Because the two trips to sell charcoal were so close together, this batch didn't sell nearly as quickly as the last.
Tanjiro looked up at the sky, then back at the cart that was still more than half full. He let out a small sigh.
"At this rate, I probably won't make it home before dark… Should I try the area where the wealthy families live?
"…Yeah. I'll give it a try. At worst, I'll just get chased away. But if I can sell everything, I'll be able to go home earlier."
Having made up his mind, Tanjiro pulled his cart toward the district where the wealthy lived. Just as he'd expected, however, none of the large households were interested in doing such small-scale business.
"So it really won't work…" Tanjiro sighed.
But he quickly raised his hand and lightly slapped his own cheeks. His face reddened, and he started talking himself up.
"Tanjiro, get a grip! You're the eldest son of the family! How can you let something this small stop you? You've got this, Tanjiro! You've got this! And besides, there are still some households I haven't asked yet—I can't give up so easily!"
After being turned down several more times, the effect of his self-encouragement completely vanished. Looking at one tightly shut gate after another, frustration surged up again.
"I even said I'd buy medicine and be back before dark… I'm really useless…
"What am I supposed to do with all this charcoal? If it takes too long to sell, the quality will—huh?"
Tanjiro's nose twitched. He turned his head toward the residence beside him. It was another high-walled compound, but the gate was painted with a beautiful Wisteria pattern. What caught his attention, however, wasn't the pattern—it was the scent.
[Does that person live here?]
Tanjiro stopped and looked at the open courtyard gate.
[I don't come here often, but the scent around this place is always changing… With so many different smells, it must be a large family.]
"Excuse me, are you selling charcoal? I noticed you've been standing here for quite a while."
Tanjiro snapped back to his senses, only then realizing he'd been spacing out at someone's gate for ages. His face flushed bright red.
"Y-Yes! I'm sorry! I got distracted! I'll leave right away!"
"It's fine, it's fine."
The one-armed man in a striped kimono smiled, glancing at the cart behind Tanjiro that was still more than half full.
"Looks like business hasn't been going too well."
"Huh? Ah… yeah."
Tanjiro had already started to step away, but he stopped. Catching the gentle scent coming from the man, he pressed his lips together, turned back, and scratched his head awkwardly.
"Um… do you happen to need charcoal? It was all fired just yesterday."
"Sure. We go through quite a lot, and it's about time we restocked anyway. I'll take all of it."
The man smiled.
"Come help me carry it inside, then head home early. Walking at night isn't safe."
"Yes! Thank you so much!" Tanjiro beamed.
"I can carry everything myself! I'm really quick!"
"You're not taking pity on me just because I've only got one arm left, are you?"
The man ruffled Tanjiro's hair, then—much to Tanjiro's shock—grabbed a full basket of charcoal with one hand and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
"Keep up, kid."
"Ah—yes!" Tanjiro first parked the cart where it wouldn't block the road, then lifted another pre-packed basket onto his back and followed after him.
"You're really strong! To lift a full basket of charcoal so steadily with just one hand…"
"Well, I used to be trained," the man said as he led Tanjiro inside.
"I still have the basics, at least."
Tanjiro looked up at him. "Were you a samurai?"
"Yeah… you could say that."
The man's smile carried a hint of bitterness.
"Nothing but fighting and killing."
Sensing the change in his scent, Tanjiro looked at him with concern.
"Those must have been really hard battles…"
"They were. The enemies were as strong as monsters. Don't let how I look now fool you—back then, I—"
He was clearly about to boast a little about his past, but mid-sentence he stopped. Turning his head, his gaze went straight past Tanjiro to someone behind him, and his expression instantly became respectful.
"Greetings, Hashira-sama."
Tanjiro reflexively turned around as well.
He saw the young man who had come looking for his father days ago, carrying a weapon taller than Tanjiro himself. The youth smiled as he greeted the man.
"Out buying supplies? You're diligent."
"Yes, but that's nothing compared to Hashira-sama—"
"Don't call me that in front of others," Hiru said, lifting a hand. "It's embarrassing."
The man remained respectful. "Yes, Hiru-sama."
"You don't need to be that formal…"
Hiru sighed, then looked toward Tanjiro standing beside the man. The child struck him as oddly familiar.
"Have we met somewhere before?"
Tanjiro was just about to answer when his father's warning surfaced in his mind. His gaze shifted away instinctively, his expression stiff and unnatural.
"N-No, we haven't!"
Hiru: …That expression is obviously a lie.
Hiru studied Tanjiro for a moment, then his eyes settled on the charcoal strapped to his back.
"Ah. You're Tanjiro's son."
Tanjiro lowered his head, lips pressed tightly together, his thoughts in complete chaos.
[What do I do? He recognized me. Father told me to stay away from this person no matter what.]
Seeing how conflicted Tanjiro looked, Hiru couldn't help but chuckle.
"Looks like Tanjiro told you never to get close to me, huh?"
Tanjiro lifted his eyes slightly, but still didn't say a word.
"Honestly, I agree with what Tanjiro told you," Hiru said with a quiet sigh, resting a hand on Tanjiro's shoulder.
"But I do hope he'll give our conversation a bit more thought. If I really intended to harm your family, there would've been no need to go through so many roundabout steps. Please tell Tanjiro about what happened today when you get home."
Tanjiro nodded faintly.
Hiru gave his shoulder another light pat, then turned to the man.
"I'll be going now."
"Yes. Take care, sir."
[There's a scent of worry… but why?]
Tanjiro watched Hiru's retreating figure, his confusion only deepening.
[There really must be some kind of misunderstanding…]
"Your family actually knows Hashira-sama?" the man asked.
"Huh?"
Tanjiro looked at him.
"I wouldn't really say we know him…"
"That can't be," the man said, shaking his head. "Hashira-sama may be gentle, but he's always careful to keep his distance. He never visits people without reason. If he specifically warned your family, then something must be going on. Be extra careful. If anything happens, you can come to us for help."
After saying that, the man fell silent and simply continued leading the way.
Tanjiro held it in for a while, but eventually couldn't help asking. "Um… why do you call him 'sama'? He looks about my age…"
"About your age?"
The man's expression twisted. He looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end swallowed it back, muttering under his breath, "That's not what someone like him should look like…"
Tanjiro didn't catch what he said and could only look puzzled.
"Let me put it this way," the man said, glancing sideways at Tanjiro and jerking his chin ahead. "See that load-bearing pillar over there?"
Tanjiro followed his gaze and nodded.
"A friend of mine saw him crush that with his bare hands."
"…Crush it with his bare hands?"
"Yeah. You're from a charcoal-burning family, right? You should know how hard properly treated wood is."
The man's tone was filled with amazement. "I really don't know how he trains…"
[There's no scent of lying… so it's true?]
Tanjiro swallowed hard, staring at the pillar—and stopped thinking altogether.