The Mountain People is the 9th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
Having arrived at the rendezvous point Shin, Ei Sei and Ka Ryo Ten notice there is no one around and that Shou Bun Kun mustn't have arrived himself yet. Ei Sei suggests they wait, Ka Ryo Ten takes the opportunity to prepare a meal. Shin and Ka Ryo Ten suspect something strange considering the home they were sitting in was four hundred years old with no signs of disrepair, Ei Sei explains that the building belonged to Boku Kou, a rare and benevolent lord. Ei Sei recalls the horse and liquor legend where Boku Kou had given wine to the savages who'd stolen and eaten his horse. That's the man he was, he loved people from the bottom of his heart and showed the same level of respect to a nobles and commoners. Boku Kou befriended the savage mountain people however when he died Qin shattered all ties and with time were forgotten and left to their mountains in the west but the mountain people had honored Boku Kou's resting place and had maintained it since his death.
While Shin trains, Ka Ryo Ten is still awed by the mountain people and Boku Kou's story. Shin asks if Ka Ryo Ten is excited to meet the mountain people and jokingly wonders if Shou Bun Kun is dead. After the night passes, Shin and Ei Sei are still asleep as Ka Ryo Ten picks fruit in the morning. Ka Ryo Ten grew up in Qin and doesn't know any of the mountain people and instead is more excited for the reward Ei Sei had promised. As Ka Ryo Ten reaches for another fruit, a mysterious figure appears from behind aiming his weapon.
Characters
- Royal Palace
- Ei Sei Faction
- Ei Sei
- Shin
- Ka Ryo Ten
- Shou Bun Kun (Mentioned)
- Hyou (Mentioned)
- Sei Kyou Faction
- Boku Kou (Mentioned)
- Ei Sei Faction
- Mountain Tribes
- Unnamed king (flashback)
- Unidentified tribes' members (flashback)
High Points
- The summer getaway is shown to abandoned.
- Almost nobody knows of the existence of the summer getaway.
- Ka Ryo Ten revels her excellent cooking skills.
- Boku Kou is stated to be very benevolent and wise king, he loved people from the bottom of his heart. Even after his war horse is eaten by mountain tribe, and he offered them liquor that tastes good with horse meat. He later opens up negotiations with the mountain dwellers to form an alliance.
- Due to his love for his allies and in honor of forming the alliance, Boku Kou is buried near his summer getaway.
- The state of Qin lies farthest west of all nations in the central plains.
- Further to west of Qin live the mountain dwellers.
- After King Boku Kou's death, Qin cut off all ties with the mountain tribes.
- The people of the mountain tribes consider Boku Kou's summer getaway and gravesite a holy land as they kept the summer getaway clean for over 400 years.
Trivia
- King Boku Kou and Mountain Tribes are shown for the first time.