Himejima was a large man, and the amount he cried was far more than an ordinary person, so it took him a while to console the other party and make him stop crying.
The Butterfly Sisters had also finished their discussion with the village chief, and it was said that they had decided on the sword's design, but the Wisteria poison still needed careful research.
Tetchin Haganezuka told them not to rush, as innovating a method to slay demons required time and refinement.
"So they're eating dinner in the village kitchen? And staying in the village quarters tonight?" Godou River's hand paused as he served the dishes.
"That's right, I heard there are red bean mochi in the cafeteria today," Haruto said, stuffing two syrup rice dumplings into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out. "Oh, and Master, why did you make so many dishes? Are we having guests tonight?"
The small square table in front of them was laden with an abundance of delicious food, dazzling Haruto's eyes.
This is tasty, mmm... this is also tasty.
Godou River's hands trembled as he restrained himself from ruffling Haruto's white hair.
What to do? This kid seems more likely to marry food than a girl in the future... Thinking of girls, Godou River couldn't help but recall the conjecture that had flashed through his mind that afternoon.
He slowly sat down, looking at Haruto, who was engrossed in eating, and his shriveled old face crinkled with wrinkles.
"Haruto, you're seventeen, aren't you?"
Haruto glanced at his master's fake smile and immediately knew he had an ulterior motive: "Yes, my birthday was just recently."
"At seventeen, did you really not see any girl you liked during these two or three years out there?" Godou River emphasized the word 'girl'. "Aren't you and the Master on good terms? He already has both sons and daughters..."
Oh, right. Not long after Haruto left, Amane gave birth to a baby boy. Kagaya had written him a letter, and the boy's name was Kiriya.
"Hmm..." Haruto raised his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and then nodded: "Yes."
"Really?" Godou River perked up. "Whose daughter? How old is she? Where is she from? Is she a Demon Slayer Swordsman?"
Haruto pursed his lips and replied, feigning seriousness: "Her name is Tamayo, and she lives in Asakusa, Tokyo. She doesn't have much to do with the Demon Slayer Corps... But you definitely wouldn't agree, because she's a little bit old."
"Haha!" Godou River let out two hearty laughs, patting his chest. "Your master isn't an old fuddy-duddy; age isn't an issue for me. Older girls are more caring, and giving birth is smoother—oh, right, is she just a bit older than you?"
"She's a lot older than you."
After Haruto finished speaking, the dinner table fell into a deathly silence.
The young man looked up; Godou River's face opposite him was as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"No, it's just that the situation is a bit special." Haruto sighed helplessly. "Master, why is it, really? Why do you keep urging me to get married? I'm so curious that I can't even eat."
"Nonsense, I see you're eating with great relish." Godou River's expression softened slightly, and he let out a long breath through his nose.
The usually energetic old man looked truly a bit aged under the lamplight.
"You know I've always been against you learning swordsmanship and becoming a Demon Slayer Swordsman, right?"
Haruto nodded. A large reason why he didn't formally begin learning swordsmanship until he was eleven and a half was due to the resistance from his master, Godou River.
Dangers and fierce demons roamed outside the village... Godou River always used such words to scare him.
Even after he started learning swordsmanship, Godou River consistently told him that he had poor talent and would not become an excellent Demon Slayer Swordsman.
Even the day before he was to participate in the Final Selection, his master was still trying to make him give up and withdraw.
If it had been a real child, the desire to become a Demon Slayer Swordsman would have been extinguished long ago by such discouragement.
But Haruto was not a child. He could see through Godou River's serious expression... his master was afraid of something.
He was afraid of him leaving Swordsmith Village, afraid of him becoming a Demon Slayer Swordsman, and even more afraid of him becoming a Pillar in the Demon Slayer Corps.
"When I saw you at your great-uncle's funeral, I knew I should keep you in Swordsmith Village forever."
Godou River pointed at Haruto's face with a bitter smile: "Your appearance is indeed outstanding... deadly outstanding. It brought a thirty-year curse upon the Takanashi Family."
What Godou River meant by 'deadly' was literally deadly.
