Chapter 13: Approaching the Protagonist Group
"Is the person you're looking for named Natsume Natsuki?" the waiter asked, pausing his routine of wiping down the cafe counter.
Conan Edogawa blinked, his oversized glasses slipping slightly down his nose. He certainly hadn't expected a hit on his very first try. "Eh? You know Sister Natsume?"
"Sure do," the waiter replied with an easy nod. "Natsume picked up a few part-time shifts here over the last couple of days. If you kids want to find her, you can just grab a seat and wait for a bit. She had some business to discuss with the manager in the back today, so she should be out any minute."
Huh? Conan stared at the man, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. Wasn't this a little too smooth? We found her just like that?
A few minutes later, the chime above the cafe door jingled, but it was Ayumi who spotted the familiar figure stepping out from the staff corridor.
"Conan-kun, look! It's Sister Natsume!"
Conan's head snapped up. Seeing the blonde girl finishing her conversation with the manager and turning toward the exit, he scrambled out of his booth. His small sneakers squeaked against the linoleum as he dashed over to block her path. "Sister Natsume!"
Hearing the familiar, high-pitched voice calling her name, Natsume paused. She turned around, her golden eyes sweeping over the group. Sure enough, standing by the tables were the pint-sized members of the Detective Boys.
What do they want with me so suddenly? she mused, keeping her expression perfectly placid. Don't tell me they actually suspect I had something to do with the missing Italian gold coins yesterday?
"Oh, if it isn't Conan," Natsume said, letting a warm, surprised smile touch her lips. "And Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko. What a coincidence running into you all here. I actually just got my paycheck for the week. How about I treat you all to some cake?"
The tension instantly evaporated from the kids. Genta pumped his fist in the air, his eyes practically sparkling. "Yay! Cake! Thank you, Sister Natsume!"
Watching the children cheer, Natsume felt her internal guard lower just a fraction. When they weren't charging headfirst into active crime scenes or acting entirely on impulse, they were actually quite cute. At the very least, they had decent manners when food was involved.
The slices of strawberry shortcake arrived shortly after, and the kids dug in with enthusiasm.
"Natsu—" Conan started, his detective radar already spinning up, but Ayumi beat him to the punch.
"Sister Natsume," the little girl asked, her cheeks stuffed with sponge cake, "where do you live? Can I come over and play when you're free in the future?"
Ayumi looked up with wide, hopeful eyes. It was rare for her to meet an older sister figure who was both this pretty and this gentle. Natsume had protected them in the dark cave yesterday, and now she was buying them sweets. Ayumi had already decided she wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.
"Ah, of course you can," Natsume replied smoothly, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "I live at Block 39, 5-Chome, Beika City. You're welcome to drop by anytime, Ayumi. And naturally, the same goes for Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Conan."
Natsume had absolutely no reason to refuse. In fact, getting close to the protagonist group was her primary objective.
Through her last two World Quests, she had confirmed a vital piece of information: these high-tier system quests were directly tied to the cases experienced by the world's main character, Conan Edogawa. Therefore, as long as she stayed within his orbit, she could artificially boost the spawn rate of World Quests. It was a far more efficient strategy than relying solely on mundane Daily Commissions to slowly scrape together Primogems.
Across the table, Conan paused, his fork hovering halfway to his mouth. Block 39, 5-Chome? His eyes narrowed slightly behind his lenses. That's right down the street from the Mouri Detective Agency. Isn't that a little too much of a coincidence?
Setting his fork down, Conan hopped off his chair, trotted over to Natsume, and gave her sleeve a gentle tug. He tilted his head, widening his eyes to maximum childish innocence.
"Say, Sister Natsume," he piped up, his voice dripping with sugary curiosity. "Yesterday, when you left, you told us you were going to look for a lost cat, right? Are you actually a detective?"
Natsume looked down at the boy. Watching him deliberately pitch his voice up to act cute sent a strange, crawling sensation down her spine. Knowing there was a seventeen-year-old high school detective trapped inside that tiny body made the spoiled-child routine incredibly surreal.
Rather than answering directly, Natsume rested her chin on her hand and smiled. "Now, why would Conan think that? Couldn't I just be looking for my own pet?"
Conan caught a fleeting, almost amused glint in her golden eyes, making him pause. He stared hard, trying to read her expression, but her face was a mask of gentle curiosity. Deciding it was just his imagination, he launched into his explanation.
"It's because your clothes are super clean!" Conan declared, pointing a small finger at her pristine outfit. "It's shedding season right now. If you actually owned a cat, there would definitely be cat hair stuck to your clothes. Plus, when you told us you were looking for a cat yesterday, you didn't look nervous at all! If it was your own pet that went missing, you'd be super worried. Therefore, I deduced that the cat you were looking for wasn't yours, but a case you accepted as a detective!"
Natsume maintained her pleasant smile, but internally, she was shaking her head. Watching Conan completely lose control of his facade the second a deduction presented itself was highly entertaining. It was an absolute miracle he had managed to hide his true identity from Ran Mouri for this long.
