The appearance of Azuma, the King of Zhongshan, is not as ordinary as that of his three brothers.

　Like Doga, he does not have a demeanor that can intimidate an army of ten thousand, nor does he impress the people with his superior wisdom like Hakuro. Nor does he impress the people with his superior wisdom like Hakuro. Nor does he give them a sense of dashing spirit that defies all odds like Kagari.

　Of course, there was no way that an ordinary person could rebuild Nakayama, which had fallen into decline. The eldest of the four brothers, who will turn thirty this year, is undoubtedly a man of great integrity.

　As if to show his fairness, his eyebrows are cool, his manner is soft, and his eyes are filled with the light of reason. He is a workaholic, and when asked about his hobbies, he will answer "political affairs," but his body is strong and strong, and he is not weak. In fact, Azuma is one of the ten most skilled swordsmen in Nakayama.

　As you can see, Azuma was skilled in both the literary and military arts, but at the same time, as the first champion to unite the demon world in fifty years, he was somewhat lacking in power. Compared to his younger brothers, who were all glittering stars, he was inevitably inferior.

　There are some who say that the King of Chushan is a foolish brother who is not as good as his eldest brother (Doga) in military prowess, not as good as his second brother (Hakuro) in wisdom, and not as good as his third brother (Kagari) in vessels.

　If his younger brothers heard this comment, they would have been furious, but in fact there were many people within Nakayama who held similar views.

　The foremost among them was Azuma himself.

　He recognizes the talents of his younger brothers more than anyone else, appreciates their achievements more than anyone else, and has higher expectations for their future than anyone else. This is the person known as Azuma Chuzan-o.

　Azuma's way of being is the reason why the Nakayama royal family achieved great success, but the subtleties of this are difficult for others to understand.

　In the past, the forces that opposed the Zhongshan dynasty tried to separate the brothers as if it were a common trick, but none of them succeeded.




"Oh, you're back, you two!


　As soon as he recognized Degas and Cagalli, Azuma stepped away from the desk where he had been taking care of business and greeted them with open arms.

　Azuma was tall enough, though not as tall as Degas. However, her expression and gestures were not overbearing, and her words sounded soft. The fact that he wore a loose long robe also helped, and his appearance was that of a civil servant rather than a warrior.

　However, as mentioned above, underneath the long robe lay the sharp and toned body of a warrior.

　Nowadays, the command of the army is left to Degas and he rarely appears on the battlefield, but until Degas' talent as a warlord blossomed, it was Azuma who commanded the Zhongshan army. It was not uncommon for him to stand at the head of the line and command his own troops, even rushing into the enemy army on his own.

　In important battles, he still went to the front himself. In the last battle against Kazan, Azuma also crossed the line with the enemy army.

　Even after becoming the champion of the demon world, Azuma does not indulge in extravagance and keeps strict control over himself. His younger brothers look up to him, but as mentioned above, Azuma's appearance is that of a civil servant, and those who do not know him as well as his younger brothers cannot help but see him as unreliable.

　The demon tribe values warriors, and they wanted their king to have the appearance of a man who embodied warriors.

　Specifically, it could be a huge body that you can look up to, limbs that look like logs, or a majestic appearance that would make an army of 10,000 people swoon - in other words, a person like Doga.

　Normally, Azuma would be jealous of his younger brother and would be a hindrance to him, while Degas would be ambitious to supplant him. In a sense, it was natural for other nations to plan to separate the brothers.

　But for Degas and Kagari, it was the sound of their brother's voice and the sight of him that gave them the most comforting feeling that they were home.

　Since the four brothers are five years apart in age, Azuma is five years older than Doga and fifteen years older than Kagari, making him more like a father than an older brother.

　If anyone wanted to harm my brother, it would not hurt my heart to kill all nine families.


"I'm back, brother.

"I'm back, Brother Azuma.

"Well, I'm glad you're both okay. Kagari has grown a bit taller.


　I'm glad you're both okay.


"Brother Azuma, no matter how young I am, I won't grow visibly taller in a month or so.

"No, no, no, you don't understand. If a boy doesn't grow for three days, he should look at him with a careful eye. Don't you think so, Doga?

"Yes, sir. Kagari is in her prime. She's going to grow taller and stronger than ever. Every time I see her these days, I'm deeply moved by how that little girl has grown so strong.

