E3 - A True Golden Raven

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:01] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    A prince said, "When a kin'u
    is born, drought follows."
[00:06] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    "When a kin'u is born, floods follow."
[00:09] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    "When a kin'u is born, great strife follows
     and many yatagarasu perish."
[00:16] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    How sad.
[00:19] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    Tell me, Grandfather, why does disaster
    befall Yamauchi when a kin'u is born?
[00:25] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    Aren't kin'u meant to protect us yatagarasu?
[00:28] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    Why are kin'u born?
[00:31] (Flashback) Young Natsuka
    Why is my younger brother one of them?
SIGN    YATAGARASU
SIGN    The Raven
    Does Not 
    Choose 
    Its Master
[02:22] Nazukihiko
    I know you just arrived,
    but I want you to do some things for me.
[02:25] Yukiya
    Oh, um, of course.
[02:32] Yukiya
    I figured the Crown Prince
    would be living in the lap of luxury.
[02:37] Yukiya
    This isn't what I pictured.
[02:41] Nazukihiko
    This is your first task.
[02:44] Nazukihiko
    I want you to water my plants
    with water from that well.
[02:46] Nazukihiko
    But only the ones in the white pots.
[02:49] Yukiya
    Only the white ones?
[02:51] Nazukihiko
    Yes. Give the blue ones
    water from the falls.
[02:53] Yukiya
    Falls?
[02:59] Nazukihiko
    I have two of each plant,
    one in a white pot and one in a blue.
[03:02] Nazukihiko
    Don't give any the wrong water.
[03:04] Nazukihiko
    Also...
[03:06] Nazukihiko
    This well isn't for drinking from.
[03:08] Nazukihiko
    Try the jugs in the annex
    if you get thirsty.
[03:12] Yukiya
    I understand.
[03:14] Yukiya
    In that case, I'll get—
[03:20] Nazukihiko
    Sumio and I are going out.
[03:22] Nazukihiko
    We'll drop in again in the afternoon,
    so have the room clean by then.
[03:27] Yukiya
    Right.
[03:28] Nazukihiko
    Sort the books and
    put them back on their shelves.
[03:31] Nazukihiko
    And I want you to collect
    a letter addressed to me.
[03:34] Nazukihiko
    It should arrive at the
    Civil Bureau before noon.
[03:36] Yukiya
    The where now?
[03:37] Nazukihiko
    I borrowed some of these books
    from the library. Return them.
[03:41] Nazukihiko
    When you do, give the official
    a list of the next batch I want,
[03:45] Nazukihiko
    and deliver this to the Ministry of
    Ceremonies while he fetches them.
[03:48] Yukiya
    Right.
[03:48] Nazukihiko
    My afternoon mail should have
    arrived by then, so collect that, too.
[03:52] Nazukihiko
    Oh, and I could use some more paper.
[03:54] Yukiya
    Uh...
[03:55] Nazukihiko
    Once back at the Sunrise Palace,
    open the letters and sort them by urgency.
[04:00] Nazukihiko
    Clean the stable and change the water.
[04:03] Nazukihiko
    If the horse trough and the jugs both run dry,
     fetch water from the falls at once.
[04:09] Nazukihiko
    Any questions?
[04:10] Yukiya
    Um... All by myself?
[04:13] Nazukihiko
    Do you see anyone else?
[04:17] Sumio
    Your Highness, Sir Yukiya
    has only just arrived.
[04:21] Nazukihiko
    If you can't do it, leave here at once.
    We will both be better off that way.
[04:25] Nazukihiko
    You needn't hold back.
[04:27] Yukiya
    What do you mean?
[04:28] Yukiya
    I'll do my best, of course, but—
[04:31] Nazukihiko
    Your effort doesn't interest me.
[04:35] Nazukihiko
    I care whether you make
    yourself useful to me.
[04:38] Nazukihiko
    Can you do it or can't you?
[04:42] Yukiya
    May I suggest Your Highness
    confirms the answer with your own eyes?
[04:51] Nazukihiko
    Sumio.
[04:52] Sumio
    Of course.
