After several transfers, Tanjirou took off his blindfold and nose plugs, looking at the village with surprise.
"This is Swordsmith Village."
He could already smell the sulfur of the hot springs from here, and Tanjirou could already imagine the feeling of soaking in them.
Tanjirou looked around; all the Swordsmith here wore masks.
"Please follow me," a Swordsmith from Swordsmith Village led Tanjirou to the village chief's house.
A small, elderly man sat in the main seat, and Tanjirou looked at him in surprise; such a small old man was actually the most skilled Swordsmith in the village!
"Ah! Isn't this Tanjirou! Long time no see!"
Kanroji Mitsuri, who was in the village to maintain her nichirin blade, greeted the familiar person with delight.
"Kanroji-san! Hello!"
"You two know each other," Kagane Techin waved to Tanjirou.
"I am the village chief, Kagane Techin. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Facing the village chief, Tanjirou, being a polite child, respectfully bowed his head and greeted loudly.
"I am Kamado Tanjirou! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Good boy Tanjirou received karintou as a reward.
"So delicious~"
"Right? The karintou in the village is very delicious!" Kanroji Mitsuri, who was beside him, nodded in agreement. She had already eaten quite a lot since arriving in the village.
"Ah, hello, Yoizumi-san," Tanjirou noticed Yoizumi emerging from a wooden box, his eyes sparkling as he watched Yoizumi transform from his infant form back to his normal size.
Ah~ Yoizumi-san's child-like appearance is so cute!
"Hmm, hello."
Yoizumi sat next to Tanjirou, refused the karintou Tanjirou offered him, and then looked at the village chief.
"Village Chief."
"You must be Snow Pillar. We are aware of the situation with your nichirin blade. Hotaru is currently missing, and we are also looking for him."
"We heard you only recently woke up. You can rest in the village for a few days. If we truly cannot find Hotaru, we will arrange for other Swordsmith to forge a nichirin blade for you," Kagane Techin said.
"Alright."
..."Ah~ So comfortable~" With half his head submerged in the hot spring, Tanjirou was so comfortable he felt like he was melting.
Yoizumi was half-submerged in the hot spring, a continuous warmth emanating from it, tingeing his fair face with a slight blush.
Nezuko, on the other hand, had asked Kanroji Mitsuri to join her in another hot spring.
"Yoizumi-nii, let me scrub your back!" Tanjirou picked up a cloth and went behind Yoizumi, who did not refuse.
"It's been a long time since we've bathed together. When Takeo and Shigeru were still around, we used to scrub each other's backs," Tanjirou said, diligently scrubbing his brother's scarred back with a slightly damp towel.
Even after Yoizumi-nii became a demon, the scars on his body didn't heal.
"Pat-a." Footsteps sounded from behind them. The two looked to find a tall man with a scar on his face and a pompadour haircut. Yoizumi glanced at him, inexplicably feeling that this person resembled Sanemi Shinazugawa.
"Shinazugawa Genya!" Tanjirou recognized him. He had broken his wrist bone during the Final Selection when he bullied a girl, and later met him again at Butterfly Mansion, learning his name from Kiyo.
He also has the Shinazugawa surname, are they brothers?
Shinazugawa Genya completely ignored them, not even glancing at Tanjirou, and stayed at the furthest end of the hot spring, facing away.
"Ah, I was ignored."
"He's grown so tall. When I first saw him, he was about my height," Tanjirou said with a hint of envy.
"Tanjirou is still young; he'll grow taller," Yoizumi looked at Shinazugawa Genya in the distance. He vaguely sensed something incongruous about him, a demon's aura, yet he was undeniably human—how strange. Hearing his brother's words, he turned to comfort him.
"I wish I could be as tall as Yoizumi-nii."
Tanjirou smiled, placing his hand on his brother's head to wash his hair.
"Yoizumi-nii, close your eyes. I'm going to pour water."
Warm water poured down from his head.
By the time the two finished bathing in the hot spring, it was completely dark. Kanroji Mitsuri also led Nezuko to the foot of the mountain to meet Yoizumi and Tanjirou.
"Nezuko really likes Kanroji-san," seeing Nezuko holding Kanroji Mitsuri's hand and not letting go, Tanjirou rubbed his sister's head.
"I like Nezuko-chan very much too~"
"I heard tonight's dinner is Matsutake mushroom rice~ I'm so excited~" Walking slowly along the path, after a few brief conversations, Yoizumi basically understood Kanroji-san's personality.
She was a bit flighty and lively, and would get along very well with Tanjirou and Rengoku.
"Hah… Kanroji-san is amazing!" Tanjirou exclaimed.
"..."
Indeed.
In terms of appetite, she was even stronger than Rengoku.
Yoizumi looked up at the stack of rice bowls taller than himself, then at Kanroji Mitsuri, whose figure was completely at odds with her enormous appetite.
How could all that food go into her stomach without any change?
Moreover, she was kind to Nezuko and him, who were demons; she was truly unique.
Kanroji, who was teasing Nezuko and making her laugh, noticed Yoizumi's gaze.
"What's wrong, Yoizumi-san?"
"I just think your appetite is impressive."
Kanroji Mitsuri smiled shyly and explained, "I've had a large appetite since I was little because my muscle density is higher than others."
Yoizumi nodded, "I wish Shinobu could eat this much too; she's too thin."
He remembered that the night they arrived at Swordsmith Village, when he carried Shinobu to bed, she was so light it felt like there was nothing in his hands.
"Eh, to make Shinobu eat like that…" She found it hard to imagine Shinobu being able to eat so much, but it was true, Shinobu's figure was so petite.
"Yoizumi-san cares a lot about Shinobu~ It seems your relationship is very good."
"Our relationship isn't very good…"
"Eh?" Kanroji felt a rush of panic. Did she say something wrong?
"It's the best. Shinobu and I are lovers," Yoizumi said seriously, stating his relationship with Shinobu.
..."Eh!!!!"
Kanroji Mitsuri gasped, cupping her cheeks with both hands, her face flushed with excitement.
Lovers?
Yoizumi-san and Shinobu?!
When?!
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