On the village's east end, a fence enclosed several small houses.
In the yard, two figures—one big, one small—were working together to build a snowman.
The little one was a girl in a floral padded jacket with a purple scarf. The older was a woman with a kerchief tied over her hair, lifting her daughter so they could set a hood on the snowman's head. From a distance, the snowman even looked a bit like Minamino Hirochi.
"Shizuki, do you miss Daddy?"
"I do."
The hood sat crooked, a funny sight. The girl giggled. "Mama, look—Daddy looks so silly~"
The woman shot her a mock glare, then laughed as well. Absentmindedly, she glanced toward the fence—and saw…
Roy, with Tanjiro beside him, standing silently outside. She froze, set her daughter behind her, and asked warily, "Do you two need something?"
This hamlet beneath Sagiri Mountain was remote to begin with, and in winter's heavy snows, travelers were rare. Finding strangers at the fence would naturally set one on guard.
Roy balanced a water gourd in his hands and glanced at Minamino Hirochi.
The man's face was awash with tears. His lips trembled, clenched hard between his teeth, as he stared fixedly at the mother and child, unable to speak for a long time.
"Nii-san…" Tanjiro turned his face away, unable to watch.
He couldn't imagine—if it were him, hearing that his father Tanjūrō had died—what kind of despair would twist his face.
And yet… wives and children torn apart, even cannibalism—such things were not rare in this demon-ridden world.
"Auntie, hello. We're friends of Mr. Minamino. We're passing through and brought some things for him."
After a brief silence, Roy stepped forward and set Minamino's wicker basket down in the snow.
The basket was handwoven by Naoko, with vines from Sagiri Mountain—she recognized it at a glance. Her expression softened. She opened the gate and let Roy and Tanjiro in.
"Naoko, who is it?" Hearing the commotion, an elderly woman who'd been rinsing laundry in back poked her head out, smiling kindly.
"Friends of Hirochi's. They say they've brought things for him."
"Oh—then get the children inside for some hot tea. It's freezing out; we can't have anyone catching cold."
"Yes, Mother." The woman took the little girl's hand, bowed politely to Roy.
Roy nodded in return and went in with Tanjiro; Tanjiro dragged Minamino's basket after them into the yard.
"Mama, who are they?" The girl hid behind her mother's back, peeking out with timid curiosity.
Minamino couldn't hold back any longer. He floated down from the gourd and bent to embrace her.
A chill gust swept by—and Minamino's body passed straight through the girl.
She blinked, her bangs swaying; for a brief instant she seemed dazed—an instant Roy caught clearly.
'Her soul is too frail. She can't withstand the shock of a living soul pressing in. You'd better not try to hug her like that.'
Roy spoke by Nen, using the gourd as a medium, to inform Minamino.
With Nen on his eyes, he could see it plainly: the girl's "aura" had a momentary "rejection reaction" when Minamino's spirit overlapped her body—
There was even a faint tendency to misrecognize Minamino as the "primary soul"…
'So the "soul" is the true hue beneath Nen?'
Roy recalled Jagg's notes. Those, and what he knew of the Hunter world, agreed that—
Nen comes from the "life energy" within the human body. If that energy loses its vessel, it loses its foothold and ultimately dissipates in a burst or a fade. A "Nen bullet" fired by an Emission user is a perfect example.
But Minamino's persistence overturned Roy's assumptions. He realized that "life energy" might not need a vessel, and could exist—briefly or even long-term—within the wider world.
For example, the Sagiri Mountain they were about to enter—many living souls lay hidden there.
"It's my fault… Shizuki, Daddy was too hasty…" Minamino panicked. The forty-something man slapped his own face hard; even his spirit grew thinner, on the verge of scattering.
"If self-harm solved problems, the world wouldn't need whole people." Roy gave him a cool glance, then crouched, took the bamboo hobbyhorse from the basket, and beckoned to the girl with a smile. "Shizuki, right? Look—this is a hobbyhorse your dad bought for you. He said…"
"You take this first and play with it. When he gets back, he'll be your big horse to ride."
"And candy," Tanjiro chimed in, fishing out some sweets and spreading them in his palm.
"Mama…" The girl clung to the woman's leg, staring up imploringly.
Her mother patted her head, indulgent. "Don't be afraid, Shizuki. They're Daddy's friends—your big brothers."
"Big brothers…" The girl let go of her mother's hem and walked over.
At first she stepped hesitantly, then faster, until she was skipping. She reached Roy and grabbed the hobbyhorse.
Seizing the moment, Roy used the hobbyhorse as a conduit and laid a layer of Nen over the girl.
Visibly—
The "aura" that had been pushed out by Minamino's intrusion, buoyed by Roy's "replenishment," returned to normal.
Outward proof came at once—
Her once-vacant eyes turned lively; she was back to being a bright, playful child.
Minamino saw it all. As a spirit, he sensed it even better than Roy. When Roy withdrew his hand, he dropped to his knees with a thud once more.
This time he didn't manage to say thanks—he'd said it enough these last few days.
Roy ignored him, and he and Tanjiro took Shizuki by the hands and followed Naoko into the wooden house.
A brazier glowed inside, much like the one Tanjūrō always nestled beside. A kettle steamed on top. An elderly woman, hands ruddy from rinsing laundry, sat cross-legged by the fire. Seeing Roy and Tanjiro, she poured them each a cup of hot tea with a cheerful smile.
They thanked her and sipped—
Then got back to business.
They handed over the goods Minamino had bought.
"These are the cloth bolts he pulled in town—he said they're for Auntie and Grandma to make a few outfits…"
"The hobbyhorse and sweets are gifts for Miss Shizuki…"
"And please keep this silver as well…"
"Child, did Hirochi say when he'll be back?" the old woman asked suddenly.
Silence fell across the room.