Chapter 263, Seventy-Third Cycle (93)
What?
What did he say?
Kudo Huai?
Conan Edogawa couldn't control his expression, and his face changed drastically.
Why Kudo of all people?
He had indeed been guessing that the child was Dazai Huai, the protagonist of the fifth part of the novel, and was even thinking about the connection between the blond child and Mr. Amuro.
He was probably right, but the result shocked and alarmed him even more.
Why the sudden name change to Kudo Huai? Could it be that the incident involving Kudo Shinichi's exposure was indeed... true?
"What? Kudo? You said your name is Kudo?" A loud, surprised young voice suddenly rang out from the side.
Conan Edogawa and the blond boy who had been staring at him turned their heads together and saw a black-haired, dark-skinned boy wearing a hat.
"Hey, are you—" Conan Edogawa suddenly swayed and bumped into the dark-skinned boy, almost stopping him from speaking. He apologized and threw out his detective.
[Name: The Dying Detective]
[Level: LV.2]
Occupation: Detective
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Conan Edogawa sent a friend request to the other party: [Hattori! Why are you still in the game?!]
Conan Edogawa's head started to ache.
Putting aside the hat and skin color, and the other person's attitude towards the name Kudo, just look at the name "The Dying Detective"—that's the title of Ellery Queen, Hattori Heiji's favorite mystery novelist.
Because of the frequent use of death-related plots in Quinn's novels, he received this title when he became a full member of BSI, and later even wrote "The Last Shot," which marked the end of an era.
The dark-skinned boy seemed to have seen the message. He paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up instantly. He made up a flimsy excuse and used terrible acting skills to chat with Conan Edogawa while adding him as a friend.
[The dying detective: Kudo! It was you! I thought that child was you!]
[Arthur, Holmes's apprentice: We're too low a level to detect NPC information right now. It's obvious that the child couldn't be a player, right?]
[The dying detective: I hadn't even had a chance to drop my detective work yet!]
[The dying detective: Although you told me not to come, now that I know there's something very dangerous going on here, how could I not come to help?]
Conan Edogawa was deeply moved again.
[The dying detective: And what's more! I noticed something was off when I watched the trailer, and now that I'm in the game, the focus is definitely on this Twilight Mansion!]
[The dying detective: I wasn't there when you guys solved this interesting case last time. I regretted it so much when I heard about it later. Damn it, I should have ignored my school exams and accepted that invitation! Ahhhhhh!]
[The dying detective: So this time I absolutely won't miss it again!!!]
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Heiji Hattori did indeed keep thinking about the incident where the Twilight Villa turned into the Golden Villa. After all, it was such a big event that a bunch of famous detectives were invited to solve the mystery. Not only were famous detectives like Shinichi Kudo and Saguru Hakuba present, but even Kaito Kid was there. He was the only one who couldn't participate because of his exams. After learning the details, he almost went crazy holding the unused invitation.
Conan Edogawa was deep in thought when a hand suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
Conan Edogawa looked down and saw the blond, dark-skinned child with a sour face. He said, "Hey, aren't you being a bit rude? I've already told you my name, so it's fair that you tell me yours too."
Yes, this personality is indeed that of Dazai Huai in his childhood in the original setting.
No, he should be called Kudo Huai now.
Conan Edogawa instantly put Heiji Hattori aside, squatted down again to be at eye level with the child, and said with a smile, "I'm Holmes' apprentice. You can call me Arthur. I'm a detective."
The most important thing now is to figure out why Dazai Huai became Kudo Huai.
"Holmes' disciple?" The blond child, with an irresistibly cute baby face and droopy puppy eyes, yet possessing the air of a prickly little hedgehog, tilted his head and asked, "What do you call yourself?"
Conan Edogawa: "...Um, self-reference."
After saying that, the black-haired boy raised his eyebrows and smiled, saying, "But one day I will become as good as Sherlock Holmes."
