Electricity could be controlled by adjusting the voltage to determine how much current passed through the human body.
But Silva's whip had no such limits.
How hard he struck, and whether or not he used Nen, were both anyone's guess.
"As long as he's happy." Roy's voice sounded a little helpless.
They were both stubborn people, and neither would ever back down. That was the Zoldycks for you—a whole house full of hardheads.
Gotoh had never been one to meddle. All he could do was his best to take care of the Young Master's needs, so he wouldn't have to worry about trivial matters and lose focus.
"Dong..." The wooden clock in the corner chimed, reminding Roy that he had less than an hour before bedtime.
After helping Roy finish his medicinal bath, Gotoh took the clothes he had changed out of and left the bedroom. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, Roy called him back.
"Two things..."
"First, make appointments for me with a few well-known specialists in Consumption..."
"Second, look for information on Conjurers, preferably records of anyone who has used Anti-Conjuration methods... I want to consult them about something..."
Roy hadn't forgotten about Tanjuro's illness. The first solution that came to mind was...
To use Anti-Conjuration to send medicine from the Human World into the Demon Slayer world.
He reached for his sun earrings, but his hand met empty air...
Only then did he remember that he hadn't entered the dream yet, much less developed a way to materialize objects from the Cognitive World into the Human World.
"The first thing will be easy." Gotoh rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment before replying, "The respiratory medicine department at the capital hospital of the Republic of Padokea is very well known. As long as you're willing to pay, you can get an appointment with an excellent specialist."
"As for finding information on Conjurers..."
Gotoh spread his hands helplessly. "Young Master, you know I don't have the authority to call on the intelligence agency."
Roy knew the Zoldycks had their own intelligence agency...
Neither Gotoh, nor Roy himself, nor even Illumi could call on any intelligence personnel without Silva's authorization, let alone have them search for information on Conjurers.
"I understand." Roy didn't make things difficult for Gotoh. He told him to close the door, then threw himself onto the soft bed.
Tanjuro still had nearly two years left before his death. It wasn't a long time, but it wasn't short, either. There would always be a way.
If all else failed, Roy had considered waiting until he had completely mastered Sun Breathing and learned some basic applications of Nen, then taking a chance on the Hunter Exam.
Once he passed the Hunter Exam and obtained a Hunter License, he could log in to the Hunter Association's private network and use the Association's resources to look for well-known Conjurers.
By then, some of his problems would be solved.
"Rustle..." The evening breeze lifted the corner of the curtain, revealing Snow Walk on its stand.
Moonlight streamed through the clean window and fell across Roy's face...
The boy lay with his hands folded over his abdomen, his eyes peacefully closed.
That familiar sensation of falling came over him...
He traveled through the multicolored passageway and arrived once more at his Sea of Cognition.
Roy stepped barefoot into the sea, letting the waves soak his pant legs. He gazed into the distance, trying to clear his mind. A minute later, he reached out and pushed open the door to Demon Slayer.
"Nii-san~"
The north wind howled...
Tanjiro came in, shivering beneath a blanket after running out of the shrine to pee. As he passed the bonfire, he gently nudged Roy.
Unlike Roy, who slept straight through until dawn, Tanjiro had dark circles under his eyes. He looked at Roy with admiration, clearly amazed that after everything they had gone through the night before, he could still sleep so soundly... Maybe his Nii-san had been born with nerves of steel.
"There's a cloth bundle under the hoe. It's got dumplings inside. Take a few out and roast them."
Before the fire went out, Roy stepped outside, scooped up some snow, and gave his face a quick wash. When he came back, he took a canteen from his clothes and pulled out the stopper.
Tanjiro invited himself over, warming the dumplings as he sat beside Roy, just so he could get a little "aura" for himself.
The foolish little brother clearly didn't understand that curiosity killed the cat. Roy couldn't be bothered to stop him. He opened more Aura Nodes and poured more Nen into the canteen.
White smoke curled upward... Minamino Hirotomo poked half his body out of the canteen and bowed to Roy.
Seeing the lower half of him take the form of flowing smoke inside the canteen, Tanjiro leaned closer curiously. "Mister, are you all right?"
In response...
Roy smacked him on the head with the edge of his hand. Tanjiro clutched his head and sulked off to one side.
"Sorry about my little brother. He's rather clumsy." Roy smiled apologetically at Minamino Hirotomo. "If there's nothing else, we'll eat the dumplings and then get going."
Minamino Hirotomo watched Tanjiro with a warm smile. The little boy's sulky expression reminded him of his beloved daughter, though he was a bit older. Perhaps he was still a bit of a spoiled child himself.
He shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of troubling you, Eiichiro-sama. I do have a small request, though. If you're interested, you could look for something for me."
Minamino Hirotomo explained slowly...
"When that Demon was chasing me, it flung my backpack aside."
"If it's not too much trouble, Eiichiro-sama, you could look for it."
"It contains gifts I bought for my family, as well as some money."
"Please keep all the money as thanks for avenging me and helping me find my family..."
"That's easy." Roy shot Tanjiro a look. "Did you hear that? When we head down the mountain, sniff around carefully."
Tanjiro said, "Okay," peeled a few dumplings, and ate them with Roy. Soon after, he slung on his pack and left the shrine. They found Minamino Hirotomo's backpack beneath a pine tree.
Cloth, a bamboo horse, and documents lay scattered inside. They also found some snacks in the snow nearby, mostly buried beneath the heavy snowfall, with only a few corners visible.
"These are definitely mine. The cloth was for making clothes for my wife and mother, and the bamboo horse and snacks were for my daughter. My name is on the travel documents. Eiichiro-sama, please take the remaining money."
Roy dug a single copper coin out of the snow and slipped it into his clothes. He gave the rest to Tanjiro to wrap up, then put it back into Minamino Hirotomo's backpack.
Minamino Hirotomo froze. He opened his mouth as if to say something.
But Roy reached out, picked up his backpack, and headed toward Mount Sagiri without looking back...
"These days, a man is the pillar of his household."
"You may not have to worry about anything now that you're dead, but your family still needs to eat, right?"
"Leave them a little more money. It'll help them get by..."
"That's right, Mister. Leave some money so your daughter can buy candy." Tanjiro followed close behind and leaned toward Minamino Hirotomo with a smile.
Minamino Hirotomo let out a long sigh, then bowed deeply.
He didn't know whether he was fortunate or unfortunate. All he knew was that his heart felt warm, and that he felt more attached to this world than ever.
Until...
They reached the foot of Mount Sagiri and spotted a village in the distance.
Then he heard a familiar child's voice, and that feeling grew even stronger...
"Mom, when is Dad coming home?"
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