……

Early morning.

The sky was already dark, and the mist was faintly filling the trees.

The dew soaked the shattered ruins of the Forging Knife Village.

Houses destroyed by wind pressure are everywhere.

Because of Tie Qiao's quick reaction, he notified the evacuation almost as soon as the ghost was discovered.

The swordsmiths have long been hiding in the shelters that had been built before.

Therefore, the village of forging knives is only damaged by houses.

And because this kind of thing has been expected to happen for a long time, there are several unmanned empty forging knife villages around Neon, waiting to be relocated at any time.

So, the damage tonight is almost zero.

……

Now.

On the ruins of the Forging Knife Village.

Knifesmiths in the masks of the Fire Man are bending down, picking through the ruins and picking up useful objects.

The village chief's house.

In a makeshift shed.

After picking up the resurrection of the half-tengu and the jade pot, Tanjuro returned to the Forging Sword Village with the others.

Now.

The crowd is gathered here.

"This time, thank you very much for your rescue."

The head of the Forging Knife Village was thin and small, with white hair, kneeling on a futon, his old and shriveled hands covered with calluses.

His voice was old and sharp, wearing a fire man mask, and his tone was out-of-the-box:

"None of the knife blacksmiths were injured, thanks to you."

As he spoke, he sat on the futon, his thin body bowed slightly, and a dull voice came from under him, facing the people in front of him:

"Thank you so much."

Sorrowful Mingyu Xingming sat cross-legged behind everyone, plucking the rosary, and he nodded slightly:

"Nan None."

Two lines of tears can be faintly seen on the face:

"Ahh That's what we should do. ”

Tanjuro and Maki Juro did not speak.

The three of Shi Tou's family sat together and looked at this side with relish.

Then.

"Village Chief, I have also contributed!" Tie Qiao on the side couldn't sit still, he hurriedly raised his tone and patted his chest:

"I evacuated everyone."

The village chief took a few deep breaths, and he glanced at Tie Qiao beside him.

That's the eyes that hate iron but not steel.

Tie Qiao, who was glared at fiercely, suddenly froze, lowered his head in disdain, and stopped talking.

"That's right." The village chief looked up as if he had suddenly remembered something.

Some vague eyes were distinguished from the sturdy Sorrowful Mingyu and the brightly colored Maki Shoulang.

Finally, he slowly looked at Tanjuro:

"There's no doubt that this is Mr. Kamato."

He put his hand in his cuff and shook slightly:

"Your Nihon Blade will be forged by the Old."

"If you have any requirements, habits, or swordsmanship needs, don't care, please tell me."

"Of course, I also know what Mr. Kamado asked before-"

"You want a knife that's durable, right?"

Speaking of this, the village chief's eyes lit up, his gaze passed through the fire man's mask, and looked straight at the wedge pill beside Tanjuro:

"If Mr. Kamado had a habitual saber before."

"You can also borrow me to take a look, it will facilitate the forging of the Nichiren knife."

His tone rose and he looked at Tanjuro with eager eyes.

Ahh

On the side, Tie Qiao covered his forehead slightly and looked at the village chief helplessly.

Whenever the village chief sharpens a sword for a swordsman, he always wants to compete with the swordsmith before him.

After all, every swordsman who entrusts the village chief with forging a sword requires extremely harsh conditions, and only the most skilled village chief can do it.

And the way to compare the low - naturally is to compare the quality of the forged knife.

How to say it... What is the village chief's special hobby?

Tie Qiao thought and secretly glanced at Tanjuro.

"Of course." Tanjuro agreed very decisively, picked up the wedge pill on the side, and handed it directly to the village chief.

The village chief took the wedge with both hands, and he nodded at Tanjuro: "Generous." ”

Subsequently.

Click.

He grasped the hilt of the knife and gently unsheathed it.

The jet-black blade of Wedgemaru reflects the village chief's red fire man mask.

knife body.

Some of the blackened marks of the lightning and the traces of the flames are still faintly there.

The village chief's expression stiffened in place, hidden under the mask.

Tie Qiao saw that the village chief was holding the wedge pill and freezing in place like this, he poked his head slightly and shouted softly:

“… Chief? ”

The village chief, who was screamed, seemed to come back to his senses.

He hurriedly raised his head and muttered to a few people, "It's rude." ”

Then he took small steps and walked briskly to the outside of the shed, until the sun was low.

The village chief held the wedge pill and looked at the sun that had just risen in the sky, observing it back and forth through the rays.

From time to time, he also took out some hammers and other tools and knocked them on the body of the wedge knife.

Soon.

The village chief held the wedge pill, and he slowly walked in from outside the shed.

He sat down on the futon again, put Wedgemaru horizontally in front of him, and looked at Tanjuro in a solemn tone:

“… Mr. Kamado. The village chief's tone became slower, not as jumpy as before, and his voice became a little duller:

"You... How often should I take care of my blade? ”

Tanjuro was sitting precariously, his face expressionless, he blinked, and his voice was the same as usual:

"It's not maintained."

"This, that's it." The village chief's figure paused slightly, he coughed twice, and the expression hidden under the mask became unbelievable:

"I... Can you know who the knife forger is who forged this knife? ”

Knife Forger...

Tanjuro pondered for a moment, and the image of the wedge pill that had been taken from Kuro's hand flashed in his mind.

And what Kuro had told him.

"Ancestral." Tanjuro replied.

He wasn't lying.

Wedge Pill - It is indeed a knife that has been passed down from generation to generation by the Hirata family when he was in another world.

When the village chief heard this, he lowered his head and was silent for a long time.

Then, he took Wedgemaru in both hands and handed it back to Tanjuro:

"I see, I'll try to forge a more durable Nichiren knife."

As he spoke, the village chief looked at Tie Qiao, and his tone was a little tired:

"Tie Qiao, take a few pillars to walk around at will."

"I'm a little tired."

It was the first time for Tie Qiao to see the village chief's appearance, and he hurriedly nodded and agreed: "Yes." ”

……

……

After everyone left.

“… Incredible, incredible. ”

The village chief sat alone on the futon, he shook his head, frowned, put his hand on his chin, and said to himself:

"A knife like that... It stands to reason that..."

"It's a miracle that it works..."

"How..."

For the first time in his life, the village chief felt that his sword view had been seriously impacted.

……

……

Ruined streets.

Tie Qiao walked in front of everyone.

"Mr. Kamato, right?" he turned to Tanjuro and said, pointing to the earrings on Tanjuro's earlobe:

"I wanted to ask before."

Tie Qiao looked at the earrings of the flowers, and the fire man mask he was wearing was a puzzled expression:

"I also have a pair of earrings for you."

"It's just that it's not hanging on human ears."

"Your earrings, how did they come about?" Tie Qiao looked at Tanjuro curiously and asked about the earrings.

"Ancestral."

Tanjuro replied.

(End of chapter)