And, all at once, out of the blue, the entire hall began to sing.
A warm, rolling melody rose from every throat, like a tranquil waterfall. Or like the sound of rain.
And somewhere in the back a single flute joined in, so clear… and so evocative.
The lyrics flowed like a river:
Shishi-no-su has found a gem, one that beautifies the nation
We shall forever treasure the gem; we shall forever hold it in our hearts
The gem is the reason we laugh and smile, the gem is the reason we have no fear
We shall forever treasure the gem in our place of work, battlefield, and in our beds, O legend of the great nation, Shishi-no-su~
And they just kept on singing it—old folks, young folks, and the children—as Benjamin looked around smiling.
That was a song usually sung for warriors departing for battle and returning victorious—composed long ago by the cheerful Kuzunoha whenever King Leorin left and came home safe.
