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Guardian of Heaven and Earth
Ten to chi no moribito 01 cover
Title Guardian of Heaven and Earth
  • The Kingdom of Rota (volume 1)
  • The Kingdom of Kanbal (volume 2)
  • The Kingdom of New Yogo (volume 3)
Romaji Title Ten to Chi no Moribito
  • Rota Ōkoku-hen (volume 1)
  • Kanbaru Ōkoku-hen (volume 2)
  • Shin Yogo Ōkoku-hen (volume 3)
Kanji Title 天と地の守り人
  • ロタ王国編 (volume 1)
  • カンバル王国編 (volume 2)
  • 新ヨゴ皇国編 (volume 3)
Author Nahoko Uehashi
Illustrator Makiko Futaki
Miho Satake
Publication Order
Preceded by
Traveler of the Blue Road
Followed by
The Wanderer
Japanese
Publisher Kaisei-sha (hardcover)
Shinchosha (paperback)
Publication date

January 2007 (volumes 1 and 2)
February 2007 (volume 3)

ISBN

ISBN 978-4-03-540320-3 (volume 1)
ISBN 978-4-03-540330-2 (volume 2)
ISBN 978-4-03-540340-1 (volume 3)

English
Translator

Ainikki

Guardian of Heaven and Earth (天と地の守り人, Ten to Chi no Moribito) is the seventh novel in the Moribito series written by Nahoko Uehashi. The novel is split into three volumes, beginning with The Kingdom of Rota (ロタ王国編, Rota Ōkoku-hen), followed by The Kingdom of Kanbal (カンバル王国編, Kanbaru Ōkoku-hen), and concluding with The Kingdom of New Yogo (新ヨゴ皇国編, Shin Yogo Ōkoku-hen).

Plot Overview[]

Balsa sets off for the kingdom of Rota to rescue Chagum, the Crown Prince of New Yogo, who is believed to be dead. To protect his homeland from ruin, they undertake a dangerous quest to reach the king of Kanbal to forge an alliance between Rota and Kanbal to rebuff the Talsh empire, which threatens New Yogo. With Balsa's help, Chagum returns to his homeland after a Talsh attack that takes many civilian lives on the Tarano Plains. While Chagum leads New Yogo against the Talsh Emperor and Prince Raul, Balsa finds her old friend Tanda injured by the war.

Guardian of Heaven and Earth - Rota Plot Synopsis[]

The Kingdom of Rota (ロタ王国編, Rota Ōkoku-hen) is the first volume of the Guardian of Heaven and Earth novel. In the novel, Chagum travels through Rota in order to forge an alliance between Rota and New Yogo. Balsa follows him to find and protect him.

During the days of unusually warm autumn, New Yogo prepares for the upcoming invasion of the Talsh empire that's going to begin the following winter. It is one and a half years since Sangal fell to Talsh, and now Talsh is planning to attack New Yogo. New Yogo has completely shut its borders, and conscripts soldiers (10 persons per village) and workers for building fortresses.

Meanwhile, struck by the news of Chagum's death, Tanda and Torogai investigate the cause behind increasingly frequent landslides. They determine that waters of a river in Nayug that overlays Sagu (the real world) have become unusually warm, which in turn unbalanced the ecosystem in Sagu, causing the landslides. Tanda tries to find the source of the warm water in Nayug, but can not get close to it because it is somewhere behind the mountains in the north, maybe in Kanbal. Balsa is doing bodyguarding work by illegally guiding home the Rota and New Yogo people who got stranded in another country due the sudden border closure.

A secret messenger from Jin informs Balsa of Chagum's actual plan of going to Rota. In his letter, Jin asks Balsa to go to Rota in order to find and protect Chagum. Although the chances of Chagum ever getting to Rota alive seem to be very low, she rushes to help him.

When Balsa arrives at Tsuram (ツーラム) harbor in southern Rota, she first searches for traces of some smuggled jewelry that Chagum had when he jumped into the sea, and his adventure gradually progresses before Balsa as she follows the lead.

