[The look Sousei gives in return is a flat one, a little startled, but mostly blank. He's had a long time to come to terms with Iwakura's treatment of him. It no longer surprises him, and he wasn't lying--what matters most is that the Yamainu are able to continue doing their jobs, and are not stopped from that. He doesn't intend to stop until they have fulfilled Taiko's wishes.

Nobody can be allowed to stop him from doing that.

Any abuse he takes in the meantime? It's just a step towards that ultimate goal. He can take a book being thrown at his head, angry words, anything of the like. It's not that troublesome to him, someone who was groomed for most of his young life to believe he really was just a pawn to be sacrificed.

He doesn't believe that anymore, but it does make it rather easy to put aside his pride for moments like these. But Tenka... Of course he doesn't fight back. Fighting back would be worse for the Yamainu. Tenka fighting on his behalf, then...? It seems a little ridiculous. He doesn't need further defending. He doesn't need it.

But it'd be a lie to say that he doesn't appreciate the fact that that was Tenka's first thought--that Tenka is willing to do it.]

Tenka. [He doesn't really know how to respond to it, either. Because he does appreciate it, in his own way, and he doesn't enjoy dealing with it in the least, but in the end...his time of dealing with it is nearly at a close nonetheless.]

I...have decided myself to put up with it for the sake of our ultimate goal. [Because he had to. Because this was what he thought they were supposed to do, at first, and now because he needs that cooperation of the government for just a few moments more.] There are more important things at stake.

[Than his pride and a book to the face, which is honestly not even close to what they endured while training to become Yamainu.]