Yorii Tsugikuni slightly opened his eyes.
Pure Malice Taken to the Extreme
A carriage?
Yorii Tsugikuni glanced over curiously.
At the end of the street, a carriage that was obviously luxurious had appeared.
Though he did not know the exact time, it was clearly already very late. He had not expected anyone to still be out at this hour.
In Yorii Tsugikuni's memories, hardly anyone dared to leave home at night. The era he had lived in was the period when Muzan Kibutsuji had been at his most rampant.
Before Yorii Tsugikuni encountered Muzan Kibutsuji, nothing capable of threatening Muzan Kibutsuji had ever existed.
Especially since that era had been dominated by cold weapons, Muzan Kibutsuji had been even more unrestrained.
Thus, compared to the main-story era of Demon Slayer, when demons had nearly become creatures of legend, demons in the Warring States period were not yet legends. They were not exactly common, but neither were they particularly rare.
That was why Yorii Tsugikuni found it somewhat surprising that someone would still be out at this hour.
Sayo and Ieyasu had no choice. They were in a foreign land with no money, and their basic abilities were not bad.
Even if they encountered a demon with a Blood Demon Art, so long as it was not one of the Twelve Kizuki, even if Sayo and Ieyasu could not kill it, they could still hold it off for a while and escape without much trouble.
But the people inside that luxurious carriage clearly did not look as though they had no other choice.
Is this what a big city is like?
Yorii Tsugikuni sighed inwardly.
Although he had felt more than once that certain things had seemed strange since meeting Sayo and Ieyasu, he considered the fact that the city he was in was a prosperous place unlike any he had ever seen.
He could still accept some oddities.
A city with a population of a million naturally had some special qualities. Yorii Tsugikuni was already over eighty years old. Back when he had searched everywhere for Muzan Kibutsuji, he had visited all the major cities of Fusang.
Cities with populations exceeding ten thousand did indeed have much better security. Demons almost never hunted in large cities.
After all, Yorii Tsugikuni was indeed incredibly powerful, but he could not underestimate humanity's foundations. Take the Demon Slayer Corps, the most obvious example. Yorii Tsugikuni had only lived four hundred years ago.
Yet the Demon Slayer Corps had a history spanning a thousand years.
It could almost be said that not long after Muzan Kibutsuji became the source of demons, the Demon Slayer Corps had been established. They possessed methods to kill demons and had not been completely crushed.
Yorii Tsugikuni's birth had certainly been extremely important.
But the absence of Yorii Tsugikuni's Breathing Techniques did not mean humanity had no means whatsoever of restraining demons.
Those with exceptional talent, such as the Stone Pillar Himejima Gyomei and the Love Pillar Kanroji Mitsuri from the original story, possessed the terrifying power to hammer ordinary demons until sunrise by sheer force.
Even more unusual was the Wind Pillar's younger brother, Shinazugawa Genya, who could devour demons.
More commonly, there were Wisteria Flowers that repelled demons, as well as various standard weapons made from Nichirin Iron and Nichirin Ore that absorbed sunlight. Yorii Tsugikuni had never regarded himself as especially important.
When Yorii Tsugikuni's elder brother, Yorii Genkatsu, had worried that everything he had learned would be lost, Yorii Tsugikuni had not felt much about it. From beginning to end, he had never believed himself to be indispensable.
Even though his role had been countless times greater than he himself imagined.
Hm?
Before Yorii Tsugikuni could continue thinking, he looked at the luxurious carriage that had stopped in front of him and frowned slightly.
Then the ornate carriage door slowly opened. Within Yorii Tsugikuni's view appeared a noble couple who looked exceedingly kind, with a pretty, adorable blonde girl standing beside them.
"This is truly too pitiful."
"Although summer is almost here, the nights are still rather cold."
The blonde girl looked at Yorii Tsugikuni, Sayo, and Ieyasu, who were resting at the edge of the street, and her eyes lit up.
A deeply sympathetic expression swiftly appeared on her face. Turning to her father and mother, she pleaded, "Father, Mother, can I invite them to our home as guests?"
"If we only host them for a few days and help them through their immediate difficulties, there should not be any problem, right?"
Warm candlelight shone from within the somewhat extravagant carriage onto Yorii Tsugikuni, Sayo, and Ieyasu.
Without question, the scene inside the carriage stood in stark contrast to Yorii Tsugikuni's group's circumstances.
Normally, the two sides would have almost no chance of coming into contact. Yet unexpectedly, upon seeing Yorii Tsugikuni and the others, the luxurious carriage had stopped, and its occupants extended their hands to them.
As though they intended to lend Yorii Tsugikuni and the others a hand.
"Of course there is no problem."
Inside the carriage, the dignified, beautiful, and elegant noblewoman smiled upon hearing the blonde girl's words. "Aria, you are always so kind."
"Since this is Aria's request, what do you think, dear?"
The noblewoman did not ask Yorii Tsugikuni and the others at all. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the man beside her.
In the noblewoman's eyes, an opportunity like this was something people like Yorii Tsugikuni, who had fallen so low that they had to spend the night on the streets, would not dare dream of.
These disheveled outsiders flocked to the Imperial Capital one after another, were they not all hoping to make something of themselves?
Clearly, as long as they accepted this invitation, making something of themselves would be within easy reach.
There was absolutely no reason for them to refuse.
"Hehe, I do not mind."
Hearing the conversation between his wife and daughter, the nobleman also smiled slightly. "Since my precious daughter Aria has said so, let us take them home and host them properly for a few days."
"Who are you?"
Looking at the kind family before him, Yorii Tsugikuni rose from the ground.
Yorii Tsugikuni did not quite understand the situation.
His innate markings and Clear World granted Yorii Tsugikuni powers of observation beyond ordinary imagination.