[04:53] Sumio
    This sash marks you
    as the Prince's attendant.
[04:56] Sumio
    Wearing it will grant you entry
    to most places at court.
[05:00] Sumio
    Stop by the kitchens
     if you get hungry. And—
[05:03] Yukiya
    I'll be fine.
[05:04] Yukiya
    Please, go out as you planned.
[05:07] Yukiya
    I have no time to waste.
[05:11] Nazukihiko
    All right. I pray you're not a blockhead.
[05:15] Yukiya
    So long. Take care.
[05:19] Yukiya
    This goes on the shelf.
    This goes to the library.
[05:23] Yukiya
    Damn it. "Blockhead" irritates me
     coming from him.
[05:31] Yukiya
    Ow, ow, ow.
[05:34] Yukiya
    I don't wanna get it dirty.
[05:41] Yukiya
    My feather robe's good enough.
[05:46] Yukiya
    White.
[05:47] Yukiya
    White. White. White.
[05:50] Yukiya
    Man, why couldn't he just
     make them all white?
[05:53] Yukiya
    Huh?
[05:57] (Flashback) Yukimasa
    Don't loiter around in
    your feather robe or shift shape.
[06:02] Yukiya
    Still, what choice have I got?
[06:13] Yukiya
    O-kay.
[06:20] Yukiya
    Blue.
[06:21] Yukiya
    Blue. Blue. Blue.
[06:27] Yukiya
    Welcome home.
[06:28] Nazukihiko
    Good work. Where are my letters?
[06:31] Yukiya
    I haven't gone to get them yet.
[06:33] Nazukihiko
    Still? I thought I told you
    to fetch them in the afternoon.
[06:38] Yukiya
    If I may, Your—
[06:39] Nazukihiko
    Never mind. I'll send Sumio for them.
[06:43] Nazukihiko
    Use your head.
[06:46] Nazukihiko
    Consider the order you ought
    to work in before you act.
[06:49] Yukiya
    Your Highness.
[06:50] Yukiya
    Your literary tutor
    left assignments for you.
[06:53] Yukiya
    He urges you to make up for
    lost time abroad as soon as possible.
[06:57] Yukiya
    It's due tomorrow.
[06:58] Yukiya
    Respectfully, shouldn't Your Highness
     get to work on it soon?
[07:04] Nazukihiko
    Is that something I ought to do?
[07:07] Yukiya
    Huh?
[07:12] Yukiya
    What's wrong with that guy?!
[07:15] Yukiya
    I've been flying around all day
     without a bite to eat!
SIGN    Imperial Court
[07:25] Guard 1
    Boy, do you plan to enter
    the court in that getup?
[07:28] Yukiya
    Yes, that's right.
[07:30] Guard 1
    No, that's wrong.
[07:32] Guard 1
    Come back when you're dressed properly.
[07:35] Yukiya
    Is there a rule against
    entering court in a feather robe?
[07:38] Guard 1
    There's no rule, but we can't let
    an uncivil servant like you pass.
[07:44] Guard 2
    Go on. Back where you came from.
[07:45] Yukiya
    Even though I'm His Highness's attendant?
[07:51] Guard 2
    We beg your pardon.
[07:56] Yukiya
    Ah, this sucks.
SIGN    Imperial Library
SIGN    Imperial Library
SIGN    Imperial Library
SIGN    Ministry of Ceremonies
SIGN    Civil Bureau
SIGN    Imperial Library
[08:17] Yukiya
    Is this letter important?
[08:19] Yukiya
    What the hell?
SIGN    Young 
    sir, 
    I can't 
    wait for 
    your next 
    visit
[08:22] Yukiya
    Are these all from 
    the red-light district?
SIGN    You're the 
    only one 
    I can 
    depend 
    on
[08:38] Yukiya
    Done!
[08:43] (Flashback) Tutor
    See that the Prince gets this done.
[09:04] Yukiya
    Welcome back.
[09:05] Yukiya
    Wait. Where's Lord Sumio?
[09:08] Yukiya
    What happened to Your Highness's kimono?
