Shurei Hong, the first woman in Saiunkoku to pass the National Examinations, and thirteen year old Eigetsu To, the youngest candidate in history to pass, have both been struggling with harsh treatment and harassment in the course of their training as new officials.
However, it is often said that, "There are no demons in this world".
Even in such hardship, There are still people around who care for them and watch over them protectively .

There Are No Demons in this World

What are you doing here again?!
I promised I would guard you two, didn't I?
who do you think you are, running around like a solider?!
If we need a guard, What's wrong with getting Seiran to do it?
He can’t.
Why not?!
Because I’m afraid that Seiran is just a granary guard.
His rank doesn't qualify him to serve as a body guard.
While I'm sure he worries a lot about you,
there are still things he can and cannot do.
But still, why should you have to do it?
This is the most dangerous time for the two of you.
You have no rank or status, and basically no support.
If you were to disappear suddenly, nobody would bother to look into it.
Are you suggesting our lives are in danger?
In the worst case scenario, yes, they are.
There are many people all over the place who would not hesitate to take another person's life simply because they don't like them.
There was strong opposition to admitting female officials, right from the very beginning, and that hasn't changed much even now.
yes, but never mind me, what about Eigetsu?
he’s rejected every marriage proposal offered to him by the noble families.
some people who care greatly about rank are angry that a new official dare reject them.
But there's no need to worry.
As your personal guard, I will diligently protect you.
It's a little less convincing coming from someone with rice on his face.
Although it's a regular occurrence this time of year, I can't help but be amazed with these pileups of yours.
Honestly, do those guys really think that sending me bribes is gonna make me think favorably of them?
They just don't have the guts to wait for a legitimate outcome.
It’s to be expected, People believe that you and senior Secretary Hong have the final word on promotions and demotions, after all.
Wish they’d use material goods.
Whether I end up selling them or using them as proof of bribery at least of use to me.
Aha. I take it that you've been receiving bunches of marriage proposals again?
Good lord! How many times do I have to tell these people that I hate women.
Besides, it’s ridiculous to think a marriage proposal is gonna guarantee anyone a promotion in the first place.
Huh? He’s offering This girl.
Yeah, Interesting, isn't it?
Yeah, certainly Interesting.
But to think he'd still offer you his daughter's hand in marriage after you and the Senior Secretary of Civil Affairs put him through that horrible experience .
That man continues to show us just how thick-skinned he is.
Watch out sir!
That incident was a very scary reminder of why you'd never want to become a target of Reishin Hong.
But I must admit that man must have guts to still wear a wig even now as if nothing had ever happened.
So? Look, Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?
Oh, yes, I forgot.
I received the letter from Ensei saying that he's left Sa Province.
He should arrive in about one half months.
And one more thing, that girl, Korin is with him.
Korin’s coming here?
It seems she wants to report events within the Sa clan personally.
I also gather that she wants to see Shurei.
So, what do we do? About shurei, she was never told the real reason why Korin had to leave for Sa Province. That in her efforts to help Advisor Sa, she poisoned Shurei and attempted to take her life.
What reason is there to hesitate anyway?
The circumstances have changed, She’s an official now, not a consort.
She can’t be protected, This is something she has to come to accept.
yes. My thoughts, exactly.
Well, I'll be going then. I have a lot to do, I've been very busy with other matters.
Other matters?
Yeah.
There's no end to this.
No, not that I can see.
These go to the Department of Public Works, those to the Department of Justice, these to the Department of Protocol, and... um...!
Last year's budget balance for the Department of Protocol is... let’s see...!
First of all, The breakdown of the salary for the top officials'...!
- You're working hard at this late hour.
