Chapter 10: Treasure Map
The sterile white lights of the underground facility reflected off Gin's cold, predatory eyes. He gestured sharply toward the expansive, advanced laboratory. "This will be your domain from now on," Gin warned, his voice a low, dangerous drawl. "Submit requisitions in advance for whatever materials or subjects you plan to research. I expect to see tangible results soon. Otherwise..."
He let the threat hang in the chilled air, his gaze boring into the silver-haired scholar. Gin's lips curled into a humorless smirk. "By the way, the Boss has heard rumors of your particular skill set. Down the line, you may be required to cooperate with the Action Group on field missions."
Alhaitham stood perfectly still, his expression an unreadable mask of mild boredom. He crossed his arms, his tone flat and entirely unimpressed. "I recall stating quite clearly that I am merely a feeble academic. Running around on field operations falls entirely outside my job description."
Gin let out a dark, mocking scoff. "Then you had better pray you produce exceptional research results as quickly as possible. Earn a codename from the Boss. Become a Core Member. Only then will you have the privilege to refuse missions."
Having delivered his ultimatum, Gin turned on his heel. His long black coat swept through the air as he strode out of the room, entirely uninterested in hearing any further academic nonsense. The heavy metal door slid shut with a definitive hiss, leaving Alhaitham alone to familiarize himself with his new, highly illegal experimental environment.
While Alhaitham was busy handling the treacherous waters of the Black Organization, Natsume was fighting a battle of her own. Through sheer, unadulterated grinding, she was finally on the verge of scraping together enough Primogems for a precious ten-pull.
She had spent the entire morning praying for a lucrative mission to refresh so she could secure her gacha funds in one fell swoop. Instead, she found herself wandering the sunlit alleys of Beika City, currently engaged in the highly prestigious Daily Commission of finding a lost cat.
'Paimon,'Natsume thought, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow as she peered under a dusty vending machine.'Why do you think cats go missing in this city every single day?'
The little floating guide materialized in a burst of starlight, hovering just above a nearby trash can. "Hmm..." Paimon tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it is because cats are just naturally curious creatures! They say a single fluttering butterfly can easily lure a kitty away from home. And that is exactly when—hehe—it is time for the great Detective Traveler to take the stage! You are actually really good at finding cats, Traveler."
Natsume stared blankly at her floating companion, entirely unamused by the praise. 'Paimon, do you think Diona would be better at this? If I manage to pull Diona, could I just dump all these cat-finding commissions on her? We could turn the first floor of our base into a cat cafe or an agency. It would give the space a purpose, generate a steady income, and free up my time. It kills several birds with one stone.'
"Oh, yeah! Diona would be super useful for that!" Paimon agreed, her eyes sparkling before she suddenly paused. Her expression shifted into a look of deep pity. "But... that is only if you actually manage to pull Diona, Traveler. Honestly, looking at your recent luck, I do not have much hope for you. Tsk, tsk." The little guide shook her head repeatedly, crossing her tiny arms in a display of absolute lack of faith.
Natsume sighed, preparing to argue, when a high-pitched voice suddenly rang out from the end of the alleyway. "Big sister!"
Natsume turned around. Standing on the pavement was the familiar trio of children she had encountered back at Tropical Land. However, this time, they were accompanied by a fourth member. A little boy wearing an oversized blue suit jacket, a red bowtie, and large, thick-rimmed glasses. Natsume's golden eyes narrowed slightly in hidden amusement. So, this was the famous Kudo Shinichi, freshly shrunk down to fun-size.
He actually looked rather cute like this, she mused inwardly. At the very least, he lacked that insufferable, cocky swagger he had paraded around the amusement park.
Across from her, Conan froze, his eyes widening behind his oversized lenses. He was genuinely startled to run into the blonde witness from the rollercoaster incident so coincidentally. She had slipped away before the police could properly process the scene last time, leaving him without even a name. More, this woman had possessed the uncanny ability to see perfectly in the pitch-black tunnel, tracking movements with terrifying precision. Conan's detective instincts flared. He was intensely curious about her true profession. This was the perfect opportunity to fish for information and determine if she had any ties to those men in black.
Even as the suspicion crossed his mind, Conan quickly dismissed the worst of it. The possibility of her being an active member of that lethal syndicate was incredibly low. She radiated a calm, almost gentle aura. She completely lacked the suffocating, blood-soaked presence of someone who killed in the shadows.
Before Conan could formulate a subtle probing question, Ayumi bounced forward, beating him to the punch. "Oh, right, right! Big sister, you never told us your name back at the amusement park!"
