Chapter 219, Seventy-Third Cycle (49)

"Those who seek to live will die, and those who seek to die will live."

Amidst the crisp ringing of the doorbell, a child's innocent voice drifted in, but what he said made the air momentarily silent.

"What...are you talking about?" The long-haired man holding a plate of sushi stood at the door, looking somewhat surprised and hesitant.

Conan Edogawa, who was drinking orange juice, turned his head: "Mr. Midorikawa? I was just talking to Mr. Amuro about that strange case we encountered in Nagano this time."

Hikaru Midorikawa's gaze followed to the blond youth sitting opposite him.

Amuro Tooru's body had indeed stiffened a bit because of those words, but it had eased up now, and he once again showed his flawless smile.

"Midori-kun, you're bringing sushi again? You're really going to a lot of trouble." Amuro Tooru accepted the large plate of exquisite sushi with a helpless expression.

"It's nothing. I've only gotten to know Master Kogoro and Senior Amuro here. I hope you won't mind me bothering you so often, hahaha." Hikaru Midorikawa scratched his cheek happily and shyly, his voice still gentle and pleasant, making it impossible to feel any negative emotions.

Conan Edogawa, with a straw in his mouth, watched the two chatting and laughing, his gaze constantly shifting between their facial expressions and the way they took the sushi, but he still couldn't detect anything amiss.

Everything seemed normal, as if his previous sense of danger had been an illusion.

Even Conan Edogawa himself couldn't be sure; he now really had to be wary and suspicious of everyone.

"I did hear that Master Kogoro went to Nagano. Did something happen there? Could you tell me about it?" Midorikawa Hikaru sat down next to Amuro Tooru, but his gaze naturally turned to Edogawa Conan.

Conan Edogawa glanced at Tooru Amuro, whose expression remained unchanged, and then tried to see the shape of Midorikawa Hikaru's eyes through his thick bangs and glasses: "Of course, after all, Mr. Midorikawa is also Uncle Kogoro's disciple."

Moreover, he was quite impressed with this incident, and he told Amuro Tooru about it not only as a test, but also because he himself wanted to vent and complain.

Amuro Tooru, who is a member of the Black Organization, a member of the Public Security Bureau, and also works at the coffee shop downstairs from his house, is truly the most suitable candidate.

"Although the incidents I encounter in Nagano always seem rather terrifying, this one is particularly terrifying," Conan Edogawa sighed softly. "Let's call it the Woodpecker War God Incident for now. Most importantly, this one involves an internal police matter..."

As he spoke, he also observed Amuro Tooru and Midorikawa Hikaru.

Leaving aside Hikaru Midorikawa, who was still unclear about the situation, Tooru Amuro's performance showed absolutely no signs that he was actually a police officer; there wasn't a single flaw, and he acted just like an ordinary detective.

As expected of Mr. Amuro, no wonder he was able to rise to such a position as an undercover agent, almost becoming the second-in-command.

But precisely because of this, Conan Edogawa became even more curious and wary of Scotland, which could threaten him.

Conan Edogawa had so many questions for Tooru Amuro, but he held back in front of the man who resembled Hikaru Midorikawa from Scotland.

Only after Midorikawa Hikaru returned to the sushi restaurant next door to continue working did Conan Edogawa breathe a sigh of relief. While eating the sushi that Midorikawa Hikaru had brought him, he whispered without any hesitation, "Mr. Amuro, has Mr. Midorikawa been coming here often lately? He said before that he wanted to visit you, his senior, more often to maintain our relationship."

"Yeah, he brings sushi to see me or Mr. Mori almost every day. Maybe he's just excited about becoming Mr. Mori's apprentice." Amuro Tooru also picked up a piece of sushi and ate it. "What's wrong? Is Conan interested in him?"

Judging from his expression, you can tell you won't get anything out of him.

Conan Edogawa was simply replaced with someone else.

"There's something I'd like to ask Mr. Amuro." He took out his phone, showed a photo, and handed it to the blond young man. "Does Mr. Amuro know this person?"

