Chapter 249, Seventy-Third Cycle (79)
Shuichi Akai closed the documents.
"Perhaps it's my turn to ask you this?" He looked at Conan Edogawa, "Boya, what exactly is your relationship with the organization?"
Conan Edogawa snapped out of his daze, looked up and met his gaze, his eyes flickering slightly.
Even when he himself began to doubt "himself," Mr. Akai still chose to believe him. Whether it was the unchangingly affectionate "boya" or now directly asking for his explanation, it was all based on a great deal of trust.
"If I said that I actually didn't know either, and that I was also shocked, would you believe me?" he sighed helplessly, but his expression was very serious, not joking or testing.
This isn't the place for a conversation; they can only give a brief overview. Even if they mention an organization, they can explain it using organizations from novels.
Hideaki Akai nodded and put the documents back in the cabinet: "I understand. It's probably just a coincidence."
The two exchanged a knowing smile and decided to discuss it properly once they were outside.
If I can still get out alive.
After reviewing all the confidential documents locked in the cabinet, the two did nothing with them, but perfectly restored them to their original state with excellent memory. They then locked the cabinet, walked around the laboratory, and, finding nothing, prepared to leave and meet up with the others.
There isn't much information here; it's mostly research on time travel and reversing time, even referencing comics and novels, which just gets more and more absurd the more you read it.
But within this absurdity lies a chilling truth and obsession, making it difficult to discern whether it is the fantasy of a madman or a tiny crack opening in another world inaccessible to ordinary people.
But for Shuichi Akai and Conan Edogawa, there were even more chilling suspicions.
Shuichi Akai has learned about some of the organization's incredible black technology, such as the drug that can make Conan Edogawa and Ai Haibara "rejuvenate," and there is more shocking research being seriously carried out, which doesn't seem fake.
Needless to say, Conan Edogawa is a miracle in himself. He later learned about the existence of real magic through Kaito Kid, which severely shook his worldview and hasn't stabilized yet. Now, he's suffered another major blow, making him genuinely question his life and the world.
But they were not afraid.
There was even... a sense of excitement from exploring dangerous, mysterious, and unknown things.
Conan Edogawa walked down the dark corridor, where candlelight flickered, and once again reviewed his trip to Nagano from a different perspective.
Novel... Time travel... Organization... Scotland... Rei Furuya... Noah's Ark...
And, the protagonist's identity card from the past... and another version of himself in the world...
There are two possible outcomes.
One is the best, and the other is the worst.
Putting aside the worst-case scenario, if it's the best-case scenario, why don't they just tell them directly? Is there some kind of obstacle?
...You can't reveal that you've traveled through time, otherwise you'll be out of character and punished with three eliminations?
Conan Edogawa frowned even more.
Could it be that, like in those novels and comics, there are some mysterious restrictions?
In that case, we can't ask too directly.
He needs to think about this matter more carefully.
Hmm... I should read more novels and comics when I get back. I should finish reading those time-travel comics and novels that are being researched in this lab first.
His intuition told him this was important.
*
At six o'clock in the morning, the sky was already beginning to brighten, and visibility on the snow-capped mountains was becoming more pronounced.
Zhu Fu Gaoming received a cold, questioning question from a woman on the phone: "Why is a police car here?"
"What?" Morofushi Takaaki's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was full of panic and disbelief, which gradually became forced and strained. "How is this possible? There shouldn't be any police in Nagano Prefecture who can spare the time to deal with things here right now... Please be more specific. Where? How many people?"
"There was only one vehicle, coming from the next mountain. Two people got off; the man was clearing snow from the road, and the woman was on the phone."
Zhu Fu Gaoming suddenly understood and said with a sigh of relief, "Then don't worry, they are people I know. Yesterday they were investigating that old castle next door where a strange suicide case happened before and now they almost discovered a murder. I guess the heavy snow yesterday prevented them from going down the mountain, and they are calling people to clear the road down now. That castle is abandoned and there is nothing to eat or drink. They probably came here to see if they could find something to eat and keep warm while waiting for rescue."
