Chapter 4: The White Walls of Himeji

From Omi Province to Harima Province, even with the shortcut talisman, they traveled all night.

As dawn broke, the morning breeze scattered the night’s mist, revealing majestic white castle walls.
Distant bell chimes echoed, and a flock of white egrets soared above the castle.

“This is…”
Riko looked up at the characters carved on the gate: Himeji Castle.

She’d learned calligraphy as a child and was familiar with traditional characters.

In the Heian era, though kana existed, Chinese characters held supreme status.
Official documents and important records used them, and a noble’s refinement was judged by their mastery of them.

“Himeji Castle,” Seimei said, following her gaze.
“It’s known for its white egrets, so it’s also called Egret Castle.
We’ll enter once the gates open.
You must be tired, right?”

As he spoke, the gates slowly opened.
Not just them, a crowd of workers had gathered, commoners in short, rough cloth robes, carrying tools.

Seeing everyone holding wooden identity plaques, Riko tensed, glancing at Seimei.
“I-I don’t have a pass.”

“Hmm, what to do?”
Seimei’s lips curved with a hint of amusement.
“Guess you’ll wait here.”

“Oh, okay.”
Riko scanned for a place to sit, but her forehead was lightly flicked.

“Huh?”

Seimei grinned brightly.
“Too gullible.
You need to learn to question things.
If I were a youkai, you’d already be in a pot, sprinkling salt for me.”

“I can’t even trust you, Lord Seimei?”
Riko looked up at the boy, a head taller than her.

“Well, not entirely,” Seimei chuckled.
“Humans have selfish desires, and I’m no exception.
Sometimes I do irrational things for them.”

“Really…”
Riko, half-understanding, gazed at him with round, obsidian-like eyes.

Seimei pulled a red-stamped paper from his pocket.
“Just follow me.”
His slender fingers made the paper flutter like a butterfly in the breeze.

Their turn came quickly.
To Riko’s surprise, the guards didn’t dare touch the paper.
One glance at Seimei’s emblem, and they bowed in fear.
“Please, my lord, enter.”

Riko studied the emblem curiously.
Beside a black-and-white flower, two blue branches reached out, like life sprouting from shadow.

“That’s the onmyouji emblem,” Seimei explained.
“Black and white for yin and yang.
Heian-kyo onmyouji have blue branches.
The Harima faction we’re visiting uses red.”

“What do the two branches mean?”
Riko asked.

“Rank,” Seimei replied casually, scanning for an inn.
“One is low-rank, two is mid-rank, then high-rank, and finally great onmyouji.”

“So you’re a mid-rank onmyouji?”
Riko’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Is that impressive or not?”

“Not too impressive, but enough to protect little Riko.”
Seimei downplayed, pointing to a two-story inn.
“We’ll stay there tonight.”

“Where?”

“There.”
Seimei gently steadied her bobbing head.
“The one with the peach on the curtain.”

His warm touch made Riko’s eyes widen, her ears flushing.
She nodded like a pecking chick without looking.
“Oh, I see it.”

“Mm.”
Seimei let go and walked toward the inn.

The flush in her ears faded as Riko exhaled, following him.
At the inn’s entrance, she saw a pink peach painted on the half-curtain.

Does Lord Seimei like peaches?

Seimei booked two adjacent rooms and ordered fish rice balls and radish miso soup.

Riko stayed in her room until afternoon.
After a nap and a bowl of sweets from the inn, Seimei hadn’t called her.

Wasn’t he visiting the Harima onmyouji?
Puzzled, she opened her sliding door to check next door.

As she neared, voices drifted from his room.

“Taking that girl to Heian-kyo?”
An unfamiliar male voice.

“Yes, she’s the only survivor in her village, with no relatives.”
Seimei’s voice.

“Ugh, my lord, don’t take on such trouble.
Just hand her to some noble as a servant.”

“Tengu,” Seimei’s calm voice chilled.
“I don’t want to hear that again.”

“My apologies, but you’ve picked up enough strays.
Since childhood, you’ve brought home injured animals…”

“She’s not an animal, she’s a person.
A young child.”
Seimei’s tone softened.
“It’s my decision.
When she’s older, I’ll find her a good marriage.
It’s not trouble, so don’t worry.”

“You’re not much older yourself.”

“Go handle what I assigned you.”

“Sigh.
Yes, my lord.”

The room fell silent.
Riko lowered her eyes and slipped back to her room.

At dusk, Seimei came to fetch her.

The sky glowed yellow, night falling, cookfire smoke blending with orange clouds.

Walking Himeji’s main road, Seimei noticed Riko’s silence.
“Didn’t rest well?
We can visit tomorrow; it’s not urgent.”

His gentleness made Riko lower her head further.

Seimei’s gaze grew concerned, muttering after a while,
“Girls’ thoughts are hard to guess.”

Not wanting him to worry, Riko forced cheer.
“I was just thinking, visiting at dinnertime might be rude.”

“No need to worry,” Seimei said carelessly.
“They won’t even offer water.”

“Huh?
That stingy?”

“Not stingy,” Seimei said flatly.
“Disdain.”

