Chapter 51: Goodbye Takina? [Extra Chapter]
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Asakusa.
Miss Tamayo extracted the blood from the collection device and exclaimed, "I didn't expect Mr. Aoki to obtain the blood of an Upper Rank demon so quickly."
Yushiro commented sourly, "That guy did a good job."
"This will accelerate the production of the poison," Tamayo said, her beautiful face glowing with anticipation.
The concentration of Muzan Kibutsuji's blood in the Upper Rank demons' blood was already quite high.
She took out the microscope and began working diligently again.
…
Meanwhile, Aoki continued his wandering.
He traveled during the day and hunted demons at night.
He had no specific targets.
Whenever he heard rumors of a possible demon sighting, he would rush over to investigate.
Sometimes he found something worthwhile, but most of the time, he returned empty-handed.
Part of this was due to inaccurate information, and the rest because the Demon Slayer Corps had already dealt with it.
He had a strong competitor in the Demon Slayer Corps.
Aoki could only grit his teeth and endure it.
He couldn't gather intelligence as efficiently as the Demon Slayer Corps.
Time flew by, and two months passed in the blink of an eye.
Asakusa was an unremarkable town.
One day, a dusty figure wearing a bamboo hat arrived in the town.
Aoki looked at the quiet streets and the peaceful smiles of the people and sighed silently, "It doesn't feel like there are demons here."
Two months, a full two months, and he hadn't even leveled up once.
This feeling was both familiar and strange.
The familiarity came from his previous experience as a "Hunter."
During his time as a "Hunter," he couldn't level up for months.
However, in his "White Walker" profession, the level rose rapidly. In just over three months, he had soared to level 12, like a rocket.
After getting used to this rapid pace, suddenly reverting to the old pace felt strange and painful.
"I didn't expect that not only are there no big catches, but even the small fry are almost gone," Aoki thought sadly.
He wandered around the town, found a place selling wine, and handed the shopkeeper his ghost wine gourd.
"Boss, I heard there was a demon attack here recently?"
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "There are no demons here! A couple of drunks got into a fight a while back. It got a bit bloody, but that's all."
Aoki was mentally prepared for this and wasn't particularly disappointed.
There were many such rumors.
After asking the shopkeeper if he had heard of any other incidents, Aoki left with his refilled gourd after receiving a negative response.
Not only was his progress in leveling up slow, but his search for Tanjiro's home had also stalled.
Recently, he had spent a lot of time traveling to the mountains, asking about a boy selling charcoal in every place he visited.
Unfortunately, he had no luck.
"Maybe I need a change of pace. Should I go and chat with Miss Tamayo?" Aoki pondered.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
Not far ahead, two women were walking slowly.
One was a young woman in her twenties with long green hair. She had a plain face, yet she was undeniably beautiful.
The other woman, who looked like the younger woman's mother, exuded a gentle and virtuous aura.
The mother spoke continuously with a smile, and the daughter listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
The scene looked very warm and comforting.
The two women walked from one end of the street to the other and disappeared from sight.
Aoki emerged from the shadows, silently watching the direction they left.
"Takina, Lady Rie!" he murmured.
In the past two months, he had been so lost that he unknowingly arrived in the town where Takina and Lady Rie lived.
After a moment of silence, Aoki retreated into the shadows and disappeared.
On the edge of the town was an ordinary yard, with a gray house surrounded by brick walls, and a small courtyard in the center.
Rie and Takina lived there now.
A middle-aged woman sitting across the yard waved her arms when she saw the two.
"Rie, Takina."
"Aunt Kaori!" Aomura Rie and Takina responded in unison.
The middle-aged woman looked at Takina and smiled, "Oh, Takina is becoming more beautiful each day. Any man would be lucky to marry her!"
Aomura Rie smiled modestly, "Kaori, you're too kind. Although Takina looks fine, she can be too serious at times. It gives me a headache!"
The middle-aged woman asked casually, "Does Takina have someone she likes now? Would you like me to introduce someone?"
Takina bowed slightly and said seriously, "Aunt Kaori, I am already engaged."
The middle-aged woman was momentarily stunned and then said excitedly, "Really? If Takina likes him, he must be a wonderful young man. When will you introduce him to me?"
Takina replied, "If there's an opportunity, I will introduce him to you, Aunt Kaori."
After that, she nodded and went into the house.
The smile on the middle-aged woman's face faded, and she sighed softly.
She had noticed it when the mother and daughter first moved in.
Takina was not only beautiful but also well-mannered, smart, and virtuous—the perfect candidate for a daughter-in-law.
Today, she finally decided to test the waters, but her inquiry was blocked right away, even before she could reveal her true intentions.
"Forget it, forget it. How could my unruly boy be worthy of such a fine girl?" the middle-aged woman shook her head.
…
Aomura Rie and Takina returned home and immediately got busy.
They collected ingredients, prepared the fish, and cooked the rice. Soon, the aroma of food wafted out of the courtyard and onto the street.
Aoki observed them from a distance and mused, "It smells so rich. Today isn't a festival. Are they expecting guests?"
"If I went over now and said, 'I'm back,' I wonder how Takina and Lady Rie would react?"
A smile appeared on Aoki's lips, but it quickly vanished. He continued to watch them quietly, without making a move.
After a moment, he stood up.
"Time to go!"
Aoki glanced at them one last time and was about to leave, but he suddenly stopped again.
A petite girl wearing a butterfly-patterned kimono and carrying a long sword approached the door of the small courtyard. She raised her hand and knocked.
Aoki's eyes were drawn to her involuntarily.
The girl seemed to sense his gaze and turned her head sharply.
"What's wrong, Shinobu-chan?"
Takina walked out and saw the girl, a smile lighting up her face.
The two were close in age and had compatible personalities. They had become friends during the move.
"Nothing," Shinobu replied, looking away.
She had felt something strange, as if someone had been watching her.
"Probably just someone passing by."
She didn't sense any danger.
"Come in quickly!" Takina said, not thinking much of it.
Shinobu followed her into the courtyard.
"You're here, Shinobu-chan," Rie Aomura said, looking up from picking the eels.
Shinobu handed over a bag, "Long time no see, Aunt Rie. I brought a souvenir."
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