It appears that Chagum, now sixteen years old, has reached Rota safely on a Rassharou ship. However, near the end of the journey, it was attacked by pirates. Chagum used some jewelry given to him by Princess Karina of Sangal to save the Rassharou family he travelled with and had the pirates bring him to Tsuram harbor, then immediately went to the castle of local clan lord, Suan (スーアン).

Meanwhile, Asra and Chikisa make a visit to Tanda's house. They are now living in Shirogai with the family of Martha, who recently came to Kosenkyo for shopping. Asra cannot talk and communicates through writing. She explains that in her dreams, she saw something swimming through Nayugu's sea from south to north. Her dreams urge to do something, but she does not understand what exactly. Tanda does not have time to investigate because his oldest brother, Noshir, approaches him with a request to get conscripted as a field soldier in place of Tanda's youngest brother, Kaiza, which he cannot refuse. At the field camp, Tanda meets a fourteen-year-old boy, Kocha (コチャ), who was also conscripted in place of his older brother. Like Asra, Kocha can see Nayug at will and also has dreams similar to those of Asra.

While trying to find out what happened in Suan's castle, Balsa, consumes food tainted with a paralytic poison, is attacked by the spies of Southern Army (Nanyoku) of Talsh, who act under Talsh Prince Hazar, Raul's older brother. However, she is suddenly saved by Hugo, who is a spy of Talsh Northern Army (Hokuyoku), working under Prince Raul. Hugo informs Balsa that Suan and other southern clan lords are secretly conspiring with Prince Hazar. Chagum was put under a house arrest in the castle, but has already escaped, and Suan has already dispatched pursuers.

Before Balsa can recover from the poison, the grain warehouse used as Hugo's hideout is attacked by a Kashal group and set on fire. Hugo saves Balsa from fire, but gets seriously wounded by an arrow to the leg. They both hide and run away in a small boat.

While on the boat, Hugo explains to Balsa that his main goal is to make Prince Raul the next Talsh Emperor (the current emperor is bedridden with illness), and become a prime minister under Raul. The prince to become the next emperor is the one who presents biggest achievement in invading other countries. Should Prince Hazar get credited for invading Rota, Prince Raul's total achievements would be less significant, even if he takes over New Yogo, which is smaller by territory. On the other hand, ruining Prince Hazar's plans to take over Rota would make Raul the next emperor even if he does not take over New Yogo.

Hugo explains the reasons behind Talsh attack on relatively poor countries of the Northern Continent. The first one, is their way to maintain loyalty of population of recently invaded countries, now struggling under heavy taxes. A family of a warrior who gets significant achievements in invading other countries is exempted from taxes. This process requires new countries to be invaded from time to time, but nearly all of the southern continent is already conquered. The second reason is that Talsh priests believe that the god of the sun they are worshiping has recently moved to the Northern continent. As a sign of that, there's some decline in agriculture in Talsh.

Hugo suggests that it is much better for Chagum to arrange an alliance between Rota and Kanbal. Such an alliance would allow the Rotan royal family to subdue the southern clan lords, prevent the civil war, and then make Rota and Kanbal impregnable for Talsh attack. In such a situation, there would also be no profit for Talsh to attack small New Yogo.

Having recovered from numbness, Balsa turns herself into the hands of Kashal group, allowing Hugo to escape. Knowing Balsa's name, the Kashal treat her well and in a few days allow to meet they leader, woman called Ahal Tohasa (アハル).

Ahal informs Balsa that her comrades actually helped Chagum to escape Suan's castle, and he is already on his way to Jitan to meet Prince Ihan. Rotan King Yosam is very ill, to the point that he can't accept visitors, and, while keeping the illness in secret from the citizen, prince Ihan actually governs the country.

Chagum has also left a letter to Balsa, asking her to return to New Yogo in order to protect Tanda during the upcoming invasion. Seeing that she has nothing left to do, Balsa first returns to the inn in Tsuram to get back her horse and luggage.