The story goes back thirty years, to Haruto's grandfather, Takanashi Soma.
In the early Meiji era, Takanashi Soma, with his exceptional looks and superb swordsmanship, roamed the Red-light district of Tokyo Prefecture and was a frequent visitor to geisha houses.
He often danced with his sword and drank in Tokyo Prefecture and its surrounding areas, living a dissolute life, and was the dream lover of many courtesans and oiran.
"Actually, he joined the Demon Slayer Corps at the age of fifteen and was a Thunder Breathing Swordsman. He had been hunting demons outside Tokyo Prefecture, and coming to Tokyo disguised as a ronin was to complete a mission from headquarters."
There seemed to be a demon in the Shinagawa pleasure district of Tokyo Prefecture. This demon was unlike any the Demon Slayer Corps had encountered; it seemed to only hunt people with outstanding appearances.
When the Master at the time learned of this characteristic, several people had already gone missing. Soma's name was well-known in the Demon Slayer Corps, so the Master transferred him to Tokyo Prefecture, specifically to lure this 'lustful' demon.
Sure enough, Soma's appearance and dashing demeanor captivated the demon at first sight.
"I heard she was an extremely beautiful demon. Even a man as worldly as Soma said he had never seen anyone more beautiful than her." Godou River was lost in his memories, while Haruto listened to him speak, his attention also on the bullet comments appearing before him.
[Red-light district, beautiful, demon, looks-obsessed, brothers, why does this sound familiar?]
[First, we can use the process of elimination; it's definitely not Daki.]
[A man even demons fall in love with, the Takanashi Family's genes are too strong!]
[To be honest, if he really encountered Daki, this Mr. Soma would probably be in grave danger...]
[Ume, my Ume~]
[Honestly, Ume as a human was the pinnacle of beauty in Demon Slayer!]
[The one before, wasn't Miss Tamayo the pinnacle...]
Daki.
Haruto remembered that name.
The beautiful demon did not immediately kill Soma, so at their second meeting, Soma brought two Pillar-level Swordsmen and several Kinoe and Hinoto-ranked Demon Slayer Swordsmen. They ambushed the demon in a geisha house in Shinagawa.
"Everyone was confident about this ambush, but after dawn the next day, the Kakushi only found the bodies of the swordsmen and a pool of Soma's blood.
She only ate Soma's flesh; those swordsmen, not being particularly handsome, had their bodies preserved..."
Godou River smiled sadly: "It was because of this that the ashes of my 15-year-old son, Ryouji, could be returned to me."
Haruto's eyes widened. He finally knew whose urn was in Godou River's room.
"After Soma's death, his son, your father Yuusei, was raised by your grandmother. Although Yuusei also had an outstanding appearance, he had mediocre talent and did not join the Demon Slayer Corps. He married and had children early.
Everyone believed that Yuusei would safely raise you. Who knew that not long after you were born, Yuusei, who lived in Ryusen, was attacked by a demon? You escaped because you were visiting your great-uncle's house.
On the wall inside the house, several large characters were written in blood—'Soma-kun's child, as delicious as he himself was.'
Everyone knew that the demon had come calling; she held a grudge against Soma and wanted to eradicate his descendants!"
Godou River took a deep breath, then raised his hand to stroke Haruto's hair.
"Why did I bring you to Swordsmith Village? Because you look too much like Soma. As long as you don't go out, the secluded Swordsmith Village can protect you for a lifetime.
But I never imagined that you would become a Demon Slayer Swordsman, and even a Pillar."
The old man sighed, lowering his gaze: "Perhaps one day, the demon who killed Soma and Yuusei will suddenly appear and take your life..."
"So you hope I marry early, to spread the Takanashi Family's branches and leaves, to at least leave a descendant before I die?"
"The Takanashi Family and the Godou Family have been friends for generations; I don't want..."
"Master." Haruto chuckled, shaking his head. "You're wrong, wrong!"
"If the demon isn't eliminated, even if a child is born, it would just be future food for the demon. What meaning would that have?
Moreover, to marry a girl with the sole purpose of having children—that would be too despicable!"