The blond child was stunned for a moment, then his expression softened a little, and he praised, "Hmm, that's a good dream."
Hattori Heiji squatted down, reached out and rubbed the smug little boy's golden head, which looked very cuddly, and laughed, "You're so young, why do you talk so maturely? Your name is Kudo Huai, right? Then I'll call you Huai. Huai, what's your dream?"
[The dying detective: This child looks a lot like Poirot's blond guy, doesn't he?]
The image of the blond youth putting a finger to his lips and begging him to keep it a secret flashed through Conan Edogawa's mind, and he was momentarily caught in a dilemma about whether or not to tell Heiji Hattori.
The blond boy slapped the boy's hand away in annoyance, raised his chin, and said, "And who are you?"
After saying that, he added coldly, "My dream? Hmph, it's definitely not to be a policeman."
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Yes, that's true. Nine-year-old Kudo Jun disliked the police because of his personal experiences. Later, he gradually became a partner of justice after interacting with the police protagonists of the previous series.
"What an unlovable child." Hattori Heiji awkwardly withdrew his hand.
The comments section really liked the kid. From the beginning, they kept spamming "So cute!" Even now that they found out he was a grumpy, prickly kid, they didn't care at all. Instead, they thought his puffed-up face and wide, glaring eyes were even cuter. They even wanted to be cheeky and provoke him.
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Honestly, looking at this child, he couldn't help but think of Mr. Amuro.
But when he thought of Mr. Amuro, even though he had countless thoughts in his mind, he didn't dare to be so presumptuous.
I bet this child's identity is definitely not ordinary; they must be an important NPC!
[Of course! Just look at his looks, he's definitely not an ordinary NPC! And considering that the current timeline is twenty years ago, I can't help but wonder what Huai Zai will look like twenty years from now. He'll definitely be an important character, right?]
[There was only one kid in the entire venue, and he was an NPC. No one would believe it if you said it was normal, right? So you see, the other players really wanted to come over and talk to him, but the streamer beat them to it.]
Conan Edogawa scanned the area and indeed found that many people were watching their corner. He randomly threw a scout at those people and found that most of them were players.
As the players eagerly gathered around, the blond child tensed up warily, only to be picked up by a tall figure.
"Xiao Huai, what brings you here all alone?" The man, nearly two meters tall, laughed loudly, his eyes sweeping over the group of players around him. Even with a smile, his authority was undeniable. He said, "Hmm? What business do you have with my child?"
"No, no, I just saw a little kid here and thought he was lost, so I came over to ask him." Hattori Heiji stood up and said, inwardly marveling at how tall and strong this man was.
Conan Edogawa already had the answer in his mind, but he still smiled and tentatively asked, "Excuse me, are you really Ah Huai's family? He seems a little reluctant."
The blond child, who was struggling uncomfortably to get down from the man's arms, suddenly stiffened.
The tall man didn't seem to mind at all. He held the child even tighter and said with a smile, "Because Xiao Huai is a child I adopted two years ago, and I'm too busy with work to spend much time with him, we're not very close. I'm quite troubled by that."
The blond child grunted and stopped struggling.
"Who are you?" Conan Edogawa asked.
“Ishihara Yujiro is a policeman,” the tall man said with a smile.
In an instant, the live chat exploded with comments.
【What? ! 】
【ah? ? ? 】
[Ahhhh, it's Yujiro!!!]
[Holy crap, Yujiro finally has a face! And he's so handsome!!!]
[So handsome! So young! Even the class monitor from twenty years ago was this handsome! I can't wait to see the handsome older man in the main story! Will he appear in the game? Has he appeared in other live streams?]
[Ishihara Yujiro? He's actually the protagonist of the fourth part, Ishihara Yujiro? But when did Ishihara Yujiro adopt a child? Is it mentioned in the novel? It's too long, I've forgotten a bit.]
[Yes, yes! It was mentioned in the storyline of Masaya Oki in the third part! However, it was only briefly mentioned that Ishihara Yujiro adopted a child whose parents had died during a case, and that the child's relationship with him was not very close, which troubled him somewhat.]
