Mirai scratched his hair in frustration. He quickly left the Squad 9 barracks and walked along the river toward the west side of the Seireitei.
His goal was the Forest of Swords. More specifically, the Squad 2 barracks located right next to it.
The current situation didn't allow him to relax or count his alcohol money anymore.
The previous title of "Most Beautiful Zanpakutō" had already brought many annoying people to challenge or spy on him. Now, he suddenly had the title of "Most Beautiful Nobleman."
This was like putting him on a hot stove!
Mirai knew very well that he was not a nobleman.
Even if he reached the position of 5th Seat in Squad 9, the arrogant nobles would only see him as a "high-level servant."
A non-noble holding a title like "Nobleman of Soul Society"? That title belonged to the upper class.
Even a fool could see how many narrow-minded nobles would be unhappy. They would feel offended by this.
Of course, with Head Captain Yamamoto as a backer, the nobles wouldn't dare cause trouble openly within the Gotei 13.
But that didn't mean they wouldn't play dirty! The private armies owned by those nobles were not weak at all.
His current spiritual power hadn't even reached the Lieutenant level consistently yet. No matter how much combat experience he had, he couldn't stop people from sabotaging him in the dark.
He had to start a new book as soon as possible! Only by becoming stronger could he have the confidence to deal with these troubles.
But before that... he wondered if that guy had finished the item he asked for.
While lost in thought, he arrived in front of a barracks with a strict and guarded atmosphere.
The high walls and hidden guard posts showed how special this place was.
This was the barracks of Squad 2, the squad that controlled the Stealth Force.
The two members guarding the gate had clearly heard the recent rumors.
When they saw Mirai approaching, their eyes focused on him. They looked him up and down for a long time. Finally, they whispered to each other.
"Tsk, his skin is just a bit white, his eyes are a bit moody, and he has a bit of a literary vibe..."
"Exactly. What's the big deal? I think I'm more handsome than him!"
Mirai had no interest in giving a "friendly smile" to these people.
He ignored their whispering and walked straight inside with an expressionless face.
Squad 2 and Squad 9 worked together often because of their duties.
Squad 2 was in charge of assassinations, interrogations, scouting, and executions. Squad 9 managed the prisons.
To put it simply, Squad 2 was the secret police that caught people, and Squad 9 was the prison that kept them.
Because of this, the members of the two squads were fairly familiar with each other.
Mirai walked deep into the Squad 2 barracks. His eyes casually scanned the shadows under the walls and the corners of the roofs.
As expected, even a "famous figure" like him was being monitored the whole time here.
He ignored the hidden eyes. He followed the hallway to a remote corner of the barracks. Finally, he stopped in front of an ordinary, even slightly old door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
He reached out and knocked on the door.
Immediately, there were sounds of someone rushing around inside. It sounded like something had been knocked over.
A few seconds later, the door was pulled open with a clatter.
A young man appeared at the door. He had messy hair like a bird's nest and heavy bags under his eyes. His shihakusho was wrinkled and had strange stains on it.
It was Kisuke Urahara.
"Oh! If it isn't Mirai! What brings you here?" Kisuke smiled and almost invited him in.
But he glanced back at the mountains of junk, scattered parts, and half-eaten snack bags. He awkwardly pulled back his hand and laughed sheepishly.
Mirai's mouth twitched. He didn't want to waste time on small talk. "Kisuke, is the item I asked you to make ready?"
He spoke with more force to remind him. "That was a full 40,000 Kan! You promised it wouldn't be a problem. Don't tell me it's not done."
Kisuke's body stiffened visibly for a moment.
He turned his head with difficulty. His eyes started to shift, and he didn't dare to look at Mirai.
"Wait... it's not ready yet?" Mirai's eyes turned cold. "It's been ten days! What did you tell me back then?"
The Kisuke Urahara in front of him was still just an unknown, ordinary member of Squad 2.
Mirai originally thought this scientific genius had joined Squad 2 because of Yoruichi.
But after meeting him, Mirai found out that Kisuke didn't even know Yoruichi before!
He was in Squad 2 for a simple reason. When he graduated, no other squad wanted him. His grades were okay, so the Academy forced him into this squad.
Life was hard for a scientific genius who had to study interrogation and assassination all day.
Mirai was the one who recommended Kisuke to Yoruichi. He suggested letting Kisuke develop interrogation tools and special equipment. This gave Kisuke this small "research lab" so he didn't have to go on missions.
But Squad 2 clearly didn't give much funding to this unusual project. This made Kisuke very poor.
Mirai even wondered if this guy had used the 40,000 Kan for some strange personal hobby!
"Mirai! Don't worry! It's finished!" Kisuke noticed the coldness in Mirai's voice and made a quick promise.
He pointed to a corner of the room covered by a huge black cloth. "The item is right there! It will definitely do what you asked for!"
Mirai walked over and pulled the black cloth away.
A machine with a very abstract shape appeared.
It looked like a giant, rusty iron bucket with only two buttons. It was in Kisuke's rough and practical style.
"Since it's done, why were you acting so hesitant?" Mirai frowned. He didn't care if it was ugly as long as it worked.
Kisuke quickly moved closer to explain.
"This 'Reishi Isolation Device' perfectly fits your requirements! Once started, it creates a barrier about the size of this room. It completely stops spiritual energy from leaking out!"
"I guarantee that even if there is thunder and rain inside, no one outside will feel even a tiny bit of Spiritual Pressure!"
Mirai nodded with satisfaction. A room-sized area was enough.
"Good. Then I'll take it." After saying that, he moved to pick up the heavy iron bucket.
"Wait! Mirai! Please wait!" Kisuke quickly stopped him. His face looked even more embarrassed and awkward.
"The function is fine, but... this machine... it cannot be moved."