Chapter 241, Seventy-Third Cycle (71)
Impossible, impossible, impossible—
Conan Edogawa rubbed his face hard to calm himself down.
In any case, it's unlikely that the bracelet contained any listening devices or similar gadgets, otherwise Mr. Amuro wouldn't have engaged them in such dangerous conversations.
So, could it be a locator?
That doesn't make sense. Can Mr. Amuro really accept having a locator installed on him by members of the organization? What if he's about to carry out some important mission? Wouldn't that expose everything?
Even in Scotland... even in Scotland, it's impossible, right?!
Although, according to what Mr. Akai had previously told Ms. Judy and the others, Scotland might suspect or even possess evidence that Bourbon was a traitor, Mr. Amuro, while a bit enigmatic when he was with them, didn't seem to have that constant feeling of being watched by a dangerous person.
Based on his understanding of Mr. Amuro, if Scotland had indeed placed a tracking device and a listening device on him, he would never tell them anything about organizations or public security matters that would implicate them, unless under special circumstances.
Either there's some special situation he's unaware of, or the bracelet represents something else, or they're just overthinking it and it's just an ordinary electronic watch.
Or perhaps... it's just a simple marking?
Perhaps it was because their gazes were so intense that Amuro Tooru noticed them.
Upon seeing his expression, the blond youth was clearly taken aback.
Then he seemed to realize something, his face contorted for a moment, and he subconsciously tried to take off the bracelet.
"Amuro-kun, what time is it now?" Midorikawa Hikaru walked over and gently grasped the blond youth's wrist, lifting it up with perfect natural intimacy to look closely. "It's already 11:49. We have ten minutes left. What should we do next?"
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Okiya Subaru: "..."
Amuro Tooru froze, withdrew his fingers from the bracelet, and sighed, "It would be best if we all went back to the chapel; it's the safest and most convenient place."
So Midorikawa Hikaru released his grip and smiled, "You're right, but I still want to go upstairs to the study. What do you think, Master Kogoro?"
The others were also somewhat tempted. They decided to go upstairs to ask the priest about the study, since sitting in the chapel all night was not a good idea, and the study was also warmer than the chapel.
Subaru Okiya and Conan Edogawa silently fell to the back of the group.
Conan Edogawa glanced at Subaru Okiya several times, wanting to ask him directly, but he didn't dare under the circumstances, especially since his phone had been taken away.
He's even starting to worry that if there really is an organization behind this game, will the people behind it analyze their phones?
To be honest, Mr. Akai and Mr. Amuro's reactions had brought his suspicions about Hikaru Midorikawa to a peak.
*
The study on the second floor.
Kenji Hagiwara pulled Jinpei Matsuda and Wataru Date into a corner of the very back bookshelf to whisper to each other.
"They're focusing too much on Zero and have no time to think about the game properly. This won't do; we need to think of something." Kenji Hagiwara said seriously, then smiled teasingly. "Their expressions just now... they're starting to suspect that Komorofushi has installed something strange and dangerous in the electronic watch on Kofuruya's wrist, right?"
Matsuda Jinpei laughed instantly: "In general, it's not a problem. They did guess right, but their reason was ridiculously wrong."
He gloated, "Looking at Zero's expression at the time, his heart rate must have soared to a new level of shame and anger. I must go back and check on him after this is over. As for Master Jing, tsk, he seems to be getting calmer and calmer. Even when you tease him in the group, he can handle it very well. He doesn't get angry like Zero at all. It's not funny at all."
Kenji Hagiwara suddenly raised his hand to cover his face and then whispered mischievously, "How much do you think Mr. Takaaki, Morofushi's older brother, actually guessed? What will his reaction be if he sees all this from behind the surveillance cameras?"
Matsuda Jinpei stroked his chin: "He seems like a very serious and proper person. Although Mr. Jing said that his brother is actually very receptive and would cooperate perfectly in acting, I still find it a little hard to imagine."
Ida Kou shook his head helplessly: "Sometimes I feel bad for them, but there's nothing I can do. I guess I can only explain everything to them after everything is over."
"So, should we take the lead now?" Date Wataru asked seriously.
Matsuda Jinpei yawned: "Then let's get moving as soon as possible, and give that kid and that FBI agent more time to think about the novel."
*
As midnight struck, a loud chime rang out from the clock tower, announcing the arrival of Easter.
The remaining 12 people gathered in the study on the second floor, observing the darkness outside through the window and the howling wind and snow, quietly, warily, and with a hint of curiosity, waiting for what would happen next.
Conan Edogawa also put down his research books and stood next to Tooru Amuro, looking at the snow scene outside with him, subtly observing the blue bracelet on Tooru Amuro's wrist.
This bracelet has a one-piece design. The lower half is made of dark blue soft leather, while the upper half is made of an unidentified black material that connects perfectly. Pressing it displays the time, but otherwise, you can't tell anything else.
If you don't press the button, you can't even tell it's a digital watch; you'd just think it's a wristband or a wrist accessory.
If you want to confirm whether something is installed inside, the only options besides asking Amuro Tooru directly are to open it up and check.
However, if there is something inside, asking directly or opening it will completely expose them.
Conan Edogawa was experiencing an unprecedented headache.
The situations of Midorikawa Hikaru and Morofushi Takaaki are still unclear, and the entanglement between Scotland, Bourbon, and Ray is even more unpredictable. This strange game also exudes a strange atmosphere that makes it impossible to relax. It seems that something more terrifying is hidden beneath the shallow surface, yet it is completely unclear, leaving one breathless and tense only because of the glimpses of the tip of the iceberg.
He always felt as if he were caught in a huge whirlpool, not knowing how deep the water was or what was hidden inside.
However, judging from the fact that those around him were reluctant to talk about it, it was clearly a terrifying abyss that was hard for ordinary people to imagine.
