At that moment, a choice lay before Kanao: whether or not to follow Shinobu and Horitake into the field to hunt demons.
True to form, her hand drifted instinctively toward her pocket. She produced her coin and flicked it upward, prepared to let the heavens decide her path for her.
Watching this, Horitake felt a sharp pang of frustration.
Girl, do you really have zero autonomy? You can't keep living like this!
Tanjiro, oh Tanjiro... where are you? Hurry up and save your future wife!
Losing his patience, Horitake reached out and snatched the coin mid-air before it could land on the back of Kanao's hand. He shook his head, his tone firm but not unkind.
"What is there to choose? Why flip a coin? It's settled! Kanao, you're coming with Shinobu-nee and me. It's time you got some real experience, saw some blood, and learned how to handle a real enemy. Do you have an objection?"
Kanao blinked her large, innocent eyes at him. She shook her head slowly, indicating she had no objection—or perhaps, she simply didn't dare to have one.
Beside them, Shinobu gave Horitake a mild, disapproving glare. "Honestly, why must you be so heavy-handed? It wouldn't have hurt to let Kanao finish her flip before deciding."
Horitake casually toyed with the coin in his palm, clearly disagreeing.
"Is she really using that coin to make a choice? No, she's using it because she has no will of her own. She's abdicating her life to fate. We can't let this continue. If she grows up like this, she'll be far too easy for someone to lead by the nose. Think about how dangerous that is for a young girl."
Faced with this unavoidable truth, Shinobu felt a familiar headache coming on.
"I know... Kanao's personality is a major concern. I remember Kanae-neesan mentioning it once. she said that perhaps, when Kanao finds someone she truly loves, she'll finally open her heart and start to change."
"Is that so? I think Kanae-neesan was right on the money."
As he spoke, Horitake's thoughts naturally drifted to Tanjiro. Calculating the timeline, it shouldn't be long now. Soon enough, Tanjiro and his companions would likely be brought to the Butterfly Estate to recover from their grevious injuries. When that meeting finally happened, nature would surely take its course.
With that thought in mind, Horitake tossed the coin back to Kanao and turned to leave.
"Right, no more lingering. If we're going, let's go. Kanao, go back and change into your travel gear. Pack your things; we're leaving soon."
Kanao nodded and scurried off toward her room.
Horitake and Shinobu also headed to their respective quarters to gather the essentials for the journey. Before leaving, they found Aoi and the three younger girls to inform them of their departure. They warned the girls that they might be gone for a while and tasked them with looking after the estate.
The four girls agreed immediately, their voices echoing in a chorus of "Leave it to us!"
Soon, Horitake, Shinobu, and Kanao stood at the gates of the Butterfly Estate, bags packed and weapons secured. Aoi, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho lined up neatly to see them off.
Horitake checked one last time. "Shinobu-nee, did you pack the new vial of Wisteria poison? Don't leave it behind; that's the whole point of this trip."
Shinobu patted the pouch at her waist and smiled. "Don't worry. It's right here."
Horitake then turned to the quiet girl beside them. "Kanao, do you have everything you need?"
Kanao nodded vigorously.
"Excellent. Let's move out. Hopefully, we'll run into a demon or two tonight so Kanao can get a kill and Shinobu-nee can field-test the new toxin. Aoi, Kiyo, Sumi, Naho—take care of the house while we're gone."
The four girls waved goodbye as the trio departed.
For the three younger girls, it was a routine farewell—part of the natural ebb and flow of life at the Corps. But as Aoi watched their retreating figures, a heavy, melancholic cloud settled over her heart.
Kanao-sama is already strong enough to go out and hunt... she's grown so much.
And yet, even though I am officially a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, I don't have the courage to even draw my sword against a demon. All I can do is hide back here and handle the chores to ease my guilt.
Sigh... I really am useless.
The more she thought, the more dejected she became. She was the first to turn back, retreating into the shadows of the estate to lose herself in work.
Meanwhile, Horitake and Shinobu led the novice Kanao away from the headquarters, disappearing into the dense, overlapping ridges of the surrounding mountains. Their goal was to clear the mountain range before nightfall and enter the active hunting grounds.
Horitake and Shinobu were, of course, seasoned travelers. But for Kanao, the experience was profoundly novel.
She had been sequestered within the walls of the Butterfly Estate for years. Aside from the massive relocation of the headquarters some time ago, she had seen virtually nothing of the outside world. To her, even the mundane sight of mountain paths and endless trees was fascinating.
Walking ahead, Horitake kept a discreet eye on her.
He noticed the way her head tilted as she looked around, and how her large, quiet eyes occasionally sparkled with a suppressed excitement. She looked like a curious child trying her best to act like a disciplined soldier.
Seeing this, Horitake leaned in close to Shinobu and whispered:
"I say, Shinobu-nee... is it a tradition in the Kochou family to raise daughters like cloistered maidens? How long has it been since Kanao was allowed out? She's acting like she's never seen a tree before. It's just woods and rocks—what's so interesting?"
Shinobu shot him a flat look of denial. "What do you mean 'cloistered maidens'? We aren't that conservative or old-fashioned. We would have loved to let her see the world. But you know her situation—if she went out alone, heaven knows where she'd end up or who would lead her away."
"Fair point. Her personality really is a puzzle."
Suddenly, a realization struck Horitake like a physical blow. He stopped in his tracks and smacked his own forehead in a fit of sudden remorse.
"Oh, no! I completely missed it! I've been playing favorites!"
Shinobu stopped and looked at him, puzzled. "What did you miss? What favorites are you talking about?"
Horitake looked genuinely aggrieved. "I forgot to give Kanao her 'special training'! When I went to Mount Peach, I gave my junior disciples a hellish crash course. When I went to Mount Sagiri, I pushed Tanjiro to his limits. But when it came to Kanao—right under my own roof at the Butterfly Estate—I didn't teach her a single thing! I've been completely negligent! I'm a terrible senior!"
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