Volume 2/The Blue Swallow

***The Blue Swallow*** is the first chapter of Volume 2 of the *Koukyuu no Karasu* series.

## Synopsis

A veiled woman visits Yamei Palace at night, asking Jusetsu if she could revive someone from the dead. When Jusetsu says she can't, the woman cries and runs out of the palace, leaving her veil behind. Jusetsu notices that the veil has the scent of the "Sweetheart Incense," which is burned for the person you loved and given to you by your lover. The previous Raven Consort, Reijou, also owned some. Just as Jusetsu is about to retire for the night, another visitor arrives. The new visitor is a boy eunuch named Ishiha, who works at Hien Palace. He and Jiujiu know each other because they used to work at the same palace together. Jusetsu realizes that the back of his thighs is covered in bruises from a beating. After Jusetsu and Jiujiu treat his injuries, Ishiha explains that he was beaten by his shifu (instructor eunuch) for telling people that he saw a ghost standing in the Hien Palace. The ghost is a boy eunuch like him and has a sad expression on his face. However, no one could see the ghost except for him, and his shifu told him not to say nonsensical things. Jusetsu surmises that since his shifu didn't scold him for lying, that meant he knew Ishiha was telling the truth. Ishiha believes that there is something he can do for the ghost because he is the only one who can see him, and because they were both from the Hatan tribe.

The next day, Jusetsu and Jiujiu head to Hien Palace to see the ghost for themselves. There, they run into Ashuu, the palace lady who helped them before. Ashuu is shocked to learn that Jusetsu is actually the Raven Consort, but she obediently leads them to the rabbit-ear irises where Ishiha claimed the ghost appeared. Though Jusetsu couldn't see the ghost, she could sense its presence. Ashuu hasn't heard any rumors about a eunuch ghost, but she recalls a story about a boy eunuch who was in love with the Swallow Lady during the previous emperor's reign. The boy was from the Hatan tribe and gave the Swallow Lady blue swallow feathers as presents, which she seemed to like. Ashuu heard that the boy died soon after but knows no more than that. After Ashuu leaves, Ishiha runs to her from the palace, having sneaked away while his shifu was visiting the Swallow Lady. Jusetsu uses her magic to make the ghost visible. The ghost is a young boy who resembles Ishiha a lot. He is holding a blue swallow feather in his hand and looking towards Hien Palace. Jusetsu learns from Ishiha that he is repeating the words I'm sorry" in the Hatan tribe language. Jusetsu tells Ishiha to leave and ponders over how to find the eunuchs who worked at Hien Palace during the previous emperor's reign.

On their way back to Yamei Palace, Jusetsu hears the sound of something being beaten and finds Ishiha being beaten by his shifu, Kouran, for leaving his post. Jusetsu introduces herself as the Raven Consort and lies that the blame was on her because she asked Ishiha to show her to the garden. Jusetsu then questions Kouran about the boy eunuch who died. Kouran confirms that there was a Hatan tribe eunuch who was beheaded for a crime, but doesn't know the details. In order to make sure that he won't resume beating Ishiha again after she leaves, Jusetsu threatens Kouran by telling him that she knows his name and can therefore curse him. Once she leaves Hien Palace, Jusetsu calls Onkei and tells him to give a message to Koushun, asking him to come to Yamei Palace soon so she can ask him for the names of eunuchs who worked at Hien Palace during the previous emperor's reign.

Koushun visits her that night. Jusetsu tells Koushun her request, and he passes it on to Ei Sei. Jusetsu learns that the palace buys eunuchs from brokers, and that child eunuchs fetch for higher prices because it is easy to teach them loyalty from a young age, and because many consorts like having beautiful children as eunuchs. Jusetsu tells Koushun about Ishiha's punishment and the Hien Palace ghost. The two of them are still trying to figure out what it means to be friends, since both of them had few experiences with friendship. Koushun mentions that he doesn't know what makes him happy anymore, Jusetsu notes that Koushun looks happy when he was carving the bird for her, which he agrees with. Koushun leaves to visit a sick consort, but Ei Sei stays behind briefly to tell Jusetsu to not help Ishiha anymore unless she is prepared to take responsibility for his future.

The next morning, Onkei delivers the list of names to Yamei Palace. Jusetsu learns that the name of the executed eunuch was Yuisa. She decides to go to Enou Palace to question a eunuch named Shiken, the only one on the list who Onkei knows. While getting ready to go out, Jusetsu learns from Onkei that he became a eunuch when he was sixteen and that he was once an acrobat, which explains his agility. Jusetsu, Jiujiu, and Onkei go to Enou Palace and run into Kajou. Jusetsu manages to get away from her and find Shiken. Shiken and Onkei are familiar with each other because Onkei once worked at Enou Palace. Shiken confirms that he knew Yuisa but claims to not know the crime he was executed for because he was a child at the time. He tells them the name of Yuisa's shifu, Oubun. Jusetsu tries to question him more about the blue swallow feathers, but Shiken suddenly faints. Jusetsu senses that he knows something, but seeing that he was in no state to answer more questions for the moment, decides to visit him later. Jusetsu and the others go to the Interior Ministry, where Oubun is currently working.

Jusetsu and the others go to the Interior Ministry to meet Oubun. Oubun tells them that Yuisa was executed for killing a bird--a blue sparrow. Yuisa had accidentally killed it as he was trying to get feathers to present to the Swallow Lady. Killing birds is forbidden in the inner palace because they are the retainers of Wulian Niangniang. As Yuisa's shifu, Oubun was also punished with a beaten and demoted to his current position. He is unable to confirm what Yuisa said before his death. As Jusetsu and the others prepare to return to Enou Palace, they run into Ishiha crying by the eunuch's dormitories. Ishiha had been driven out of Hien Palace by Kouran. Jusetsu realizes that her threat had worked too well and tells Ishiha he would stay at Yamei Palace until a new shifu is found for him. As Ishiha follows Jusetsu and the others, he mutters to himself that there is no monster in her eyes, unlike what Kouran had said.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Ryuu Jusetsu
* Jiujiu
* Xingxing
* Kin Keiyou
* Reijou (mentioned)
* Ishiha
* Sumaru
* Ashuu
* Previous Emperor (mentioned)
* Previous Swallow Lady (mentioned)
* Yuisa
* Kouran
* Onkei
* Ka Koushun
* Ei Sei
* Empress Dowager (mentioned)
* Un Kajou
* Shiken
* Oubun
* Fukuji
* Shou Kouei
* Shougetsu
* Hou Ichigyou
* So Kougyou
* Keishi (mentioned)
* Kiji (mentioned)