“Ah, Kyoto’s lords are too polite, sending a mid-rank onmyouji just for a tournament invitation.”

“No surprise, in Heian-kyo, mid-ranks are common, low-ranks are nothing.”

At a grand mansion’s gate, Harima onmyouji spoke mockingly.

Riko puffed her cheeks, fuming.
Blocking the entrance was rude enough, but their sarcastic tone was infuriating.

She glanced at Seimei, who wore a faint smile, his eyes glinting with lazy indifference.

“Then, the invitation is delivered.
We’ll take our leave.”
Seimei said.

“Hm, wasn’t this lord the one who led the Kamo to victory last time?
What’s his name again?”
The onmyouji ignored him, chattering.

“Abe Seimei.”

“Abe Seimei?”
A low voice echoed from the courtyard, sending a chill through Riko’s bones.

She turned toward the voice.
Behind layered foliage, a boy of seventeen or eighteen emerged from a pebble path.
Handsome but somber, he seemed cloaked in shadow.

His hostile gaze lingered briefly on Riko, then shifted to Seimei.

“Long time no see, Lord Seimei.”
His eyes flicked over Seimei’s emblem, pausing on the two branches before moving away.
Riko sensed relief in his expression.

“No need to call me lord anymore, Doman.”
Seimei said.

“Oh?
Why’s that?”
Ashiya Doman raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion.

Seimei smiled, noting the emblem Doman deliberately displayed.
“Because you’re a mid-rank onmyouji now, Ashiya.”

“I see.”
Ashiya Doman glanced at his own emblem, as if just noticing his rank.

“Our Lord Doman is Harima’s youngest mid-rank onmyouji!”
Harima lackeys began their flattery.

“Exactly, most reach mid-rank in their thirties or forties.”

“Such a prodigy, unmatched in the country.”

“But Lord Seimei is also mid-rank.”
Riko couldn’t help but point out.

Silence fell.
The lackeys realized they’d overlooked something: Seimei earned mid-rank at fourteen, two years ago.

They glared at the outspoken girl.

Ashiya Doman’s face darkened briefly before recovering.
He eyed Riko, as if memorizing her face, then turned to Seimei.
“I’ll deliver the invitation to my master.
Anything else?”

Riko blinked, surprised at how quickly he dropped the honorific.

“Nothing more.”
Seimei, unfazed, smiled.
“I look forward to seeing you at next year’s tournament.”

“Maybe sooner.”
Ashiya Doman drawled, practically begging to be asked why.

But Seimei wasn’t curious.
“Is that so?”
He nodded casually.
“Then, farewell.”

As they turned, Ashiya Doman’s voice followed.
“I’ll be in Heian-kyo soon.
Not curious why?”

“See you in Heian-kyo.”
Seimei waved without looking back.

Ashiya Doman pursed his lips, glaring at Seimei’s retreating figure.

After some distance, Riko asked,
“Who was that?”

“Last tournament, he lost to me.
He was low-rank then.”
Seimei brushed it off, as if beating a low-rank wasn’t worth mentioning.

Worry flickered in his eyes.
“You offended him by speaking out.
He holds grudges.
If he comes to Heian-kyo, steer clear.”

“Huh?”
Riko felt wronged; she’d only stated the truth.

“So stick close to me.”
Seimei glanced at her with a smile.

“Will you come with me when I go out?”

“Maybe,” Seimei said cheerfully.
“My bodyguard fees are high, though.”

“Money?”

Seimei eyed the penniless girl, pausing.
“Food works too.”

“Are you picky?”

Seimei glanced at her worried face, swallowing his original reply.
“Not at all.”

February’s breeze stirred Himeji’s cherry trees.
Bare branches cast shadows on the castle’s white walls and gray tiles, striking in the night.

“Too bad we’re early.
In March, Yoshino cherry blossoms sweep over the eaves—rare beauty.”
Seimei said.

“I want to see Heian-kyo’s night cherries more.”
Riko said wistfully.

“Not hard,” Seimei smiled.
“I’ll watch them with you one night.
I have a friend who plays the flute beautifully.
We can invite him.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“Minamoto no Hiromasa.”

Riko’s heart skipped.
Minamoto?
Not her doomed fiancé, surely?

Back at the inn, the owner kindly mentioned,
“There’s a hot spring in the back to soak and relax.”

Riko knew hot springs were split into men’s and women’s baths, separated by a thin wooden wall.
Imagining herself bare with Seimei next door made her squirm.

“I’ll skip it.
It’s dark; I’m scared of youkai.”

Seimei, having bought bathrobes, handed her a primrose-colored one.
“To show you my skills, I’ll guard you for free this time.”

“How?”
Riko asked, astonished.
“Disguise as a woman?”

“Hm, you want that service?”
Seimei seriously eyed a women’s bathrobe on the wall.
“Not impossible.”

“No, no, no!”
Riko waved frantically as he seemed serious.

Seimei’s lips curved.
“Pity.
I’ll just talk to you over the wall.
If you go quiet, that’s danger, and I’ll rush over.”

Riko: “…”

That’s… not necessary either…