The woman clicked her tongue: "What a hassle."
Zhu Fugao said, "It's alright. The heavy snow has blocked the mountain. Even if it's not far, it will take about two hours for them to come over. That's enough time for us to finish up the rest. It also saves us the trouble of calling the police. Plus, the police officers are people I know, so it's easier for us to control them."
*
"Wait, it looks like someone's coming from that mountain over there... And that car, it looks like a police car?" Kogoro Mouri said uncertainly, leaning against the window.
After saying that, he remembered what Hakuba Saguru had done before and turned to ask, "Was it your eagle that brought the reinforcements?"
Hakuba Saguru shook his head slightly: "It shouldn't be. Before I fainted, I heard them say that Watson had also been captured."
He was still wondering where to find Watson later.
"Is this someone you know?" Hakuba Saguru turned to look at the people behind him, his calm eyes concealing a scrutinizing and thoughtful expression.
With a simple and honest smile, Date Hang grabbed the bald man who was tied up and said, "I don't know."
Matsuda Jinpei leaned against the wall and yawned: "From this far away, who can see clearly?"
Kenji Hagiwara, standing by the window, smiled and said, "While it's uncertain, based on speculation, they might be the police officers who went to solve the castle case yesterday, and they probably couldn't leave in time because of the blizzard."
You couldn't tell anything from their faces; they truly are renowned police officers throughout the entire police force.
Hakuba took two steps to the side and stood next to Amuro Tooru and Midorikawa Hikaru, saying in a natural tone, "What do you think we should do next?"
He was most suspicious of these two people; they were strange in every way, whether they were with the three policemen, the detective, or the criminal.
Perhaps this strange setup was orchestrated by them for these two people?
...But from the detective's perspective, there are many things that don't make sense.
We're still missing clues. After dealing with those criminals, we'll go back and find Watson to thoroughly search for clues and information.
If all else fails, just go ask his father, who is the Superintendent General of Police.
If even his father doesn't know what these police officers are doing, then that's a really big problem.
"Saving lives is the priority, let's regroup with the others first," Amuro Tooru said. "I wonder how Conan is doing."
Hikaru Midorikawa nodded: "Having more people makes it easier to deal with the criminals."
Kogoro Mouri said gravely, “I’m worried they might have guns on them. I think it’s more important to subdue the criminals first.”
The news reported that the thieves had guns, but they probably didn't use them before for fear of alerting the thieves. Now, however, things are different.
It's a good thing we don't bring that reckless brat into dangerous battles.
“Don’t worry.” The stone carving on the wall suddenly spoke in a priest’s voice that they were all very familiar with, “I can give you directions.”
The white horse looked up and squinted slightly.
As expected, Morofushi Takaaki was on their side.
But he still didn't understand why he was going to waste so much effort...
*
By the time Conan Edogawa and Shuichi Akai arrived on the surface, the matter was already over.
At seven o'clock in the morning, the sky above the snow-capped mountains was bright.
The hazy, pure white light illuminated the huge cross on the wall and the statue of Jesus below, as well as the dark church and the crowd of people inside in various poses.
Kogoro Mouri and Wataru Date pinned the long-haired woman to the ground and subdued her, Kenji Hagiwara was tying someone up, and Jinpei Matsuda twirled the gun in his hand and clicked his tongue in amazement.
Conan Edogawa and Shuichi Akai: "..."
The criminal has already been caught?
The event ended so quickly that they felt neither real nor safe, but rather even more uneasy and suspicious, wary of whether real danger was about to strike.
The two then looked at Hikaru Midorikawa and Tooru Amuro, only to see two identical innocent and harmless faces. They even perfectly displayed worry and surprise, as if none of this concerned them, simply relieved that Conan Edogawa and Subaru Okiya were alright.
But how could it be unrelated? The two of them disappeared separately for a period of time, and no one knew what they did or what they were doing.
"Stop struggling, we already know the truth..."
