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"I guess Central 46 must have spared Takasugi's life," Aozaki Reiji said confidently.
A Captain-class combatant, the nobles surely wouldn't want him to die just like that.
It doesn't matter how many ordinary rebels die; for Shinigami, one less Captain-class means one less.
Unohana Retsu nodded, the smile on her face not diminishing in the slightest.
"The criminal Takasugi Hirofumi, for rebellion and treason, and attempting to assassinate the Third Seated Officer of the Gotei 13's Second Division, is guilty of a heinous crime and sentenced to three thousand years of imprisonment in the Maggot's Nest!"
"So that guy's name is Takasugi Hirofumi, and he was indeed spared..." Aozaki Reiji murmured, then suddenly paused, realizing something was amiss.
"Huh!? That guy was locked up in the Maggot's Nest!?
Takasugi Hirofumi's strength should warrant him being imprisoned in the Central Underground Great Prison.
A reduced sentence isn't reduced like this!
Who doesn't know that the Maggot's Nest is the Shihōin Family's territory, and also his, Aozaki Reiji's, territory?
This is practically delivering Takasugi Hirofumi's life into his hands.
Comparatively, the Central Underground Great Prison is the safe place.
And the Maggot's Nest is a dangerous place.
"Has the Tsunayashiro Family gone mad?" Aozaki Reiji said with a strange expression.
He really couldn't understand what the Tsunayashiro Family was trying to do.
On the surface, it seemed they spared Takasugi Hirofumi's life, but in reality, it could be said they wanted to put him to death.
Jūshirō Ukitake coughed twice, saying with an embarrassed expression, "Junior brother, slandering nobles might lead to execution for disrespect."
"I know, Senior brother," Aozaki Reiji waved his hand dismissively.
Jūshirō Ukitake gave a helpless, bitter smile.
This child is truly too much like Kyōraku Shunsui.
"It is said that this proposal was put forward by a sage from an upper-class noble family in the Central 46."
Unohana Retsu slightly narrowed her eyes, her smile vanishing as she spoke.
Jūshirō Ukitake seemed to have thought of something, saying almost casually, "I heard that the Main family and branch family of the Tsunayashiro Family haven't been getting along very well these past few years."
Upon hearing this, Aozaki Reiji and Unohana Retsu looked at him in unison.
Both were intelligent people and understood his meaning almost instantly.
Aozaki Reiji was pensive but did not easily jump to conclusions.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Jūshirō Ukitake.
It was just that even with a distinction between the Main family and branch family, it was still the Tsunayashiro Family in the end.
He couldn't be sure how bad this so-called 'not getting along' was, to the extent that they would harm each other in such a way.
Takasugi Hirofumi imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest.
Was it a power struggle within the family, or a personal grudge between family members?
He couldn't judge.
Perhaps it was just that Takasugi Hirofumi had done something to offend the Main family...
Aozaki Reiji couldn't help but ask, "So what's my reward?"
"Nothing more than money, or a advancement in rank. You defeated a Captain-class rebel, so the Third Seated Officer position is indeed too low for you," Jūshirō Ukitake responded.
Unohana Retsu shook her head, smiling, "Congratulations, Third Seat Reiji, from today onward, you are a noble."
Jūshirō Ukitake: "..."
Aozaki Reiji: "?"
Are those Tsunayashiro Family guys' brains really okay?
How about you, Ukitake, go help them check their brains.
He killed their people, yet he can still be ennobled.
What are those madmen thinking!?
Aozaki Reiji laughed, "Ukitake, you're not joking with me, are you?"
Unohana Retsu smiled as she said:
"Of course it's not a joke. Central 46 has issued an order: Aozaki Reiji, Third Seat of the Second Division, for his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, is hereby ennobled as a Lower Noble."
"So that means I'm a noble lord who just fills a position now!" Aozaki Reiji grabbed Unohana Retsu's hand, saying excitedly.
He couldn't be blamed for being too excited.
The status of a Lower Noble wasn't high.
But becoming a noble meant gaining formal permission to own one's own Senkaimon.
Shinigami who wished to go to the Human World needed approval from higher-ups, and after approval, they would use a Senkaimon to go to the Human World.
Nobles had no such requirement.
This identity would be of great use to him!
Unohana Retsu smiled and nodded.
"I heard, Junior brother, that you don't really like nobles?" Jūshirō Ukitake tilted his head, puzzled.
"You don't understand, Senior brother. That's because I wasn't a noble before," Aozaki Reiji raised an eyebrow. "Now that I'm a noble, I naturally like them."
Jūshirō Ukitake's mouth dropped open in surprise, completely awed by Aozaki Reiji's flexible moral bottom line.
"Reiji, I've come to see you..."
Yoruichi Shihōin squatted by the window, a brilliant smile on her face, letting everyone feel her vitality.
Her gaze unconsciously followed Aozaki Reiji's hand, noticing Unohana Retsu sitting by the bed, and she scratched her head awkwardly.
"Sorry, I didn't know there were others in the room. I hope I didn't disturb you?"
The ward instantly fell silent.
Aozaki Reiji suddenly felt the atmosphere in the room become somewhat heavy.
Jūshirō Ukitake seemed to feel the same, pulling the partition curtain around the bed without a word.
Aozaki Reiji noticed his small action, but under the gaze of two great beauties, he couldn't stop him.
He could only sigh in his heart—
As expected of the man who would propose the Substitute Shinigami monitoring plan in the future; his ability to prevent danger is truly powerful!
Indeed, none of Genryūsai's disciples are easy to deal with!
Aozaki Reiji paused for two seconds, silently withdrawing his hand, pretending not to care, and said:
"Yoruichi, you're finally here. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
"Really? Then what were you two just doing...?" Yoruichi Shihōin asked suspiciously.
Unohana Retsu chuckled, placing her hands in her lap, completely at ease: "Reiji was a bit excited knowing he became a noble."
"But what Reiji did doesn't seem to concern Captain Yoruichi, does it?"
"Are the Captains of the Gotei 13 now even managing their subordinates' private affairs? How come I didn't know?"
What's with this tense atmosphere?
Ukitake isn't Kukaku, so why are they like this?
Aozaki Reiji couldn't understand, so he could only bite the bullet and say:
"Captain Unohana Retsu is right, I was too excited just now."
"I'm sorry, Captain Unohana Retsu, I was too presumptuous just now. Please don't take offense."
Unohana Retsu also noticed the change in his address and slightly furrowed her brow.
"How could I blame you? Given our relationship, do we need to care about such small matters?"
Upon hearing this, Yoruichi Shihōin narrowed her eyes.
Are you two trying to kill me?
Aozaki Reiji was on the verge of tears: "Indeed, in kendo practice, physical contact is unavoidable."
He tried to grab Yoruichi Shihōin's hand but found that in his current state, he couldn't grasp it at all.
Seeing his pitiful look, Yoruichi Shihōin's heart softened a bit.
However, she still didn't give him a good look, only sat by the bed, took his hand, and pouted, saying crossly:
"You're this injured, and you still have time to think about such nonsense."
After speaking, she glanced at Unohana Retsu.
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