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Once upon a time, there was a young man named Kouki who lived alone in a cottage in the woods.
Actually, Kouki was a prince from the kingdom who was exiled years ago, when his wicked uncle murdered his father and claimed the throne for himself.
Kouki lived a simple and straightforward life, hunting and cooking for himself every day. Occasionally making trips to the nearest villages. He lived a perfectly adequate life, and he would like nothing more and nothing less.
That was, until one day, when he was out hunting, knights from the kingdom ransacked his house. The king had found him.
A scroll with an official seal had been left in his nearly torn-down cottage. In it was written his uncle’s demands for Kouki to present himself at the castle, as he had a “most enticing proposal” to offer Kouki, and the message was concluded with a very convincing, “I swear I’m not going to kill you, I just want to talk.”
Kouki narrowed his eyes as he read carefully. He was sure that his uncle was intent on getting rid of him for good, but it seemed like he just wanted to talk about the proposal.
He might end up in danger, but with his house in its current state, he decided he had nothing to lose.
And so Kouki set out on a fine morning, with his trusty bow and arrows, a rucksack of cooking utensils, and the scroll from the king.
On his way to the castle, Kouki encountered a dark-haired young man pushing a cart full of what Kouki presumed to be fruits, walking the opposite direction to him.
“Good day!” The man called out to him as they were about to pass each other. “May I interest you in some tangerines?”
“Good day,” Kouki greeted. “What are tangerines?”
“These, of course!” The man grabbed a single orange fruit from his cart. “You’ve never had tangerines before? I’ll tell you what, I’ll give this one to you for free. Here, try some!”
He deftly peeled the fruit with his fingers, as Kouki watched in fascination. He then plucked off a segment of the fruit and handed it to Kouki.
“These are from my family’s farm. They produce the best, sweetest one-of-a-kind tangerines I’ve ever known. I’m trying to get the scholars to officially classify them as ‘Yaegashi’ tangerines, but they haven’t come around. Give them time, though!”
The fruit burst into a refreshing, sweet, and slightly acidic flavour in Kouki’s mouth, sending a pleasant wave of coolness through his body. “It’s delicious,” he said. “I’d be glad to buy some, but unfortunately I don’t have any money with me.”
At the tangerine merchant’s slightly dejected look, Kouki quickly followed up with an offer. “Would you accept a trade instead? I can cook a meal for you.”
“Oh, really?” The man’s face lit up. “Though I’m not sure what the conversion rate is, since I’ve never had anyone pay for my tangerines with a meal before.”
Kouki thought for a moment. “What about a rabbit stew for three tangerines?”
“Hmm,” the man rubbed his chin. “That sounds good, I think. Maybe I’m just hungry.”
Kouki smiled and motioned to the side of the path. “Then come sit down over there and wait for a little while. I’ll start setting up.”
And he disappeared into the trees.
“I’m back,” Kouki announced to the tangerine merchant, who had seated himself on a tree stump, with the cart of tangerines next to him.
“Woah,” he said, when he saw Kouki return with a rabbit, an arrow piercing into one of its hind legs. “So you’re a hunter?”
“Well, it’s just what I do to survive,” Kouki said. “But I do hunt. I enjoy cooking a lot more, but when it comes to preparing food, hunting and cooking come hand in hand…”
“That’s true,” the man nodded. “I’m Kensuke, by the way. You can call me Ken.”
“You can call me Kou,” Kouki said.
Kouki set out to work, butchering the rabbit and setting up a fire pit. He hung up the cooking pot right over the fire, and toasted the root vegetables, mushrooms, and herbs that he foraged for. Meat and some water came next, and then…
“Actually,” Kouki took out the remaining segments of his free tangerine, “The tangerine might be a really good addition to the stew,” and he added them into the pot.
“You think so?” Kensuke said. “I’ve never had tangerine rabbit stew before, this is kind of exciting.”
Kouki finished up all the preparations, and let the pot simmer for a while with the lid on.
Kouki stood up again once the time is right. “It’s ready. This should be enough for the both of us.” Kouki uncovered the pot, and the smell of fresh, hot stew filled the area.
