Kei
Youko, the queen of the Kingdom of Kei, was...
...concerned about the disputes within her cabinet.
So she decided to leave the Royal Palace for a while.
Sai
Meanwhile, Suzu escaped from Suibi Cavern...
...heading for Yuunei, the capital of Sai.
There she was saved by Queen Sai.
Hou
By the order of Gekkei, Shoukei was exiled from her home kingdom, Hou...
...and was sent to the capital of the Kingdom of Kyou, Renshou.
Episode 27
A Great Distance in The Wind, The Sky at Dawn, Chapter Five.
Kyou
I accept custody of Sonshou.
The Lord of Kei has made a wise decision.
The previous king of Hou caused this ordeal by himself.
The citizens of Hou can finally feel safe in their own kingdom.
I hope the Lord of Kei moves into Youshun Palace as soon as possible.
For the sake of the citizens of Hou, it is probably best...
...if he rules until a new ruler is chosen.
If anyone disagrees, tell them it is a direct order from Queen Kyou.
Gekkei is nothing but a traitor!
My father and mother were...
A ruler is his own downfall.
Nothing else can bring down a king other than his own errors.
I will let you stay in the palace.
On the condition that you work as a servant.
I cannot register you as a Sen-nin, though.
You seem to have too much pride.
If you don't like it, I could grant you citizenship and send you to a Rike.
Rike...
So, what is your choice?
You're cruel!
See, I don't like you.
So, what is it going to be?
I will stay here.
Good.
First, you must learn to kneel before your queen.
And do not speak until you are spoken to.
Your Majesty, this treatment seems too harsh for a princess.
You fool.
Before you feel sorry for her, think about what the people of Hou went through.
Yes, but...
I've already made up my mind.
And you are my subordinate, are you not?
That is true, but...
She may look like an innocent girl, but she's been a Sen-nin for thirty years.
She never criticized her father and lived lavishly in the Royal Palace.
Unlike a Kirin, I have no mercy for a fool such as her.
Still, was it necessary to act in such a way to the men from Hou?
You really are a fool, aren't you?
Do you think I support the Lord of Kei out of spite towards Shoukei?
Is there anything other than pity in that head of yours?
We need the Lord of Kei to support Hou...
...especially when there is no Kirin of Hou.
No one is around.
Your Majesty...
Or should I have said that because Mt. Hou has no Kirin for Hou...
...no one knows when a new ruler of Hou will ascend the throne?
That surely would devastate them, wouldn't it?
The only Ranka that's growing at Mt. Hou now is the Kirin of Kou.
There's no sign of Houki, who has supposedly been born already.
There's no other way but to make the Lord of Kei...
...support Hou until a new ruler is chosen.
Otherwise, refugees will be flooding into Kyou.
It's the fault of the previous King Hou...
...not to mention the fools who couldn't stand up to him.
Now, if your sympathy-filled head can understand this...
...fetch me my shoe.
Sai
Please, you mustn't, Lady Sairin.
I shouldn't do let you do such a thing.
Suzu, your hair is very beautiful.
Lady Sairin...
Oh, I'm so sorry, I should call you Taiho.
It is all right, call me whatever you want.
U-Um, have you ever met Queen Kei?
No, I have not.
Are you interested in Queen Kei?
Is it because she is also born in Hourai?
Yes, and also we are about the same age.
I've been alone since I came to this world...
...so it would mean a lot to me if I could talk to her about Hourai.
Do you not like this world?
Oh, I didn't mean it like that.
It's just that I didn't understand the language of this world...
...so things have been very difficult for me...
I'm sure Queen Kei went through the same thing.
So I thought we could comfort each other, and maybe even become friends.
What if Queen Kei does not miss Hourai?
Have you ever thought of that?
Just because you two were from Hourai does not mean...
...you share the same feelings.
There are people who are born in this world...
...and still hate each other.
You've had an easy life, so you probably wouldn't understand.
Queen Kei and I can never go back to our world anymore.
Please, you mustn't...
Your Majesty...
It is all right, I asked her to come.
It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Suibikun.
It brings back memories...
This place hasn't changed a bit.
His Majesty did not enjoy paperwork...
