Can't complain about a favourable review, but the texts must've missed the part where I always hated politics.

[ he finds this funny and also somewhat nostalgic. ryouma never fit comfortably into a niche back then either and used to similarly baulk at the idea of being a politician but could never come up with a better descriptor. ]

Anyway, who says these things are mutually exclusive?

[ he smiles wryly because, once again, he finds it very easy to draw on his experiences when he thinks about these things. maybe one day, ryouma will stop being surprised when it happens. ]

That was a major sticking point once upon a time, you know? The reason everyone was spinning themselves up into a frenzy to keep foreigners out was the whole great worry about them corrupting hallowed ground and running off with anything else they could get their hands on. It wouldn't surprise me if we really were on hallowed ground and the Enma's hold on the Sanzu just adds insult to injury. Maybe the Enma needs all that power to keep whatever's down there locked up tight.

[ which is not to say he agrees that whatever is locked up needs to be, only that it is. ]