“That smells great,” Kensuke licked his lips.
Kouki prepared two bowls and spoons, and portioned out a generous amount of stew for Kensuke.
Kensuke scooped up some stew, and blew on it gently to cool it down. His bright green eyes sparkled when he took the first bite. Kouki felt elated at the sight of someone else enjoying his food. “This is amazing! The meat is so soft, and the flavours are wonderful,” he slurped up more spoonfuls of stew, “and I can taste the tangerines in there, too. I can see why you’d enjoy cooking, you’re a natural at this!”
“Thank you,” Kouki smiled, and sipped from his own bowl. It wasn’t ideal, but he did do quite a good job with what was available.
They naturally transitioned into small talk. “Are you the merchant of the family?” Kouki asked Kensuke.
“Somewhat! I’m an excellent mathematician, so I handle the finances of the Yaegashi farm, and people have told me that I’m very approachable, so I pull this cart around and peddle.” Kensuke puffed his chest out.
“And what do you do on your free time?”
“I climb mountains!”
“Mountains?” Kouki giggled a little. It’s so far removed from peddling tangerines.
“You haven’t seen me with the full gear on! It’s true, I’ve conquered every peak, ever. Let me tell you, there’s no mountain I couldn’t climb.”
“That’s amazing,” Kouki said.
“I try to plant a tangerine tree at every summit I’ve ever been to, but they’re mostly too cold for it. Still, the seeds are there!”
They finished the entire pot of stew, with Kouki affectionately thinking to himself about how Kensuke was a big eater. Kensuke helped him clean up, and once all was done, they both returned to the main path.
“That wasn’t worth three tangerines. That was worth… five tangerines! I’ll give you five tangerines in exchange. Here, they’re all yours.” Kensuke handed Kouki five whole tangerines. “I’d be happy if you cook more dishes with them in the future.”
Kouki accepted the fruits graciously. “Thank you, I will. It’s been nice meeting you, Ken.”
They bid each other farewell, and continued to walk opposite directions on the path. Kensuke and his cart of tangerines, and Kouki, whose bag was five tangerines heavier.
On his way to the castle, Kouki stopped by a small town, and approached a young man with light, wavy hair and stern red eyes, carefully sewing pieces of fine cloth together.
“Good day,” Kouki greeted him.
“What do you want?” the man said, without even looking at Kouki. In a tone that expertly treaded that fine line of being cold, but stayed merely impersonal, and not to the point where it was rude enough to potentially incite anything unpleasant.
“You are, a seamster, aren’t you?”
“An excellent observation.”
“The townspeople said there’s a seamster named Ryouta who lives here.”
“That’s me.”
Kouki swallowed, and tried to sound as gentle and polite as he possibly could, “I… would like to have a hole in my shirt mended, please?”
“I don’t work for free.”
“I know,” Kouki nodded. “But I don’t have any money, which is why I would like to trade, if possible. But I understand, if you refuse, and I wouldn’t mind at all.”
“You’re just walking around with no money?”
“Well, yes, I hope I can cook a meal for you instead, as payment.”
“You expect everyone to just give you goods and services in exchange for one meal?”
“N-no, but I’d still like to try… I met a very kind tangerine merchant earlier, who let me cook him a meal in exchange for some tangerines.”
Ryouta paused. “You know Kensuke?” His tone defrosted slightly.
“Yes, I met him earlier,” Kouki said. “He gave me five tangerines in exchange for rabbit stew.”
“Five tangerines?” Ryouta raised an eyebrow. “Ken sells the highest-quality tangerines, no, highest-quality fruits I’ve ever known. And he gave you five of them for rabbit stew?”
Kouki wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Yes?”
Ryouta finally looked up from his sewing. “Then that says a lot about your stew. Are you some sort of cook?”
“I cook my own meals, yes, and I consider myself to be good at it.” Kouki said. “But I’m just a regular hunter-gatherer.”
Ryouta eyed him suspiciously.
“I usually live alone in the woods, but I need to go to the kingdom right now for something important.”
