Shinobu seemed to be seriously troubled by my words.
"You still have some time until the month is up, so think carefully."
"Understood."
Time passed like that, and when Shinobu had been here for a month, she packed her bag and prepared to leave. Nezuko helped Shinobu pack. During her stay, Shinobu had trained in swordsmanship and studied medicine diligently, reaching a high level, but it seemed she still hadn't given up either.
After packing, Shinobu came to me to say goodbye.
"Thank you for everything. Teacher Jin, I thought about it, but I have a grudge against demons. I don't think I can give up swordsmanship."
"I see. Understood. And this is your salary."
I handed Shinobu an envelope with paper currency. While it was true that our relationship had been mutually beneficial, she had also helped with the work, so it was only right to compensate her.
"Oh my, thank you."
Shinobu looked a little surprised, as if she hadn't expected to be paid.
"Anyway, thank you for everything."
"Not at all. Rather, I gained much more. And, Teacher Jin, if the demon affair is ever settled, could the people from the Butterfly Mansion come and work here with me?"
"You mean the place where Demon Slayer Corps members are treated?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
When I agreed, Shinobu smiled, pleased. The Butterfly Mansion, which Shinobu ran, was a place where girls who had lost their families to demons were trained as nurses and treated Demon Slayer Corps members alongside Shinobu.
"Nezuko, take care~"
"Yes, big sister. Please stay healthy too~"
As Shinobu waved and left, Nezuko looked very sad. Even though it was only a month, she seemed to have grown quite attached.
Two days later, 'Tengen Uzui' arrived with his three wives.
"Teacher Jin, long time no see. I've come to teach you the Sound Breathing in a flamboyant way."
"Welcome. Who are these women?"
"They are my wives."
"I see. You're a capable fellow."
I assigned separate rooms for Tengen and his wives. The rooms were small, so there was no choice. His wives, Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma, began helping with the clinic work, while Tengen trained in the backyard. However, there was a problem: at night, strange sounds came from Tengen's room, and complaints poured in from the hospitalized patients.
"Honestly... There are children in this clinic, as well as hospitalized patients. Please restrain yourselves."
"Sorry. But I can't do that."
This guy, standing with his arms crossed, said it with extreme confidence.
"I can't argue with that. Then, just endure it for three days. I'll repair the room so the sound doesn't leak out."
"Understood. I'll leave it to you."
From the next day, I renovated Tengen's room with careful soundproofing so that no sound would escape. From then on, the clinic became peaceful again. A few days later, I made time and learned the Sound Breathing.
"You're truly a genius. To learn everything after seeing it just once."
Like Shinobu, Tengen seemed surprised.
"Tengen, from what I've seen, you train your wives as well. Do they fight alongside you against demons?"
"Yeah, that's right. My wives and I are of one mind and body."
"Stop that. Sooner or later, your wife will die, or you'll be in danger."
At that, Tengen looked incredulous and asked me, "Why?"
"Your own skill is poor, and your wives don't have any talent for swordsmanship. It seems they're only learning because of you. If you encounter an enemy you can't handle, you'll end up dying trying to protect them."
Tengen, again confidently, said, "Don't worry. I'm prepared for that."
This guy seemed to be the type of person who had trouble understanding.
"Then you'll have to get stronger to protect your wives and your own lives."
"That's right. So I'd like you to help me, like you did with Shinobu and Sanemi."
The Hashira had already heard about what I'd done, so they all seemed to know. Honestly, I didn't want to help this guy because our personalities didn't match, but since his wives worked hard at the clinic, I decided to just help him. I refined Tengen's swordsmanship a bit, and for his wives, I made powerful slingshots and bullets filled with the 'Wisteria Flower Poison' I'd obtained from Shinobu, and trained them.
Another month passed like that, and Tengen and his wives left. Of course, I gave them a salary as well. Next, I saw the retired Hashira 'Jigoro Kuwajima' and his student 'Zenitsu Agatsuma' walking together. I was a little surprised by their visit; I hadn't expected to meet Zenitsu so soon.
Anyway, Jigoro was coming to the clinic while hitting Zenitsu on the back of his head with his cane.
"You brat!! How many times have I told you! The sword is made by striking and striking it endlessly!!"
"Agh... I get it! Stop hitting me, old man. There are people around..."
"Even so, you brat!"
"By the way, where are we going?"
"It's the home of the Sword Saint."
"Huh? Sword Saint?"
I didn't know when that epithet had been attached, but it seemed they called me 'Sword Saint'.
"Yeah. I'm meeting him for the first time too, so I don't know much, but I've heard he's handsome and that no one can beat him in swordsmanship."
"Such a person exists? Then why doesn't he just kill all the demons?"
"I heard he's not interested in demons. Instead, he said he would capture Muzan, but I don't know the details."
These guys were chatting noisily in front of the clinic.
"By the way, where is this person?"
"Right here!"
"Ehhh~~!!!! But this is a hospital!!! Scary, scary, scary!"
"Shut up, you brat!"
Thwack!
"Ow!"
I came out to the front of the clinic and said to them, "This is a clinic, so could you please be quiet?"
When I said that, Jigoro looked at me and said, "Are you the Sword Saint?"
"Sword Saint... Is that what they call me?"
"Yes."
"I see. Then we'll go with that. And who is this brat beside you?"
"This one is my student."
I slowly approached Zenitsu and felt his arms and legs. Zenitsu squirmed a little, as if it tickled.
"Hmm... You're fortunate in your student. He has a good body for swordsmanship."
"Oh~ You can see that too? This brat's talent is exceptional, but his personality is a bit problematic."
