I arrived at the mansion just in the nick of time. They were already set and ready to move: Pacho and a total of six men Mr. Shuichi had gathered for protection. It was a decent number overall, but I couldn't help noticing the fancy attire they wore. Yes, they were rich, but given the world outside these village walls, it was too much.
I walked up to Pacho. "You might want to reconsider your clothes, Pacho. You guys too," I said to the six men. It was one thing for the young master to dress in fine garments; it was another for the guards to match him.
"What's wrong with their choice of clothes?" Mr. Shuichi came down from the house to the yard, his voice booming round the yard.
"Everything is wrong," I told him. "There's peace inside these walls, but that doesn't exist outside. People are hungry and angry. When they see you dressed in fine things, they'll come after you. We need security to fight off real threats, but what do we do when inno—hungry civilians start rushing us? For now, we need to keep things low."
I didn't know how else to put it, but we really didn't want to end up beating weak, desperate people just trying to survive.
"Okay. They will do as you say," Mr. Shuichi replied after a brief pause.
Pacho went inside and changed into something more moderate—still fine, but workable. The guards followed suit; now they actually looked like guards.
The men began boarding the carts, and I did the same. While Pacho said his goodbyes to the girls, Mr. Shuichi stopped me and called me over. His expression was neutral, not too serious, not smiling. It left me wondering what he wanted.
"You didn't tell me your reason. What changed your mind?" he asked.
"I don't need a reason to protect my brother," I answered. There was that smile again, followed by a nod.
"I pray for your safe journey."
"Thank you, sir," I said, then boarded our cart.
A short while later Pacho joined me, laughing and giggling. The joy on his face was clear, and the only thought in my mind was a quiet wish that everything would work out, that all my suspicions about Mr. Shuichi were wrong, that his connection to the blue spider lily was just coincidence, so Pacho could stay this happy.
"You look excited about the journey," I said.
"You can tell, big brother? I can't wait to go and come back." He replied while waving back at his new family as our donkey-pulled carts began leaving the compound.
"I never told you this, but while we should worry about robbers, there are also demons. I think those are the ones we should be more concerned about."
"Demons, right. Well, I have you to protect us. You're a Demon Slayer, after all." He was right. I was a Demon Slayer.
We hit the streets. On our way to the gates, I couldn't help thinking I wouldn't be back in this village for a while. Even though the cost of living could be surprising at times, there was still plenty one could make do with here.
We enjoyed a few minutes of calm, uninterrupted riding until we reached the main street leading to the gate. As usual, a long line of carts entering and leaving held us up briefly, but it didn't take long before we were moving again. As we approached the gates, we passed the execution pole where criminals were displayed. There was a new body hanging there.
It was new because the longer I stared, the more familiar it seemed—until it hit me. It was the same man who had robbed me a while back. A cold chill ran down my spine and settled there. For some reason, a claw of fear gripped me, refusing to let go. I couldn't shake it off; I just felt every bit of it.
"He was a robber," Pacho said from beside me.
"Yeah."
"Coming to this village and seeing how things work here made me realize the system back home was kinder to us, you know."
"You're right." I glanced at the cloth wrapped around my arm. "The village chiefs were kind enough to brand me and let me leave. Here, it's certain death."
A silence stretched between us for over a minute, as though we were both lost in the weight of those words.
"Big brother, we have a new life now. You're a Slayer, and I'm… well—"
"A rich man's son," I teased, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"Yes, I am that. But we have a new life, so let us live like this, forever."
"Yeah."
The idea sounded good, but a part of me remembered those back in the village—Nana, Pachi, and the rest. They too deserved the chance to start a new life.