Chapter 226

Ayaka pulled out a chair, plopped down next to Haruto, and casually ordered the newest double-swirl chocolate sundae.

"Look at all the nonsense these tabloids are spouting lately, not a single word of it is true—"

"That's true."

Haruto took a sip of the fruit pulp, which was worth two gold coins, and interrupted Ayaka's complaint with a smile: Only the Eighth Division can easily get these things. Haruto has never even heard of those tabloids that circulate in Rukongai.

"But!"

Seeing Haruto's calm demeanor, Ayaka became even more furious.

Although...

The fact that the Gotei 13 did not report on their "merits" is understandable.

It's infuriating that such malicious people are smearing her like this, and they don't even bother to do anything about it. Ayaka, who knows the truth, is furious.

Ignore them.

"The fact that they resort to these underhanded tactics shows that they can no longer do anything to me openly, doesn't it?"

"But your promotion--"

The well-informed Eighth Division had clearly already heard some rumors.

As Haruto's "closest friend," Ayaka often hears things, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

"I'm not ready to be captain yet... nor am I a nobleman."

"..."

"Sigh~"

Haruto still seemed unconcerned.

Ayaka finally gave up resisting and sighed heavily, picking up the large sundae cup and scooping it out before the waiter could.

"Only someone like you doesn't take nobles seriously."

After taking two big gulps, Ayaka snatched Haruto's fruit tea and started slurping it up.

"When Hoshino and I Hoshino little, my parents had to attend countless insincere gatherings every day in order to maintain their status as middle-class nobles!"

The Ayaka held up a rainbow-shaped sign to the air, making a "big" sign.

"Besides, given my brother's messed-up personality, if it were now, he would definitely not be desperately trying to become some kind of elite Soul Reaper!"

Leading by example.

The reason why Ayaka the Shin'ō Academy was probably because she had experienced too much in her childhood—and the hardships and pressures she endured were all borne by her older brother Zennosuke Kurumadani.

"Mmm."

Haruto listened to Ayaka's complaints while looking at the bustling street.

Haruto has recently learned a lot about the rumors surrounding him through various channels—these are no small matters, and even familiar Seated Officers from other squads have come to inquire about the situation... Clearly, they are after Haruto's potential promotion.

No matter how indifferent Haruto appeared, there was still some resentment in his heart.

This is not--

"Haruto!"

The greetings coming from outside the door meant that someone else had come looking for them.

"..."

"Captain Kaien."

Volume 1: 136, Rumors and Gossip

You don't look well...

Haruto gestured for Kaien to sit down across the table.

It's clear that Kaien isn't very comfortable in the Western-style environment; she even seems a bit restricted when sitting in a high-backed chair.

I suspect there's some bad news.

It has to be said.

It would be strange if Kaien, as a superior, were not popular.

He was truly considerate of others' feelings, even taking on the troubles of his friends and subordinates as his own responsibility; otherwise, Kaien wouldn't have felt grateful and guilty because Haruto "took over his work" during his confinement.

"Um..."

"The nobility promotion plan has fallen through?"

Haruto pulled the fruit tea that Ayaka had stolen back to his front.

"Is this something you can laugh about?"

Seeing Haruto's attitude, Kaien smiled wryly and picked up the tea that had just been served... Unfortunately, the slightly sweet taste didn't suit his taste.

"I already said that."

"Captain Kaien, don't take this to heart. I've never really cared about noble status anyway."

Haruto put down the tea canister he was holding.

However, from another perspective, it would be somewhat inappropriate to consider Kaien's actions from the perspective of a noble family head.

"Such opportunities don't come every time."

Kaien offered her advice.

The rise from commoner to noble is a rare occurrence, happening only once every ten years or so, and in 99% of cases, it only results in a promotion to a lower-ranking noble.

Rather than being a merit or honor, it was more like a "gap" in class advancement that the nobility used to ease tensions and facilitate upward mobility.

"I know."

"So, the Tsunayashiro Clan must have paid a heavy price, right?"

With such a commotion, the Tsunayashiro Clan knew it was impossible to completely keep it from Haruto.

"... As far as I know, that's true."

Kaien may lack a stance, but he cannot lack sources of intelligence.

Although the Shiba Clan has nominally lost its noble status, their size and connections are still there, and in terms of power, they are only slightly inferior to those top-tier upper-class nobles.

