"Master."
Half an hour later, Oboro emerged from the sedan chair and returned to his mansion.
Two maids had been waiting for a long time, bowing to greet him.
One of them quickly stepped forward to help him.
"Master Hayase has already arrived," the maid said softly.
"Good."
Hayase Daisuke was a high-ranking official in the magistrate's office and also Oboro's subordinate.
It is worth mentioning that in this era, most positions in the Shogunate bureaucracy were still hereditary.
This meant that as long as a family elder held a high position, their descendants, even if incompetent, had a high probability of succeeding them. This also revealed the corruption and chaos within the Shogunate.
Oboro's previous body was frail and sickly from a young age. His becoming a samurai was questionable... If not for his ancestors, how could he have attained such status at such a young age?
"Master..."
Supported by the maids, Oboro walked along the swept path into the courtyard.
He also saw two samurai kneeling in the main hall.
The officials of the magistrate's office were dressed and attired differently from ordinary samurai.
The two men turned their heads upon hearing the sound. Upon seeing Oboro, they immediately kowtowed and respectfully shouted.
"Is there news?"
Oboro took off his haori, sat by the fireplace, and a maid promptly offered him a cup of warm tea.
"Master, we have investigated the records in the Entertainment District in recent years. Indeed, there have been some bizarre death cases, but they have all been closed.
Moreover, the time is quite old, and to investigate again now..." the middle-aged man kneeling on the left, Hayase Daisuke, said cautiously.
Before he could finish speaking, Oboro raised his hand.
"I'm not referring to that... I'm talking about the Kamado family I asked you to find."
"We found them... They are indeed in Mount Okumoto Toriyama, making a living by selling charcoal. The current head of the family is named Kamado Tanpei. He is married and has a son..." Hayase Daisuke quickly reported.
"Mm."
Oboro nodded.
It seemed the Kamado family had been hiding in the mountains and hadn't moved.
After Yoriichi's death, Muzan had killed all the swordsmen who knew the Sun Breathing technique and its lineage.
He had never expected that the Sun Breathing technique would be continued by a commoner bloodline.
Because logically, with the inheritance of will, swordsmen of Sun Breathing would eventually appear through the path of killing demons... becoming members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Muzan would never have imagined... that the lineage of Sun Breathing still existed.
The Kamado family's seclusion was also, in a way, to avoid Muzan's 'eyes.'
It was not without reason that Muzan later went to Mount Okumoto Toriyama and massacred the Kamado Tanjuuro family.
With the Kamado family present, any demons that might have appeared near Mount Okumoto Toriyama would not have survived... Even if they acted discreetly, over time, it would surely attract attention.
Furthermore, through information exchanged with the Shogunate, my subordinate has found some details.
In some remote places or during certain past periods, there were so-called 'Kamado Shrines' for the faith of some commoners, related to fire. As for their origin... it can no longer be traced.
However, this shrine seemed to have no connection with the Kamado family. Instead, it seemed to have been left behind by an ancestor in a certain era, on a whim, to ward off evil, seek peace, and stability. But, this shrine no longer exists, and very few people know about it...
Hayase continued.
"Did it disappear suddenly within a certain period in the past few hundred years?"
Oboro asked, sipping his tea.
"Yes."
The former looked up and glanced.
After chatting for a while longer, Hayase Daisuke and the other person got up and left.
After leaving Oboro's mansion, the accompanying person turned to look at the magnificent separate residence and asked, "Master Hayase... who exactly is this person? Why have I never seen him in the magistrate's office, and besides..."
"Shh."
Hayase put a finger to his lips, signaling to keep his voice down.
"A collateral branch of the Shogunate."
Then, he looked left and right and replied softly.
Upon hearing this, the latter's expression changed slightly.
...
By the fireplace, Oboro rubbed his fingers.
His gaze was calm.
As expected, the Shogunate had always known about the existence of demons.
However, compared to the vast institution of the Shogunate, the number of demons and the chaos they could cause were too small.
Politicians and bureaucrats were concerned with the grand affairs of the world.
Such trivial matters were not taken to heart at all.
Furthermore... it was the Ubuyashiki family, through their long history, operating their network and relationships, that could indeed extend their influence to the government.
Otherwise, the Demon Slayer Corps wouldn't have such great power... wherever demons appeared, wherever incidents occurred, they could be detected.
"Sigh..."
Oboro sighed.
Unlike Hunter x Hunter, in the world of Hunter x Hunter, Nen users, gangsters, etc., any of these forces could bring about significant influence and change to the entire world.
This was not possible in Demon Slayer...
To put it bluntly, whether it was the demons created by Muzan or the power of the Demon Slayer Corps gathered by the Ubuyashiki family, they were all pawns within the grand environment of this world. No matter how big the commotion, their impact was limited.
They were accessories to the world's background.
Playing their own games.
However, the world of Hunter x Hunter was created by these forces and characters. Humans fled to the Island in the Lake, spontaneously continuing their civilization... and thus possessed everything.
And this world was not shaped by demons and swordsmen.
Therefore... no matter how much they caused trouble, they couldn't overturn the world's structure.
"Prepare yourself, we're going to Mount Okumoto Toriyama."
Oboro commanded.
"Yes."
The attending woman was surprised but thought about it and then agreed.
Oboro's current physical condition couldn't withstand the rigors of a long journey.
However, he wanted to meet Tanjiro Kamado's ancestor, Kamado Tanpei... and experience the Sun Breathing, this primitive breathing technique.
Breathing techniques... Oboro understood them too well.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was the peak combat power in this world. The legacy of such a character's power, with just a glance, Oboro could ascertain the power system of the Demon Slayer world.
That is, at this world's power level, what was the maximum extent...
Although Yoriichi was the peak combat power, his strength might not have reached the absolute limit of this world...
That afternoon, it was still snowing.
Several sedan chair bearers carried the sedan chair and set off again, walking towards Mount Okumoto Toriyama.
The maid locked the main gate.
Walking alongside the sedan chair bearers.
In this era, most high-ranking officials and nobles traveled by human power. One of the maids was carrying a Gohei.
A Gohei is something with many white paper strips hanging from it, generally used for offerings to deities and also for warding off evil.
Shaking it while walking signified 'safe travels.'
It also indicated... that among ordinary people, rumors and legends of demons had always existed.
Carrying a Gohei was more of a psychological comfort, hoping not to encounter demons.
Mount Okumoto Toriyama was very far from the Entertainment District. Moreover, the available resources in this era were quite scarce.
Therefore, at the pace of the group, it would take at least half a month to arrive.
Along the way, they stopped and rested frequently. Every time they reached a town, they would take a short break before continuing their journey.
Oboro also took this opportunity to experience the local customs and atmosphere of this world.
At this particular time, the government's inaction led to the decay of the populace and rampant chaos...
The upper class indulged in extravagance, while the lower class suffered from famine and struggled to find food.
It was practically a breeding ground for demons.
No wonder Doma's Everlasting Paradise Cult could persist.
Like Hashira Obanai Iguro's birthplace, the Iga-i family on Hachijo Island, the same was true.
Worshipping demons was because this world provided them with ample and vast space to survive.
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