“Niangniang. Niangniang,” Tankai called out.
Jusetsu turned around. As the ship swayed back and forth on the waves, she placed her hand on the edge of the boat.
“I’ve told you to stop calling me that,” she complained.
“I’m too used to it,” he argued back. “Nothing else sticks.”
The sails billowed in the tailwind as the boat’s bow glided over the waves. It was smooth sailing. The sea breeze caressed Jusetsu’s cheeks and ruffled her silver hair, tied in a bundle at the back of her head. She was wearing black robes, and the sunlight made her silver hair sparkle.
It had been a little over a year since Jusetsu had left Sho. After Chitoku’s boat had moored in Ake, they’d made their way to Kada. Now, they were on their way back to Sho once again. Traveling back and forth from country to country was indeed a sea merchant’s life.
“What’ve you been looking at? All I can see out there is the sea and the sky.”
“I’ve just been looking at the water,” Jusetsu said.
“You really do love it, don’t you?” said Tankai, letting out a snicker of disbelief. “What do you think about for all that time?”
“Good question… Go moves, I suppose.”
“Come up with any good strategies?”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Jusetsu said with a laugh. The sunlight reflecting off the waves was so bright that she had to squint to see anything.
“Niangniang,” Onkei called out to her. He had just stepped up onto the deck.
Both he and Tankai were refusing to call her anything else—and Jiujiu was no exception either.
“Jiujiu wants you to have some rice cakes,” he said.
“All right.”
“Shall I bring them out to you?”
“No, it’s fine,” she replied. “I wouldn’t want a seabird to steal them like last time.”
Onkei chuckled at that, then went back inside.
“Speak of the devil…”
Tankai shielded his eyes with his hand and looked up at the sky. Jusetsu turned around to see that, true enough, a bird was flying their way.
“It’s strange that there’s only one—oh, I knew it,” Tankai said.
“What is it, Sumaru?”
The bird that had flown over to them was, in fact, the star raven. The bird soared directly toward Jusetsu’s boat and perched on the gunnel.
Jusetsu pulled a small, folded slip of paper out from beneath her belt. She placed it in the tube attached to the star raven’s leg, as if she’d done it a million times before.
This star raven was the real Sumaru, rather than the Owl inhabiting the star raven’s worldly form. The star raven had reverted to its original role as the Raven’s apparatus and was now being used to transport letters to their rightful recipients—in this case, Koshun. That said, Jusetsu’s letters tended to contain coordinates for Go moves more often than any kind of meaningful message.
“I’m quite confident in my move this time,” Jusetsu declared.
“You think you’ll finally be able to beat him?”
“I have beaten him once before, you know.”
“How many wins to how many losses?” asked Tankai.
Jusetsu didn’t answer him.
The star raven took flight, and Jusetsu watched as the bird glided further and further away.
“Niangniang!” Jiujiu shouted, urging her to come below deck.
“Coming!” Jusetsu replied—but she gave into the urge to stay and stare out to sea for a few moments longer.
✦ ✦ ✦
The Magpie Consort gave birth to a baby girl while the Crane Consort had a baby boy. Both mothers and their children were healthy, prompting celebrations to be held throughout the nation that same year.
The year the Crane Consort’s—Banka’s—son turned ten, he was adopted by Kajo. When Kajo was given the title of empress, he in turn became the crown prince.