The chief of the Yukei tribe, sick and tired of their bickering, simply sighed. Are they always like this? Ko couldn’t help but wonder. If so, it must have been really draining.
“That is what I’m trying to tell you. The boundaries that each of you believe to be correct actually overlap. It’s inevitable for that to happen now, after all this time. These mountains have evolved too.”
The two chiefs went quiet.
“So, why don’t we measure the boundaries that both of you believe to be correct, work out the numbers, and then try to find a compromise?” offered Jikei.
Both chiefs hung their heads sulkily and crossed their arms.
“Measuring the boundaries isn’t a bad idea,” said the chief of the Yukyu clan, “but I can’t see how it’s going to solve anything.”
“It’s not as if either of us are going to agree on the measurements. We can’t entrust such a task to a stranger either,” the Yuji tribe’s chief stated.
“That’s why I called this young man here,” explained Jikei, slapping Ko on the back.
That hurts, he thought—but he made sure to keep his displeasure to himself.
“The task will be in safe hands with the Saname clan,” Jikei continued. “As I said before, there’s an art to surveying. I can guarantee that clan’ll do an impeccable job.”
He isn’t joking.
Ko had had a vague idea of where this was going ever since Jikei had mentioned the road, but he didn’t know how serious the man was.
The two chiefs exchanged glances. They didn’t look totally unhappy with this suggestion.
“Well… If you’re willing to vouch for them, Yozetsu, then…”
“Yes. The Saname clan will be more trustworthy than a fool from the foot of the mountain, at least.”
The local clans were very trusting of Jikei, given how long their respective ancestors had worked together.
This can’t be happening, thought Ko, his face turning blue.
“D-don’t be ridiculous, Jikei.”
“I didn’t think I was.”
“Surely there must be someone else you can trust to survey the area—who isn’t from somewhere as remote as Ga Province,” Ko countered.
“You’re the one who traveled all that distance to acquire a new sales client. This is a business proposal in itself—I’m not going to make you do it for free.” Jikei then turned to the two chiefs. “Is that agreed, then?”
“Well, if all you say is true, then why not?”
“Of course.”
I’ve got to hand it to him, thought Ko. He’s done a great job of using my excuse for coming here to his advantage.
Ko had no reason to decline now. Jikei’s audacity aggravated him, but there was no way he could let it show in front of the chiefs.
“Fine,” said Ko at last, giving them a strained smile. “I’ll let my family know and have them send someone over.”
The two chiefs nodded. The one from the Yukei tribe let out what sounded like a deep sigh of relief.
As soon as Ko left the chief’s residence—where the discussions had gone on—he lashed out at Jikei.
“You’re unbelievable, Jikei!”
“Why? I thought you’d be happy—I organized a deal for you.”
“This isn’t a joke! We’re not going to make any money from that. You know how much it costs just to get here.”
“But you came here looking for business nonetheless?”
Jikei’s words left Ko stumped. The older man then let out a cheerful laugh and slapped Ko on the back again.
“That hurts,” Ko snapped. “It hurt the first time too.”
Ko had been hoping to take advantage of the Yukyu and Yuji tribes’ feud if luck was on his side, but there was little chance of that now. Their dispute had been solved—and he was the one who’d solved it. It was unbelievable. There was no point even heading to the Yukyu or Yuji settlements now.
Shit, Ko cursed to himself inside his head. At this rate…
Visions of Seki and Jo came to mind.
“Oh, it’s snowing.”
Jikei and Ko looked up at the sky above. Snowflakes had started drifting down from the gray clouds.
The chief of the Yukei tribe came out of his home.
“It’s already coming down, isn’t it? It won’t be long until it starts piling up. It’s almost dusk too. Walking down the snowy roads will be dangerous. You’re very welcome to stay the night at my home.”
“That’d be wonderful,” said Jikei, gladly accepting his offer.
Ko, who’d now lost any motivation to call at the Yukyu and Yuji tribes’ settlements, also decided to go along with this idea.
“I’ll let Seki know,” he said, before heading through the snow to Jo’s residence. He could still hear the sound of wood being whittled coming from the workshop.
“It’s snowing,” said Ko, opening the door.
Seki, Jo, and Jo’s younger sister were still inside.
“Snow? Again…?” Jo said despairingly, stopping his lathe.
“Seki,” said Ko, “the chief said we could stay the night at his residence.”
“Is that right?” Seki turned despondently toward Jo’s little sister. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“All right,” she responded, smiling shyly back at him.
By the time Seki and Ko stepped outside again, the sun was already beginning to set behind the edges of the mountains. The snow cloud-covered sky was turning an even darker shade.
As they walked along, Seki looked over his shoulder at the workshop with a sympathetic look in his eyes. “Jo’s parents have already passed away. His father was crushed by a tree that was being cut down, and his mother died of an illness. That has made life so much more a struggle for him…”
“I suppose it was that struggle that drove him to become the Yukei tribe’s greatest woodworker,” said Ko.
Seki nodded. “The more you hone your skills, the higher a price your work can fetch. That said, it’s the chief who’s in charge of all purchases and sales, so no matter how much he polishes his craft and how much the tribe as a whole profit off it, Jo himself is never going to get rich.”
“Oh… Is that how it works?”
This phenomenon wasn’t limited to the mountains. Products manufactured in the countryside tended to be collected and traded by whoever happened to be in charge there. It would actually go against the manufacturer’s interests if they had to transport items and negotiate prices themselves.
“Is that why he wants to live on the flats?”
Seki said nothing.
“It’s true that someone as talented as him would probably make more money working for himself than for the sake of everyone here—but the chief would never let such a thing happen, would he?” Ko asked.
“Well… Perhaps not…”
Seki sounded evasive. Ko sensed he was probably uncomfortable commenting on the affairs of another tribe.
“Here in the mountains, there are rules we have to follow,” he went on.
“But of course,” said Ko.
This was a given—they’d never be able to survive as a collective otherwise.
“But that’s precisely why the young people want to leave. They abhor those old-fashioned rules. I’m not wrong, am I?” he continued.
“No…”
“Are you one of them?”
“What?”
“Do you want to leave the mountains too? With that girl?” pressed Ko.