Chapter 39: Fate Reflected in Water
Thwack!
Sonoko glared down at the little brat clinging to Ran's hand. It was getting late, and this pint-sized nuisance was actually trying to crash their exclusive girls' night out. Without a second thought, she brought her fist down squarely on top of Conan's head.
"You little brat!" Sonoko scolded, planting her hands on her hips. "Aren't you only obsessed with boring deductions, just like that arrogant mystery freak? What business do you have coming with us? Go home and play with your toys!"
"Ah! Ouch—" Conan instantly let go of Ran's hand, clutching the fresh, throbbing lump on his head.
Sonoko, you absolute brute, Conan grumbled internally, his eyes watering slightly from the sting. She only dares to lay heavy hands on a defenseless kid like me. Can't she just use her words?
Swallowing his pride, Conan realized he needed a change in tactics. If he wanted to keep an eye on them, he had to temporarily sacrifice his dignity. He looked up, widening his eyes into a picture of absolute, innocent vulnerability.
"Ran-neechan, I'm really curious about astrology too!" he pleaded, tugging lightly at her sleeve. "Please let me come along? It's so dark out, and I'll be so scared if I have to stay in the agency all by myself..."
Sonoko caught the softening look on Ran's face and immediately felt a bad premonition creeping up her spine. "Ran, don't tell me you're actually planning to bring this brat along? He literally sprints around fresh murder scenes by himself! How could he possibly be scared of the dark? He's just going to cause trouble!"
Mouri Ran was already wavering, and seeing Conan's pathetic, pouting expression completely melted her resolve. "Sonoko, let's just bring him. Dad won't be back until late tonight, and it really wouldn't be right to leave Conan home alone at this hour."
She knelt slightly, looking Conan directly in the eyes. "Conan, you have to promise me you won't run around or talk nonsense, okay?"
"Mhm, I promise! I definitely won't run around or talk nonsense," Conan chirped, nodding vigorously. I'll agree for now, he thought, and deal with whatever happens later.
"Ugh, fine." Seeing that Ran had already made up her mind, Sonoko let out a heavy, helpless sigh and conceded defeat.
With the matter settled, Sonoko led the way. They handled away from the bustling commercial street of Beika, turning into a narrow, shadowy alleyway. They took a left, then a right, winding deeper into the residential labyrinth. By the end of their trek, the bright neon signs of the main street were completely swallowed by the darkness, leaving only the faint, sickly yellow glow of distant streetlights to illuminate their path.
Ran rubbed her arms, glancing around the deserted, dead-silent road. A sudden chill brushed against her skin. "Sonoko... is it really this way? Are you sure you didn't get the directions wrong?"
Conan shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyes scanning the empty shadows. He was highly skeptical. Did anyone actually try to run a business in a place with zero foot traffic? It was far more likely that the famously directionally-challenged Sonoko had simply led them into a dead end.
"Aha! Found it! I knew it! How could I, the great Sonoko-sama, ever get the directions wrong?"
Sonoko, who had been frantically looking left and right, suddenly lit up. She pointed excitedly toward a small, obscure corner ahead and grabbed Ran's hand, practically dragging her forward.
Conan jogged after them, turning his gaze toward the spot Sonoko had pointed out. He stopped in his tracks, feeling utterly speechless.
There was indeed someone setting up a stall there, but calling it "rudimentary" would be a massive understatement.
The surrounding area was starved of light. From a distance, Conan could only make out a vague silhouette sitting behind a simple wooden table. There wasn't even a single lantern or candle to advertise the business.
It was only when Conan stepped closer that he realized just how bare-bones the setup truly was. He had expected to see crystal balls, tarot cards, or some other theatrical divination props. Instead, the table held nothing but a single, circular disk of unknown make. Its surface was perfectly clear and transparent, holding a shallow pool of water.
Conan blinked. Reflected perfectly within that small pool of water was the night sky.
He tilted his head back, looking straight up. The narrow walls of the alleyway acted like blinders, completely blocking out the glare of the city's neon lights and streetlamps. Here, in this dark, quiet pocket of Tokyo, the stars were brilliantly, sharply visible. He realized instantly that this wasn't a random location. The astrologer had deliberately chosen this isolated spot specifically for the unpolluted view of the heavens.
She's quite dedicated to her craft, Conan admitted silently.
Sonoko eagerly pulled Ran right up to the edge of the table.
"Who is first, ladies? What is it that you wish to divine?"
The voice that floated from the shadows behind the table was surprisingly young and melodic. Conan stood on his tiptoes to get a better look. Although the lighting was incredibly poor, his eyes adjusted enough to make out the figure sitting before them.
This was absolutely not the mysterious, mature fortune-teller he had pictured.
The girl looked incredibly young—perhaps early twenties, if not younger. She wore a massive, wide-brimmed pointed hat adorned with starry motifs, casting a deep shadow over her face. Two long, dark twin-tails cascaded down her back, and a medium-length cape draped elegantly over her shoulders. Faint, star-like decorations on her peculiar outfit seemed to catch what little light there was.
What the heck? Conan's mouth twitched. She looks like a girl playing dress-up at a cosplay convention! Only her calm, intimidatingly confident posture gave her any sort of credibility. Conan crossed his arms, highly doubting the reliability of this setup.
While Conan was busy judging the eccentric outfit, Sonoko and Ran had already finished whispering between themselves. Since Ran was still a bit hesitant about the whole occult atmosphere, Sonoko boldly volunteered to go first.
She slammed her hands lightly on the table, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Ahem, I'll go first! Master, I'd like to ask when my fated soulmate will finally appear! Is there a specific ritual I need to do?"
Conan rolled his eyes, a dry smirk crossing his face. Heh. Classic Sonoko. Of course she asked that.
"The name is Astrologist Mona Megistus," the girl replied smoothly, adjusting the brim of her massive hat. "You may simply call me Mona. There is no need for 'Master.' I am still merely a student under my old hag—ahem, I mean, under my master."
The person running this obscure little stall was indeed Mona. As for why a genius astrologist was sitting in a dark Tokyo alleyway offering readings to teenagers?
The answer was simple: money.
Mona suppressed a heavy, internal sigh. Back in Teyvat, she had constantly danced on the razor's edge of absolute poverty. Now, having been dropped into this strange new world, the identity the system provided her was equally devoid of funds. To keep her stomach full and her research funded, she was forced to take to the streets and peddle her hydromancy.
Still, there was a silver lining. In this world, she actually owned her own house. She didn't have to scrape together rent for Goth every month like she did in Mondstadt, which drastically reduced her financial anxiety., setting up shop here was incredibly lucrative. High school girls obsessed with romance and destiny were practically throwing their allowances at her. Earning money from them was almost too easy.
Conan, however, was entirely focused on her introduction. Megistus? he repeated in his head, his eyes narrowing. That's definitely not a Japanese surname. Is it a pseudonym? Or some obscure foreign lineage?
"Oh, okay, Mona," Sonoko nodded blankly, completely ignoring the strange surname. To be honest, her brain had entirely failed to process that long string of syllables. "So, do I need to do anything?"
"No complex rituals are required," Mona instructed, her tone shifting into something far more professional. "You simply need to place your hands on the edges of the hydromancy astrolabe—oh, that is the water plate sitting right in front of you."
Sonoko followed Mona's instructions to the letter, carefully resting her fingertips on the cold edges of the hydromancy plate. She stared down at the clear water, her breath catching in her throat as she nervously waited for something magical to happen.
Mona raised her hands, her eyes locking onto the starlight trapped within the shallow pool.
"Fate," Mona's voice rang out, clear and resonant in the quiet alley, "reflected in water!"
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