Chapter 14

Kaelith Yurei jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of a figure. 

Thanks to a certain someone, his Spirit Pressure detection skills had significantly improved. 

He could sense approaching Shinigami, even members of the Second Division's stealth force, long before they got too close. 

Yet, now, someone had managed to get this close without him noticing! 

After staring at the person for a few seconds, he frowned. 

"Shihōin Yoruichi?" 

Though her hair was short and her clothing different, the girl's overall presence was strikingly similar to the Shihōin Yoruichi he'd seen in the anime. 

The girl raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Oh? You know me?" 

"I do. Lord Kuchiki mentioned you to me."

"Lord Kuchiki?"

"Kuchiki Sōjun."

"Ah... that good-natured guy."

When Kuchiki Sōjun was mentioned, Yoruichi Shihōin grinned slightly.

When she refocused, she realized Kaelith had already moved to a nearby window, carefully peering inside. 

She quickly followed him. 

"You're wearing a Shin'ō uniform and sneaking around the First Division's barracks… You're Kaelith Yurei, right? That genius student?" 

Yoruichi circled around him, her curious gaze unwavering. 

Kaelith nodded, then shook his head. 

"I'm Kaelith Yurei, but I'm not a genius student." 

"The real genius is Aizen Sōsuke, my classmate." 

Yoruichi tilted her head, pondering for a moment before shaking it. "Never heard of him." 

"There's a lot you haven't heard of." 

After surveying his "target," Kaelith chuckled and climbed through the window. 

Seeing this, Yoruichi followed suit. 

As her eyes scanned the kitchen filled with ingredients, she asked, "What are you doing here?" 

"Looking for food, obviously. Or do you think I'm here to cook?" 

Kaelith shot her a pitying glance. 

For someone who looked so sharp, she sure asked silly questions… Was this supposed to be endearing? 

Yoruichi: "..." 

Earlier, she had spotted someone sneaking toward the First Division's kitchen. Her first thought was that the person might be trying to poison the food. 

She'd been ready to act immediately, but upon noticing the Shin'ō uniform, she paused. 

A Shin'ō student in the First Division's barracks—those two clues together made the intruder's identity clear. 

Kaelith Yurei. 

A commoner from Rukongai who, in less than six months of training, had reached the strength of a Vice-Captain and earned the personal tutelage of Yamamoto himself. 

Such a prodigy wouldn't be sent on a low-level task like poisoning food, even if he were a spy for the rebel nobles. 

So, instead of striking, she revealed herself to observe. 

And it turned out… he was just looking for food? 

Were Shin'ō students not getting enough to eat these days? 

Noticing her confusion, Kaelith swallowed a mouthful of meat. 

"Shihōin Yoruichi, you've never attended Shin'ō Academy, have you?" 

Yoruichi blinked, then nodded. "The Shihōin family children are educated within the family, trained in stealth and combat skills. Our curriculum is different from Shin'ō's, so we don't attend the academy." 

"Exactly." 

Kaelith took a sip of soup, his expression satisfied. 

The Gotei 13 often had missions at night, so the kitchen always kept soup warm. 

After swallowing another mouthful, he continued, "At Shin'ō, meals are served at fixed times. If you miss the mealtime, you go hungry." 

"I may skip classes or training drills, but I never miss a meal." 

"Today, I missed dinner only because the Head Captain was messing with me. So, eating his food is perfectly fair." 

Watching Kaelith spout nonsense with such a straight face, Yoruichi couldn't help but smile. 

This guy was surprisingly interesting. 

As she observed him, Kaelith seemed to remember something. 

"Want some?" 

He tore a drumstick off a roasted chicken and offered it to Yoruichi. 

Surprised at first, Yoruichi broke into a grin and accepted it, taking a bite. 

After swallowing, she laughed. "You're not bad, you know." 

"Even though this chicken isn't yours, sharing the best part with someone you just met shows you're a decent person." 

Kaelith shook his head. "Sharing my food isn't about being nice; it's for two reasons." 

"First, you're cute. Sharing with you doesn't feel like a loss." 

"Second, by eating my chicken, you're now an accomplice. If you report me to the Head Captain later, you'll also get scolded. That way, I avoid potential trouble." 

Yoruichi: "..." 

The first part made her smile; the second almost made her choke. 

While it was logical, saying it so bluntly was downright infuriating. 

She was about to retort when Kaelith suddenly frowned. 

"Trouble. Someone's coming." 

As his words fell, Yoruichi also sensed an approaching Spirit Pressure. 

Surprised, she glanced at him. 

As the heir to the Shihōin family, she had been trained in stealth detection from a young age. 

Among her peers, no one surpassed her in sensing Spirit Pressure. 

Yet Kaelith had detected the presence faster than she had. 

This guy… was full of surprises. 

From a distance, voices could be heard. 

"Vice-Captain Sasakibe!" 

"Has anyone suspicious approached?" 

"Report, Vice-Captain! All is clear!" 

Despite the reply, Sasakibe didn't seem reassured. 

Moments later, the door to the kitchen creaked open, and Sasakibe entered. 

Kaelith's face darkened. "It's the First Division Vice-Captain!" 

"If he catches me snacking in the kitchen, my spotless reputation will be ruined!" 

Yoruichi laughed. "What reputation does a student have to ruin?" 

"How about this—beg me for help? If you can convince me, I'll lend you my Spirit Pressure-concealing cloak. It's a divine treasure, after all." 

"The condition is simple: after you graduate, join the Second Division. Deal?" 

Kaelith frowned, debating whether to tarnish his image or sign himself over to the Shihōin family. 

Before he could decide, another voice echoed from outside. 

"Lady Yoruichi! Are you here? If so, please respond!" 

Yoruichi froze. 

"Damn, it's Marechiyo! Why is he here?" 

"Marechiyo?" 

"Ōmaeda Marechiyo, head of the Ōmaeda family and the Second Division's Vice-Captain. With him around, there's no way to escape using stealth techniques." 

As she spoke, Yoruichi pulled off her black cloak and covered both herself and Kaelith with it.