clerk need a bodyguard?'
'It's the same case as with you, Nokoru-san.' Tsuzuku smiled. 'Mana-chan volunteered to be my bodyguard.'
'Oh,' Nokoru said.
'She is from the same people my ancestor comes from,' Tsuzuku said. 'They live in a lovely secluded valley with a charming village with a nice Ryokan with an onsen and a nice temple. Our ancestor Ryuudou Subaru left the valley in search of adventures. Mana-chan is the daughter of the priest in the temple there, Soseki-san.'
'I see,' Nokoru said.
'I know exorcisms and kyuudo,' Mana said. 'Tsuzuku-sama was so kind to make me his bodyguard, and I'll guard him as well as i can.'
'I have no doubt of that,' Nokoru said, bowing low to mana. Mana blushed.
'Is ran Saiwa-san Lan Caihe of the Hassen?' Nokoru asked.
'Yes.' Saiwa smiled.
'I don't seem to recall Kimihiro-san among your relatives, Tsuzuku-san,' Nokoru said.
'We didn't know ourselves that we were relatives,' Tsuzuku said. 'When Hajime-niisan felt feeble, Minoru-san sent him to Kimihiro-kun and Shizuka-kun. Kimihiro-kun can see spirits and Shizuka-kun can exorcise spirits. They helped Hajime-niisan, and when we went to look for the valley our ancestors come from we took Kimihiro-kun and Shizuka-kun with us, and on our journey Kimihiro-kun's teacher, a very powerful witch, said that he was a descendant of the wizard Clow Reed like us, so we are distant cousins. So now i can call him Itoko-san.'
'And i am very glad about that,' Watanuki said.
'Of course, itoko-san.' Tsuzuku smiled.
'Who is Kimihiro-san's teacher?' Nokoru asked.
'Ichihara Yuuko-san,' Watanuki answered. 'Have you heard about her?'
'Of course.' Nokoru smiled. 'She is indeed a very powerful witch and a fabulous woman at that.'
'She is.' Watanuki smiled.
'When we heard that Kimihiro-kun was our cousin, we decided to take him to our manor with us,' Tsuzuku said.
'Oh,' Nokoru said.
'Do you know an Amenosa called Kudou Yuusuke-san?' Watanuki asked.
'Yes, he's our good friend,' Nokoru said.
'He's our good friend too,' Watanuki said. 'He came to our house just as a komusoh, and we made friends. Then the magistrate of Liuzhou, yang ban, came to our house as a guest and attempted to violate me. Then Yuusuke-san revealed his identity as an Amenosa and gave Doumeki permission to shoot yang ban, which he did. Later Yuusuke-san left but promised to use his magic to visit us on every festival, which he does.'
'Imagine that!' Nokoru said.
'Do you know a shirabyoshi dancer called Saitou Miyuki-san?' Watanuki asked.
'Of course, she dances very well, and she's lovely,' Nokoru said. 'She is well known in Jianye, and she dances for the court often.'
'Well, i know her too,' Watanuki said. 'Minoru-sama sent her to us too, because she too was feeling feeble without any reason. We exorcised a spirit that was pestering her and made friends with her. Yuusuke-san was there at that time, and they took a liking to each other it seems. They left our house together.'
'They're a good couple,' Nokoru said. 'And what a good match, a flutist and a dancer. She probably dances to his music now.'
'I wouldn't be surprised.' Watanuki smiled.
'They are traveling together all around the celestial empire now, and she helps him to fight as she can wield a sword very well.' Nokoru smiled.
'Probably.' Watanuki smiled.
'Kimihiro-kun is a great cook by the way, a real itamae,' Tsuzuku said.
'Really?' Nokoru said. 'Akira is too! His cooking is delicious.'
Akira blushed.
'Akira-san cooks too? That's wonderful!' Watanuki said. 'We can trade recipes.'
'If you wish,' Akira said.
'It's a deal.' Watanuki smiled.
'And Shizuka-kun is an archer,' Tsuzuku said.
'Suoh is too!' Nokoru said. 'He's very good at it, wins all the competitions and all that.'
'Doumeki too,' Watanuki said.
'Really?' Suoh asked. 'What rank?'
'Third dan,' Doumeki answered.
'So am i,' Suoh said.
'Let's have a contest some day,' Doumeki said.
'All right,' Suoh said.
'Nokoru-san, Yuusuke-san tells that he's just a komusoh, and what do you tell?' Watanuki asked.
'That we are just travelers,' Nokoru said. 'And that's mostly true.'
'Travelers, like me?' Eve smiled. 'I travel all around celestial empire. I like it very much.'
'Really?' Nokoru said.
'Yes.' Eve smiled. 'I like the south most.'
'So do i.' Nokoru smiled.