...so he would just stamp anything I told him to.
I am well aware that you were found by Fu-Ou, the...
...ruler two generations back, and worked closely inside the court for him.
I have gotten custody of the girl named Suzu.
You have my gratitude.
Though she is useless, I am still her guardian...
Suzu told me you endangered her life...
...when you ordered her to gather Kankin in the middle of night.
Retrieving the Kankin was meant as penance for...
...breaking a vase I was given by his Majesty.
I heard that you also sent a Sekko to kill her.
That is a horrible lie.
I sent the Sekko just in case anything might happen to her.
Besides, you have no right to interfere in the business between my servant and me.
She must know what it means to be a servant.
She believes leaving you means being removed from the Registry of Immortals...
...thus losing the ability to speak the language of this world.
It's as if she has no choice.
Even so, if she really couldn't take it anymore, she could have left.
Why must you be that way?
While you were favored by Fu-Ou, you nagged him so much that...
...you became a nuisance.
When the rebellious Kouto league formed, and...
...revolted against his Majesty, you insisted on supporting them.
After all that, Fu-Ou still could not remove you from the Registry of Immortals.
Having such influence, why must you be this way?
I see your point...
...but the next ruler, Go-Ou who was chosen from the Kouto league...
...reigned for merely 20 years before you ascended the throne.
Go-Ou abdicated the throne, and he left a will...
...in which he wrote "Blaming others achieves nothing."
You will not gain anything from blaming others.
I understand those words very well now.
I am not blaming you for anything.
That girl Suzu...
She is still young.
Besides, Go-Ou was speaking about himself.
Blaming the previous ruler would not make the kingdom any better.
Are you implying that I should blame myself before I blame Suzu?
If you do not straighten yourself out...
...I will have to think about a way to do so myself.
A ruler punishing a Hisen?
A ruler does have the authority to do so.
Fine, do whatever you wish.
I spoke with Lady Riyou.
I am considering bringing the servants of Suibi Cavern here to Choukan Palace.
Does that mean I don't have to go back there anymore?
However, Suzu, I cannot let you stay here.
Do not worry, I assure you that you will remain a Sen-nin.
I want you to live in the world below for a while.
What?
Why only me?
It's the Mistress, isn't it? She must've told you something, hasn't she?
No. Lady Riyou completely left this matter to me.
I just believe that it is better for you to grow up a little more.
Grow up?
But I served her like a slave for one hundred years.
I can imagine how hard it is to live in a world where you cannot communicate.
However, being able to communicate does not mean you understand others.
I don't get it...
You may understand the language...
...but that can make it harder to understand others' feelings.
The important thing is to allow yourself to accept others without prejudice.
But, I've been always...
How is she?
She is still crying.
But she says she is going to take your advice.
And she is requesting to go to Kei if possible.
Kei?
Yes. Because the new queen of Kei is a Taika, so...
Neither your Majesty nor I understand her...
...but only Queen Kei will be able to understand, she says.
Queen Kei...
Kei
I'm going to Kankyuu to study under King En for a while.
What are you saying?
Please tell the officials that's what I'll be doing.
I want to live in a town for a while.
Your Majesty...
I wasn't interested in a lavish life or beautiful dresses.
I ascended the throne because I was told that if I didn't...
...the people of Kei would suffer hardships just like I have.
But...
What have I done for my people?
The fact that there is a ruler is enough for the citizens.
Keiki...
I don't know what the people of Kei want, or what they think...
The important thing is to acknowledge morality.
Morality?
Your Majesty?
Classes are five days a week, there are at least five regular exams a year.
Your GPA determines your college.
The school uniform skirt must be knee-length...
...the stockings must be either skin-tone or black.
What makes a child living like that happy?
Excuse me?
What is the morality of a world like that?
You don't know, do you?
I don't understand this world in the same way you don't understand my world.
Someone once said he wanted to see what kind of kingdom I would build.
I was asked to make my kingdom...
...a better place, to be an example for neighboring kingdoms.
But what am I supposed to do?
What is the morality of a ruler?
At least, it is not to be worried about what the ministers think about me...
...or how to manage morning conferences, that's for sure.
