"I didn't think about it," said my father, "and seeing a dragon in real life was beyond my acceptance at the time." ”

A dragon can become its own contract monster, and no matter which demon slayer it is, it will laugh.

"After all these years of going around and around," my father finally picked up the pen that belonged to him, "it was to find you, Xiao Ke." ”

"What do you mean?"

"After the fire, I used to lie near the window and even approach the wood carving of the dragon under the pretext of cleaning the roof, but no matter what I did, it just didn't move, as if it was really a wood carving, which led me to think that the dragon that day was my hallucination. "Then I couldn't wait any longer, so I left the inn." ”

"Guardian youkai only appear when the thing being guarded is in danger. ”

"Maybe, I don't know the answer anyway. "After that, I went to many places and met your mother." ”

“... When you met your mother, you still didn't have a contract youkai?"

"Hmm... That's right. The father smiled embarrassedly, "Otherwise, how can you not even catch a monster." ”

"When did you meet that dragon again?"

"It was after your mother had you. ”

"Me?" I pointed to myself, it was incredible.

"Well, your mother and I had you first, and then we had a make-up wedding," said my father, "At that time, I was not a real demon slayer at all because I didn't have a contract monster, and your mother broke away from my own family, so I had to take on the responsibility of supporting the family, so I gave up my dream of killing demons, and planned to give your mother an ordinary but not poor home, who knew that just when you were about to be born, the dragon that I had forgotten actually appeared." ”

That's why my father said that the dragon was actually looking for me.

"I was overwhelmed by its inexplicable appearance, and I asked it why it had left its original home, but it didn't tell me anything," my father recalled, "and it was a domineering and unreasonable fellow, and lived in our house without asking me if I agreed, and your mother had always loved youkai, and she didn't even have the slightest intention of driving it out, and over time it became the same as a member of the family." ”

“... That sounds ridiculous. ”

"Well, it's a little. Later, I secretly went to the inn where I first met it, and when I arrived, I learned that the owner of the inn was in debt for gambling and sold the shop that had been handed down from his ancestors, and the person who took over felt that the store was so old that he demolished it and rebuilt it into a supermarket," said his father. ”

"But how did it find you?"

"'You are the only living human being who has ever seen me in person. Father shook his head helplessly, "That's what the guy said. ”

“... Even if this reason is in the past, what about it giving you a pen?"

"It said that the pen was paid for eating and drinking at our house," said the father, "and I thought it was just an ordinary fountain pen, and that it was trying to fool itself with a pen, but it told me that it was a very precious pen, and that I should keep it safe," he said, looking at the pen, "and it was telling the truth." ”

"Is it possible," I said, "that my mother liked this fountain pen because she had already discovered that it was a calling pen?"

"Now that I think about it, it may have been so, for I have never understood why your mother would attach so much importance to this fountain pen," said the father, "and later, shortly after giving birth to you, I accompanied your mother to the time gap to go through her trial, and who knew that I had stumbled upon my own trial, and there I saw the dragon, which was both the examiner of my trial and the reward for my completion. ”

"I always feel," I said, "you've done a lot of amazing things out of nowhere..."

"It is true," said my father, "that I have never been a competent demon slayer, and although your mother and I have become more and more prestigious among demon slayers since we had the contract monster of the Dragon, I know in my heart that it was all brought to me by your mother and the Dragon, and that I was just lucky." ”

"I've heard other demon slayers say that you have roughly three attributes, and if your mother is proficient in sealing, she should belong to the 'law' system, what about you?"

"'Fine' system. Father said, "When I control the monster's heart, the dragon will use its ability to protect me from harm, and when the monster shows its flaws, your mother's begonia flower will suppress the monster, and finally your mother will seal it." ”

I never expected that Mu Ne's father, who seems to have the power of the "essence" system that makes monsters fearful.

"But that still doesn't explain where the pen came from...", I felt a little dull in my heart.

"That's all I know. Father said.

"What about the dragon?" I asked, "is the dragon still at home?"

Father shook his head, "After your mother died, I broke the contract with her and gave her freedom back. ”

“... Can the contract be terminated?"

"Well, but it comes at a price. The father said, "I have exhausted almost all of my demonic power as the price of breaking the contract, and I will never get involved in the business of slaying demons again." ”

“... Your contract youkai will be very uncomfortable. ”

"If I don't, it's going to be even worse. The father said, "The 'spirit' demon slayer can communicate with the heart of the contract monster, which means that they can accurately perceive each other's joys, sorrows, and sorrows, and the rest of my life is not as long as it, so it is better to let it not experience too many sad things." ”

"And now—" I sighed, "the trail is broken again." ”

"Maybe you can find it and ask it for yourself what you want to know, if you really want to," the father said, looking worried, "after all, you're already a ghostwriter." ”

"From the very beginning, I wanted to ask," I said, "why every time you mention a ghostwriter, it's like you're saying something horrible." ”

"Demon slayers are born for humans, but ghostwriters are born for monsters. Father was silent for a moment before re-speaking, "Although I have been away from the realm of demon slaying for a long time, I can still get some news from the youkai, and I heard them say that the ghostwriter has opened the 'Seven Day Feathers.' ‘”

"You know Shichikaha!" I exclaimed, as if one clue was broken, but another was on the lookout.

My father's eyes made me unable to read, "Your mother died for this reason." ”

"You didn't mean... Was it a car accident. ”

"It was a car accident. "But it's no ordinary car accident." ”

(End of chapter)