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Accompanied by a sensation of weightlessness, Ishikawa Katori appeared in an immensely spacious room. Upon clearly seeing his surroundings, Ishikawa Katori felt no surprise; instead, he had a feeling of "just as expected."
Undoubtedly, this was a bedroom that could be described with the words 'resplendent and magnificent.'
The level of luxury was largely as Ishikawa Katori had anticipated, perfectly matching Ōmaeda's nouveau riche style. Especially the wall at the head of the bed, which was inlaid with various diamonds serving as a mural, truly epitomized the word 'nouveau riche'!
In comparison, Ishikawa Katori's extremely narrow small bedroom, surrounded by an iron fence, was completely like a dog cage.
"Don't just stand there. My servants should have lunch ready by now," Ōmaeda said, then directly pushed open the bedroom door and walked out.
Ishikawa Katori quickly followed. Although he hadn't entered from outside and didn't know how big the building was, just from the bedroom, he could already imagine the size of the house, so it was better to stick close to Ōmaeda to avoid getting lost.
Leaving the bedroom, Ishikawa Katori, led by Ōmaeda, passed through an incredibly opulent hall, arrived at an incredibly opulent courtyard, and then walked towards another incredibly opulent building…
Everything within Ishikawa Katori's sight could be described with the word 'opulent'; even the outhouse exuded a luxurious stench of money…
"Oh, Hichika brought a friend to play?" a voice came from outside the courtyard.
Turning his head, he saw a middle-aged couple walking in from the main gate. Both of them had a physique identical to Ōmaeda's.
The man had brown hair styled into a pompadour, wore purple-framed sunglasses, and had a gold necklace hanging on his chest. He didn't exude a money-grubbing aura from head to toe like Ōmaeda, but rather gave off a vibe reminiscent of a yakuza boss…
The woman, on the other hand, was dressed like a socialite, wearing a pearl necklace around her neck.
When he clearly saw the two, a hint of surprise flashed in Ishikawa Katori's eyes, because although the two gave off the air of a noble lord and lady, the Reiatsu emanating from their bodies was extremely powerful.
The woman was fine, probably only equivalent to a high-ranking Seated Officer, but the man's Reiatsu was stronger than most Vice-Captains Ishikawa Katori had seen, already infinitely close to Captain-level.
Seeing the two, Ōmaeda introduced them to Ishikawa Katori: "This is my father, Da Maeda Hichika."
"Hello, Uncle. I am Ishikawa Katori, a friend of Vice-Captain Ōmaeda," Ishikawa Katori said with a slight smile.
Hichika sized up Ishikawa Katori, then laughed heartily: "I've heard of you. Not bad. Besides not being as handsome as me, everything else is quite similar to when I was young."
Ishikawa Katori restrained the twitch in his eye and forced a smile: "…You're too kind."
Politeness~!
"And this is my mother, Mareka."
"Hello, Auntie."
Mareka covered her mouth and let out a 'hohoho' laugh: "Why are you dressed so shabbily, child? Here, Auntie will give you some pocket money. Go buy yourself some nice clothes. You're not very good-looking to begin with, how can you go around dressed so poorly?"
With that, she directly pulled out a wad of cash from her bosom and handed it to Ishikawa Katori.
"…"
Restrain~!
Looking at the wad of cash, Ishikawa Katori easily restrained himself, then revealed an incredibly brilliant smile: "Auntie, you're right. I'm not like you, Auntie; I look old. Before Vice-Captain Ōmaeda introduced you, I even thought you were his older sister."
"Hohoho— You are such a sensible child! Come, take the pocket money, and come play at older sister's house often in the future."
[Mareka's Affection +3, gained 240 experience points, current Affection: 3]
"Since it's from you, I naturally cannot refuse." Looking at the system prompt in his mind, the smile on Ishikawa Katori's face grew even brighter: "However, judging by your fair skin, Auntie, you must have just finished a skin treatment, right?"
"Oh, how did you know?" Mareka looked at Ishikawa Katori with some surprise: "That's right, I just came back from the Shin'ō Academy."
"I personally have some experience with herbs. Judging by the medicinal scent emanating from your body, it seems you used herbs like spiritual cleansing and feather root for your treatment, right? If you go again, you can ask the Shin'ō Academy to add some flower orchid to your existing formula."
"The formula you are currently using focuses too much on effect, and if used for too long, your skin will feel tight. Flower orchid, however, can be used to activate the spiritual power within the body. Adding it to your current formula can allow the spiritual power within your body to smooth out the tightness of your perfect skin, and it can also make your skin even more radiant, Auntie."
"It's true, I do feel my skin is a bit tight. Will it be fine if I just add the flower orchid you mentioned?"
"You can try it. Given the expertise of those people at the Shin'ō Academy in skincare, if they found it harmful, they wouldn't use it on you."
