You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

The adorable, running-around Nemuro is cute, her scheming and sharp-tongued older sister is troublesome, and her mother-in-law, who's starting to pressure her into marriage, is a bit annoying... And so, Iori's time slips away, little by little.

While it wasn't as exhilarating as the days of frantically improving my skills, it still brought a unique kind of happiness that made me feel incredibly fulfilled.

Some of the customers who came to buy fabric knew the inside story and were very respectful, while others were clueless and had no idea that the shop assistant in front of them was the famous captain of the Gotei 13... Iori didn't care about all that and treated everyone the same, making every customer feel at home with the same good attitude as before.

Many people pretend to be guests to get to know Iori, but they are flattered by Iori's attitude and end up giving themselves away... which only earns Iori a knowing smile.

He thought his leisurely holiday would have a perfect ending, but unfortunately, his mother-in-law's shop received a strange customer one day—

"This color looks very comfortable, and it feels different from ordinary fabrics. I've seen this color in other places, but I don't know why it doesn't feel as soft... What's the difference?"

"Oh my, you have a good eye. This kind of elegant peacock blue is very difficult to mix. Even a slight error will cause it to lose its charm... Let me show you a few more samples."

The mother-in-law felt that this smiling young man had good taste, and her mood immediately improved.

"Iori, could you bring the cloth over here for a moment?"

"I'm coming……"

After setting up the clothes rack, Iori found a pair of clips that looked like a calendar and were strung together with various colored fabric clips and came out.

"Guest, do you see if there's anything else you like?"

"Oh, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Do you need any recommendations?"

Iori narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly, a hint of indifference flashing across her face, before she gave him a professional smile.

“Someone as important as you would come and shop in person, Mr. Tsunayoshi.”

"Hehe, don't flatter me. Compared to you, I'm nothing."

