"Wow! Pretty lady, look at this! It actually changes into so many different colors under the light from different angles!"
Rurichiyo Kasumioji was currently sprawled across the low table without a care for her image, holding up a Kuromi sticker that could be bought anywhere in the World of the Living. Her large eyes sparkled with a young girl's wonder and excitement.
To an upper-class noble like her, who had been confined within a deep, sprawling estate since childhood, even a cheap sticker contained incomprehensible magic.
Shinobu Kocho had already changed into soft, light-colored loungewear and sat gently beside her.
Looking at Rurichiyo's innocent and naive demeanor, she patiently peeled off the backing film of the sticker. "Yes, although humans don't have Spiritual Energy, they use their wisdom to create many incredible little gadgets."
"Here, be careful. You can stick it on your diary, or anywhere you like."
"Then I'm going to stick it on my fan, hehe!"
"When I go back, I definitely have to show it to Grandpa Kumoi. He'll definitely think it looks nice!" Rurichiyo proudly raised her little face.
In the tearoom separated by a single wall, Asuka listened to the relaxed conversation coming from next door while swirling the teacup in front of him.
"So, this is your entire trump card?"
He looked at Kenryu and Enryu, who were kneeling opposite him, and shook his head helplessly. "Counting you two, that's less than ten low-ranking Soul Reapers..."
"With just these few retainers, can you bring down this Kumoi you speak of?"
Kenryu and Enryu's eyes dimmed, and they buried their heads deeply into their chests.
Seeing their pathetic state, Asuka sighed repeatedly. "You guys should think these things over carefully. I'll be staying in the World of the Living for a while longer."
"...Anyway, I only have one bottom line."
"As long as she stays within the boundaries of the Urahara Shop, I guarantee no one will be able to touch a single hair on her head. I will protect her safety."
"If that Kumoi sends assassins over, I will repel them."
He glanced at Kisuke Urahara, who was remaining silent to the side, and helplessly propped his chin up with one hand. "But as for the internal power struggles and messy affairs of your Kasumioji Family, you'll have to figure out how to solve them yourselves."
"I'm not your hired thug, and I'm certainly not your retainer. Do you understand?"
"Understood! Completely understood!"
Kenryu trembled with excitement and bowed repeatedly. "Lord Asuka's willingness to shelter Lady Rurichiyo is already a massive blessing to us! We would never dare to extravagantly hope that you would involve yourself further in our family's internal strife!"
Enryu also wiped his tears and chimed in, "As long as the young mistress is safe, even if we have to risk our lives, we will definitely contact more loyal retainers who have been marginalized by Kumoi!"
"Just give us a little time, and we will definitely gather enough manpower to personally eliminate this cancer of our family!"
Seeing their solemn vows, Asuka curled his lips in doubt.
But since he had already made himself clear, he couldn't be bothered to pour cold water on them again.
"Asuka really draws a clear line. This shop greatly appreciates such a decisive and unambiguous style of doing things."
Kisuke Urahara, who had been using his folding fan to cover half his face and acting like an invisible man, finally spoke up with a smiling expression.
He picked up the teapot and unhurriedly refilled Asuka's hot tea, then turned his gaze to Kenryu and Enryu.
"However, you two guard gentlemen..." Kisuke Urahara put away his smile, his eyes becoming somewhat puzzled. "Regarding your Kasumioji Family... I actually have some questions recently that I need you two to answer."
Kenryu froze for a moment, looking at this legendary, unfathomable former Director of the Department of Research and Development with some confusion. "Mr. Urahara, please speak..."
Kisuke Urahara didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gently tapped his folding fan against the tabletop, producing a rhythmic tapping sound.
"...As you two know, this shop mainly deals in miscellaneous goods with Spiritual Energy properties in the World of the Living."
"Recently, I planned to produce a batch of Reishi items used for repairing Gigai in the World of the Living and stabilizing Senkaimon coordinates... For this batch of items, I need a rare material called Spirit-Sealing Sand."
Kisuke Urahara's gaze swept across their faces. "The yield of this material is extremely low, usually only produced in a few ancient veins in the Soul Society."
"But when I asked someone to inquire about it on the market, I received news that left me completely baffled..."
"All the Spirit-Sealing Sand on the market, even including the pre-order quotas for the next ten years, has been bought out by someone in one go."
