Demon Slayer: Great Swordmaster System at the Start, My Master is Tsugikuni

What happened?

It's nothing. I'm just a bit surprised because this is my first time here.

Just as the Scribe said, the atmosphere in this small village is vastly different from the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.

Compared to the quiet Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, this place is filled with loud shouts.

The people walking around are all robust, with arm circumferences even thicker than their thighs.

Some are pushing small carts, while others are carrying massive rocks.

Even more are squatting in front of huge furnaces, adding firewood.

The Scribe even felt like the art style had changed.

Looking left and right, he felt as if he had walked into a world of muscular men.

After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped.

These people, they all seem to be ordinary humans, right?

Yes.

Walking up to the Scribe's side, Inoue Mie looked at the working strongmen with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Through her explanation, the Scribe learned about the origins of these people.

These people were all harmed by demons, and many had their families and friends killed by them.

After being saved by the Demon Slayer Corps, they voluntarily chose to serve the Demon Slayer Corps.

And apart from a few who could use Breathing Techniques, most chose to come here for mining.

Countless people have been saved by the Demon Slayer Corps, including establishments like the Wisteria Inn that provide services to them.

There's one more thing. Although Inoue Mie didn't say it, he guessed it.

There were two main reasons why the mining site was built here.

Besides being close to Sunlight Mountain, the most important reason was that it was bathed in sunlight year-round.

Fearing sunlight, demons naturally wouldn't come here.

These people's safety was guaranteed, allowing them to conduct large-scale mining operations.

You go find a room and rest over there. I'll go find the person in charge here.

After pointing the Scribe in a direction, Inoue Mie left.

Compared to the Scribe, whom only the Demon Slayer Corps High Command knew about, Inoue Mie, as a Hashira candidate, was undoubtedly a better choice for negotiation.

After Inoue Mie left, the Scribe walked while checking the hidden mission in his mind.

Hidden Mission: Travel to Sunlight Mountain, personally obtain the highest quality Tamahagane, and acquire Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron and Crimson Sulfur Stone.

Tamahagane?

Stroking his chin, the Scribe pondered in his mind.

The ore taken from Sunlight Mountain is refined into Tamahagane, from which Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron and Crimson Sulfur Stone used for sword forging are extracted.

Then, these materials would be sent to the Swordsmith Village, responsible for forging, where the swordsmiths would forge them.

But since this is a hidden mission, the rewards should be substantial, right?

Thinking this, the Scribe slightly changed direction.

If he was going to find something, he at least needed to know what these two items looked like.

Walking up to a large building, the Scribe heard shouts and the crackling of burning flames coming from within.

Leaning against the doorframe, tilting his head slightly, the Scribe looked inside.

Inside the building, a burly middle-aged man and a somewhat thin young man were heating ore.

Kogang, add more firewood! The temperature can't drop!

Yes, I'm coming right away, Master Mote!

The middle-aged man, Mote, while having his disciple Kogang add fuel to the furnace, tossed the ore beside him into the furnace.

Crouching down, Mote pulled the bellows, injecting a large amount of air into the furnace.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~

The influx of air made the already blazing firewood burn even more fiercely.

The crackling sound of burning wood continued, and the scorching flames made Mote and Kogang's faces turn red.

As time passed, a fiery red hue began to spread across the surface of the dark ore.

While carefully observing the ore's condition, Mote had Kogang bring a large iron hammer.

Listen closely, Kogang. Whether we can extract a complete piece of Tamahagane depends on the heat.

Spitting in his hand, Mote gripped the large iron hammer with both hands, his expression very serious.

Listening to their conversation, the Scribe also learned some things about Tamahagane.

Once the flames had completely permeated the ore, the impurities on the outside had to be smashed away within five seconds.

Otherwise, the Tamahagane inside the ore would melt and fuse with the impurities on the surface, turning it into scrap.

The young man beside him, Kogang, nodded seriously after hearing Mote's words.

As the red color continued to spread across the ore, the expressions of the two grew increasingly serious.

The Scribe outside was watching, captivated, not even swallowing his saliva.

