Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

(2/3)

The series of events unfolding across the street had not escaped Conan's notice.

"Those people… are they detectives?"

Conan immediately recognized the group.

His sharp gaze locked onto the three individuals being apprehended, one Japanese, two foreigners.

In an instant, he realized their identities.

The remaining members of the Italian robber gang.

A cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

He had forgotten something crucial.

Looking down at the note in his hand, his grip tightened.

This paper didn't just appear out of nowhere. Whoever had thrown it must have been lurking nearby.

The moment he deciphered the Italian word for "gold" written on it, his stomach dropped.

This was close. Too close.

No—if those men were truly members of the Italian robber gang, and they had followed him in pursuit of the gold coins' location, they wouldn't have let him or the others leave alive.

This wasn't just about getting hit over the head with a club.

A chill ran down Conan's spine.

Had the detectives not intervened in time and caught those gang members in the act, he and his friends could have met a grim fate.

"Little one."

Just as the gravity of the situation fully set in, a gentle female voice interrupted Conan's thoughts.

A mature woman appeared before him.

She reached into her pocket and produced a police ID, holding it up for him to see.

"I'm with the police. The note you're holding may be evidence related to the Italian robbery gang. Would you be willing to hand it over?"

"…Yes, here."

"Thank you."

The female officer carefully placed the note into a sealed evidence bag before turning to leave.

Even after she was gone, Conan's friends didn't look pleased.

The most vocal among them was Kojima Genta.

"Conan! Why'd you give the treasure map to the cops?"

"Idiot," Conan sighed. "That's not just some treasure map, it belongs to the Italian robbers. Meaning, whatever's hidden behind it… is the stolen fifteen thousand maple leaf gold coins."

"That means it's stolen loot. Even if we found it, it wouldn't belong to us."

"…And more importantly—"

Conan gestured toward the three men being led into the police car.

"They're most likely the last members of the Italian gang."

"If we had actually found the gold coins first, we might've been the ones in danger."

"R-Robbers!?"

The three kids, despite their usual bravado, immediately paled at the realization.

They knew what "robbers" meant.

If those criminals had caught them, there was no telling what would have happened.

"Lucky… We're so lucky."

"If they had grabbed us, they probably would've dragged us off and shot us in some dark alley…"

Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko swallowed hard, his face grim as he imagined the horrifying possibilities.

"Or maybe," Yoshida Ayumi said with a shudder, her imagination running wild, "they'd tie us up in cement and toss us into the river…"

The thought sent visible shivers down their spines.

"Alright, enough of that. This has nothing to do with us anymore. Let's head back."

"…Yeah."

This time, none of them objected to Conan's suggestion.

The shock of what had nearly happened was still too fresh.

They had practically stepped through the gates of hell and returned. Their legs felt weak just thinking about it.

As Conan turned to leave, something in the corner of his vision made him pause.

He instinctively turned his head.

Sonoko.

From a distance, he spotted Sonoko Suzuki standing with a boy he didn't recognize.

A stranger.

That meant Sonoko must have approached him first.

Conan knew her personality too well, it was practically a conditioned reflex at this point.

Still, he had no recollection of that boy.

Must be from another school.

"Conan! We're going!"

"…Coming."

At Ayumi's call, Conan snapped out of his thoughts and turned away.

Without sparing another glance at Sonoko, he left with his friends.

---

Sonoko watched the whole scene play out from afar and let out a huff.

"We clean up his mess, and he doesn't even say thanks. One of these days, that guy's going to get himself into serious trouble with how reckless he is."

"He doesn't know we're helping him from the shadows," Ren replied calmly, shaking his head. "It's only natural that he wouldn't say thank you."

Sonoko clicked her tongue. "If only he'd just stop causing problems, we wouldn't have to step in all the time."

"If it were just him, it wouldn't matter if he ran headfirst into danger. But the other kids…" Ren trailed off.

"Yeah."

Sonoko's gaze shifted to the young Detective Boys gathered around Conan.

They were just kids. They didn't need to be involved in his mess.

"Come on," Ren said. "I need to explain some things to you."

"…And I'll show you something interesting."

Sonoko's eyes lit up.

Ran's ability had something to do with enhanced strength and an absurd appetite.

But Sonoko was more intrigued by Ren's abilities.

"Really?"

"Then I have to see this!"

"Then we shouldn't stay out here any longer."

Ren led Sonoko back to his place.

---

"Hiss—"

The moment Sonoko stepped into the Amamiya household, a strange, bone-chilling cold made her shiver.

Even though she knew about the house's history, she instinctively moved closer to Ren.

"Are you sure it's okay to live here?" she asked warily.

"It's fine."

"But this place had a serious murder case in the past. And there were three vengeful spirits that—"

"I already dealt with them a few days ago."

"…???"

Sonoko stared at him, dumbfounded.

"'Dealt with'?"

"Then why is it still so freezing in here?"

"Oh, that's on purpose."

"…What?"

Ren spoke matter-of-factly.

"The rent for this house is absurdly low because of what happened here. Otherwise, do you really think I'd be paying only ten thousand yen per month?"

"Not to mention, this is the only house where utilities—water and electricity—are completely free."

"…The rental company did that on purpose?"

"Yeah. Otherwise, they'd never be able to lease this place out again. If it sat empty too long, it'd eventually damage their reputation. They need someone to take the house, even if it means offering absurd incentives."

Ren's voice was completely nonchalant.

"So, if they're already giving it away at a ridiculous price, is it really wrong for me to take advantage of it?"

He made it sound so reasonable that Sonoko was left speechless.

She stared at him, stunned.

Just to squeeze every bit of benefit out of the rental company…

This guy actually chose to leave some of the lingering "bad energy" untouched.

***

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