Amuro Tooru and Midorikawa Hikaru, the two disciples, worked together with their teacher, Mori Kogoro, to explain their reasoning about the thieves' gang.
The butterfly bone was the last collectible of the pervert who was killed. Because it was frozen immediately and not processed in time, it looks fresh.
The white crystals that Conan Edogawa saw in the sphenoid bone gaps were probably pieces of ice that hadn't been properly cleaned.
The low temperatures of the snow-capped mountains perfectly concealed this flaw.
The fresh blood in the Holy Grail was taken by the blond guy after he knocked out the bespectacled man. He prepared the blood and sphenoid bone himself, using readily available props to scare people and complete the script of that complete crime.
The first psychopath to be killed was the gang's nominal leader, in charge of all the stolen and robbed assets, and had some very perverse hobbies.
The bespectacled man was frequently bullied by the pervert, helping him commit murders and dispose of corpses. Finally, unable to bear the pervert's behavior and worried that his actions were becoming too drastic, he impulsively killed someone. Following clues, he found the pervert's house and learned about the novel "Running Towards the Sun" and the upcoming Nagano operation. He then half-truthfully led the other members there to retrieve the treasure, intending to escape after obtaining it.
Yellow Hair looked down on everyone in the gang and had long wanted to leave and go solo. After realizing everything, he cooperated with Morofushi Takaaki, who was pretending to be a priest and an undercover agent, to solve all the remaining problems of the original team and then join a dark organization.
The long-haired woman saw everything but pretended not to notice, distrusting the Black Organization, which existed only in rumors. It turned out that after the leader's death, she, the strategist, had taken over as leader, feigning being deceived and misled, leading the members here to find Morofushi Takaaki and orchestrating a spy thriller. Her plan was to kill everyone, including Morofushi Takaaki and the other innocent players, before heading abroad to make her way in the world.
As for that bald guy, he was just a thug with superhuman strength who obeyed orders. He just followed the team without thinking for himself, only pursuing recklessness and excitement, and was not afraid of death.
Kaito Kid, disguised as a bald man: "..."
You guys are going to go this far?
They're all crazy, and they all know how to have fun. These five people probably have eighteen groups!
Even though Phantom Thief Kid knew that the bald guy was only good at fighting and not good at anything, which was why he chose this identity for safety, he was still a bit astonished after fully understanding the situation of that thief gang.
Is there not a single normal person among you?
"Why did you do this?" Hakuba Saguru squatted down in front of the woman, his expression full of inquiry.
The matter has been clarified, but he still doesn't quite understand the other party's thoughts and underlying reasons for doing so.
The woman sneered, remaining silent, only staring at them with cold, murderous eyes, like a ferocious beast ready to retaliate at any moment, showing no trace of regret, despair, or hopelessness.
He clearly had no intention of saying another word to them.
Shuichi Akai pushed up his glasses, stepped forward, and recounted all the information except for that secret underground research room, focusing on the organization and the time machine.
Kogoro Mouri and Saguru Hakuba: "?"
Conan Edogawa followed behind, asking with an innocent and curious expression and voice, "Hey, is that time machine and time travel real?"
Long-haired woman: "?"
She stared at the overly clever elementary school student for two seconds, then looked at Shuichi Akai incredulously: "Are you serious?"
Shuichi Akai asked in confusion, "Hmm?"
The long-haired woman laughed, as if looking at a fool, and said, "Really? Someone actually believes in the existence of time machines? Are you kidding me? Well, congratulations, you've succeeded."
Conan Edogawa widened his eyes, pretending to believe him: "What? Are they all fake? But why? What's the reason for doing this? Is it simply that rich people want to play games?"
The long-haired woman laughed rudely, "Of course it's fake. Oh, if you still believe in Ultraman, still believe in light, and still expect Doraemon to come to you, then take it as real. But kid, you'll understand sooner or later that Ultraman is fake, Doraemon doesn't exist, and the real world is all darkness."
