Chapter 107: Black and Gold
"Marriage? Doesn't sound very interesting..."
Rize said with a hint of boredom.
"Then let's not get married. As long as we can live together, that's enough."
Furuta compromised with a smile.
"Mm."
Living with Furuta didn't sound too bad to Rize.
"By the way, Furuta, why do you think big brother Byakuya is willing to help us?"
Rize suddenly asked. "It's clearly dangerous for him, and there's no benefit, right?"
"I don't know, but I can tell he genuinely wants to help us. Maybe he's just really kind and gentle."
Furuta speculated.
"That's true... He's already a great person for taking us out to experience the world."
Rize nodded slightly.
...
1st Ward, CCG Experimental Building.
Byakuya was thinking of getting two S rated quinques so he wouldn't have to rely solely on the Owl.
"Special Class Byakuya"
The researcher greeted Byakuya as soon as he arrived on the first floor.
He remembered meeting Byakuya for the first time a month or two ago, when he was still a First Class Investigator. Now, he had already been promoted to Special Class.
The speed of his promotion was astonishing.
"Based on the ghouls Investigator Byakuya has exterminated, aside from quinques below S rank, there are several S rated quinques that belong to you."
The researcher explained the general situation.
"I need a koukaku quinque and a rinkakuquinque. Just two for now."
Byakuya stated his requirements.
"We happen to have quinques that meet your needs."
The researcher then led Byakuya to retrieve the quinques.
"This is the S rated rinkaku quinque, 'Nitta'. It's originally set in the form of a spear. If you're not satisfied, we can switch it out for another."
The researcher first showed Byakuya the quinque.
"It's fine. I'm satisfied."
Byakuya said.
Aside from swords, he was also quite interested in spears.
Back in the 24th Ward, he had borrowed a spear-type quinque from Kasuka, and it had been very easy to use.
"Good. And this is the S+ rated koukaku quinque, 'STK'. It can switch between 'sword' and 'shield' forms."
The researcher continued the introduction.
Unlike the standard white quinque briefcases, 'STK' was housed in a black-and-gold briefcase.
"To help you distinguish between the quinques, 'STK' uses a black-and-gold briefcase, while 'Nitta' uses the standard white briefcase."
The researcher explained.
"Got it."
Byakuya accepted the two briefcases.
In the original timeline, there weren't many quinques packaged in black-and-gold cases. Only a few were known.
After all, very few ghoul investigators could possess multiple quinques, and lower-rated quinques didn't qualify for black-and-gold cases.
Now, Byakuya had three quinques, each with a different-colored case.
The most unique was the Owl which was platinum-colored and significantly larger than a standard briefcase.
Byakuya took the two new quinques and headed straight home.
...
"Dad!"
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Mayu immediately turned her attention away from the TV.
She jumped off the couch and ran to the door to greet Byakuya.
"What's this?"
Seeing the two briefcases in Byakuya's hands, Mayu couldn't help but ask curiously.
They looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen them before.
"This..."
Byakuya thought for a moment before explaining, "These are weapons used by ghoul investigators. They're for fighting and protecting ourselves."
He didn't go into too much detail, not even mentioning the term "quinque".
After all, the materials used to make quinques were...
Mayu was still so young and didn't understand much, so it was better not to tell her about such things yet.
"Oh."
Mayu nodded, indicating she understood.
At that moment, Eto emerged from the kitchen.
"Welcome back, dear. Take a rest and get ready for dinner~"
Eto was wearing an apron, apparently in the middle of cooking.
Her cooking skills had improved significantly, and she could now prepare a full meal on her own.
Moreover, to make sure Mayu could eat with her and Byakuya like a normal family, Eto had specially processed the "meat" stored in the fridge, preparing it like a regular dish...
Although it was meat from corpses, it had been well-preserved and wasn't exactly rotten anymore.
Soon, Byakuya, Eto, and Mayu sat down to eat together.
Placed in front of Mayu was a full bowl of roasted "meat" and a cup of coffee.
Eto was teaching Mayu how to use chopsticks.
"Hold them like this. You can take your time practicing; no need to rush."
Eto demonstrated how to use chopsticks. "If it's too hard at first, you can start with a knife and fork. Those are easier to handle."
Mayu tried the knife and fork. Chopsticks were too difficult for her at this stage. "This is much easier!"
Hmm...
If you didn't think too hard about what the roasted meat was made of, this was just an ordinary family sitting down to eat together.
...
After dinner.
Byakuya transferred the two briefcases containing "STK" and "Nitta" into his Kamui dimension, making it convenient to retrieve them whenever needed.
Most importantly, this allowed him to completely conceal his identity as a CCG investigator during missions.
Unlike regular investigators, who had to carry their quinque briefcases with them at all times, Byakuya could avoid drawing attention. Most investigators could only try to hide their briefcases, making it easy for target ghouls to notice and react.
Mayu, engrossed in the TV, didn't notice Byakuya's spatial ability, but Eto's sharp eyes caught it.
Eto immediately moved closer, staring intently at Byakuya's eyes.
She had just seen Byakuya absorb the two quinque briefcases into his eyes, and now there was no trace of them left.
She was extremely interested in this ability.
Or rather, anyone would be curious about such an extraordinary and mysterious power.
Eto was now so close that their noses were almost touching, and they could feel each other's breath.
Byakuya couldn't help but ask:
"What's wrong...?"