Murman's thorn (Genmui)

~°•°~ Chapter 3 ~°•°~

"Hello, Witch Shinobu..." Tanjiro said calmly, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Hello, courtier Tanjiro. What brings you to my mansion?" The witch asked calmly, smiling as per usual.

"I'll explain it to you in details. Don't tell anyone about what I say, and I'll pay you ten thousand gold."

"Hm... And what makes you think I accept bribes?"

"Well..."

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"Hm... I see... She was cursed by some evil witchcraft. She doesn't have the black death. That's why the medicinew weren't working," Shinobu said calmly after making the diagnosis.

"Cursed?! Who!? When?! Can you lift it?" Genya exclaimed with wide eyes as soon as he heard the word ‘witchcraft’.

"Unfortunately, I cannot. I do know a way to save her, though," Shinobu answered. Her face was always calm and composed, and she was always smiling. Even now, she had that face on.

"Please tell me! I'll do anything to save her..." The king said with a pleading voice.

"You cannot marry her," Shinobu said. Witches are straightforward.

"W-What?.." Genya stopped in his tracks, staring at the witch with a shocked expressions.

"The curse will only be lifted when a person with the ability to lift the curse marries her. Unfortunately, that ability cannot be given away or used to help others, as it is aura. Just give her away or something," Shinobu said with a blank face, shrugging.

"You're talking about Muichiro as if she's some sort of an object..." Genya said with an annoyed voice.

"I don't know how to put it in other words, but you have to do it if you want her to live... If you really love her, you'll let her go," Shinobu quoted, turning away to leave.

"Is there really no other way...?" Genya said quietly, holding back his tears.

"Unfortunately, there isn't." The witch said and finally left.

Genya looked at the unconscious Muichiro on the hospital bed, and kneeled down in front of her. He started to cry for, probably the fifth time that day.

"I'm sorry, Muichiro..." Genya kept saying while crying, his forehead on the edge of the bed.

After Genya managed to pull himself together, he got up with a cold expression and left the infirmary room.

***

Genya sat in the debate hall with all of his underlings:

- The courtier, Tanjiro,
- The commander-in-chief, Ryota,
- The financier, Hiroki,
- The counselor, Zenitsu,
- And some knights, Inosuke, Murata, etc.

"I have found out what has happened to Muichiro," Genya said in a tired voice, taking a deep breath.

Tanjiro was maintaining a calm demeanor despite his happiness. He knew he was the only person who could "cure" Muichiro, so he was just waiting for the moment to speak.

"I'll be straightforward," Genya said, standing up from his seat. "Who wants to marry Muichiro? Only the person who has the ability to cure her can marry her. Are any of you aware of it?"

For a while, everyone was quiet.

Then, Tanjiro stood up. "While I was telling the witch to come here yesterday, she said something about me having a special... Aura or something like that. Is that what she told you?" Tanjiro raised an eyebrow, putting on the most believable act imaginable and waiting for Genya to answer.