[09:17] Nazukihiko
    How many tasks have you finished?
[09:19] Yukiya
    I've completed all of them.
[09:22] Nazukihiko
    All of them?
[09:23] Yukiya
    But I haven't touched
    Your Highness's assignment.
[09:26] Yukiya
    Does that displease you?
[09:29] Nazukihiko
    That is as it should be.
[09:31] Yukiya
    Huh. He doesn't mind.
[09:34] Yukiya
    Huh? Hey!
[09:46] Nazukihiko
    A kumquat. It should help tide you over.
[09:55] Nazukihiko
    Is one not enough?
    Don't stand on ceremony.
[09:58] Yukiya
    Oh, uh, n-no, thank you.
[10:01] Nazukihiko
    I see.
[10:03] Nazukihiko
    That will be all for today. Well done.
[10:07] Yukiya
    May Your Highness sleep well.
[10:16] Yukiya
    So sour.
[10:19] Yukiya
    Bitter, too.
SIGN    Lineal grandson of 
    the Lord of the North
    Kiei
[10:35] Kiei
    You don't say?
    Sounds like you have it rough.
[10:38] Yukiya
    It's not funny!
[10:40] Yukiya
    My muscles ache every day,
    and I sweat literal buckets.
[10:44] Yukiya
    He's a fiend. An ogre.
[10:45] Kiei
    But you set a new record.
    No attendant has lasted half a month before.
[10:50] Yukiya
    You forgot to mention that.
[10:53] Yukiya
    So you knew all along, Lord Kiei.
[10:56] Kiei
    Sorry about that.
[11:00] Kiei
    By the way, about His Highness...
[11:04] Kiei
    He hasn't visited the
    Cherry Blossom Palace yet.
[11:06] Kiei
    And I keep hearing about trips
    to the red-light district.
[11:10] Kiei
    Have you heard anything?
    Anything at all?
[11:13] Kiei
    Like, um, his taste in women?
[11:15] Yukiya
    His habits make no sense to me.
[11:18] Yukiya
    He pops up when I least expect him,
    then disappears for three days.
[11:22] Yukiya
    Oh, I think he likes kumquats.
[11:26] Kiei
    I guess he really isn't like the rest of us,
     being a true kin'u and all.
[11:31] Yukiya
    A true...
[11:32] Kiei
    Oh, didn't I tell you?
[11:34] Kiei
    You see, His Highness is no ordinary kin'u.
[11:37] Kiei
    They call him a kin'u among kin'u.
     A true Golden Raven.
[11:42] Kiei
    The name "kin'u" has two meanings, you see.
[11:44] Kiei
    One is the kin'u as a simple ruler.
[11:48] Kiei
    Then, there's the Golden Raven, ancestor
    of the Royal House, and his second coming.
[11:55] Kiei
    We call the latter "true" kin'u.
[11:59] Yukiya
    So they're all kin'u,
    but some are real and some are fake?
[12:03] Kiei
    Basically, yes,
    although it's not politic to say so.
[12:07] Kiei
    The current Kin'u is a yatagarasu like us.
[12:10] Kiei
    So was his predecessor,
    hailed as a great ruler.
[12:12] Kiei
    But they say true kin'u only look like us.
[12:17] Kiei
    They're really something else entirely.
[12:20] Kiei
    According to some texts,
[12:22] Kiei
    a true kin'u has the power to dispel darkness
     and change shape in even the darkest night.
[12:27] Kiei
    Grand, beautiful, and compassionate,
[12:31] Kiei
    he's born with all the qualities
    he needs to rule the yatagarasu.
[12:35] Yukiya
    Has anyone ever seen one?
[12:37] Kiei
    Uh, well, decades go by
    between chances, so...
[12:42] Yukiya
    And the Royal House
    has an older son, right?
[12:45] Yukiya
    At Clear Mirror Temple, I—
[12:46] Kiei
    Lord Natsuka.
[12:48] Kiei
    Under normal circumstances,
    he would have been heir to the throne.
[12:51] Kiei
    But once the Prince was born
    and recognized as a true kin'u,
[12:55] Kiei
    Lord Natsuka's fortunes took a turn.
