Actually, Kamidera Miya's words provided a very obvious hint. 'Who' was the one that transmitted the fake news back then? Since it was 'who' in the singular, then naturally there was only one false accuser.
But if even Kōe, who had personally experienced the assassinations and other events, couldn't be certain, how could Kamidera—who never stepped foot outside his estate in the Seireitei—be so sure there was only one accuser? Aside from some divine revelation from the Soul King, the only logical explanation was that the Five Great Noble Clans had also investigated the matter, and had reached a dead end.
After reading the names on the scroll, Kōe's face twitched violently. It was exactly as he thought. *'I already realized they had investigated it, yet I still asked such a question. I really am an idiot!'*
"Actually, I encountered an assassination attempt in the Tomie District. I assume none of you present have the free time to play jokes on me, right?"
"It seems you've hit the nail on the head," Yamamoto replied with a faint smile.
The list in Kōe's hands contained forty-four lower noble clans and fifteen middle noble clans. It was a list of families connected to the false accusation incident, jointly compiled by Yamamoto and the Five Great Noble Clans.
To produce this list, the Seireitei had ostensibly investigated the families of the personnel involved in transmitting the message. However, that was merely for show; Yamamoto and the others never expected to untangle such a messy web.
Therefore, the creation of this list was primarily based on one simple concept: dividing the spoils!
No matter how many methods they used to hide their tracks or which corner they cowered in, when it came time to divide the spoils, they would all desperately scramble to the front.
Furthermore, this list hadn't been filtered. Operating on the principle of 'better to kill by mistake than to let one slip away', every clan that had even a crumb of the spoils was included. Thus, compiling this list hadn't taken much effort, but the price it represented was undeniably massive.
But even so, the list was missing the most crucial piece: the family of the false accuser. Not a single one of the families belonging to the seven suspects was on it!
There were two explanations for this situation. The first was that some unlucky bastard did the deed, took the blame, and ended up with absolutely nothing. However, this possibility was extremely low. First, no noble clan heads had died in the Seireitei over the years. Second, no one wanted to take on such a massive liability themselves, nor would they trust anyone else to handle it.
Therefore, the second explanation was the most likely, which was exactly what Kōe's seemingly laughable question was trying to convey: the list was missing the ringleader! The false accuser most likely hailed from this leading family!
And in the Seireitei, the only existence capable of keeping multiple middle noble clans from tearing each other apart and forcing them to jointly execute such an audacious plan—aside from the Five Great Noble Clans—was an upper noble clan.
Kōe finally understood completely. Helping him collect a little interest was just a convenient byproduct; the real reason was that these people hadn't found the mastermind? *'Sure enough, I can't trust these guys. Great, this is very Kamidera Miya, very Central 46! These wretched old men are all rotten to the core!'*
"Thinking about it carefully, this false accusation was actually the beginning of all the chaos. And in order to maximize the blockade of accurate information, the false accuser had to seize the opportunity and independently decide whether to transmit fake news back. Then, the mastermind in the Seireitei would choose whether or not to use it! The fire is indeed in the mastermind's hands, but the fuse absolutely had to be provided by this accuser!"
"And so?" Yamamoto asked, looking at Kōe.
"This person had to be decisive enough, not timid or hesitant. More importantly, it's about status. To be precise, whether the mastermind's status was solid enough to make the others willing to entrust such a task to their subordinate!" Kōe took a deep breath, his eyes sweeping over everyone opposite him. "Therefore, this false accuser must be the mastermind's absolute confidant. The other participants wouldn't have that kind of persuasive power, and their origin must definitely be an upper noble clan."
"Not bad, not bad!" Kamidera Miya still didn't open his mouth, but his Adam's apple clearly bobbed twice. A highly raspy voice emerged, the complete opposite extreme of Tsunayashiro's childlike tone. "Unfortunately, three of the people here belong to upper noble clans. You still need to find out who the false accuser is, which won't be easy."
"Actually, it's not that difficult. I just need a little cooperation from everyone."
"What kind of cooperation?" Tsunayashiro suddenly grew interested.
Kōe didn't keep them in suspense, detailing his thoughts from start to finish. The six men briefly conferred and immediately made the final decision—they would do exactly that!
Among the seven people, three hailed from upper noble clans: Squad 4 member Kotetsu Isane, Squad 5 member Azashiro Kōzō, and Squad 5's 5th Seat, Tsukikage Toshitake.
After clearing the unconscious servants and courtesans out of the hall, the first to have her Kidō undone and be awakened was Kotetsu Isane—the woman with light purple hair who had been carried away by Yamagata while fleeing back then.
The very first thing she saw upon waking was Kōe's face, which absolutely terrified Kotetsu Isane. Although it was a bit blurry, the last image in her memory was Kōe's fist!