When I was little, my class went to a mountain, so we could paint the scenery.
There were small flowers in front of me, and I really liked them...
...so I was painting them.
But then my teacher said that we traveled all the way to the mountain...
...so I should be painting mountains instead of ordinary flowers.
She didn't say it so bluntly, but I knew what she was trying to tell me.
So you painted the mountain?
Because I knew, I would be praised if I painted the mountain.
I was afraid that people would not like me.
When I was in Hourai, I always fawned upon people around me...
...so that they would like me.
How am I different now?
Your Majesty...
I wanted to be accepted by the ministers...
...but it ended up creating division among them...
And we ended up losing a valued official.
There are so many things I don't know.
If I leave the palace now, it could cause damage to the kingdom...
...but if I don't do anything...
Your Majesty, you are trying to find the flowers in front of you.
Keiki, I will leave everything to you for a while.
If the occasion arises where you absolutely need me...
...come to me as fast as your Kirin's legs can carry you.
Keiki?
Your Majesty, at least, please let me arrange a place for you to stay.
But...
You must allow me.
I need to make sure that you will be safe.
Okay, I'll leave it to you.
I'm sorry I'm being so selfish.
To be honest, I feel a little relieved.
Is that so?
The last ruler I chose quickly became bored with politics.
I was concerned at first, but she seems to have changed quite a bit.
Hankyo, accompany her Majesty and protect her at any cost.
She is a very precious person to the Kingdom of Kei.
Yes, sir.
Sai
What an honor it is, to be issued a travel pass by Queen Sai herself!
If you should have trouble, show your pass at the nearest provincial office.
They will take good care of you.
This is a bank authorization.
With this, you are able to withdraw money from the...
...account I created at the depository, no matter where you are.
I will surely meet with Queen Kei.
The soldier will take you to the port at the Kyokai.
Thank you so much for everything.
I want you to remember one thing...
Half of life is happiness and the other half is sorrow.
What?
Happiness comes from how much you try to be happy...
...not because you are just blessed with it.
The effort to overcome your suffering and the effort to become happy...
...those are the keys to make yourself truly happy...
Understand, child of Hourai?
Yes, you're absolutely right!
I wanted to be happy, so I made an effort, and...
...escaped from Suibi Cavern.
Even from now on, I will not let anything get to me.
Sou
We're arriving at Bokko!
Wow...
Thank you so much, Queen Sai!
This brings back memories...
The troupe I was once in was just like this one...
Miss!
The play is going to begin soon!
Play?
About which kingdom?
The Kingdom of Kei!
What?
The new queen of Kei, Sekishi, ascends the throne. She was born a Taika.
In the seventh month of the seventh year of the Yosei period...
...the false queen, Jyoei was...
M-Mokurin?
You are that Kaikyaku girl...
I see, you became an immortal. No wonder you look the same as back then.
Uh, yes...
I didn't know our leader had traveled with a Kaikyaku such a long time ago.
That's why she didn't mind when Youko joined us.
Youko?
I guess our fate is somehow tied to Kaikyaku, isn't it?
There's a Kaikyaku with us now.
A Kaikyaku?
He cannot perform, but he's pretty smart, so we have him count our money.
He can't talk, so we don't have to worry about him running away.
Um, excuse me...
My name is Suzu.
You can understand what I'm saying, right?
You're speaking Japanese!
Yes, that's right.
I am a Kaikyaku, besides, I'm a Sen-nin, so I can communicate with you.
I've been waiting for this...
I've been waiting for the flag to rise...
W-What?
I found this at a market selling stuff that washes up from the Kyokai.
It was all rusted...
The people of this world have no idea what this is...
I bought it and polished it.
Are you okay?
Finally, this game is coming to an end...
Let's go!
I was counting the sands of time without realizing.
In a false dream I became speechless.
I would stare into the fire...
...as I swore to be true forever.
Let my prayers be heard, I will overcome hardship...
...and keep my oath until the end of the world.
In Rangyoku's eyes is a streaming flame and the arc of a flashing white sword.
The Twelve Kingdoms, Episode 28.
Episode 28
A Great Distance in The Wind, The Sky at Dawn, Chapter Six.
A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn, Chapter Six.