“Hmm. And with a hole in your shirt like that, they’d probably just kick you out at the gate,” Ryouta nodded.
Kouki didn’t actually consider that. “Yes,” he went along with it.
“I’ll do it, then.” There was a new spark in Ryouta’s eyes. “And cook me something in exchange. I’d like to see if you’re as good as Ken thinks you are.”
Kouki glanced to the pile of clothes and fabric in Ryouta’s left. And then to the half-eaten piece of cake on the table to his right.
“Thank you very much. I’ll get to work immediately.”
“Here you are.”
Kouki set down a plate of carrot cake in front of Ryouta’s scrutinizing gaze. One slice had been specially cut out for him.
“How did you get the ingredients for this? Surely you didn’t forage for flour.”
“I got all the ingredients I’m missing at the baker’s, in exchange for a rabbit and two pheasants. They also let me use the oven.”
Ryouta didn’t say anything. He picked up his dainty fork and cut out a modest piece from the slice, and then delicately ate it, the way a nobleman at his estate’s garden during afternoon tea would.
And as Ryouta chewed, his face brightened. The corners of his lips curled up into a smile. He took a few more bites. “It’s delicious,” he said. “Sweet… but with a hint of savoriness, the nuts change up the texture, and the flavour of the frosting complements the cake greatly.”
“It’s very… pleasant,” Ryouta concluded.
“I’m glad you think so,” Kouki smiled.
“I would’ve preferred a little bit of sourness in the frosting, perhaps,” Ryouta wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as he finished his slice. “But I can accept this. It’s a very good cake.”
“I apologise, I haven’t even asked for your name.” Ryouta then said, a hint of red in his cheeks.
Kouki beamed. “It’s alright. You can call me Kou.”
“Then come sit down here, Kou. I invite you to enjoy the fruits of your labour with me.”
So Kouki sat down. And as he and Ryouta ate the carrot cake together, they talked.
“How did you know the tangerine merchant was Ken?”
“He’s the only person I know that actually walks around pushing a fruit cart. Most people would just rather set up a stationary stall in their towns. But not Ken, because he claimed that he had to ‘spread the joy of tangerines’ to every corner of the world,” Ryouta rolled his eyes as he spoke, but his tone was affectionate. “He’s a madman like that.”
“I didn’t know what tangerines were, before I met him,” Kouki smiled, “so he surely had spread the joy of tangerines to me.”
“I’ve known him for the longest time. We grew up together in this town. He’s a great guy,” Ryouta nodded, with a slight smile. “It’s also nice to meet you, Kou. You can just call me Ryou, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you too… Ryou.”
Ryouta leaned back on his chair after swallowing a mouthful of cake. “I love desserts.”
“That’s what I hoped,” Kouki chuckled. “What else are you interested in?”
“I enjoy the arts. Visual arts, written arts, performing arts… I study them whenever I can. Sometimes I save up just so I can see an opera or a ballet at the city’s theatre.”
“That’s admirable. I’ve heard that studying the arts is more difficult if you’re not a noble.”
“I may be a commoner, but my discerning eye when it comes to the arts is better than that of any noble scholar,” Ryouta said, with pride. “I can spot every blemish and flaw in any piece.”
“Has there ever been any artwork that satisfies you, then?”
“Oh, there are plenty. I know that nothing is truly perfect,” Ryouta said, “but it all depends on whether I can accept those imperfections or not,” he glanced at the pile of fabric next to him. “My clothes have rarely ever satisfied me, too. They never live up to my vision.”
“That sounds a little… daunting, but I also feel inspired.”
Ryouta looked at Kouki as if he were out of his mind. “How so?”
“It shows your dedication to your craft. Which is something I’ve never really considered for myself before… It makes me want to try harder.”
Ryouta made a slight frown. “Don’t try as hard as me.”
Kouki laughed. “I think you should be easier on yourself.”
When they finished eating, Ryouta set out to mend Kouki’s shirt. He sewed the hole close until the shirt looked as good as new, and before Kouki could thank him and leave, handed him a dark blue-coloured garment made out of a thick, warm material.
