2   Released Seal

"Hi there, so~ you're all passing by?" A figure said, appearing from the thicket with a rustle. It was a tall 17 or 18 year old boy. A cloth was tied around his forehead and his body was covered by a white tunic with large shoulder guards.

"Wh...who are you!?" The bald-headed middle-aged man laying on the ground hastily rose as he clutched a large cloth bundle to his chest.

"Sheriff Ronald. Nice to meet ya."

".........Huh?"

"Are not!"

Rustle Rustle Rustle. Then another figure, about the same height as the first boy, ran out of the thicket. He was wearing a black coat with a wide opened collar over his moderately muscled body. Long, slim, slanted eyes sparkled underneath hair that stood up like it was stabbing the sky and 2 canines shone like wolf fangs from underneath a slightly raised lip.

"Old men, don't ya know 'bout the Mt. Leikaku bandits?" The spiked hair one said and the man stepped back with a start.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"......Y-yes, we know but, y-you see, we do business in the city of Souun but we're not doing well at all so we have no money. We have to make a fresh start in the city to the east now. So, because of that, please pardon us today..."

The Souun merchant quickly took out some loose coins from the cloth bundle and the black coat took it.

"Hm?" Seeing it, his slanted eyes rose up another centimeter. "Aniki, it's 5 mon. They really don't have money. What a pitiful merchant."

"Right. Since he's pitiful, let's liquidate his belongings?" The young person called Aniki said and handled the merchants bundle.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" When the merchant pulled on his belongings, the bundle slipped and came untied. Money and gems spilled out with a jingle.

"Hmph, we've heard 'bout you guys. So you lend money excessively to people and then use cheap punks to squeeze them to the marrow of their bones?"
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
His character having been exposed, the moneylender turned to the men behind him and cried out. "W...well? There's only 2 of them. Do whatever it takes to get rid of them!"
 
 

"What d'ya think? Doesn't it look good on me? I'll take it."

Looking at a cheerful Genrou wearing earrings and a necklace strung with several colorful gems, Kouji swore under his breath. "Go ahead. But don't touch the money cause tomorrow we're giving it to the poor people of the village."

"Right..."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Come on, let's go back." As he gave a side glance to the high interest lender trembling in fear with the 5 bodyguards who crouched in the mountain path moaning, Kouji pressed the cloth bundle into Genrou's hand.

"Alright~! We did another good job today. Let's go back and report to the leader."

As he looked at the back of Genrou leaving triumphantly, Kouji began to walk with mixed thoughts in his head of... that runt of a brat from a year ago.

What happened to him getting tired out in a month? While performing odd jobs, Genrou had grown brawny with surprising speed. In addition to a natural strong spirit and an aptitude for fighting, he was good at wrestling, boxing, archery, swordsmanship... Even Kouji clearly saw those skills improving rapidly as the days went by.  And just now Genrou beat up 2 of the 5 guys. If it continued like this, he'd probably surpass him someday.

Shi~~t, am I gonna let him do that?

Kouji suddenly noticed Genrou's right arm as he raised both hands and yawned. "Hey, did you injure your arm? There's something red on it."

"Huh?" Having been told that by Kouji, Genrou hurriedly covered his right arm and abruptly answered in desperation. "It's nothing. It's just some dirt. So Aniki, isn't that our Eiken?"

Over where Genrou was pointing, a fat daruma-looking man holding a dagger was threatening passers-by.

Kouji quickly approached him and put a hand on the daruma's shoulder. "What're ya doing?"

Even Kouji, who should have been used to the face of the daruma, looked startled for a moment when he turned around.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Wh...what am I doing? See, I'm showing them the Mt. Leikaku specialty, pachi pachi punch."

Kouji shouted at Eiken who hastily beat his chest. "Don't play dumb. You were doing something that would embarrass us again, weren't ya!?"

A young mother with a small girl was trembling before Eiken.

"You, how much of a toll did he demand?" Kouji asked.

The mother answered as she clutched the child to her chest. "30 mon...and if I can't pay to give him this child... Please, I don't have that kind of money!... Please forgive me... I'm begging you!"

Kouji and Genrou looked at each other.

"I don't wanna say this to a Senpai but, you're violating a rule. The standard fee for tolls is 10 mon. And then you look at the person and decide. And you're also in violation by taking independent actions. And what's with taking the girl?"

