Somewhere in Seireitei
The afternoon sun filtered through a dense wisteria trellis, scattering patches of light and shadow. A few clusters of blossoms still hung above the stone table, their petals curling at the edges. Whenever the wind stirred, a few fluttered down onto half-finished cups of tea and scattered assignment sheets. Beneath the trellis, off-duty Seated Officers and Squad Members gathered in small groups, whispering about noble secrets and romantic scandals.
"Hey, have you heard? Huge news came out of the noble district this morning. The Kyoraku Clan's eldest young master, Kyōraku Tarō Zōzōsa Haruyama, got married!"
A Seated Officer responsible for circulating documents between the divisions lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He was plainly eager for the others to discuss it with him.
A noble-born Seated Officer beside him chuckled and jumped in. "Heard? The wedding authorization came through from Central 46 last night! And the bride was none other than Ise Akira, the Ise Clan's current High Priest, who oversees Shinto rites and has always looked down her nose at everyone! I heard that as soon as the marriage was settled, those old fossils guarding the Ise Clan's Ancestral Shrine Hall smashed three pairs of Jade Gallbladders on the spot. They nearly coughed up blood!"
"Oh? Why?" The others all leaned forward.
A younger Squad Member looked utterly lost. He stepped closer, scratched the back of his head, and asked, "The Kyoraku Clan is an Upper Nobility house with generations of history and deep pockets. The Ise Clan holds authority over the rites, but in terms of family standing, this should be a perfect match. It's just a wedding. Why would it drive the Ise elders that mad?"
"Shh! What do you know?"
The veteran Seated Officer who had started the conversation glanced around