"I will do my best," Shinobu Kocho's voice held a hint of laughter.
"So, can you let go of my hand for a moment?" Lexon slightly moved the hand she was tightly gripping.
"..." Shinobu Kocho didn't respond. She lowered her head slightly, and her hand didn't let go either.
"..." Lexon remained somewhat silent as well.
It was difficult to walk with her holding on like that.
"It looks like Lady Shinobu succeeded?!!"
"Wow, wow... is the Butterfly Mansion going to have a master soon?"
"What should we call him? What should we call him!!"
"You girls, lower your voices!!"
At that moment, several figures hidden near the wisteria flowers suddenly spoke up.
It wasn't hard to tell that the first three voices belonged to the three dot-eyed girls of the Butterfly Mansion, and the last voice stopping them was Aoi Kan, the medical staff member.
When Lexon and Shinobu Kocho's gazes shifted toward the noisy girls.
"So... sorry, Lady Shinobu Kocho and Lord Mist Hashira!!" The girls immediately stopped their chatter and spoke in a panicked manner.
Immediately after, they fled in a panic.
Thanks to this interlude, Shinobu Kocho seemed a bit embarrassed that the girls had witnessed the scene, so her fingers finally released their tight grip on Lexon's.
"Let's go and see the Master," Lexon said.
But just as he finished speaking, Shinobu Kocho's hand once again tightly gripped Lexon's.
"..."
Lexon looked at Shinobu Kocho, unsure of what to say.
...
"The swordsmen will be gathering here in a few days... How about staying for a while, Lexon?" Inside the room, Kagaya Ubuyashiki spoke to Lexon, who was sitting before him.
"Alright," Lexon replied with a nod.
The flow of time in the Demon Slayer world was synchronized with reality.
There was a one-month gap between the opening of the next plot world and the previous one.
Since he had only been in the Demon Slayer world for about a week so far... staying a bit longer didn't matter.
"Mm..." Kagaya Ubuyashiki hummed in response.
Then, his gaze moved to the hand being held at Lexon's side, and he smiled gently. "Has Shinobu succeeded...?"
"Not exactly," Lexon's expression remained unchanged. "She just won't let go."
"I see..." The smile on Kagaya Ubuyashiki's face grew wider. He looked at Shinobu Kocho and said, "You must keep at it, Shinobu."
"Yes, I will, Master," Shinobu Kocho replied with a gentle smile toward Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
"Then, Lexon, where will you be staying these few days..." Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked at Lexon.
"In the Master's estate..."
"I have already made arrangements at the Butterfly Mansion."
Before Lexon could finish answering, Shinobu Kocho cut in.
"It's the same room you lived in before." Shinobu Kocho looked at Lexon, her purple eyes flickering with a hint of cunning and anticipation.
"The rooms in the estate are already full," Kagaya Ubuyashiki added with a smile.
Who are you kidding?
Lexon naturally knew through Perception that Kagaya Ubuyashiki was lying through his teeth.
However, he didn't bother to expose him.
Then, Lexon calmly withdrew his hand before Shinobu Kocho could notice and said "Alright" to her as she looked slightly dazed by the movement.
Having received an affirmative response, a joyful smile blossomed on Shinobu Kocho's face.
Afterward, Lexon and Kagaya Ubuyashiki chatted about many things regarding this world...
Especially concerning the clan of priests that his family had intermarried with for generations.
Lest it be forgotten... the Ubuyashiki clan only found a way to survive longer under their curse with the guidance of a priest from a certain era.
But why did the priest know such things?
Under the guidance of the gods?
Connecting this with settings in the original work, such as the souls of evildoers going to Hell...
In this world... perhaps there really were so-called gods...
Lexon naturally wanted to understand as much as possible about his base of operations.
However, Kagaya Ubuyashiki couldn't provide any good answers to these questions.
The matter could only be dropped.
"It's getting late, I'll be heading back now," Lexon said, taking his leave of Kagaya Ubuyashiki at sunset.
"Mm," Kagaya Ubuyashiki replied.
Afterward, Lexon presented his gifts to the Ubuyashiki couple. After receiving their thanks, he and Shinobu Kocho returned to the Butterfly Mansion side by side.
Upon stepping through the gate of the Butterfly Mansion, Shinobu Kocho stopped in her tracks.
Lexon noticed and looked back at her with some confusion.
Is she going for another novel direct approach?
"Gift," Shinobu Kocho said, staring straight at Lexon and extending a hand toward him.
Clearly, she had been moved after seeing Lexon give gifts to the Ubuyashiki couple and wanted a gift for herself as well.
"Here," Lexon naturally had a gift ready for Shinobu Kocho, one of the few people in this world he shared a bond with. He took it out of his spatial ring and placed it in her hand.
The gift wasn't large, just the right size to rest in the palm of her hand.
"Can I open it?" Her purple eyes shimmered with light, ripples forming within them as she looked at Lexon with an intense gaze.
"As you wish," Lexon replied.
Upon receiving his answer, Shinobu Kocho unwrapped the gift and opened the small box.
A sapphire necklace lay quietly in the box, emitting a dazzling and moving blue light.
"How beautiful..." Shinobu Kocho's gaze was instantly captivated by the necklace's beauty, and she couldn't help but murmur.
"It's a good item; wearing it daily is beneficial for the body," Lexon said in a flat tone.
This necklace was a creation from a magical world, sold by a Reincarnator at the Reincarnator Plaza.
A mage from that magical world had enchanted it with many spells beneficial to the body.
Such as 'Youthful Beauty' and 'Good Health'...
Because of this, it wasn't cheap, costing tens of thousands.
But for Lexon, tens of thousands of Reincarnation Points were nothing, so he bought it as a gift.
"I will wear it always... Lexon..." Shinobu Kocho's face was full of happy smiles, her eyes shining with emotion.
"Do you like it?"
"I like it... I like it very much..." Shinobu Kocho clutched the gift in both hands against her chest and spoke with a smile.
"Hm... I thought girls would like this... As long as both you and Nezuko like it, then it's fine," Lexon said to Shinobu Kocho.
Hearing Lexon's words, Shinobu Kocho's expression instantly froze. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she stopped speaking, clutching the gift box as she walked ahead.
Watching her departing back, a slight smile appeared on Lexon's face.
Shinobu Kocho's actions and reactions today felt interesting to him.
And vaguely... something slightly different seemed to be taking root...
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]