- Not again.
-Your work ethic is simply admirable,
I guess you won’t mind taking care of these as well then.
I’m certain to you, this work is as easy as child’s play.
Here!
I, myself, been frightfully busy, as you know.
Have it finished today.
Would it not be wise to get rid of this man?
yes, it would not be wise.
That bastard!
He always gets the floor dirty on purpose as soon as I'm done cleaning the toilets!
what’s with this eagle anyway?
I overheard in the toilets that he had pulled strings to get his position!
Official Wa from the Department of Protocol, right?
He comes by to get his shoes polished as well, usually after he’s gone to the trouble deliberately making them really dirty.
will your calculations be all right?
You were dealing with some really large numbers.
It’s fine, I still remember the figures I just calculated.
But what about you? you are the one who has to sort those files again.
Human beings are creatures that learn from experience.
I made a point to mark all the documents that I had already sorted.
Hello there, you two.
Is everything all right?
Why don't I make you some tea?
No, You stay back, Father!
If we drink that tea you make, we'll lose every drop of energy we have left, before dying horribly !
That’s mean of you.
By the way, what are you still doing here this late at night?
Poor Seiran must be sitting all alone at home.
Oh, well... you see.
I still have some work to do on the archives.
I couldn't go home anyway.
All right.
I'm gonna go deliver these documents.
Okay. See you later, shurei.
there are something for us again?
Yeah.
It’s like that today is Ryusen tea.
that tea’s supposed to relieve fatigue isn’t it?
I don't know who's doing this for us, but it's certainly nice to have it every day.
Um-hum.
I'll be sure to have some when I get back.
You go ahead and help yourself.
thanks.
Department of Protocol, Next.
A hit! Guy, got her!
Honestly! It’s such an eyesore to have A woman running around, don’t you think?
So now they’ve [some] to a level of schoolyard bullying.
Are they stupid or something?
It seems a strange game has become popular within the Department of Protocol, Secretary Sai?
What? What on earth are you doing?!
Just what is going on here?!
P-Please excuse us.
It was Official Ro's...!
well, what about him?
This is all because I failed to supervise them adequately!
Oh, unless I miss my guess, isn’t that Official Ro now?
What are you doing just sitting there, Initiate Hong?
Could it be, You have enough free time to be taking a break in a place like this?
No, that’s not...!
Since you seem to have abundance of time to spare, I'm putting you in charge of cleaning this area.
But...!
You have some objections to that?!
From here on in, you're on your own, shurei.
Don't expect any help from Shuei or myself.
Seiran.
my lady…
No, go away.
When it comes down to it, I can't rely on help from anybody else.
Not from you, and not even from father.
This was my decision after all.
I took this path out of my own desire.
No matter what happens, I can't rely on anyone else.
Besides, I'm... really happy, you know.
I've been able to realize a dream I never thought would come true.
Until now, I've always burdened you with my complaints and cried on your shoulder, but I won't this time.
I can't let you spoil me like that, Seiran, not now.
Please go while I've got my eyes closed!
If you ever start feeling you can't take anymore of this, please come to me.
Not for your sake, My Lady, but for mine.
You can't go over there, your majesty !
If she can't get through this on her own, no one will ever acknowledge her!
She didn't even accept Seiran's help.
If the king protects her, all of her efforts up until now will go to waste!
Do you think Shurei will be able to become a good official?
If she can keep up with the way she is now, it's quite likely.
you’re right. shurei’s an official, but she’s still Shurei.
Right now, my greatest wish is to have that Shurei by my side.
Do you think that dream is possible?
Well, that really depends on her, doesn’t it?
If she can become an official with everyone's approval, maybe it will be.
It’s gonna take a while.
that would depend on both her and you.
will I be able to wait that long?
good question.
But considering that you not only respected Shurei's feelings about the national Exams, but also waited an entire year without making a move, I'd say it's very possible.