The photo was obviously edited, and the image quality was a bit blurry, but it was still clear enough to make out the black-haired, blue-eyed man in it.

That was taken by Conan Edogawa when he was pretending to be a tourist and taking photos. He then edited out Kogoro Mouri in the center of the photo, leaving only the enlarged man in the background.

The man was tall and straight, dressed in a neat blue suit. His jet-black hair and beard contrasted sharply with his overly pale face. His slightly upturned blue eyes were gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought, his expression calm and composed.

Amuro Tooru stared at the man, a hint of doubt in his eyes: "I don't know this person. Who is he? What did he do?"

Conan Edogawa couldn't tell whether he was being genuine or acting, and put down his phone in frustration: "He's the Inspector Morofushi I just mentioned, his name is Morofushi Takaaki, he's a policeman from Nagano, he's very capable, and he even has the nickname Kongming. I thought Mr. Amuro knew him."

Nagano Prefectural Police Officer, Morofushi Takaaki, nicknamed "Kongming," possesses astonishing wisdom comparable to the legendary Zhuge Liang, along with exceptional reasoning abilities and keen insight.

Every time Conan Edogawa goes to Nagano, he's practically useless. The Nagano police solve cases at about the same speed as him, so there's no need for him to run around reminding them or even directly drugging Kogoro Mouri to solve the cases for them.

He even felt that Morofushi Takaaki probably knew that the real person behind Kogoro Mouri's name was him, an elementary school student named Conan Edogawa.

Then, that person naturally accepted the matter without delving into it, and even helped cover for him and only took him along when handling the case, instead of discussing it with Kogoro Mouri.

Prior to this, Conan Edogawa hadn't paid much attention to the matter, because Morofushi Takaaki's childhood friend, Yamato Kansuke, was the same way. At most, he would just marvel at how exceptionally capable the police officers in Nagano were.

After all, the cases in Nagano are quite terrifying, so it's not surprising that some outstanding police officers have emerged from there.

But everything changed completely once Conan Edogawa learned about the characteristics of Scotland.

Morofushi Takaaki has blue, upturned eyes. He has a gentle personality but can be quite wicked and has a wicked sense of humor at times, and he is a very good actor. He remains calm even when faced with the most terrifying cases and corpses, but when he gets serious, he becomes exceptionally sharp, often giving off a dangerous vibe.

But beneath that unfathomable, mysterious danger, there was also a calm and composed feeling, as if he had seen through everything yet was still playing the part of a peaceful life, or perhaps indifference.

Morofushi Takaaki is the person who most resembles the Scotland described by Mr. Akai and Haibara.

Aside from the fact that he and Amuro Tooru don't seem to have any overt communication at the moment.

So for now, it's just a suspicion.

Conan Edogawa even suspected that Morofushi Takaaki's mustache was simply pasted on, because the mustache didn't match his overall demeanor at all, and it might have been a disguise to mislead others.

He tried to pull it this time, but couldn't find an opportunity and didn't dare to do anything reckless.

In the end, even the attempt to probe Amuro Tooru failed. Completely unable to obtain any feedback from the highly skilled and self-controlled Amuro Tooru, Conan Edogawa was quite dejected.

Amuro Toru smiled as he collected the empty plates and turned back to continue working.

Good, at least Conan Edogawa didn't think that Takaaki Morofushi and Hikaru Midorikawa looked alike, nor did he suspect their brotherly relationship.

If Conan Edogawa doesn't notice, then it means that the world's consciousness isn't trending in this direction, and no one else will notice either.

Perhaps it's because both brothers have grown beards, one on top and one on the bottom, which affects the integrity of their faces.

The two have eyes that are most similar, but Midorikawa Hikaru's outfit almost completely covers them, making it difficult for anyone to immediately notice anything amiss.

Amuro Tooru walked behind the counter, took out his phone, quickly typed with one hand, and then clicked send.

[Zero: Conan didn't notice, the plan will proceed as scheduled.]

