The epilogue is the most charming thing ever. It captures everything you love about En, kingdom of nad-punching and dumb banter. I translated the whole thing, hopefully not too liberally. Japanese to French to English, idek




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"Shuko, have you seen Shouryuu?" asked Rokuta upon entering his office.

Ten years had passed since Atsuyu's revolt. Ministers had been changed, governors named, and the ranks of civil servants renewed. Shuko had received the post of minister of Law and the Exterior. A new administration was finally in place.

"No, I do not know where he is..." said Shuko, sighing as usual.

Itan, who had been appointed Minister of State Affairs, was also present. Several officials surrounded him.

"I suppose he went down to Kankyuu."

Itan seemed to share this opinion.

"See if Tama is still in the stables."

Tama was Shouryuu's mount, a beast of the suugu breed.

"And so? You're not even angry?" asked Rokuta.

"What for? Going down to the city and mixing with the people is his only joy. I no longer have the will to stop him."

"Ah, I see."

"After all, it does no good to eternally count on him. It is wiser to conduct matters as we see fit. If he has something to say, he will tell us."

"You've become downright reasonable, it seems."

Itan thought it best to intervene.

"What would you have us do... When he attends Morning Council, he sticks his nose into everything. I'd rather he not come at all. If he contents himself with managing essential issues, that suits us very well. As for the rest..."

"So you see things philosophically! That's good. But when I think of the road you had to travel to get there, it breaks my heart."

"Well then, if our plight moves you so, be so kind as to tell His Majesty to at least pretend to be serious from time to time."

"You can count on me!"

Rokuta turned on his heel and left, hearing at his back the stifled laughter of the guards.

He crossed the royal palace at a run, taking the steps of its lower stair four at a time, and emerged at the semi-slope of the celestial mountain, before the Forbidden Gate. It stood open. Without slowing his pace, he gave a quick wave to the guard who oversaw entry and exit. There, a platform cut from the rock was used as a track for the landings of flying beasts. Rokuta ran to the stables, where he found Shouryuu saddling Tama.

"So, how did it go?" asked the former, turning.

Rokuta caught his breath.

"I doubt they suspect anything."

They shared a malicious grin.

"Good, excellent. Even if I were gone a dozen days, they should manage without me."

"No doubt about it. And anyway, when they figure it out, it will be too late."

Rokuta wound a cloth about his head.

"Now, where are we going?" he asked.

"To the kingdom of Sou. They say the king is a man of great wisdom."

"He'll give you a complex. You'll be so depressed after!"

Shouryuu made a show of grumbling, and let fall to the ground Rokuta's bag, which he had been holding.

"And they also say that his kirin, Sourin, is very beautiful..." he added. "Lovely like a nymphet, that's what I've heard. Perhaps it's you who will feel very small."

"Pffft, like I care."

"In any case, they have interesting ways of building cities."

"Which you mean to imitate? That's not very grand..."

"So what? So long as it helps the country... If anyone ever asks whether I am copying his ideas, I will just play dumb. An idiot king who only imitates others."

"Ah right, acting the idiot..."

"And here I thought I'd been hiding it so well!"

"Eh, the jig is up."

"I hope at least that I excel at the practice?"

"Fine, drop it already."

"Tell me, Rokuta, what do you think of going to Hourai one of these days?" said Shouryuu looking behind him, the reins of his mount in hand. "I would like to know what's happening over there."

"You'd better not. When a king crosses over, it always causes disasters."

The two worlds, that of the twelve kingdoms and the one called Hourai, were worlds far apart. If one tried to connect them by creating a path between, it would invariably cause perturbations that could prove dangerous. Only a kirin could pass from one to the other without such incident.

"Go on your own, then."

Rokuta's eyes widened.

"Really? I can go?"

"Your shirei will be with you, so I wouldn't need to worry."

Rokuta seemed to think this over a moment.

"I see, you want me to scout for information, is that it? You want to imitate their ways as well?" joked Rokuta.

"And why not? I've already told you, if it helps the country..."

"Eh, you're shameless. Fine, but if I go, I will have to bear that scent of blood."

"Things haven't settled down?"

"It will take more time, I think," murmured Rokuta to himself.

Shouryuu laughed at the trap he had sprung.

"Now I'm certain! You've gone back!" he said, amused.

"Huh?"

"There were several days when I did not see you in Kankyuu. I wondered where you were."

"What? No, that's not it. It's just that our paths didn't cross."

"Liar! When you go down to the city, you always use a cloth to hide your hair. That time, you left without it. I strongly doubt it was and innocent outing."

Rokuta stifled a laugh. Since Shouryuu had discovered his secret, all he could do was pass it off as a joke.

"So? What now?"

"The kingdom of En possesses high officials of extreme competence, does it not?"

"Absolutely. Even if its king and saiho are a little stupid."

"Very well then, let's get going..." said Shouryuu with a laugh.

"Let's get going!"

Rokuta got up on the suugu, and before the stablemaster had time to stop it, the beast took up its riders in a leap from the platform. It skirted the wall, correcting its trajectory until it finally rose to the sky. It needed but a day to cross the country.

In the world below, everything was covered in green.

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