4 Marriage

"I didn't go too far, just remained atop the mountain." He responded as he moved and settled upon the mat, lending a hand in the task. He possessed some basic knowledge of these medicinal roots. After all, he had observed his mother doing the same work since his early years.

His mother was reluctant to let him go beyond their home as she still didn't recover from the tramatic experience she had sixteen years back. It was no wonder, considering even Quinn himself had experienced few nightmares of that day.

His mother kept silent about his father, a she was fully aware that no one in the village would believe the story she was saying.

Consequently, she refrained from telling any details about that that night or the fate of his father. In her mind, he was just a mere child back then, not being able to remember anything.

Despite being being a reincarnator, he couldn't help but accept her motherly love, since she treasured him after his father's death.

"Quinn, would you like to learn about your father?" Akiko unexpectedly asked the question, leaving him surprised by her sudden willingness to talk about the topic.

"Why did you suddenly bring that up, Mother?" He inquired, as his curiosity piqued.

Stopping her work, she shifted her gaze towards him, her attention fully captured.

"I caught wind of something yesterday, someone out in the woods made remarks about you not having a father. Is what I heard truth?" She questioned, a tinge of anger coloring her words. After all, having escaped with her life, her son was the sole reason she was living, having lost her family and husband to that vile demon.

Quinn's day to day routine after returning from the mountains was eating breakfast and going to gather medicinal herbs, he was accompanied by a few of young villagers who relied on the forest as their livelihood.

Just a few miles away from their village a town named Mizukiri was located, it was the place where the villagers would trade their harvested vegetables and firewood, and other goods.

Letting out a sigh, he replied, "Alright, it's true. But I did give him a good beating. So let's put that aside for now. Tell me about Father and where we lived before arriving in this village." He was quite curious to know where they lived before arriving in this village.

Taking a deep breath, Akiko recollected her past.

"We used to live in a village called Iwamoto. Everything was beautiful until that night.... that night the village huts were engulfed in flames, and out of nowhere, a monstrous creature, which I can even describe, began slaughtering our people. Thanks to your father's family, they bought us some time to escape. And then..." Her voice trembled as she explained the painful memories, tears rolling down her eyes.

"I understand that not everyone witnessed those events, so I won't ask you to believe, but that is what happened to your father." She confessed, understanding it's hard to believe.

He gently wiped away her tears. "Mother, I trust you. Let's stop here for today, my stomach is growling. Have you prepared something to eat?" he inquired, hoping to lighten the somber atmosphere with a change of topic.

Wiping away her tears, Akiko stood up and headed to the kitchen to bring his breakfast. As she departed, Quinn's gaze suddenly sharpened.

'That's the reason why I never wanted to be trapped in these anime worlds. But that sadistic bastard...I'll personally end him.' He spoke silently within his thoughts. He was not Tanjiro Kamado, but a an ordinary human from Earth, he valued his life above all else.

He wasn't deeply worried in the story; while he sympathized with the hashiras and their tragic backstories, he didn't feel compelled to risk his own life to save them, of course if it's somthing he can do without dying he will do to change the events as he felt they did not deserve death.

His mother returned with a plate filled with a handful of rice balls and a cup full of vegetable soup. As he savored the meal, she gazed at him fondly.

"Quinn, my, how you've grown," she Sighed. "You won't believe it, but Haruka Suzuki, the village head's wife, approached me and proposed a marriage between her daughter and you."

"Cough Cough." Quinn suddenly coughed, choking on his food.

"Marriage? But I'm only 16." He exclaimed, quickly reaching for the water his mother offered.

Akiko wore a worried expression. "What's wrong? Isn't it normal to get married at 16?" she asked.

'Cough.' 'I completely forgot that this demon slayer story takes place in the Taisho Period, meaning underage marriages were quite common in this era.'

Moreover, in the village, with his looks, he was easily one of the most sought-after young men by the parents who are seeking to marry their daughters.

"Uh, forget about it. Let's not think about this whole marriage thing for now." He quickly stopped, attempting to shift the conversation in a different direction.

But his mother wouldn't let him off the hook so easily. "How can we simply brush aside something as significant as marriage? If you're not interested in their daughter, what about that girl you're always talking to? Can't you see she likes you?"

Akiko didn't stop, firing question after question. Quinn found himself unable to counter all the things she was saying, so he quickly finished his meal and hurriedly left the house.

while he was lost in thoughts about evading this marriage thing, he entered into the forest. However, he soon put that thoughts aside as it wasn't his important concern nor something he had to think about now.

Completing his work, he made his way back to the village, keeping in mind the rule to return before 6 in the evening which was put by his mother.

His nightly routine, consisting of enjoying his dinner and settling down on the mat for sleep. His mother had already dozed off on a nearby mat.

Lying there, gazing at the ceiling of the hut, his thoughts delved into deep contemplation.

With a sigh, he pondered over the lingering question: how much longer would he have to stay in this place? While he did have a plan in mind, he knew that he would require assistance from the system to execute it.

However, that wasn't his main concern. The true problem is that if he chose to fight the demons, he would have to leave his mother behind. He couldn't find a solution for this problem.

In addition to that, he was also lacking crucial information, such as the location of his current house and in what time he was in the story of the demon slayer.

Contemplating all these things, he gradually slumbbered to sleep

Outside his house, the radiant full moon cast its beautiful light upon the earth, increasing the village's beauty.

However, a few silhouettes suddenly infiltrated the tranquil village, ready to shatter the peaceful night and dye the white snow with red blood.