Chương 181: Swordsmith Village
Of course, the event that took place in the Infinity Castle remained unknown, even to the Demon Slayer Corps, which boasted an exceptional intelligence network.
After all, the space where the Infinity Castle was located could not be discovered or entered, not even by the Kasugai Crow, making it impossible to obtain any useful information.
However, the intelligence network of the Demon Slayer Corps actually discovered that after their headquarters was attacked by multiple Upper Ranks, the demons' activities became unpredictable.
Some of them mysteriously disappeared, some became extremely active, and some seemed to have other purposes, no longer staying in one place but moving from place to place.
Some even started killing each other, causing significant chaos, especially the Twelve Kizuki.
With the Lower Ranks disbanded and two Upper Ranks slain, their actions became extremely uncontrollable.
Not only did they no longer simply hunt for food or kill the Demon Slayers of the Demon Slayer Corps, but they also suddenly appeared and disappeared in various villages and towns, their movements and purposes becoming completely bizarre and mysterious.
Upon learning this information, the higher-ups of the Demon Slayer Corps became highly alert. It was understandable since the abnormal actions of the demons indicated that everything Riezel had said might indeed come true.
Muzan was about to take action, meaning the great battle between the Twelve Kizuki and the Demon Slayer Corps was about to ignite.
Clearly, this put all the Hashira on high alert, tightening the strings in their hearts. Moreover, the more impatient Hashira, thinking they might soon have to fight the Upper Ranks and even the Demon King, became eager to improve their strength.
Demon Slayer Mark, Bright Red Nichirin Sword, and Transparent World—knowing that these three abilities existed, all the Hashira now urgently wanted to possess them.
Only by awakening these three abilities would they have a chance of winning against the Upper Ranks and Demon King. Even the usually rebellious Hashira, who didn't want to admit this, had no reason to refuse to become stronger.
Unfortunately, the new head instructor did not immediately begin their training. After all, the Demon Slayer Corps was busy relocating their headquarters, collectively moving to the Swordsmith Village.
Evidently, this task was not easy to complete.
Not only because the Swordsmith Village's location was secret and the route complex, but also due to the large number of people. Moving so many people to the village in this situation was indeed not simple.
Training could not take place on the road, so the top priority was to assist in the headquarters' relocation, with other matters temporarily put on hold.
To this end, the Hashira were dispersed and assigned to lead several groups of people along designated routes to the Swordsmith Village.
Riezel, along with the Ubuyashiki family, was among the first group to reach the Swordsmith Village.
"Is this the Swordsmith Village?"
When Riezel arrived at the Swordsmith Village, he took a look around the entire place.
It really was a village.
Most of the buildings here were wooden houses, not too big or too small, looking very simple.
Surrounding the village were watchtowers, seemingly occupied by members of the Demon Slayer Corps regularly, demonstrating how much the Corps valued the village.
On top of that, the village was surrounded by mountains and forests on all sides, making it impossible to enter without going through the winding paths in the forest.
In the air of this village, there was a faint smell of iron and burnt fire, reminding him of the time he entered the industrial area of Orario looking for Tsubaki's workshop.
Even though the village's population didn't seem large, everyone wore a hyottoko mask to signify their identity as swordsmiths.
Meanwhile, as Riezel observed his surroundings, a man who seemed to be the village chief approached while bringing a large number of people to welcome the arriving Demon Slayer Corps and Kagaya.
"Welcome to the Swordsmith Village, Master."
The village chief greeted Kagaya with a respectful tone, even bowing his head.
His name was Tecchikawahara Tecchin—a name that made Riezel hesitate to speak it.
Tecchin himself was an elderly and short man. Although his exact age was hidden by his mask, the respect shown by the surrounding swordsmiths made it clear that he was a respected elder in the Swordsmith Village.
In the Swordsmith Village, his skills seemed to be the best, and his swordsmithing technique was the most advanced. Many Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps wanted him to forge their swords, but only a few succeeded, showing the high status of the village chief.
Yet, in front of Kagaya, this village chief bowed his head in respect.
"Raise your head."
Kagaya's physical condition had deteriorated recently, constantly coughing, with disfiguring, rotting scars appearing more on his face and body. Without assistance, he truly couldn't walk.
Considering his condition, he was carried the whole way by the Kakushi using a wooden sedan chair and was still sitting on it, unable to get down.
Even so, he still wore a gentle expression as he spoke to Tecchin.
