Chapter 112 Those who mock others will eventually be mocked themselves (Please subscribe)
"Ah~ everything's there~ everything's there~"
After Sōgo pulled Shaoling Fon into the inner room, he happened to see Byakuya Kuchiki, dressed in his Shihakusho, exchanging blessings with Kuchiki Ginrei and the others. He smiled slightly and walked over with a face thicker than the Seireitei barrier.
"Hmph! You latecomer." Byakuya Kuchiki glanced at Sōgo, who had arrived late, crossed his arms, and snorted arrogantly, "As the head of the Shihoin Family Five Great Noble Clans, you have absolutely no sense of time. I truly pity the Shihoin Family for having a head like you."
"Oh my~ Little Cabbage, you look quite respectable in your Shihakusho on the ship. What's that saying again? I remember it was... Oh, you do look a bit like an adult in adult clothes."
Sōgo deliberately emphasized the word "adult" several times, implying that Byakuya Kuchiki was nothing more than a little kid in his eyes.
"I'm an adult now!"
After hearing Sōgo's words, Byakuya Kuchiki stomped his foot and said angrily.
"Right, right, I forgot, Little Cabbage is all grown up now."
"Hey~ This is a gift for the Little Cabbage that's becoming an adult."
Sōgo took out a gift box and handed it to Byakuya Kuchiki.
"Gift?"
Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes lit up after hearing Sōgo's words, and he eagerly took the gift from Sōgo's hand.
"Hmph~"
Sōgo looked at the Cabbage with the same excited expression a child would have when receiving a gift for New Year's or a birthday, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Forehead..."
Completely oblivious, Byakuya, after opening half of the gift box, felt Sōgo's expectant 'gaze' and seemed to understand something, instantly freezing on the spot in embarrassment.
He knew he had been a little too excited.
"Cough cough..."
Realizing he was getting too excited, Cabbage coughed lightly twice. He suppressed his excitement and pretended to tear open the gift box.
After Byakuya unwrapped the gift box, he froze on the spot upon seeing the gift Sōgo had given him.
It was a scabbard made of solid wood and painted red...
"What a nice view..."
Byakuya gripped the scabbard tightly with both hands, unwilling to let go for even a moment. Byakuya could only describe his love for the scabbard as something he cherished dearly. A true swordsman would also absolutely adore his scabbard.
"This scabbard was originally meant for me... but unfortunately, my Zanpakuto doesn't need a scabbard."
"I think even if we keep leaving it at home, it'll just end up gathering dust anyway. Why don't we just give it to you, you little rascal? You'd better take good care of it..."
Sōgo touched the Sayafushi at his waist and sighed helplessly. His two Xiao Jiba were quite special. One of them had no sheath at all, and even Zanpakuto Sword God Ōetsu Nimaiya couldn't do anything about it. The other one had the sheath and the sword as one piece.
"You're here early, Little Sōgo!"
Just as Sōgo was happily looking at the Little Cabbage cloud with its scabbard in hand and eyes shining, Kaien Shiba and his young wife walked up to Sōgo's side and greeted him.
"Brother Kaien, please stop making fun of me!"
"I must be the last one to arrive... I saw the Tsunayashiro Clan and their representatives when I passed by earlier; they all seemed to have arrived before me..."
Sōgo hearing Kaien's words, Sougo knew that the other person was mocking him, and smiled helplessly.
"Hahaha... Back in the Yoruichi, Yoruichi was always the last to arrive at any of our Five Great Noble Clans gatherings, claiming that the protagonist is always the last to appear! You've certainly inherited that from her."
After hearing Sōgo's words, Kaien smiled gently and patted Sōgo's shoulder forcefully.
"Sister~"
Sōgo didn't know what to say when he mentioned his older sister. Ever since that girl left Soul Society and came to the World of the Living, she's been like a stray cat that's found a new owner... It's as if she's lost all contact with the Shihoin Family Shihoin Family. She's never taken the initiative to contact them, and who knows where she is running around in the World of the Living!
"Uh... I'm sorry!"