“Here, take this mantle, Kou. It’ll be useful for colder days.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t…”
“It’s just some spare item I have. It’s no loss for me.” Ryouta pushed the mantle into Kouki’s arms, “take it.”
So Kouki accepted it. “Thank you, Ryou. I really can’t thank you enough.”
They bid each other farewell, and Kouki left the town. His bag was a mantle heavier.
On his way to the castle, Kouki encountered a man with a large hat over his head, and a lute across his torso, hands under his head, sleeping on the side of the path.
“Good day,” came a voice from under the hat, surprising Kouki. “Would you care for a song?” and a pair of hands moved to grasp the lute.
“A song?” Kouki repeated. “Who are you?”
“I’m a bard,” said the man. “Should someone be my patron, I will sing about their heroic deeds and tell grand stories of their escapades, and I…” his words drifted off.
“Sir?” Kouki said, concerned. “Sir!”
The man had passed out.
When the bard woke up, Kouki handed him a bowl of hot stew and some tangerines to eat. His body had been bundled up in the mantle to warm up.
"You’re awake! Thank goodness. Here, eat quickly.”
The bard looked at Kouki, completely dazed, enchanted, and started to eat.
"Oh my, this is delicious,” he said, in the middle of wolfing down the stew, “forgive my manners, I’m just really hungry!”
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Probably a week ago.”
“A week ago! You should eat as much as you like.”
“Thank you, good sir, but I don’t have anything to repay you with…”
“Don’t worry about it!”
"But…”
“If you so insist, you can repay me with a song.”
So the strange bard ate and ate, and he ate all five tangerines.
“Let me re-introduce myself! My name is Mamoru, and I’m a bard. Thank you very much, sir…?”
"Kouki, but you can call me Kou,” Kouki said.
“Kou… is Kou-kun alright—wait, Kouki?”
Kouki tilted his head. “Yes?”
“As in, the exiled prince from the kingdom?!”
Kouki took a step back. “How did you know? Who are you really?”
Mamoru put up his hands. “I’m just a normal bard! It’s kind of our job to know these things, actually, to know all the dramatic happenings. It’s more material for songs and poetry…”
The food had definitely brought Mamoru his energy back. “You’re headed towards the castle, aren’t you? Aah, an exiled prince coming back to the kingdom to take his rightful throne back from his tyrannical uncle. A classic hero’s journey, how exciting!”
“I’m not really interested in the throne,” Kouki said sheepishly. “The king had my house thrashed and demanded I come to the castle because he has a proposal for me. I figured I have nothing to lose, so I went.”
“Oh.”
“Sorry that I can’t be your hero on an exciting journey.”
Mamoru patted Kouki’s back. “It’s okay, Kou-kun. I’m also a wanderer, right now… I have no patron and no money to my name. I’m not even sure, whatever I should do next.”
“Well… what happened to your previous patron?”
“Ah, my previous patron went missing. I think he was kidnapped by a large bird. It’s very unfortunate.”
“If you’d like,” Kouki said, “I can be your patron.”
“Oh! Really?”
“I can’t pay you with money or gold… but I can cook meals for you.”
“It’s a deal!” Mamoru stood up, suddenly. “I’ll happily eat your delicious food every day! In exchange, I’ll sing songs of your glorious heroics…”
Kouki chuckled. “No need for that. Rather, I would like to hear songs about the people you’ve met and the sights you’ve seen. Sing about your life, Mamoru.”
"That works, too!” Mamoru grabbed his lute. “Here, Kou-kun, I’ll start right now. Hear my song…”
Mamoru sang. He sang about his ever-changing list of patrons, some with worse temperaments than others. He sang about fiery birds and northern lights, of solar winds and mountain wolves. He sang about his life, orphaned since he was young, left to wander all alone.
Kouki listened intently, hanging on to every syllable and melody, and watching Mamoru’s skillful hands pick at the strings.
“You’ve lived a very hard life,” Kouki said sympathetically. “I wish I could’ve done more for you.”