"That's right. Kagari was only three years old when your father passed away. Now he has grown up to be one of the most powerful veteran generals in Nakayama. How quickly the days pass! Indeed, light and shade are like running water.


　While the eldest brother and the second brother are talking to each other with sincere expressions, KAGARI looks uncomfortable and shifts.

　KAGARI respects her two older brothers, but she is not very good at looking back on the past in a strange and old-fashioned way.

　In order to change such an uncomfortable atmosphere, Kagari quickly asks her brother a question.


I don't care about that, Azuma. What was the purpose of recalling Brother Doga and me from the front line together?　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

"Oh, I'll explain that when I get Hakuro. I'm sorry to bother you, but I think you two need to--


　I'm sorry to bother you both, but you're going to have to wait a bit." Azuma almost said to wait, but before he could finish, the fourth brother appeared.


"Hakuro, I'm here, eldest brother.


　The person who quietly entered the room was a person who looked like the words "white-faced nobleman" had taken human form. If there is such a thing as the golden ratio in human appearance, Hakuro must be the embodiment of it without a minute's deviation.

　Her beauty is so human that you can't feel the smell of humanity, and she exudes a neutral atmosphere that is neither male nor female.

　Hakuro is extremely popular among the ladies who work in the royal palace, and is also a celebrity in the city of Seito, and his portraits sell out faster than any of the four brothers. Whenever he went into town on some errand, women of all ages would flock to him, and a circle of people would immediately form.

　Azuma's eyes blinked in surprise at his brother's appearance.


"You're early, Hakuro. I was just about to send someone over to you.

I'm sorry. It was easy to guess that the second brother and Kagari would come running back as fast as they could once they received the letter from the eldest brother. I thought they would show up today, so I ordered my guards to inform me if they showed up.

Haha, you're as clever as ever. I take it you've already prepared the tea and sweets?

Yes, sir.


　As soon as Hakuro gave the signal, a group of well-informed maidens came in and laid out a variety of drinks and sweets on the table.

　At this point, Azuma looked at Kagari as if he had suddenly realized something.


Should I prepare a proper meal for Kagari?



"I see no need, Eldest Brother. I'm sure Kagari will have something in her stomach before she reaches the capital.

"Brother Hakuro, I don't think it's appropriate to make assumptions without proof.


　When Kagari objected indignantly, Hakuro narrowed his eyes sharply and looked at his brother.

　The third son of the Nakayama royal family is not just a man of appearance. Although he looked weak and frail, he was unbeatable on the battlefield. In the past, the enemy generals who underestimated Hakuro's ease of fighting had all died on the battlefield.

　He is also a man of great wisdom, and is unrivaled in the handling of political affairs. As the de facto Prime Minister of Zhongshan, Hakuro was in control of the country's affairs and worked day and night to maintain Zhongshan's strength.

　Kagari's gaze wandered uncomfortably as Hakuro, a man of both literary and military prowess, stared at her. He did not dislike his older brother, but he could not deny that he was uncomfortable with him - although in this case, the fact that he actually ate the food before he was uncomfortable with him only made him feel uncomfortable.

　It should be added that Hakuro does not dislike Kagari either. It's just that he thinks that he has to be strict with his eldest and second brother because they are lenient with him. Too much of anything is poison. This is true even if it is a family affair.

　Hakuro kept his eyes on Kagari and slowly opened his mouth.


If you need proof, you can see the skewer sauce on my mouth.

No, no, I wiped my mouth before I met Brother Azuma.


　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea.


I'm not going to ask, I'm going to tell. Cagalli, and your second brother too. I don't mean to tell you not to eat, since you've just returned from war. But it's a pity that two of the kings and brothers of Zhongshan are eating together at a street stall. If you had told me, I would have cooked for you.


　Degas scratched his head and apologized to the third son, who was actually an expert cook. Cagalli, following Degas' example, added a few words.


He said, "My brother Hakuro's food is good, but it takes too long to cook. It's not uncommon for me to have to wait half an hour even if I ask for something simple.

"Food is the source of vitality. "Food is the source of vitality, and vitality is the fuel for a fulfilling life. Skimping is outrageous.


　Hakuro coughed, probably realizing that he was getting off track here.


I'm afraid I've digressed a bit. Let's get down to business. Everyone, please take a seat and let me explain the recent Kazan rebellion.