Chapter 242: A Friend's Request
With his words hanging in the air, Thoma opened the rear door of the sleek black car and offered a welcoming gesture.
Kaveh and Zhongli gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before boarding one after another. The children, buzzing with excitement, scrambled to follow them inside.
That left Natsume and Subaru Okiya to fill the remaining seats.
The kids were naturally fascinated by the spacious, luxurious vehicle, so it was a foregone conclusion they would all pile in. Conan found himself unable to break away from the group, and besides, his curiosity about this man named Thoma was piqued. He deliberately ignored the wounded, almost betrayed look Heiji Hattori was shooting him from the sidewalk.
Subaru Okiya, having been tasked by the Professor with keeping an eye on the children, had no choice but to accompany them. As for Natsume, Thoma was her friend; it would be deeply rude to leave him for another car.
In the end, only Ran Mouri, Sonoko Suzuki, and a disgruntled Heiji Hattori were left to ride in the second vehicle. Though Sonoko was reluctant to be separated from the handsome men in the first car, Heiji was still their friend, and he had come all this way just to pick them up. It wouldn't be right to leave him to drive alone.
With a soft purr of their engines, the two cars pulled away from the curb and drove toward their destination.
Inside the lead car, the children were a whirlwind of activity, their heads swiveling as they took in every detail of the plush interior.
Amidst the chatter, Ai Haibara quietly chose a seat in the farthest corner from Subaru Okiya. She kept her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window, her posture making it clear she had no desire for any interaction with him.
"Mr. Zhongli, I must say, I'm surprised," Subaru Okiya began, his voice a smooth, pleasant tenor that cut through the children's noise. He adjusted his glasses, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at Zhongli. "To think you've only just arrived in Japan and are already acquainted with the Kamisato Clan. If you don't mind my asking, what brings you and Mr. Kaveh to Osaka?"
Conan, seated nearby, watched the exchange in silence. He recognized the tactic instantly. The man known as Subaru Okiya was fishing for information. Rather than jump in with his own questions, Conan decided to wait and see what the man could uncover on his own.
"Actually, I do not know anyone from the Kamisato Clan personally," Zhongli denied, his voice a low, magnetic baritone that seemed to connect with the weight of ages. "I have only heard of them through a friend. She once told me that the Kamisato siblings are remarkably capable individuals. She holds them in very high regard."
"She?" Subaru Okiya's eyes narrowed slightly, his polite smile tightening at the corners. He had seized upon the word with keen interest. "It seems this friend of yours is a woman. And judging by your tone, perhaps an elder of the Kamisato Clan?"
"That is one way to put it," Zhongli conceded, a faint, almost imperceptible glint of amusement in his amber eyes. "She even has a child. A pity, then, that she does not seem to be very good at raising children."
He let out a soft, nearly inaudible sigh.
"In fact," he continued, "she was the one who asked me to come and lend my assistance. According to her, the Kamisato Clan has encountered some trouble recently. While it is not a matter beyond Lord Kamisato's ability to resolve, there are certain aspects that are more conveniently handled by Kaveh and myself."
As he spoke, Zhongli's gaze shifted to Kaveh, a subtle smile touching his lips. "For some time now, we have been engaged in related work. One could say we have become quite proficient."
Kaveh, momentarily taken aback, quickly recovered with a good-natured smile. "That's right. My primary profession is designing and building structures. The Kamisato Clan's commission falls well within my area of expertise."
"So the Kamisato Clan commissioned you to build a house?" Conan couldn't help but interject, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Then what's this trouble they've run into? Is it related to the commission?"
He found it hard to believe. The sole reason Kaveh and Zhongli—two individuals clearly connected to the formidable Teyvat Organization—had come to Osaka to meet the head of a major family was to build a house?
No, he thought, it couldn't possibly be that simple.
The other children, having finished their initial exploration of the car, perked up at the mention of an "incident." Their Detective Boy radars went on high alert, and their gazes snapped away from the windows and gadgets, all focusing intently on Kaveh.
Even Natsume leaned in slightly, her own knowledge of the situation being somewhat limited. She knew that rivals, jealous of the massive profits Ayato's upcoming event was projected to generate, were trying to sabotage the competition. But she had trusted in the capabilities of Ayato and Ayaka, so she hadn't pressed for details. She had no idea what form that sabotage had taken.
"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics," Kaveh admitted with a helpless shrug. "Mr. Zhongli would know more than I do."
Every head in the car swiveled to face Zhongli.
"It seems the venue, which was specially constructed for the finals of their idol event, was burned down," Zhongli stated, his tone calm and factual, not disappointing his eager audience. "They have asked us to come and oversee the redesign and reconstruction."
"Ah?! Was anyone hurt?" Ayumi asked, her eyes wide with worry.
"Rest assured," Zhongli replied, his voice softening into a gentle, comforting tone. "The troublemakers did not intend for any loss of life. As of now, fewer than ten staff members have sustained some minor injuries."
A collective sigh of relief went through the car, Conan's included. He felt a secret gladness that the situation wasn't more severe. If there had been fatalities, the incident would have escalated into a vicious crime, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Still, even without casualties, the arson of an entire competition venue was no small matter.
He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't heard a whisper about it on the news. Even when Heiji had come to pick them up, he hadn't mentioned a thing.
Voicing his thoughts, Conan asked, "Why wasn't this on the news?"
"I would guess the Kamisato Clan intentionally suppressed the matter," Subaru Okiya speculated, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The competition is imminent. If the audience and participants were to learn that the clan failed to protect a venue as important as the one for the finals, it would likely trigger a massive crisis of confidence. The financial losses would be inestimable."
His analysis was sharp and logical, leaving no room for argument.
"That is one of the reasons," Zhongli confirmed with a nod.
"So, have they found out anything about the fire?" Conan pressed, his detective instincts now fully engaged. Having understood the reason for the news blackout, his focus shifted back to the crime itself.
"That is something we are not clear on." Zhongli gently shook his head, his deep eyes betraying nothing. "My purpose in agreeing to my friend's request was only to assist with the venue's reconstruction. As for the investigation, that has already been handed over to the Osaka police. I have every confidence that Lord Kamisato will see it handled properly."
"Aww, how can that be—" the children groaned in unison, their shoulders slumping. They had been hoping to get some juicy inside information, imagining the Detective Boys swooping in to uncover a crucial clue.
Conan felt a similar pang of disappointment. Seeing that Zhongli genuinely seemed to have no further information—or at least, none he was willing to share—he knew he had hit a wall. He abandoned any thought of prying further into the case for now.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]