It was his first time witnessing the extraction process of Tamahagane, and he was deeply awestruck.

Finally, the fiery red completely enveloped the ore.

Now!

With a loud shout, Mote swung the hammer over his head.

His powerful arms exerted force, veins bulging on them like earthworms.

It was clear that Mote was putting in 120% of his strength for this strike.

As the heavy hammer fell, a piercing sonic boom echoed through the air.

The hammer struck the surface of the ore, emitting a metallic clang.

Crack, crack, crack~

Cracks spread across it, eventually covering the entire ore with fissures of various sizes.

Mote let out another roar and swung the hammer once more.

This time, the immense force directly shattered the surface of the ore.

Shards of rock flew outwards, and the dust kicked up completely engulfed the room.

After a while, once the dust settled, the Scribe could finally see the scene inside the room.

The original boulder, one meter in radius, was gone, replaced by a stone only two fists in size.

The stone was dark green all over, but its color was very clear, not giving off a murky impression.

Even from a distance, the Scribe could feel an aura of hardness and heat emanating from the stone.

It felt less like a stone and more like a piece of steel radiating warmth.

This must be Tamahagane.

Standing up straight, the Scribe walked into the room, intending to observe it up close.

"Who's there!"

Sensing someone approaching, Mote and Kogang, who had been laughing around the Tamahagane, instantly turned their heads.

Upon seeing an eight or nine-year-old child approaching, they relaxed their guard slightly.

But even so, Mote placed the Tamahagane behind him, his tone clearly unfriendly.

"Kid, who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Scratching his face, the Scribe didn't try to hide anything.

"I'm from the Demon Slayer Corps, and I'm here to find Tamahagane for forging. Do you believe me?"

Shaking their heads, it was clear they didn't quite believe the Scribe's words.

Mote even demanded that he provide proof.

Shrugging, the Scribe looked helpless.

It wasn't that he didn't want to provide proof, but he realized he didn't actually have any.

Seeing the Scribe make no move for a long time, a sharp glint flashed in Mote's eyes.

Grasping the forging hammer in his hand, he seemed to have other intentions.

Taking in the other's small movements, the Scribe was also subtly gathering his strength.

If the other party made a move, he couldn't just stand there and take a beating.

An unspoken tension filled the air between them, like an explosive keg.

Just then, a voice called out.

Turning around, the Scribe saw that Inoue Mie had arrived.

At this moment, Mote also put down his hammer and rubbed his eyes.

"Huh? Are you Ko-chan?"

Chapter 16: Astonishing Learning Talent, Mote Convinced

Inoue Mie also looked surprised to see Mote inside the room.

After greeting him, she noticed the young man beside Mote.

Mote introduced his disciple Kogang to Inoue Mie, then glanced at the Scribe with a hostile look.

"Ko-chan, do you two know each other?"

Sensing that the atmosphere between the Scribe and Mote was a bit off, Inoue Mie quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Scribe, this is Uncle Mote who smelted the Tamahagane for me back then."

"Uncle, this is..."

Realizing the Scribe's identity was somewhat sensitive, Inoue Mie pulled Mote aside and began to explain in a low voice.

During this time, the Scribe stepped forward and walked a few paces around the Tamahagane.

The closer he got, the more the Scribe could feel the Tamahagane's extraordinary nature.

He wasn't sure if it was because he could use Sun Breathing, but the Scribe always felt something subtle within the Tamahagane was drawing him in.

Perhaps, that was the energy of the sun.

Reaching out, the Scribe intended to pick up the Tamahagane to examine it closely.

"Stop!"

Kogang, standing nearby, immediately shouted when he saw the Scribe about to touch the Tamahagane with his bare hands.

"The Tamahagane is still extremely hot, it's too much for a human!"

To his surprise, the Scribe acted as if he hadn't heard him, showing no intention of stopping.

Kogang instinctively covered his eyes, seemingly not wanting to see the Scribe's arm being scorched.

However, the scream he imagined never came.

Slowly opening his eyes, Kogang was astonished to find the Scribe playing with the Tamahagane as if nothing had happened.