The change in her noble status didn't alter Chun's character much; she remained the same. The only difference was that with this new status, Chun found she had access to more information.
For example, the surnames of other nobles are only somewhat useful in social situations, but for Chun, it seems to be a way to identify friend or foe; in the long run, they might all be enemies.
However, what I found was astonishing. There were a whopping 247 lower-ranking noble families in Soul Society, 104 of which were retainers of the Shihoin Family. This number truly shocked Jun. When he first heard that the Shihoin Family, he thought it was an exaggeration, but it turned out to be true.
It's no wonder these retainers were causing trouble. Anyone with over a hundred natural allies, but only a woman in power, would be impotent if they didn't stir up some trouble.
Loyalty is nowhere near as valuable as status and power.
Of the remaining 143 families, at least half of them bore surnames that I had only seen among the members of the Gotei 13. Many of them were indeed in the Sixth Division, but quite a few were scattered outside.
If we also consider their maternal relatives, since nobles are all born in Soul Society, then over one or two generations, they should have maternal families as well. With that in mind, it's no wonder there are so many unknown beings in the Central 46.
The lower-ranking nobles were the most numerous, with only 32 middle-ranking noble families and eight upper-ranking noble families.
The Four Great Noble Clans are not included here, as the conditions for becoming a great noble have been completely sealed off—truly sealed off in a meaningful sense—because the Soul King Army King's Army and the Priest Corps are gone. The basic condition for becoming a great noble is to serve as a commander in the Soul King Army and the Priest Corps.
However, these things are ultimately useless. Enemies and friends are fickle; in the game of thrones, the only principle that has always prevailed is: there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.
After putting the roster back, Jun came out and saw that it was noon. He then went straight to Aizen's house.
Every day at noon, Sōsuke Aizen would invariably rest at home for two hours without fail. After all, his father was the Fourth Seat of the Fifth Division, and Aizen himself had no other faults regarding his work. This kind of minor issue is something everyone experiences to some extent, so it's not really a problem; that's just how slow the pace of life is in Soul Society.
"Oh~ the newly arrived noble lord has arrived~"
"Yes, you commoner, why don't you come and kneel down?"
Pretending to be that kind of idiotic nobleman, Aizen glanced away, indicating that he didn't know this person.
"Would you like to become a nobleman?"
"Me? That's unlikely, unless my father is dead."
"You mean your father came from Rukongai?"
"Well, strictly speaking, it's only your father, your mother, and your generation that qualify. I'm the same, but as long as my father is alive, I don't have a chance."
"Tsk~", Chun was reminded of her displeasure from that day again, and suddenly said, "Want to go out and cause some trouble?"
Aizen glanced at Jun, "What are you going to do?"
"Kill"
"Who?"
"Don't know"
"Let's go then."
The innocent boy didn't recognize the receptionist, so he asked Aizen about her. Aizen, however, knew her, as Aizen had been to Central 46 many times, delivering documents and such.
"That guy's name is..."
"I don't want to know his name. Killing him is like killing an insect. Knowing his name would be a different story."
"Alright, but he's the only son of the Higashiyama Family in Central 46, you..."
"Oh? The current senator from Higashiyama, huh? It's alright, he should still be killed."
The Central 46 are divided into Upper House members and Lower House members. There are only six Upper House members, who are the true rulers of Soul Society, and all orders are issued by these six individuals. Lower House members are responsible for making decisions; if a proposal cannot pass with a Lower House member, the proposal will be shelved.
"It's mid-month today, he'll probably go to number 37 in Rukongai."
Jun looked at Aizen with surprise, "How long exactly did you investigate Central 46?"
"There was no investigation? It's just that the more times you go, the more you hear."
"Impressive, you're amazing," Chun exclaimed, utterly impressed. "What's he doing over there?"
"There are women in Rukongai, but he's a complete aristocrat; no matter how much he likes a woman from Rukongai, he can't marry her."
"I see. So you have to meet secretly every now and then?"
"It's not really a secret rendezvous anymore. He has three women like that, and they go to different places at the beginning, middle, and end of each month. In the middle of the month, it's 37th Street."
"Oh my gosh~ Three of them, and he goes every month, this guy's got some interesting stuff, a lecherous bastard?"
"Hmm, more or less. It's rare to see someone so enthusiastic about matters between men and women; there aren't many like him in Soul Society."
"That's interesting. I think if this guy is capable enough to obtain Zanpakuto, he might awaken a humanoid Zanpakuto before my apprentice does."
What does this mean?
"A lustful demon, awakening his Zanpakuto was his greatest pursuit, and what was his pursuit anyway? Women, right? So Shikai a woman would be so convenient, and it could satisfy all his fantasies."
"Pfft," Aizen chuckled, giving Jun a thumbs up. "You're something else. When it comes to insults, I've never seen anyone more ruthless than you."
