"That is the truth, Master."
Kōe understood that no matter how much longer his secret could be hidden, it could not come from his own mouth. "It is always good to make extra preparations."
"Even if these preparations are a waste of effort, is it still good?" Yamamoto remained in that same posture, his face revealing absolutely nothing of what he was currently thinking.
Kōe hadn't seen Yamamoto look like this in a long time. When Yamamoto trained him as a child, breaking his arms and legs and piercing his chest with nothing but a wooden sword, he had this exact demeanor.
Kōe's brain was spinning rapidly, but the physical instincts drilled into him since childhood kept his expression and breathing exactly the same as a moment ago.
Persuading Yamamoto on a theoretical level definitely wouldn't work, even if he vaguely suggested that the Quincy might use their abilities to construct a separate dimension.
After all, Kurotsuchi Mayuri's research hadn't reached the point of theorizing that yet. Acting purely on imagination wasn't Kōe's style either; Yamamoto would definitely keep questioning him, and Kōe certainly wouldn't be able to answer him to the end.
Kōe knew that when he couldn't explain his actions with clear, logical theories, he had to change his approach. He needed to talk about life and ideals with the other party. If logic didn't work, he could only appeal to emotion.
"As long as it is for the good of the Seireitei, how could it ever be called a waste of effort?" Meeting Yamamoto's unfathomably calm eyes, Kōe spoke in a peaceful tone. "If my worries are superfluous, then naturally everyone is happy. But if the Seireitei suffers trauma because I wanted to save some effort, then my inaction would truly be a grave sin!"
Yamamoto cared about the Seireitei above all else. When facing this old man who had dedicated his entire life to the Seireitei, as long as your original intention was for its safety, what you did might not be right, but it would never be considered entirely wrong.
As for whether Yamamoto would believe him, rather than saying it was about his faith in Kōe, it was more about Yamamoto's confidence in himself—confidence that the disciple he spent day and night with was a man of justice just like him.
While Kōe was frantically writing scripts in his head, Yamamoto's heart was also a complex mix of emotions.
It wasn't that he doubted Kōe. He naturally had confidence in himself and in Kōe, so he never suspected that Kōe's claim of acting for the Seireitei's sake was false. And this cautious state, which even seemed a bit excessive to him, was the Kōe that Yamamoto was most familiar with.
It was just that Kamidera Miya's words were coming true, sentence by sentence. The disciple before him was very much like himself, willing to sacrifice for the Seireitei.
But they were also unalike. Perhaps because he was still too young and exceptionally talented, even though he showed restraint, his aggressive drive was still a bit too strong.
"Sigh... Never mind." Yamamoto lowered his head with a sigh.
Kōe's heart skipped a beat. *Did that mean his request was rejected? Should I proactively propose a trade now? But wouldn't that make me seem too desperate?*
Just as Kōe was internally warring with himself, Yamamoto's voice rang out again. "I will give that man to you. Tomorrow, take my written order to the Kidō Corps and collect him. However, from now on, Kurotsuchi Mayuri must submit regular progress reports on his research to Central 46!"
After speaking, Yamamoto pushed an envelope on the wooden desk toward Kōe. It seemed this written order had been prepared long ago.
Kōe froze for a moment before taking the envelope with both hands. For this envelope, he had practically bled himself dry and broken his back, yet now he had achieved his goal so easily. It felt a bit unreal.
"Master, do you plan to let the Quincy in the World of the Living go?" Kōe asked cautiously, looking at Yamamoto.
Konrad was the highest-ranking Quincy captured alive by the Shinigami. The Seireitei had always hoped to extract information from him, thereby luring the majority of the Quincy in the World of the Living into a trap and annihilating them in one fell swoop.
Because of this, handing Konrad over to Kurotsuchi Mayuri for research had previously been impossible. Now that Konrad was given to him without any trade, Kōe naturally assumed Yamamoto believed the Quincy were no longer a threat and was unwilling to invest further effort in the World of the Living.
"I have my own decisions regarding them," Yamamoto said without raising his head, looking at the unrolled scroll on the wooden desk before him. "I heard you have been in the meditation room these past few days. Did you gain new insights from your duel with Azashiro Sōya?"