At the inn, she gets a letter from Hugo informing that during his stay in Suan's castle, Chagum accidentally met a Kanbal person he already knew, presumably Kanbal King's Spears who accompanied the king in Sangal. To prevent Chagum from exposing that person to Kanbal king, Southern Wing has sent assassins to kill Chagum. Unlike the pursuers sent by Suan, those assassins are extremely strong.

Balsa rushes for Jitan. Midway, she meets a Kashal from Ahal's clan who explains that Chagum's convoy was split into two groups, one of which worked as a decoy and ambushed Suan's pursuers. The second group, led by Shihana who works hard to restore her position, went on to bring Chagum to prince Ihan.

Balsa understands that Talsh assassins are still a danger for Chagum. She rushes to meet with prince Ihan, only to learn that Chagum has already left for Kanbal, accompanied by just two soldiers. Ihan explained that he turned down Chagum's alliance proposal. One reason is, that in the face of upcoming civil war between the North that supports Ihan, and the South lead by southern feudals, he has no military force to spare. The second reason is, that Chagum must get rid of the Mikado in order to make the alliance viable, however, Chagum will most likely not move to kill the Mikado. However, an alliance between Rota and Kanbal seemed viable to Ihan.

Balsa rushes her horse to follow Chagum through a snow storm. Both Rota soldiers are dead and the assassin attacks Chagum, breaking Chagum's sword and cutting him. After some struggle, Balsa kills the assassin with Chagum's help.

Later on, Balsa and Chagum reach a small hut where they recover from wounds and cold. Chagum has a big scar on the right side of his face. They decide that they will go to Kanbal together to seek an alliance between Kanbal and Rota.

Guardian of Heaven and Earth - Kanbal Plot Synopsis[]

The Kingdom of Kanbal (カンバル王国編, Kanbaru Ōkoku-hen) is the second volume of the Guardian of Heaven and Earth novel. In the novel, Chagum and Balsa travel through her old homeland together, in order to meet with king Radalle and talk him into making an alliance between Rota and Kanbal to prevent Talsh invasion. Meanwhile, signs of upcoming natural disaster appear.

Balsa and Chagum proceed to the northern border of Rota. By joining forces with bodyguards of a small caravan, they successfully fend off a bandit gang in Usal Gorge. However, right after crossing the Kanbal border they are attacked by a big squad of assassins. Balsa is seriously wounded and Chagum about to be killed, but at the last moment they are saved by a Kashal group led by Shihana. It is revealed that on prince Ihan's orders, Shihana was secretly following Chagum and Balsa to protect them.

Shihana gives Chagum an official letter from Ihan, that entrusts Chagum with the role of a representative to sign an alliance between Rota and Kanbal. However Ihan requests that this alliance must be on equal grounds, not in the form of Kanbal saving Rota. Chagum agrees to try to achieve that, and in turn requests to include New Yogo in the alliance. Shihana agrees to deliver Chagum's request to Ihan and departs for the Southern Rota, leaving only a handful of Kashal members to secretly watch over Chagum and Balsa from the shadows.

Balsa and Chagum soon reach the royal capital of Kanbal, while they are preparing for the New Year celebration. They don't enter the king's palace right away because it is a place close to Nayug and Chagum has a bad feeling about that. Balsa proposes to visit Kahm, Jiguro's nephew and the head of the King's Spears, who might help them identify the Talsh supporter among the Spears. Unfortunately, Kahm captures Chagum and Balsa upon their visit because it is he who is the Talsh supporter.

