CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 51: GO BECOME A PILLAR

When Tetsu no Sosuke returned, his hands were empty.

Shinobu Kocho pondered for a long time, still unsure how to deal with Tetsu no Sosuke. In the end, her deliberations had made her genuinely hungry.

She looked up and found herself staring blankly at Tetsu no Sosuke.

He gave an awkward smile. "I forgot... I don’t know how to hunt. And I couldn’t find any wild berries either."

"..."

Shinobu Kocho felt her heart grow weary once more.

Rubbing her forehead, she said, "Let’s go. While we can still move, we’ll head to the next village and buy some dried rations."

The backpack containing their rations was soaked through, rendering the food inside inedible. Otherwise, Tetsu no Sosuke wouldn’t have needed to go out in search of food.

Tetsu no Sosuke nodded in agreement. Shinobu Kocho struggled to her feet, but her legs wobbled, nearly causing her to collapse.

"I’ll carry you," Tetsu no Sosuke said, crouching down in front of her.

Shinobu Kocho froze, the words "double the affection" resurfacing in her mind.

Shinobu Kocho shook her head vigorously. "No need."

"Hurry up," Tetsu no Sosuke urged, his voice taking on a sharper edge. "If you get too hungry and dizzy, we won’t be able to move."

Shinobu pouted but obediently climbed onto Tetsu no Sosuke’s back.

Gathering the scattered clothes from the ground, Tetsu no Sosuke stuffed them into Shinobu’s arms. He hoisted his Sword-in-Hammer and strode out of the cave.

The demon’s corpse at the cave entrance had already crumbled into dust under the sunlight, vanishing without a trace.

After a quick orientation, Tetsu no Sosuke sprinted along their original path.

By mid-morning, both Tetsu no Sosuke and Shinobu breathed a sigh of relief.

Though they hadn’t yet spotted the village, they recognized a house bearing the Wisteria crest.

Wisteria-crested houses unconditionally provide free lodging and meals to members of the Demon Slayer Corps. They approached the house, knocked, and entered.

A kind-faced middle-aged woman greeted them. Without asking about their disheveled state, she immediately assigned them two rooms.

Tetsu no Sosuke requested some cold medicine, which was promptly delivered.

Shinobu Kocho took a sip, her face twisting into a Pug-like grimace at the bitter taste.

This time, Tetsu no Sosuke wasn’t in the mood to laugh. As his taut nerves finally relaxed, exhaustion flooded his limbs like a dam bursting.

After Shinobu finished her medicine, he reminded her to get some rest and rose to leave.

The middle-aged woman stood at the door, inquiring about their condition. Upon learning there were no serious concerns, she nodded in understanding.

Tetsu no Sosuke handed her the tray and returned to his room, collapsing into bed and falling asleep instantly.

He woke up at sunset.

Daytime sleep rarely leaves him refreshed, and his head still throbbed faintly. He rolled over, stood up, and opened the door to find his clothes washed, neatly folded, and placed outside his room.

The service at the Wisteria-crested inn was truly exceptional.

Tetsu no Sosuke went to Shinobu Kocho’s room, but she was still asleep.

He reached out to feel her forehead. The fever had broken during the day, and her temperature remained stable.

After taking her medicine at noon and sleeping through the afternoon, a good night’s rest should have her almost fully recovered by tomorrow.

With this thought, Tetsu no Sosuke finally let out a sigh of relief. As he withdrew his hand from Shinobu Kocho’s forehead, he noticed she was staring at him.

Tetsu no Sosuke blinked. "Awake?"

Shinobu nodded, struggling to sit up.

Tetsu no Sosuke helped her sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Shinobu nodded. "I should be completely recovered by tomorrow."

"That aligns with my assessment," Tetsu no Sosuke said with a sigh of relief. Then he noticed Shinobu continued to stare at him after speaking.

Touching his face, Tetsu no Sosuke asked, puzzled, "What is it?"

"...It’s nothing," Shinobu Kocho said after a moment of silence. "Why didn’t you leave?"

"You’re still here. Where would I go?" Tetsu no Sosuke countered.

"I meant... last night. I told you to take the opportunity to escape."

"...Take the opportunity?" Tetsu no Sosuke frowned, the words sounding vaguely familiar. Then his face lit up. "Oh, you meant escape? I thought you meant attack."

"As expected, we have absolutely no understanding of each other," Shinobu rolled her eyes.

Tetsu no Sosuke couldn’t help but laugh, and he did.

Seeing him laugh, Shinobu pondered her own words and found them amusing too. Soon, both of them were laughing together.

Laughter is a relaxing emotion, and their moods instantly brightened.

After a long while, Shinobu took a deep breath and said, "I’ve always thought you weren’t good enough for my elder sister."

"Mm-hmm, I know," Tetsu no Sosuke nodded, making it clear he understood.

"And I think you’re trying to steal her away..." Shinobu added.

Tetsu no Sosuke watched her, sensing that her perspective had likely shifted after the events of the previous night.

"Of course, I still don’t think you’re worthy of her."

So, no change after all.

Tetsu no Sosuke remained silent. And couldn’t this girl just say everything at once? Is she speaking in dribbles like a child peeing?

"But now I don’t believe you’re trying to steal her away..." Shinobu Kocho looked at him. "Let’s call a truce!"

"Hmm?" Tetsu no Sosuke glanced at Shinobu Kocho. "I thought your willingness to protect me was already a truce signal."

"Protecting you was my Elder Sister’s order," Shinobu Kocho retorted, rolling her eyes. "Otherwise, I’d wish you dead."

"Such a venomous woman," Tetsu no Sosuke shook his head. "So, truce now?"

"Yes," Shinobu Kocho took a deep breath. "Truce! And... you saved me again last night."

"Well... if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have won either," Tetsu no Sosuke replied, recalling the awkwardness of the previous night’s battle. The enemy’s weaknesses were glaringly obvious, yet he couldn’t deliver the final blow—a truly frustrating feeling.

"I mean how you handled my illness," Shinobu Kocho said. "You were able to make calm judgments in that situation and didn’t flee even when facing a Demon. Tetsu no Sosuke, I acknowledge your courage and wisdom. However, your strength remains insufficient. If you truly wish to be worthy of my Elder Sister, you must strive harder. If one day you become a Pillar, I will have no further doubts about your relationship."

She glanced at Tetsu no Sosuke, thought for a moment, and added, "You’re a blacksmith, so you’ll likely become... the Iron Pillar, right? If you can achieve that."

"...!"

Tetsu no Sosuke suddenly thought that if he really became the Iron Pillar, he’d rather not become a Pillar at all.

This is worse than being the Hammer Pillar, isn’t it?!