Rio has left the village of the People of the Spirits and headed for his parents' homeland, Yaugumo. Unable to find any information on them, Rio searches and encounters the head of a small village in the Karasuki Kingdom, Yuba. When Rio tells Yuba the names of his parents, she's shocked—she and Rio have a profound connection. At Yuba's recommendation, Rio decides to live in the village and so a quiet, happy life alongside the villagers, including his cousin Ruri and a girl named Sayo, begins. Before long, the season turns to autumn, and they hear that the tax examiner will soon arrive to determine the amount of their annual tribute. Then, one day, Sayo's older brother Shin gets into a fight with men from the neighboring village.