Chapter 232: Lisa's Junior
"That Miss Lisa," Heiji Hattori's voice crackled over the phone, "she definitely has some kind of connection to the Black Organization."
Conan Edogawa went still. A chill, entirely unrelated to the ambient air, traced its way down his spine. How could this be?
When he had first asked Heiji to investigate Lisa, his goal had been simple: learn more about the enigmatic Teyvat organization. How had the Osakan detective managed to unearth a link between the gentle librarian and the shadowy syndicate that had ruined his life?
His small hands clenched into tight fists, his brow furrowing in concentration. "Details," he pressed, his voice sharp and demanding.
Heiji began to lay out his findings with the methodical precision of a fellow detective. "You told me that scholar, Alhaitham, was roped into the Black Organization, right? Well, my investigation turned up something interesting. It seems Miss Lisa and Alhaitham were classmates. They both studied at the same prestigious university overseas. Lisa is two years ahead of him, so it's almost certain they knew each other."
He continued, "What's more, Alhaitham was apparently a big name at that school—a real genius. But he wasn't the only one. There were three others in his graduating year who were just as brilliant. The four of them were considered the most outstanding students of their time, each from one of the university's four major academies."
Hearing this, Conan's expression grew increasingly grim. He began to pace, the small phone pressed tightly to his ear. "So, Alhaitham is Lisa's junior," he muttered, thinking aloud. "If he really does have a connection to her, this whole situation becomes much more complicated. Does that mean Alhaitham also has ties to Teyvat?"
A sudden memory struck him. Lisa had once casually mentioned wanting to introduce one of her juniors to Ran. Could she have been talking about Alhaitham?
Conan immediately shook his head, dismissing the thought. No, that's impossible. Alhaitham had been in Japan for some time, which didn't fit the context of Lisa's comment about her junior coming over. That meant the person Lisa intended to introduce was likely one of the other three.
"Hattori," Conan said, his voice urgent, "who were the other three people on par with Alhaitham?"
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. Conan could hear the faint, distinct sound of papers rustling, as if Heiji was sifting through a stack of files.
"Ah, found it," Heiji's voice returned, and he began to list them off. "First up is Tighnari, a graduate of the Amurta Academy. He's a botanist, currently working as a Forest Ranger in a rainforest overseas. Next is Cyno, from the Vahumana Academy. Looks like he works for the foreign government in some official capacity. And finally, there's Kaveh, a graduate of the Kshahrewar Academy. He's a renowned architect with a portfolio full of famous works."
Heiji paused for a beat. "According to my intel, Kaveh seems to have the closest relationship with Alhaitham. They even lived together for a while." Another pause, then he added, "I also dug up a few more things on Alhaitham himself."
"He graduated from the Haravatat Academy, which specializes in linguistics, writing, and semiotics. It's said he's fluent in at least twenty different languages." As he delivered that last line, Heiji's voice took on a strange, almost incredulous tone. "After graduating, he worked at their National Research Institute for a time but left for unknown reasons. Then he completely switched fields and started studying biology, and somehow, he still managed to produce significant results."
Heiji finally let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, Kudo. Is it even possible for someone to be that much of a monster?"
Conan offered no reply. Heiji's report had only deepened the gravity of the situation, confirming his suspicion that Alhaitham was far from an ordinary scholar.
Sensing his friend's silence, Heiji tried to offer some reassurance. "Hey, don't get too worked up. Didn't you say he was forced to join the Organization? Maybe he won't actually put his skills to use for them."
"Hmm..." Conan trailed off, a noncommittal sound escaping his lips. That wasn't what was truly bothering him at the moment.
While Alhaitham's profile was certainly formidable, Conan had already gleaned the basics from Ai Haibara. This new information simply added more detail to a picture he already knew was alarming. No, his mind was currently consumed by a far more pressing, and personal, problem: which one of those three geniuses—Cyno, Tighnari, or Kaveh—did Lisa want to introduce to Ran?
They were all described as being on the same level as Alhaitham, which meant none of them were simple men. The more Conan thought about it, the more a familiar frustration began to bubble in his chest.
He felt a little embarrassed to admit his true anxieties after Heiji's attempt at consolation. In the end, he simply thanked the Osakan detective for his help and ended the call.
At that very moment, Ran, Sonoko, and Natsume arrived at the Kudo residence.
The instant Ran stepped through the front door, she felt a distinct chill in the air, a noticeable drop in temperature compared to the warm day outside.
So cold... Could it be?
The realization hit her a second later: the air conditioning was running. A jolt of hope and excitement shot through her. Did this mean Shinichi was back?
A familiar nervousness seized her, a fear that she might miss her chance to see him again. Without a second thought, she kicked off her shoes, her voice echoing through the large house as she called his name. "Shinichi! Are you here?"
She began eagerly pushing open every door on the ground floor, a frantic energy propelling her from the living room to the study, searching for any sign of him.
Sonoko and Natsume followed her in, looking on with a mixture of amusement and concern.
Natsume, of course, knew perfectly well that the person currently in the house was not Kudo Shinichi. But she couldn't very well say that out loud. Seeing Ran's anxious, almost desperate state, Natsume moved quickly to intervene before her friend wore herself out.
She caught up to Ran, placing a gentle hand on her arm to stop her from charging blindly up the stairs. "Ran, slow down," she said softly, her voice a soothing balm. "I think I heard a noise from the bathroom just now. Maybe he's in there?"
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