During the night, Kahm visits an underground food vault in his courtyard where Balsa and Chagum are being held tied with thick ropes. He explains to them that the decision to ally with Rota's southern clan lords, subsequently subsiding Kanbal under Talsh control, was already made by Kanbal king Radalle himself. It was because they believe that Rota's southern clan lords have a huge Talsh military force behind them. At the moment Chagum was about to explain that Talsh Southern Army (Nanyoku, led by Prince Hazar) can not bring any military forces to Rota, a Talsh assassin jumps into the room, knocking down Kahm. He then proceeds to cut Chagum with his sword, but Balsa suddenly breaks free from the ropes and stops the sword with her left hand, sustaining a deep wound. As Chagum distracts the assassin by throwing a mouse towards him, Balsa knocks the assassin down.

Chagum pulls both Kahm and the assassin, who are both unconscious, from the vault where a fire starts. Kashal who appear at the scene explain that it was their mouse that cut Balsa's ropes. The Kashal doctor Chirari treats Balsa and soon hands Chagum a reply letter from prince Ihan in which he vows to make an alliance with New Yogo the moment Chagum becomes Mikado.

Balsa tries to ask the Herder people, who are deeply connected with the Luisha giving ceremony, to call the king to the ceremony's under-mountain chamber where she and Chagum could talk to the king unnoticed by Talsh spies and try to persuade him. The Herder people refuse because it would undermine their trust, but one of them, Yoyo, notices Chagum's connection with Nayug.

Chagum realizes that crucial information about the Talsh Southern and Northern Armies can be used to persuade Kahm. Balsa enters Kahm's mansion mixed in with a group of merchants who come to sell food after the vault fire. The next day, a council of the King's Spears and the king is held, and Chagum manages to persuade the king to break his ties with Talsh and make an alliance with Rota.

A few days later, the Herder people call the king, the King's Spears, Balsa and Chagum to the underground chamber where the luisha Giving Ceremony takes place. They explain that Chagum is an unique person whose body is simultaneously placed in both Sagu and Nayugu. Herders warn the king about dangers of huge avalanches and landslides caused by Nayug's Spring and the marriage of Nayug spirits that will befall Kanbal soon. Chagum's clear vision of Nayug is needed to persuade the king. They decide that the people will evacuate, maybe to Rota.

Lastly, the herders inform Chagum that the disaster is not limited to Kanbal. The next spring, a huge flood is going to happen along Aoyumi (Blue Bow) river, where New Yogo capital city, Kosenkyo, is located.

This volume ends with Chagum heading to Rota along with a 15,000 strong army of Kanbalese cavalrymen. Balsa rushes to New Yogo hoping to warn the nation about the disaster with Tanda and Shuga's help.

Guardian of Heaven and Earth - New Yogo Plot Synopsis[]

The Kingdom of New Yogo is the third volume of the Guardian of Heaven and Earth novel.

Tanda's younger brother, Kaiza, is drafted by New Yogo's army. Tanda goes to war in his place at his older brother Noshir's request. Meanwhile, Torogai has discovered that a major natural disaster is forthcoming, a flood from Nayug which will destroy Kosenkyo. She gathers together many of New Yogo's magic weavers and asks them to spread out and give warning to one another when the flood begins. The names of these magic weavers are Oromugai and Gashugai. Torogai decides that she will perform an ancient spell called the Thread of the Golden Spider (On Arami in Yogoese) to warn all of New Yogo's people of danger at once.

At the same time, Chagum leads an army of Rotan and Kanbal troops into New Yogo to stop the invading Talsh, but the Mikado interprets this as coup d'etat. Chagum knows of the coming disaster and meets with his father in an attempt to have the city evacuated. The Mikado will not listen. He attempts to have Chagum killed for the third time, but Shuga rescues him. Torogai oversees a partial evacuation, but when the flood comes, the Mikado is killed along with many others. Meanwhile, Hugo Arayutan, back in the Talsh empire, convinces Talsh Prince Raul to call of the invasion, since the Talsh armies cannot prevail against the triple alliance. The Talsh withdraw and the people of New Yogo attempt to rebuild, now with Chagum as their emperor. Balsa finds Tanda among the wounded and is forced to amputate his arm, which was injured during the fighting and has become gangrenous. She stays with him to help him recover.