"I have some insights, but I just haven't been able to grasp them fully."
"Staying in a meditation room does not automatically calm the mind. Only by settling the trivial matters in your heart can you truly calm down and train."
Kōe nodded slightly. "Thank you for your guidance, Master!"
"If there is nothing else, you may withdraw."
"I shall take my leave!" Kōe stood up, bowed, and stepped backward out of the Captain-Commander's office.
As soon as Kōe left the office, Yamamoto raised his head. He looked at the closed door and let out a heavy sigh, his face filled with an indescribable sense of loss.
Kōe had waited for five days, but Yamamoto had agonized for five days. Naturally, it wasn't over a trivial matter like whether to hand Konrad over to Kōe.
Kamidera Miya's words from five days ago hadn't angered Yamamoto. He naturally understood the other man's concerns. If there were to be another Yamamoto or another Shihouin clan, then how would the disciple he raised for the Seireitei be any different from Azashiro Sōya?
Of course, he knew Kōe was not an overly ambitious person. The fact that Kōe had personally formulated Operation Star Eradication Prison and was still willing to conceal his achievements and fame was enough to make Yamamoto trust his own judgment.
However, Kamidera Miya's worries were not without reason. He even represented the concerns of many noble families in the Seireitei. If Kōe were exactly like Yamamoto, it would be fine, but unfortunately, he was not.
And after their recent conversation, Yamamoto understood that Kamidera Miya was right. His disciple was indeed striving to make his own ideas a reality within the Seireitei. Even if it was for the good of the Seireitei, in the eyes of Kamidera and even Yamamoto himself, the only individual allowed to manifest their will over the Seireitei was the Soul King. It could only be the Soul King!
Therefore, the only difference between Kōe's conduct and that of the Soul King was merely a matter of effort.
Perhaps Yamamoto had changed because of Kōe's appearance, but the 'justice' in his heart—a justice based on the stability of the Seireitei—had not changed.
Even if a Kōe like this had sufficient strength, his edges still needed to be smoothed out before he could take over the position of Captain-Commander, or else he would have to remain under Yamamoto's constant supervision.
But if that happened, Squad 1 would truly be reduced to the private army of Kōe and Yamamoto. The Seireitei indeed did not need a sixth Great Noble Family, whether it was named Yamamoto or Shihouin.
Thus, Kamidera Miya had proposed three suggestions for Yamamoto to choose from.
First, publicly announce Kōe as the Captain-Commander candidate, thereby offsetting his merits for slaying Azashiro Sōya. Of course, this wouldn't just be an empty title; from now on, both Yamamoto and Central 46 would begin 'cultivating' him until he became a Captain-Commander acknowledged by both sides.
However, this came with restrictive conditions: when Kōe assumed the position of Captain-Commander, Yamamoto would have to go to the Soul King Palace and join Squad 0. At the same time, Shihouin Kōe would be forbidden from marrying or taking disciples until the next Captain-Commander candidate naturally appeared.
Second, Kōe would become the new Captain of Squad 11, permanently losing his eligibility to become the Captain-Commander. According to the rules of the Kenpachi succession, if no one could defeat him, he could remain the Captain of Squad 11 for the rest of his life.
The restrictive conditions were the same: he would be forbidden from marrying or taking disciples.
As for the third suggestion...
Thinking of this, Yamamoto let out another sigh. It was the most outrageous and unacceptable suggestion of them all, yet from the moment he handed Konrad over to Kōe, he had automatically chosen Kamidera Miya's third suggestion.
Yamamoto shook his head to himself. It was precisely because he had chosen this suggestion that he could better understand Kamidera Miya's concerns. That brat had truly taught him a lesson this time.
"Sasakibe."
At Yamamoto's soft call, Sasakibe Chōjirō's figure appeared in the Captain-Commander's office, standing respectfully behind Yamamoto.
"Tell Jūshirō that I have approved his proposal. He may begin preparations." Yamamoto closed the scroll in front of him and slowly stood up. "However, the individuals selected must also participate in the extermination of the Quincy in the World of the Living!"
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