Chapter 106

In recent days, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi had been very busy.

On orders from the Captain-Commander, he had joined the special task force assembled by Kaelith.

Since joining, he felt as if he had turned into nothing more than an errand boy.

Every day, Kaelith would send him to the Rukongai to buy all sorts of strange things.

Today, it might be snacks. Tomorrow, clothes. The day after, perhaps rice, flour, oil, and salt.

Recently, however, Kaelith had developed an obsession with tea leaves.

In just two days, following Kaelith's instructions, he and Muguruma Kensei had scoured every tea shop across both Seireitei and Rukongai, buying tea from countless places and collecting an unimaginable variety.

Sometimes, they would even have to purchase the same type of tea from different shops, in varying quantities, and then make multiple trips to buy more.

If this were one of those modern fantasy stories, Rōjūrō might have suspected that Kaelith was planning some bizarre ritual to summon a god of tea leaves. 

"You idiot, that guy Kaelith is clearly just messing with us," Muguruma Kensei muttered lazily, his hands resting behind his head as he walked.

Rōjūrō raised an eyebrow. "Kensei, that's unfair."

"Kaelith was personally appointed by the Captain-Commander to lead this task force, and he holds A-level authority!"

"The Captain-Commander would never joke about something as serious as A-level authority."

"There must be a deeper meaning behind the tasks Kaelith is assigning us!"

Kensei: "…" 

Though Kensei still believed that Kaelith was simply fooling around, he had to admit that Rōjūrō's words made some sense.

Seeing Kensei fall silent, Rōjūrō smiled cheerfully, humming a little tune as they headed toward the 2nd Division headquarters.

Kaelith's temporary command post had been set up in the 2nd Division barracks.

Rōjūrō had no complaints about this arrangement.

If he weren't running errands for Kaelith, he'd have to endure Madam Ise's lectures and her relentless guidance on all the responsibilities of being a captain.

By comparison, running errands for Kaelith was much more enjoyable.

"Commander Kaelith! We've arrived!"

Rōjūrō stood at the door and announced their arrival.

"Hmm… Captain Rōjūrō? Wait a moment, don't open the door yet!" came Kaelith's voice from inside.

Both Rōjūrō and Kensei paused. Something about Kaelith's voice seemed… odd.

"Hey, you idiot, that's my clothes…"

The next second, a woman's voice came from the room.

Rōjūrō didn't recognize the voice, but as a former vice-captain, Kensei had heard it a few times before.

His eyes widened in shock.

It was none other than Shihōin Yoruichi, the head of the punishment force.

Wait—what were those two doing inside the room?

And from what they just overheard, were they… changing clothes?

Kensei was completely stunned.

The room sounded chaotic, as if the two were struggling with something.

"Forget it, I'm not wearing it anymore! It's all messed up anyway!"

"Why did you have to strip down with me? Now it's just a pile of torn fabric!"

Rōjūrō: "…" 

Kensei: "…" 

The two exchanged a look and saw the horror in each other's eyes.

This was bad. Something serious was happening.

"Should we make a run for it?"

As the two debated whether to flee, Kaelith's voice suddenly echoed from inside the room.

"Ahem, Captains, come in!"

At his words, both of their pupils twitched involuntarily.

Who in their right mind would dare go in?

After a few seconds of silence, Kaelith repeated himself, sounding slightly confused.

Muguruma Kensei hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and pulling the door open.

What greeted them was Kaelith seated casually at his desk, holding a small black cat in his arms.

Behind him stood Soifon, wearing an expression of utter disdain as she massaged his shoulders.

From the dark, oppressive aura radiating off Soifon, the two couldn't help but suspect she was 

calculating the best way to strangle Kaelith on the spot.

They quickly noticed Kaelith's Shihakushō was in disarray, clearly thrown on hastily.

In an instant, a disturbing thought sprang to their minds.

Kaelith, Shihōin Yoruichi, and this young lady—what exactly had the three of them been doing in this room before they arrived?

Shihōin Yoruichi wasn't in sight. She had probably hidden herself somewhere in the room, unable to dress in time.

Under the table, perhaps... (t/n bruh chill..) 

At that moment, the two nearly wept internally.

What kind of nightmare situation was this? If they accidentally caught sight of something they shouldn't, it would be considered an insult to nobility—a crime punishable by a trip to the Central Underground Prison.

Forcing themselves to steady their nerves, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi ignored Soifon's dark aura behind Kaelith and assumed a serious expression.

"Commander Kaelith, what are today's orders?"

Kaelith stroked his chin thoughtfully for a few seconds before speaking.

"Head to North Rukongai, District Seven, and buy me some tea leaves."

"Hmm... Get them from Itōya. I want their finest tea leaves—one hundred pounds!"

"What?!"

Rōjūrō's eyes widened in shock at Kaelith's demand.

Itōya was the finest tea shop in all of Soul Society. 

Their teas were already more expensive than those sold anywhere else. Their premium leaves were rare treasures sold by the ounce—how could there possibly be one hundred pounds available?

He twitched slightly. "Commander Kaelith, you must be joking, right?"

"Who's joking?" Kaelith rolled his eyes. "I said one hundred pounds, and I mean it!"

"If you're short on money, go to the Ōmaeda family and get some."

"Remember, it has to be in stock—no waiting for future deliveries."

"If they can't produce it on the spot, make them pull supplies from other stores immediately!"

"And if they can't gather it by today, use your authority as a captain to shut their shop down!"

Kaelith's serious tone left Rōjūrō momentarily stunned. He didn't know how to respond.

He had always been soft-spoken and introverted. Using his position to pressure others felt entirely out of character.

Seeing his troubled expression, Muguruma Kensei clicked his tongue in irritation.

He placed a hand on Rōjūrō's shoulder and pulled him aside.

"Commander Kaelith, I'll take care of it this time. I guarantee the job will be done!"

"Oh, sure, that works," Kaelith said nonchalantly, waving a hand as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing in relaxation.

With Soifon continuing to massage him, he looked every bit like a despotic landlord reveling in luxury.

Kensei chuckled helplessly and shook his head before turning to leave.

Once Kensei was gone, Kaelith shifted his gaze to Rōjūrō.

"Captain Rōjūrō, how are the soldiers—uh, the squad members—that you and Captain Kensei were assigned to prepare? Are they ready?"

Rōjūrō nodded. "Please rest assured. As per your instructions, the three hundred squad members have been fully integrated. Here is the roster."

He retrieved a thread-bound book from his robes.

A member of the punishment force materialized silently, took the book, and used Shunpo to deliver it to Kaelith.

Kaelith flipped through a few pages casually and nodded in satisfaction.

"Excellent. Now head back and have all of them change into civilian clothes. Divide them into four groups and have them spread out across the four major Rukongai districts for ambush operations!"

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