Hiroki slept extremely soundly, his consciousness drifting between chaos and tranquility.
A crisp call sounded in his ears, coming from far to near, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, breaking the silence: "Young Master, Young Master, we have arrived." It was Tamaki Chizuru's voice, carrying a softness yet enough force to penetrate sleep.
His eyelids opened heavily as if coated in honey; Hiroki muttered subconsciously and sat up straight.
The stiffness of holding one position for a long time instantly swept through his body. He couldn't help but stretch vigorously, his spine letting out a few soft pops. Rubbing his still-sore eyes, he looked out through the small window on the side of the carriage.
"Whoa!" The sight before him made Hiroki let out a low exclamation. The outside was already completely shrouded in thick night! A few stars hung sparsely in the deep blue, almost black sky, and a hazy crescent moon hung in the distant horizon, stingily shedding a bit of faint, clear light. The old lanterns hanging at the entrance of the residence were dutifully lit, their orange-yellow flames swaying slightly in the night wind, barely dispelling the darkness of the small area in front of the gate, casting their halos on the mottled walls and the bronze decorations of the doors, outlining a somewhat desolate and lonely silhouette.
"How long have we been traveling?" Hiroki withdrew his gaze and rubbed his throbbing temples. The daze from the hangover hadn't completely faded, and the long journey made him feel even more lightheaded. He felt as if he had slept for a century. "About... five or six hours," Tamaki Chizuru, sitting opposite him, answered softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night. Looking at the Young Master's slightly confused reaction after waking up, a hint of imperceptible concern flickered in her eyes. "Five or six hours..." Hiroki repeated in a low voice, gaining a more direct understanding of the vastness of this world and the "distance" from Rukongai to Seireitei.
"Where are we now?" he turned to ask Chizuru, while also trying to sift through the memory fragments of this body's original owner—Kuroki Hiroki. Unfortunately, the original owner's narrow life path of "Noble Residence — Shino Academy — Seireitei Social Circle" left him knowing very little about the "Kuroki Clan Territory," his nominal home. He didn't even know the specific location or boundaries of his family's land.
Chizuru had clearly done her homework and answered fluently: "Replying to Young Master, this is the Eleventh District of Rukongai. About one-third of the entire Eleventh District belongs to our Kuroki Clan's territory." Her tone carried the natural sense of belonging that a lower noble's servant felt toward the family's land.
"Hmm, not bad," Hiroki responded briefly, his tone giving no hint whether he was truly satisfied or just being polite. Supporting himself on the edge of the carriage, he rose from the still-warm cushion and ducked out of the carriage. The night chill instantly enveloped his body, invigorating his spirit.
After standing firm, Hiroki began to carefully observe the surroundings. The place where the carriage stopped was clearly in front of the main gate of a residence. By the dim light of the lanterns at the entrance, a fairly large estate could be seen. The gateway was tall, and the walls stretched out, showing traces of its former solemn grandeur. However, the marks of time were very obvious: the dark wooden pillars had an old hue, the plaster on some parts of the walls had peeled off, the bronze rings on the door were stained with verdigris, and the edges of the steps were worn smooth.
Although the overall structure remained, exuding the final shred of dignity of a lower noble, it was met with a sense of vicissitude and desolation, completely different from the luxurious and meticulously crafted elegance of the Shihōin Clan. "Where is this?" Hiroki tilted his head to look at Tamaki Chizuru, who had followed him out of the carriage and was standing by his side. He needed to confirm if this was the intended destination.
Tamaki Chizuru immediately explained respectfully: "Replying to Young Master, this is the largest and best-preserved residence of the Kuroki Clan in the Eleventh District. Since you instructed to settle some people, I took the liberty of having the carriage team drive directly here. This place is relatively spacious and sturdy, making it easy to arrange." Her consideration was thorough.
"Mhm." Hiroki nodded, his gaze sweeping over the large residence again, which stood silent in the night with a hint of decay. The scale was indeed not small, enough for his needs; being old made it less likely to attract attention. He turned and decisively issued an order: "Is there anyone else inside?"
"Yes, Young Master, there are still some servants inside responsible for daily cleaning and maintenance; their numbers are few," Chizuru replied immediately.
Hiroki's tone was unquestionable: "Now, immediately gather all of them, no matter what they are doing, and bring them outside the main gate to wait." He paused and added, "Also, have the guards who followed us wait outside the gate as well."
"Yes, Young Master!" Chizuru didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately set into action. Her execution was beyond doubt, her crisp voice quickly conveying the orders in the dark night. Soon, a slight commotion came from inside the residence.
Not long after, about a dozen figures appeared one after another under the halo of the lanterns at the entrance, their expressions filled with confusion and unease. Most of these people were middle-aged servants and laborers, dressed in simple dark clothing, their faces a mix of exhaustion, confusion, and a bit of panic from being suddenly summoned late at night. They looked at each other and whispered, completely unable to understand why this rarely-seen Young Master of the Kuroki Clan had suddenly arrived in the middle of the night and driven them all out of the house.
The eight Onmitsukidō guards from the Shihōin Clan also acted quickly, standing silently on the open ground between the carriage and the residence near the gate. They stood with straight backs, their expressions cold as they guarded against the surrounding darkness, having no objection to Hiroki's orders and maintaining absolute obedience.
"Alright." Seeing that everyone was there, Hiroki nodded to Tamaki Chizuru, who had already arranged the crowd into a line.
He deliberately ignored the reverent yet bewildered gazes from the servants and turned to Chizuru, instructing solemnly: "Chizuru, watch them. Remember, until I come out, no one is allowed to step a single foot inside this residence's gate. No one."
"Yes! Young Master! I understand!" Tamaki Chizuru immediately straightened her body and responded with a serious expression, then stood in the most prominent position in front of the gate, her bright eyes vigilantly scanning the crowd before her, fully executing the Young Master's command. Hiroki said no more, turned, and walked alone toward the open gate of the residence, which looked like the mouth of a giant beast in the night. The moonlight was stingy, and the courtyard was almost pitch black. Following his instincts and the faint architectural outlines, he passed through several porches of the front yard and some overgrown open spaces.
Finally, he reached the courtyard area of the residence. It was indeed spacious enough. Beneath his feet was soil that felt a bit soft when stepped on, covered with sparse weeds that had grown thin from lack of care. Around him were only the silhouettes of tall, dark walls and the blurred lines of distant eaves against the night sky. It was silent, as if separated from the uneasy crowd outside the gate into two different worlds. The night wind blew, carrying the unique cool and desolate scent of Rukongai. Hiroki stood still in the center of this quiet open space, the night wind gently lifting the corners of his clothes.