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Shuichi Akai's tone remained unchanged, and he even stepped forward, speaking slowly and with an even more imposing air: "Have you seen the research materials from the lab? Those things don't seem like a joke; they even have a certain degree of possibility and scientific validity."
"That's all just to fit the plot of the novel and make people more immersed in it. That author even researched a lot of academic papers... Forget it, why should I explain it to an idiot?" The long-haired woman rolled her eyes. "How old are you? You still believe in this stuff. How could there be a time machine in the real world? Have you been reading too many novels and watching too many anime and manga? Or have you been brainwashed by the heavy religious atmosphere of this place?"
Hakuba Saguru suddenly spoke up: "What information? Did you bring it out? Where is it?"
Of course not, all that information is in their heads.
Conan Edogawa and Shuichi Akai decided not to go down again, feeling that they might not be able to come out this time.
But after hearing their brief explanation, Bai Ma became even more determined to go, not to mention that he had originally planned to go find Watson.
Moreover, Morofushi Takaaki and that blond guy are still down there, so the matter is not completely resolved, and the mystery surrounding Morofushi Takaaki has not been fully solved.
"Let's wait for the police to arrive first. The two policemen from the castle in the snowy mountains next door should be here soon," Kogoro Mori objected. "We're not sure about the situation down there. What if we encounter danger?"
He was indeed frightened by the scene of the underground sacrifice, finding it too eerie and dangerous. Although it was now basically confirmed to be a holographic projection, he did not want to take so many people on another risky trip.
"Mr. Mori, are you still doubting my stance?" A familiar voice suddenly came from upstairs, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
As the unhurried footsteps drew closer, Morofushi Takaaki, still dressed as a priest, appeared in everyone's sight.
He stepped down and handed the birdcage he was carrying to Hakuba Saguru.
Hakuba Saguru immediately released the eagle inside: "Watson!"
"Hahaha, no, no, I was just worried about what other dangerous traps might be down there." Kogoro Mouri chuckled twice, then asked, "Where's the other person? Wasn't that blond guy over there with you?"
"He's still unconscious. I've tied him up and locked him upstairs," Zhu Fu Gaoming said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over them one by one. Finally, a slightly puzzled expression appeared on his face as he asked, "But what about you... where's the other prisoner?"
The group paused for a moment, then turned around abruptly, only to find that the bald man, who had been properly tied to the chair, had vanished without a trace.
I walked over quickly and saw only an unlocked handcuff and a broken rope on the ground. The window next to it had been opened at some point.
"..."
Hakuba Saguru bent down, picked up a white card from the chair, and smiled: "He really is here, but unfortunately he escaped again this time."
The card features Kaito Kid's signature smiley face and a message, which explains why handcuffs and ropes couldn't subdue him.
However, this incident probably shocked even Kaito Kid...
"It's Kaito Kid?" Kenji Hagiwara exclaimed. "That makes sense. He's probably here for the stolen jewel, right? Looks like he's already got it?"
Morofushi Takaaki said, "He found it, but didn't take it."
As they spoke, the sound of cars driving by gradually came from outside.
"We arrived so quickly? How did you get through such thick snow? Is there some kind of back road?" Kogoro Mouri was a little surprised, but when he saw the police car through the window, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Conan Edogawa and Shuichi Akai, however, remained unfazed, even exchanging a grave glance across the crowd.
Is that all?
That simple?
So what exactly is Scotland doing all this for?
No, that shouldn't be the case. It can't be that simple. Something else must be happening, or it must have already happened but they haven't noticed.
However, under the watchful eyes of the two men, the person who got out of the police car was indeed someone they knew.
Even after they safely left the church and stood on the soft, white snow, they were still somewhat dazed.
That's how you came out?
Is there no further news?
Could they suddenly cause trouble on the way down the mountain?
During this time, Morofushi Takaaki also explained his situation to them.
He also really liked the novel "Running Towards the Sun," and then noticed something was off from some details. In addition, the Nagano Police Department received a letter from the author, Ryuichi Taki, so he simply pretended to be a staff member and cooperated with him.
