Kuu arrives at the meeting and greets the host with a smile and a bow. After a few quick pleasantries he is told with whom he would be meeting and pointed in the right direction.

As a counterpoint to the more reserved Nozomi, the monk Kuu was far more socially inclined in such a setting and took no issue with the city. He liked the open road, but having a lot of people around was nice. He bowed to the emperor on arrival before moving to mingle. And so he moved around and min...

Kuu nods to Nozomi, but continues his kata. He knew she's not mind... most monks were like that, not stopping what they were doing just because someone says hi. "How is young Mayumi-san doing?" he asks the 'senior' monk. Founder of the order does give a level of honorary rank even if they were techn...

"It doesn't matter if they are cruel or dangerous because that is who they are or because they have been corrupted to be come that. They are a dangerous threat. Identifying the source of cruelty is far less important than identifying if they are even cruel."

Kuu stands near an open spot at the far end of the dining hall.

"Please, feel free to step up and offer tales of heroics from your lands, your people, or your past. Let's share the stories of our empire's strength," he states, before moving to a small writing table he has set up.

The Order of Heroes has a few tales to tell of those it immortalizes in it's temples. But they promote the celebration of heroes great and small from across the empire. They seek to gather the tales of heroics that have been performed across the land so that it might keep a written record of all tho...

"If they are intelligent creatures, then they likely must be measured by individual actions rather than as a whole. We might say that all Nezumi are furry, but if there is one that shaves, or a tribe that has no fur then we are not entirely correct. Jumping to conclusions based on limited interactio...

"We disagree all the time. I believe the primary purpose of monks may be to disagree with each other and try to come to terms," he says with a hearty laugh. "It tends to get decided when enough monks aware of a story agree that it is worth preserving and retelling. There may end up being tales of mi...

"Indeed. For right now we are seeing a great deal of growth though. I have been asked to offer blessings and prayers for more than a few newborns. Many more than the births I was aware of a decade ago. The cities increase in size, which means we need to expand farming, which means we need more merch...

I shall defeat my opponent! I will kill them with kindness!

"Before the kami arrived, the biggest village would have been in Isawa tribal lands. An it would be tiny compared to this. I am curious if it will continue to grow this quickly. Will the buildings reach so far that there will be no farmland someday?" Kuu wonders.

"That half-ogre is also the woman that helped her tribe become the Ongaku family, accepted by the emperor into our society. I have seen members of that family here in the Imperial city, with their horns giving away their heritage," Kuu says with a nod. "I'm no expert on the realm of evil, but the st...

"Depends on the perspective of those who see what they have done. Not everyone will always agree that certain acts are heroic," he replies, continuing the kata alongside Koki. "Killing a group of diseased people to prevent the spread of the disease, rather than seeking a cure and keeping them isolat...

"I believe the term for that is mercenary. But they are not mutually exclusive things. Some of those that went on the expedition to rescue Hisomu-sama likely did so for selfish reasons. But the result they brought was worth more than what they could be rewarded with. And they also did so bravely, wi...

"I certainly hope you will have safe travels when you eventually need to escort your charge home. But at least you get the opportunity to enjoy the capital until then. How are you liking it?"

"It's not about judging. It is about recognizing effort and intent. Seeing those that give of themselves for the good of others. There have been and will be many heroes that will forever be unknown because they do not act seeking recognition from anyone. But occasionally their good works do get reco...

"Indeed. Hopefully it was something else, but I suspect not. I'll have to seek her out to offer an apology later. Chasing after her now would likely only make things worse," Kuu replies. "How has your business in the capital gone so far? Favorable, I hope."

"I know nothing of fighting such creatures, at least not beyond my martial arts training. But I am glad that there are people in the empire that seek the means to fight such enemies. Even with Heaven's blessing, it is still up to us to take action in defending our lands."

He nods to Viveki as she exits, before turning to Ayeka.

"Perhaps she has a fear of magic?" Kuu wondered out loud. "Curious."