Asuka raised an eyebrow. "What's so strange about that? Isn't it common for those nobles in the Soul Society with more money than they know what to do with to buy out resources?"
"Well... if it were an ordinary noble, that would be one thing, and there would still be room for negotiation..."
"But the problem is, the one who bought out this batch of materials is the Tsunayashiro Family..." Kisuke Urahara frowned, spitting out this thunderous name.
"The head of the noble families, the Tsunayashiro Family?" Kenryu gasped.
"Exactly." Kisuke Urahara nodded. "That is precisely what I find strange."
"Now that Central 46 has been annihilated, all their energy should be focused on how to seize more power in this political reshuffle and how to suppress Captain-Commander Kyoraku's prestige."
"At a time like this, they suddenly spent a massive amount of money to hoard a batch of obscure materials that can only be used to manufacture Reishi Gigai and repair Zanpakuto... What are they plotting?"
Kisuke Urahara suddenly leaned forward, pointing his folding fan at the two. "To figure out the reason, I entrusted some old connections in the Stealth Force to investigate deeply. And what do you think I found?"
Kenryu and Enryu felt their skin crawl under Kisuke Urahara's stare, and they subconsciously shook their heads.
"This batch of Spirit-Sealing Sand isn't for the Tsunayashiro Family's own use at all."
"The ones responsible for receiving this batch of goods in the Rukongai... are from your Kasumioji Family, Gyokaku Kumoi's personal attendants."
As soon as these words came out, the air in the tearoom became somewhat subtle.
Although Asuka understood neither item crafting nor politics, he still sensed that something was wrong.
The Tsunayashiro Family paid, and the Kasumioji Family received the goods.
Why would these two pivotal families in the Soul Society secretly transport resources during such a sensitive period...
If the Kasumioji Family needed it, couldn't they just buy it themselves? Something felt off.
"...What's the point of this?" Enryu scratched his bald head, his voice high-pitched. "Our Kasumioji Family forges weapons for the nobles... but Spirit-Sealing Sand isn't suitable for forging at all. What does that old thief Kumoi want with so much Spirit-Sealing Sand?"
Kenryu added blankly, "Moreover, as a controlled material, nobles have to report to the Sixth Division to purchase these things in large quantities. Isn't Kumoi just asking for trouble?"
"This is exactly the question I wanted to ask you two." Kisuke Urahara reopened his folding fan. "I can imagine that in order to successfully usurp the position, Mr. Kumoi definitely needs a powerful external backer to acknowledge his legitimate status."
"The Tsunayashiro Family is a good choice. Acting in their name, ordinary people indeed wouldn't dare to question it."
"So, what exactly did Kumoi use to move the greedy Tsunayashiro Family... to make them assist Kumoi and secretly hoard Spirit-Sealing Sand..."
"That is what I'm curious about."
As Kisuke Urahara asked, his profound gaze continuously swept over the two, trying to find some clues.
"We don't know..." Kenryu grabbed his hair in confusion, his face full of frustration. "We are just the young lady's guards to begin with. We never interfere with the family's businesses..."
"Furthermore, Kumoi is extremely guarded. He replaced the forging workshop with his own people long ago. Those of us loyal to the previous generation can't even take half a step near it."
Seeing the two's predicament of knowing absolutely nothing... Kisuke Urahara could only sigh helplessly.
"Never mind, you are also just pitiful people kept in the dark..."
"Asuka's decision is wise. Before figuring out what exactly Kumoi is plotting, this shop will reluctantly provide shelter for Lady Rurichiyo for a period of time."
"Additionally," Kisuke Urahara stroked his chin, "although we cannot directly interfere in the Kasumioji Family's internal affairs, I can pass a message to Captain-Commander Kyoraku in a private capacity."
"I can test his attitude towards the Kasumioji Family... If Captain Kyoraku is willing to step forward and intervene as the side of justice, then Kumoi's conspiracy might collapse without a fight."
Hearing this, Kenryu and Enryu once again shed tears of gratitude and thanked him repeatedly.
Although they didn't know if the new Captain-Commander would help them...
In this desperate situation, even a one-in-a-thousand hope was worth praying for.
Just as the atmosphere in the tearoom eased slightly and everyone prepared to further discuss how to settle Rurichiyo...
BOOM—!!!
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from above the underground training ground.
It blasted from the direction of the Urahara Shop's front hall.