I want to shine on you, and always like that dazzling sun.
I will defend you from all the darkness.
This is the truth from my heart.
If only our hearts could connect, I could get you to believe me.
Even if you can't see it now, don't lose it.
Your kindness won't be in vain.
You'll be carried aloft by the wind to somewhere that isn't here.
You'll cross the sea and cross time, and I know you'll blossom one day.
Whatever the day, I'll be there for you.
I hope I can watch over you like the sun for all time.
This is the truth from my heart.
Moribito Guardian of the Spirit This is the truth from my heart.
It should be somewhere around here.
If I don't hurry, the poison mist that yesterday's downpour cleared away...
...will return to the valley floor.
Highness, I shall return with proof that Prince Chagum...
...is still alive without fail!
Episode 16 With All One's Heart
Forgive me.
For the time being, we can't let anyone outside the palace know of his death.
When the time is right, I promise that the entire country will mourn him.
Until then, please endure your grief.
Without the mikado, everyone is distracted and unfocused.
If this state of affairs continues, the government will cease to function.
And our one faint glimmer of hope is...
What are you men doing here?
The master star reader has known all along...
...that you won the trust of the vessels and entered the chamber of epitaphs.
We are here on orders of the master star reader.
I assume that you have come here...
...because you believe that Prince Chagum is alive.
But just how much faith do you have in your deductions?
In the course of reading the epitaphs, my hope changed to certainty.
If this so-called certainty of yours should prove to be mistaken...
...I must warn you that you will die with this man...
...and your corpses will be lost forever in this valley.
The poison mist has receded.
If only I had gone down to the valley floor that day...
All I found there was the corpse of their Kokkou stallion and their clothing.
There was no sign of the corpses of the prince and the bodyguard.
If I hadn't stopped you, we would have...
There was enough poison mist that day to kill even me.
You made the correct decision.
The odds of the prince being alive are now much higher.
The question now is how to find him...
Have you given the matter any thought?
Of course.
We'll make haste back to the palace.
We must first report this to the mikado and the master star reader.
Prince Sagum will be overjoyed at this news as well.
Master Shuga...
Brace yourself for what I am about to tell you.
If only I had told him that Prince Chagum was alive when I had the chance...
Master Star Reader, as you are already aware...
...I have been infiltrating the secret repository and reading the epitaphs.
And in doing so, I discovered a fact of utmost importance.
The legends set down in the official history regarding the founding of Shin-Yogo...
...contain grave errors.
The official history is nothing but a story...
...a fabrication designed to control the country.
And the water demon was in fact a water spirit that spews forth clouds...
...bringing bounty to our land.
I find your story difficult to believe.
Long before the arrival of Emperor Torugaru, our founding father...
...the Yakoo, the original inhabitants of this land...
...were aware of the existence of Nayug, a world other than our own.
They understood that our bounty is caused by...
...a spirit that dwells between worlds.
Kainan Nanai sensed this as a threat.
By creating a new myth for the public...
...he eradicated the Yakoo's oral traditions...
...and laid the foundation for the Shin-Yogo Empire.
However, aware of the danger of letting the fateful day arrive...
...having armed us only with the incorrect oral history...
He built the epitaph chamber in order to entrust us with the truth.
On one of those stone tablets kept underground, the following was inscribed:
"Those who serve as star readers must read and decipher what is written here..."
"...to prepare for the natural disaster which will come every hundred years..."
"...passing down the knowledge to each successive generation."
What is happening now is exactly as you said, Master.
We brought this emergency down on ourselves...
...as the result of us star readers becoming preoccupied with politics!
As proof of this, by studying the events set forth in the epitaphs...
...I am now almost certain that Prince Chagum is still alive.
The prince still carries the spirit's egg within him...
...and he is living somewhere in Kosenkyo as we speak!
If the being inside the prince is indeed a spirit that creates water...
...how do you explain the sign of the great drought not disappearing?
The sign of the drought that we see now is...
...a preordained sign that occurs when the spirit is about to be reborn.
Had the prince been assassinated, not only would there have been no rain...
...but I expect these lands would never have had another drop of water.
Shuga.
Is what you just said true?
Yes. I am convinced of it.
You are certain that Chagum is alive, then?
Yes.
Although I have not seen him with my own eyes, there can be no doubt.
I see...
If I were to be given command of the search for Prince Chagum...
...I shall find him in a matter of days!
Mikado...
It would appear that I was even more obsessed...
...with political matters than I realized.
There is but one thing that I can do now.
Sire, please grant Shuga full command over the search for Chagum.
I beg of you on his behalf. Please...
Very well. Do as you see fit.
Thank you, Majesty.
Sire, there is something that I must ask to borrow to carry out the search.
What is it that you wish the use of?
Here, have some tea.
Oh, thanks.
Looks like business is booming.
Welcome to...
Oh, it's you, Tanda.
Is that any way to welcome me? I'm here as a customer today.
I'd like you to deliver these goods to this address here.
If at all possible, today or tomorrow. Can you do it?
Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the best errand runner in this city.
Right, I forgot. There won't be any problems, then.
I'll leave you to it.
Master Shuga.
I would like to launch our plan soon.
Your men may start whenever you think the timing is right.
