The two of them quickly boarded the carriage, and the Coachman immediately cracked his whip so hard that even the horse was dazed so early in the morning.
Horse: No, it’s one thing not to feed me properly and make me graze on my own, but now you won’t even let me sleep?
This was the first time in two lifetimes that Kanzaki Kumo had seen such a human-like expression on a horse’s face.
The carriage sped along the road.
The Coachman didn’t care if Kanzaki Kumo inside would be unable to handle the jolting; his only thought was to get away from that nerve-wracking village as quickly as possible.
It wasn’t until that eerie village was left far behind that the Coachman’s emotions finally relaxed, and the carriage’s speed returned to normal.
Thanks to starting early enough and the initial burst of speed, they arrived at their destination much earlier than the expected nightfall arrival time.
Judging by the sun’s position, it was probably around three or four in the afternoon.
As the carriage slowly entered the small town, Kanzaki Kumo looked at the familiar streets outside the window, feeling a sense of nostalgia in his heart.
In just over half a year, he had gone from an orphan relying on the kindness of temple monks to a well-dressed young man with impressive martial prowess.
Thinking about it carefully, perhaps Kaigaku deserved some credit.
After all, if he hadn’t knocked out Kanzaki Kumo’s memories from his previous life with that incense burner, Kanzaki Kumo would probably have been reincarnated by now.
Kaigaku: So?
What’s the meaning of having the Ubuyashiki Family deal with me?
Kanzaki Kumo: Oh, I’m just rewarding you with a chance to be human again.
No need to thank me.
Well, though it’s possible what you become won’t be human.
Kaigaku: I @#%￥…
While Kanzaki Kumo was amusing himself in his mind, the carriage happened to reach the town center and slowly came to a stop.
As soon as he settled the payment for the trip, the Coachman turned and left, forgetting even to say “goodbye.” It was obvious he had been quite spooked by the journey.
However, unlike the traumatized Coachman, Kanzaki Kumo was not afraid.
Instead, he wanted to go back to that village to take a look after finishing his visit to the grave.
Since nothing had happened during his one-night stay in that village, it suggested that the lurking danger there wasn’t particularly great.
Kanzaki Kumo was currently looking for a suitable opponent to practice on, so he naturally wanted to try investigating when he headed back.
In any case, with his current mastery of Thunder Breathing, unless he directly encountered the Twelve Kizuki, running away would be easy even if he couldn’t win.
After all, the primary reason he chose Thunder Breathing was because he valued its speed for survival.
However, he hadn’t told this reason to anyone else.
Otherwise, while Ubuyashiki Kagaya might not say anything given his somewhat playful youthful nature in private, Kuwajima Jigorō would definitely ensure he experienced a “complete” childhood. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Shaking his head to clear his messy thoughts, Kanzaki Kumo stepped forward.
Kanzaki Keizan was buried on the other side of the town.
The temple where Kanzaki Kumo used to live wasn’t far from there either.
While passing through the town, he conveniently bought some items for the memorial service.
The annual visit didn’t need to be grand.
It was mainly to chat with his non-blood-related grandfather, talk about his life over the past year, relieve his inner loneliness, and reminisce about the warmth of the past.
But this year was a bit different.
He now had a master who truly loved him and people he could write to.
His heart was no longer lonely.
Holding the memorial items and approaching Kanzaki Keizan’s grave step by step, images of that wrinkled face always filled with a loving smile flashed through Kanzaki Kumo’s mind, and his nose couldn’t help but sting.
After blinking a few times and adjusting his breathing to hold back the tears, Kanzaki Kumo continued forward.
He was here to bring good news to his grandfather this time.
He couldn’t cry like he did in previous years, or his grandfather would be worried on the other side.
Now physically strong and healthy, Kanzaki Kumo’s pace was much faster than before, and he soon arrived at the familiar grave.
Some weeds had grown in front of the grave.
Kanzaki Kumo casually drew his nichirin blade and swung it a few times, clearing a small patch of open ground.
Kuwajima Jigorō: Brat, you dare use my precious nichirin blade to pull weeds?!
Why I ought to…
fine, just this once!
Hmph!
Looking at the blade which didn’t have a single drop of grass juice on it after the weeding, Kanzaki Kumo sheathed his sword while imagining Kuwajima Jigorō’s possible reaction in his mind.
After setting out the offerings and lighting the incense, Kanzaki Kumo kowtowed a few times before leaning against the simple tombstone and beginning to recount his experiences and sights from the past year.
“Now, I have a master who loves me, friends I can joke with, and I’ve learned skills so I can live well.
You can rest easy now…”
“Don’t worry about me encountering danger while slaying demons later.
Your grandson is very talented, so how could I be easily beaten?
Besides, if I can’t win, don’t I know how to run?
“If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you.”
Kanzaki Kumo stood up as he spoke and took a stance on the open ground in front of the grave.
“Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!”
With only a flash of incandescent lightning, his figure had already dashed more than ten meters away.
The First Form, which had once nearly driven him into a dead end, could now be performed with ease.
In an instant, Kanzaki Kumo returned to his original spot, leaning against the tombstone and looking up at the sky.
“How was that?
Couldn’t see a thing, right?
Isn’t your grandson amazing?”
“…”
Kanzaki Kumo continued to lean against the tombstone, chatting idly as if he were truly talking to someone.
When he got excited, he would stand up and demonstrate various sword forms.
In this special state of mind, even Kanzaki Kumo himself didn’t notice that his mastery of the six forms of Thunder Breathing had deepened a bit more.
It wasn’t until night fell and the winter chill in the air intensified that Kanzaki Kumo slowly stood up.
“Alright, I’m leaving.
I’ll come see you again next year.
I’m doing very well now, so you should be at ease and stop appearing in my dreams every few days…
okay?
I’ll be thirteen after today, I can take care of myself…” Facing away from the tombstone, Kanzaki Kumo couldn’t help but choke up slightly.
“Tsk, this winter night wind is cold and dry, and it’s carrying sand.
It’s making my eyes uncomfortable.
I’m going, I’m going.
See you next year.”
Under the night sky, in front of the small grave with the offerings, the night wind blew away the last wisp of incense.
Even the moonlight seemed to flicker in the wind.
For a fleeting moment, an old, kind face seemed to be watching the boy’s receding figure with warmth and relief, but in a blink, the face vanished, appearing to be nothing more than an illusion created by the shifting light and shadows.