Demon Progenitor Development Project

"Immortality is impossible." Shugo said calmly, earnestly reasoning with Muzan.

Even if you were Kibutsuji Muzan, you only lived for a little over a thousand years. Although there was an element of your own suicidal behavior involved.

Even the sun will one day go out.

Immortality is a complete and utter false proposition.

Shugo repeatedly cited the tragic fates of those who sought immortality. Taking elixirs was already quite normal; the more fashionable approach was to exchange blood and organs from younger people. The former was useless, but the latter was effective.

Looking at Muzan's expression, Shugo knew that this was probably going to be a long-term project.

—Three years later—

Ten years old is the common coming-of-age age for young men in Kyoto.

Today is the day Muzan is crowned.

The location is Ubuyashiki. No matter how many years Muzan lived in the Fujiwara Kita family, he could never escape the fact that he was a descendant of Ubuyashiki.

He'll have to go back sooner or later.

The one who crowned him was naturally Fujiwara no Shugo.

This also announced to the noble forces that he, Fujiwara Shugo, the current head of the Fujiwara Hoku family, would become Muzan's political protector and patron.

Muzan is the eldest son, which means he will inherit the Ubuyashiki family, and also means that the Ubuyashiki's political stance will become [Fujiwara].

The nobleman who had once learned of the impending death of the eldest son of the Ubuyashiki family seemed to be deep in thought.

Noble families with daughters of marriageable age carefully observe eligible noblemen.

They joined in the whispers and glances of the other nobles, but always wore smiles of blessing on their faces.

This includes Agu.

Ako has already undergone the coming-of-age ceremony and has a formal name: Fujiwara no Yorimichi.

Fujiwara no Yorimichi was laughing so hard his teeth were almost showing.

That bastard who fought with him for his brother's affections and looked down on him in every way has finally been kicked out of his house!

As the center of attention, Muzan had a calm expression, snow-white skin, and her hair was tied up instead of being down as before, exuding elegance and nobility in every gesture.

With a gratified smile, Shugo cut off the hair tie and put on a crown. Looking at the tall, handsome young man in front of him, he felt a great sense of accomplishment.

This is the joy of nurturing a character.

His official name has already been chosen by the head of the Ubuyashiki family: Tsukihiko.

Muzan wasn't very happy.

After his coming-of-age ceremony, he would move back to the Ubuyashiki family. There was no reason for him to stay at the Fujiwara Kita family anymore; he would return to a home that was completely unfamiliar to him.

When Shugo first discussed this matter with Muzan, Muzan, unusually, threw a tantrum despite his health.

He didn't understand why he had to leave his familiar place and return to what he called home.

"You can still come back to stay occasionally in the future, I don't mind," Shugo earnestly comforted him.

Once you're an adult, staying in the Fujiwara Kita family would be illegitimate.

"You mean other people mind?" Muzan said, picking at the issue with a displeased expression.

For example, that idiot Agu, and for example... the head of the Fujiwara family.

Muzan bit his lip, knowing there was no turning back, and began to demand benefits for himself.

Hiiragi agreed to all of them, except for requests such as visiting him often.

The second phase of the development plan has begun. If the first phase was called "being good to you," this phase is called "feeling a sense of disappointment."

It's time for the pampered cat to experience the benefits of having an owner.

Shugo, smiling as he agreed to Muzan's various conditions, thought calmly.

Suppressing his displeasure, Muzan forced a smile and socialized with the nobles, noticing a persistent gaze fixed on him.

Muzan frowned slightly, followed the gaze, and turned to look at the child hiding to the side.

The child resembled him, and so did the location.

They were probably his siblings.

Upon realizing he had been discovered, the child ran timidly to Muzan and called out.

"Brother."

The six-year-old boy looked at his completely unfamiliar older brother, whom his mother always seemed unhappy about. He wanted to talk to his brother.

Muzan's aloof demeanor kept people at arm's length. He showed no warmth or affection that one would expect from blood relatives. His gaze was cold, and he responded with indifference, ignoring the child after fulfilling his courtesy.

The child was intimidated by the other person's imposing presence and stammered, unable to utter a word.

Muzan ignored the child and left.

The servant, who was hurrying around looking for something, saw the lost child and quickly stepped forward to grab the running young master, whispering something to him.

"Second Young Master, Madam is looking for you."

The child then stopped resisting and followed the servant back into his mother's arms.

Lady Tokuko checked anxiously, and only breathed a sigh of relief after finding nothing amiss. Then she began to criticize.

"How could you go there? What if he does something to you?"

Lady Tokuko's eyes revealed hostility towards Muzan, and she lost the position of head of the family that she could have obtained because of him.

At least not before Ubuyashiki Tsukihiko dies.

Looking at the noisy banquet in the distance, Mrs. Tokuko was filled with resentment and malice.

Why doesn't that sickly guy just die?

It's most frustrating to miss out on success. In the Heian-kyo aristocracy, the eldest son inherited the vast majority of the family's rights and wealth, while the remaining sons shared the tiny bit that peeked out from under the eldest son's fingernails.

This made Lady Tokuko very resentful, resentful that her son could only receive such insignificant things through her brother's pity.

Her family background was far superior to that sickly mother's!

But it doesn't matter, she still has a chance.

Lady Tokuko stroked her beloved son, thinking to herself.

After that, Muzan's life at the Ubuyashiki family began. He didn't stay for more than three days before he ran back to Shugo to complain.

Muzan, or rather, Ubuyashiki Tsukihiko, simply couldn't take it anymore.

"How could they be so unclean!" Muzan exclaimed, his face filled with shock and horror.

Muzan, who lived with Shuuga, naturally inherited his lifestyle.

I shower and brush my teeth every day, and my teeth are snow-white with no body odor. I wash my hands before each of my three daily meals, and my fingernails are clean and shiny with no dirt.

The impeccably clean Muzan simply couldn't stand someone with dirt on their fingernails, lice in their beard, or a mixture of incense and stench on their body.

terrible!

Muzan complained quickly to Shugo across the table, his tone sullen and unhappy.

With a smile in his eyes, Shugo listened to Muzan's incessant chatter, as if he were watching a cat, shocked by the outside world, come home to share its experiences.

Holding a piece of pastry in his hand, Muzan was still complaining.

"What kind of food is that! It's not only awful, but it also has a weird taste..."

Hiiragi took a sip of tea, smiled faintly, and remained silent.

Using modern knowledge to refine salt, along with culinary knowledge from later generations, will definitely make the food taste better than what we have now.

"I'll have someone send you some of the things you're used to using, as well as a cook. And you also need to learn how to be the head of the family. I'll be taking over as head of the family soon, so we can't be too casual with each other anymore," Shugo said with a smile, putting down his tea.

Muzan pursed his lips and gave a somewhat unhappy "hmm," completely unprepared for the fact that their time together would become exceptionally scarce afterward.