Chapter 11 The Main Body, Day Six

When I arrived at the Armed Detective Agency, the first person I met was Akiko Yosano.

Yokohama has three famous organizations with supernatural abilities: the Supernatural Special Agents Division, which is a government agency; the Armed Detective Agency, which is like a neighborhood committee; and the Port Mafia, which is equivalent to a dock trading company.

From the three sentences above, you should be able to sense that the Armed Detective Agency is poor compared to the other two.

Therefore, unlike the Port Mafia, which owns five buildings in Yokohama, the Armed Detective Agency's territory is limited to just one building.

...a layer.

Yes, there is only one layer.

You might feel that compared to its counterparts, the Port Mafia, the Armed Detective Agency seems rather shabby.

It doesn't matter.

This is normal.

Because that's what I thought when I first saw it too.

The building housing the Armed Detective Agency is an old office building.

The first floor is a coffee shop, the second floor is a law firm, the third floor is empty, the fourth floor is the base of the Armed Detective Agency, and the fifth floor is a storage floor.

When I met Ms. Akiko, she happened to be walking out of the coffee shop on the ground floor.

When the members of the Armed Detective Agency have nothing to do, they like to come to the coffee shop on the first floor to have tea and chat. I've been there a few times myself.

I must say, the coffee brewed by the shop owner is really delicious.

It was so delicious that even I, a layman who isn't a big coffee lover, couldn't help but be amazed.

"Edakawa?" Yosano Akiko looked at me, raised an eyebrow, and a flash of surprise crossed her eyes. "You're awake."

"Yes." I smiled, then said apologetically, "I'm so sorry I suddenly fainted while working, causing trouble for everyone at the detective agency."

"No, it's nothing." She waved her hand, revealing a strange sense of boldness.

I know that the word "bold and magnanimous" is not commonly used to describe women, but Ms. Akiko certainly has a bold and magnanimous temperament.

Yosano Akiko: "But you, you've slept for many days again. And this time, your coma was very sudden, without any warning. Are you alright?"

As he spoke, he deliberately turned around and glanced at me twice.

The omen that Yosano Akiko mentioned was actually my super-long standby state before I fell into a deep sleep.

Since encountering the Sleep and Vest System, my mental state begins to feel tired for the first half hour or so before I fall asleep.

As for why I suddenly fell into a deep sleep last time... well, I'll have to bring out my first pseudonym—[Mimori from the Yokohama Publishing House Editorial Department]—to explain.

As I mentioned before, my true self and my alternate identity cannot coexist. Therefore, it can be deduced that if my true self is mysteriously asleep, it must be because my alternate identity has logged in.

After that period of slumber, the system logged me into the account of "[Yokohama Publishing Editorial Department Mimori]".

Why did I suddenly log in?

The answer is because my colleague—Kitamura (I think that's his surname), who also works in the editorial department of Yokohama Publishing—took leave!

Then Mr. Kobayashi chose my pseudonym, Mimori, to fill in for Kitamura.

So, without any warning, my account was forcibly switched.

When I learned the whole story, my only reaction was: "mmp".

Kitamura has absolutely no working-class spirit!! He actually took leave!!

I followed Yosano Akiko, and when our eyes met, I shook my head and said, "It's okay. It was just an accident last time, nothing serious."

After all, it's not something that's often seen to force someone to log in.

"Hey! Miss Akiko, what are you doing!"

A slight, dull ache came from the top of my head. I touched the head where I had been suddenly tapped, looked up, and saw Yosano Akiko standing with her hands on her hips, looking like a big sister: "Don't always neglect your health, Edagawa."

I was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "I know, Miss Akiko."

She turned around, glanced at me sideways, and said coldly, "You'd better really know."

"..."

Miss Akiko, what's with this sudden villainous remark?

After Yosano Akiko and I arrived on the fourth floor, she knocked on the door of the Armed Detective Agency.

It was Kunikida Doppo who opened the door.

He was also surprised by my appearance: "...Edakawa?"

I nodded: "Mr. Kunikida."

He pushed up his glasses, revealing an expression that was a mixture of joy and relief: "Come in."

Kunikida Doppo turned to the side, and I followed Yosano Akiko inside.

Although the Armed Detective Agency wasn't very large, its areas were well-divided and its internal operations were very organized.

As soon as I entered, I saw Edogawa Ranpo holding a box of Pocky. He was sitting on the sofa, swallowing a Pocky stick in one gulp, and facing me: "Idiot, the great detective has been waiting for you for a long time."

Edogawa Ranpo was a very childlike person, and I could feel that from the first moment I met him.

I walked over and said in a very cooperative manner, "Sorry to keep the famous detective waiting."

Ranpo ignored me, lowered his head, and picked up a brand new Pocky stick.

I thought he was going to eat it himself, but unexpectedly, he handed it to me.

"..." I was stunned.

Subconsciously blinked: "Mr. Ranpo?"

"Lord Ranpo will reluctantly give you one."

"!"

Holy crap, that's rare.

I was too busy with my own thoughts to react immediately. Perhaps noticing me standing there motionless, Edogawa Ranpo added, "Milk flavor."

I came to my senses and understood why he said that.

Because Ranpo knew that I liked milk.

"Then thank you, Lord Ranpo."

So I couldn't help but smile and bite into the Pocky stick.