The Stereotypical Way Nobles Behave / Kuchiki, Head of the Nobles

"Regular squad members earn 200,000 kan a month. Lower Seated Officers earn 300,000 to 400,000, higher Seated Officers earn 500,000 to 800,000, lieutenants earn one million, and captains earn two million."

"Every quarter, we in the 11th Division also receive a combat allowance. Among the Gotei 13, we're a relatively idle division with heavy responsibilities, so our pay is a little higher too."

As he spoke, he looked at Tokoyo Misao, who had changed into his Soul Reaper uniform. A hint of a smile appeared in his cool eyes. "Not bad. It fits well."

"As the Gotei 13's combat division, the 11th Division receives more allowances and pay than the others. Naturally, that comes with corresponding responsibilities.

"So make sure you train hard. That's how you'll stay alive on the battlefield."

"I've heard about your performance in the World of the Living. You did very well.

"The most important thing on the battlefield is to look out for your teammates. Never abandon them or give up on them lightly."

Kiyoyuki Yamanaka reached out and patted Tokoyo Misao on the shoulder. "Those are all the rules.

"Every day, a higher Seated Officer leads training at the training ground. If you don't think it suits you, you can train on your own.

"You can do whatever you like normally, but when there's a mission, you must return to the division."

He turned and walked out. As he passed through the door, he added, "Cowardice and evasion are absolutely forbidden in the 11th Division."

"The longhouse we passed just now is where you sleep. Tonight, you can find any empty spot and bed down."

With that, he strode toward the training ground.

Tokoyo Misao hadn't expected the 11th Division to be so relaxed. There were usually no patrols or similar duties, and even training wasn't mandatory.

But on second thought, he could understand it. After all, the 11th Division had the highest death rate among the Soul Reapers.

If they were kept on too tight a leash in their free time as well, no one would be willing to come here.

This relaxed, easygoing atmosphere was only a form of compensation for the dangerous missions they would face later.

Tokoyo Misao felt no excitement at officially becoming a Soul Reaper.

He wandered around the 11th Division barracks, getting a general idea of the layout.

The building where regular squad members lived was over 1,500 square meters. If it were filled, it could house quite a few people.

But judging by the beds, there were at most around seventy regular squad members now.

Seated Officers had their own rooms, and the 11th Division currently had fifteen of them.

The lieutenant and captain had their own small courtyards. Here, the privileges each rank enjoyed were laid out plainly.

If you wanted a better everyday life, you had to work hard to climb the ranks.

Tokoyo Misao hadn't planned to attend the afternoon training that day. After asking around and learning there were no missions, he headed straight for Noble Street.

Noble Street lay at the center of the Seireitei, right next to the First Division Barracks, with the Central 46 Chambers, the Great Spirit Book Gallery, and the Central Great: The Jail nearby.

As soon as he reached the entrance to Noble Street, he saw two Soul Reapers standing guard, iron forks in hand, staring intently at him.

He walked up to them and said, "I'm Tokoyo Misao of the 11th Division. I'd like to visit the Kuchiki Clan."

"Do you have an invitation?" Both Soul Reapers were members of the Sixth Division's noble squad.

When they heard that Tokoyo Misao wanted to visit their captain's estate, their expressions grew even more wary.

"No." Tokoyo Misao shook his head.

"Then please leave. You can't enter Noble Street without an invitation."

"Not even if I'm a Soul Reaper?"

"Hmph, kid, you only just became a Soul Reaper, didn't you?

"Noble Street isn't a place regular squad members can enter as they please.

"Even higher Seated Officers have to apply for a pass before they can move freely around Noble Street."

The Sixth Division member snorted. As he spoke, he raised his chin and straightened his back, as though he were a noble himself.

"I see." Tokoyo Misao smiled and continued:

"I'm the head of the Tokoyo Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Clans."

"May I go in?"

Chapter 51: The Stereotypical Way Nobles Behave

The two Sixth Division members froze, their eyes widening as they looked Tokoyo Misao up and down.

Judging by appearances alone, he did have an indescribable air about him.

Though it was completely different from the sense of propriety and nobility their own captain exuded.

He still gave them a feeling that they had no choice but to look up to him.

But as Sixth Division members, the two had long since memorized the crests and names of every noble family in the Seireitei.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to work as guards at the entrance to Noble Street.

In other people's eyes, guarding the gate here might not seem like a position worth mentioning.

But only those within the Sixth Division truly understood that gate duty was actually quite a good post.

Many people might never meet a great noble in their entire lives.

But squad members who guarded the gate could often meet all kinds of nobles and exchange a few words with them.

Those brief meetings were not to be underestimated. They could leave an impression of one's face in an important person's mind.

That might prove a major advantage when seeking a promotion or a transfer to become a noble's guard.

After all, when it came to pay, regular Gotei 13 members earned less than the guards of many middle- and upper-ranking nobles.

For someone with little ambition, this was an open road to success.

Being a gatekeeper might not sound glamorous, but for ordinary Soul Reapers, it was a rare opportunity they would fight tooth and nail for.

The two Soul Reapers exchanged a glance, each seeing confusion in the other's eyes.

In other words, neither of them had any recollection of the Tokoyo Clan the man before them claimed to represent.

They immediately raised their forks and shouted in anger:

"11th Division member, do you know what crime it is to impersonate one of the Five Great Noble Clans?"

