By the time Tanjuro returned.
Tanjiro had already caught his father's familiar, warm scent.
But had his father brought a guest home this time?
And the smell of this guest...
Tanjiro couldn't help sniffing.
He had never smelled anything so complex and distinctive before.
But Tanjiro didn't rush outside.
Instead, he carefully finished all the housework he had on hand.
Only then did he leave the room with his younger brother Mao on his back.
Tanjiro first called affectionately to his father, running over happily to hug Tanjuro.
Then he turned his curious gaze toward the unfamiliar young man.
It really was...
Such a wondrous smell.
Tanjiro's sense of smell had been extraordinary since childhood.
He could detect all sorts of indescribable, special [scents] that others couldn't perceive at all.
Like the scent of wild beasts in the distant mountain forests, or schools of fish in the river.
He could even clearly [smell] emotions such as anger or pain on people.
It was something even Tanjuro couldn't do.
This gift had earned him a little renown in the surrounding towns.
But this was the first time he had smelled so many complex, strange [scents] on a guest, yet none of them clashed.
Like a sharp blade.
Yet without that aggressive, frightening smell of blood.
Instead, it was more like the steady metallic smell of the blacksmiths in the village.
Mixed with the scents of many medicinal herbs, some familiar to him and some completely unknown.
Besides that.
Tanjiro also smelled something indescribable on him that closely resembled his father's scent.
Only...
He felt that his father Tanjuro's scent was more like a cloudless sky, or the warm sunshine of winter.
As for this guest...
He gave off an equally vast yet utterly different feeling.
Like...
A clear, deep starry sky?