"You're the new recruit, Yukawa-san... right? Um, you look a little unwell, did something happen?"
"No, it's nothing, Senpai."
"Really...? Captain Unohana did contact us saying you'd be late, though."
"I was just talking a little with Captain Unohana during the enlistment greetings..."
"I-Is that so..."
Perhaps sensing the scent of some trouble from my words, my Senpai didn't try to ask any further.
After that intense discussion with Captain Unohana, I rested a bit and recovered. So, slightly later than my peers, I started learning about the Fourth Division's duties from my Senpai.
"Well, if there's no problem, I'll teach you about the work right away."
"Please do."
I bowed my head politely.
In the Gotei 13, new recruits follow a system where they shadow a senior officer as an apprentice for the first year to learn the job of a Soul Reaper. It's like the forerunner of the mentor system in modern society.
"That said, you might already know, but the Fourth Division's work is divided into various areas—"
With that preface, my Senpai taught me about the general tasks while guiding me directly through the workplace.
First, the Fourth Division has a large building called the Comprehensive Relief Station.
If you imagine a large general hospital, you're mostly correct. Inside this Comprehensive Relief Station, we treat the injured and sick.
Since Fourth Division soldiers are basically all users of Kaido, everyone is like a doctor or nurse.
—However, that is only one aspect of a hospital. A hospital cannot run on doctors and nurses alone.
For example—
"Yukawa-san, can you help!?"
"Leave it to me! It's okay to mince all of this, right?"
Comprehensive Relief Station, Kitchen.
This is the place where meals for the entire Fourth Division are made, and at the same time, where hospital meals for the inpatients are prepared.
Among the inpatients, depending on their condition, there are those who "can't eat solid food yet," so care must be taken for each individual. Naturally, three meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—must be prepared.
So in a sense, it can be said that this place is busier than the doctors and nurses.
While being shown around the site as a preliminary step to learning the job, I was splendidly roped into helping.
"Wow! You're good!? Did you learn somewhere?"
"I'm from the Rukongai. I used to help out at an izakaya there. So this much is..."
I quickly cut the raw vegetables, careful to keep them the same shape and size. If I didn't do this, they would cook unevenly.
"Eh!! Is that true!? In that case, can I ask you to handle the pots over here too!?"
"We need to get the rice ready soon too, can you help!?"
"Yes? Ummm, please wait a moment."
Handing over the chopped vegetables, I first checked the nearest pot.
Hmm hmm, this is—
Like that, I was made to help extensively until the prospect of lunch being finished was in sight.
"Oh my, you're quite good at this too."
"In the Rukongai, I also repaired kimonos for the landlady and others."
Liberated from meal preparation, the next place visited was the Shihakusho Sewing Room.
Even if one wins a battle against Hollows, injuries are common. And being injured means the clothes worn are torn.
So this is a place where those particularly dexterous among the Fourth Division soldiers gather to manufacture and repair Shihakusho and captain haori.
However, what I am currently doing is mending small items using scraps.
As expected, unlike meals, they can't entrust the sewing of Shihakusho to a new recruit right away.
"No, but this girl is skilled."
"Her sewing style is careful, and she seems strong so the stitches are firm. Isn't she surprisingly a great find?"
I felt somewhat embarrassed by the evaluation of my seniors.
This was also just naturally acquired as a result of fifty years of life. When I trained, my kimonos would rip quite easily.
"How is this?"
What I sewed up for now was a simple drawstring bag.
" The workmanship... isn't bad for an amateur, I think."
"Hey, you said you were Yukawa-san, right?"
When I asked timidly, my name was confirmed.
"That's right, but um..."
"Could you come to our section permanently?"
"Eh!?"
...Somehow, that's an unexpectedly high evaluation.
Really, I'm only being evaluated on parts unrelated to the essential skills of a Soul Reaper...
"Well then, this is the last one, but about Kaido—that is, healing—which is also the basic duty of the Fourth Division."
Leaving the sewing room as if escaping, and after finishing a tour of other departments, I finally learned about relief duties.
"But Yukawa-san, you learned about Kaido at the Academy too, right?"
"Yes, generally. Though I only have ability appropriate for an Academy student."
"No need to be humble. I didn't learn Kaido or relief at all at the Academy."
"Eh! Is that so!?"
"That's right. So Yukawa-san is much more impressive than me. But well, now as a Senpai, I have to show you an example."
Saying such things to each other, I was taught generally about healing duties as well.
—Clang! Clang!
As the sky was dyed a vivid orange, the sound of a bell echoed throughout the barracks.
"Oh my, it's already this time."
This is the bell for the end of work.
It signals that today's duties are over, but... sadly, the Fourth Division often gets miscellaneous tasks passed on from other squads, so many people work overtime.
Besides that, since it's a hospital, it's basically on a 24-hour system to prepare for sudden changes in patients' conditions, so to be blunt, there are night shifts.
"Well then, you can leave for today. Good work."
"Good work, Senpai. Excuse me for leaving first."
"Oh yes, I almost forgot to say. I think you know, but don't forget the duty report."
"Yes, thank you for the reminder."
Thus, today's duties ended.
Except for one thing.
"Umm..."
Having returned to the dormitory, I am currently compiling today's duty report.
Each squad has a dormitory within the barracks, and the majority of soldiers sleep and wake in those rooms. Just like the Academy, commuting from home is allowed, but only wealthy nobles can do such a thing.
If one becomes a high-ranking seated officer, they can have a private room within the barracks.
...Everything is about promotion.
And the duty report is exactly as the name implies.
After work, each soldier writes what they did that day and submits it to the collection box in front of the office. This is done in every squad.
Following that, what did I do today? I summarized it, but—
"Looking back at it again, I did quite a variety of things..."
—Doesn't this exceed the scope of what one squad should handle? Wouldn't it be better to recruit from outside the Soul Reapers? There were so many things that made me think so.
"Medical workers have it rough..."
I swore in my heart that I would absolutely never look down on them.
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