The reason for making the process so complicated was mainly because the perverted leader had also planted a bomb in the church. They didn't dare to act rashly, so they simply followed the original plan and set up this trap to capture everyone at once.
What? Isn't it a bit strange that you spent too much?
What's so strange about that? The author had planned to convert this abandoned church into this way long ago; now they're just using the space to play a live-action version of a Mission: Impossible murder mystery game.
Organizations and time machines are just plot devices in novels and props in games.
Conan Edogawa and Shuichi Akai: "..."
Do you think I believe you?
The two of them felt a lump in their throats, an indescribable discomfort.
Before, everything around them was trying to shake their worldview and make them think about those incredible and fantastical things, and they were full of doubts.
But now that the relevant personnel have told them directly that everything is fake, they are even less likely to believe it.
I was even a little uncertain before, but now I'm really starting to have doubts.
What is real? What is fake?
And what are their reasons for doing this?
Conan Edogawa and Shuichi Akai are uncertain, but they have determined their direction.
There is only one truth, but it is currently hidden in the fog of reality and illusion... It just feels like they have opened an incredible door, and my heart is still inevitably shaken.
One question after another popped into my mind, and I need some time to digest and sort them out.
"Is no one injured?" Yamato Kansuke had already learned the general situation through his phone on the way, but when he arrived at the scene, he first checked the casualties and glared at Morofushi Takaaki.
If this guy hadn't acted recklessly again, they wouldn't have agreed to such a dangerous plan, which even dragged in the Superintendent General's son, Hakuba Saguru. Fortunately, everything went smoothly in the end.
"With me here, of course nothing will happen!" Kogoro Mouri walked over and laughed heartily.
"Mr. Mori, it's been a long time." Uehara Yui greeted him with a smile, and looked curiously at the two people following behind him.
"I think I just heard these two gentlemen call you teacher?" she asked.
Yamato Kensuke turned his head, his expression incredulous.
What? That bumbling detective actually has disciples? He'd like to see which two great traitors they are.
Under Yamato Kansuke's gaze, the two people behind Kogoro Mouri also approached.
A blond, dark-skinned man appeared from Kogoro Mouri's right side, his eyes crinkling into a bright smile as he said, "Hello, I am Tooru Amuro, the eldest disciple of Master Mouri."
A black-haired, blue-eyed man appeared from Kogoro Mouri's left, smiling gently and shyly: "Hello, I am Hikaru Midorikawa, the second disciple of Kogoro's master."
Yamato dares to help: "..."
Yamato Kansuke: "Huh?"
He held back, not turning around abruptly to look at Morofushi Takaaki, but his hands were already clenched into fists.
What's going on? Do they think he's an idiot? Isn't that Midorikawa Hikaru just Morofushi Takaaki's younger brother, Morofushi Kagemitsu?
Even with all sorts of strange disguises, how could someone who knows you not recognize you at such close range?!
"He actually has a disciple?" He couldn't help but turn to ask Morofushi Komei, but he made up an excuse to cover up his real shock.
How did your excellent and well-behaved younger brother end up like this and become that bumbling detective's apprentice?!
Morofushi Takaaki remained expressionless: "Yes, both Amuro-kun and Midorikawa-kun are very capable, as expected of Mori-sensei's disciples."
Kogoro Mouri proudly held his head high, accepting their gazes with a wildly upturned grin on his face.
"How impressive! Just like Mr. Huangmen, so amazing!" Uehara Yui exclaimed excitedly, covering her mouth as she looked with great curiosity at the two handsome young men behind Kogoro Mouri, whose bright and adorable expressions made them seem harmless and approachable. If she didn't have work to do, she would have gone over to ask them about becoming his apprentices and learning from him.
Shuichi Akai standing next to him: "..."
I have nothing to say.
To be fair, it was indeed impressive.
That's Bourbon and Scotland, you know.
Aside from Kogoro Mouri, probably only the organization's boss gets this kind of treatment.
Even Gin would be shocked by this scene.
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