Tokoyo Misao replied with a calm smile, "Then can you tell me what crime it is to show hostility to the head of one of the Five Great Noble Clans?"

"You bastard, you're asking for death!" Both Soul Reapers thrust their forks forward at once.

The one on the left aimed for Tokoyo Misao's neck, while the other aimed for his abdomen.

If either strike landed, he would be restrained in an instant.

The two intended to restrain Tokoyo Misao and deliver him to their division, which could count as an achievement.

But in the next instant, Tokoyo Misao had vanished from where he stood without them noticing, and both attacks missed.

A voice came from behind them. "You dared attack a great noble. You deserve to die!"

The voice carried an endless chill that froze their bodies in place, leaving them unable to move.

The two Soul Reapers felt a chill creep up the backs of their heads.

Tokoyo Misao slowly drew the Zanpakuto at his waist and raised it high in his right hand. He looked at the two Soul Reapers with cold indifference, a fiercely intense killing intent pouring from him.

He swung it down sharply, and a white blade light flashed.

Clang! A clear metallic sound rang out.

Tokoyo Misao's Zanpakuto was less than three centimeters from the left-hand Soul Reaper's neck, but its blade had been stopped by a short sword.

There was no change in his eyes; they remained utterly cold.

Tokoyo Misao addressed the person in the white haori before him. "Second Division Captain, what is the meaning of this?"

The person who had intervened to stop Tokoyo Misao was none other than Soi Fon, captain of the Gotei 13's Second Division.

Ever since returning to the Shihoin Clan and questioning the young master last time, she had kept members of the Stealth Force following Tokoyo Misao and watching him from a distance.

Today, she had suddenly received word from her subordinates that this man had graduated from the academy in only half a year, become a Soul Reaper, and arrived at the entrance to Noble Street.

She happened to have other business to attend to, so she came by to take a look. She also wanted to know what kind of person this Tokoyo Misao was.

Only when the two Soul Reapers were about to die did she step in.

In her view, the two Sixth Division Soul Reapers had done nothing wrong and shouldn't die here.

Soi Fon, the Second Division Captain, stared into Tokoyo Misao's eyes and said:

"Drawing your blade and killing people at will at the entrance to Noble Street? Aren't you being a little too arrogant?"

"I'm not killing at will. As a great noble, I was attacked unprovoked by these two. Simply killing them would already be merciful."

Tokoyo Misao slid his Zanpakuto back into his sash and spoke impassively, withdrawing the killing intent he had deliberately released.

Of course, he had noticed Second Division Captain Soi Fon's presence long ago. After all, a captain-level Spirit Ribbon was very different from that of an ordinary Soul Reaper.

Soi Fon snorted but did not argue.

If anyone dared attack the young master of the Shihoin Clan, the Stealth Force would surely surround and kill them, and their relatives and friends would very likely be implicated as well.

Such was the standing of the head of one of the Five Great Noble Clans.

Even so, Soi Fon still couldn't confirm whether Tokoyo Misao was truly a great noble. The situation remained unclear.

She put away her short sword and said to Tokoyo Misao:

"Once you go in, walk straight ahead. You'll soon see the Kuchiki Clan's estate."

"You intend to spare them both?" Tokoyo Misao asked coldly.

"They were only doing their duty." Soi Fon raised her chin and replied calmly.

"Is that so? Then I'll let it go this time, out of respect for the Shihoin Clan." Tokoyo Misao turned and walked into Noble Street.

Soi Fon watched his retreating figure, frowning.

The way he acted was indeed much like a noble, but there was something strangely stereotypical about it.

As head of the Fon Clan, which served directly under the Shihōin Clan, she had met many upper-ranking nobles and members of the great noble clans since childhood.

Quite a few of them were as overbearing as Tokoyo Misao, but those were people their clans had abandoned, their paths forward all but cut off.

Any clan member with some ability and a path to advancement would never be so arrogant.

Was that all an act just now?

The thought sprang unbidden into Soi Fon's mind.

After all, the way Tokoyo Misao had presented himself was far too different from his conduct at the academy according to the records, and his stereotypical portrayal of a noble was far too textbook.

Forget it. Whether or not he's acting, once he reaches the Kuchiki Clan, there should be some information.

I can cross-check it then, and I'll know the answer.

If there really is a Tokoyo Clan among the Five Great Noble Clans...

Soi Fon narrowed her eyes. She would never allow anyone to covet the Shihōin Clan's territory or property, not even another great noble.

She turned to the two men kneeling on the ground and said, "Get up and get back to work."

"Yes, Captain Soi Fon." The two Soul Reapers exchanged a glance, then immediately rose and returned to their places on either side of the gate, standing stiffly at attention.

Soi Fon looked back once more at Noble Street, where Tokoyo Misao was no longer in sight. Then, with a light tap of her foot, she left.

Chapter 52: Kuchiki, Head of the Nobles

Tokoyo Misao strolled leisurely along Noble Street.

Noble Street was indeed completely different from the ordinary streets of the Seireitei and Junrinan, to say nothing of the dilapidated sights in Rukongai.

The roads alone were all paved with solid stone slabs, and drainage ditches had been laid out on either side.

Only a small part of the area was a commercial district; the rest consisted of the various noble families' estates.

The pedestrians on the street walked very slowly. When they spoke, they covered their mouths, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Their clothes were lavish, and a glance was enough to tell they had cost a great deal.

Not to mention the jewelry they wore. Any single piece would probably take a month's wages to buy.