Almost half an hour passed quickly.
After Tanjiro accepted his new role as Commander-in-Chief, Shinobu quietly left the room since Kagaya wished to have a private conversation with Tanjiro alone.
Was there something left to discuss that she wasn't aware of?
Despite thinking deeply, she couldn't recall anything.
'I wonder what they're talking about…' Seated outside in the garden, she stared blankly at the small, pristine pond. Curiosity overwhelmed her mind.
For some reason, after leaving the room, her spirit felt rather low.
Her body and mind had been filled with intense uneasiness since earlier.
'What's wrong… I can't think straight. This has never happened to me before…'
Not feeling well, she decided to clear her head and stopped thinking about pointless things.
The restlessness remained.
She sighed. 'Am I lacking sleep…?'
No, she could tell it wasn't that.
She had grown accustomed to only four or five hours of sleep each day ever since she mastered Total Concentration Breathing: Constant.
She knew it wasn't the problem.
At some point, she turned her head toward the manor. Her expression was unreadable. 'It's because of him, isn't it…'
The constraint she had placed on herself for so long vanished in that moment.
The result was that she simply failed to subdue her hidden feelings.
The fact that Tanjiro had been bestowed such a supreme position and was immediately having a private conversation with Kagaya and Amane was strangely concerning her too much.
'Ha… I feel stupid.' Once again she sighed and began to move her hand in the pond, passing time.
A few minutes later~
A tall boy wearing the Hashira uniform and a magnificent haori exited the manor, immediately catching Shinobu's eyes.
With quick yet light steps, he crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye and appeared next to her.
"Thanks for waiting," Tanjiro said softly, with a faint smile. "Shall we go then?"
The instant he suddenly appeared before her, Shinobu felt shy and was forced to avert her gaze. Her heart fluttered loudly. Perhaps it was because of his rise to such a high position, or maybe she simply couldn't bring herself to keep looking at his dazzling yet tempting smile.
"Mm." She nodded slightly.
Tanjiro easily perceived all those emotions radiating from Shinobu's body and chuckled inwardly.
'She really was anxious, huh… Her scent was all over the place, haha…' he thought. 'Hm, even her female intuition is crazy. She could tell something was off with the private conversation…'
Within an hour, the meeting with Kagaya had concluded, and they left the manor, being waved off by Shiori and the other crows perched on the trees near the entrance.
Only a few seconds after they started running, Shinobu asked him directly. "If it's okay, would you mind sharing what that private conversation was all about? I know I shouldn't ask this, but my mind is stuck on it, and it's really annoying."
'Couldn't hold it in anymore, huh…'
Without stopping, he replied. "I don't mind."
....
Half an hour ago~
Kagaya and Amane sat side by side facing Tanjiro, their unusually serious expressions making him uneasy.
What were these two planning?
Even Shinobu, a Hashira, had been asked to leave the room.
What did that mean?
His mind raced. In just three seconds, he pieced the clues together.
This wasn't a Corps-related matter.
With both Kagaya and Amane present, it had to be something personal.
'Don't tell me…' A realization hit him.
At that moment Kagaya's gentle voice spoke from ahead.
"Tanjiro, your family's Hinokami Kagura is inherited only by the first son, correct?"
'...As I thought.'
"Yes, Oyakata," he confirmed. "That's the tradition of our Kamado family. Without exception, the Dance of the Fire God and these hanafuda earrings are passed down to the first son. It's been that way for centuries, or so my late father told me."
Kagaya nodded.
With a calm expression he continued, "Your father must have instructed you to do the same. To pass the dance and the earrings to the next generation… right?"
At this point even a fool would understand the purpose of this private meeting.
"Yes… My father told me to do exactly that in the future." Tanjiro confirmed again.
A fake resolve covered his face.
His gaze flicked to Amane's plump figure for a split second before returning to Kagaya.
'There's no way he's going to let me sleep with his wife… or is he? Shit, what am I even thinking…!' he cursed inwardly.
Kagaya wore a serene look. He closed his working eye, which had started to blur recently, before speaking in his usual kind voice.
"I'm sure Tanjiro has already realized the reason for this meeting."
'...Oh.'
Revealing a wry smile, Tanjiro could only admit it openly.
"…Securing the inheritance of Sun Breathing techniques, I assume?"
Kagaya's lips curved up slightly. "Yes. That is one reason. The other is Tanjiro's marriage."
'…'
A strange look crossed his face.
Marriage?
With whom?
'Wait a second… His daughters… So he wants to set me up with one of them?'
Seeing Tanjiro fall silent, Kagaya glanced at Amane.
Taking her husband's cue, Amane exhaled a sigh and spoke politely.
"Tanjiro… Because of the unfortunate Mark, you know your life will end at the age of twenty-five. That's why we hope you will consider marrying early and starting a family. The Rengoku family, who inherited Flame Breathing, has done the same for centuries."
She looked at Tanjiro's face and continued.
"How much do you know about the curse that runs through the Ubuyashiki family?"
He tilted his head and answered honestly with what he knew.
"That children born into the family die before the age of thirty because of some unknown sickness?"
Kagaya remained quiet while Amane shook her head.
"That's only partially true."
She let out a heavy sigh with hopeless eyes before continuing.
"The truth is that children of Ubuyashiki blood die in their early twenties. The Oyakata with the longest lifespan in the past reached only twenty-two. Gender doesn't matter. Boys die early from illness. Girls suddenly die in accidents unless they marry and change their surnames before the age of thirteen. That's how the curse has worked for over a thousand years."
Once she finished, a long silence filled the room.
'Damn… That's really fucked up.'
He couldn't help feeling sympathy for the Ubuyashiki family.
Because one of their ancestors went mad, became a demon, and started massacring people, their entire bloodline had been cursed ever since.
What a disturbing reality.
Tanjiro didn't know what to say, so he simply listened.
Noticing the sympathy in Tanjiro's eyes, Amane nodded inwardly. She took a deep breath and finally said what she had intended all along.
"Tanjiro, Oyakata-sama and I consulted with our daughters this morning. I won't lie — all four of them have taken a deep interest in you."
With a brief pause, she went on.
"As parents, it is our duty to ensure our children live safely and with their happiness secured." Amane's gaze settled on his surprised face. "Which is why we would like to hear your thoughts on this matter."
Kagaya spoke as well.
"We know it conflicts with the issue of Sun Breathing inheritance since the girls are still only six. That's why we have arranged a few dedicated girls who are willing to bear children for you, if that is acceptable to you."
Both husband and wife then waited quietly for his response.
'…'
Tanjiro held his breath before answering.
"I…"
...
Shinobu had stopped running and stood completely still. She looked at Tanjiro's serene face and asked, her voice quiet and cracking.
"Y-your response… what, what was it…"
He noticed her extremely nervous emotions and grinned inwardly.
'Oh well…'
~~<>~~
A/N:
Let me be clear, this is a harem story. Harem can be as big as the horny author see fit.