"That settles it."

Haruto raised his hand to refuse the waiter's offer of a refill.

"I only sacrificed a little reputation, but the Tsunayashiro Clan has to speak with real money."

"... They really have a tough job."

It's impossible to say there's no dissatisfaction.

However, compared to the price paid by the Tsunayashiro Clan, Haruto felt that it was completely within acceptable limits.

The promotion of nobles was decided by the Noble Assembly.

Compared to the Golden Seal Noble Assembly, which only deals with internal matters of the upper nobility, the Noble Assembly has a much broader scope of management, and its members are mostly old-timers from the Soul Society, with the majority holding a neutral position.

Taking sides certainly exists.

But profit and prestige were the key factors in their decision-making—the former could be provided by both the Kuchiki Clan and Tsunayashiro Clan, but as for the latter... the Tsunayashiro Clan hadn't wasted their efforts in manipulating public opinion over the past week.

That's how they did it.

In a recent meeting, the Tsunayashiro Clan successfully persuaded the old guard of the Noble Assembly to reject Haruto's request for a noble promotion.

Certainly.

The Tsunayashiro Clan's success was not easy.

That was a bill proposed by the lower-ranking nobleman Jūshirō Ukitake, endorsed by Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, and first supported and passed by the powerful noble Kuchiki Clan.

Deny it?

The actual expenses incurred by the Tsunayashiro Clan far exceeded their original plan, to the point that it was somewhat painful.

"The Tsunayashiro Clan is so arrogant, shouldn't we teach them a lesson?"

The Ayaka cake had been scooped out spoonful by spoonful.

"Lesson?"

Haruto knew that Ayaka was just helping him vent his frustrations.

"If I had the Captain-Commander's abilities, I would burn down the Tsunayashiro Clan right now, and not a single one of them would escape."

Pity.

His current training focus is mainly on the Bankai of his Zanpakuto.

Their combat ability is still far from that of Second-Class Spiritual Pressure, let alone First-Class Reii peak like the Captain-Commander; having been the head of the Four Great Noble Clans for so long, the Tsunayo family, a Second-Class Spiritual Pressure Captain-level Tsunayashiro Clan, is still quite formidable.

Haruto is still a tough opponent at this level.

Be careful what you say.

Upon hearing Haruto's statement, Kaien quickly whispered a reminder from the side.

"It doesn't matter."

Haruto told Kaien not to be so nervous.

"Most of the customers here belong to the Shihoin Clan faction."

"Whether the team members who came out of curiosity can afford it is another matter, but they probably haven't even heard of the Tsunayashiro Clan."

"..."

"Captain Kaien."

The sudden shift to a much more formal tone startled Kaien.

"Speaking."

If the chairs in the dessert shop weren't so unsuitable, Kaien would probably be sitting upright by now.

What do you think of the current Thirteenth Division?

"Um?"

The question came as a surprise, and Kaien didn't immediately grasp its meaning.

"I mean... compared to when I first joined the Thirteenth Division."

"..."

"To be honest, if you hadn't come, I really don't know if Captain Ukitake and Kento would have been able to survive these past few years."

Kaien is telling the truth.

Captain Ukitake only attends events that are of great importance.

He rarely had any involvement in the usual squad management or missions, and often had to trouble Shiba Miyako to handle them; Kaien's high reputation within the squad was also closely related to Ukitake's condition.

However, if Kaien also runs into trouble, then the responsibility will basically have to be pushed down the chain of command.

Although Haruto is only the Fourth Seat, he has built up considerable prestige in the Thirteenth Division over the years; if it weren't for the Purification Team's frequent missions in the World of the Living, calling him the acting captain wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.

Five years.

The number of Seated Officers in the Thirteenth Division has gradually increased, and it is no longer as sparse as before; moreover, because Haruto spends most of his time in the World of the Living (on the front lines), the proportion of Thirteenth Division members killed by Hollows during missions has also decreased significantly.

Originally, the Fourth Division had a dedicated team in the World of the Living (the Eleventh Advanced Relief Team), but now they are so idle that their organization is almost abolished.

"Isn't that a bit too high a compliment?"

Haruto smiled.

Kaien rarely speaks ill of people; she mostly praises them, a fact that Haruto is well aware of.

"No, this is absolutely what Captain Ukitake and I truly think."

Kaien spoke with righteous indignation.