Mount Natagumo is very close to Mount Sagiri. Kurozawa walked the whole way and reached a town near Mount Natagumo in just two days.
From this town to Mount Natagumo, it takes less than an hour to reach the base of the mountain. Since he arrived at the town in the morning, the Demons would be hiding if he went now, making them difficult to find. So, Kurozawa decided to stay in the town for a while first.
And the name of this town was Koizumi Town.
About two months ago, the memory of Kurozawa personally killing his first Demon was still vivid. He remembered the cunning deception of that Demon in its final moments, and he also remembered it saying it had a five-year-old daughter who lived in Koizumi Town.
"Nita Taku, Koizumi Town... Coming here is truly a strange coincidence."
Kurozawa didn't go into Koizumi Town. At the time, he couldn't judge whether Nita Taku's words were true or false, and even if they were true, Kurozawa would still have chosen to kill him.
After leaving the Ruined Shrine, Kurozawa told Sakonji Urokodaki about Koizumi Town and the Demon's daughter on the road. Sakonji Urokodaki was also surprised that Kurozawa encountered this kind of moral dilemma the first time he slew a Demon.
Perhaps not wanting Kurozawa's heart to be conflicted, Sakonji Urokodaki said he would handle everything. He would contact the nearest Hidden Slayer Corps members to investigate the situation in Koizumi Town. If that Demon truly had an unsupervised daughter, the Hidden Slayer Corps would take her in and raise her.
"I never asked Master what the result was. Since I'm here, I'll go take a look myself."
Kurozawa paused for a moment by the small river in front of the town, then stepped onto the small path within the town.
Along the roads in Koizumi Town were well-maintained houses, and even some mansions. People in the small town hurried by, busy with their own affairs. No one paid attention to the passing Kurozawa. After all, strangers were common, and everyone was used to it.
The town as a whole looked quite prosperous. Among mostly poor rural towns, Koizumi Town seemed to be doing quite well.
"Old woman, do you know Nita Taku?"
"Is he from your Koizumi Town?"
At the entrance of a small but complete house, there was an elderly woman. Her face was covered in the wrinkles of age, and she lay comfortably in a bamboo recliner, her eyes narrowed, swaying back and forth.
"Nita Taku, I know him. He disappeared some time ago."
Hearing Kurozawa's question, the old woman opened her eyes and replied with a smile, but her smile revealed a lot of helplessness, not happiness.
Kurozawa stepped forward and asked about Nita Taku. The old woman was not reserved and told Kurozawa in detail.
"About two months ago, people in our town started disappearing one after another. Everyone said that the wild beasts in the mountains were short of food and came down to eat people."
"About a dozen people disappeared, and they haven't been found yet. I guess... sigh, it's pitiful for their families who are still searching desperately."
"The Nita Taku you asked about was the last one to disappear. He also left behind a five-year-old daughter, who is being looked after by her elderly grandfather. Life will be hard for them from now on."
After listening to the old woman, Kurozawa furrowed his brow: "Nita Taku's daughter is still in town?"
"Yes, where else could she go if not in town? She's such a small child. Speaking of which, what are you to Nita Taku?" The old woman leaned forward, her expression becoming wary.
Kurozawa smiled, a smile that charmed both men and women, old and young, causing the old woman to immediately drop her guard and be momentarily stunned.
"I'm his friend. I heard something happened to him, so I came to see how his daughter is doing."
"Could you please tell me where his house is? Hearing you say this, I'm a little worried and want to see if I can help out in any way."
This young man has such a nice smile, he shouldn't be a bad person... The old woman lay back down and rocked the recliner: "Turn left up ahead, and his house is the fourth one."
After thanking the old woman and saying goodbye, Kurozawa walked towards the location the old woman mentioned. In just about ten minutes, Kurozawa saw a simple hut less than twenty square meters.
Knock, knock, knock... Kurozawa knocked on the door.
"Is anyone home?"
Half a minute later, with a creak, the door opened.
"Uncle, is there something you need?"
A little girl, not even half of Kurozawa's height, stood timidly behind the door, looking at Kurozawa with some unease.
"Is your dad named Nita Taku?" Kurozawa showed a gentle smile that melted the little girl's unease and tension. At the same time, he squatted down to be at eye level with the little girl.
"Yes... yes."
"Are you and the people who came a while ago all friends of my dad?"
Before Kurozawa could explain his identity, the little girl proactively asked curiously. After her unease disappeared, she was no longer afraid of Kurozawa.
It seems the people from the Hidden Slayer Corps did come, and they also claimed to be Nita Taku's friends. However, they ultimately didn't take this little girl, probably because her grandfather was present, Kurozawa thought silently.
"Yes, you're right. You're very smart."
The little girl's face beamed with undisguised happiness at the praise. But soon, after looking left and right, she quietly asked Kurozawa: "Uncle, since you're Dad's friend, do you know where he went?"
"Grandpa said he went on a long trip and won't be back until I grow up. He also won't tell me where Dad went, and those uncles who came before didn't know either."
"Growing up takes a long time... I don't want to wait that long. I miss Dad a little." By the end, the little girl's eyes were already starting to turn red, and there was moisture welling up.
The little girl's appearance made Kurozawa silent for a moment. Then he smiled again, his gentle smile like the perfect sunshine, warming the body and soul of everyone who saw it. The little girl was no exception.
"I'll tell you a secret. Just keep it to yourself, and definitely don't tell anyone else."
"This secret is about your dad, and it's very important."
Kurozawa placed his finger on his lips, making a shushing gesture. His serious and solemn expression made the little girl unconsciously nod.
"Have you heard ghost stories?"
"Yes, they're scary, but Dad always liked to scare me with ghost stories."
"Okay, then I'll tell you, some of the ghosts in those stories are actually real."
"Ah? Really?" The little girl's eyes widened, and she clenched her small hands, looking very surprised and scared. Although she asked Kurozawa if it was true, she immediately believed Kurozawa's words.
Kurozawa didn't answer immediately. Instead, he carefully considered his words before continuing, "These Demons are vicious and cruel. They love to eat human flesh and blood. To deal with them, to protect humanity, some people have stepped forward. They are called Demon Hunters."
"Demons are spread far and wide. Demon Hunters track their movements and, no matter how far away, as long as they hear about a Demon causing trouble, they immediately go there. They never have a moment of rest."
As soon as Kurozawa finished speaking, the little girl exclaimed happily, "Uncle, are you saying my dad is a Demon Hunter, and that's why he went far away to protect everyone?" Her eyes sparkled, clearly delighted by this secret.
"I can't tell you that for sure. I can only tell you that your dad is connected to this secret and he's not an ordinary person."
Kurozawa didn't want to lie to the little girl, but he couldn't tell her the truth directly, so he could only use misleading language.
He would let the little girl imagine the rest. In her imagination, her dad might be a hero silently protecting humanity, and perhaps her grief and longing would be lessened because of it.
In the future, when she realized something was off about Kurozawa's words and understood the truth, she should have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. If, at that time, she sought revenge against Kurozawa, he would respect her choice.
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