The Blacksmith's daugther was a witch (Tomioka Giyuu x reader)

Chapter 14: A Man with a hundred swords on his back

  Previously:

"Do you want to eat it downstairs or should I bring it here?" the girl asked slowly.

"I am supposed to be mute, not deaf..." thought (Y/N), slightly irked, but patted her palm on the tatami to indicate that she would prefer it to be delivered there.

"Here?" she asked to confirm that she understood and recieved a nod, "Okay then, I will bring it here in a few minutes." and she left the room.

After the girl left the room, (Y/N) sat down on the tatami floor and started thinking. Haganezuka was staying nextdoor so there was a fair chance the two of them would meet in the morning. She wasn't really opposed to the idea of traveling with him for a while but getting close to the swordsmith would also pose many problems. The biggest of all would be the constant danger of revealing her face to him. Sure, it was possible to slide her straw hat down into her face and take the mouthguard off after that but there was no telling when the man would ask her about it. It would be difficult to keep her identity hidden if he was to decide to find out the truth. She wasn't planning on staying in an inn every night and if she was asleep, she couldn't control what was happening around her.

This whole thing seemed like a risk that was a bit too big to take. However it pained her, she couldn't travel with the funny man and she had to dissapear so he would have no chance of catching up to her. With his childish curiosity and enthusiasm for smithery, she was sure he wouldn't let her leave just like that without many more days of explanations about her demon slaying blade and other stuff. Maybe she could manage one more day around him but any more was out of the question. She has to dissapear without a trace, by tomorrow's morning if possible.

A knock sounded on the door and she went to open it. There was the tavern lady with a bowl of hot udon. The witch nodded at her in thanks, took the food and turned back into her room. As she was eating, many thoughts were running through her mind. Did Haganezuka know Kyojuro, Shinobu or maybe even Giyuu? He mentioned knowing all of his clients personally after all. What she would give to have such a life...

But no, that wasn't her fate. She couldn't think like that, hope for things that would never become reality. There was a reason she was here right now and that was coming to know how humans really were. After finishing her meal, she took a paper out and wrote a letter. When she was finished, she went to sleep.

(Y/N) woke up early, before the sun has risen. It wasn't unusual for her, after all, she didn't need much sleep anyway thanks to her 'curse'. Quickly she packed up her things and checked the room for any traces of her ever staying there. Only an empty bowl and a big bowl of water, that was good. Before leaving the upstairs floor, she slid the letter from previous night under Haganezuka's door. She listened to his soft snoring for a second and then climbed down the stairs. After paying for her stay and food, she left without a word, never to be seen there again.

***

When Haganezuka Hotaru woke up, the sun was up and shining. He never was an early riser unless he had work to do. There was no work today but other things awaited him. He couldn't wait to talk more with Hakumei about that strange sword of his. How was it even possible for a nichirin sword to be colorless, he has never heard of anything like that happening before. But the rounin didn't seem fazed by it at all so maybe it was normal for him. Oh, so many facts to discover.

He stretched his arms and back and put his mask on so he could head over to room nextdoor to check if the man was awake. He didn't notice the folded paper laying by his door and walked out into the hallway. One knock on the door, then another.

"Oh, he is mute. There is no way he can just answer the door." thought the man and opened the room.

It was clean, almost as if no one was staying there the night before. Maybe he has headed down for breakfast already and didn't want to leave his things unguarded? He went back into his room and gathered the little belongings he's brought into a satchel. The swordsmith almost left but then his eyes landed on something white that wasn't there yesterday. A sheet of paper.

It finally made sense, he left him a note to say that he was waiting downstairs! But when he opened the letter, he soon found out that that wasn't the case.

Haganezuka-san,

It was a great pleasure for me to meet you. Sadly I am always on the road and I could not wait for you before continuing my jurney. It would not be a good thing to do anyway, because a man like me should travel alone. You would only be in danger. I am sure you know how to take care of yourself and are no longer in need of my protection. With that said I have made the decision to leave early in the morning so I can get as close to my next destination as I can by the dawn.

Please do not hold it against me that I have left before ever finishing our discussion about weapons but I really am in a hurry. Please do not try to find me as I amknown for having trouble following me everywhere I go. I do not wish for something bad to happen to you.

You are very invested in your craft and I find it admirable. I am sure your clients are the luckiestof the demon slayers with swords from such a man. You inspire me to become an even better blacksmith. Maybe we will meet again someday.

May you have a safe jurney home.

Until we meet again

Hakumei Ren.

So that was it... He was gone, silent and quick like the wind. He would follow him even when he told him not to but he had to get back home and he didn't even know where the rounin went. South? North? East? Maybe even West? There was no way to tell. And so he sadly went downstairs to eat and then start a jurney back to his village.

What a shame he didn't get to know anything about the mysterious sword or its weilder. But it was too late for that now. Maybe Hakumei just wanted to keep his secret and vanished in order to escape from him. The man sure was strange. Travelling all alone without a voice, it must have been difficult for him to get by. A mute merchant had much less sales than the one that shouts. And his letter was strange as well. So polite but familiar at the same time. Maybe he was just used to writing like that but he couldn't shake off the old vibe it emanated.

That rounin was strange in every single way. He smelled lightly like wisterias, a scent that a women, if anyone, would have. And yet he was so strong a fierce, so dangerous. His words were unusual and his handwriting elegant like that of a priest that has spent years learning it. And his clothing was strange too. While he had everything a man should have, the colors were boring and lacking pattern for someone that kills demons. Only the black dragon sillouette on his back added a bit of normallness to his attire but it was weird none the less. As if he crawled out of an old painting.

But it was too late to wonder about him. The man seemed like someone that wouldn't be found unless he wanted to. Maybe he would meet him again, just like the letter said. And if not, he would surely hear rumors about him. After all, no matter how hard he tried to be uninteresting with his dull clothes and hidden, unrecognizable face... Everyone would be talking about him soon. A man that goes around slaying monsters with a simple sword of steel, doesn't ask for a reward and just travels the land. His face hidden under a cloth mask and eyes shining brighter than the moon from under his hat...

He would be recognized by everyone because he was a man with a hundred of swords on his back.