Tenpou
The Marshall and The General
| Tenpou: Leaving the party and pouring it for yourself? Your poor subordinates are down there looking for you. Kenren: Give me a break - I'm not buttering up those geezers while I'm drinking. |
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In the very first chapter of Saiyuki Gaiden, we see Kenren enjoying wine by himself up on a sakura tree while his subordinates search frantically for him down below. This is when Tenpou makes his first appearance and calls up to Kenren from down below. Smiling, Tenpou questions Kenren if he should be drinking alone instead of with the other higher-ranking gods? Groaning at the thought of socializing with his superiors, Kenren dismisses the idea rather insolently and, surprisingly, Tenpou acknowledges that he agrees with him.
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Tenpou: I won't deny it though. But shouldn't we respect older people? Aren't they higher-ranking gods, Kenren Taishou? Kenren: Then is it right for you to be here telling me these things, Tenpou Gensui? When the "taishou" is not around, shouldn't the deputy be in charge instead of him? Tenpou: Nope. It's troublesome. Kenren: Ah...you're right. |
In return, Kenren points out that if he - the general - isn't available, shouldn't Tenpou - the marshall who is higher in rank - dutifully take over military duties? Then, both of them have a good chuckle as Tenpou offhandedly deemed it to be too "troublesome" for him to do such a thing.
This is the first and last time that Kenren and Tenpou address each other with their appropriate full titles - and they seem to be more about mocking their titles as opposing to saying them with reverence and respect. Also, we gather that Tenpou is actually Kenren's military superior (although he sure isn't acting like it!). It clearly shows that neither of them take their military posts too seriously and that it doesn't influence their behaviour in the least. Already we're seeing similiarities in their attitudes, hinting that they share a mutual understanding of each other that extend beyond the simple relationship of a general and marshall.
The "Troublesome" Subordinate
| Tenpou: Even if he's doing whatever he wants, he's a pretty sharp person. With that, there's a lot of enemies. Konzen: Looks like even the top people in the military think he's troublesome. |
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At one point, Tenpou and Konzen discuss Kenren's reputation amongst the gods. Konzen remarks that he's heard quite some troublesome things about Kenren. Even though Tenpou describes Kenren as simply being a child in an adult's body, he still praises his abilities. Tenpou acknowledges that even though Kenren may seem to exhibit reckless behaviour, he actually understands his own reputation quite well.
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Konzen: Could it be, Tenpou, he's purposely making the general whirl and stir the upper ranks? Quite a schemer... |
When Konzen asks Tenpou why he allows Kenren to do as he wishes, Tenpou nonchalantly replies that he dislikes 'standing out'. However, upon deeper brainstorming, Konzen realizes that Tenpou may be using Kenren to purposely cause trouble for the higher authorities. Hidden under that smile, it looks as if Kenren isn't the only sharp one in the Western Army. So, what sort of relationship does Tenpou and Kenren really have?