At this moment, Yorii Tsugikuni could clearly sense the heartfelt joy the family felt upon seeing him, Sayo, and Ieyasu. There was not the slightest trace of falsehood.
As expected of a big city.
Looking at the kind family before him, Yorii Tsugikuni instinctively sighed inwardly once more.
To extend a helping hand to those down on their luck—even Yorii Tsugikuni had only met a few wealthy families in his lifetime with such kind hearts. It was already good enough if they did not kick someone when they were down.
The Devonshire Family's Enthusiastic Invitation
"How rude of me."
"We have talked for so long here, yet I forgot to introduce myself."
Hearing Yorii Tsugikuni's slightly puzzled question, the nobleman wore an enlightened expression and smiled. "My name is Caven Devonshire. My noble rank in the Empire is that of a count."
"This is my wife, Calitan Devonshire, and my daughter, Aria Devonshire."
Caven introduced himself to Yorii Tsugikuni.
He not only introduced his family name but also his noble rank.
In the Empire, commoners were not worthy of possessing surnames. Only nobles could have surnames, and as a count, Caven carried no small amount of influence in the Empire.
He could not make the Empire tremble with a stomp of his foot, of course, but passing his voice upward was effortless for Caven. At the same time, he could easily allow so-called outsiders to achieve their ultimate goal of rising to prominence.
"Hello, Mr. Caven."
"My name is Yorii Tsugikuni. These are my two disciples, Sayo and Ieyasu."
Looking at Caven, who had introduced himself so solemnly, Yorii Tsugikuni smiled slightly and introduced himself as well.
Because Yorii Tsugikuni's naming conventions were entirely different from those of the Empire, his name appeared to others to be merely a given name, without a surname of his own.
He appeared to belong to the commoner class, even though Yorii Tsugikuni had also been born into a great family.
"Master, what happened?"
"These people are..."
The exchange between Yorii Tsugikuni and Aria's family had not been quiet.
Sayo and Ieyasu, who had originally been sleeping rather soundly, rubbed their eyes and stood up.
Still somewhat groggy, they looked at Aria's family, who had appeared at some unknown time.
Sayo and Ieyasu had slept quite peacefully. Unlike Yorii Tsugikuni, they had retained little vigilance, so they did not know what was happening.
As they looked at the glamorous Aria family, Sayo and Ieyasu felt both envy and longing, as well as some fear.
After all, the gap between their social classes was simply too vast.
They did not even need to ask. One glance was enough to understand the immense difference in status.
"Big Brother Yorii Tsugikuni, Big Sister Sayo, and Big Brother Ieyasu."
"Would you like to visit Aria's home as guests?"
"If you sleep on the streets like this, it will be very easy to catch a cold."
The blonde girl, Aria, saw the fear in Sayo and Ieyasu's eyes.
The smile on Aria's face then became even more innocent and radiant. She skipped out of the carriage.
Carrying a sweet, intoxicating fragrance, she came close to Yorii Tsugikuni and spoke with anticipation in her voice. "Father and Mother are busy with many things every day. Aria gets lonely at home by herself."
"If Big Brother Yorii Tsugikuni, Big Sister Sayo, and Big Brother Ieyasu can come visit Aria's home..."
"Then Aria will not be so lonely."
Her pale pink dress, the ribbon in her smooth long hair, and her doll-like face.
Under the carriage's candlelight, Aria looked so heartbreakingly delicate.
Aside from Yorii Tsugikuni, both Sayo and Ieyasu felt sympathy to varying degrees, especially Ieyasu.
In nearly an instant, Aria had completely won him over. His eyes had practically turned into pink hearts, making him the very image of a hopeless simp.
This showed why, in the original story, Sayo and Ieyasu had been so thoroughly manipulated by Aria's family. The gap between their levels was simply far too great.
If Night Raid had acted a few days later in the original story, the original protagonist Tatsumi would not have escaped disaster.
He would certainly have been toyed to death by Aria's family.
"Master?"
"What do you think we should..."
Sayo did not make the decision on her own and accept Aria's invitation. She turned her gaze toward her master, Yorii Tsugikuni, and waited for him to decide.
In the original story, there had only been Sayo and Ieyasu. Naturally, they had readily accepted Aria's family's enthusiastic invitation, although Sayo herself had not truly wanted to trouble strangers.
After all, it was only one night on the street. It was not something they could not endure.
Likewise, Ieyasu, who had already fallen in love with Aria at first sight, did not speak up on his own either.
With Master Yorii Tsugikuni beside him now, it was not his place as a disciple to make the decision. He only needed to obediently follow Yorii Tsugikuni's instructions. That was the most basic principle of respecting one's master.
It would have been even better if Ieyasu's stomach had not chosen that moment to growl.
Aria looked at Ieyasu, who was clutching his stomach with embarrassment written all over his face, and covered her mouth as she giggled. She nearly stole his soul away.
"If your household does not find us a disturbance."
"Then the few of us will trouble you at your residence for a few days."
Looking into Aria's eyes, as clear and transparent as a mountain spring, Yorii Tsugikuni smiled slightly. "Please do not find us too noisy, Mr. Caven, Madam Calitan, and Miss Aria."
A child's eyes would not lie.
Yorii Tsugikuni did not believe that Aria, with eyes like clear mountain springs, could harbor ill intentions.
After speaking, Yorii Tsugikuni glanced at Sayo and Ieyasu beside him.
Although they had left the decision to him, Yorii Tsugikuni could tell that both Sayo and Ieyasu were eager to accept Aria's family's invitation. If they could build a good relationship with this count, they could rise swiftly through the ranks.
They could easily fulfill Sayo and Ieyasu's ambitions and make something of themselves in the Imperial Capital.
Before you continue