He glanced at the replies and discussions in the Sakura team's chat, and finding nothing wrong, he didn't reply.

The blond, dark-skinned young man put away his phone and continued working with his head down.

He turned on the tap, and the cold water washed over his palms.

"Do those who seek to live inevitably die, and those who seek to die inevitably live...?"

The barely audible sound was shattered and masked by the rushing water, and was not heard by anyone else.

*

Teitan Elementary School lets out early, and the Junior Detective Club's main activities take place after school.

"Where shall we go today?" Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya asked.

"How about we go to Professor Agasa's house? It seems like Orikasa-nii and Professor Agasa made a new invention, right?" Ayumi Yoshida said, then turned to Ai Haibara to confirm, "Right, Ai?"

Ai Haibara hummed in agreement, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and said, "Then let's go to Professor Agasa's house."

It's better than running around aimlessly in other places.

"Then I won't go this time. I have something to do and need to go back today." Conan Edogawa frowned slightly, not even looking at them while speaking, clearly deep in thought.

Genta Kojima exclaimed, "Ah! I know! It's another case with Uncle Mori, right? Conan, don't even think about leaving us to investigate the case alone!"

Conan Edogawa was taken aback, then quickly shook his head and said helplessly, "Really, no, I just wanted to rush back to try the new dessert at Poirot's Cafe."

The smile that had been on Ai Haibara's face gradually disappeared.

The three children, of course, didn't believe it. They were already very familiar with Conan Edogawa's expressions, and Conan Edogawa generally didn't hide much from them.

Having no other choice, Conan Edogawa confessed: "Actually, this morning when I was at Poirot's Cafe, I noticed someone staring at Mr. Amuro. I thought he was acting strangely and was a little worried about him, so I wanted to go back and check on him."

"What? That's it?"

The three children were greatly disappointed.

"What's strange about Amuro-nii being stared at? A lot of people stare at Amuro-nii every day. After all, he's so handsome, has a gentle personality, and makes incredibly delicious food. People probably stare at him because they like him."

As the group walked along the road, the three children rushed ahead energetically, while Ai Haibara slowly retreated to the side of Conan Edogawa, who was deep in thought.

She said in a low voice with a dark expression, "Hey, have you been following Amuro Tooru around lately, observing who among the people around him is Scotland? Are you really courting death?!"

Conan Edogawa snapped out of his daze and chuckled twice, "It's alright, it's alright. Even in Scotland, they wouldn't suspect an ordinary child, would they? I know what I'm doing."

Ai Haibara looked suspicious, frowned, and seemed about to say something but ultimately kept quiet.

She also pays close attention to what is happening in Scotland.

Originally, when she was in the organization, her impression of Scotland was actually quite good.

After all, the situation within the Whiskey Group is complex and ever-changing, and most of the rumors circulating within the organization are just that—rumors.

Until later, Scotland turned against them, Bourbon was taken into custody, Rye defected, her sister died, and she became Ai Haibara after consuming aptx4869...

Now she understands part of it, confirming that her sister faked her death and that Bourbon hasn't changed, but who can say for sure what's going on with Scotland and Rye?

She would absolutely not let them get any closer to her sister.

In order not to reveal that her sister was still alive, she could not reveal her identity either.

"I'm not going." She gripped the strap of her backpack tightly.

"Hmm?" Conan Edogawa turned his head in surprise. "Aren't you worried that the person who keeps staring at Mr. Amuro might be a member of the organization?"

Ai Haibara twitched her lips: "Putting aside whether the organization would be so blatant, if it is someone from the organization, then I definitely can't go and cause trouble. Or do you have some misunderstanding about that person's strength?"

“I also think that’s probably not someone from the organization, and it’s even less likely to be Scotland, but I’m still a little worried.” Conan Edogawa pushed up his glasses, his tone a mix of concern and hesitation.

“Then you go and check it out, I won’t get involved.” Haibara sighed. “I’d better stay away from Bourbon for a while. Scotland definitely knows me, and it would be bad if he recognized me.”