"Moreover, I have always worked at the Fourth Division's Comprehensive Relief Station. I can't speak for other skincare products, but I am very confident in the herbal aspect."
"Also… look at your hands… yes… hand care cannot be neglected. Look at this… Older sister, although you are young, you cannot neglect self-care…"
"…"
Ōmaeda's mouth twitched slightly. He glanced at his father, whose face was subtly darkening, then reached out and grabbed Ishikawa Katori, who was holding his mother's hand and continuously calling her older sister, pulling him back.
"Mom, that's enough. We still have to go back to work this afternoon after we eat."
"Is that so? Then there's no helping it." Mareka said, then smiled at Ishikawa Katori: "Kato-chan, did you just say you work at the Fourth Division's Comprehensive Relief Station?"
"That's right, but I also have other work, so I'm not always there. Of course, if you need anything, Older sister, you can always contact the Comprehensive Relief Station."
"Vice-Captain Ōmaeda is my dearest friend, my brother, so his mother is my mother. No matter how busy I am, I will wait for you at the Comprehensive Relief Station!"
"Hohoho— It truly is Hichika's luck to have a friend like you."
[Mareka's Affection +1, gained 80 experience points, current Affection: 7.]
Being half-pulled, half-dragged into the adjacent building by Ōmaeda, Ishikawa Katori felt a bit regretful. He thought that if they had chatted a bit longer, it wouldn't have been difficult to raise Ōmaeda's mother's affection to 10 points.
Hmm…
In the future, he could consider the relatives of Gotei 13 Squad Members more, especially those retired members of the former Gotei 13. This was also a very large group for experience income, and gaining the affection of the older generation was relatively much easier.
"Why are you calling my mom 'older sister'?"
Ōmaeda said with a speechless expression, then as if he thought of something, his eyes showed wariness: "You bastard, you're not lusting after my mom's beauty, are you?"
Beauty??
Ishikawa Katori looked at Ōmaeda with a strange expression. When he found that the guy showed no signs of being insincere, his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
He finally understood why that couple thought he wasn't good-looking.
This whole family had a problem with their taste!
"I just wanted to leave a good impression on Uncle and Auntie on our first meeting."
"…Good impression? If I hadn't pulled you away, my dad might have pulled out his Zanpakuto that has been sealed away for many years."
Ōmaeda glared at Ishikawa Katori exasperatedly, but he didn't suspect that Ishikawa Katori was actually interested in his mother.
After all, this guy had the same attitude towards others and had always been popular among middle-aged women in West Rukongai. Ōmaeda had already grown somewhat accustomed to it.
"It's a pity my eldest sister, Maremi, isn't home. She, like you, loves making friends; and her beauty is no less than my mother's. If you want to find an older sister, she'd be very suitable. I'll introduce you next time if there's a chance."
"…" Ishikawa Katori.
What do you mean, 'if I want to find an older sister'…
Although, Ishikawa Katori was indeed a little interested in the older sister Ōmaeda mentioned.
The reason was simple: the nobility in Seireitei were nobles precisely because those of noble birth possessed excellent spiritual power talent. So, it was likely that the eldest sister's strength wouldn't be too weak either.
Ōmaeda continued: "Besides my eldest sister, I also have a younger brother named Hijirosaburo. Although he's home, he's been working hard lately to join the Technology Development Bureau, so it's better not to disturb him."
"And me!!"
As soon as Ōmaeda's words fell, an indignant voice interjected: "Honestly, big brother, I even came to help you make your favorite side dishes, and you didn't even introduce me to your friend!?"
Following the sound, he saw a little girl in an apron walk out of the dining room. She looked about ten years old, with extremely dazzling blonde hair and delicate features, making her look like a doll.
The little girl walked up to the two of them and politely bowed to Ishikawa Katori: "Hello, I am Marechiyo-nii's younger sister, Ōmaeda Maremi. My brother has been under your care."
"This foolish one is my younger sister, Maremi. She's the only one in my family who's a bit ugly."
"…"
"…"
Ishikawa Katori was silent for nearly five seconds, then carefully sensed Maremi's Reiatsu. Only after confirming that it had over fifty percent similarity to Ōmaeda's Reiatsu did he abandon the idea of reporting the Ōmaeda Residence for child abduction to Captain Soi Fon.
"A bit ugly?"
Although he hadn't seen Ōmaeda's older sister and younger brother, his parents definitely looked like a married couple. Combined with Ōmaeda's words, it seemed that this family should all be cut from the same mold.
Only the Maremi in front of him seemed to have been made from a different mold…
No, this was practically made by a different manufacturer!!
"Um… Vice Captain, do your family members all look very good-looking before they reach adulthood?" Ishikawa Katori then silently added in his mind: "And then, as they grow up, they get fat due to genetics and thus become ugly?"
"Yes."
Ōmaeda nodded without hesitation, which made Ishikawa Katori understand. However, his next sentence again left Ishikawa Katori speechless: "Only this girl Maremi has been ugly since she was little."
