"So, we drove two cars camping, yet no blanket..." Conan emerged from empty tent, deadpan at Tsuneo.
You're grilling meat carefree!
Sleep on ground tonight?
This cold—colds incoming!
"Don't blame me; stuff should've gone in Doctor's Beetle." Tsuneo mumbled through meat.
You in sweater-shorts combo afraid of cold?
"What now?" Genta unworried, handed plate to Tsuneo.
"No issue; asleep, no cold." Tsuneo smiled, added meat.
"Like 'dead, no pain'???" Mitsuhiko twitched.
Drama line...
"Hug each other—warm!" Ayumi hugged Ai's arm.
Ai glanced, silent.
Naive...
"I'll fetch." Miyano saw kids down, offered solo drive to Mikan Town.
"Forget it; eat, play, head back afternoon." Conan waved, joined grill.
Round trip five-six hours—too far.
"I caught fish!"
Doctor by creek, yelled happily.
"Doctor probably clueless..." Tsuneo eyed distant fat man.
Still waiting for photos...
...
Lunch done, played with kids, Tsuneo packed tents, group returned.
Red pickup.
Tsuneo and Ai booted question-plenty detective, teamed with Genta.
"Finally camping, ends like this." Eel-rice boy middle, exasperated.
What tell mom?
Forgot sleeping bags?
"You were happy eating?" Ai smiled at him.
Bit cold; freezing two not worth.
"Meat was awesome!" Genta salivated.
"Wait, this road different from coming?"
Tsuneo gripped wheel, followed yellow Beetle, eyed unfamiliar woods.
Meanwhile, front car discussed same.
"Good holiday ruined." Rear Mitsuhiko bored at window.
"And lost..." Ayumi behind driving Doctor, soft add.
Dr. Agasa blushed, stubborn: "Your chattering fault."
Don't say; next time no forget!
"This rate, sleep in cars tonight." Conan stabbed.
Wrong turns countless; road unknown.
Copilot Miyano frowned at area map.
Deep mountains—indistinguishable.
"No way?" Ayumi recalled kid-eating wolves.
Danger!
"Must be inn nearby!" Mitsuhiko to Conan.
Detective deadpan.
Inn here for murder-robbery?
"Yeah, maybe lake-view castle!" Ayumi fantasized.
"Getting absurd." Conan无力 rebut.
"That..."
Miyano spotted jungle depths: emerging lavish castle.
...
"Wow, Doctor, know owner?!" Genta joyfully off car.
Sorry for wrong-road blame!
"Hehe." Doctor scratched head, wry smile.
Sorry, did lead wrong...
"Blue castle..." Tsuneo outside gates, stared grand structure, speechless.
Not ancient like Sakamaki's, but old, well-kept.
Blue-white, fairy-tale type.
Group fenced out, heads up.
"Like from book!"
Kids excited.
"Why build here?" Dr. Agasa puzzled.
Far from city—remote.
"Some nouveau riche bought foreign castle, dismantled, shipped, reassembled." Conan shook head, exasperated.
"That riche is mad." Tsuneo honest.
Limited knowledge can't grasp.
Unless Suzuki family—then understandable.
Happy, anything goes...
"Go!"
Genta overate, needed move, dashed gate.
"Genta, what?" Doctor hurried.
"Enter, duh!" Genta agile climb, not like 80-90lb first-grader.
Tsuneo flashed, grabbed pants—and underwear.
"Brother Tsuneo, what?" Genta one hand pants, one gate bar, feet on crossbeam.
"Do this, someday Meguire cuffs you to patrol car."
Fatty no malice, but impulsive—trouble.
Eel rice inside?
"C-cuffs?!" Genta deflated, planned jump.
"Hey!"
"Kid, what?!" Gardener-dressed middle-aged man popped, pointed through gate at Genta.
Scared, Genta unsteady, fell back into Tsuneo's arms.
Tsuneo at blinking eyes, detective-signature fish-eye:
"What, want lullaby?"
(Chapter end)
-------------------------------
I've posted the latest chapters on Patreon!
If you like this story, please come and support me.
Here is the link: [pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you for always supporting me!!