Upon hearing Sōgo's low murmur, Kaien trembled slightly. He knew he might have said something wrong. After all, although the Central 46 Chambers claimed to be exonerating the Shihoin Family, they were actually only doing so out of desperation due to the immense pressure from the Shihoin Family and the Five Great Noble Clans who had once again united due to certain individuals. They were just talking; Yoruichi was still a wanted criminal in the eyes of the lower-level Soul Reaper.
"It's alright, I'm not worried about that girl. She'll come home eventually after she's had her fill of fun."
After hearing Kaien's words, Sōgo waved his hand. The Captain Hollowfication Incident decades ago might be a big deal in other people's eyes, but in Sōgo's eyes it was just a trivial matter and he didn't care at all. As long Yoruichi could return to Soul Society openly and legitimately, the Gotei 13 and even the Central 46 Chambers would pretend not to see anything.
"Let's not talk about those unhappy things anymore. Here, take this."
Kaien pulled an invitation from his pocket and handed it to Sōgo.
"What's this?"
Is Uncle Isshin finally getting married?
Sōgo looked at the invitation in his hand and asked.
"No, no... I'm getting married."
"Du and I are getting married."
Kaien released Sōgo's shoulder, pulled Miss Sōgo in front of him, and introduced her.
"Huh?"
"Really?"
"So fast?"
Upon hearing Kaien's words, Sougo's Sōgo turned panicked, and he asked incredulously.
"Hehe... I've gotten ahead of all of you."
Kaien chuckled smugly.
"Please take care of me from now on, Lord Sōgo."
"To be precise, it's Ms. Shiba Miyako," she said shyly, bowing slightly to Sōgo.
"No, no, Shiba Miyako, you're too kind. It's just that the news came so suddenly that I didn't prepare a gift. I'll present it to you on your wedding day with Kaien."
Sōgo waved his hand repeatedly after hearing Shiba Miyako's polite words.
"Haha, anyway, good luck Sōgo-kun ~"
Kaien patted Sōgo's shoulder hard, and then, intentionally or unintentionally, glanced at Shaoling Fon beside Sōgo several times.
This Sōgo and Shaoling Fon speechless for a moment.
"Ahem." Just as Sōgo and Kaien were chatting, an aged voice came from behind them, "How long are you two planning to keep talking?"
" Old Man Rei?"
Sōgo turned around, looked at the aged figure, and smiled slightly.
"Oh dear, it's been so long since I've seen Sōgo, we chatted for a bit, is it alright, Old Man Rei?"
Kaien Shiba tried to brush it off with a series of laughs.
" Captain Kuchiki!"
When Shaoling Fon and Shiba Miyako saw the elderly man in the shadow, they quickly bowed and greeted him. Regardless of his status, position, or seniority, he was worthy of their respect.
Stop grinning and joking around here, come inside!
We've been waiting for you.
Kuchiki Ginrei sighed helplessly. These young people nowadays have absolutely no sense of time. Although each of them is incredibly talented and strong, with such unconventional personalities, is it really okay for them to shoulder the future of the Five Great Noble Clans? Kuchiki Ginrei couldn't help but ask herself this question.
"They're gone, they're gone."
Sōgo pulled Shaoling Fon beside him and walked directly into the hall.
When Sōgo entered, the entire hall was almost full of people. These were all prominent nobles in Soul Society. Besides the heads of the newly emerging upper-class noble families who were "second only" to the Five Great Noble Clans, there were also the sages and judges of the Central 46 Chambers. It was a major event for the Kuchiki Clan... especially the Kuchiki Clan's preparation to demonstrate their strength. These powerful figures from other factions were naturally invited as well. It was as if Ginrei Kuchiki was using the occasion of Cabbage's coming-of-age ceremony to give these powerful figures a good warning, lest they be ungrateful.
"Let's go to the very front."
Ginrei Kuchiki stood behind Sōgo and Kaien and spoke in a low voice.
"At the very front?!"
"No way?"
After hearing Ginrei Kuchiki's words, Sōgo looked towards the front of the banquet hall and noticed that there were five stools placed there. In this huge banquet hall of the Kuchiki Clan, which could accommodate thousands of people at the same time without feeling crowded, there were only five stools. It was obvious who these five stools were for.