Contents[]

The Kingdom of Rota[]

Prologue - River of Light

Part 1 - Searching for Chagum

  • Chapter 1 - Over the Mountains
  • Chapter 2 - A Letter from Jin
  • Chapter 3 - The Mikado's Mantle
  • Chapter 4 - The Black Market
  • Chapter 5 - Red-Eyed Yuzan
  • Chapter 6 - Prediction
  • Chapter 7 - The Mysterious Man

Part 2 - Enemies Among Friends

  • Chapter 1 - Allies and Enemies
  • Chapter 2 - Strange Foes
  • Chapter 3 - Impact
  • Chapter 4 - A Small Boat at Night
  • Chapter 5 - A Spy's Motives
  • Chapter 6 - Ahal Tosaha
  • Chapter 7 - Balsa's Decision

Part 3 - Blizzard

  • Chapter 1 - Advance Warning
  • Chapter 2 - The Kashal Return
  • Chapter 3 - Prince Ihan's Castle
  • Chapter 4 - Assassins

Epilogue - Digging through Snow

Author's Afterword and Notes

The Kingdom of Kanbal[]

Prologue: Sunlight on the Snow

Part 1: Kanbal

  • Chapter 1 - The Wisdom of Guards
  • Chapter 2 - Hunting the Hunters
  • Chapter 3 - Ambush
  • Chapter 4 - Ihan's Letter
  • Chapter 5 - Coming Home
  • Chapter 6 - Evidence of Betrayal

Part 2: Disturbances in Nayugu

  • Chapter 1 - The Holy Sage's Death
  • Chapter 2 - A Soldier's Life
  • Chapter 3 - A Soul in Flight
  • Chapter 4 - Marriage of the Spirits
  • Chapter 5 - Strange Omens

Part 3: Secret Plot

  • Chapter 1 - The Betrayer's Motives
  • Chapter 2 - A Very Narrow Road
  • Chapter 3 - Radalle's Despair
  • Chapter 4 - The Talsh Princes

Part 4: The Crown Prince's Pride

  • Chapter 1 - Night in the Mountains
  • Chapter 2 - The Shepherds
  • Chapter 3 - Dislodged
  • Chapter 4 - At the Bottom of the Sea
  • Epilogue: Aram Rai Ra

Afterword/Author's Notes

The Kingdom of New Yogo[]

Prologue: The Emperor's Decline

Part 1: War

  • Chapter 1 - The Mountain Valley in Spring
  • Chapter 2 - Soldiers at Dawn
  • Chapter 3 - The War Begins
  • Chapter 4 - Abandoned City
  • Chapter 5 - Reunion with Asra
  • Chapter 6 - Shirogai in Flames
  • Chapter 7 - Retreat and Advance

Part 2: Transcending Death

  • Chapter 1 - Homecoming
  • Chapter 2 - Chagum's First Battle
  • Chapter 3 - Peasants and Thieves
  • Chapter 4 - Tanda's Arm

Part 3: Heaven and Earth

  • Chapter 1 - Voices of the Earth and Sky
  • Chapter 2 - Ancient Roots
  • Chapter 3 - Reprisal
  • Chapter 4 - Two Emperors
  • Chapter 5 - A General's Choices

Part 4: The Flood

  • Chapter 1 - Chagum, Assassin
  • Chapter 2 - Nightfall
  • Chapter 3 - Shuga's Resolve
  • Chapter 4 - Rainbow Palace
  • Chapter 5 - Thread of the Golden Spider
  • Chapter 6 - Kosenkyo

Part 5: New Spring Leaves

  • Chapter 1 - The Prime Minister's Prediction
  • Chapter 2 - Hugo's Persuasion
  • Chapter 3 - Light on New Leaves
  • Chapter 4 - Freedom

Epilogue: The Hut in the Misty Blue Mountains

Afterword and Author's Notes

Image Gallery[]

References[]

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