Kou, Kurou
Summary
Following Shouka and Reishin, Kurou serves as the proxy head of the Kou family. His prolonged tenure has led many outside the clan to mistake him for the true leader rather than Reishin. A man deeply committed to tradition and family loyalty, Kurou wields the vast power of the Kou clan. He demonstrated this might when he single-handedly brought nearly half the country to a halt by ordering clan members to stay home, a move taken to protest the arrest of Reishin. Kurou was instrumental in convincing their father, the former family head, to bypass Shouka in favor of Reishin as the next leader, as he considers Shouka useless. Despite viewing his eldest brother with disfavor, Kurou shares more personality similarities with Reishin. Nevertheless, he acts decisively against anyone who mistreats Shouka. When servants stole valuables from Shouka’s residence while he was reeling from his wife’s death, Kurou ordered every servant to be found and subjected to the tortures of Hell. Their severed ears and eyes were sent to their families as a grim warning against future offenses against the Kou family. Unbeknownst to Shūrei, Kurou travels to the capital to provide her with greater protection than Shouka could offer as she embarks on her path as an imperial officer. He facilitates this by granting her the protection of the Kou clan through a travel pass for her journey to Sa Province to assume co-governorship. Although the pass bore the mark of the Kou (Yellow) clan and was issued by Kijin, it utilized special "seven-colored" ink that only the Kou (Crimson) clan could produce, signaling her importance to them. Kurou intends for Shuurei and Kouyuu to marry, with the pair set to lead the clan in the future.