[12:57] Kiei
    Even so, court ravens who hated
    to lose his wisdom organized in secret.
[13:02] Kiei
    The faction were like embers,
    smoldering this whole time.
[13:05] Kiei
    But the Prince's poor reputation
    has started fanning it back aflame.
[13:11] Yukiya
    Hey, a lucky tea stalk.
[13:13] Kiei
    Were you listening?
[13:15] Yukiya
    It's basically a bunch of nobles
    fighting over power, right?
[13:18] Yukiya
    All that about who's
    a true kin'u and who's wise?
[13:21] Yukiya
    That's just a front, or maybe an excuse.
[13:24] Yukiya
    But, well, I guess it goes deeper than that.
[13:28] Yukiya
    I mean, His Highness is obviously just
    a selfish yatagarasu like the rest of us.
[13:34] Kiei
    Shh! Not so loud.
[13:37] Kiei
    Rumor has it Lord Natsuka's mother,
    the Empress, is plotting something.
[13:42] Kiei
    And there's a saying that
    true kin'u have troubled reigns.
[13:45] Kiei
    Of course, I hope it comes to nothing.
[13:51] Rokon
    He's a stubborn kid.
[13:54] Rokon
    I see why you took a shine
    to him, Lord Natsuka.
[13:57] Rokon
    How do you plan to use him?
[14:03] Empress
    If only he had never
     returned from abroad.
[14:06] Empress
    Shoin, I trust you understand?
[14:09] Shoin
    Yes, Majesty. I shall prepare
    for an Imperial Council.
SIGN    Secretary to 
    His Imperial Majesty
    Shoin
SIGN    Wisteria Hall, Cherry Blossom Palace
[14:17] Fujinami
    The irises look even lovelier
    after yesterday's rain.
[14:21] Masuho
    Magnificent. They could be a painting.
[14:24] Asebi
    They really could.
[14:26] Asebi
    But how can a month have passed already?
    It seems like no time at all.
[14:30] Shiratama
    By the way, where is Lady Hamayu?
[14:33] Fujinami
    She sent word that she has a headache.
[14:36] Fujinami
    A hangover, no doubt.
[14:37] Masuho
    Pay her no mind.
[14:40] Masuho
    It is His Highness that I miss.
     I sent him another invitation today.
[14:44] Asebi
    Um... Have you met
    His Highness, Lady Masuho-no-Susuki?
[14:49] Masuho
    We are cousins.
[14:50] Masuho
    He even came to live with the
    Western House, though only for a short time.
[14:55] Masuho
    How elegant and kind he was back then.
[15:00] Yukiya
    Hear that, Your Highness?
[15:02] Nazukihiko
    Yes, I hear it.
[15:04] Yukiya
    You're elegant and kind.
     Everyone likes you.
[15:08] Yukiya
    So why are we sneaking around
    and spying like this?
[15:13] Nazukihiko
    Keep your voice down, Yukiya.
[15:15] Yukiya
    And the itching! Black feather robes attract
     so many mosquitoes. How can you stand it?
[15:20] Nazukihiko
    I am a kin'u.
[15:22] Yukiya
    You say that,
    but aren't they biting you, too?
[15:24] Nazukihiko
    An assassin after my life
    lurks in the Cherry Blossom Palace.
[15:28] Nazukihiko
    I received a warning letter
    just before the rite began.
[15:31] Yukiya
    Who sent it?
[15:32] Nazukihiko
    Who knows?
[15:33] Yukiya
    Don't you?
[15:34] Nazukihiko
    But it didn't strike me as a prank.
[15:36] Nazukihiko
    And I must choose a consort regardless.
[15:39] Yukiya
    So that's why we're spying, huh?
[15:41] Nazukihiko
    Yes. People show their true selves
    when they let their guard down.
[15:46] Nazukihiko
    From the left, those are the Eastern,
    Western, and Northern ladies.
[15:49] Nazukihiko
    The East has a long reputation
    for scheming, the West for frivolity,
[15:53] Nazukihiko
    and the North for obstinacy.
