Choose, choose, my foot.
Without batting an eyelid, Kaito made the decision for them. Then, ignoring them, he took Mitsuri to the Butterfly Mansion's dining hall for lunch.
This also gave them some time alone to talk things over and adjust.
It was about giving them a buffer period to accept the situation.
Kanao seemed not to fully understand yet, but she silently followed Kaito, holding his hand, to the dining hall.
By the way, Mitsuri was restraining her appetite. But after Kaito pointed it out and said he didn't mind, she let loose and ate heartily.
Her appetite was truly comparable to Artoria's.
Kaito began to wonder who would win in a big eater competition.
At the very least...
After Mitsuri finished six servings of lunch, she not only claimed she wasn't entirely full, but her stomach also showed no signs of distension.
What did this mean? It meant she could eat more!
But having this much was enough for now.
Even though Kaito said he didn't mind, she still wanted to present herself well in front of him.
"Ahem, Mr. Kaito, after discussing with my sister... if possible, could it be arranged like this: my sister and I will continue to stay with the Demon Slayer Corps for now, and after the Demon King is killed, we will come to the Kamado Hot Spring Inn?"
After the meal, on the veranda outside the tea room.
While Kaito was idly blowing bubbles with Kanao, and Mitsuri was busy making a larger bubble-blowing tool, Shinobu and Kanae appeared, holding hands.
It seemed the two sisters had indeed talked privately and were now making a counter-request.
Well, this request didn't matter; they weren't going to escape anyway.
Even if they weren't at the Kamado Hot Spring Inn, after Kaito came to this world, no matter where they were, he could open a "Spatial Gate" beside them and bring them into the Jade Chamber to meet.
"Since that's your wish, I agree."
"Thank you, thank you so much!"
The two sisters excitedly expressed their gratitude together. But that alone wasn't enough.
Letting them stay in the Demon Slayer Corps was fine, but their safety had to be considered, right?
So Kaito applied shields to them, stacking 15 layers before stopping.
He didn't forget Kanao either.
As for Mitsuri, he had given her hers last night when she wanted to fulfill her duties as a wife.
Of course, he had set up all the necessary magical barriers beforehand.
He had given her 15 layers of shields after smoking a cigarette.
Last night, Kaito had also decided to let Mitsuri continue practicing Flame Breathing, including Love Breathing, if she wanted.
After all, it would be a waste of her talent, wouldn't it?
Mitsuri had agreed, even though she was exhausted at the time. For Kaito, she nodded vigorously, earnestly saying she would work hard to become stronger for her husband.
Well...
Mitsuri was truly an excellent wife!
Although she still lacked a certain flavor and "time's seasoning" compared to Kie, she had the potential.
"Alright, if you need anything, you can contact Mrs. Kamado to get a message to me."
"It's about time; I should be heading back."
After playing bubble blowing with Kanao for a while longer, leaving behind various glass marble sodas he had conveniently bought in the large town of Osaka, as well as some packaged snacks, Kaito prepared to leave.
His main concern was still with Kie.
"Mr. Kaito, are you leaving already?"
Kanae seemed to want to invite him to stay longer. Not just out of politeness, but genuinely wanting him to stay so they could properly express their gratitude.
Naturally, in a normal way.
But Kaito wasn't interested. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future. After last night with Mitsuri, he wasn't in a rush.
Taking it slow would make the flavor richer and deeper.
After saying goodbye to the three Kocho sisters, Kaito took Mitsuri and left. She was holding a notebook containing the techniques and content of Flame Breathing.
He used the "Spatial Gate".
First, they arrived at the Jade Chamber, leaving Mitsuri astonished. After wandering around inside for a while, she suddenly found the master bedroom and invited Kaito to tour it with her.
On the wall of the master bedroom hung several paintings and various poems.
... (Data-Saving Assistant)
Nighttime, Kamado Hot Spring Inn.
Kaito returned with Mitsuri.
Greeting him was Nezuko, who was practicing her fire abilities in the garden.
Seeing Kaito return, she happily ran over to welcome him.
Then, at her call, Kie and Hanako came out of the house.
Takeo was learning management skills from the inn's manager.
"Welcome back, Kaito."
"Yeah, I'm back. I brought her along too. She'll be staying here for a while. Besides practicing Breathing Techniques here, she can also teach your daughter."
Kaito didn't need to say much; Kie understood quickly.
Having been in the chat group for many days, and with various hints and implications from Sayuri and the others, even if she was naive, she would have figured it out.
She welcomed Mitsuri and had Hanako show her to an empty room to settle in. Mitsuri then placed her luggage inside.
"By the way, where are Mrs. Sawamura and the others?"
In the tea room, Kaito didn't see Sayuri and the others. He asked Kie, who was preparing tea for him.
"Hehe, they set off on a trip around noon. They said they wanted to rely on themselves for a spontaneous journey? That's what they said. However, yesterday afternoon they bought a horse and carriage from the town, practiced all yesterday afternoon and this morning, and then set off excitedly."
"Is that so?"
Thinking about it, Kaito could picture it.
With Misuzu's and Sayuri's personalities, they might very well do something like that.
As for their safety, the nearby demons had been dealt with, and with Mikoto, the Railgun, there was no need to worry about danger...
No, even if they had no combat ability, it would be fine.
With shields on them, what was there to fear?
If they encountered danger, Kaito would sense it immediately and go to them.
So why did they choose to travel at this specific time?
He turned his head to look at Kie, who was preparing tea.
Kie felt his gaze and suddenly remembered the "alliance" she had privately discussed with Misuzu and Sayuri yesterday afternoon...
Uncontrollably, her cheeks flushed, and she didn't dare meet Kaito's eyes.