"So it's Inspector Ishihara, I've heard so much about you." Conan Edogawa said immediately.
The blond child suddenly turned to look at him, looking as if he had been betrayed by his friend—it was both adorable and easy to understand.
Although Kudo Jun was precocious at this time, and his thoughts and words were even frightening, he was still a child after all, and very immature in many ways.
So, is he really the 29-year-old Kudo Jun from another time? Will the plot of this game be the same as the one in the Nagano Church?
Looking at the young, blond child, Conan Edogawa began to doubt his own guesses, but he also felt that it was not surprising that Kudo Yui, who was supposed to be incredibly intelligent, could disguise himself so perfectly.
"Who are you?" Ishihara Yujiro asked in confusion.
"Just call me Arthur," Conan Edogawa said with a smile. "I'm a detective."
The blond boy, who had been glaring at him with displeasure, suddenly turned to the side and instantly transformed from a prickly hedgehog into a docile kitten, his eyes sparkling with cuteness as he called out in that direction, "Ya-chan!"
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth who was walking towards them paused for a moment, then quickened his pace and smoothly took the blond child with outstretched arms from Ishihara Yujiro's hands, pulling him into his arms. He smiled gently, his beautiful eyebrows curving upwards, and said, "Why is Xiao Huai here too? Why didn't you tell me?"
Yujiro Ishihara sighed, "He sneaked into the trunk of my car and followed me here."
Meanwhile, the comments section on Conan Edogawa's side had already exploded again.
[Masaya-nii? Masaya? Is it Masaya-san? ? ?]
【！！！】
[Masaya Oki! Is it really Masaya?! Waaaaaaah!]
【Huh?! Is this really Scotland? Is this really the aloof and cold Scotland I know?!】
[Waaaaah, was Masaya this gentle twenty years ago? I can't believe it. It seems that incident really hit him hard QAQ]
[Wait a minute, so Huai Zai is not only the class monitor's adopted child, but also has such a good relationship with Scotland? Why does he call him "brother"? Are they related? Scotland's family relationships are indeed still a mystery.]
Good heavens, judging by this, could this Kudo Huai be the protagonist of the fifth novel, "The Wheel of Fortune"?!
Conan Edogawa shifted the comments on the screen to the side, his expression serious as he focused intently on the two people on the other side.
The image of a black-haired, blue-eyed young man intimately embracing a blond, dark-skinned child is incredibly striking.
Conan Edogawa's expression also cracked slightly.
Masaya's nickname "Scottish" already bothered him, but now that this gentle, black-haired, blue-eyed man and the blond, dark-skinned child were appearing in front of him, he couldn't help but think of Scotland and Bourbon in real life.
If the novel was indeed written by a Scottish author, did he really not include any personal biases...?
[The class monitor and Scotland are out, but where are the other two? Mazda and Sunglasses? Will we see the quartet from twenty years ago reunite?!]
Conan Edogawa turned and scanned his surroundings again, unable to tell whether the remaining two main characters were still there.
After all, many players are fans of the novel, and when creating characters, they like to incorporate the characteristics of their favorite characters, making the features of the main characters even more prominent.
Due to the nature of their work, as well as the novel's setting and character traits, the police officers in the protagonist's department all take on a code name.
The class president is Yujiro Ishihara, the protagonist of the fourth season; Scotland is Masaya Oki, the protagonist of the fourth season; Sunglasses is Jun Shibata, the protagonist of the second season; and Mazda is Jun Hayami, the protagonist of the first season.
Now only Jun Hayami, who loves Mazda and racing, and Jun Shibata, who likes to wear suits and sunglasses, haven't shown up yet.
But, twenty years ago at this time, did Mazdas and sunglasses become police officers?
If I remember correctly, the time in this game's setting is April 1st, twenty years ago. Mazda and Sunglasses, these childhood friends, should have just graduated from university and were about to enter police academy.