“Ah, but you saved my life! Nothing could possibly top that. And becoming my patron, too? I finally have another anchor in my aimless life.”
Kouki looked at Mamoru, a little sadly. “I can’t be a hero, or a king. But I promise l’ll find a home, Mamoru. For you, for both of us. Then, you don’t have to wander anymore.”
Mamoru stared at the hills in the distance, a wistful smile on his face. “That sounds wonderful, Kou-kun.”
Mamoru strummed his lute again. "This next one is about an old pachira plant, and the fae that I befriended because of it."
Kouki paused. "You befriended the fae?"
"Well, maybe we're only acquaintances." And Mamoru sang about a lucky pachira plant in one of his old patrons' gardens, that he sang to so much, that a fae had approached him and asked him to sing for their next party with no strings attached. Since then, a fairy ring appeared around the pachira, which may or may not have something to do with said patron's disappearance.
Kouki then continued walking towards the castle. His bag was five tangerines and a mantle lighter, but Mamoru walked next to him, and he was playing his lute and singing. And so the rest of the journey was filled with music.
Kouki arrived at the castle at last. He told Mamoru to stay safely outside, and went alone to confront his uncle, the king.
The scroll he brought allowed him audience with the king, and so Kouki put on his bravest face as he carefully addressed His Majesty, and asked him what proposal he had in mind.
The answer was most surprising. The king promised to give Kouki the throne as long as he is able to complete a task. With riches and gold on top of that.
Now, Kouki was already wary.
“What if I don’t complete the task?”
“Then you die.”
There’s the catch. It seemed that Kouki had no choice but to take up the challenge.
“I’ll do it.”
And the king told Kouki to retrieve a flag from the tallest tower in the kingdom. A tower that was so tall, that its spire towered above the clouds.
“I’m sorry, Kou-kun!” Mamoru said apologetically, once Kouki had returned to him. “I don’t see any way we could possibly climb up that tower…”
“Wait a second,” Kouki perked up. “The king didn’t say anything about not allowing outside help. I think I know just the person to ask.”
“Really?”
“Follow me, Mamoru!”
“O-okay!”
“The tallest tower in the kingdom? Of course I can climb that!” Kensuke laughed. “After all, what are towers but manmade mountains?”
“I don’t think that’s quite equivalent,” Kouki giggled, “but thank you, Ken.”
“Let’s get going!”
And Kensuke put on his mountain-climbing gear, crept up the walls of the tower like a goat, and flung a grappling hook to catch the flag at the top of the spire.
When he landed back on the ground, he handed Kouki the flag triumphantly.
The king was shocked to see Kouki return with the flag so quickly.
So he said, “Actually, that was just the first of… three tasks! Yes, three tasks. You still have two tasks left to go.”
And for the second task, Kouki was led into a gallery, and into a large room with many copies of the exact same painting of a well-dressed woman with a large flowery hat, covering every inch of the wall.
“One of these paintings are genuine, and the rest are copies,” said the king. “You must find the original painting before the sun sets today.”
Which was quite soon, seeing as it was high noon.
The king closed the door behind him smugly, leaving Kouki alone in the room.
“Kou-kun?” Came a knock on the door shortly later. “What is he making you do this time?”
“Finding a genuine painting. But not to worry, Mamoru, I know just the person to ask.”
“This is, of course, Benoît Bonnet’s famed Woman with A Big Hat.“ Ryouta said as he inspected the room. “Any true appreciator of the arts would know that it’s incredibly easy to tell which Woman with A Big Hat is genuine…”
Ryouta confidently pointed at a painting, that Kouki thought looked exactly the same as the others.
“Because Bonnet accidentally left his own fingerprint on this rose on the woman’s hat,” Ryouta’s finger moved towards one of the many roses on the hat, “as the paint was still drying. And not only do not many reproducers or forgers know about this, since the fingerprint can pass as a regular stroke of the brush, it’s incredibly difficult to reproduce this feature, as everyone’s fingerprint is unique!”
Kouki squinted, still trying to see the fingerprint.
