The sky above the Seireitei was still high and clear, the wind light and mild, just as it had been for the millions of years that had churned and settled here.
In the Squad 6 Captain's office, Kuchiki Ginrei, having finished his duties for the day, stood by the window, gazing at the distant sky. For this stern and demanding old man, almost no one in Squad 6 dared to disturb him while he was handling squad affairs.
But the reason it was "almost" was because there was one exception.
"Is it a bit hotter this year than usual?"
The door to the Captain's office opened, and someone walked in, speaking in a gentle tone that was half-serious, half-joking.
Hearing his words, the stern contours of Kuchiki Ginrei's face softened. He turned to look at the person who had entered the office.
He had a face very similar to Ginrei's, and anyone who saw him would exclaim, "a noble son." He was Kuchiki Ginrei's son, the current Lieutenant of Squad 6, hailed as the gentlest Lieutenant in all thirteen squads, Kuchiki Sōjun.
"It is about that time of year," Ginrei said, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching his lips.
Many people wondered why Sōjun was nothing like Ginrei. Ginrei's sternness and Sōjun's gentleness were two extremes, completely incompatible.
In fact, Ginrei had hardly interfered in Sōjun's upbringing. Although Sōjun, as a member of the Kuchiki family, was born with talent surpassing ordinary people, his body had been frail since childhood and was not suited for combat.
Because of this, Ginrei had no intention of pushing him onto the battlefield. And because of this, Sōjun was not overly influenced by Ginrei's sternness, and had grown into the highly esteemed figure he was today, praised by both noble and non-noble squad members alike.
But on the other hand, even though Ginrei held no undue expectations for Sōjun, Sōjun felt he had to take responsibility. So he studied combat diligently, eventually changing Ginrei's mind. Ginrei, thinking that he would, after all, inherit the position of the next head of the family, promoted him to Lieutenant.
At first, Ginrei was a little worried about whether Sōjun could handle the squad's affairs, but he soon put his mind at ease. Sōjun had that ability. He could get along with all the squad members while still earning their respect.
It was often joked that Squad 13 had a Captain, while Squad 6 had a Lieutenant, both of whom needed to be carefully looked after by their squad members. Although it sounded a bit unpleasant, even satirical, at first, it was actually a sign of their concern. It was a reminder to the other squads, especially Squad 11, that these two were not rough men like them.
"Is there something you need from me?"
Hearing Ginrei's words, Sōjun smiled wryly and waved his hand. Ginrei was just that formal. Although his concern was no less, in the squad, they were Captain and Lieutenant, a relationship of superior and subordinate.
"It's nothing too important."
Of course, if he had just come over to chat out of boredom, even if Sōjun was Ginrei's beloved son, he would still be reprimanded. So Sōjun did actually have something to discuss.
"It's about Kyōka."
"Kyōka… I see…"
Hearing this name, Ginrei's expression tightened slightly.
Kuchiki Kyōka was Ginrei's son-in-law, and a rising star in Squad 13.
Generally speaking, it was common for noble families to recruit talent by marrying them into the family. Even the Tsunayashiro family often did this, using a lower-ranking family member to recruit a talented squad member into the family.
But Kuchiki Kyōka was slightly different, or rather, different in every way.
The Kuchiki family was one of the Five Great Noble Clans, and was hailed as a model for all Shinigami. If they had recruited him using an insignificant, lower-ranking family member like the Tsunayashiro family, no one would have said anything. But he had become Ginrei's son-in-law.
The son-in-law of the current head of the Kuchiki family.
Even if he had immense talent, he was still just a commoner from the Rukongai. The blood of nobles, especially the head of the family, should only be passed down among nobles. Especially at the level of the Five Great Noble Clans, the children of the head of the family, whether sons or daughters, held special significance. Therefore, it was not allowed for them to marry commoners or recruit commoners into the family through marriage.
But the Kuchiki family, the model for all Shinigami, had actually done just that.
On the one hand, it was because although Ginrei was stern inside and out, he doted on his daughter. Even such a willful request, he would acquiesce to after a fierce internal struggle.
On the other hand, it was probably because of the stunt the Shihōin family had pulled earlier. The head of the Shihōin family had directly adopted a commoner from the Rukongai as his eldest son, so what was wrong with the Kuchiki family marrying a talented Shinigami into the family?
And this was one of the reasons why the Kuchiki family had surprisingly supported that head of the Shihōin family when he had his fit on the spot. No support is given without a reason.
Taking advantage of that opening, Ginrei had fulfilled his daughter's wish.
In any case, regardless of the preceding events, the goal had now been achieved. Ginrei's daughter had married the man she loved. And Kuchiki Kyōka had become a member of the Kuchiki family.
"What is it?"
His thoughts briefly pulled back from his reminiscence, Ginrei asked.
Not affected by his father's stern demeanor, or rather, having long been accustomed to it, Sōjun spoke the words he had probably been thinking about for a long time, though it was unknown if he had been influenced by his sister.
"It's about Kyōka. After becoming a member of the Kuchiki family, he has been working harder than ever to live up to the Kuchiki name. He has indeed achieved results and earned the recognition of the squad members. Is it inappropriate to keep him as a low-ranking seated officer? This might make him think that you, Father… Captain, are dissatisfied with him."
Kuchiki Kyōka had successfully become a member of the Kuchiki family. In the eyes of others, he had married up. In his own eyes, it was a close call. But perhaps only Ginrei himself knew how many arrangements and exchanges of benefits he had made behind the scenes, and he would never speak of these things.
The result was that Kyōka had always believed that Ginrei did not like him very much. Ginrei had only agreed to their marriage because of his daughter's request, and had only transferred him to Squad 6 after he had changed his surname to Kuchiki. So he had always wanted to win Ginrei's approval.
Sōjun had seen all of this and was also very concerned about Kyōka's situation. Otherwise, Kyōka himself would never have made such a request.
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