Chapter 337: Information Exchange
"An adult?! How is that possible!" Conan stared, his eyes wide behind his oversized glasses.
Toru Amuro mirrored the boy's disbelief, though his gaze carried a sharper, more calculating edge.
"Why not? I just look a bit young for my age." Venti gestured casually toward the blonde cafe worker. "Just like this gentleman here. He has a baby face and looks like a college student, but in reality, isn't he almost thirty?"
"How do you know my age?" Amuro asked, his voice maintaining its polite cadence even as his eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch.
Could another member of the Black Organization have leaked his file? Did Venti learn it through the Teyvat network? Do he and Diluc already know he operated as Bourbon? Dozens of conjectures flashed through Amuro's mind in the span of a single heartbeat.
Conan looked up at Venti, his own curiosity piqued as he waited for the answer.
"Natsume told me. You should know her, right?" Venti replied, his cheerful expression entirely undisturbed. "I just arrived in Japan, and Natsume spent quite some time telling me about the friends she made here. She specifically mentioned the top disciple who recently became Detective Mouri's apprentice. She happened to bring up your age, which is how I found out."
Amuro kept his smile fixed. He had indeed shared his age with Natsume, but was that truly the only source? Diluc and Kaeya supposedly had a fractured relationship, but had Venti really learned nothing from the Cavalry Captain?
Venti shifted his attention, leaning forward to look Conan in the eye. "However, the one Natsume mentioned more often was a little boy. She said he is as obsessed with reasoning as his namesake, and absolutely full of curiosity. Unfortunately, that curiosity is a bit too strong. He often encounters danger, and almost eighty percent of those situations are caused by his own meddling."
Venti offered a playful wink. "If I am not mistaken, the little boy Natsume referred to must be you. I originally thought she was exaggerating, but I certainly did not expect our first meeting to take place during such a crisis. It seems Natsume was entirely correct."
"Eh? Does Conan encounter danger that often?" Amuro turned to the boy, his tone shifting into one of gentle concern. "Do not be so impulsive next time. You are still a child, and you are no match for grown criminals. Do not put yourself in harm's way."
Hearing Amuro's warning, Conan felt a sudden chill. He slowly turned his head to find Ran standing nearby, her hands planted firmly on her hips and her gaze sharp enough to cut glass. Conan swallowed hard, nodding repeatedly while forcing a stiff, awkward smile.
Up on the pedestrian overpass overlooking the chaotic scene, Vermouth leaned against the railing. The cool evening breeze caught her silver-blonde hair. She watched the aftermath of the car accident below, the corners of her crimson lips curling upward.
Recalling the brief intelligence report she had just received from Gin, she studied the green-clad boy chatting with the cool guy. After a moment of quiet calculation, her manicured fingers danced across her phone screen, drafting a quick message to Bourbon.
Down below, Amuro felt the distinct vibration in his pocket. He subtly shifted his stance, angling himself away from Venti and Conan's line of sight before pulling out his terminal. The screen illuminated his face. Reading the short line of text, his features hardened into a mask of cold professionalism for a fraction of a second. Just as quickly, the mask vanished, replaced once more by his sunny, harmless smile.
He tilted his head, casting a fleeting glance toward the overpass where Vermouth stood, before returning his focus to Venti.
So this is the Minister of Mondstadt within the Teyvat Organization. Kaeya's direct superior.
Despite Venti claiming to be an adult, Amuro still felt the boy was simply lying to get his hands on alcohol. Watching him chatter so easily with an elementary school student, Venti looked exactly like an adolescent who refused to grow up.
Yet, Amuro knew better than to trust appearances. He thought of Vermouth. Perhaps this Minister shared a similar condition. The Teyvat Organization possessed terrifying biotechnology, capable of producing something as miraculous as a life potion. It was entirely possible they had achieved delayed aging, or even cellular rejuvenation.
A few paces away, Subaru approached the group. He had been delayed by the need to comfort Haibara, whose face had suddenly drained of all color, her breathing shallow and panicked.
As soon as he joined the circle, Subaru adjusted his glasses, his sharp eyes taking in the dynamic. He immediately noticed that Amuro was paying far more attention to the cheerful boy talking to Conan than to the imposing figure of Diluc standing off to the side. Both were members of the Teyvat Organization, yet Amuro's focus was entirely skewed.
Has the Black Organization discovered something new? Is there a special significance to that boy's identity?
Subaru filed the observation away in his mind. Rather than crowding around Conan, he stepped toward Kogoro, casually engaging the detective in a discussion about the details of the incident while keeping the others in his peripheral vision.
The wail of sirens soon cut through the street noise. Police cruisers pulled up to the scene, their red and blue lights washing over the asphalt. Inspector Megure stepped out, directing Takagi, Matsuda, and several uniformed officers to secure the area. They quickly escorted the two suspects, Kei Kenzuka and Tegawa, into the back of a squad car. After reminding the witnesses to visit the station for their official statements, the officers prepared to depart.
Before leaving, Matsuda walked past the cafe worker. For a split second, his footsteps faltered. He paused, his gaze sliding toward Amuro. Neither man spoke a word. Matsuda simply adjusted his sunglasses and continued walking, following Megure to the police vehicles.
"Mr. Amuro, do you know that Officer Matsuda?"
Amuro turned. Venti had finished his conversation with Conan and drifted over to his side.
"Not really," Amuro replied smoothly, his expression perfectly neutral. "We have only met once before. I saw him when he was on duty during a previous case involving Master Mouri." He tilted his head, feigning mild curiosity. "Why do you ask?"
"It is nothing," Venti explained with a breezy wave of his hand. "It is just that Officer Matsuda once told Natsume that she looked very much like the person who saved his life three years ago..."
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