CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 62: RETURNING TO THE VILLAGE

The letter was from Tecchin, a response to Tetsu no Sosuke’s previous correspondence.

The reply stated that Sosuke was welcome to return at any time, but since he was no longer considered a swordsmith of the village, his status would be different.

To return to the Swordsmith Village, Sosuke would need to be escorted by the Kakushi, following a relay-style transfer system, just like any ordinary Demon Slayer Corps member.

Sosuke found this somewhat absurd. Upon reflection, he realized that when he had left the village, he had also been led through a series of winding routes, and each transfer point had been different.

No, to be precise, each person’s route was different!

Every Swordsmith leaving the village had their own secret code and would return through various clandestine methods.

"Now that I think about it, being a Swordsmith must be quite difficult," he mused.

After this reflection, he went to find Kanae and informed her of the situation.

Kanae nodded. "You’ve been away from the Swordsmith Village for so long. It’s definitely time for you to return."

However, Demon Slayer Corps members couldn’t simply visit the Swordsmith Village at will. Even Pillars required permission from the village to enter.

Therefore, neither Kanae nor Shinobu could accompany Sosuke on this trip.

Deciding to stay at the Butterfly Mansion for one more day, Sosuke planned to depart early the next morning.

As fate would have it, the very next morning, before Sosuke could even set out, Kanae and Shinobu both received messages from their Kasugai Crows, informing them of new missions.

Naturally, their missions differed, so the three rarely gathered together at the main gate of the Butterfly Mansion. Kanae headed left, Shinobu headed right, while Sosuke was blindfolded.

Blindfolded,Sosuke was carried on the back of a Kakushi member as they hurried onward. The young Kakushi lad was nearly exerting every ounce of strength he had.

Sosuke’s weight wasn’t the problem; it was the massive iron hammer strapped to his back that proved unbearably heavy.

After carrying the burden for the entire journey, the young man was nearly speechless by the time they reached the next Kakushi member for the handover.

To his surprise, the replacement was a young woman.

As soon as Tetsu no Sosuke climbed onto her back, she nearly collapsed on the spot.

"If it’s too much, why don’t you guide while I walk beside you?" Sosuke couldn’t bear to watch her suffer.

It was truly pitiful...

Yet the young woman was resolute, gritting her teeth and declaring, "I... can do it!!!"

She must have activated some forbidden technique like the Eight Inner Gates. The girl went into overdrive, roaring like a man as she charged to the next Kakushi member. After setting Sosuke down, she collapsed on the ground, panting so violently her mask nearly flew off.

The young man who took over next was drenched in cold sweat, wondering, What’s wrong with this Demon Slayer Corps member? Even carrying a Pillar isn’t this terrifying!

Then Sosuke climbed onto his back... and the young man nearly burst into tears.

Throughout the day, until they reached a Wisteria-crested House, the Kakushi members groaned incessantly.

This made Sosuke suddenly think, ’If I can avoid going back in the future, I definitely will.’

This whole ordeal had been a massive undertaking, and the price they paid was truly miserable.

And then... the next day, it continued.

Sosuke remembered his first journey from the Swordsmith Village to the Butterfly Mansion had taken less than three days.

This time, it took a full five days to arrive!

Rumors had spread like wildfire among the Kakushi: a terrifying member of the Demon Slayer Corps had appeared, wielding a massive, impossibly heavy iron hammer.

This led to subsequent Kakushi recruits becoming increasingly burly and muscular, each one larger than the last.

After a long and arduous journey, Sosuke finally arrived at the Swordsmith Village. Removing his hood, he felt the world brighten around him.

The familiar village stretched before him.

After all, the original owner of his body had lived here for many years, and it was here that Sosuke had forged his first blade... the Sunbof genesis!

Returning now felt like revisiting a cherished homeland.

Clutching his massive iron hammer, he strode confidently to the village chief’s residence.

After knocking, someone led Sosuke inside.

Moments later, Tecchin appeared before him.

Before Sosuke could even speak, Tecchin launched into a barrage of accusations: "Finally decided to come back and visit? Have you forgotten where you grew up? Hiding away in the Butterfly Mansion, and I hear you’re even plotting against the Flower Pillar? You weren’t kicked out this time, were you?"

"..."

Sosuke’s face darkened. "The Flower Pillar and I are doing just fine."

"Really?" Tecchin sounded skeptical. Though rumors had reached him from the Kakushi, he still found it hard to believe that one of his own good-for-nothing descendants could possibly earn the Flower Pillar’s favor.

While the Flower Pillar had indeed been captivated by the sword Sosuke forged at first glance, admiring a blade was entirely different from admiring the person who crafted it.

Thus, he had largely dismissed the rumors as wishful thinking on Sosuke’s part.

But hearing Sosuke’s claim now made him wonder if things were more complicated than he’d assumed.

He asked in a low voice, "Have you... succeeded?"

"..." Sosuke nearly choked on his own blood. ’As the village chief, the highest authority here, can you even handle this?’

Still, he replied, "Once I become a Pillar, I’ll succeed."

Hearing this, Tecchin offered comfort. "Good child, perhaps you should give up? You’re already an exceptional swordsmith. Don’t waste your efforts chasing an uncertain future."

"...!"

’This is so awkward!’

Sosuke’s face darkened.

Tecchin looked at him and suddenly smiled. "Alright, let’s not dwell on that. Tell me why you’ve returned."

"Mm," Sosuke nodded, instantly switching to a serious demeanor. "I want to check on the condition of those swordsmiths."

Tecchin paused, then sighed. "Child, this endeavor has already failed."

Sosuke froze. "What do you mean?"

Though his primary reason for returning was Kotetsu’s Automaton, he had also hoped to see the three swordsmiths who had successfully forged Nichirin Blades capable of suppressing a demon’s regenerative abilities. He never expected to hear such a statement.

"Their condition is dire."

Tecchin said, "I always thought that if forging a blade took so long, and recovering from the process required an equal amount of time, that would be the optimal state. But I never imagined that their bodies would grow weaker with each Nichirin Blade they forged. Now, they can’t even get out of bed. The physical strain was too great; they need a long period of rest and recovery. We can’t yet determine how long that will take."