After the three finished their simple staff meal, Tamaki deftly cleared the table and dishes. From an iron pot on a nearby stand, she poured two cups of warm sencha (Japanese green tea), handing one to the proprietress and placing the other in front of Suō Tsukasa.
The tea was bluish-green, emitting a slight steam. One or two tea leaves unfolded in the cup, releasing a simple, earthy aroma.
"Please enjoy your tea."
"Thank you," Suō Tsukasa replied, immediately picking up the cup. He felt the perfect warmth of the pottery on his fingertips and took a shallow sip.
"You're welcome." Tamaki offered the two a gentle smile, then turned and walked toward the back kitchen with the dishes.
Letting out a soft sigh, Suō Tsukasa savored the aftertaste of the meal while contemplating his situation.
He knew the well-traveled proprietress had likely already noticed his spiritual power potential. After all, ordinary souls only feel fatigue, not hunger, and his eating behavior just now had been rather obvious.
However, judging from the proprietress's calm expression, souls with spiritual power potential must not be uncommon in the Rukongai.
Though he was in an unfamiliar world, and human hearts are hard to gauge, maintaining a composed and self-assured demeanor was key, and there was no need to be overly cautious.
Since Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai, who hailed from the 78th district of the South Rukongai, Inuzuri, were able to survive well as children, he, who would likely gain a foothold in the West 3rd District, had even less to worry about.
Amidst the swirling tea fragrance, Ms. Terada picked up her cup, gently blew on it, then looked at Suō Tsukasa. Her voice was calm and direct as she spoke.
"Tsukasa, I'm very satisfied with your performance. I've decided to keep you."
She had indeed felt an unprecedented ease and smoothness in the back kitchen that afternoon. Whatever she needed for cooking, Suō Tsukasa on the side had already prepared it for her in advance.
"I'll cover your food and lodging. There's an empty storage room on the second floor, toward the back. It's small, but it can be cleaned up for living. I'll have Tamaki bring you bedding and some necessities later."
"As for salary, it's temporarily set at two Chōgin / Ding Silver (silver pieces) per month. I'll give you a raise later depending on the situation."
The terms were clear. This wasn't just simple charity but a formal employment based on the recognition of Suō Tsukasa's work value.
"Eh, two Chōgin / Ding Silver!?"
"Tsukasa-kun, that's amazing!"
Tamaki, returning from the back kitchen, happened to hear the terms spoken by the proprietress. She gasped softly in surprise, looking at Suō Tsukasa with admiration in her eyes.
"Ms. Terada, thank you very much. Please take care of me from now on." Suō Tsukasa bowed, expressing his sincere gratitude.
He didn't yet have a concept of the amount of money, but he was already satisfied to have a place to eat and sleep. Judging from Tamaki's reaction, the proprietress was being quite generous.
Crucially, the mention of Chōgin / Ding Silver meant that the Rukongai still implemented the three-currency system of gold, silver, and copper, suggesting that the current time period might be quite early.
"Tamaki-nee-san, please take care of me too from now on." Suō Tsukasa turned to the waitress, nodding in acknowledgment.
"Please do," Tamaki replied with a smile.
Watching this scene, Ms. Terada smiled and nodded. The staff of the izakaya officially increased by one.
The evening market ended.
Tamaki was married and lived outside the shop, just across the street. Ms. Terada had also returned to the main house in the back courtyard. Only Suō Tsukasa remained in the dimly lit inner hall.
He picked up the candle holder, and the faint yellow circle of light cast flickering shadows on the four walls.
Cool moonlight seeped through the window grates. Guided by the moonlight and candlelight, Suō Tsukasa climbed the stairs leading to the second floor, the old wooden steps creaking faintly beneath his feet.
The space on the second floor was not very large. Without much effort, he quickly found his allocated space.
Creak—
He pulled open the door, the sliding door axis letting out a long moan. A distinct smell of aged wood greeted him, which, far from being pungent, was reassuring.
The window sill had already been opened for ventilation. Even without the candle holder in his hand, the moonlight was enough to illuminate the small space clearly.
The area had been meticulously cleaned, and the bedding had been prepared by Tamaki-nee-san, clearly showing thoughtful effort.
Although the bedding showed signs of age with some patches stitched at the edges, it was very clean. The pillow was fluffy and soft, looking like a white cloud under the moonlight.
"Finally, no more sleeping on straw."
He blew out the candle in his hand, placed it by the bed, and quickly took off his outer clothes and shoes. He eagerly darted into the quilt.
"Mmm—comfortable."
Feeling the softness beneath him, Suō Tsukasa let out an involuntary groan.
Though he was from a rural background and had endured hardships before, he hadn't experienced the kind of suffering he had gone through right after crossing over.
In addition to being thirsty and hungry, when he struggled to get up from the straw mat that morning, his whole body ached everywhere, as if he had been beaten by a group of people the night before. His bones felt completely disjointed.
Now, the soft quilt wrapped around his exhausted body, warm and solid. He closed his eyes, savoring this hard-won tranquility.
Not long after, Suō Tsukasa opened his eyes, which showed no sign of sleepiness. He threw off the quilt, which still held his body heat, and sat up cross-legged, bare-chested, refusing to indulge in comfort.
"The Soul Society is no paradise."
The world of Bleach was not an easy place to navigate. Without knowing the specific time period and without possessing a certain level of strength, dying suddenly at any moment wouldn't be surprising.
Having spiritual power potential already satisfied the prerequisite for cultivation, and acquiring supernatural abilities was the dream of countless young, idealistic teenagers.
Power that should only exist in fantasy was now within his grasp. At this moment, how could he possibly sleep?
"The Saketsu (Chain of Fate) and Hakusui (Soul Sleep) should be located at the middle and lower dantian positions."
The Saketsu and Hakusui are the pressure points where a spiritual body generates spirit power, and they are also the spiritual body's vital spots. Ordinary souls struck severely in these areas will certainly die, and even Shinigami would lose their power.
After crossing over, Suō Tsukasa's basic physical qualities, memory, and cognitive abilities had all significantly improved. Everything he had seen and known in his past life was vividly clear in his mind.
In particular, the scene where Byakuya Kuchiki stabbed Ichigo Kurosaki, causing him to lose his Shinigami powers, was etched most clearly in his memory. At the time, he had desperately wanted to throw his shoe at Byakuya's emotionless face on the screen.
"The middle dantian is where qi gathers, and the lower dantian is where jing is stored. Jing (essence), qi (energy), and shen (spirit) are the three treasures of the human body, with shen directing and transforming jing and qi."
Suō Tsukasa closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady and drawn out. Relying on his limited theoretical knowledge of cultivation, he attempted to slowly sink his mind into his body, perceiving the exact locations of these two crucial pressure points.
The moonlight fell silently, flowing over his well-defined back muscles. In this quietude, he could hear the sound of blood flowing in his vessels and feel the faint pulse of spiritual power in his meridians.
His consciousness wandered through the meridians, trying to mobilize his own power.
"I did it!"
Success on the first attempt.
Suō Tsukasa opened his eyes, delighted, looking at the spiritual particle sphere, glowing with a pale blue light, which had condensed and formed in his right hand.
In this world full of crises, only by mastering power could he control his own destiny.
And tonight was his first step on this long journey.