Chapter 40

Even during his sword meditation, Kaelith Yurei was jolted awake by Aizen's statement.

He stared blankly for a couple of seconds before asking reflexively, "What did you say?"

"I said, I'll be taking the graduation exam at the end of the month as well."

Aizen repeated himself with unwavering calm in response to Kaelith's bewildered question.

Kaelith couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion.

Aizen, planning to graduate early? And not just early, but five and a half years early? This kind of grandstanding didn't seem like something he would do.

Pondering, Kaelith reached out to check Aizen's forehead to see if he was feverish.

Aizen swatted Kaelith's hand away. "What are you doing?"

"Just checking if you're ill," Kaelith replied.

Aizen: "…"

It was hard to say if he was ill, but Kaelith definitely was, and it wasn't mild.

He closed his eyes to compose himself, trying not to get irritated by Kaelith's antics.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and said, "Kaelith, have you considered what Shinchira Renzosuke's sentencing implies?"

"Shinchira?" Kaelith arched an eyebrow.

Tired of waiting for him to think, Aizen directly said, "As I just mentioned, Shinchira Renzosuke's crimes should have sent him straight to Muken."

"Since he wasn't confined there, it suggests that there's a problem within the Central 46."

"The shadow of the Five Great Noble Families behind the rebels isn't hard to guess, but I initially thought only one of the Five Families was involved."

"Although the rebels have some influence in the Central 46, they were in a relatively disadvantaged position and barely managing."

"But now it seems I was wrong."

"The ability to protect Shinchira Renzosuke means that the rebels have gained significant sway within the Central 46."

He looked at Kaelith solemnly, "Do you understand what I'm implying?"

"The rebels likely have the backing of more than one of the Great Noble Families!"

"And within the Gotei 13, the captains swayed by the rebels aren't limited to Shinchira alone."

"If you dive headfirst into this, you'll inevitably fall into the traps set by those hidden within."

"At that time, your status as the Head Captain's student won't be a lifeline but a liability."

Upon hearing this, Kaelith's expression cleared.

He suddenly remembered Yoruichi's uneasy face when Yamamoto announced Shinchira Renzosuke's verdict.

At that moment, he thought Yoruichi was merely upset at the mention of Shinchira.

Now, it seemed she might have already considered what Aizen was suggesting, which was why she appeared angry.

Then, curiosity got the better of him.

If, as Aizen said, more than one of the Five Great Noble Families were behind the rebels, who could they be?

It likely wasn't the Kuchiki family, as Ginrei Kuchiki had always been the Head Captain's staunch ally, and there was no reason for his betrayal.

Yoruichi was also unlikely, given her straightforward nature and disinterest in convoluted schemes.

The Shiba family... since he didn't even know who the current head was, he wouldn't speculate further.

That left possibly the two lesser-known families.

Thinking this, Kaelith frowned and closed his eyes.

Yet, he couldn't assume so simply. Noble decisions are often not based on individual personality or preferences.

If aligning with the rebels brought significant, hidden benefits, then even the Kuchiki and Shihōin families betting on both sides wasn't out of the question.

After a moment, he decided not to dwell on these complex matters. Why should someone like him, earning a modest salary, bother with the machinations of the great feudal system?

Looking at Aizen sitting beside him, Kaelith suddenly remembered something and spoke up:

"Right, Sōsuke, I was learning at the Head Captain's place recently, and I overheard him talking with the Eighth Division Captain about something."

"They mentioned that a mysterious master appeared in Rukongai, having killed many of the rebels' Shinigami."

"If you have to leave Seireitei, be careful not to run into this master."

Aizen blinked in slight surprise at the information, then quickly regained his composure.

He nodded, "Alright, I understand."

This intelligence from Kaelith was timely.

Going forward with his plans to eliminate rebels and collect souls, he'd need to be more cautious.

Normally, knowing that his actions had caught the Head Captain's attention, he would choose to pull back until the heat died down.

But now, when he most needed the power, some risks were worth taking, especially when compared to the potential gains from his research.

Seeing that Aizen seemed to take the news indifferently, Kaelith crossed his arms and added:

"Actually, you might not need to worry too much. From what the Head Captain indicated, they seem to have gathered some intelligence on the person and have already sent someone to capture him."

"It probably won't be long before this crisis is resolved."

As he said this, Kaelith watched Aizen's reaction with interest.

Indeed, hearing this, Aizen's expression grew slightly more serious.

If Yamamoto had said such things, they were certainly not without basis.

Fortunately, Kaelith had brought back this message, or else Aizen might have been caught unprepared and suffered for it.

But now that he was forewarned, the situation was different...

While pondering, Aizen suddenly paused.

He glanced at Kaelith, wondering why he had suddenly shared this information.

Although Kaelith sometimes discussed things he witnessed in the First Division, the timing and topic of this conversation seemed too coincidental.

Could it be that the Head Captain already suspected him and had deliberately instructed Kaelith to say this to gauge his reaction?

After thinking it over, Aizen dismissed the idea.

Unless the Head Captain was omniscient, there was no reason to suspect an ordinary student like himself.

If the Head Captain were truly omniscient, he wouldn't resort to such convoluted methods.

Or perhaps Kaelith had guessed something and was testing him?

After watching Kaelith for a few seconds, Aizen averted his gaze.

He had probably been overthinking things, becoming overly paranoid.

Kaelith, although often unreliable, was certainly a "normal" person.

If he truly knew that Aizen was collecting experimental materials through murder, he couldn't continue to interact with him so normally.

If that day came, even if Kaelith didn't turn against him outright, he would likely treat him as a stranger from then on.

Imagining that scenario, Aizen smirked slightly.

Someone like him, who disregarded norms, had no reverence for rules, and could even disregard life itself, was undoubtedly destined for loneliness.

The camaraderie and passion of his student days would eventually become a brief, fond memory in his life.

One day, there would be no one left by his side.

Thinking about it, it was actually quite amusing. (t/n hmm interesting)