Chapter 39: Even Among Demons, Is There a Difference Between Good and Evil?
"It's Konpeito!"
This was a luxury rarely seen in this impoverished mountain village.
For the financially struggling Kamado family,
candy was a delicacy they could only taste a little of during the New Year or festivals, let alone such exquisite and expensive Konpeito.
Nezuko held the bag of candy carefully, as if she were holding some rare treasure.
She smelled the sweet aroma wafting from the candy; it was the scent of happiness.
"Is this... for me?"
Nezuko looked up at Tatsu, somewhat unable to believe it.
"Who else? For that drooling little brat over there?"
Tatsu joked, pointing at Rokuta, who was watching from not far away with eager eyes.
In fact, Tatsu had specifically gone to town to buy this candy before coming here.
Of course, as a penniless pauper,
the money to buy the candy was naturally "borrowed" from Kanae.
Anyway, Kanae was wealthy,
and she had no real concept of money. He considered this as "robbing the rich to help the poor."
Even though the "poor" person he was helping was his own mouth and social standing.
Tatsu looked at Nezuko's touched expression and couldn't help but feel a bit smug.
This "sugar-coated bullet" tactic was exceptionally effective.
"Thank you, Big Brother Tatsu!"
Nezuko's voice was crisp and pleasant, filled with heartfelt gratitude.
She clutched the candy bag tightly, a smile more brilliant than spring flowers blooming on her face.
"This is my favorite candy to eat!
Big Brother Tatsu is so nice! I will definitely help Big Brother Tatsu find that flower!
Even if I have to search every inch of this mountain, I'll find it!"
Seeing Nezuko's spirited appearance, Tatsu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
This girl was so honest that she would give her all for just a bit of candy.
"Alright, alright."
Tatsu waved his hand.
"Go and share it with your brothers and sisters. I see Rokuta's drool is about to turn into a river."
Nezuko looked back and indeed found that although her siblings were still surrounding Kanae,
their eyes were drifting over here from time to time.
Especially that colorful candy bag; its attraction to children was practically fatal.
"Mm!"
Nezuko nodded heavily and then, like a cheerful young deer, turned and ran toward her siblings.
"Takeo! Shigeru! Rokuta! Hanako! Look! Big Brother Tatsu bought us Konpeito!"
"Konpeito?"
"Really? I want some, I want some!"
"Wow! So many colors!"
The children who were originally surrounding Kanae "defected" instantly, pouncing toward Nezuko like hungry tigers.
Even the most steady, Takeo, couldn't help but swallow his saliva, his eyes fixed intently on the candy bag.
"Don't grab, don't grab, everyone gets some!"
Nezuko maintained order like a little adult, her face overflowing with a happy smile.
She carefully pinched the candies out of the paper bag, distributing them fairly into the hands of each sibling.
"Here, Rokuta, this is yours."
"Hanako, this is the pink one you like."
"Shigeru, this big one is for you."
"Takeo, you have a taste too."
After distributing the candy, Nezuko looked at the paper bag, which was now half empty, and hesitated for a moment.
Then she pinched out the prettiest red Konpeito, ran back to Kanae's side, and held her hand high.
"Big Sister Kanae, this one is for you to eat!"
Kanae, who was watching the children share the candy with a smile, was stunned for a moment.
Immediately, the smile in her eyes deepened.
She didn't refuse; instead, she bent down slightly and opened her mouth to accept the candy.
"Mmm~ So sweet."
Kanae narrowed her eyes with an expression of pure enjoyment.
"Thank you, Nezuko. This is the sweetest candy Big Sister has ever eaten."
"Hehe."
Nezuko smiled happily, and only then did she pinch a piece of candy and put it in her own mouth.
She savored the sweetness as it melted on the tip of her tongue.
"Alright, keep playing after you finish your candy!"
Kanae clapped her hands and rejoined the children's ranks.
"I want to play too! I want to play too!"
Nezuko was not to be outdone and joined the fray.
Laughter and cheers echoed in the Kamado family's courtyard.
All of this was seen by Tanjuro Kamado, who was sitting on the porch inside the house.
He sat there, yet he was like a towering, immovable mountain, radiating an indescribably steady aura.
He watched Kanae Kocho playing with the children.
"This girl... is truly gentle."
Tanjuro sighed inwardly.
He could feel that Kanae's gentleness was not a facade, but a kindness that came from the heart.
She treated every child with such sincerity, without the slightest impatience or perfunctoriness.
Then, his gaze slowly moved to Tatsu, who was standing at the entrance.
Tanjuro's eyes grew slightly solemn.
He knew Tatsu was not human.
The structure of that body and that flow of aura, so different from ordinary people, all proclaimed Tatsu's identity as a "Demon."
The Demons his mother had told him about were always entwined with a sickening scent of blood and a greedy desire for flesh and blood.
But Tatsu was different.
His aura was very calm, one could even say very... lazy?
Like an ordinary person who had eaten and drunk his fill, leisurely enjoying the cool night breeze.
And most importantly, the angelically gentle Kanae had no guard against Tatsu whatsoever.
"To be a companion to someone as gentle as Miss Kanae, and to be so well-liked by my children..."
Tanjuro recalled the smile on Tatsu's face when he handed the candy to Nezuko and made a judgment in his heart.
"This Mr. Tatsu should also be a very good person."
Even among Demons, was there a difference between good and evil?
Tanjuro did not dwell on this question for long.
He trusted his own eyes and trusted his family's intuition even more.
He withdrew his gaze and turned to look at another corner of the courtyard.
There, his eldest son, Tanjiro Kamado, was chopping wood.
"Heh! Ha!"
Tanjiro gripped the axe, putting all his strength into every swing.
The youth's forehead was covered in sweat, but his dark red eyes were filled with determination.
He was the eldest son of the family; with his father in poor health, he had to bear the heavy burden of supporting the household.
Tanjuro watched his sensible son, a flash of relief in his eyes.
His body wouldn't last much longer.
He had to hurry.
He had to pass that thing... down.
"Tanjiro."
Tanjuro's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the noisy play and reached Tanjiro's ears.
Tanjiro's axe stopped in mid-air. He immediately turned around and looked at his father respectfully.
"Father, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Tanjuro shook his head and slowly stood up.
Though his movements were somewhat slow, his back was held straight.
"Come with me, Tanjiro."
Tanjuro said,
"Tonight, we continue learning the Kagura Dance."
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP