Chapter 416: The One That Got Away
When Toru Amuro spotted Ran Mouri stepping into Cafe Poirot alongside Conan Edogawa, Natsume, and Sonoko Suzuki, he immediately recognized the golden opportunity dropping right into his lap. Every single one of them had crossed paths with Raiden Ei., Natsume appeared to share a particularly unusual, almost familiar dynamic with the elusive lightning-wielding woman.
As he wiped down the counter, his mind raced. He was still quietly turning over a piece of classified intel provided by Glenlivet. Was the mysterious blonde who effortlessly dismantled the Inazuma Department Head actually Natsume sitting right over there?
Amuro arranged their orders onto a sleek serving tray, his ears tuned sharply to their idle chatter. Over the clinking of coffee cups and the soft hum of the cafe, he caught snippets of their conversation regarding the Jade Chamber. The massive corporate entity had been making aggressive, sweeping moves across the financial board lately, ruthlessly swallowing up the market shares of numerous rival companies.
Coincidentally, Amuro had been deeply involved in investigating a recent, shadowy attack on the Jade Chamber staff. Armed with genuine inside knowledge of the situation, he casually approached their table, setting down a plate of warm sandwiches with a practiced, disarming smile. He smoothly wove his own insights into the discussion, flawlessly integrating himself into their circle.
Once the atmosphere grew comfortable and relaxed, Amuro began to subtly shift the current of the conversation. He steered the topic away from corporate warfare and toward the girls recent trip to Osaka for the martial arts tournament. Leaning against the edge of their table, he tilted his head, feigning a perfectly natural sense of wonder.
"I heard that during your time in Osaka, you were hosted at the private residence of the tournament organizers, the Kamisato Clan," Amuro remarked, his tone light and conversational. "From what I understand, the Kamisato family is deeply rooted in tradition. They still reside in those sprawling, antique estates dripping with classical charm. I have to admit, I am quite fascinated by that sort of architecture. Did anything in particular stand out to you during your stay?"
He offered a warm, encouraging smile. "Aside from the thrill of the competition, you must have explored some hidden gems on the grounds. You will have to share your recommendations so I can appreciate them the next time I find myself in Osaka."
Faced with Toru Amuro, a man possessing such a dashing, sunlit smile and expressing such genuine, attentive interest in her travels, Sonoko felt her heart melt into an absolute puddle. Her usual defenses against handsome men crumbled instantly.
Without a second of hesitation, she opened the floodgates, enthusiastically recounting every detail of her luxurious stay at the Kamisato estate.
"Oh, you have no idea! The architecture of the Kamisato Clan is completely stunning!" Sonoko gushed, gesturing wildly with her hands. "In this day and age, it is incredibly rare to find such massive, complex wooden structures. And they maintain it flawlessly. There is absolutely no sense of decay or old age anywhere on the property."
Ran offered a slight, knowing shake of her head. Watching her best friend wear such a hopelessly lovesick expression, she silently offered a prayer of pity for Sonoko actual boyfriend, Makoto Kyogoku. Masking her amusement with a helpless sigh, Ran gently took over the narrative.
"Sonoko is completely right," Ran added, her voice calm and pleasant. "From the outside, the buildings carry a very rustic, historical weight. But once we actually settled into our rooms, we realized the interior facilities were incredibly modern and complete. It was an exceptionally cozy and comfortable experience."
Natsume took a sip of her drink before chiming in with her own observations. "They really do put an immense amount of effort into their landscaping. Actually, Ran, you might not have noticed this part, but tucked away in the Kamisato Residence is a beautifully exquisite little lake, absolutely teeming with ornamental koi fish."
Sitting quietly beside them, Conan bit down on his plastic straw, nodding in silent agreement. There were indeed plenty of fish in that lake. He vividly recalled a rather alarming conversation with Shuichi Akai, who casually mentioned that a little girl named Klee had gleefully blown a significant portion of those prized fish sky-high with a batch of miniature explosives.
When he first heard the story, Conan assumed Akai was pulling his leg. After verifying the sheer absurdity of the claim, Conan found himself viewing the Teyvat Organization through an entirely new, slightly terrified lens. It appeared that even the underage little girls within their ranks possessed a level of destructive firepower that rivaled military squads.
Thinking back on his time at the Kamisato Residence, a sudden chill washed over Conan. He remembered the vivid, suffocating nightmare he experienced while sleeping under that traditional roof, a nightmare that still clung to his senses with an unsettling realness.
Coupled with his bizarre, almost surreal investigation into the Takahashi Family alongside Heiji Hattori, the entire Osaka trip felt like a fever dream he could not quite shake.
"Speaking of the estate," Natsume said, a teasing glint in her golden eyes as she looked down at the boy. "Conan is probably the one who understands the layout of the Kamisato Residence better than any of us. Kamisato Ayato mentioned that he and the other children were practically bursting with energy. Even after watching the entire performance, they skipped resting and ran wild playing hide-and-seek all over the courtyards. Ayato eventually had to step in when it got too late and herd them all back to bed."
Caught entirely off guard by the sudden shift in attention, Conan nearly choked on his juice. He quickly scrambled to maintain his innocent child persona. "Ah, well, I do not really know it that well at all! Genta and I just ran around the main courtyard for a little bit, that is all."
He kept his expression blank, but his mind raced. If that horrifying experience had truly been nothing more than a dream, then he really had never stepped foot outside that designated courtyard.
"Eh?" Sonoko blinked, looking at Natsume with mild surprise. "Wait, does that mean you have never explored the Kamisato Residence on your own before, Natsume?"
"Yeah, the only two times I have ever stayed at the estate were when I tagged along with you guys." Natsume replied smoothly. In this particular world, that statement was entirely factual. She had only visited the Kamisato Clan twice.
[Mm-hmm, that is technically true.] Paimon voice suddenly echoed directly into Natsume mind through their mental link. [Except back in Teyvat, the Traveler practically turned the entire Kamisato Clan upside down and inside out just to hunt for treasure chests.]
Natsume immediately shot back defensively in her mind. [I could not help it! Back then, I had not crafted the Anemo Treasure Compass yet. If I wanted to find those hidden chests, I had to flip over every single rock and bush on the property!]
Ironically enough, once she finally did craft the Treasure Compass, Natsume had marched right back to the Kamisato estate to double-check her work, only to discover a few stubborn chests had still managed to slip through her net.
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