Simulation: Starting from Under One Person

'Is that so? Perhaps…'

Fang Rui didn't dwell on it, but said with some surprise, "Around 500 kilograms, that's a bit low!"

He had assumed that the Demon Slayer Corps, which controlled the two mines of Scarlet Gorilla Ore and Scarlet Gorilla Sand Iron, had a large reserve.

"Because Crimson Agate Ore and Crimson Agate Iron Sand are rather special ores, their quality will be affected if they are stored in a warehouse without sunlight for too long. Therefore, the amount of ore stored in the warehouse has always been kept to a minimum..."

“A ton or so of ore, that’s not a small amount…” Fang Rui raised an eyebrow slightly.

Forging a single Nichirin sword requires at most a few kilograms of ore, and one ton of ore can forge hundreds of swords...

Hmm~ when you add it all up, it's not that much!

The Demon Slayer Corps has always maintained a membership of several hundred people, and one ton of ore is estimated to be... insufficient to replace the swords of all members of the Demon Slayer Corps once.

but……

Replacing knives doesn't mean replacing hundreds of them at once!

In general, the ore reserves can be described as...

Is it a lot or a little?

"Just enough to maintain daily needs." Ubuyashiki Kagaya, unaware of Fang Rui's thoughts, explained, "The forging team needs to replace their Nichirin swords, the swordsmiths need to research better ones, some other uses require more, and we're keeping some ore just in case..."

"If I take half the ore at once, won't that disrupt the Demon Slayer Corps' normal operations?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Rui grasped the crux of the problem. His reason for collecting ore was merely to enrich his inventory. If the price of acquiring ore was the lives of many people, he would naturally refuse it wholeheartedly.

"No, it's just that the people in charge of mining will be a bit more tired," Kagaya Ubuyashiki answered frankly.

The people in charge of mining are the "Kakuna," the logistics unit of the Demon Slayer Corps. The members of Kakuna have slightly lower combat strength than other members of the Demon Slayer Corps, but are much stronger than ordinary people, and are very good at mining.

One ton of ore can be obtained in about a day.

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Fang Rui nodded slightly. "In that case, I will personally go to the sword-forging village."

"Let's go together! I really miss the hot springs in the sword-forging village."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who has regained his health, said he is very excited and wants to fully enjoy his newfound health.

As he spoke, Kagaya Ubuyashiki was eager to try, almost saying "Let's go."

"My lord..." Shinobu Kocho's voice was faint and uncertain, like a bucket of cold water being poured over him, instantly calming Kagaya Ubuyashiki down and turning his questioning gaze to her.

"What's up?"

The Ubuyashiki family's special intuition was telling him that trouble was brewing.

"Of course there's something to discuss. Although I trust Mr. Fang completely, necessary checks are still necessary."

Whether it was a misperception or not, Fang Rui sensed a hint of sarcasm in Shinobu Kocho's tone.

“…Okay.” Since Shinobu Kocho meant well, Kagaya Ubuyashiki did not refuse.

Then, his gaze turned to Fang Rui, and he opened his mouth as if to speak.

Before he could speak, Fang Rui interrupted, "Ms. Butterfly is right, so let Yiyong take me to the sword-forging village. You stay here and have a proper medical check-up..."

As he spoke, Fang Rui gently patted Tomioka Yoshiyuki on the shoulder, and Tomioka Yoshiyuki nodded slightly to indicate that there was no problem.

Although he longed to return to Mount Sagiri and have a heart-to-heart talk with Sabito and the others, it was only right to postpone his return home since his benefactor needed his help.

"Well then... goodbye."

After saying that, Fang Rui and Tomioka Yoshiyuki left the place.

The two figures disappeared around the corner of the wall. Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked away and said to Shinobu Kocho, "Let's go! The sooner we finish the medical check-up, the sooner we can leave."

As he spoke, Kagaya Ubuyashiki stepped forward, followed by two little girls.

Shinobu Kocho, who was standing nearby, had some questions about what had happened earlier, so she asked, "You seem to care a lot about that person."

"Of course I care. It has very special abilities, but they are not Blood Demon Arts. It has no ill will towards the Demon Slayer Corps, but its malice towards demons is quite obvious. Moreover, it has a need for Crimson Gorilla Ore and Crimson Gorilla Sand Iron. Does it control a swordsmith, or is it for some other purpose..."

"Furthermore, judging from his confident tone and some details, it is likely true that he possesses a lot of information about 'ghosts'."

"So... I want to get closer to him and get more information from him, so that... the casualties among the team members might be reduced."

and……

A person with special abilities!

How do people acquire special abilities?!

Whether it was innate or acquired for some other reason...

Watching Kagaya Ubuyashiki's retreating figure, Shinobu Kocho remained silent. As the person in charge of the Demon Slayer Corps' logistics and medical care, she was well aware of the heavy casualties suffered by the Demon Slayer Corps.

………………

The village of swordsmiths and the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps are quite far apart, but not particularly far.

After all, the importance of the sword-forging village is obvious, and it would be inconvenient to provide support if it were too far away.

On the other hand, because Nichirin Blades require maintenance, the Pillars frequently visit the Sword Forging Village, making it a relatively safe area.

Furthermore, a special method is required to reach the sword-forging village: one must cover one's eyes with bandages.

After some time, the two arrived at the knife-forging village.

The village, inhabited by a group of knife makers, didn't feel particularly special. It was more prosperous than an ordinary village, but not as lively.

The forging workshops are clustered on one side of the village, and the warehouses for storing ore are also in that area.

Before heading to the warehouse, they needed to inform the village head, so the two then went to the village chief's location.

"……no problem."

The village chief of the sword-forging village, or rather, the swordsmith village, Tetsuji Kawara no Tetsujin, readily agreed to the request made by Tomioka Yoshiyuki.

"Besides that, there's another thing..."

"Please speak..." Kawahara Tetsujin gestured for Fang Ruichang to speak freely.

"I'd like to see the forging techniques of Nichirin swords."

When Fang Rui asked to see the swordsmith village's signature skills, Kawahara Tetsujin did not get angry, but instead asked, "Why?"

“I’m planning to forge a special sword for two people, but I… don’t know much about the forging method of Nichirin Blades.”

Fang Rui slowly shook his head, speaking very tactfully.

What do you mean by "not very familiar"? You should say "completely unfamiliar".

"You..." Kawahara Tetsujin scrutinized Fang Rui, focusing on his face, hair, and hands, his tone gradually hardening, revealing his displeasure, "You're also a swordsmith?!"

Whether someone is a knife maker can be determined by certain details.

For example, people who frequently forge iron are generally quite physically strong, and their hands will bear the marks of forging, such as scars and calluses...

"To be precise, I am a weapon refiner, skilled in creating all kinds of weapons and wondrous instruments."

"A weapon refiner?!"

Kawahara Tetsujin's tone became increasingly dissatisfied with this.

Slender, fair hands, a handsome, fair face... You're telling me you're a blacksmith?!

Do you think I believe it or not?!

"If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate for you."

Kawahara Tetsujin's tone was so obvious that Fang Rui could easily detect the other party's malice. Combined with the other party's gaze and some other random things, he could guess the reason why the other party felt disgusted.

He happened to have some interest in ores and forging techniques, so there was no problem in proving it.

"Oh~" Upon hearing this, Kawahara Tetsujin was somewhat surprised. Such a confident statement increased the likelihood that Fang Rui was a swordsmith.

"Since you've made this suggestion, then come with me."

With that, Kawahara Tetsujin led the two to the workshop.

Inside the workshop, there weren't many craftsmen forging knives; most were gathered together discussing something.

Sharing insights and experiences is also a way to improve forging techniques.

Upon seeing the village chief, the craftsmen who were temporarily free simply nodded as a greeting; making a sound would surely disturb the craftsmen who were forging knives.

"please……"

Beside a fireplace, Kawahara Tetsujin, a short man wearing a fire mask, spoke.

Fang Rui's gaze fell on the forging table, where all the necessary tools were readily available, and the preliminarily refined ore was placed in a wooden box.

Fang Rui was unaware of any special forging methods for Nichirin swords, so he used ordinary forging techniques and forged swords that were not Japanese-style swords, but rather ring-pommel swords.

The style is quite ordinary, without any fancy patterns.

The craftsmen who witnessed Fang Rui forging the knife shared their opinions:

"What a beautiful knife!"

"A hundred-forged sword! Truly amazing..."

"Isn't the speed a bit too fast? A hundred-times-forged sword completed in just a few hours..."

Whether it was surprise, admiration, or doubt...

Various emotions were already evident in the conversation between the craftsmen. Fang Rui gripped the ring-pommel sword, his gaze fixed on the blade, as if trying to see if it would change color.

however……

'I don't seem to have learned breathing techniques, and whether my training method is correct is also...'

'never mind……'

Thinking this, Fang Rui withdrew his gaze and turned to the village chief of the knife-making village.

Having observed the entire process, Kawahara Tetsujin had already gained a preliminary understanding of Fang Rui's skills, recognizing him as a craftsman with considerable experience in blacksmithing.

Now that his identity has been proven, Kawahara Tetsujin naturally has to keep his promise.

"Come with me!"

With that, Kawahara Tetsujin turned and left.

The craftsmen in the village are all trained one-on-one. During the teaching process, no books are needed. They are taught by talking and practicing at the same time.