With a fake smile, Tsunayoshi Tokinada chuckled and said, "Moreover, a shop that uses 'indigo dyeing' as its name is naturally different from others—I really love this dyeing technique."

~~~~~

Chapter 315 He really... I'm crying my eyes out (Bonus Chapter)

"So it's someone Iori knows."

The mother-in-law suddenly realized, smiled, and naturally went behind the counter to organize the shelves, leaving the two of them alone.

She was still a little disappointed: it turned out he didn't really like her cooking.

Since Iori and Yuuki began to make a name for themselves in the Seireitei, more and more people have come to the shop with other purposes, especially after Iori took over as captain, and the old lady's business inexplicably became very prosperous.

Having long since settled down, she now actually hoped for a few truly knowledgeable customers, so she felt a little disappointed when she learned that Shi Tan also had ulterior motives.

Of course, she also knew that such things couldn't be forced. He was a big shot in Seireitei, and his daily life was definitely not comparable to that of ordinary people. These fabrics were only popular in Rukongai, and they shouldn't be considered anything special in his eyes.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Tsunayoshi Tokinada."

Iori gestured with her hand, which could be considered as fulfilling basic politeness.

The young nobleman glanced at the furnishings in the room, but instead of finding a place to sit down, he stood with his hands in his sleeves, looking at Iori with a relaxed and leisurely expression.

"I am truly flattered that Lord Aizen knows about me, a lowly noble."

“As one of the five great noble families, your ‘reputation’ is renowned throughout my land.”

Tsunayoshi Tokinada, a scumbag even anime viewers like Iori who haven't read the original novel have heard of.

Born into the Tsunayo family, one of the five great noble families, he was not a direct descendant like Soujun or Yoruichi, but an ordinary member of a branch family. Due to some coincidences, he learned about the "history" of Soul Society and the origins of the five great noble families at a young age, and thus began to deeply loathe this bloodline that carried original sin.

However, while he loathed himself, he also enjoyed the conveniences brought by his noble title, leading a decadent life and committing a series of crimes.

The evil he sowed had a far-reaching impact, with several cases directly related to the main storyline of the original work. For example, Kaname Tosen's close friend, Kagami, was married to him and then tortured to death.

—In Iori's eyes, this person didn't even deserve to be his enemy.

For Iori to develop hostility, one must possess at least one of the following: strength or willpower. At the very least, one must be a once-glorious king like Barragan.

And Shitan...

The so-called "seeing the dark side and falling into depravity" sounds impressive, but judging from his various actions, he completely lacks the charm that a villain should have. He is far inferior to Uchiha Madara and Aizen Sousuke by many Obito levels.

At best, he'd be at the same table as Danzo, or even worse—at least the bandaged man truly knew what "darkness" and "enlightenment" meant.

"匔纲弥代時滩? Just a pretentious idiot."

Even though he came to the store as a customer, Iori had no intention of being polite to him.

"I won't beat around the bush with you, let's be blunt—don't you know about my relationship with Tosen Kaname?"

A hint of amusement flickered in Iori's eyes.

Tokina was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Iori to be so direct, but he quickly recovered and gave a flippant smile: "Tosen Kaname? It seems there is such a person... But it doesn't matter, he's not an important figure to either Seireitei or you, is he?"

"Oh?"

Iori raised an eyebrow.

"So what kind of person do you consider to be an important figure? For example... Your Excellency?"

"No, no, no, how could I possibly accept that responsibility?"

Shi Tan quickly waved his hand, looking at Iori with a grin: "I was talking about you, Captain Aizen."

"I'm on vacation, and right now I'm just a regular shop assistant."

"But I was speaking to Aizen Iori, the current captain of the Third Division, who has just returned from Hueco Mundo and is a very important figure in Seireitei."

Shi Tan's fake smile was unsettling, but undeniably deceptive. Even his voice sounded deliberately trained, exuding a cunning, fox-like quality.

This man doesn't seem to mind revealing his true nature.

Unlike typical bad guys who like to perfectly disguise themselves, this guy prefers to use a poor performance to provoke others' disgust and then derive pleasure from their misery.

It's quite a unique kind of perversion.

“You may not realize it, but Captain Aizen is a prominent figure in the entire Seireitei, especially recently—after you recommended the young master of the Kuchiki family to take over the 10th Division.”

Ah……

Iori couldn't help but laugh. To be confronted about something like this… were these people so arrogant and fearless? Or had his usual kindness led some to some misunderstanding?

"Don't portray me as an ambitious person. I just naturally chose the right target."

Iori said calmly, "From any perspective, Kuchiki Aoi is a perfect fit."

"It's natural."

Shi Tan didn't deny this point. "That young master is certainly qualified, but it's precisely because no one can find fault with him that people are dissatisfied. You know, not everyone is as broad-minded and detached as I am. There are many petty people who are clearly not qualified, yet they are jealous of those who have successfully risen to power... It's really a headache, don't you think?"

Can I take this as a warning?

Iori stared at Shitan expressionlessly, but the noble young master only maintained his gaze for a moment before subconsciously looking away.

"How could that be? I don't have the guts."

Shi Tan shook his head, spread his hands and said, "Although I have the surname Tsunayoshi, I don't have a high status even within the family. I can't get good things, and I can't escape bad things... This time, some people wanted to convey some information to you, but they were unwilling to do it themselves, so they pushed it onto me."

"Lord Aizen, I hope you can understand, I'm quite helpless too... Personally, I actually admire you very much."

Iori declined to comment, but pressed further, "So what specific message are you trying to convey?"

"The common people's affairs are the common people's affairs, and the nobles' affairs are the nobles' affairs—it's that simple."

Shi Tan smiled and said, "You are a young Shinigami who has only graduated two years ago, but in terms of experience, you are just a novice. Even if you are exceptionally strong, you may not have witnessed the sordid affairs under the shadow of Seireitei. Therefore, it is best not to interfere too much in matters that are too deeply involved."

You are a person who has made great contributions and is someone we respect, but rashly entering a field you don't understand is a major taboo in military strategy.

It's your freedom to have personal relationships with whomever you want... but it's best to keep your public and private life separate.

"...Threatening me?"

Iori blinked, pointed at herself, and looked somewhat incredulous.

Shi Tan chuckled: "Isn't it interesting? I also find it quite ridiculous that someone would actually use such methods to threaten a captain... It's more naive than a child."

But there's nothing I can do; after all, I'm just a messenger, my job is simply to deliver the message.

After saying that, he turned around and picked out a fine piece of fabric from the counter. Without even checking it, he immediately paid the bill.

Thank you for your patronage, and welcome back next time!

"Shopkeeper, this material is great, I really like it, I will definitely come again."

Tsunayo smiled at his mother-in-law, and just as he was about to leave, Iori suddenly spoke again.

"You came all this way... just for this little thing?"

A threat without the backing of strength is more ridiculous than a clown—it's possible that some people might have such thoughts, but probably no one would dare to put them into action.

Therefore, Iori suspects that what she just said was just an excuse by Shi Nada.

Sure enough, Shi Tan said in a gentle voice, "Passing on the message is just a side thing. The main purpose is to see what a warrior who can conquer Hueco Mundo looks like."

"What reason is this?"

"Isn't that enough?"

Shitan turned to Iori and gave her a meaningful smile.

If you really want a reason—

It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing on my part.

After saying that, without observing Iori's reaction, he walked straight out the door.

The weather was hot, and the old lady, having nothing to do, brought out a basin of water to sprinkle some water. When Iori saw this, she quickly went forward to take it from her.

Then he saw Shi Tan walking down the street with his back to him, casually throwing what he was holding onto the ground... The fine indigo fabric slid into the ditch and was immediately soaked in sewage.

Tsunayoshi Tokina did not stop walking at all, clearly not caring about this, and did not feel that it was inappropriate even in public.

Iori's pupils contracted slightly, but her expression remained unchanged, and she regained her composure as if nothing had happened.

He subtly glanced behind him, only to find his mother-in-law had already turned her back with the basin of water, seemingly unaware of what was happening.

Just then, Xiaoyinmeng skipped over, intending to help her grandmother, but for some reason, she paused, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Mother-in-law?"

"Hmm~ Little Yinmeng is here... Grandma is a little tired, can you help me carry this?"

"..."

Suddenly, the corners of the man's mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly, looking inexplicably a little happy and a little relieved.

What are you standing there for?

Yuki appeared at the doorway, leaning against the door frame and looking down at her younger brother.

"Thinking about some trivial things."

The man pursed his lips slightly, showing that he was thinking.

"Cockroaches... those insects are really annoying."

Even if it doesn't steal food or damage anything, just its presence in front of you will make you feel inexplicably disgusted.

Even the mere thought of 'sharing a room with cockroaches' is enough to send chills down your spine.

"What do you want to say?"

Yuuki was getting impatient.

"I want to say... some creatures in this world shouldn't exist, at least they shouldn't be in my sight."

Iori paused, then smiled and said to Yuuki in a relaxed tone, "Sister, I have a question for you to answer objectively."

"question?"

"Do you think... I've been too kind to the world?"

~~~~~

Chapter 316 The Burial Ground Prepared for You

Who is the strongest new generation of Shinigami?

"Huh? You want to ask me... Captain Aizen, do you?"