Zenitsu, having been both praised and scolded by his master, looked embarrassed, bowed his head, and fiddled with the back of his own neck.
"Let's go inside first. We can't stay out here forever."
"Understood."
As we were about to enter the clinic, Nezuko came out.
"Teacher, are they guests?"
"Yes. Please show them to their rooms."
"Okay, ah!"
Zenitsu suddenly grabbed Nezuko's hand. He was so fast that I almost thought he had used a Breathing Technique.
"Miss, it was love at first sight. Please marry me."
"Ehh? What? No."
Nezuko, flustered by Zenitsu's sudden proposal, refused. Then Jigoro hit the back of Zenitsu's head.
"You brat!! Here we go again!! Can't you stop!!!"
Thwack!
"Ow! That hurts."
"Brat! Why do you keep doing that whenever you see a woman!"
Zenitsu, rubbing his head with both hands where Jigoro had hit him, said with tears in his eyes, "But I could be eaten by a demon at any time. I want to at least get married before I die."
At that, Nezuko, Jigoro, and I looked at Zenitsu with dumbfounded expressions.
"It seems not his personality, but his mind is the problem?"
When I said that, Jigoro, looking embarrassed, wiped his face.
"This brat... he's bringing shame on the Thunder Breathing successor."
I first guided them to their lodgings with Nezuko's help. Then I said to Jigoro, "Your right leg. Was it a demon?"
"That's right. That's why I retired. Now I'm nurturing talent as a trainer."
"I see. Come down to the examination room. I'll take a look."
In the examination room, I fitted Jigoro with a prosthetic leg I had made long ago in the 'Monster Hunter' world. Jigoro tried walking and was very pleased.
"Oh~ It's light and very comfortable. Thank you."
"If you oil it properly, it should last another thirty years."
"Hmm... I wonder if I'll still be alive by then…"
Jigoro, fitted with the new prosthetic leg, returned to his room. Meanwhile, Zenitsu kept following Nezuko around as she organized medicines in the next room, talking to her.
"Nezuko-chan~ When we were coming here, I saw a dango shop next to the clinic. So, I was thinking, would you like to go with me…"
"I'm sorry, but I'm busy. Besides, after consultations are over, I have to go learn swordsmanship."
"Eh~ You're learning swordsmanship too? Then I'll teach you, Nezuko-chan~"
I hit the back of Zenitsu's head, who was bothering Nezuko even though she was already tired.
Thwack!
"Ow! That hurts even more than when the old man hits me!"
Zenitsu writhed in pain, holding his head. At that sight, Nezuko covered her mouth and held back a laugh.
"Don't bother Nezuko. She barely has any time to rest as it is. Why do you keep harassing a tired child?"
Zenitsu, undeterred by my words, spoke to Nezuko. His willpower in this regard was truly remarkable.
"Ugh... Nezuko-chan, then I'll see you later."
Leaving those words, he went up to his room. After finishing the medicine organization Nezuko had been doing with the nurses, I sent them home, rested a bit, and then had Nezuko practice swordsmanship.
The next day, Jigoro was training Zenitsu in the backyard, but Zenitsu refused, cried, and ran up a tree.
"You brat, come down!!"
"I don't want to come all this way and get trained!"
The amusing thing was that the hospitalized patients were also watching the spectacle, having opened their windows in enjoyment.
"Hahaha~ What a funny fellow."
"Heheh, I know, right."
It was a bit noisy, so I went out to say something, but since the hospitalized patients were enjoying it so much, I decided to leave it. But in my eyes, Zenitsu's talent was genuine. If he put his mind to it and trained, he might even become the best. It was a shame to see him like that.
'Hmm... Should I create an incentive for him?'
I called Nezuko, Jigoro, and Zenitsu and asked for Nezuko and Zenitsu to spar.
"So what you're saying is to have Nezuko and Zenitsu spar in a week?"
"Yes. I've taught Nezuko, but she hasn't had a proper sparring partner yet. I'm asking for your help."
"Hmm... Understood. This might be a good opportunity for Zenitsu to learn something too."
Then Zenitsu, suddenly puffing out his chest and showing off, said to Nezuko, "I'll go easy on you, Nezuko-chan! Just trust me!"
At that, Nezuko simply bowed her head politely.
"I look forward to working with you."
From that day, I sparred with Nezuko, exposing her to fast strikes like Thunder Breathing to prepare her. But Zenitsu hung from a tree every day, just crying that he didn't want to train. By then, he was being treated as a kind of attraction by the hospitalized patients. They said there was a large yellow cicada that hung from a tree and cried every day.
"You brat!! Can't you see she's preparing for the spar every day, even late into the night!!"
"Nezuko-chan has only been learning the sword for three months! At that level, I'll win!"
The same thing happened again today. The hospitalized patients watched them with amusement.
"Hahaha, that guy is still hanging there."
"These days, watching him makes me forget I'm sick."
Fortunately, there were no critically ill patients who needed to rest in the clinic. Anyway, the day of the spar arrived.
"Heheh, Nezuko-chan, if I win, you'll go on a date with me, as promised."
"What are you talking about? I never made such a promise."
Zenitsu was voicing his delusions. I wondered if he was in the early stages of a mental illness. Seeing this, Jigoro, looking like he had a headache, pinched his brow and said to me, "I hope your student beats some sense into that brat."
The two stood in the backyard, facing each other with wooden swords. The hospitalized patients and the nurses also watched with keen interest.
"Go, Nezuko!"
"Nezuko, fighting!"
"Cicada, you can't lose! I bet money on you!"
Hearing that, a shadow fell over Zenitsu's face.
"Cicada, he says..."