Let's go.
Kaien didn't seem to care, as if he had been prepared all along. He let Shiba Miyako hold his arm and walked to the front, facing the gazes of countless people, and sat down on the rightmost chair.
"That's really something."
Sōgo, who didn't want to be in the spotlight, smiled bitterly. He was already stuck here, unable to move forward or backward, so he could only take Shaoling Fon's arm and walk to the five chairs at the front.
"You can sit here."
Ginrei Kuchiki pointed to the second position from the right and began to speak.
"Good..."
Sōgo understood that the lieutenant general's seat belonged to Ginrei Kuchiki, since it was her home turf, and he had no intention of vying for it, so he simply sat down in the second seat on the right.
" Little Fon, I'm sorry to trouble you. It seems you'll have to sit on my lap."
After Sōgo sat down on the stool, he gently patted his thigh, gesturing for Shaoling Fon to sit down as well.
"How could you possibly sit there?"
After hearing Shaoling Fon 'Sōgo words, Aya blushed.
"Um..."
Ginrei Kuchiki glanced at Shaoling Fon, then at Shiba Miyako, and finally instructed the servants to add two small chairs next to Sōgo and Kaien's chairs.
"That does make things clearer," Sōgo, criticizing Ginrei Kuchiki's obviously unfair attitude, while simultaneously pulling on Shaoling Fon's small hand and asking, "Why don't you sit in the big chair? My bottom Little Ichi, the small chair will fit me perfectly."
"Unnecessary."
When Shaoling Fon heard Sōgo's irreverent words, her pretty face flushed red, and she raised her chin and turned her head away.
"Haha..."
Sōgo smiled slightly as he looked at Shaoling Fon's shy expression.
As Sōgo and the others took their seats, the chairs placed at the very front of the Kuchiki Clan's banquet hall finally found their owners.
Kuchiki Ginrei sat right in the center, asserting her dominance over all the nobles, while subtly telling everyone who the true role model of nobility was—the head of the Five Great Noble Clans!
"..."
The direct descendant of the Tsunayashiro Clan sat to the left of Kuchiki Ginrei with a poker face, smiling without saying a word, but his gaze kept glancing at Sōgo.
As for the seat on the far left, it belonged to the most inconspicuous family. Although the representative of that family was inconspicuous, no one dared to underestimate him, after all, he still represented one of the Five Great Noble Clans.
As for Kuchiki Ginrei's right-hand seated, naturally were Sōgo Shihoin, the representative of the Shihoin Family, and Kaien Shiba, the representative of the Shiba Clan. One was the captain of the Second Division, and the other was the vice-captain of the Thirteenth Division. Both of them were outstanding in terms of background and status in the Gotei 13... And next to each of them was a small chair, where Shaoling Fon and Shiba Miyako sat.
"Gulp~"
Some nobles glanced at the five people sitting at the front and swallowed hard. The powerful pressure from their status and strength made the air in the banquet hall feel a little stuffy. The pressure was so great that they felt as if they were about to faint from lack of oxygen at any moment.
"Next, we will begin Byakuya Kuchiki's induction ceremony..."
Under the watchful eyes of the Five Great Noble Clans representatives, Kuchiki Clan, who was either the master of ceremonies, the host, or had some other specific title, loudly proclaimed, attracting the attention of all the nobles, and thus began the ceremony for the Cabbage's entry into the ranks.
"How boring..."
Sōgo was about to fall asleep after 'watching' for a while. The ritual, which followed ancient etiquette, seemed so tedious and boring to him. He turned around and casually 'looked' behind him, and immediately found a 'toy' that amused him.
Just as only representatives of the five great Five Great Noble Clans Five Great Noble Clans could sit in the entire hall, the closer one was to their seat, the higher their family's status in Soul Society. Some people came to attend the Kuchiki Clan's eldest son's coming-of-age ceremony not to use this opportunity to climb the Kuchiki Clan Kuchiki Clan's coattails, but simply to showcase their family's strength and status to other nobles. In their eyes, no standard of judgment was more important than the recognition of the noble exemplar— the Kuchiki Clan... Everyone in the banquet hall came with various ulterior motives...
