If the coup succeeds, what will I do to make this village prosper?
Kiyoshi asked himself this question the moment he decided to seize power and become the Leader of this ninja village. After all, criticizing his father is something anyone can do—but taking his place and actually improving the village is not.
The whole point of becoming the Leader is to live a rich and comfortable life. If the village collapses, how is he supposed to live like that?
So, from the very beginning, Kiyoshi thought of ways to make this village prosper. And for that, he needed money.
Make more money, and prosperity will follow.
To earn money, he needed business. And for that, he did have plenty of ideas. After all, this was the period before World War I. Being a good student in his early years, he had studied history. This era was a golden opportunity for Japan. Because of the war, Japan became a major exporter of weapons, textiles, and other goods, amassing great wealth and giving rise to powerful conglomerates that would dominate the future. A sudden boom to make money.
But then came the problem.
Yes, he had ideas. Yes, he knew the direction of the future. But business doesn't succeed just because of that! If it did, there would have been countless millionaires in his previous life.
He was just a normal person with no experience or success in business. He had no real idea how to execute those "brilliant" ideas in his head.
That meant he couldn't simply turn his knowledge into money.
Then he remembered—if you don't know how to do business, hire someone who does.
Simple.
But here came another problem. The village was already poor… and he needed money to hire someone skilled?
No capital, no experts, no experiments. Dead end.
And then—
He remembered again. If you're too poor to hire someone, have no capital, have skills, and want to become rich… then ride the coattails of someone who can do business.
Now that was a valid path!
And more importantly… there was a perfect person whose coattails he could ride.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya—the "Oyakata-sama" of the Demon Slayer Corps!
With him as the Leader of the ninja village, possessing highly trained combat ninjas, he could redirect them into becoming demon slayers. That would support the Demon Slayer Corps, which mostly relied on volunteers who weren't nearly as skilled as his ninjas.
"Damn! This is a win-win!"
And this was just one way to make money. There were many other ways to generate income using this village.
That's exactly why he wanted to become the Leader at any cost.
Because this village… was full of treasures.
Treasures named human resources.
...
"Demon... Slayers?"
"Yes, Demon Slayers."
Even normal people didn't know about Demon Slayers, so it wasn't strange that Tengen didn't know either. Kiyoshi gestured for him to sit and then slowly began explaining everything—about Demon Slayers, and of course, about demons as well.
"Demon Slayers are fighters who slay demons."
"Kiyoshi... are you dreaming?"
Rage rushed to his head, and he smacked Tengen on the head in irritation. Damn! Did he look like he was in the mood to joke?! No wonder others got annoyed when he joked around.
"Ouch! Why are you hitting me?"
"Because you're joking around when I'm being serious!"
"Serious?"
Tengen rubbed his forehead and gave Kiyoshi a scrutinizing look. What kind of serious talk involved imaginary creatures?
"So you're telling me that demons from stories are real?"
"Of course! Tengen, stop giving me that look. Do you think I'd joke about something like this? This is the alternative way to make money, you idiot!"
Though still skeptical, Tengen didn't say much and let Kiyoshi continue. He didn't believe demons were real, but he did believe that Kiyoshi wouldn't mess around at a time like this.
"Alright. Now listen carefully—no interruptions. Demons are real. They come out only at night to kill and eat humans. That's why you don't see them during the day. Got it?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, to kill these demons, there's an organization called the Demon Slayer Corps. It's not recognized by the government, which is why it operates in secrecy. Think of it like us—some people know about us, but most are unaware. Understand?"
"Hmm. So they're similar to ninjas."
"Kind of. Now, this organization sends fighters to places where demons appear. These fighters are called, well, you guessed it, Demon Slayers. Since they operate in secrecy, I doubt you'll find their headquarters quickly. But you can find a Demon Slayer in action at night. I want you to capture one, or follow him, and somehow make contact with the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. Then give him this letter."
Kiyoshi pulled out a letter and handed it to Tengen.
At this point, Tengen felt that Kiyoshi wasn't joking. After all, no one would go so far as to write a letter to an imaginary person.
"Alright. It sounds like a story, but I know you're not free enough to go this far just to make it seem real."
Is he calling me delusional?! Am I hearing this from the guy who called himself a God of Flashiness and Festivals?!
"Of course I'm not that free!"
If he were, wouldn't he be relaxing with his wives right now? Speaking of which, there was a hot spring connected to the mansion… and tonight he could—
Hehehe…
"Kiyoshi. Tell me what a Demon Slayer looks like."
Tengen's voice snapped him out of his fantasy, leaving him slightly annoyed. Still, this wasn't the time for that. He quickly gave the details.
"Demon Slayers have a standard uniform. They wear a black buttoned shirt and loose hakama pants, tightened at the ends. It's somewhat similar to our ninja outfits. But the most distinctive feature is the kanji for 'destroy' engraved on their back. And in an era where swords are banned, they openly carry swords."
"So, black uniform, 'destroy' on the back, and a sword?"
"Exactly. And since we're trained to track people, I doubt you'll fail. Tengen, I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry."
Tengen smiled, showing his white teeth, acting unusually flashy and flamboyant in that moment, leaving Kiyoshi slightly stunned.
"There's nothing I, Uzui Tengen, can't accomplish! Especially when it concerns the village."
And just like that, he covered his face with a mask and left. He didn't even give Kiyoshi a chance to respond.
"That guy..."
Kiyoshi smiled helplessly—part annoyed, part amused. If Tengen was becoming more expressive and flashy, it was only a good thing. A mentally healthy ninja was exactly what he needed.
"And don't worry. I never doubted you for a second, Tengen."
When Tengen dashed out of the village, he found himself with the Demon Slayer Corps. It was his destiny. Whether by fate or sheer luck, Kiyoshi believed that even if he himself failed, Tengen would succeed.
"Alright. I've given all my orders. Now it's time to relax in the hot springs!"
Kiyoshi grinned like an old pervert, already anticipating the moment. But the thought of hot springs suddenly reminded him of that scene from the anime… Mitsuri…
If Mitsuri became my wife too...
"..."
"Am I becoming too much of a pervert?"