[They probably didn't know each other. Scotland knows the class monitor now because he rented a place with the monitor during college and they happened to be neighbors... Ah! So that's why the monitor's adopted son knows Scotland! I see!]
[So this means that Kudo Jun is likely the main character in the fifth and final volume, and will previous characters also appear?! And also! Since he can travel through time, will he be able to save them all?!]
[Sobbing, seeing them transform from words into images and come to life is so moving! This holographic game is amazing; it feels like they really came to life!]
【Ahhh, I regret it! They let me in! I want to play games too! I want to see them too!——】
[Me too! When does the closed beta end? When will the next batch of slots and game headsets be distributed? I'm ready to jump in anytime!!!]
My friend is so regretful that he hesitated a bit when he was trying to buy it, hahaha.
[Damn it! It's all those guys' fault for pretending to play this game online while frantically buying up game headsets! And even if you managed to get them, why aren't you streaming them?! Why are so few people streaming? What's wrong with showing this to everyone???]
A young man with an imposing presence, dressed as Sherlock Holmes in a detective outfit, suddenly took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and then walked directly towards them.
Conan Edogawa instantly became alert and threw a reconnaissance item at him as soon as he entered within three meters.
Name: White Detective
[Level: LV.3]
Occupation: Detective
Um?
Could this person be Hakuba Saguru?
"Officer Ishihara." The white-clad detective walked up to the helpless-looking Ishihara Yujiro, slightly raising the brim of his hat to meet his gaze. "You've come here, also because of that code and legend?"
This topic instantly attracted the attention of all the players who had been secretly gathering around.
Ishihara Yujiro glanced at them and said cryptically, "You wouldn't all be detectives, would you?"
Conan Edogawa nodded first, and the other players nodded as well. Only two people whispered that they were police officers.
As Ishihara Yujiro looked pained, Oki Masaya next to him laughed and said, "This incident has indeed attracted detectives and police officers from all over the country. It seems that everyone is very curious about the truth of the twilight villa tragedy twenty years ago."
Feeling embarrassed to be held in front of so many people, the blond child, who had already struggled to get down, snorted: "They're all here for that rich man's treasure, aren't they?"
The players didn't react much, but the NPCs who were pretending to eavesdrop nearby immediately showed annoyed expressions and couldn't help but glare at him.
However, the blond boy was completely unfazed. He even crossed his arms and scanned everyone in the hall, his eyes filled with annoyance as he coldly said, "Twenty years have passed since the tragedy. The statute of limitations has expired, so even if evidence is found, it's useless. Now, even if the truth is exposed, certain big shots have nothing to fear. That's why they dare to attract detectives and police so openly to search for that tycoon's treasure, isn't it?"
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Conan Edogawa begins to reflect that his portrayal of Kudo Jun in the Nagano church was not mature, intelligent, or arrogant enough.
"What do you know, you little kid?!"
"Whose kid is causing this trouble???"
The blond boy completely ignored the financial tycoon who was almost furious and about to kick them out, and simply turned to Masaya and said, "Maya-nii, let's go back. There's nothing fun here. Even if a detective finds out the truth, the police can't do anything about it."
Standing nearby, the policeman and adoptive father, Ishihara Yujiro, once again wore a pained and helpless expression: "Xiao Huai..."
"Politics is a game of power, and you're simply not suited for it," the blond boy interrupted him, his face expressionless. "And money can determine the fate of most people. As ordinary people, we have no power to resist. We might as well pretend to be deaf and dumb and let our lives be arranged like fools. At least that way we can survive."
The surroundings were quiet for a few seconds, while the comments section was completely different and bustling.
[Holy crap, the real-life counterparts of those NPCs are based on the surnames of some very important, unspoken figures in real life, right? Is this something we can talk about?! Is this really something that can be broadcast???]
[Hiss, how old is he? Is that something a child would say? Or is he a time traveler too?!]
