Kanao and I talked for a while after that with her informing me of the events that took place.
And as expected, the final selection posed no challenge to her as she had told me about her time there.
Although it was a breeze for her, the same couldn't be said for the other participants.
Apparently, out of all the forty or so participants, only 4 of them managed to pass—kanao herself was included in this number.
The rest however, i would assume most of them got bodied and few might have ran away but those don't matter anyway.
The ones who interest me are the other three who passed.
I had inquired about them but she hadn't cared enough to get their names and could only describe from what she observed.
She told me one of them was a guy who was scowling the entire time she saw him and seemed to be bad tempered.
He had caused some trouble at the ore selection by grabbing one of the overseers head but was stopped by another.
The one who stopped him was a dark red haired kid who was also the first to choose the ore to be made into his sword.
The last one was a yellow haired boy who was quite timid and had so little prescience, she didn't pay him too much attention.
Though, she did wonder how he passed…
After the whole ordeal and she was on her way home, she ended up running into some demons who blocked her path.
And by the time she reached home, it was already day light and I was out already to do my own thing.
After we finished talking, I told her she should go get some rest and sent her to bed while I cleaned up…
I hurriedly finished washing the dishes, got a nice soak and went to bed.
***
At early dawn, I woke up as usual feeling refreshed even though I got less than 4 hours sleep.
One of the perks I got as a cultivator—the stronger I become, the less I feel the need to sleep or eat.
"Lucien! Lucien!"x3
"Keep it down will you! There are injured and sick people staying here, remember!"
These noisy children are always liven up the mornings at the manor with Aoi behind them being strict.
I bent down and picked up the three gremlins making them giggle, completely ignoring Aoi's ranting.
"Hmhmm. Cut them some slack Aoi, they are children." I said to Aoi trying to calm her down.
But who knew she would turn on me. "You keep spoiling them, you know. So you're partly to blame. If you keep spoiling them like this, they won't stop doing it. You should be a responsible adult and have them learn manners. What? Are you gonna be around all the time to clean up after them? What if blah blah blah…"
I tuned out after that.
She was always like this. Her personality is somewhat similar to how shinobu was before kanae died…
Loud and volatile.
"See you're not listening to a word I said!"
"Okay. Okay. No need to get so worked up, Mkay. I'll discipline them later."
Seeing she was getting riled up, I tried to calm her down.
"Hmph! Like I'll believe you!" She crossed her arms and turned her head.
I could only stifle a laugh at that before I caught sight of someone behind her down the hall.
Hm?
Seeing me look behind her, Aoi turned to see what I was looking at.
"Ah. Lady Shinobu! Good morning!" She greeted the person.
This person was Shinobu Kocho, the master of the butterfly mansion. She was carrying a sizable basket which was filled with herbs.
"Good morning, Aoi." Shinobu returned the greeting with her smile.
She continued to extend 'good mornings' to the three girls while I put them down before turning to me.
"Good morning, Lucien. Going out to train again?"
"Yep. Not much to do other than that." I answered.
Meanwhile Aoi grabbed the girls and left to do their chores
"How is the Hashira status going for you?" I asked as she adjusted the basket in her arms.
Shinobu let out a small sigh, though she still carried her usual smile.
"Busier than ever. The number of injured has increased lately, so the mansion needs constant attention. On top of that, there are my duties outside—missions, reports, meetings with Lord Ubuyashiki…" She trailed off briefly before shaking her head lightly.
"It's manageable, but the work never ends."
I frowned. "Sounds like you've taken on three people's worth of responsibility."
"That's part of being a Hashira," she replied. "Still, sometimes I wish I could focus more on my research here, instead of running back and forth all the time."
"You know," I said, crossing my arms, "if you keep overworking yourself, you'll collapse before the demons even get to you."
Her eyes narrowed, but her tone was amused. "Lucien, are you lecturing me now? You sound like Aoi when she gets bossy."
I smirked. "Guess I picked up a few things from her."
Then, more sincerely, I added, "Just… don't push yourself too far. You've already lost enough. No one's asking you to carry everything alone."
For a brief moment her smile softened, the teasing edge fading. "I know. Thank you, Lucien."
We stood there in comfortable silence for a moment before she adjusted her grip on the basket.
"Well, I should get these herbs sorted before they wilt. And you have your training to get to, don't you?"
"Yeah." I gave a little wave. "Don't work yourself into the ground, Sister."
She chuckled softly at the title. "And you, don't get lost in the mountains."
With that, she turned down the corridor, her steps light despite the weight she carried, while I headed towards the waterfall area a few miles from the mansion…
It took a few minutes of running to reach but once I get there I saw a familiar face.
"Oi, Gyomei! Never thought I'd see you here!"
"Hm? Lucien? Is that you? Why are you here?"
This guy here is Gyomei. One of the hashiras and arguably the strongest of them all.
Apparently he became a hashira only after two months of training.
"I came to meditate," I replied, walking up to him.
Gyomei tilted his head slightly in my direction.
Even though his eyes were closed, he didn't need them to sense me. "Meditation… a noble pursuit. Few young men value stillness these days."
I scratched the back of my neck with a sheepish grin.
"Well, I wouldn't call myself the average young man. Besides, this spot is too good to pass up. You get peace, fresh air, and the cold water keeps you sharp."
He nodded, his massive frame seeming so at ease despite the crushing noise of the falls.
"This place has been a sanctuary for me. I often come here to remind myself of what it means to remain grounded. Demons are unyielding, merciless… so we must make our hearts stronger than steel."
"Wise words, as always," I said, smirking. "Though I think my chi does most of the work for me in that department."(they know about chi but doesn't know he literally use it)
Gyomei let out a deep hum, almost like a prayer. "Power without discipline is meaningless. Even the most brilliant flame will consume itself if not guided."
I didn't argue with him. Instead, I removed my midriff piece and stepped under the crashing water.
The icy torrent struck my shoulders and head with a force that would've made anybody else other than me tense instantly.
Crossing my legs, I sat on the stone beneath the fall, water pounding down on me as if trying to drive me into the earth.
My hands clasped together in my lap, fingers interlocked. I closed my eyes, steadying my breath.
Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale.
The sound of the waterfall drowned out the world, but in that noise I found silence.
Each drop of water striking my skin reminded me of the weight of life, the countless grains of time falling, one after another.
Somewhere beyond the cascade, I could faintly hear Gyomei's steady chants, his voice carrying like a temple bell beneath the storm of rushing water.
I let myself sink deeper into meditation, thoughts quieting, body still.
And immediately after, I found myself in a world of blue.
Chapter 4 end