Natsume offered a warm smile and squatted down to their eye level. "Ah, it is Ayumi and the others. I apologize, that was entirely my fault. I had to leave in a hurry before I could introduce myself. My name is Natsume Natsuki. You can just call me Sister Natsume." She then shifted her gaze, letting her eyes land deliberately on the bespectacled boy. "Oh? There is another child with you today. Is he a new friend?"
"Yeah! Conan just transferred to our school!" Ayumi chirped, grabbing Conan by the sleeve and eagerly dragging him forward. "Big sister, Conan is super smart!"
Watching Conan stumble forward with a look of utter helplessness, a spark of mischief ignited in Natsume's chest. She could not resist the urge to give the great detective a little scare. She leaned in slightly, her golden eyes locking onto his face, studying his features with exaggerated intensity. "Oh... so Conan just transferred," she murmured, her voice dropping a fraction. "Speaking of which, little Conan looks awfully familiar. It is almost as if I saw someone who looked exactly like him just a few days ago."
Conan's breath hitched. His previous plan to smoothly interrogate her evaporated in an instant. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the back of his neck.
'No way,'he thought, his heart hammering against his ribs.'We only crossed paths briefly at Tropical Land, and I was a high schooler back then! A normal person would never make the connection between a teenager and a first-grader!' He desperately tried to comfort himself, forcing his facial muscles to relax.
Despite his internal rationalization, Conan's voice betrayed him the moment he opened his mouth. "I... I probably haven't met you before, big sister!" he stuttered, waving his hands defensively. "Your blonde hair is so unique! If I had seen you, I would definitely remember!"
Seeing the sheer panic poorly hidden behind his thick glasses, Natsume decided she had tortured him enough for one day. She straightened up, offering a breezy smile. "Hmm, you make a fair point. It must just be my imagination playing tricks on me."
Conan watched her face like a hawk, searching for any lingering suspicion. Finding only genuine warmth, he finally allowed himself to exhale a long, shaky breath. His desire to test her had completely vanished, replaced entirely by the need for self-preservation.
Beside them, Mitsuhiko and Genta were pouting, clearly displeased by Ayumi's glowing praise of the new kid. What was the big deal? What was so smart about this glasses-wearing show-off? He had just completely botched reading the treasure code a few minutes ago!
Eager to steal the spotlight back, Genta shoved his hand into his pocket the moment Natsume finished speaking. He proudly whipped out a crumpled slip of paper covered in strange symbols. "Sister Natsume, look at this! Look!" Genta cheered, thrusting the paper toward her. "This is a real Treasure Map we just found! Once we dig up the gold, we will have enough money for endless grilled eel rice! We will even treat you to a bowl, Sister Natsume!"
Conan pinched the bridge of his nose, thoroughly exasperated by Genta's grand declarations. 'Hey, hey,'Conan grumbled internally.'We do not even know if this scrap of paper is a legitimate map yet, let alone have a single clue on how to decipher it. And you are already planning the menu for your victory feast?'
Natsume chuckled, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Mhm, then I will be sure to thank Genta in advance for the meal. But are you kids really going out to hunt for treasure all by yourselves? That is incredibly brave of you." She gave them a few encouraging claps, treating them exactly like the children they appeared to be.
Conan observed her reaction carefully. She was clearly humoring them. She did not take the map seriously at all. Then again, he supposed he could not blame her. What rational adult would believe a random doodle found by a group of first-graders was an actual map to buried riches?
"Would you mind if I took a look at your Treasure Map?" Natsume asked gently, extending a hand. "Maybe I can offer a little bit of help."
Beneath her polite smile, Natsume's mind was racing. She vaguely remembered a treasure map incident occurring very early on in the Detective Conan timeline, though the exact location of the hidden gold escaped her memory. If she could decipher the map and snatch the treasure before Conan solved the case, she could secure a massive injection of startup funds for Teyvat. A proper, formidable secret organization could not exactly operate while agonizing over the cost of a single ten-pull, after all. They needed capital.
Thrilled to have an adult taking their quest seriously, Genta readily slapped the crumpled slip of paper into Natsume's palm.
The moment her eyes locked onto the crude, hand-drawn symbols, a familiar chime echoed in her mind. The system, which had been agonizingly silent for days, finally sprang to life. A translucent blue screen materialized in her vision, displaying the freshly triggered world mission. She paused, her eyes scanning the glowing text.
[World Mission: The Metropolis Code Map Incident]
[Details: The robbers who stole the gold coins cannot locate their ill-gotten gains. The leader of the gang recorded the route to the treasure on a coded map, leaving behind a challenge: "If you want everything I have, come to the finish line."]
[Objective: Decipher the Treasure Map information and find the treasure.]
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