Seireitei, Noble District.
It was not far from the Central 46, nor was it far from the main residences of the Five Great Noble Houses. It sat at a delicate distance, outside every clan head family's sphere of influence while allowing every attendee to arrive under the pretext of being on the way.
The alley was narrow, its sides lined with gray-white stone walls. A few pine branches, trimmed almost unnaturally neatly, extended over the walls, casting thin, straight shadows in the afternoon light. The entire alley looked nothing like the center of Seireitei.
The meeting room was located at the end of a narrow alley. There was no sign at the entrance, only two guards in formal attire standing silently on either side of the door.
By the time Shuichi and Suzuko arrived, the meeting room was already full.
The long table formed a half-circle. Three white-haired elderly men sat at the front, while rows of well-dressed middle-aged men sat on either side. Each had a celadon teacup in front of them. The tea was very pale, and hardly anyone had touched it. The scent of incense mingled with the traces of old paper and ink, pressing heavily down on the room.
The seat at the very center of the long table had been left vacant. That was the principal seat, seemingly reserved for a particularly important guest.
When Shuichi entered the meeting room with Suzuko, everyone's gaze rose from the documents before them.
"Captain Shuichi, Seated Officer Takeda, please take your seats."
The speaker was a man sitting near the elderly man in the center. He wore a dark-brown robe, with a small clan crest embroidered on his cuffs that Shuichi could not recognize. A habitual smile rested at the corners of his mouth as he spoke, but