Chapter 53: Change

Chapter 53 - 53: Change "Homura, where've you been these past few days? We couldn't find you anywhere!" Kan no Ki Homura was stopped on his way home. When he looked up, he saw a few of his friends. Just like him, they were all kids from the Noble District, though Homura was the youngest among them. The others had already graduated from the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy. After graduating, none of them became Shinigami. They spent their days loafing around, indulging in food, drink, and pleasure. "Don't even get me started. I've been stuck in extra sword training with the Swordsmanship teacher these past few days. It's killing me!" Homura groaned, his expression collapsing as he complained to his friends. "Hahaha, what's that about? You're almost graduating and you're still getting stuck in remedial training?" "Seriously though, you can't even communicate with your Asauchi. What's the point of sword training?" "Homura, did you piss off the teacher?" "And you're actually doing what you're told? That's so not like you!" "My class has that Shihōin-san too, and he stayed behind for training. No way I could sneak out! Stop rubbing it in and come grab a drink with me!" Homura replied, unfazed by the teasing. Their little group all had similar talent levels, and mocking each other was just part of the deal. "Let's go, let's go—accompany young master Kan no Ki for a little fun." Truth was, they'd come to find Homura because they were hoping to mooch some drinks. The Kan family didn't have many heirs, but they owned plenty of property, which meant a high per capita resource share. The group found a shop in the red-light district to drink and have fun. After a few drinks, Homura loosened up and began venting about the things that had happened at the Academy. "Was I wrong?" "Most of those guys probably aren't even qualified to be guards for my house after they graduate!" "Why the hell should I waste my time learning all that Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Kidō crap?" His companions chimed in one after another: "Yeah, we have guards to protect us. Learning that stuff is just a waste of time." "Exactly. As long as we have money, what kind of guard can't we hire? My family's squad captain used to be a seated officer!" "That's all true... But if I could actually feel my Zanpakutō, I'd want to be strong too," Homura said, knocking back another drink. His cheeks were flushed now, and his thoughts started drifting. "The Kan family rose to power through martial strength. People like me won't get much support after graduating—we're just waiting around to rot." His words left the group in a heavy silence. They were all in the same boat. They were the untalented ones in their noble families—borderline background characters, born mostly to keep the family line going. After a few rounds, everyone was satisfied and ready to head home. "I already called a carriage to take Homura back," said Nukui Hidetaka, a clean-shaven young man with a chonmage hairstyle, volunteering to take the drunk Homura home. "Make sure he gets there safe, yeah?" "Don't worry, I'm still sober." "I don't need help. I'm not even that drunk," Homura muttered. He still felt like he had his bearings, just a bit light-headed—not properly drunk. Hidetaka chuckled and helped the clearly wobbly Homura into the carriage. Once the carriage began moving, Hidetaka suddenly asked, "Homura... do you want a Zanpakutō?" "A Zanpakutō?" Homura blinked in confusion, then scoffed. "Of course I do. But what's the point of wanting something you can't have?" "But what if..." Hidetaka's tone turned dark, like a devil whispering in the night, "I'm saying, what if... there were a way to give you one?" The carriage rolled away from the pleasure district, slowly driving into the darkness—but not in the direction of the Kan family estate. ... "Professor Katori, that was amazing. The way you explained it was so clear—even someone as dumb as me could understand it!" Hoshino Rie said gratefully to Katori Nanatsuki. Since last week's placement test, she'd been coming to his office often to ask questions about Kaido. Professor Katori always answered her patiently. She truly felt he was a gifted teacher. Even the Kaido Division's Head, Yamada, didn't explain things as well as he did. Things that used to be hard to understand suddenly made sense when he taught them. "Don't belittle yourself," Nanatsuki said gently. "You just have a weaker foundation. Kaido involves a lot of medical knowledge. It's not easy to master all that in a few years. But I believe that with effort, you can learn Kaido and join Squad 4." Nanatsuki's explanation was easy to follow, partly due to the effect of his Patient Guidance trait. [Hoshino Rie] [Talent: D+ (C–)] [Spiritual Pressure: Lv10] [Reputation Level: Admiration] While Nanatsuki was teaching, Rie's comprehension and perception stats had improved slightly—hence why everything he said felt so easy to understand. What surprised Nanatsuki, though, was that her reputation level had reached "Admiration." Even among his personally taught students, only Chijō Kana had reached that level. And a lot of that, frankly, was because of his cooking—it had completely won over Kana's stomach. These past few weeks had shown Nanatsuki just how powerful the Patient Guidance trait really was. It massively boosted his teaching ability and had become a valuable asset to his work. He still had plenty of open student slots and decided he would continue taking on students of all talent levels to further develop the effect of this trait. And as for Rie, a student who loved Kaido, took it seriously, but lacked natural talent—Nanatsuki decided to give her a chance. "I really admire your passion and dedication for Kaido," he said warmly. "You could've focused on improving your general strength, passed the graduation standard, and become a Shinigami like most others. But instead, you chose the hardest path—studying Kaido, which requires medical knowledge as its foundation." "I hope to see passionate people like you join the medical corps." "Hoshino Rie, would you like to become my disciple?" Rie froze. Ever since Professor Katori had lectured in the Kaido Advanced Class, she had deeply admired this swordsmanship instructor who also excelled at Kaido—so much so that even Captain Unohana and Department Head Yamada had praised his skill. She had never dreamed that the teacher she admired most would one day ask her to become his disciple. Her head spun. The sudden joy nearly knocked her out cold! When she came back to her senses, she quickly bowed and said, "Professor Katori, I would be honored to become your disciple!" "Good. From now on, you are my disciple. Be loyal to your teacher, study diligently, and I will teach you Kaido," Nanatsuki said. [Successfully accepted Hoshino Rie as a direct disciple.] [First time acquiring a disciple with D-rank talent. Extra reward granted...]