Chapter 45: Expectations x Let Me Measure Your 'Ren'
Sakonji Urokodaki nodded. He said nothing and asked nothing more.
All he said was, "We're eating well today."
He went to the cellar and brought out a wild boar's leg.
Once cured, the boar's leg was easy to preserve. Sliced thinly, it was an excellent choice for either a hot pot or sukiyaki. It was a shame the conditions on the mountain were so harsh; there was no wok in the wooden cabin. Otherwise, stir-frying the cured meat with some wild vegetables foraged from the mountain would have been a delicacy.
Bubble... bubble...
A hot pot simmered on the heated table. Master and student sat opposite each other, eating in silence, surrounded by a circle of hungry ghosts.
"Slurp~" Makomo crouched right beside Sakonji Urokodaki, watching him savor his meal, bite after unhurried bite. Her mouth watered uncontrollably.
"It smells so good, Sabito! Think of something, quick! I want some!"
I know it's delicious, you don't have to say it every single time, Sabito thought, shrugging helplessly. Without physical bodies, there was truly nothing they could do.
"If you ask me, Master is too biased." Shinsuke leaned against a wooden beam, his legs dangling, as he shot a jealous glance at Roy. "That Eiichiro guy asks for a day off, and he gets it. Not only does Master agree, but he even makes him a special meal... Is he afraid that if he sneaks home, he won't come back?"
What "invincible father"?
When that honest kid, Tanjiro, was still here, he'd practically spilled his entire family's history. It was precisely because their father, Tanjuro, was frail and sickly that the Kamado brothers had to go out and sell charcoal for a living. And now... Eiichiro was using a battle with his father as an excuse?
Was he afraid his father wasn't dying fast enough?
"You're just jealous." Fukuda made no attempt to hide his disdain for Shinsuke. "Can't a guy go home to visit? He's still so young, it's normal to be homesick."
"I never said he couldn't go back, I just think his excuse is ridiculous."
"Even if he'd just told the truth, no one would have said anything. I mean, who doesn't get homesick?"
"I don't have a home," Sabito said suddenly. "This is my home."
"Me too," Makomo added. "I was adopted."
"Me too..."
"And me..."
"Same here..."
Roy shoveled a mouthful of rice, listening in silence. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the man across from him. Sakonji Urokodaki was completely focused on his meal, as if nothing else mattered in the world but the food before him.
Only after the meal was finished did he brew a pot of tea, handing a cup to Roy. "Are you confident?" he asked.
Steam curled up from the teacup.
Roy's expression was grave. He rubbed the cup, not speaking right away, nor giving a definite answer. A test, after all, never had a hundred percent guarantee of success, especially when his own father was the one administering it.
"It seems your father is quite a handful," Sakonji remarked with a knowing sigh when he saw Roy's silence. "That makes sense. There are no geniuses in this world, not really... Only a formidable father can raise a formidable son."
"Aren't you curious, Master?" Roy didn't comment on the statement. He took a sip of tea and looked at Sakonji with a meaningful glint in his eyes. "You must have heard about my family situation from Tanjiro... Aren't you worried that I might slip up and kill my ailing father?"
"Will you?"
"No."
"Then what is there to be curious about?" Sakonji Urokodaki stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked to the window. He gazed out at the endless expanse of the snowy landscape and said softly, "People lie, but swords do not. Your training blade has already told me that everything you've said is true."
"Including the fight, and your invincible father."
The old Water Hashira turned back, looking at Roy with hope in his eyes. "Stand tall, Eiichiro!"
"Even if he is your father, you must treat him as an enemy and defeat him fair and square!"
"I will!" Roy raised his teacup and drained it in one gulp.
The next day, filled with a sense of anticipation, he leaped out of bed.
Dong~ The grandfather clock chimed. Four in the morning.
The boy gently caressed Snow-Walker by his pillow, pulled on a tank top and shorts, and began his morning run.
4:20, run finished. 4:25, stretching. 4:30, shower. Afterwards, he sat at the dining table and ate his breakfast at a steady, unhurried pace.
"Knowing it was your test today, Young Master, the kitchen specially prepared a strawberry cake to wish you success."
Sandwiches, milk, salad, and cake... "Gotoh, that's very thoughtful of you all."
"You are too kind, Young Master. It is merely our duty." Gotoh placed his right hand over his chest and bowed.
Roy nodded, accepting the gesture completely. He didn't waste a single bite, eating everything before wiping his mouth, grabbing Snow-Walker, and heading out the door with his head held high.
Today was a brilliant, sunny day. The morning glow chased after the boy, stretching his shadow long behind him. As he passed by the dimly lit room, Roy paused and bowed.
The old man lay on his rocking chair, listening to cartoons, seemingly oblivious. After Roy had left, he rolled over, turned his back to the corner and grumbled, "What are you standing there for? Get over here and massage my back."
A shadow stirred, and Zeno's figure emerged. A man in his sixties, still being summoned and dismissed like a grandson.
There was no trace of displeasure on Zeno's face as he walked over to Maha's side and began to knead his back. "I heard from the kitchen that you didn't want to eat breakfast, Grandfather, so I came to check on you."
"I'm not dead yet..." the old man grumbled irritably. "You raised a fine son. Can't even sleep in the middle of the night. What is he doing, trying to tear the house down?"
"His wife squeals louder than a pig! Might as well have him breed with a sow!"
A crude, boorish Enhancer... Zeno was suddenly reminded of his grandfather's evaluation of Netero for luring his father, Zzigg, away. It seemed the description fit his grandfather just as well.
He could only brace himself and defend his son. "You know how it is, they haven't had any results yet. Silva and Kikyo are anxious."
"Anxious? Is that why he's been hiding away? This old man isn't deaf or blind. I'd say he's just weak," Maha said slowly, tapping his fingers together. "Why not just make Roy the head of the family? That kid is diligent and pragmatic. He looks stronger than both of you."
That kid Roy cooked a few dishes for you and you're already this smitten?
"You must be joking, Grandfather. Let's wait until he passes Silva's test first," Zeno said, turning his head to glance out the window. Across the long corridor, the boy stood, Snow-Walker in hand, his sun-and-mountain earrings glinting as he walked with confidence.
He stopped ten meters from the training room.
Voom... His killing intent was so tangible it nearly distorted the space around him.
The boy tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes measuring the distance. Inside the training room, separated by a single door...
A man sat imposingly on a stone stool, casually playing with a soft whip in one hand while resting his chin on the other. He looked over with an air of relaxed confidence. His powerful, unrivaled Ren surged wantonly through the room, nearly blasting Illumi, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, clear across the floor.
My foolish, dear little brother formed a hand-blade and stabbed it fiercely into the wall, digging his fingers in to hold his ground. He looked up again...
The door to the room swung open!
Revealing Roy's perfectly calm face.