"Big brother! You're so mean!"
Alright, I get it. This is probably what they call a genetic mutation!
Ishikawa Katori bent down, a gentle smile on his face, and extended his hand: "Hello, little Maremi. I'm Ishikawa Katori."
Maremi looked at Ishikawa Katori's outstretched hand, paused for a moment, then reacted quickly. She hastily wiped her hand on her apron, her small face slightly red, and grasped Ishikawa Katori's hand, saying: "Hello, Ishikawa-nii."
[Ōmaeda Maremi's Affection +4, gained 80 experience points, current Affection: 4]
The prompt in his mind made Ishikawa Katori squint his eyes slightly.
It had been a long time since he had seen a little girl whose inner qualities matched her appearance so well and whose affection was so easy to raise.
Moreover, this experience value was already comparable to that of a regular Gotei 13 Squad Member. Compared to children of the same age at the Rukongai orphanage that Ishikawa Katori had been sponsoring, she provided significantly more experience.
However, this was not surprising. No matter how much of a genetic mutation, she was still of noble birth, inherently possessing a certain spiritual power talent; as she grew older, even without intentional cultivation, her Reiatsu would steadily increase.
Led by Maremi, Ishikawa Katori and Ōmaeda entered the dining room.
As soon as they entered, an incredibly tempting aroma wafted towards them. Looking around, they saw the huge long table laden with various dishes.
"Sit down, what are you waiting for?"
Ōmaeda plopped down in the main seat, saying proudly: "I can't take you to the 'Hanabeni' restaurant in Nobility Street, but my chef's cooking isn't much worse than theirs."
"Uh, aren't we waiting for Uncle and Auntie?"
"Why should we wait for them?"
Ōmaeda paused, then realized: "This is lunch prepared for me. They've already eaten."
"…" Ishikawa Katori.
Alright, I'm just uncultured.
But this was good too. If he ate with the Ōmaeda family, Ishikawa Katori would inevitably feel a bit constrained.
Since it was just the two of them, Ishikawa Katori didn't stand on ceremony with Ōmaeda. He directly pulled up a chair, sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating.
"Tsk tsk, your reaction is so boring."
Looking at Ishikawa Katori, who was eating heartily without a word, Ōmaeda said somewhat disappointedly: "Shouldn't you praise how delicious it is? You know, Hisagi's reaction is always especially amusing when he comes here to eat my leftovers."
"What? You want to see me rip my clothes off for you?"
Ishikawa Katori replied with a narrowed gaze, then ignored Ōmaeda.
The food was indeed better than the Second Division's cafeteria, but only just. Besides side dishes for drinking, Ishikawa Katori wasn't very particular about food; the noodles Uzuki cooked, which even Ganju couldn't eat, Ishikawa Katori would drink down with the soup every morning before going to work.
As for drinking snacks…
Ever since the last incident at the Eleventh Division, Ishikawa Katori had forcibly suppressed his alcohol addiction. For these past few months, he had been satisfying his cravings by just smelling alcohol, and if he really couldn't resist, he would only lick a single drop.
He was truly scared!
Every time he recalled that incident, Ishikawa Katori couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had attacked the Eleventh Division back then, otherwise… it definitely wouldn't have been resolved so easily.
"Hm?"
Ishikawa Katori was startled, looked down at the dumpling he had bitten into, his eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly: "What is this?"
Ōmaeda glanced at the dumpling in Ishikawa Katori's hand and shook his head: "I don't know."
"It's dori monaka."
Maremi, who was busy with something in the kitchen, poked her head out and said: "When I went shopping today, I saw Captain Kyōraku queuing at 'Jiuli House' to buy these dumplings. I thought you might like to try them, Big Brother, so I bought a portion."
"Captain Kyōraku?"
Ōmaeda heard this, became curious, picked up a dumpling, and took a bite. Then…
"Ptui, what is this? It's too unpalatable!" Ōmaeda picked up some water and rinsed his mouth.
Maremi saw this and blinked: "It's not good? I saw Captain Kyōraku's eyes narrow when he ate it?"
"No, it's delicious!"
Ishikawa Katori turned to Maremi and asked: "Where is that shop called Jiuli House?"
"It's on Nobility Street."
"Nobility Street, huh…"
Ishikawa Katori frowned. Of all places, it had to be somewhere he couldn't go.
"The owner of Jiuli House said it's a sweet sticky rice and red bean pastry with sake lees added." Maremi's small face showed a cute smile: "Ishikawa-nii, if you like it, I'll buy you some more next time."
"No wonder."
Ōmaeda glanced at Ishikawa Katori, immediately understanding why both Captain Kyōraku and Ishikawa Katori loved this kind of thing. Just as he was about to say something, a knocking sound suddenly came from outside the dining room.
Bang bang bang.
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