    All well deserved, it appears.
[15:59] Yukiya
    I don't see it at all.
[16:01] Nazukihiko
    The Southern lady is absent, but oh well.
[16:04] Nazukihiko
    Can you see the women wearing
    feather robes under their kimono?
[16:07] Yukiya
    Oh, yes.
[16:09] Nazukihiko
    They are warrior women
    who guard Cherry Blossom Palace.
[16:12] Nazukihiko
    The best, it is said,
    can decapitate a horse in a single blow.
[16:16] Nazukihiko
    They are called—
[16:18] Takimoto
    Who goes there?
[16:19] Yukiya
    Your Highness, we'd better run.
[16:21] Nazukihiko
    Too late for that.
    The Wisteria Guard noticed us.
[16:23] Yukiya
    The Wisteria what?
[16:24] Nazukihiko
    Forgive me.
[16:34] Yukiya
    Now I get it.
[16:35] Yukiya
    His Highness only brought me along
    to take the fall if things went wrong!
[16:41] Takimoto
    Don't let him escape!
[16:42] Takimoto
    Get their ladyships inside!
[16:44] Fujinami
    Everyone keep calm!
[16:49] Ukogi
    This way, my lady.
[16:53] Ukogi
    My lady!
[17:01] Yukiya
    It... It hurts. I can't breathe.
[17:04] Hamayu
    Leave it at that.
[17:07] Takimoto
    Lady Hamayu.
[17:08] Hamayu
    I came to see what all the fuss
    was about, but he's just a chick.
[17:11] Takimoto
    Chick or not, he is trespassing.
[17:13] Hamayu
    But he'll die if you keep that up.
[17:16] Hamayu
    Do you want to make a mess
    of the consort selection?
[17:20] Takimoto
    Release him.
[17:26] Yukiya
    I thought I was a goner.
[17:29] Takimoto
    Have you no shame?! How dare you change
     shape before these noble personages!
[17:34] Yukiya
    I... I'm so sorry.
[17:36] Takimoto
    Who are you? Where did you come from? Speak!
[17:39] Asebi
    Stop.
[17:41] Asebi
    Stop this! Enough violence!
[17:45] Ukogi
    My lady!
[17:47] Masuho
    She has lost her head.
[17:49] Masuho
    Today has been a bit much, even for me.
[17:52] Hamayu
    Really? How delicate can one be?
[17:55] Masuho
    I don't want to hear that
    from a barbarian like you.
[17:58] Hamayu
    I was talking about Asebi.
    Don't make everything about you.
[18:03] Masuho
    Excuse me?
[18:04] Masuho
    Who do you think you are?
    You never turn a hair at anything.
[18:09] Masuho
    Does watching us pine
    for His Highness amuse you?
[18:14] Hamayu
    What are you implying?
[18:15] Masuho
    I'm calling you a nuisance.
[18:17] Masuho
    This palace is a place for women
    worthy of the Prince to refine themselves.
[18:22] Masuho
    Those who aim low, like you,
     have no place here.
[18:26] Fujinami
    That's enough, both of you!
[18:36] Fujinami
    If only my brother would come.
[18:42] Wisteria Guard
    Lady Takimoto, look there!
[18:48] Takimoto
    That sash...
[18:54] Sumio
    You sure had a bad day.
[18:56] Sumio
    I was waiting to fly to your rescue
     if worst came to worst.
[19:01] Sumio
    Don't be too hard on His Highness.
[19:03] Yukiya
    Don't you feel bad for them?
[19:06] Yukiya
    The ladies.
[19:08] Yukiya
    They're stuck in that little world,
    just waiting for His Highness.
[19:13] Sumio
    His Highness doesn't avoid the
    Cherry Blossom Palace solely due to danger.
[19:18] Sumio
    He's keeping the ladies
    out of needless strife.
[19:21] Yukiya
    "Needless strife"?
[19:23] Sumio
    That's the kind of place
    the Cherry Blossom Palace is.
[19:32] Ukogi
    My lady, a messenger
     from Princess Fujinami.