“Also,” Ryouta’s finger moved to the back of the painting’s decorative frame, “the original painting’s frame is chipped over here.”
Kouki nodded, “ooooh.”
“This is the genuine piece!” Ryouta declared.
So Kouki presented the genuine painting to the king, and the king was once again, flabbergasted.
“W-well, there’s still one more task you have to do!” he said, as the royal advisors looked nervously at him. “And if you manage to complete this, I swear to abide by my proposal, and give you the throne.”
The king revealed the final task. “My daughter, the princess, was abducted years ago by the fair folk. Bring her back, and you shall have the throne.”
Kouki returned to Mamoru, and told him about the final task.
“This is surely a trap!” Mamoru said, alarmed. “In the best-case scenario, the princess has become a permanent resident of the fae realm and can never go back to the human world, and in the worst-case scenario, she’s been dead long ago!”
Mamoru gripped Kouki’s shoulders tightly. “He’s trying to get you involved with the fae, which will certainly permanently remove you from this world in one way or another!”
Kouki tried to be as calm as possible. “What about the pachira fae?”
“The… pachira fae?”
“I don’t really know how the fair folk work. But is it possible to ask the pachira fae for help on the princess’s whereabouts?"
“…I can try!”
The two went to the nearest fairy ring. Mamoru brandished his lute, and began to sing a song.
“The princess? Oh, yes, we initially abducted her because she just impulsively jumped into one of our rings. She quite liked being in the fae realm, actually. She married a fae, so now she’s one of us,” the pachira fae spoke nonchalantly.
“Please, is there any way to have her return to the human world?” Mamoru pleaded.
“Why? She doesn’t want to come back, anyway. She has a beautiful, powerful fae wife and is as happy as can be.”
“Maybe she doesn’t have to return,” Kouki suggested. “Would it be possible for her to pay a quick visit to the castle? You see, the king gave me these tasks…”
When Kouki returned, the king and all the kingdom officials, and all the kingdom’s citizens were gathered in a large crowd outside the castle. They were all eagerly waiting for the king’s decision.
Everyone gasped loudly, when they saw Kouki return with the long-lost princess by his side.
“My daughter!” The king gasped, “but how?!”
“I’ve completed all your tasks,” Kouki said sternly. “No more games, now.”
“And I’m leaving as soon as this whole thing blows over,” the princess snapped, followed by another gasp from the audience.
“What! Why?!” The king exclaimed.
“Because you’re a terrible father!” the princess yelled (and the audience oohed), “and I would rather spend the rest of eternity in the fae realm, where I am loved and respected.”
“But…”
“Also, I’m married.”
Just like that, the princess spun on her heels and left.
The king fainted on the spot.
The crowd goes wild, and they started cheering for Kouki, calling for him to be king. The kingdom officials started cheering for him, as well.
“Kouki, you should become the next king,” said one of the ministers. “Everyone has been waiting for any chance to dethrone this guy.”
Kouki shook his head. “I’ll take the gold that was promised, but… I cannot accept the throne.”
The crowd gasped.
“I’m not really well-suited for governing,” Kouki said. “I’ve lived in the woods for most of my life.”
“Then what should we do?” cried out someone from the crowd.
“I think you can all maybe vote for your next king.”
Then Kouki and Mamoru left the kingdom, and went back to Kensuke and Ryouta’s town. After a series of reunions and introductions and explanations, Kensuke and Ryouta agreed to help Kouki and Mamoru settle in the town and create a new home for themselves, using the gold Kouki had received. Kouki established a tavern where he served delicious food to the townspeople, and Mamoru became the town’s beloved bard, singing and storytelling for anyone who’d like to hear him. But of course, Kouki remained his true singular patron.
“By the way, Kou,” Kensuke elbowed Kouki lightly, as they were setting up the furniture in his new house. “Did your uncle ever tell you what happened to your mother?”
Kouki shook his head. “Actually, from what I know, she escaped the castle a long time ago by climbing over the walls.”
“I see.”
“I’m sure she’ll find me eventually.”
And they all lived happily ever after.