CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 71: SUMMONS

Repairing Sanemi’s Nichirin Blade wasn’t particularly complicated, but it would still take two days.

During those two days, Sosuke’s newly repaired Automaton suffered a stroke of bad luck.

Every day, Sanemi carried his sword into the forest to spar with it.

This caused Kotetsu to tremble uncontrollably whenever he saw Sanemi.

The only consolation was that after two days, the Automaton had sustained minimal damage, and Sanemi remained unharmed.

The man and the machine were locked in a stalemate, neither able to truly overcome the other.

Strictly speaking, the Automaton was still slightly inferior, but its sturdy construction meant Sanemi could only slash through its clothing; everything else proved too difficult to cut.

Moreover, this Nichirin Blade had been painstakingly restored by Sosuke, making it exceptionally meaningful. Sanemi couldn’t bring himself to truly destroy it.

Two days passed. Sosuke handed the repaired Nichirin Blade to Sanemi. "Alright, take it and get out of here."

Just looking at this guy gave him a headache.

Sanemi snorted. "Do you know what the Village Chief’s second request for me was?"

"How would I know?" Sosuke rolled his eyes. "Ask him yourself."

Sanemi reluctantly went to question the Village Chief, while Sosuke bid farewell to Kotetsu.

With the Automaton repaired and its construction understood, it was time for him to leave.

He had just finished packing when Sanemi stormed back, his eyes blazing with fury at seeing Sosuke ready to depart. "You knew all along, didn’t you?"

Sosuke feigned confusion. "Knew what?"

"That the Village Chief’s second request was to send you home?" Sanemi studied his expression, which seemed genuine. He began to wonder if he had misunderstood something.

Sosuke burst into laughter. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"...You bastard!"

Sanemi gritted his teeth, his anger simmering. This guy’s personality was truly awful. He knew all along that the second task was to send him back, yet he deliberately withheld the information, making Sanemi waste his time running to the Village Chief for nothing.

Hmphing in frustration, Sanemi stormed off with Sosuke.

The departure procedures were surprisingly complex. Wearing masks, they were led along a specific route by a designated guide, winding through a series of twists and turns. After being set down, they removed their masks, and the rest of the journey was up to them.

But before they could even begin, a Kasugai Crow landed on Sanemi’s shoulder.

"Lord has ordered you to bring Sosuke to him first," it announced in human speech.

The Wind Pillar and Sosuke exchanged glances. Finally, Sanemi glared at Sosuke. "What are you waiting for? Let’s go!"

Sosuke scratched his chin. He still wanted to return to the Butterfly Mansion first.

Since it was an order from the Lord, Sosuke had no choice but to go. He sighed, "Fine, let’s go."

Sanemi was furious. Was being summoned by the Lord not enough to inflate his ego? He wore an expression of such reluctance, as if he were being forced into a humiliating marriage.

With the Wind Pillar’s protection, the journey passed without incident.

In the blink of an eye, they were back at that familiar courtyard.

There, Sosuke saw someone he hadn’t expected:

The Flower Pillar!

He rushed to Kanae’s side. A month apart had only intensified his feelings, not diminished them.

He took her hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," Kanae replied with a gentle smile. "The Lord said you’d arrive today. After you’ve met with him, we’ll return to the Butterfly Mansion."

Sosuke nodded and was about to speak when the sliding doors of the corridor parted, and a voice called out, "Tetsu no Sosuke, come in."

He nodded to Kanae, slipped off his sandals, stepped onto the corridor, and entered the room.

The moment he entered, he was hit by the strong medicinal scent.

Kagaya lay on a tatami mat, his wife Amane attending to him nearby.

He turned to look at Sosuke and sighed. "I can barely see your face anymore. I’m sorry to have to meet you in this state."

Sosuke quickly shook his head. "Lord, your health..."

"It’s nothing. It’s just taken a turn for the worse recently." He struggled to sit up but failed.

He sighed softly. "I’ll have to speak to you like this."

"It’s alright," Sosuke said, feeling a pang of helplessness. As a swordsmith, not a physician, he could do nothing to alleviate Kagaya’s suffering.

"Don’t feel sorry for me," Kagaya said with a gentle smile. Though he couldn’t see Sosuke’s face clearly, it was as if he could see into his heart. "This is the punishment I deserve for my sins... But enough of that. I heard you’ve accomplished something remarkable recently?"

Sosuke paused, scratching his head self-consciously. "It’s nothing special."

"Repairing the Automaton that has been passed down in the Swordsmith Village for three centuries is no small feat," Kagaya said. "Chief Tecchin wrote to me, confirming your success. That’s why I summoned you here. I want to ask: to what extent have you mastered the Automaton?"

"I’ve basically mastered it completely," Sosuke said. "So, I plan to make more to enhance the Demon Slayer Corps members’ strength."

Kagaya, who had been slumped weakly, suddenly sat up straight, taking a deep breath. "Can you really do that?"

"Yes," Sosuke nodded. "Considering the average Demon Slayer Corps member’s insufficient strength, I plan to create Automata of varying skill levels. Using them to train swordsmen during their practice sessions should be an excellent approach."

"Excellent? It’s far beyond that!" Kagaya exhaled softly. "If you can achieve this, it would be an immeasurable help."

But as he spoke, he suddenly hesitated. "That must be an incredibly complex process?"

Sosuke nodded. "Even for me, creating a single Automaton would likely take at least a month."

Kagaya paused, then nodded gently. "That’s already remarkable."

"So..." Sosuke continued, "if possible, I would also like Lord to allow the Kakushi to assist me."

"How can we help?" Kagaya asked, momentarily taken aback.

Sosuke smiled. "The core technology of the automatons is indeed difficult to master, but the body’s components don’t require particularly complex techniques. If possible, I’d like the Kakushi to assist in manufacturing some of these parts, which would save me a great deal of time. Ultimately, I’ll assemble all the components myself. If this works, I believe we can reduce the overall production time by at least two-thirds."