Moribito Guardian of the Spirit
I can gather these supplies for you today...
...but from the looks of this order, is Balsa planning another long trip?
Hm, I don't know about that.
In that case, I'll make sure that no one knows about the delivery.
Here's the money she told me to give to you.
We can't take Balsa's money!
It's thanks to her that Saya and I have our own shop now.
Admittedly, she did tell us that we shouldn't use it yet...
So let us do something to repay her.
Okay. I understand.
I'll tell her that.
That's more like it.
Okay, I'm counting on you.
Sure thing! Leave everything to me!
Pleasure doing business with you!
Hey, Chief! What brings you here at this hour?
Well, we've been hired to do a major renovation on a mansion.
I'm trying to get everything ready.
I want to buy a lot of cypress wood. As I recall, you also deal in lumber, right?
You bet we do!
That "Errand Runner" sign isn't just there for show, you know!
Come on, let's discuss the details inside.
I must say, I'm amazed.
In five days, you found the errand runner mentioned in the reports...
...and in three days, you've managed to gain his complete trust.
It takes more to be a Hunter than being a skilled warrior.
Rather, our true strength is intelligence-gathering.
Yes, of course.
We now know that the bodyguard...
...cannot live in Kosenkyo with Prince Chagum...
...without the assistance of the errand runner.
But what next?
I doubt that she will come here in person.
Stand back and watch, and all will be resolved soon.
If the deadline is in seven days, I'll be able to deliver it in time.
Will this be enough for the deposit?
More than enough! Thanks a lot.
Wait here a moment. I'll go make out your bill.
He's on the move.
Here you are.
Oops!
Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's your bill.
All right, then. I'll deliver the items you requested in seven days' time.
I'm counting on you.
Well done.
You memorized everything in such a short time?
Judging from the distance, I'd estimate two days each way if we take our time.
Say, five days total.
I'm not sure this will last...
Chagum, we're going to Ogi no Shimo.
I want to pick up money for the trip...
...and I'll get you some leggings and a karru.
All right.
Rai. Hyok.
Sir.
Taga. Sune.
Sir.
Split into two-man teams and check each of these locations in order.
Sir!
When you locate the spear-wielder's hideout...
...make certain you leave one man as a lookout and report back immediately.
We'll launch a surprise attack as a team.
Under no circumstances is anyone to engage her alone.
We will kill her for certain this time.
Sir!
Everyone else, remain here and keep watch on the errand runner.
I have nothing to add.
I will leave the searching to you, but I ask that you...
...allow me to accompany you when you recover the prince.
When you tried to assassinate him, the prince got a look at your faces.
If I am not there, he will be frightened.
You are not the only one who is concerned about His Highness.
That's enough, Jin.
Understood. But what about you, Master Shuga?
We might locate the spear-wielder's hideout today...
...or it might be three days from now.
As for me, I will return to the palace...
...and prepare for further reading of the epitaphs.
As soon as Prince Chagum arrives, I must stage his miraculous return...
...and we must also provide a state funeral for Prince Sagum...
...whose death we have not yet been able to disclose to the public.
To do so, a cover story will be necessary.
If circumstances warrant it, we may have to rewrite the official history itself.
Understood. We will be sure to send for you.
I'm counting on you.
How much farther is it?
You'll understand when we get there.
The errand runner is leaving his store.
See you later.
Sure.
The boy has never left his shop to deliver goods himself.
Yun!
Sir.
Zen, you are to tail him at a distance. Your face is known to him.
In case of emergency, however, extract information as the "Chief."
Sir.
This is a...
That's right, a graveyard. Come with me.
It's this one if I recall correctly...
Balsa, what are you doing? You'll get into trouble!
It's too risky to keep it in the house...
...and carrying it around would be troublesome.
I have it hidden in various places, you see.
Money?
We've been able to live without me working as a bodyguard...
...because of these secret hoards.
Ah, I see.
Just like a wood shrike's stash.
Wood shrike? Ah, yes, just like that.
You have a way with words.
It'll be quite a long journey to reach Toumi village.
Be ready to do a lot of walking.
With a new pair of leggings and karru, I'll be fine.
I'm not so sure... I'm not going to carry you on my back anymore.
I'll be fine!
Sorry about that.
Take this to buy yourself some hekimooms or something.
Really? Can I?
Sure. This will be your last chance to eat them for a while.
Haggle the vendor for as many as you can.
Right!
As I sat huddled and alone, holding back the tears on those nights...
When it felt like I was about to succumb to my doubts...
...there you were, at my side before I knew it.
It was none other than you who was there for me.
I keep wishing, "I want to be strong." I stumble and hurt myself again.
But because I have you to believe in, I can get back to my feet.
I simply want to tell my dear one, "Thank you."
At the top of my lungs, again and again.
I call out to my precious loved one.
Is my voice reaching you?
In this world that always changes, human warmth never does.
I'm certain I sensed the presence of the one that I hold dear.
Having fallen into the Hunters' trap...
...Toya risks his life to rescue Balsa, but then...
Next time, "The Water Mill Burns."
Episode 17 The Water Mill Burns
Forgive me, Toya.
Episode 17 The Water Mill Burns