"Haha, I've already thought of a solution for him: he'll make the emperor neglect his morning court duties, and then a whole bunch of women will appear, so he won't need to look for any other women anymore."
"Pfft haha~"
This was the first time Aizen had laughed so uncontrollably. While he wasn't exactly stern and unsmiling, he was usually the kind of person who remained unmoved even in the face of great difficulty; his gentle face rarely displayed many expressions, and a smile was his only constant.
"We've arrived, this is the place."
"Um"
As the two walked past, Chun extended a wisp of Spiritual Power and sensed the person inside. It was indeed the person they were looking for; that was enough.
"You're done?"
"Ah"
"Your Kidō technique is impressive, delayed release? A new technique?"
Junichi his palm, revealing a small button-like device. "Manual control, it's a new technology, want to learn more?"
"Hmm, that's interesting. Make a note of it for me."
"It's in the Journal Hall, the third compartment on the East Wall, but if my apprentice has moved it, I don't know where it is."
"Okay, but what exactly did you put in the West Wall?"
Haha, you still haven't solved it?
A hint of displeasure flashed across Aizen's face. "Yes, though I hate to admit it, I am indeed no match for you in the Kidō)."
"Don't say that," Chun pressed the button, sensing that the person had already been burned to ashes. Chun continued, "If we're talking about power, I'm not as good as you, but in terms of creativity, you really are lacking."
"Hmm, why can't I learn how to Sōdō the Way? Do you really think of yourself as a god?"
"Well, who knows?"
The two walked aimlessly, chatting as they went. It had been a long time since Jun and Aizen had interacted like this, so they tacitly began discussing many things. This afternoon was a time for information exchange.
When the topic of creation came up, Aizen suddenly said, "Have you noticed that there are fewer people in Rukongai lately?"
"No, my patrol area isn't in Rukongai, what's wrong?"
No, it's nothing.
"You!"
The two were walking when suddenly a girl darted out from the street corner ahead. The girl turned towards them before noticing them, but it was too late to stop. Just as they were about to collide, Chun scooped up the little girl.
Then a boy chased after us from the street corner, shouting, "Wait for me~ Rangiku ~"
The silver-haired, squinty-eyed boy glanced again at the little girl he was holding. She had big eyes, a small mouth, and a delicate face, showing some fear. Her brown curly hair was a bit messy; after all, this was Rukongai, number sixty-something, where the security and living conditions were generally poor.
"Tell Uncle, were you scared?" Jun smiled gently, shaking Rangiku in her arms. This child was definitely Rangiku Matsumoto.
"Hmm~", Rangiku nodded.
"Hehe, be careful next time, little girl, don't run so fast."
"Oh~", Little Rangiku behaved very obediently, so Jun put her on the ground.
Gin Ichimaru took Rangiku's hand, and Rangiku seemed about to run away, but Gin Ichimaru led her to thank Jun and Aizen.
"Thank you, Uncle Soul Reaper!" Then they ran away hand in hand.
Watching the two little ones walk away, Chun smiled and said, "Quite clever kids, aren't they?"
Which one are you referring to?
Both are good.
"Um"
Bumping into the two little ones was a pleasant surprise. Jun and Aizen had pretty much finished talking, so they went back. But once they got back, Jun remembered something.
Why did Gin Ichimaru betray Aizen? Well, it's not so much betrayal as being an undercover agent from the very beginning. The reason is that, in his childhood, Gin Ichimaru personally witnessed Aizen steal a portion of Rangiku's soul power, and Aizen deliberately let Gin Ichimaru witness it.
Aizen's goal was to train Gin Ichimaru, to see how far Gin Ichimaru could go. Unfortunately, after Aizen acquired the Hōgyoku, he no longer needed Gin Ichimaru.
So the question arises: how did Aizen seize Rangiku's soul, or even just a part of it? According to Jun's current understanding of the soul, a "part" of the soul would likely be some kind of consciousness.
Soul Reaper causes the loss of certain aspects of consciousness experienced during the living, such as eating, drinking, defecating, sleeping, and breathing, because the soul does not need these things. This loss is essentially a loss of humanity.
Pure was already on the verge of completely losing her humanity; one wrong move and she might be gone. The more she researched this thing, the more dangerous it became. Fortunately, she met Starrk, and the feeling of death pulled her back from that edge.
So this is what Aizen absorbed. But the question remains: how did he absorb it?
Chun sighed, "You're lying to me again. Without the power to Sōdō, how did you create the Hōgyoku? Without the Hōgyoku, how do you absorb souls?"
"Asking me if I've noticed there are fewer people in Rukongai? Are you testing me, or are you using me as a template to test the feelings of most Soul Reaper? There are fewer people in Rukongai, fewer people in Rukongai! Aizen, the Hōgyoku, it's finally here."