38| Last survivors

                                    

                                          
I almost had five heart attacks writing this chapter, I warn you.

Three days had passed since the intense battle in the village of the swordsmiths, and all the Hashira involved in the fight had recovered at the Butterfly Mansion. The swordsmiths, on their part, had relocated the village and had already begun its reconstruction with the help of the Kakushi. We, the Hashira, were now gathered in the master's house, all sitting on our knees on the floor, waiting for his arrival. The atmosphere was filled with a tense calm, a result of our recovery and the fresh memories of the battle.
"How is everyone's recovery going?" Iguro asked, addressing all of us, though his attention was clearly on Mitsuri, who sat beside me. 
She flashed a broad smile, her eyes lighting up before she replied: "Thank you for asking, Iguro! I'm feeling much better, and my strength is coming back quickly."
Instinctively, I touched the bandage on my cheek. Though I was already in full shape, Shinobu had ordered me to keep it on for at least two more days after stitching my skin with needle and thread. Iguro looked at me, waiting for my response. "My cheek doesn't hurt anymore, so I guess the wound is healing well. After all, it was Shinobu who stitched it up."
Shinobu smiled at me in response to the compliment. Iguro glanced at Sanemi, who simply nodded, indicating he was fine. Apparently, the two of them had been talking a lot lately. I suppose they had already settled their differences since they hadn't spoken to each other for two days. Fortunately, everything seemed to have returned to normal between them. Moreover, Sanemi's bandages on his hands had been removed, and he had barely any scars left, which made me sigh with relief. 
Tokito, sitting on my other side, was also recovered and had a new youthful sparkle in his eyes. Hope shone in them, and the memory of his family had made him even stronger. Tomioka said nothing, and Himejima remained silent as well, while Tengen took the opportunity to tease us whenever he could, making comments about how the bandages took away our style.
In the midst of this atmosphere of recovery and camaraderie, the wait for the master felt less burdensome. I didn't miss the fleeting glance Sanemi shot at me. His eyes expressed something I couldn't quite decipher—perhaps doubt or fear—but I couldn't figure it out before he looked away.
The door slid open smoothly, and the master's wife entered, radiating serene calm. At that moment, we all bowed our heads to the floor in a gesture of respect. The silence grew even deeper, filled with solemn reverence.
She approached with steady steps and stopped in front of us. With a soft but firm voice, she began to speak. "The master cannot attend to you personally due to his illness," she explained. "So, I will do so in his place."
Though her words were simple, the weight of her presence and the authority with which she spoke made it clear that she was fully capable of assuming that role in the master's absence. Himejima offered a polite greeting, and the rest of us fell into respectful silence.
"There is something important I must tell you," Amane began. "Something we have recently discovered. We believe we know the reason for the attack on the village."
My eyes widened, and the others mirrored my expression. I expected Amane to continue explaining the reason, but to my surprise, she turned to me, her kind yet determined eyes meeting mine, and extended a hand toward me. "(Y/n), you entered the castle, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes," I nodded, feeling a bit nervous about being the focus of the master's wife's attention. She was more imposing than he was. Surely my raven had already informed the master of my entry into the castle.
"The castle?" Tengen asked.
"It's like their secret hideout," Mitsuri replied, who had also reached the castle gates. "It was full of demons."