Even though he was right in the center of the vortex, he couldn't grasp anything clearly. The clues he grabbed were like a tangled ball of yarn deliberately twisted by a cat, impossible to unravel or understand why the other party was doing this.
"Are you scared?" Amuro Tooru suddenly asked from the side.
Conan Edogawa was taken aback and subconsciously looked for Hikaru Midorikawa. He found him chatting with the three members of the band over there, so he turned around and looked seriously into the eyes of the blond youth.
"I'm not afraid." He said firmly, his eyes shining even brighter, and he even smiled, "I'm the kind of person who gets even more motivated when threatened!"
The handsome young man with blond hair and dark skin couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. His brows relaxed, and he seemed to really like Conan Edogawa's answer. The heavy aura that had been lingering around him earlier also dissipated instantly.
However, he had no intention of revealing everything to Conan Edogawa.
The blond youth's demeanor remained as vibrant as ever, radiating a powerful energy and dazzling spirit and willpower. He was incredibly gentle and considerate towards most people, making it impossible to discern his true identity or the experiences he had gone through.
Conan Edogawa could hardly imagine how he felt, even knowing just this small part of it made him feel terrible. How would Mr. Amuro feel if he personally experienced and endured all of this?
He finally couldn't help but grab the blond youth's hand and said earnestly, "Mr. Amuro, even a detective is just an ordinary human being, not an omniscient and omnipotent god. So success and failure are normal things, and one cannot always bear everything alone."
Just in case he was being eavesdropped on, he tried to explain the situation using words that could be used to describe the current event, so that it wouldn't be surprising if someone overheard him.
“Mr. Amuro, don’t be afraid, we’re here for you.” Conan Edogawa gripped Amuro Tooru’s slightly cool hand tightly and emphasized meaningfully, “The moon is not there to mourn the dead, but to make the truth clearer.”
The blond youth was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but smile, gently raising his hand to pat the child's head.
"You were worried about me so much... Of course, I've always believed in you, little detective." He gave the child a light wink, then smiled brightly and said happily, "Alright! Let's work together to solve this mystery!"
Conan Edogawa's eyes lit up, and for a moment he thought he was going to tell him all the truth about Scotland, but in reality Amuro Tooru was just seriously guiding him to start sorting out the case of the church.
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Amuro Tooru explained earnestly, "Although it's a fan-made event, the plot will definitely be mostly related to the original work. And in the novel, the time travel technology controlled by that dark organization is a very important point..."
Conan Edogawa's eyes gradually lost their light.
But he really wanted to know what was going on in Scotland. Couldn't he put the novel aside for now?
"The novel contains a considerable number of metaphors and foreshadowing, with the stream-of-consciousness elements being particularly important. For example, the butterfly; the organization is represented by a red butterfly, and there are quite a few butterfly-related elements throughout the story..."
What exactly is going on with that sphenoid bone? He didn't believe that no one else could see it, but why did they all act so calmly? When he looked again later, the white crystals in the gaps between the bones had disappeared, and it felt extremely cold to the touch.
"The person who brought us all here across time, the so-called traitor, must be a member of the organization. The question now is whether his mission is to kill us all and completely change the future that could destroy the organization, or is it just to test us and then silence those in the know?"
The temperature was too abnormal. If it wasn't just thawed after being frozen, it meant the crime scene was outside in the snowstorm, which is why no traces were found inside the church.
If it is indeed a murder case, then who is the killer: the band with the strange behavior or Scotland?
If it was Scotland, why would he do that? And what does it have to do with the novel and its author? What role does Morofushi Takaaki play in it?
"Conan-kun, who do you think is the real traitor?" Amuro Tooru stared at him.
Conan Edogawa tried to put aside the matter of Scotland for the time being and analyzed the situation carefully: "First, we can rule out the four main characters. Everyone else is a possibility. Moreover, I suspect that the identity cards we received were not random, but deliberately assigned to roles that suited us. If that's the case, then something else should happen next, and that's the key clue."
And then there's Kidd. Kidd's situation is also a problem. Things definitely won't stay peaceful until dawn.
As expected, the band members were the first to get restless.
They said they couldn't just sit there bored until dawn. It had been an hour since midnight, and there was nothing strange happening outside. They still wanted to look for their missing companion; they were really worried.
However, heeding the advice not to act alone, they decided to go out in small teams to search for people.
The three band members went to the first floor, while the others stayed on the second floor.
Subaru Okiya said he wanted to go see the priest, and no one stopped him.
Conan Edogawa was tempted to follow them and ask about the situation in Scotland.
Moreover, he felt that Mr. Akai must have discovered something. Right now, Midorikawa Hikaru was being held back by Amuro Tooru to search the innermost bathroom, so after hesitating for a moment, he still followed in the direction Okiya Subaru left.
He quickly ran to the priest's room, slowly pushed open the door, and said, "Excuse me, I—"
Conan Edogawa was stunned.
The small room was empty, with only the candlelight flickering gently.
Conan Edogawa's eyes widened.
How could this be! He just saw Subaru Okiya walk in! He even vaguely heard Morofushi Takaaki's voice when the door opened! But now they're all gone! It was only two minutes ago!!!
That's Mr. Akai! Even if there's a trap, he wouldn't fall for it so quickly, would he?
Conan Edogawa's relatively calm and composed mindset was instantly shattered by this sudden unexpected event.
Even though he guessed that there would be a big operation next, he didn't expect that it would be Shuichi Akai who would get into trouble.
Even though it was hard to believe, after searching around, Conan Edogawa was forced to accept the reality.
Subaru Okiya and Takaaki Morofushi have both disappeared.
Standing in the empty room, where there was no sign of any mechanism, Conan Edogawa felt a chill creeping up from his back.
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