Is Kudo Jun really the main character? He seems quite different from the previous main characters. Or will something happen later that causes his personality to change drastically?
【No? Can't you guys really see? This child is clearly being sarcastic! On the contrary, he strongly disapproves of the dark side of the world, which is why he's being so sarcastic, right? And it's also to prevent his beloved older brother and adoptive father from getting involved in such dangerous things, after all, Masaya Oki and Yujiro Ishihara did indeed die tragically in the line of duty, didn't they?】
However, he's far too clever. Did he really get involved in the organization's storyline at such a young age? Is he a child prodigy or a time traveler?
"But, Xiao Huai."
Chongya sighed, squatted down, gently patted the blond child's head, and gave him a gentle yet firm smile.
“You may not understand now, but for adults, there are some things that are more important than life itself,” he said.
The blond child frowned, his lips pursed unhappily, and whispered, "But I don't understand. Adults are just strange. Anyway, for me, your being alive is the most important thing. Once you're dead, nothing else matters."
Yujiro Ishihara chuckled, placed his hand on the child's shoulder, and said with a steady gaze, "Xiao Huai, you must remember that anyone with ideals is not afraid of death, but rather afraid of not having truly lived."
"As a police officer, it is my duty and my ideal to eliminate criminals and protect the people and the country," he said.
The blond boy looked at the two of them for a while, then said, holding his breath, "Whatever! You both have ideals anyway! Your ideals are more important than anything else! So go follow your ideals, go..."
He probably wanted to say something like "follow your ideals to the death," but it was too much to say, so he could only manage to say, "I won't care if you die in danger," before running away.
At this point, experienced readers should have a basic understanding of the protagonist's personality and the general direction of the story in the fifth novel.
The comments section was filled with people crying, clearly remembering the two characters who had indeed died heroically in the novel. Some viewers also speculated about the storyline where the blond child would grow up to become the protagonist.
As Conan Edogawa watched Masaya Oki and Yujiro Ishihara chase after the child, he frowned, pondering the meaning of the plot and its setting, and how it was connected to the organization's goals.
He couldn't quite understand why, if the novel and the game were all controlled by an organization, there was no point in making the protagonists a group of police officers full of ideals, passion, and justice.
Is the intention simply to cruelly portray this group of shining police officers as being swallowed up by the organization's darkness? Or is the novel trying to convey some other intention through the organization itself?
And what's the point of bringing the time travel and Twilight Villa matters into the open?
Aside from the gold in the villa itself, the only treasures of Twilight Villa are the antiques and works of art that Karasuma Renya collected from all over the world.
But the gold has long been exposed in reality and belongs to a large black bank that cannot be moved. The antiques and works of art disappeared forty years ago. What else is worth going to such lengths to recreate the scene from back then and inviting so many detectives and police officers to play the game? Could it be that there is a strange laboratory similar to the one under the Nagano Church beneath this villa?
Also, why was the protagonist's surname suddenly changed to Kudo?
Conan Edogawa's thoughts were interrupted by another guest entering the room.
The arrival of the guests caused quite a stir, and Conan Edogawa subconsciously turned around to look, just like the others. His pupils then dilated in shock.
The newcomer was dressed in all black, wearing a tall black top hat and a long black trench coat, and exuded a heavy, damp aura as he emerged from the rainy night.
The only two things he wore—a white mask and gloves—that made him look even more eerie.
【The Dark Baron!!!】
【Huh?? Is that Baron Dark Night?!】
[Ahhh, I never expected to see the Dark Baron from Yusaku Kudo's works! Ahhhhhh!]
[Is this for real? Is it just a player pretending? I've never heard of a collaboration between Yusaku Kudo and Ryuichi Taki.]
Conan Edogawa gritted his teeth inwardly.
Not to mention anyone else, even his own son had no idea!
Most players knew about the Night Baron, so they didn't dare to rush in directly.