Kouji approached and Eiken's face twitched. "What? You have a smart mouth. Hakurou owes me. Ya think you can easily get rid of me from here?"
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"If it can be done I'll do it! The leader isn't a man who'd do something like that!" Genrou poked Eiken's shoulder and he rolled around like a daruma. "Get lost now, ya pedophile old man! You menace people with just your face!"

There were a number of small shrines to worship the god of the mountain in Mt. Leikaku. Kouji and Genrou lined up before the shrine closet to the stronghold, their hands clasped in prayer. It was a routine that was regularly done by the bandits after they completed a day's work.

"Leikaku Mountain God. We worked well today too~" Genrou reported in a loud voice. "But wasn't giving that mother and kid 1 ryo a little too much of a service? Aniki's really soft on women."

"Shuddup! Don't say that kind of thing here!" Kouji reached over and hit Genrou's head who had become the same height as himself.

"You may have become an adult when it comes to brawn and fighting, but in personality, preparedness, depth of heart, the things most important to people, you're a zero! Geez." Kouji began scolding.

"Look at our leader. He's nothing like that. He has a lot of ability too but he doesn't show off too much like you do. A hawk with skill covers his leg... Hm? Not his leg, was it his feather? No, his bellybutton? Ah, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the leader is smart, virtuous, not to mention full of justice and charity. On top of that, he's a handsome man who enchants even normal me. And accentuating all that is the tessen. Mt. Leikaku is secure as long as we have the leader. We also have to strive to become even a little bit more like that kind of leader. Hey, Genrou, are ya listening?" When he looked to his side, there was no one there.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Son of a bitch~!! Letting me go on like a fool for 7 lines~!" A pissed off Kouji rushed out of the shrine.
 
 

Once again, the place became a vacant room returning to silence. Then a small disturbance arose from the eeriness that covered the place.

Rustle Rustle Rustle Rustle... It was a faint sensation that couldn't be heard by the human ear. The eerie disturbance gradually became bigger. Something lightly floated in the depth of the shrine's darkness.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
It was an ominous crimson light that emanated a pair of eyes.

Knock Knock Knock. The door to Hakurou's room was knocked on.

"Excuse me, sorry we're late."

Genrou stuck out his chest and followed Kouji into the room. They lined up in front of the leader's chair and sat. The 2 of them looked at the leader with a serious expression.

"It's already been a year since Genrou came here?"
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Right. I've now become a man to the point that I'm competing with Kouji Aniki to become Mt. Leikaku's Number 2... Owowowow"

Seeing Genrou cry out as he was pinched in the back by Kouji, Hakurou gave a small smile. "Genrou's good at being frank. ...You're right. You've both become really manly."

"Right!!" Kouji and Genrou answered in unison.

"You make a good team."

"Right!" Genrou was the only one to reply that time. Beside him, Kouji sullenly put a hand to his forehead.

"That's why I called you here today." Hakurou said and looked down again at his 2 young subordinates. "Do you 2 plan on protecting Mt. Leikaku from now on?"

"What are you saying?!" Kouji and Genrou stood up again at the same time. "No matter what happens we'll stick with you to the death."

"......I see. I understand your feelings." Hakurou nodded looking satisfied and turned to look at Genrou. "Even so, Genrou, someday you'll have to leave here."

Genrou made a puzzled face. "......Why? Why can't I stay here forever!?"

"You'll have to leave."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"Why!? Leader, isn't it nasty to say that all of a sudden?!"

Genrou's face instantly began to redden. Hakurou's lips lifted up in a grin.

"The answer is this." The leader suddenly rolled up the right sleeve of Genrou's coat.

"Ah......!" Kouji's eyes went wide. What looked like something on Genrou's right arm earlier now appeared clearly before his eyes. Wasn't that the character "Wing" that distinctly showed up on Genrou's right arm...?!

"I've...I've heard about this... Could that be..." Kouji said to the leader.

"It's a mark of a Suzaku Seishi. One day Suzaku no Miko will appear here in Kounan Country. Then, according to legend, when the 7 Seishi are together with that Miko, Kounan Country's guardian deity, Suzaku, will appear. And then in compliance with a wish made to Suzaku, the country will continue to have peace forever. The marks of the Suzaku Seishi are Hotohori, Tamahome, Nuriko, Chichiri, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Tasuki... Genrou, that's you."