[19:36] Ukogi
    May I show her in?
[19:42] Samomo
    A token of consolation
     from Her Highness.
[19:49] Asebi
    It's so cold.
[19:50] Samomo
    Perfect for cooling your eyes
     before you eat.
[19:54] Samomo
    I do it sometimes myself.
[19:57] Samomo
    It does wonders for facial swelling.
[19:59] Samomo
    And it warms the fruit just enough.
[20:04] Samomo
    Lady Ukogi told me that you've never
    seen anyone shift shape before.
[20:10] Asebi
    I haven't.
[20:11] Samomo
    It must have been quite a fright.
[20:12] Samomo
    Nobles who spend almost
    all of their lives in human shape
[20:16] Samomo
    must have few occasions
     to see such things.
[20:19] Asebi
    I must be a bit muddled.
[20:23] Asebi
    Bird-shaped yatagarasu
    are called horses, aren't they?
[20:27] Samomo
    Yes. They're yatagarasu, just like we are.
[20:30] Samomo
    The only difference is that horses can't
    return to human shape when they please.
[20:37] Asebi
    Is that so?
[20:38] Samomo
    Has Your Ladyship ever seen a horse
    with a rope tied around its leg?
[20:43] Asebi
    Yes, I think so. On the sky cart
     I rode coming here.
[20:48] Asebi
    The magnificent ropes looked
    beautiful tied in those coils.
[20:53] Samomo
    I suppose they do.
    But those ropes aren't decorative.
[20:57] Samomo
    They signify labor contracts.
[21:00] Samomo
    Those who now work as horses
    lost the means to live in human shape,
[21:05] Samomo
    due to poverty
    or various other circumstances.
[21:08] Samomo
    Their employer binds their third leg
    for the duration of the contract.
[21:13] Samomo
    Special knots make it impossible
    for the horses to release themselves.
[21:18] Asebi
    But why their legs?
[21:20] Samomo
    The power to shift shape
    resides in the third leg.
[21:24] Samomo
    Binding it leaves yatagarasu
    unable to return to human shape.
[21:28] Asebi
    How awful!
[21:29] Samomo
    Horses only do manual labor,
    like pulling carts and tilling fields.
[21:35] Samomo
    At some point, "horse" became an insulting
    term for the yatagarasu that do such work.
[21:41] Asebi
    I'm so ashamed. I had no idea.
[21:45] Asebi
    I wonder why Ukogi never told me.
[21:48] Samomo
    I think I can understand
    Lady Ukogi's feelings.
[21:52] Samomo
    You're so kind that I'm sure she only
    wanted to teach you beautiful things.
[21:58] Samomo
    I used to shift shape often
     when I was little.
[22:02] Samomo
    So I was glad when you
    stepped in to protect that boy.
[22:07] Asebi
    You're Princess Fujinami's...
SIGN    Imperial Lady-in-Waiting
    Samomo
[22:11] Samomo
    Samomo is my name.
[22:14] Asebi
    Samomo, if you don't mind,
    would you come visit me again?
[22:19] Samomo
    It would be my pleasure.
[22:23] Yukiya
    I just got back.
[22:26] Yukiya
    Wh-What's—
[22:27] Nazukihiko
    They waited until I was out
    to call an Imperial Council.
[22:30] Yukiya
    An Imperial Council?
[22:32] Nazukihiko
    The forces that would
    disinherit me are pulling the strings.
[22:36] Nazukihiko
    We're going to the Purple Hall at once.
SIGN    Purple Hall
[24:30] Narrator
    Two brothers:
    the elder able, the younger foolish.
[24:35] Narrator
    Their clash for the kin'u's throne
    strains the court to breaking point.
[24:42] Narrator
    The Prince still refuses
    to meet the ladies.
[24:46] Narrator
    What is his true intention?
SIGN    An Imperial
SIGN    Council
[24:50] Narrator
    Next time: "An Imperial Council."
SIGN    YATAGARASU:
    The Raven
    Does Not 
    Choose 
    Its Master
SIGN    Illustration: Natsuki