Chapter 6: A Place to Stand
After the simple staff meal, Kotama efficiently cleared the table and dishes. She poured two cups of warm roasted tea from the iron kettle on the side counter—one for the proprietress, one placed in front of Suoh.
The tea was pale green, releasing gentle wisps of steam. A few leaves unfurled in the cups, spreading their modest fragrance.
"Please, have some tea."
"Thank you."
Suoh replied, lifting the cup and feeling the ceramic's pleasant warmth against his fingertips. He took a small sip.
"You're welcome."
Kotama gave them both a gentle smile, then carried the dishes back toward the kitchen.
Exhaling softly, Suoh savored the post-meal contentment while his mind worked through certain considerations.
He knew the experienced proprietress had likely already figured out he possessed spiritual power. After all, ordinary souls only felt fatigue—not hunger. His eating earlier had been rather obvious.
Still, judging from Terada-san's calm expression, souls with spiritual power probably weren't all that rare in Rukongai.
Even in an unfamiliar world where people's hearts were difficult to read, there was no need to be excessively paranoid about it.
Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai had both come from South Rukongai District 78—Inuzuri—and managed to survive their childhoods just fine. He should have even better odds here in the comparatively safe West District 3.
As tea fragrance drifted through the air, Terada-san lifted her cup, blew on it gently, then looked at Suoh. Her voice was calm and direct.
"Tsukasa, I'm very satisfied with your performance. I've decided to keep you on."
This afternoon in the kitchen, she'd experienced an unprecedented ease and efficiency. Whatever she needed for cooking, Suoh had already prepared it before she even asked.
"Room and board are included. There's an empty storage room on the second floor toward the back. It's small, but it'll be livable once cleaned up. Kotama will bring you bedding and some daily necessities later."
"As for wages, we'll start you at two chogin per month. Depending on how things go, I'll give you raises."
The terms were clear. This wasn't simple charity—it was formal employment based on recognizing Suoh's actual value as a worker.
"Eh, two chogin?!"
"Tsukasa-kun, that's amazing!"
Kotama had just returned from the kitchen in time to hear the proprietress's offer. She exclaimed softly, looking at Suoh with undisguised admiration.
"Terada-san, thank you very much. I look forward to working with you."
Suoh bowed deeply, expressing sincere gratitude.
He didn't yet have a clear sense of how much that amount was worth. Having a place to eat and sleep was already more than satisfactory. But judging from Kotama's reaction, the proprietress was being quite generous.
The key detail was "chogin"—meaning Rukongai still used a three-currency system of gold, silver, and copper. That suggested the timeline might be relatively early in the Bleach world's history.
"Kotama-san, I look forward to working with you as well."
Suoh turned toward the waitress and nodded respectfully.
"Same here!"
Kotama smiled back warmly.
Watching this exchange, Terada-san nodded with satisfaction. The izakaya had officially gained a new member.
***
After Evening Service
Kotama had already gone home—she lived with her family just down the street. Terada-san had retired to the main house in the back courtyard. Only Suoh remained in the dimly lit main hall.
He picked up a candlestick, its yellowish glow casting wavering shadows against the four walls.
Pale moonlight seeped through the window lattice. Guided by both candlelight and moonlight, the old wooden stairs creaked softly beneath his feet as Suoh climbed to the second floor.
The upstairs space wasn't particularly large. Without much searching, he quickly found his assigned room.
Creak—
He slid the door open. The wooden track groaned with a long, drawn-out complaint. A scent of aged timber greeted him—not unpleasant, but rather reassuring.
The window had already been opened for ventilation. Even without the candle in his hand, moonlight alone was enough to see the small space clearly.
The area had been carefully cleaned. The bedding had been laid out by Kotama, obviously with considerable care.
The futon showed its age—some patches at the edges where it had been mended—but it had been washed thoroughly and smelled clean. The pillow was plump and soft, looking like a white cloud under the moonlight.
"Finally. No more sleeping on straw."
Suoh blew out the candle and set it beside the bed. He stripped off his outer clothes efficiently, then dove into the futon without hesitation.
"Mmm—perfect."
Feeling the soft warmth beneath him, Suoh couldn't suppress a contented groan.
Coming from a rural background, he wasn't a stranger to hardship. But the kind of suffering he'd experienced right after transmigrating? That had been something else entirely.
Besides the thirst and hunger, he'd woken up this morning aching everywhere—like he'd been jumped by a gang the night before. His whole body had felt like it was falling apart.
Now, the futon wrapped his exhausted body in soft, tangible warmth. He closed his eyes, savoring this hard-won peace.
Before long, Suoh's eyes opened again, completely alert. He pushed aside the futon, still warm from his body heat, and sat up cross-legged, bare-chested. He had no intention of indulging in comfort just yet.
"The Soul Society is no paradise."
The Bleach world wasn't a place to take lightly. Without knowing exactly where in the timeline he'd landed, or having at least some real power, there was no telling when he might suddenly die.
Possessing spiritual power meant he'd already met the prerequisite for training. And supernatural abilities? That had been every teenage boy's fantasy.
Power that should have existed only in imagination was now within reach. How could he possibly sleep?
"The Chain of Fate and Soul Sleep should be located around the middle and lower dantian."
The Chain of Fate and Soul Sleep were the nodes where spiritual bodies generated spiritual power. They were also a spiritual body's critical vulnerabilities. If an ordinary soul took serious damage to either location, death was certain. Even Shinigami would lose their powers.
Since transmigrating, Suoh had experienced dramatic improvements in physical conditioning, memory, and cognitive ability. Everything he'd seen and learned in his past life remained crystal clear in his mind.
Especially the scene where Ichigo Kurosaki had been stabbed through the body by Byakuya Kuchiki and lost his Shinigami powers. He remembered that moment perfectly. At the time, he'd wanted to throw his shoe at Byakuya's expressionless face through the screen.
"The middle dantian is where qi gathers. The lower dantian is where essence resides. Essence, qi, and spirit are the three treasures of the human body, with spirit governing and transforming essence and qi."
Suoh closed his eyes. His breathing gradually became steady and elongated. Drawing on his limited theoretical knowledge of cultivation, he attempted to slowly sink his consciousness into his body, seeking the precise locations of these two critical nodes.
Moonlight fell quietly, flowing across the defined muscles of his back. In this serene stillness, he could hear blood flowing through his vessels, could feel the faint pulse of spiritual power through his meridians.
His awareness traveled along those internal pathways, attempting to mobilize the power that belonged to him.
"Got it!"
Success on the first try.
Suoh's eyes snapped open with delight as he looked at his right hand, where a sphere of pale blue light had formed, radiating a soft glow.
In this world full of hidden dangers, only by grasping power could he control his own fate.
And tonight marked the first step on that long road ahead.
***
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