"Kotetsu Isane, turn your head!" Isane looked toward the voice and was shocked to see Head Captain Yamamoto, with the heads of the Five Great Noble Clans sitting beside him. She immediately shifted from sitting to kneeling, lowering her head as her body trembled slightly.
"Half a month ago, what exactly did you all encounter in the Zaraki District that led to the deaths of two Squad 11 members?!"
"W-We encountered a Gillian. T-They couldn't escape."
"Then how did you escape?!"
"Kōe Shihouin, he appeared in time and killed the Gillian. There were also Quincies; they killed it together."
"Then why was the message transmitted to the Seireitei that Kōe Shihouin murdered them?!" Yamamoto slammed his wooden cane hard against the floor and sternly demanded, "To tell such a lie, who instructed you? What were your intentions!"
Isane froze for a moment before immediately reacting. She hurriedly raised her head, waving her hands in explanation. "N-No, it wasn't me! I never sent any message back. Besides, in the Plains of Slaughter, unless there's a special incident, messages are only sent uniformly after establishing a temporary camp. So we didn't send any messages at that time! Really, everything I'm saying is true! Please believe me!!"
"Then who sent the message!"
"I don't know. At the time, no one mentioned sending a message back. Even though he scolded us, he still saved our lives. How could we harm him like that!"
The answers from the subsequently awakened Azashiro Kōzō and Tsukikage Toshitake were largely similar in content, aside from a few minor details. No one pointed fingers at anyone else, and naturally, no one admitted to being the false accuser.
The investigation temporarily hit a wall, though this was entirely within the expectations of Kōe and the others. Expecting an eyewitness or the accuser themselves to step forward and confess was pure fantasy.
"One of you loves slinging mud at me. In the past, it didn't matter; I considered it petty squabbling." Having watched the show for a long time, Kōe paced back and forth in front of the three with his hands behind his back. "But this time, you went too far. You hate me so much that you want me dead!"
"Why are you only suspecting us!" Tsukikage retorted.
"Based on the look in your eyes right before the end!" Kōe pointed at his own eyes and continued, "The others all had expressions of extreme disgust, but you three were different. You had looks of sheer astonishment. It's understandable, though. For you, seeing me still alive must be quite annoying."
"Fabricating facts out of jealousy and spite, you bunch of bastards!" Shihōin Dōzō suddenly roared, slapping his hand down and snapping his armrest in half. "Neither you nor your clans deserve to exist any longer!"
"Do it yourselves!" Kōe said, kicking the three people's Zanpakutō over to them from nearby. "After all, I'm fine. If you take the punishment on their behalf, I won't pursue your families any further. How about it?"
"Kōe's intent is my intent!" Yamamoto added in a deep voice. "The Seireitei will absolutely not allow the same mistake to happen again. If you insist on remaining stubborn, I don't mind making an example out of you!"
"Pay the price for your stupidity before a tragedy unfolds. We do not wish to see the annihilation of three noble clans, but that does not mean we cannot bear to watch it happen," Kamidera Miya finally spoke, his tone completely devoid of emotion.
It seemed they had no choice but to do as these men said. Better to kill by mistake than to let one slip away—this had been the Seireitei's code of conduct since its inception.
Trembling, Tsukikage picked up his Zanpakutō with both hands. Seemingly having made a decision in his heart, his right hand slowly moved to the hilt and gripped it tightly. But truthfully, he was incredibly unwilling to accept this.
While Tsukikage hesitated, Azashiro Kōzō on his left had already moved. He raised his Zanpakutō high with both hands, the blade pointing downward, and shouted, "I can die, but I have a clear conscience! The Azashiro clan is even more innocent!" Then, he viciously thrust the blade toward his own heart.
However, the instant the blade was about to pierce his body, Kōe suddenly sprang into action. He kicked Kōzō's hands, causing the plunging blade to narrowly scrape past his heart and pierce diagonally through his body instead.
Kōzō clenched his teeth tightly, his forehead pressed against the floor. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he knelt motionless on the ground, curled up in a tight ball. However, the short, rapid breaths continuously escaping his nose proved he was still alive.
*'Could this just be a test?'* Just as Tsukikage had this thought, Kōe's voice rang out again.
"Your name is Tsukikage, right? Your performance is as disappointing as ever." Kōe crouched down in front of the three and patted Tsukikage's left shoulder with his left hand. He then reached out his right hand and placed it on Isane's right shoulder, turning his head to say, "As for you, I hope you weren't just scared silly this time, which is why you couldn't even pick up your sword."
"But for now, congratulations! You two are safe."
Power Stones, reviews, and comments— really helps a lot
Want to read ahead? Get access to 50+ extra chapters on my Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/Aragai_Sama