By the time Marcus arrived at Kagaya's residence, the sky had already darkened, and this time there was no blind guard to stop him.
On the contrary: the moment they saw him coming, they greeted him with profound respect.
Within the entire Corps, those who had seen him in person were a minority. However, in places like the Butterfly Mansion or among the Kakushi, most had at least seen portraits of him.
Only that way was it practical for him to give orders and mobilize resources without any hiccups, avoiding the ridiculous situation of "Who the hell are you?"
On the other hand, among the Hunters who were out on missions, few would be able to recognize him. Like Tanjiro, who had never seen a Hashira before being taken to the Headquarters, many low-rank hunters, dedicated solely to killing demons on assignment, could very well die without ever crossing paths with one.
When he stepped into the courtyard, the one who came out to greet him was Amane, Kagaya's wife. A woman of great beauty, loyal to her husband to the death.
Around her, Marcus was very careful with his comments. Toward people already married, joined body and soul to their partner, willing even to live and die together, he had no intention whatsoever of seducing them or sticking his nose between them.
By now, the courtyard was already completely repaired. From the outside, you could barely tell the difference from the first time he had seen it; even the new tiles blended in perfectly with the rest.
It was obvious they had been aged before being laid down, so as not to break the harmony of the garden.
That was the "magic" of having money… something wonderful.
Luckily, he was about to become rich himself.
When he saw Kagaya again, he was still in the same posture and in the same room where they had first met.
There was the small table, with the two cups on top of it, from which a faint stream of steam rose. And he, with the same serene smile as always.
"Marcus-kun, please, take a seat."
Only that, upon seeing him again, Marcus's eyes contracted involuntarily. With his sharpness, it didn't take much for him to notice that the ulcers on Kagaya's face had spread a little farther downward.
The difference was minimal, but he couldn't be mistaken.
Kagaya was one step closer to death…
Although he couldn't see the change in Marcus's gaze, he did pick up the shift in his presence.
"Don't worry about me, Marcus-kun." His smile never wavered. "I won't die before seeing your achievements."
Sitting down with his legs crossed, Marcus picked up his cup of tea. "And what if the experiment progresses slower than you imagine?"
"In that case, I'll leave instructions so that nothing interrupts your research."
It was clear that he accepted his own death with complete clarity.
"After all, you are the person who has brought me the most information in many years, and also the one who inspires the most hope in me."
As he said it, he gestured toward the three black leather briefcases stacked off to one side.
"The promises I can make to you aren't many, but as long as my family is not extinguished, we will back you for at least three generations. Beyond that, I wouldn't be able to predict the will of the future head of the family."
Marcus was moved.
Compared to his own attitude toward Muzan, the Ubuyashiki's stance was much sharper.
They wanted Muzan dead.
And to achieve that, they were willing to pay any price.
And it made all the sense in the world. Muzan had been alive for centuries, while the Ubuyashiki, bound by their blood curse, had already seen nearly a hundred generations of family heads pass by.
Kagaya was the 97th.
If you did the math against Muzan's six hundred years, each leader of the clan barely lasted six years in the role. The men didn't make it to thirty. The women, even if they changed their surname by marrying into another family, also failed to surpass that age.
Toward that ancestor who had condemned them to such a short life, the Ubuyashiki's hatred wasn't just understandable: it was thoroughly deserved.
Faced with the three briefcases full of fortune, Marcus didn't beat around the bush, and with a single blink, he already had them in front of him.
He opened them, took a quick look, and lifted his head.
"…There's an extra million."
Kagaya smiled even wider, "That extra million is for you. Consider it a personal thank-you. Thank you for handing over the information on Muzan; it means a great deal to my family."
Without protesting, Marcus closed the briefcase and gave him a thumbs up.
"How splendid!"
Kagaya gently shook his head. "From now on, the laboratory funds and your personal salary will be kept separate. And neither of the two will have a cap."
Marcus's eyes opened as wide as saucers.
"No cap means…?"
"Whatever you ask for."
"…"
"There's no need for you to feel uncomfortable." Kagaya explained with a smile. "As a Pillar, that right is yours by default, just like any other. As long as what you request makes sense and isn't out of proportion, the Corps will never haggle over a single bill. As for the experiment… to be honest with you, I even feel like you're asking for too little. If money can speed up the research, I'll gather as much as you need as soon as possible."
"…"
What an overwhelming level of wealth!
In that instant, Marcus only wanted to say one thing to Kagaya:
'I have no intention of making a move on your wife. But if you give me an opening… I'll start calling you father-in-law right now!'
"…You're feeding my greed."
Kagaya waved his hand, brushing it off. "You lack money and yearn for it, which is understandable. I lack time and yearn for it, which is also normal."
"Then, if I were able to make you see with your own eyes—No, sorry!… make you hear with your own ears the tragic death of Muzan…" Marcus asked cautiously.
Kagaya looked at him with absolute seriousness.
"If you really are capable of pulling it off, I am willing to hand over to you half of everything the Ubuyashiki have amassed over a thousand years. By then, one-tenth of all of Japan will be entirely yours."
Hearing that, the corners of Marcus's lips curved upward.
It seemed that, in the future battle at the Infinity Castle, he was going to have to reconsider how he made his entrance.
The conversation between the two was brief, but Marcus left there more than satisfied.
After politely declining Kagaya's offer to spend the night at the mansion, he made the briefcases float in front of him with a gesture and walked out of the main hall at a brisk pace.
And the moment he stepped into the courtyard, he was left completely shocked.
There stood Amane, and beside her, already prepared, awaited a carriage drawn by four horses.
…It was something… beautiful, majestic….
The entire carriage was a deep, intense red: about two hundred inches long, nearly a hundred inches wide, and almost a hundred and twenty inches tall.
It was imposing just to look at.
Up front, four steeds, tall and black as night, snorted impatiently.
Counting the animals, the carriage stretched somewhere around three hundred and fifty to four hundred inches from end to end. Enormous wheels, solid tires, colossal leaf-spring suspensions… Little Amane, standing next to the vehicle, barely came up a head taller than the wheel.
"Is this…?"
Marcus walked up with genuine devotion and stroked the wheels.
"Kagaya mentioned that you are probably a person inclined to enjoy life," Amane replied with a smile. "And since from now on you will have to come and go between both places frequently, the moment you left the last time, he ordered them to build this carriage. He wanted to spare you the hardships of the road."
"…"
When Marcus stayed with his back turned for quite a while, in silence, Amane began to grow uneasy.
"What's wrong? Did you not like it?"
But Marcus turned around and his eyes were watery.
"What an excellent eye he has for judging people!"
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Throw your stones, drop them ALL! 💎
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