Baron of the Night is a character created by world-renowned mystery novelist Yusaku Kudo. He is sometimes a chivalrous thief active in the night, and sometimes a ruthless killer. He is very popular and also very dangerous and unpredictable.
However, it is clear that the game NPCs from twenty years ago did not know this character; they only showed a wary and suspicious expression because of his strange appearance.
Suddenly, the entire venue fell silent, with only the clock on the wall ticking away, stirring people's hearts.
The atmosphere only became lively again when midnight arrived and the first day of the auction officially began.
Conan Edogawa didn't find anything unusual, so he could only suppress his desire to ask Baron Dark Night. While multitasking, he clicked into the game forum's live stream interface and was pleasantly surprised to find the live stream he wanted to watch.
*
Sera Masumi started a live stream.
This was something she had arranged with her mother.
If the targets are separated, she will be responsible for following Ai Haibara and Conan Edogawa, while her mother will go to test Tooru Amuro.
Based on the available information, she guessed that her mother must have gone to the Twilight Villa from twenty years ago, since that was related to Karasuma Renya.
Meanwhile, she was lucky enough to find Ai Haibara and enter a mysterious and strange villa.
The villa was once owned by a very wealthy man, and it also had a secret code and was the site of a case. Like the Twilight Villa, the owner told future generations that the interior of the villa had remained unchanged for decades. The wealthy man who passed away fifty years ago was a relative of Professor Agasa, who adopted Ai Haibara. They came this time to unravel the mysteries surrounding the villa.
After confirming the basic situation, Sera Masumi started a live stream and wrote the agreed-upon code word in the stream's name so that her mother could see it and contact her through the chat.
Of course, we used a unique code that my mother taught us to communicate.
Sera Masumi was very relieved because this special method was developed by her parents together, so only their family could decrypt the calls.
*
"Um?"
Shuichi Akai, who had originally planned to contact the FBI using a code in Cameron's live stream, paused for a moment, temporarily omitting the late Cameron and clicking into the live stream next to it.
The lively auction sounds around him did not affect him. Having already prepared and made guesses, Shuichi Akai quickly deciphered his mother and sister's coded message and then fell silent.
When exactly did they get involved so deeply?
When did Mom take that medicine and shrink like Conan Edogawa and the others?
What? Masumi is even suspecting that Ai Haibara can make the antidote and is planning to steal it?!
Shuichi Akai's usually calm and expressionless face suddenly became a kaleidoscope of colors.
Just then, the blond boy passing by him suddenly stopped, turned around, and let out a loud laugh.
Akai Shuichi: "..."
Shuichi Akai turned off the live stream, lowered his eyes, and stared at the grumpy-faced kid, feeling an increasing sense of familiarity.
That familiar color scheme, and that unmistakably familiar sense of mockery... Could it really be Bourbon? Can the organization really be disguised as NPCs?
No way!
He didn't doubt Bourbon's acting skills, but would that arrogant Bourbon willingly play such a spoiled kid who gets hugged and petted by so many people? Could he have been tricked by Scotland again?
The Scotland that just now held the blond child and rubbed his face...
As Shuichi Akai thought about it, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up, and he looked down at the blond boy glaring at him and laughed.
The blond boy's face instantly darkened: "What are you laughing at?"
Shuichi Akai asked, "Then what were you laughing at just now?"
The blond child said, "I remembered something funny."
Akai Shuichi nodded and said, "What a coincidence, I also remembered something funny."
The blond child: "..."
The blond boy gritted his teeth and muttered, "Making so many weird faces at the air, he must be sick," before angrily walking away, seemingly still playing hide-and-seek with the adults who were looking for him.
Akai Shuichi: "..."
He silently pulled up the screenshot page and quickly snapped a few pictures of the blond child crawling under the table and cautiously peeking out to look around.
Well, regardless of whether it's Bourbon or not, let's screenshot and record this blond kid's incident first.
Then we'll show it to Bourbon; his reaction will be quite interesting.
And it should also be able to probe out some things.
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