Penetrating Realm X Father and Son's Night Talk

"Wow—"

"What a huge wild boar!"

"Big Brother Eiichiro, did you guys raid a wild boar's nest or something?"

"Shut up, Shigeru. Father said wild boars are fierce beasts; we should avoid them if we see them... Big Brother Eiichiro, this boar must have run into a tree and died on its own, right?"

Running into a tree? Roy only knew that wild boars had a habit of rubbing against trees.

He smiled, patted Takeo on the head, and praised, "My Takeo is the smart one."

Kamado Takeo puffed out his small chest and said proudly, "See? I was right, wasn't I?"

He was instantly met with a chorus of eye-rolls.

"Right... right... right, you're the only smart one..." General Nezuko took action to discipline her little brother. Poor Takeo, who had been acting so smug a second ago, was dragged away by his ear the next.

Mother Kie shook her head with a smile, stepped forward to help Roy unload the basket from his back, and asked with concern, "You aren't hurt, are you?"

Roy shook his head, handed over the roe deer he was carrying, and followed Tanjiro as they brushed the fallen snow off their clothes before stepping onto the veranda.

In a corner of the veranda, a heater was burning, and a pot of tea was warming on top of it. Tanjuro was wrapped in a thick quilt, sitting right by the heater. Seeing him approach, he beckoned.

Roy walked over and sat down beside him.

A cup of hot tea was handed over, and Tanjuro said warmly, "You've worked hard, Eiichiro."

"It was fine... Tanjiro helped me, so it wasn't much effort." Roy took a shallow sip of the hot tea, sharing the "credit" with Tanjiro.

Tanjiro was busy teasing Hanako in their grandmother's arms. Hearing this, he scratched his head in embarrassment: "I didn't really do anything; Nii-san did all the work by himself."

The two brothers, in perfect understanding, didn't mention the encounter with the demon, avoiding any chance of frightening the rest of the family, including their younger siblings.

But Tanjuro was sharp and perceptive.

He knew Tanjiro's character too well and knew the boy wouldn't lie.

Which meant... the roe deer, the pheasant, and that boar as tall as a man were indeed all Roy's handiwork.

Yet, for a boy of ten or so to hunt a wild boar alone...

Tanjuro took a deep look at Roy... The youth was drinking his tea with a calm expression, taking a rare moment of peace to tease Hanako, whom Tanjiro had brought over.

It was a pity that, soon enough... he was called into the kitchen by Kie again.

"Eiichiro, Tanjiro, come over to help butcher the boar..."

"Coming~" The two brothers stepped off the veranda and headed out, followed by two little sidekicks.

Takeo and Shigeru clamored, "I want to watch you butcher the boar..."

Their short legs moved faster than anyone else's. In the blink of an eye, only Tanjuro, Nezuko, and their grandmother remained in the main room, the latter two looking after Hanako.

"Aba... aba..." Hanako couldn't speak yet and often sucked on her fingers as if they were a pacifier.

Nezuko was patiently trying to pull her little hand away.

Tanjuro leaned against the heater to warm his hands, staring blankly at the snowflakes drifting in the courtyard from time to time.

Not long after, the moon climbed to the center of the sky. A rich, savory aroma of meat drifted about, filling the small courtyard.

For dinner, they had meat—a rare treat.

Afterward, no one had the energy to talk; they just shoveled food into their mouths, afraid of wasting a single second.

By the end, everyone except Roy had a belly rounded like a drum.

Even Tanjuro had uncharacteristically eaten an extra bowl.

"Ouch~ I'm stuffed. Takeo, come help me rub my tummy." Shigeru sprawled on the floor, "wailing" as he patted his stomach, with Takeo sprawled out right beside him.

Kie wanted to scold them for their lack of elegance, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She could only glare at them and instruct Roy and Tanjiro to take the two of them to bed.

Nezuko took the initiative to help Kie clear the dishes.

Seeing this, Roy nodded, picked up Takeo and Shigeru one in each hand, and walked toward the side room adjacent to the main house.

By now, the night had deepened.

After a bit of fussing, Takeo and Shigeru fell into a deep sleep.

Tanjiro, having experienced a day more exciting than his entire childhood, was physically and mentally exhausted... He rubbed his eyes, said goodnight to Roy, and burrowed into his quilt.

"Puff~"

The oil lamp was blown out. In the darkness, Roy was the only one who hadn't closed his eyes.

He was waiting—waiting for a figure, and he caught that figure.

Not long after, a familiar cough sounded outside the window, and Tanjuro's shadow appeared faintly on the paper-covered windowpane.

He stood silently by the wall for a while, showing no intention of coming in. Before long... he wrapped his heavy coat around himself, ready to leave.

But he was suddenly stopped by Roy's voice.

"Father, is there nothing you wish to ask?"

A wild boar the size of a man was not something an ordinary youth could handle... Roy could package facts as lies to fool Tanjiro, claiming he had learned those killing techniques in his dreams.

Yet, he had no confidence in repeating the same deception to Tanjuro.

After all, while the man appeared frail, he was actually the only person in the Demon Slayer world to awaken the "Transparent World" without being a swordsman!

It was precisely because of his guidance that Tanjiro would be able to step into the realm of the "Transparent World" for the first time three years later, while in pursuit of the Upper Rank Four, Hantengu.

Therefore, upon hearing Roy's words, Tanjuro's body visibly stiffened. He remained silent for a long time before smiling and saying, "No."

This time, it was Roy's turn to be silent... If he had held a shred of hope earlier that Tanjuro might not have sensed anything amiss, now... it was different.

Roy organized his thoughts, cycling through countless plans in his mind, only to discard them all.

Finally, hardening his resolve, he decided to lay it all out: "Father, you must want to know how I was able to hunt a wild boar on my own. I will tell you now—"

"I don't."

Suddenly, a calm yet powerful low shout interrupted Roy.

He heard Tanjuro repeat it once more: "I don't want to know."

Afterward, there was no more sound...

He could only see a faint silhouette through the paper window...

The man was gaunt and emaciated, standing tall in the wind and snow, his hanafuda earrings swaying in the breeze as if he might be blown over at any moment.

After a long while, he added with an exceptionally firm tone: "Eiichiro, I know you are my child."

"You love your grandmother, your mother, your younger brothers and sisters..."

"That is enough."

"As for your secrets..."

Tanjuro pushed open the window, gazing at him with a smile: "When the time comes that you want to speak of them, tell your father then."

Roy's eyes suddenly grew hot, and he had the urge to say something.

His mother, Kie, appeared from somewhere.

Always gentle, she swatted away the hand Tanjuro had used to open the window, grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him away.

Faintly, through the walls, Roy could hear her complaining to Tanjuro, seemingly scolding him for causing trouble and letting the cold air reach the child.

Come to think of it, "Woo..."

A gust of cold wind blew in, and it was indeed quite chilly.

Roy shrank his neck, burying himself entirely under the covers with only his eyes peeking out, staring at the dark rafters in a daze.

Sometimes, some moments of beauty are so wonderful they feel unreal.

If he could just drift away like this until dawn, Roy felt it would be fine, at least—

He wouldn't have to wake up and face that other home... that home with vast wealth, over a hundred servants, where a single command could make the butler die for him!

Yet, he was forced to constantly face a cold father, a perverted mother, twisted siblings, and a grandfather who killed people every single day.

"So, why did I appear here?"

"And why must I leave this place?"

Roy kept asking himself...

Finally, he narrowed his eyes, having found the answer.

"That's right... it is to become stronger, so I can kick that family to the ground!"

"And become the true master!"