In the eyes of the Kuchiki Clan, the families closest to the Five Great Noble Clans were naturally the Kasumioji Clan and the other two families who had previously communicated with the Kasumioji Clan head. These three family heads stood out like cranes among chickens, closely behind the Five Great Noble Clans...
"Hey~ look who's here!"
"Isn't this the head of the Kasumioji Clan... and two other heads of prestigious noble families whose names I don't even recognize?"
When Sōgo noticed the three interesting 'toys' behind him, he had already decided to have some fun with them.
"Forehead..."
Upon hearing Sōgo's words, the three men's expressions changed. Sōgo's words were full of sarcasm. After all, no matter how powerful their three families were, they would not dare to call themselves "elite families" in front of the Five Great Noble Clans!
"Eh~"
"Your facial muscles don't need to be so tense, everyone relax... smile!"
Or perhaps?!
"You actually have facial muscle stiffness syndrome? That's really serious. But don't worry, I know a very skilled doctor who should be able to help you."
Sōgo continued to mock the three heads of the upper-class noble families behind him with unbridled sarcasm.
"Um?"
Sitting next to Sōgo, Kuchiki Ginrei naturally noticed Sōgo's movement. His sharp gaze swept across the faces of the three people behind him like a sword, and then he glanced at the worried look in Sōgo's eyes beside Shaoling Fon. He immediately understood what was going on. His brows relaxed, and he turned his head away, pretending that he hadn't seen anything.
As for the other representatives of the Five Great Noble Clans, they were in a similar situation to Kuchiki Ginrei. They all applauded and offered their blessings, pretending not to see what Sōgo was doing. As for the impact Sōgo's actions would have on the noble families, as long as the Five Great Noble Clans stood together, then all the potential impact would be negligible...
"Speaking of which, all three of you are renowned representatives of high-ranking noble families, and you are also my elders! How come there isn't a seat for you?"
Sōgo around and sat back in his chair, his arms resting on the back, smiling as he spoke to the people behind him.
"This..."
Upon hearing Sōgo's words, the three of them instantly broke out in a fine sweat. Sōgo was trying to flatter them to death!
Everyone knows that only the Five Great Noble Clans are allowed to sit in this setting. If they were to sit as well, wouldn't it be as if they were telling everyone that their three Five Great Noble Clans are now on equal footing with the descendants of the creators of Soul Society?
Even if they secretly longed to be on equal footing with the Five Great Noble Clans, and even if they privately slandered the Five Great Noble Clans, they dared not reveal it in such a public setting.
"Us..."
Finally, it was the head of the Kasumioji Clan, who held the most power and influence among the three family heads, who decided to speak up and explain something.
"Oh right, speaking of which, I almost forgot, none of you three deserve to sit here!"
"Just like those families that aren't worthy of entering the Kuchiki Clan's gates..."
Just as the head of the Kasumioji Clan was about to say something, Sōgo's lips curled up slightly, and he spoke sarcastically in the same tone that the three people in front of him had used to mock Shaoling Fon.
"Pfft, hahaha..."
As Sōgo's unrestrained voice rang out, the entire venue was instantly filled with laughter and cheers.
Countless nobles looked at the three who had once stood out from the crowd and enjoyed the envious glances of other nobles. Now, they had become the object of the nobles' ridicule. This time, they had come... well, not in vain!
At least these laughs will accompany their family for decades to come...
"That damn brat!"
The three heads of the upper-class noble families, including Kasumi, cursed inwardly as they looked at Sōgo, but had to maintain a faint smile on their faces... There was nothing they could do; they couldn't afford to offend the other party's background, and they couldn't beat him in a fight... As for spending a fortune to hire the Stealth Force to teach Sōgo?! Don't be ridiculous! The other party was the boss of the Stealth Force! If they dared to spend money to hire someone, their heads would be hanging on their respective family gates the next day!
" Sōgo, be quiet!"