"Didn't you say you'd never seen him before?" Conan Edogawa immediately became alert.

“We haven’t met.” Ai Haibara said expressionlessly, “but Bourbon and I are on good terms. Scotland must have investigated me thoroughly.”

Conan Edogawa: "..."

After Ai Haibara left, Conan Edogawa finally let go of his conflicted expression and started fighting.

There's a reason he's so worried about Amuro Tooru.

In addition to knowing about the situation in Scotland, there was also the fact that Amuro Tooru, whom it had previously confirmed in Hokkaido, seemed to have a heart condition.

It was all too chaotic at the time, and they didn't immediately think to ask about it. When they tentatively asked Amuro Tooru later, they were all brushed off, which is why they still can't confirm whether Amuro Tooru has a heart problem or how serious it is.

But just before the chaos erupted, when Amuro Tooru reached out to remove the Okiya Subaru disguise from Kudo Yusaku's face, the way he suddenly clutched his heart and half-collapsed on the sofa was truly terrifying.

Yusaku Kudo later said that it was definitely not an act.

After a long silence, Shuichi Akai said that perhaps it was because he was angry with him.

Conan Edogawa and Yusaku Kudo naturally didn't take it seriously, but the possibility that Tooru Amuro might have a heart condition was very high.

Then the problem arises.

That person, who might have a serious heart condition, then somehow managed to rescue Conan Edogawa by skiing into the snow-covered mountains like he was doing extreme sports! Does that make sense?!

And can someone with a serious heart condition really go undercover?

There has been no other indication, either before or now, that Amuro Toru has a heart condition.

Shuichi Akai said he had never known this before.

Ai Haibara also said she had never heard of it.

When asked about Anmuro Tooru, he could only receive denials and perfunctory responses.

Conan Edogawa sighed whenever he thought about it, and his worries about Tooru Amuro grew even stronger.

So when he arrived at Poirot's Cafe and saw the suspicious man eating a sandwich while staring intently at Amuro Tooru, his radar alarm went off even louder, and he immediately pressed his face against the window to observe the man.

Several children observed from outside the window for a while. The three real children also realized that the man was staring at Amuro Tooru in a strange way. After the man left, they volunteered to follow him.

Conan Edogawa, however, calmed down a bit. He pulled the children back and went into Poirot Cafe to directly question Tooru Amuro.

"Hmm?" After listening to the children's excited explanations, Amuro Tooru smiled and said, "That guest has indeed been coming frequently these past few days, but he hasn't spoken to me much. He seems a bit nervous and is quite a taciturn guest."

He didn't seem to care at all, and instead smiled and said, "Don't worry, he didn't do anything to me..."

The blond youth paused, stroked his chin, and said, "But I was indeed followed before."

"Following?!" the children exclaimed in surprise.

Conan Edogawa's pupils were practically trembling.

Who are you?! How dare you follow and stalk Bourbon of the Black Organization and Rei Furuya, a public security police officer?!

"They've already gone so far as to follow us, isn't that quite dangerous? Hasn't Mr. Amuro called the police?" Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya asked worriedly.

"Because he didn't really do anything to me, I thought I wouldn't bother the police." The blond youth still had that gentle, sunny smile on his face. "Inspector Matsuda and the others have been away these past few days, and I was thinking that if that person is still like this when they come back, I'll talk to them about it."

The three children thought about it and agreed, and their attention was immediately diverted by the dessert that was served.

Conan Edogawa jumped off the chair and followed the blond youth to the bar. After climbing onto a high stool, he tilted his head back and whispered, "Mr. Amuro, is that person really alright? He's not part of the organization, is he?"

The blond youth who was making coffee paused, then continued nonchalantly, "No, I've never seen him. You're overthinking it, Conan."

"Even Mr. Amuro couldn't possibly have met everyone in the organization, could he?" Conan Edogawa was still a little nervous. "What if this is the organization's way of predicting your thoughts and sending an ordinary-looking person to observe you?"