"Thank you for your trouble—"
*Cough!* *Cough!*
Seeing Kagaya cough painfully, Tecchin quickly responded.
"No, no, it's no trouble at all! The Swordsmith Village and the Demon Slayer Corps are one. We are actually very happy you could relocate here."
What he said was true.
When one saw the Swordsmith Village, it did not have an aloof or isolated atmosphere. In fact, due to their long-term dealings with the Demon Slayer Corps, both sides had a high degree of acceptance and a tacit understanding of each other.
After all, the swordsmiths of the Swordsmith Village frequently forged swords for the Demon Slayers, building a relationship of trust. Because of this, the village truly welcomed the arrival of the Corps, especially since the entire headquarters was moving here, greatly enhancing the village's security.
After hearing that the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps had been attacked by demons, Tecchin felt a great sense of crisis, worrying that the location of the village might be exposed and attacked by demons, especially since demon activity had become abnormal recently.
Clearly, this made him deeply concerned about the safety of the village and the potential loss of the swordsmithing's heritage.
However, now that the Demon Slayer Corps had arrived and moved their headquarters here, Tecchin couldn't be more welcoming.
"Is this the new head instructor of the Corps, Tsugikuni Yoriichi?"
Tecchin greeted Riezel, who stood nearby, looking a bit out of place.
They were well-informed and already knew that the Demon Slayer Corps had established a new position of head instructor, a role equivalent in status to the Master of the Corps.
In other words, this young man held a high position within the Demon Slayer Corps, with the highest level of command, even able to freely deploy the Hashira.
Undoubtedly, he was an influential figure.
Moreover, the fact that this role was taken by a great swordsman who had saved the Demon Slayer Corps by defeating several Upper Ranks in the recent attack made it even more convincing.
As a result, Tecchin greeted Riezel with the same respect he showed to Kagaya.
"Don't mind me, I'm just going with the flow."
Riezel responded calmly, not really caring about such matters.
Truthfully, he wasn't particularly interested in being the so-called head instructor. He stayed with the Demon Slayer Corps out of gratitude for the help they provided during his practice period and to use the remaining time in this world to kill demons, hoping to accumulate more excelia.
He didn't refuse Kagaya's invitation for these reasons.
After all, once Muzan died, demons would disappear, and the Demon Slayer Corps would lose its purpose and eventually disband.
Therefore, staying with the Demon Slayer Corps didn't really concern him.
Of course, there were some benefits.
Firstly, the Demon Slayer Corps had a great intelligence network, which allowed him to obtain information about demons.
Secondly, he could also train the Hashira and help them awaken their abilities during this time to repay the Demon Slayer Corps for their kindness. Beyond this, he had no intention of taking on the responsibilities of head instructor or managing the entire Corps.
As such, Riezel didn't truly acknowledge the position of head instructor, seeing himself more as an advisor or consultant.
Kagaya seemed to notice his thoughts but didn't mind, simply smiling gently.
Tecchin initially wanted to exchange a few polite words, but when he bowed his head, he suddenly noticed the sword at Riezel's waist.
"Oooh… that sword…" Tecchin's eyes suddenly lit up.
His sudden excitement drew the attention of the surrounding swordsmiths to Riezel's sword.
Immediately, several skilled swordsmiths noticed something unusual.
"Hey, isn't that sword look incredible?"
"I can smell an amazing quality from it."
"That's the kind of iron that's superior to anything, even if hammered a thousand times!"
"The materials used to forge that blade are surely extraordinary!"
Saying these, the swordsmiths grew more and more excited.
"Can I take a look at your sword, Lord Head Instructor?"
Tecchin, with a fervent attitude, eagerly approached Riezel to make his request.
"I don't mind but..." Riezel answered with furrowed brows. "Don't touch anything other than the scabbard."
In the next moment, he removed Hermit from his waist and handed it to Tecchin.
"What a superb craftsmanship…"
Tecchin caressed Hermit's scabbard, his voice trembling with admiration.
"It's impossible to see any trace of human handiwork... It's as if the scabbard was formed naturally from a single piece of iron... It's so magical!"
"Who forged this scabbard? Could it be a god, or maybe the heaven and the earth itself?"
"Without a doubt... this quality… this smoothness... as if made by heaven… amazing!"
Without thinking, Tecchin reached out to grip the handle.
"Stop!"
Riezel quickly called out to stop Tecchin, but unfortunately, he was too late.
*Pssst—!*
As soon as Tecchin touched the handle, his hand was burned by an intense heat.
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