Kuchiki Ginrei tugged at Sōgo's sleeve, signaling Sōgo to be careful not to drive people crazy. As for the last sentence, "Quiet down," it was clearly directed at the nobles who were laughing incessantly.
"..."
Kuchiki Ginrei's authority among the nobles was comparable to that of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto in the Thirteenth Division; a single sentence from him silenced all the nobles' laughter.
"..."
Sōgo, of course, gave Ginrei Kuchiki face, immediately turning around and sitting properly, ignoring the person behind him. The difference in their status would forever prevent the other person from having the urge to regain face, and even if the other person was completely unaware, he wouldn't mind helping them regain their lost self-awareness... Speaking of which, that big pole of the Sōkyoku is quite nice, quite suitable for the naked appearance of these nobles... If the head of the Kasumioji Clan doesn't know what's good for him, being naked and tied to the Sōkyoku will be his final fate...
"Look, Little Fon!"
"Is there anyone in this world who laughs at others and then isn't laughed at by others in return?"
Sōgo, holding Shaoling Fon's hand beside him, smiled slightly.
" Sōgo..."
Shaoling Fon knew that Sōgo was standing up for her, and she was deeply moved.
"So that's your reason for not watching my coming-of-age ceremony?"
Having already completed her coming-of-age ceremony, Cabbage sullenly walked up to Sōgo and asked, "..."
"Don't worry about these things, you're an adult now!"
"Learn to be humble and understanding."
Sōgo ruffled Byakuya's neatly styled long hair, then laughed.
"Don't touch my head... Besides, as an adult, of course I know what understanding is!"
Byakuya slapped Sōgo's hand away. He would never let Sōgo touch his head like he did when they were children.
"Now that Byakuya's coming-of-age ceremony is over, I'd like to take this opportunity to announce something..."
"From this day forward, I will completely relinquish the burden of being the captain of the Sixth Division..."
After Byakuya's coming-of-age ceremony concluded, Kuchiki Ginrei stood up and announced to the assembled nobles.
"They're here! They're here!"
"We've finally waited for this moment."
"If Kuchiki Ginrei abdicates, then his son, Kuchiki Ginrei, Sōjun Kuchiki naturally take her place, right?"
Upon hearing Kuchiki Ginrei's words, the nobles immediately began to discuss among themselves. They had already roughly guessed this before they came, and besides, Ginrei Kuchiki was already quite old; in principle, she should have stepped down from her position as captain long ago... Announcing this now, when Byakuya Kuchiki is just coming of age, is a good thing—double happiness!
Congratulations!
Standing directly in front of Ginrei Kuchiki, Kōga Kuchiki, who was performing Byakuya's coming-of-age ceremony, congratulated Sōjun Kuchiki beside him. Although he felt a little uncomfortable, he understood that the position of the Sixth Division leader was not for someone like him who was only half an outsider.
"Hmph~"
Sōjun smiled slightly after hearing Kōga's words, but remained silent.
"I hereby announce the new captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei 13 as... my son-in-law and also my adopted son, Kōga Kuchiki!"
At the same time, the sound of Ginrei Kuchiki slowly rang out.
"Um?"
The entire room fell silent instantly.
"What?"
Because Sōgo was appointed as the leader of the Second Division, the strength of the Five Great Noble Clans not only did not weaken due to Yoruichi's departure, but instead became even stronger, like an iron wall. This made other forces dare not attack the Five Great Noble Clans. As a result, Kōga Kuchiki, who did not become a victim of the power struggle, was appointed as the leader of the Sixth Division. At this moment, Kōga Kuchiki, whose fate had been changed, was stunned on the spot. He could not believe what he had heard.
What are you still standing there for?
Sōjun gave Kōga He a push from behind and smiled.
"Forehead..."
With Sōjun's push, Kōga finally remembered his situation and staggered to Kuchiki Ginrei's side, his face still showing disbelief. He felt as if he were in a dream.
Thank you to the reader "The one who loves to eat bean curd skin" for the 20,000-word reward! 6,000 words today! 6,000 words tomorrow and the day after!
(End of this chapter)