After saying that, he couldn't help but whisper, while carefully observing the blond youth's expression, "For example... a spy sent by Scotland to monitor you?"

"Ding-dong—"

The spoon and cup clinked together with a crisp sound. Amuro Tooru, having let go of the cup, looked up at him and sighed softly: "You still love to investigate things thoroughly, Conan-kun."

Conan Edogawa and the blond youth faced off for three seconds with unchanging smiles, just like on their masks.

Conan Edogawa shut up.

Conan Edogawa silently withdrew his foot, which had been probing the minefield.

After the children finished their desserts and left satisfied, only Conan Edogawa, who lived upstairs, stayed behind.

He even stayed until Amuro Tooru finished get off work.

The blond, dark-skinned young man took off his apron, put on his coat, and took out his car keys to go home.

A black-haired, blue-eyed elementary school student followed behind, her voice sweet and cheerful.

"Brother Amuro, thank you for your hospitality today too~"

"Haha, you're welcome," the blond youth said with a laugh. "I'm very happy to have your approval."

"I also want to go to Amuro-nii's house to play~~"

Amuro Tooru paused, looking down to meet the gaze of the innocent-looking child.

“When Conan starts calling me Amuro-nii, he usually has something on his mind.” He squatted down and looked at the child with a smile, but his tone turned serious. “You want to plant a bug in my house, don’t you?”

Conan Edogawa glanced to the side and said, "Hahaha..."

It's been discovered.

"Alright, then I have another small request that I'd like Mr. Amuro to help with." He sighed dramatically, glancing around to make sure no one else was on the street.

"Huh? What?" The blond youth tilted his head, looking at him patiently.

"Please tell me the name of the Black Organization's boss~~~" Conan Edogawa steeled himself, raising his face in an incredibly cute gesture, and trying his best to widen his eyes to express his expectation.

"..." Amuro Tooru was silent for a moment, his expression complicated. "Did you think I'd answer anything you asked just because you used a cute tone?"

"Yes, that's what I think!" Conan Edogawa said sweetly.

Toru Amuro: "..."

Seeing his expression, Conan Edogawa couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The blond youth then gave a helpless smile.

Conan Edogawa hadn't expected to get an answer anyway, and after laughing, he was still more worried about Amuro Tooru's safety.

But that person seemed completely unconcerned about his safety, acting with utter ease and composure, making him wish he could throw back the words the other person had said in the snowy mountains at him.

There was nothing he could do but be more vigilant, running to Poirot whenever he had a spare moment.

His behavior naturally attracted the attention of the three police officers who had just returned, and also puzzled the chef from the neighboring sushi restaurant who occasionally came by.

After Conan Edogawa explained, the expressions on the faces of the four people instantly darkened.

*

Shuichi Akai was very concerned about the traces of Scotland, but he felt that if he appeared in front of Tooru Amuro again, he might really give Amuro a heart attack, so he didn't dare to hang around in front of him anymore.

He's been learning to cook lately, practicing his culinary skills in his spare time, and occasionally he can use food as an excuse to appear at Professor Agasa's house next door and the Matsuda house two doors down.

A pink-haired graduate student, disguised and carrying two bags of groceries, was walking home when he suddenly stopped, his narrowed eyes snapping open, his sharp green pupils staring straight at the street across the street.

Shuichi Akai saw something strange, and for a moment even doubted that there was something wrong with his eyes.

This is a residential area with few pedestrians on the street. The roads are winding and complicated, making it a good place to avoid the other person's gaze when following them.

Even so, the tracking team over there is too strange.

At the very front was Amuro Tooru, also carrying a bag of groceries, walking along the road with a natural expression.

A strange man wearing a hat was following him furtively.

The unfamiliar man in the hat was followed by a bunch of little tails.

The three policemen who were close to Bourbon, Conan Edogawa, and a man with long black hair whose face was obscured also secretly followed at the back.

Akai Shuichi: "..."

What is this being done?

He didn't believe Bourbon hadn't discovered it.

So what are they playing at?

Should he go and join us?