Seriously, she thought, a first-grade elementary school student speaking with perfect logical deduction and constantly poking his nose into active crime scenes... how has no one in this world arrested him for being a demon child yet?
"Conan is really smart," Natsume praised, clapping her hands lightly. "You're absolutely right."
Technically, she wasn't lying. In this world, her daily routine of running around taking commissions and solving requests for the locals essentially classified her as a detective.
Realizing he had just spoken with the vocabulary of a high school senior, Conan flinched. He quickly rubbed the back of his head and let out a loud, awkward laugh. "Ahaha! I just saw all of that on TV!"
Hearing that Natsume was also in the business of solving mysteries, Genta puffed out his chest, completely abandoning his cake. "Sister Natsume! We're detectives too, you know! We just solved a huge case yesterday! We are the—"
Ayumi and Mitsuhiko instantly jumped to their feet, striking a dramatic pose. Conan, looking thoroughly dead inside, reluctantly raised a hand to join them.
"—Detective Boys!" the three kids cheered in unison.
Natsume gave them face, offering a genuine round of applause. "Wow, you guys are amazing!"
Mitsuhiko's face flushed a bright shade of red at the praise. He scratched his cheek, looking away bashfully. "Heh, it's nothing, really."
"Well, since we've finished our cake," Natsume said, standing up and smoothing out her skirt, "would you Little Detectives like to come over to my place for a bit? You can sit down, rest, and get to know the way."
"Okay!" Ayumi and the others agreed with explosive enthusiasm.
The walk to Beika Block 39 was short and pleasant. As they strolled down the sidewalk, Conan shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at Natsume, his tone casually conversational.
"By the way, Sister Natsume, you said you were looking for a cat yesterday. Did you end up finding it?"
In the quiet space of Natsume's mind, a familiar, anxious voice suddenly echoed.
[Traveler!] Paimon squeaked, her mental projection floating nervously. [Do you think Conan is suspecting that you took the gold coins? Is he testing you right now?]
'He might be a little suspicious,'Natsume replied calmly through their mental link.'After all, I did look at the treasure map yesterday. But relax, Paimon. I didn't leave a single clue behind.'
Outwardly, Natsume didn't miss a beat. She looked down at Conan with a bright, relieved smile. "Yes, I did find it! That little kitten was entirely too good at hiding. I didn't manage to track it down until well after dark. Luckily, the owner didn't live too far away. After returning the cat, I headed straight home, so it wasn't too late."
Conan subtly exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Something like returning a lost cat to a client was incredibly easy to verify; she wouldn't lie about it. That meant the person who snagged the Italian gold coins probably wasn't Natsume. Factoring in the distance from the street to the building where the treasure was hidden, there simply wouldn't have been enough time for her to beat them there, take the coins, and replace them with stones.
He really was just overthinking things.
With his suspicions temporarily put to rest, Conan finally relaxed enough to observe their surroundings.
She really does live incredibly close to Uncle Kogoro's place, he noted as they approached a modest, two-story building.
Natsume unlocked the front door and pushed it open, gesturing for the kids to enter. The ground floor was a wide, open space, completely devoid of furniture.
"I haven't quite decided what to do with the first floor yet, so it's a bit empty," Natsume explained as they took off their shoes. "Come on, I'll take you all up to the second floor."
"Okay!"
Conan swept his gaze across the barren room. Just as she said, there was absolutely nothing to see.
They headed up the stairs to the second-floor living area, which was far more welcoming. Natsume guided the children to a plush, comfortable sofa. "Have a seat and rest for a bit. I'll bring out some snacks."
A few moments later, she returned from the kitchen carrying a porcelain plate. Arranged beautifully on top were several delicate, golden-brown pastries. They were carefully crafted, the flaky layers peeling back to resemble blooming lotus flowers.
It was a batch of Lotus Flower Crisps she had experimented with making that very morning.
Seeing the exquisite, flower-like snacks, Ayumi clasped her hands together, almost reluctant to ruin something so pretty. Genta, however, possessed no such restraint. He immediately reached out and grabbed one, stuffing half of it into his mouth.
Mitsuhiko carefully picked one up, inspecting the delicate, layered petals. "Sister Natsume, this looks a lot like traditional pastries from China. It's so pretty, and it smells delicious."
"Mitsuhiko really knows a lot," Natsume smiled, impressed by the boy's broad knowledge. "Yes, this is a traditional Chinese-style snack. I just tried making it for the first time today and was a little worried it wouldn't taste right. I'm glad you all like it."
Conan picked up a Lotus Flower Crisp and took a bite. His eyebrows rose in genuine surprise. The pastry was excellent—crispy on the outside, with a sweet, smooth filling that wasn't overpowering, leaving a faint, floral fragrance on the tongue.
Swallowing his bite, Conan looked up, his sharp eyes locking onto Natsume once more.
"Sister Natsume," he asked, his tone innocent but probing, "why did you suddenly want to move here? Did something happen?"
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