Hearing the footsteps, Yuki assumed it was Gyomei arriving.
But to his surprise, the newcomer turned out to be Shinobu, carried on the back of her own Kakushi.
Yuki could sense that the Kakushi carrying Shinobu was breathing more easily than the one carrying him.
Clearly, Shinobu's petite frame posed no significant burden to her carrier.
Though she carried her Nichirin Blade, the added weight was negligible.
After all, she had modified her blade to suit her unique fighting style.
Her Nichirin Blade was designed for maximum lightness, with only a short, sharp edge at the tip.
When Shinobu felt the Kakushi's footsteps halt, she gracefully flipped off his back.
Spotting Yuki standing nearby, she greeted him with a smile.
But when she noticed he hadn't moved, she couldn't help but ask:
"Mr. Yuki, what are you doing here?"
The moment Yuki saw Shinobu, a peculiar smile spread across his face.
He knew he had set out earlier than her, yet she had arrived at the Swordsmith Village around the same time.
Seeing this, Yuki immediately understood why Gyomei hadn't arrived yet.
He simply said, " Gyomei set out earlier than I did, but he still hasn't arrived."
Shinobu paused, her smile unwavering, but a hint of concern flickered in her eyes. "Lord arranged for us to depart in staggered groups. Although the Kakushi carrying us took different routes, since I've already arrived, Mr. Gyomei should have been here by now."
"Could he have received an urgent mission from Lord?"
"Or perhaps they encountered Demons along the way, causing a delay?"
Yuki smiled but remained silent, standing his ground.
Shinobu immediately caught on, her expression turning peculiar. After pacing for a moment, she followed Yuki's example and stood at the entrance of Swordsmith Village to wait.
A while later, Yuki and Shinobu heard footsteps approaching again.
This time, it wasn't Gyomei who appeared, but Muichiro being carried by a Kakushi.
After removing his blindfold and seeing Yuki and Shinobu standing at the village entrance, Muichiro nodded at them in greeting.
Without saying another word, he found a spot nearby and squatted down on the ground.
Yuki glanced at him and noticed Muichiro seemed to be observing an ant nest on the ground.
Next to arrive was Obanai.
He froze upon seeing the two standing figures and one squatting figure at the village entrance.
Shinobu explained the situation to him.
Obanai paused for a long moment before muttering, "Boring."
With that, he turned to leave.
Yuki chuckled and suddenly called out, "Mitsuri should be arriving soon."
At these words, Obanai froze in place as if struck by a binding spell.
True to his word, Mitsuri arrived next, carried by her own Kakushi.
Yuki could overhear her conversation with the Kakushi carrying her:
"I'm so sorry, I must be quite heavy," Mitsuri said apologetically.
"I shouldn't have eaten before we left," she added.
The Kakushi carrying her, also a woman, chuckled. "Not at all! You're actually very slender."
"Besides, you're a Pillar who slays demons. Eating well is essential!"
Indeed, Mitsuri was a genuine glutton, and it was even rumored that her muscle fiber density was eight times that of an average person.
Yet, despite her appetite, Mitsuri wasn't particularly heavy.
Yuki recalled her actual height was 167 centimeters, and her weight was 56 kilograms.
For these trained Kakushi, such a height and weight posed no real burden.
When Mitsuri spotted the four figures at the village entrance, her eyes lit up, and she called out cheerfully, "Everyone! Are you here to welcome me?"
Yuki continued to smile silently, while Shinobu laughed and took Mitsuri's hand, explaining the situation in detail.
Upon hearing the explanation, Mitsuri's face initially showed a hint of disappointment, but she quickly burst into laughter.
"You guys are really... Ah, no! I'm staying here to wait too!"
Almost simultaneously, Kyojuro, Tomioka, and Sanemi arrived.
Even from a distance, Yuki could hear Kyojuro's voice:
" Sanemi!"
"I don't understand why you always want to argue with Tomioka!"
"But just hearing your voices tells me you're both in high spirits!"
As he spoke, Kyojuro received a signal from the Kakushi and removed his blindfold, exclaiming in surprise:
"Take off your blindfolds too!"
"Everyone's waiting for us at the village entrance!"
Hearing this, Sanemi's usually irritable voice faltered.
He removed his blindfold and stared at the five figures gathered at the village entrance, momentarily stunned.
Traveling to Swordsmith Village together for Yuki's training was indeed a rare group activity outside of the Pillar Meetings.
But was it really necessary for everyone to wait here at the entrance?
Though Kyojuro also didn't know why everyone was gathered, his naturally cheerful and outgoing nature led him to join them without hesitation.
He even pulled Tomioka along.
Seeing this, Sanemi could only suppress his doubts and remain at the village entrance.
"Gorgeous!"
"Absolutely gorgeous!"
"I never expected everyone to be waiting at the entrance to welcome me!"
Yuki recognized Tengen's voice instantly.
Beneath Tengen, a Kakushi breathing heavily let out a sigh of relief.
Yuki felt deep sympathy for the Kakushi tasked with carrying Tengen.
Here's a little-known fact:
Tengen stands 198 centimeters tall and weighs 95 kilograms!
That alone would be manageable, but let's not forget that this "Gorgeous Bro" wields a pair of massive, sturdy swords. And to maintain his flamboyant style, he wears an abundance of heavy accessories that certainly don't lighten the load.
Now that Tengen had arrived, the true heavyweight was sure to appear next!
Yuki gazed expectantly into the distance, finally hearing a Buddhist chant:
"Namu Amida Butsu."
"Thank you for your trouble. I could have walked myself..."
A Kakushi whose legs were trembling visibly struggled to carry Gyomei into view...