Outside the Senkaimon, dozens of meters tall, hundreds upon thousands of nobles—usually wealthy and powerful—knelt on one knee, paying homage like stars surrounding the moon to the old man standing at the center of the crowd.
Asano Kiyoshi spotted the old man at a glance. He saw the serenity on his face, as well as his slightly swaying beard and sleeves. Clearly, the moment the old man sensed Asano Kiyoshi's spiritual pressure, he had set everything aside and come here to await his arrival.
Head Captain Yamamoto was in an excellent mood. First, Asano Kiyoshi had not only returned alive from Hueco Mundo, but had also raised his own strength to the level of a top-tier Vice-Captain.
Second, there had originally been an enormous amount of official business to handle that morning, but the instant Asano Kiyoshi returned, he had delegated all of it to Chōjirō Sasakibe. Moreover, his reason had been perfectly justified, leaving Chojiro with little room to complain afterward.
Being able to see his beloved disciple while also avoiding tedious official duties—how could such a win-win situation fail to put someone in a good mood?
However, the moment he saw Asano Kiyoshi, the old man froze where he stood.
No, you went to Hueco Mundo for a cleansing operation, not to fall in love...
What did you mean by bringing back a girl?
For a moment, Head Captain Yamamoto was somewhat stunned. For an old man who had immersed himself in battle and politics his entire life, he truly had little concept of his beloved disciple's marriage prospects.
But having no concept of it did not mean he did not care!
With his conservative views, Head Captain Yamamoto cared even more about such matters than most people.
Or rather, for Head Captain Yamamoto, this had always been