The Story of Saiunkoku

Shurei Hong, reporting for duty.
Good morning. Eigetsu To here, reporting for duty.
May I presume You finished all of your assigned work?
yes, sir.
We finished all of it.
Pardon me, Official Ro. Since they’ve worked all night for several days straight, these two are extremely exhausted.
I believe you should allow them to get some rest in another room for a while.
in that case, Initiate Heki.
perhaps you would like to take up cleaning toilets and polishing shoes in their place?
Fine then. I will. but first, I would like to take these two to the sleeping quarters to rest.
Please Excuse me.
Um, thank you for this.
Yes, Thank you very much, Hakumei.
don’t misunderstand.
I'm only doing this because if you two collapsed from exhaustion, you'd cause trouble for the rest of us.
Use this time well, get some sleep.
Female officials? What a joke!
Why doesn’t she focus on serving men, pleasuring them, and staying at home, behaving themselves, like you, my dear.
Who does this girl think she is, being a smart ass and try to get involved in governmental affairs, honestly!
you’re so smart.
oh, by the way, my lord.
That little box you have there. Does it contain what you lost the other day?
No, That still hasn't been found.
My. But it was such a valuable ring.
I had several copies made in case the real one never shows up again.
I think this one is the closest to the original.
You certainly seem very attached to it, don’t you?
This is the goose that will lay golden eggs for me.
If I can convince them that this is the real thing, I’ll be promoted and have lots of money coming in.
I know! If everything works out, this could give me the opportunity to finally get rid of that annoying female official!
And that little girl's sponsor is Reishin Hong.
it could work out perfectly, if I use this to bring about his downfall.
The chance I’ve been waiting for for so long is within my grasp.
Kocho. I may need to ask you for some help.
whatever you wish, my lord.
This isn’t the same one as Advisor Sa had, is it?
no. This is likely one of the several copies that man made in order to replace the real one that was lost.
Apparently one of his subordinates needed the money and sold it on the black market.
one question, do we know whether or not the ring that idiot found and lost again is really the one signifying leadership of the Sa family?
After Advisor Sa's death, we searched for it for a whole year with no success.
Why has it suddenly turned up now?
The timing is way too convenient.
These events certainly aren’t settling. It's almost as if another power is at work here.
What do you want to do? Should we resume our search for the real ring?
Yes, I think so. continue searching, just in case.
What about the matter of Department of Protocol,
We have enough evidence to make an arrest.
We'll wait a little longer.
This is a very critical period.
Excuse me!
I'm Shurei Hong.
I'm here to deliver some documents that requested.
I have to admit, she works really hard for a woman, doesn't she?
I heard some of the new people have been sending bribes to Official Ro to have their workload reduced.
In comparison, she's really got guts.
She's full of energy, and always smiling.
Having a female official around might be nice after all.
For some reason this isn't quite right.
Funny you should mention it, I also find something that looks a bit out of place. would you mind taking a quick look at it.
Sure, Then would you mind taking a look at mine too?
it’s… the same department?
Both involve the Department of Protocol.
Hey. Why don't we make us a join project for that report we have to do?
Yes, that sounds like a really good idea!
Official Ro did say we could write about whatever we want.
All right, let's see if we can put something together when we finish our work for the night.
Don't tell me you're planning on doing something else, after finishing all this work!
Hakumei. hello, have you come to help us again today?
I'm not doing it for you two!
Like I said before, if you collapse, it’s just gonna cause trouble for everyone!
You know, we're really thankful that you've been helping us with our work, but are you sure it’s okay?
I heard that Official Ro has his eye on you now, and has increased your workload a lot.
Forget it, That amount of work is nothing.
Listen up, you two!
My role model is Lord Koyu Ri!
Assistant Secretary of civil affairs, aide to the king at a very young age, attest him to the human mind’s potential, he could become the youngest prime minister ever!
He’s Cool, composed, and incredibly intelligent, sharp and decisive, truly an iron wall of perfectly reasoning!
although he intends to get lost easily.
although he often loses his temper.
He's so worthy of my respect!
I'd be happy to get even one step closer to being like Lord Koyu!
In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I want to become Lord Koyu!
Say...!
is it true about you postponing your chance to take the National Exams for one year out of respect for Lord Koyu, earning the Jogen title at age sixteen?
If it’s true, what’s wrong with that.
But then, after waiting until I became seventeen to take the Exams, some easygoing little animal of thirteen year old, comes along and grabs the Jogen title anyway.
Some weirdo from the Ran family takes Bogen.
And Tanka was taken by a little girl, leaving me in fourth place!
Something's very wrong with this picture!
You and your friend over there, have totally screwed up my plans!
But from now on, I won't let either of you ruin my dreams.
I'm going down the road to success purely on my own ability.
I realize that's the path Lord Koyu had to take.
To find myself in the same situation can only be explained by fate!
There's no way, I'm never gonna give in!
Just wait. in a few years I'll have risen above Official Ro.
I'll be looking down on him and ordering him around!
Anyway, you two, get back to work.
Tomorrow’s the one day off we get this week, If you don't finish, you'll end up having to work on your day off again!
Yes!
Right, let's get back to it!
Good morning, Father.
Good morning to you Mr. Shoka.
Good morning.
I wasn’t going to wake you, You can sleep in longer if you want.
Today is your day off, isn't it?
Thanks, but I can't sleep the whole day away.
Oh, that’s right, I forgot, A letter arrived for you.
there’s also one for you, Eigetsu.
Somebody sent me a letter?
I would imagine It's a response to that letter you sent home a little while ago.
What? It’s about the money that I sent.
The courier from The Department of Protocol hasn't arrived?
How can that be?
Hey, Eigetsu!
Let's go out this afternoon.
Miss Kocho just invited us to pay her a visit!
We'll be on our way.
have a good time.
Good of you to come. I've been wondering when and if you would.
I never thought the estate of a Hong family descendant would be in such a rundown condition, without even a guard at the gate.
Long time no see, Kuro.
Yes, it's been a while, big brother.
have you heard?
Apparently there was improper conduct involved in the National Examinations.
yes, I heard that rumor as well.
Everyone’s talking about it.
Something about Reishin Hong from the Department of Civil Affairs manipulating things from behind the scenes in order to let that woman pass the exams.
To think that Senior Secretary would do such a thing.
Quite a difference don’t you think? Shurei has only been absent a day, and already the entire atmosphere around the palace has changed.
Yes.
A strange rumor has been going around.
It’s as though someone has been spreading it intentionally.
It seems we are about to have some uninvited guests.
I'll leave it to you to do what must be doing now.
Yes.
Secretary Hong, you’re under arrest due to suspicion of improper conduct regards to the National Exams.
I certainly expected the problems , but not something like this.
So , it’s confinement, is it?
Very well.
Take me away if you must.
I'll allow you to take me into custody.
But just so we’re clear, don't blame me for what might happen to you silly boys as a result.
trying to tarnish everything that girl worked so desperately to achieve, purely out of selfish greed, you bastard.
Hello, Miss Kocho!
Thank you for coming!
It's been quite a while, hasn’t it?
I haven’t seen you, since you passed the National Exams.
Miss Kocho?

Next Episode

Miss Kocho. Why are you doing this?
You said you'd always be on my side.
No, there has to be some reason for this, I’ve got to believe.
I have faith in her.
Miss Kocho would never betray me!