The gaps between the stones no longer felt muddy. Moss had begun to spread through them instead.
By then, Tetsu no Sosuke could hold out no longer. "Let's take a break."
The ground was much cleaner here. Tetsu no Sosuke sat down, but when he saw Shinobu Kocho about to do the same, he waved her off. He set the box on the ground for her to sit on.
Shinobu Kocho looked puzzled. Tetsu no Sosuke said, "A young woman has to take care of herself when she's away from home. It's too damp here. Sitting directly on the ground won't be good for you."
"..."
Shinobu Kocho rolled her eyes. Which of us is the doctor? Do I need you to teach me that?
"Why did he build such a long tunnel?" Shinobu Kocho asked.
Tetsu no Sosuke's mouth twitched. "He had nothing better to do."
"Maybe he had another reason?" Shinobu Kocho looked toward both ends of the tunnel and let out a quiet breath. "The good news is that this might help us shake off whoever's tracking us."
Tetsu no Sosuke smiled.
He figured that even Kibutsuji Muzan would never expect him and Shinobu Kocho to take a passage this long.
The changes in the gaps between the stones made it clear that they had left the swamp behind. They were probably beneath the woods at its edge now. If the moss changed again farther ahead, they would have passed beyond the area entirely. Whether they could get out then was another question...
"Maybe he was worried someone would block the entrance, so he deliberately made the passage this long..."
The idea had come to Shinobu Kocho out of nowhere.
Tetsu no Sosuke thought about the Heavenly Artisan's circumstances at the time and what things had been