"..............."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Genrou looked bitterly at the one character on his arm that had surfaced in a careless moment from the leader's provocation.

"Genrou is... a Suzaku Seishi...!?" Kouji now looked at his friend beside him who was like a younger brother to him with a respectful distance.

"You have a destiny to someday work for Kounan Country. And so, you can't stay in Mt. Leikaku forever. You understand, right?"

Hakurou had seen the mark on Genrou's arm when he met him at the base of the mountain and knew that this boy who had clung to him was a Suzaku Seishi so kicked him on purpose. But he gave way to Genrou's fearsome tenacity and passion and allowed him to join the bandits. A year had passed since then and Genrou had become completely accustomed to here so Hakurou intended to drive the nail in again.

"I'm not...leaving here." Genrou grumbled to himself. "I don't care if it's the 7 Gods of Luck or the lucky numbers 7,5,&3, I have no interest in that kind of thing. That's just a legend. Who knows when the Miko will appear. It's a silly story. Besides, isn't a miko a woman? Why would I work for a woman? It's not funny. It's not funny. It's disgusting!"

"......Genrou..." Hakurou folded his arms and sighed.

"Leader! I'm begging ya! Please don't view me as some kind of temp OL." Genrou begged Hakurou. "Please let me stay here 'til I die! Please let me work for you in this mountain forever!"

"..............."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
It's just like a year before... Hakurou bitterly smiled to himself. I really give way to his forcefulness.

"Hmph..." Hakurou slowly crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hands with his elbows on the armrests. "Alright. In that case, Kouji and Genrou, I'll have to get you to show me what makes you a man."

"A man..."

Kouji looked at the leader intently. At his side Genrou started taking off his pants.

"What're ya doing~?! Don't take things so literally!" Kouji struck Genrou with a kick.

"So, leader, what should we do?" Kouji asked.

Hakurou said to both of them in a dignified voice. "Go and steal Keiron's treasure from his place in Mt. Kaou."

Those who attacked Genrou at the base of Mt. Leikaku a year ago, were also members of the Mt. Kaou bandits and the hostilities between Mt. Leikaku and Mt. Kaou, separated only by the city of Souun, had continued long since that time.

"The other day, 3 of our men were killed by them at the base of the mountain. We can't let them continue to do whatever they want like this."

Kouji and Genrou proudly gave a huge nod. "So, what is their leader's treasure...?"

"I don't know."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Genrou and Kouji staggered at Hakurou's abrupt answer.

"Well now, Kouji and Genrou, which one of you will bring his treasure? This should be fun." Having said that, Hakurou grinned.

"I'll bring it back, just wait!"

Kouji glared at Genrou who had answered without hesitation.

"A brat like this can't do it. I'll definitely bring it back."

"No, no, Aniki is already too old, it'll be too much for him to do it. Leave it to me."

"What? What can a single cell organism like you do?"

"Then that makes you a no cell organism."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
"What was that? Ya son of a bitch."
 
 

After the 2 of them left the room still quarreling, Hakurou heaved a huge sigh and picked up the tessen that had been placed at his side.

"This is really serious..." Muttering that, Hakurou held his head in both his hands. "If I don't do something soon..."
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
As Genrou said before, who knows when Suzaku no Miko will appear. He couldn't think of that now. Figuring out how to save Mt. Leikaku in this crisis comes first.

Hakurou was approaching 24 years of age. He had been blessed with a rare disposition and when he took over as the Mt. Leikaku leader at the young age of 20, all of the bandits were sure that Hakurou's era would continue for a long time. Of course Hakurou thought he would as well...

"A failure. I was a failure..." Hakurou continued moaning that.

Hakurou realized that he had already lost the spirit to be leader. He concluded that a little late. But that little bit was unforgivable.

Now all that Hakurou could do was decide on the next leader as soon as possible.

"They may be a bit young but, Kouji and Genrou...are the only 2 who have the backbone to become leader."

Then he'll have to give the position of leader to the person who steals Keiron's treasure form Mt. Kaou, build up a new system for Mt. Leikaku, and solidify the unity of the bandits.

If I don't do it soon, it will come.
Translation by Tasuki no Miko
Raising a haggard face, Hakurou muttered. "The seal has already been released........."