A few days later, the four of them arrived in the Suzuka district.
They were dressed similarly to the ordinary residents of the Rukongai and wore straw hats. No one recognized them along the way.
Yamamoto's 'study tour' had no strong objective; they went wherever the road took them.
The Suzuka district was West 50. Arriving here meant they had entered a region of the Rukongai with scarce resources and relatively poor public order.
The farther they went, the more the security situation would decline.
Kyōraku Shunsui looked around, searching for an izakaya or a liquor store to buy some drinks. "Just one district over, and it's like a world of difference!"
They had just come from West 49, and the spirit of the residents there was remarkably different from here.
In comparison, it was as if they had crossed from a commoner's district into a slum.
In the higher-numbered districts, the residents were full of vigor and had a positive outlook on life.
Upon arriving in Suzuka, the people they saw on the streets moved numbly, like puppets on a string.
Jūshirō Ukitake had his hands tucked into his sleeves and said casually, "You spend most of your time in the noble district and don't have a deep understanding of the Rukongai. In these lower-numbered districts, resources are scarce, and it's common for residents to fight over what little there is."
Sora said offhandedly, "The 10th Division Shinigami don't manage the residents' disputes during their patrols, do they? Why not dispatch Shinigami to be stationed in each district to manage public order? With more stable districts, the number of naturally born residents in the Soul Society would also increase, right?"
The residents of the Soul Society were reishi-based life forms, and like life in the human world, they were capable of reproduction.
Furthermore, because the reishi concentration in the Soul Society was high, the probability of a life born there having spiritual aptitude was higher than that of a soul reincarnated from the human world.
Yamamoto thought for a moment and felt this would indeed be beneficial for strengthening the ranks of the Shinigami. He nodded lightly. "A good suggestion. The 10th Division, as the patrol and security squad, should indeed take on the responsibility of managing public order in the Rukongai."
Currently, the 10th Division was only responsible for handling Hollow invasions and rebellions. Yamamoto decided to add public order management to their scope of duties.
"Finally found one..." Kyōraku found an izakaya and was overjoyed. "We've been walking for so long. We should get something to eat and rest a bit!"
Yamamoto did not refuse and led the three of them inside.
This izakaya was right on the street, and next to it was a liquor store. When they walked in, they saw that the two were connected. They were clearly owned by the same person.
"Welcome! What can I get for you four? We've just got a new batch of orange wine from the Akita district. It's brewed with seasonal oranges and is absolutely delicious! Would you like to try some?"
As soon as they entered, a young man with a broad smile greeted them and introduced the house specialty.
"Orange wine? That's rare. Shall we try it?" Kyōraku was very tempted. Seeing that the others had no objections, he took out his money pouch. "Tsk, the prices here aren't low... give us four orange wines and some appetizers."
Kyōraku looked at the prices on the menu and paid for the drinks and food.
"Right away!" The young man's smile grew even wider after taking the money. "Please have a seat. I'll bring your order right over."
The four of them found a table by the window.
The appetizers were already prepared, and within a few minutes, the young man brought everything over.
Several small plates of appetizers were placed in front of each of them.
Sora took a small sip of the orange wine. It was very good, with a hint of sourness within its clear sweetness. After swallowing, a sweet orange aftertaste lingered in his throat.
Yamamoto took a sip, and his brow relaxed slightly. "Not bad! This orange wine is from the Inuyama area, isn't it?"
"You're very knowledgeable, sir!" the young man said with a grin. "You're right, this batch was shipped from Inuyama!"
Kyōraku laughed. "It's better than plum wine. Looks like we'll have to buy a lot more when we go to the Akita district!"
The young man shook his head. "If you want more of this orange wine, you can only buy it here."
A surprised look appeared on Kyōraku's face. "What, did your shop buy up all the orange wine from the Akita district?"
"You're an embarrassment!" Yamamoto glared at him. "Inuyama is the territory of the Warewolf Clan. They are reclusive and do not allow outsiders in!"
"Is that so..." Kyōraku scratched his face. He hadn't known about that.
Jūshirō Ukitake had heard a little about the Warewolf Clan. He asked the young man, "The Warewolf Clan strictly forbids outsiders from entering Inuyama. How are you able to buy orange wine from there?"
The young man also had the appearance of an ordinary human; one could tell at a glance he was not of the Warewolf Clan.
Their appearance was very different from humans, looking like anthropomorphic wolves.
"We don't dare to enter Inuyama either. This orange wine was brought out by a warewolf," the young man said with a smile. "We bought all the wine he brought out, so now you can only get it here."
"No wonder it's so expensive..." Kyōraku realized. He had just noticed that the prices at this shop were far higher than at other izakayas and liquor stores.
Just then, Sora noticed a flash of disgust on the young man's face.
However, his disgust was not aimed at the four of them.
Sora followed his gaze out the window and saw a figure with his head completely covered by a helmet woven from bamboo and his hands wrapped in cloth walking towards the izakaya.
The young man smiled at Sora and the others. "Please enjoy your meal, gentlemen. A beggar has arrived. I have to go deal with him."
When Sora saw the man in the bamboo helmet, his expression shifted slightly.
Although the man had hidden his appearance, Sora could see his name through his panel. This was an 'acquaintance':
[Sajin Komamura]
[Talent: S]
[Spiritual Pressure: lv32]
[Affinity Level: Stranger]
[Status: Famished (I hope I can get something to eat today...)]
The man in the bamboo helmet was Sajin Komamura!
Sora understood why he was wearing it. It was specifically to hide the face of a warewolf.
Sajin Komamura stood at the entrance of the izakaya without coming in.
The young man waved his hand impatiently. "Don't block the way. You're bad for business!"
Komamura took a few steps to the left and spoke. "Boss, I'm hungry. Can you give me something to eat?"
The young man rolled his eyes. "This isn't a charity. You have to pay for food here!"
Komamura hesitated. "But the price of the orange wine I sold you..."
The young man's face changed. "The transaction is finished. Why are you bringing that up again!"
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