"It takes a lot to get you to travel all this way and bring your animal friends along," Fujino probed, looking at Hakuba Saguru. "So, you must be here for that person, right?"
"Of course. You know my situation; that guy hasn't been very active lately," Hakuba replied, nodding. "Besides, I'm sure everyone else here came for the same person."
"That person? What's going on?" Ran looked puzzled. She couldn't figure out who they were talking about.
It felt like they were playing a guessing game.
"That person" was, of course, KID, the notorious Phantom Thief Kid. Except for Ran and the thief himself, every detective present had already figured this out.
As for "that thing"... well, that was harder to grasp. It was the little secret between Hakuba and Fujino—the mission to snatch a single hair from Phantom Thief Kid.
"You've got some reputation, kid," Fujino murmured quietly to Kaito Kid, poking him in the side. "All these detectives are here for you today."
"You think I want this?" Kaito Kid muttered back, wincing in silent pain. Fujino knew his side was still sore, yet he still poked him.
He certainly didn't want a horde of detectives chasing him, but he couldn't help it; his identity had been stolen, and whoever took it was clearly planning something shady. He had no choice but to intervene.
"Well... I'll take the newly arrived guests to their rooms first," the maid, Aki Ishihara, said nervously. This was the first time she'd seen so many famous detectives outside of TV. "The rest of the guests, please wait in the lounge nearby. I will let you know when dinner is ready..."
"Thank you, we appreciate it." Fujino nodded politely and followed Ishihara Aki. The others followed suit.
Ishihara Aki visibly relaxed. She had worried these detectives would be as rude as that earlier chubby guest, but these younger detectives were quite polite.
---
The maid led everyone to their respective rooms. Fujino was assigned a spacious room decorated in a classical palace style, with the walls adorned with a raven crest.
"Karasuma, huh?" Fujino narrowed his eyes as he looked at the crest. "Did I just walk into the enemy's headquarters?"
After a moment's thought, Fujino concluded that the mansion likely wasn't heavily connected to the Organization anymore. Since the mansion was now in the hands of that chubby guest, it meant the place had been sold. No one should know about the true treasures inside except for him, the "spoiler dog," otherwise Karasuma wouldn't have sold it.
Fujino moved his gaze away from the crest, took a deep breath, and pinched his nose with a disgusted sigh. "This room is so eerie... it smells like blood everywhere... Could someone have died in here?"
He considered the possibility, glancing at the large bed. "Someone might have died on this bed, too... Ugh, I can't sleep on this."
While he wasn't overly squeamish, the thought of sleeping where someone died was unsettling. He wasn't like those detectives who seemed to get a sick thrill from finding blood and dead bodies.
After putting away his luggage, Fujino headed to the lounge where the others were already gathered. Everyone who arrived this time was a renowned detective.
There was the sophisticated woman, Ikumi Uchida, a rare female detective and a former prosecutor.
Then there was Haruka Mogi, rumored to be a globally active detective who often crossed borders for dangerous cases. His looks resembled a certain famous Chinese actor.
And Sengoku Miyoji, a well-known Japanese detective who frequently solved complex cases.
In terms of reputation, Fujino, Hakuba, and Kogoro Mouri were definitely in the second tier. However, Fujino had the potential to move up, given the ridiculous nature of the cases he handled.
Despite the gap in standing, they were all detectives and easily found common ground.
"Clack, clack!"
As Fujino entered, he heard the familiar sound of pool cues. Looking around the lounge, he saw that everyone had found a way to pass the time. Conan and Ran were playing cards with Ikumi Uchida, Kaito Kid was forced to play chess with an old lady, and Hakuba Saguru was playing billiards with Haruka Mogi.
"Eight-ball?" Fujino approached the pool table.
"Want to play a couple of rounds?" Hakuba asked, holding his cue. "That old man is actually pretty good."
"Sure, let's play. It's just basic calculations and controlling your strength," Fujino said, taking the cue. He took a casual shot, sinking three balls after a rail rebound.
"You didn't actually just calculate and control your muscle strength to make that shot, did you?" Haruka Mogi looked skeptical, eyeing Fujino suspiciously.
"If it's him, it's not hard at all," Hakuba said, watching the cue ball return to its original position. He was clearly amazed.
"I don't even like this game, so why would I lie? If it were snooker, maybe," Fujino shook his head. "But eight-ball... there's no challenge."
Haruka Mogi: "..." Are all young detectives this arrogant these days?
Hakuba: "..." Keep showing off. I didn't hear a thing.
"Speaking of which, since you think he's coming too..." Fujino leaned toward Hakuba. "Old Hakuba, what's your take?"
Hakuba paused in surprise. "Old... Hakuba?"
"It's just a convenient nickname," Fujino said, glancing around. "You've been chasing Phantom Thief Kid for a long time. Who do you think Kid is disguised as?"
"I don't know..." Hakuba thought about the nickname 'Old Hakuba.' He figured Fujino was adopting a familiar way of addressing him, like calling someone 'Stark' or 'Old Osborn.'
He straightened up, realizing Fujino was discussing something serious. Hakuba shook his head. "I haven't spent much time with anyone here, and I don't recognize many of them. I can't be sure... I'd say he could be disguised as anyone, except you, of course."
"Why am I excluded?" Fujino raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.
"Your... your various attributes are impossible to mimic," Hakuba paused, looking Fujino over. "If I were Phantom Thief Kid, I'd definitely choose someone with a very distinct personality who's also easy to trick."
He pointed to Kogoro Mouri nearby. "Like Mr. Mouri, or maybe Ran."
"..." Fujino fell silent, looking at Ran in her cute pale pink evening dress and Kogoro Mouri in his formal gray suit.
He had to admit, Hakuba was spot on. They were both pretty gullible.
You've got a sharp eye, kid.
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