"Even Mr. Mouri has his moments of being serious," Tsuneo said, sounding deeply offended by the boy detective's skepticism.
This is slander! An insult to my teacher's character!
"..."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?" Conan muttered, rubbing his temples.
Expecting that bumbling detective to be serious for once was like waiting for a rainy day in the desert—it technically happened, but you shouldn't bet your life on it.
"Anyway, were you really just going to stand by and watch Uncle get swapped out?" the little detective asked. He was genuinely curious if there was some sort of secret pact between the handyman and the phantom thief.
"I was busy looking for good snacks at the time," Tsuneo replied with a thoughtful nod.
The selection at that gas station had been surprisingly comprehensive, and the flavor profiles were quite decent!
"Forget it. I don't know why I even bother," Conan sighed. "If Kaito Kid really did steal Uncle's identity to attend this banquet..."
"The Phantom of the Son Discarded by God..." Conan repeated the signature from the invitation under his breath.
If this game really was Kaito Kid's masterpiece, something still felt fundamentally wrong about the atmosphere.
"You'd better enjoy this dinner carefully," Tsuneo said as he pushed open the dining room doors and returned to his seat.
Conan's expression darkened with gravity. He hopped back onto his chair without saying another word.
"Conan, is something wrong?" Ran asked, looking at him with concern. He had left for the restroom and returned looking like he was carrying the weight of the world.
He didn't... wet his pants, did he?
"N-no! Everything's fine!" Conan caught the look in her eyes and felt his face flush. He shook his head vigorously.
Honestly, what on earth is she thinking...?
Shortly after they were settled, the dining room doors opened again.
Ms. Ishihara, the maid, wheeled in a serving cart and gave a slight bow. "I shall now serve the appetizers."
"It seems the 'Last Supper' the host mentioned is finally beginning," Ikumi Kyosuke remarked, her face hardening into a look of professional focus.
"Ms. Ishihara," Senma Furuyo spoke up, watching the maid wheel the cart past her and Ikumi without stopping. "Is the placement of every dish on this table also a specific instruction from the Master of the annex?"
"Yes," Ms. Ishihara nodded. "The Master requested that I serve the courses starting with Mr. Hakuba and proceed clockwise."
It was a meticulous arrangement, planned well in advance.
"To serve us this 'Last Supper' just as the game is beginning... he certainly is an enigma," Senma Furuyo murmured.
"If you are worried about poison, you can put your mind at ease," Ogami Shukuzen said with a confident smile. "The serving order may have been dictated by our host, but these dishes were all prepared by my own hand."
Hakuba Saguru smiled thinly as he inspected the perfectly arranged cutlery and glassware. "These utensils, the wine glasses, the coffee cups—they were all preset on the table from the very beginning."
"And all of us are seated exactly where our nameplates dictated."
"While I don't believe that fellow is the type to commit murder, it is highly likely he'd want to test our mettle with some... unfriendly pranks."
Young Master Hakuba's concern was perfectly logical. Even if the host was the legendary Kaito Kid, who generally avoided taking lives, he was exactly the type to use underhanded tricks to make a room full of famous detectives look like fools.
"Are you suggesting the cutlery might be coated in laxatives or something?" Tsuneo asked. He felt that was exactly what the young master was implying.
The image of a dozen world-class detectives lining up for the bathroom was certainly a vivid one.
"It's not outside the realm of possibility. As a precaution, I believe it would be wise to wipe everything down with our handkerchiefs," Hakuba suggested.
"How about this: why don't we play a round of Rock-Paper-Scissors and swap seats randomly?" Mogi Harufumi proposed.
"But what if we're unlucky and end up sitting at a spot with poisoned utensils?" Kogoro asked, raising his hand.
The plan sounded a bit too "luck-of-the-draw" for his taste.
"If that happens, you can only blame your fate. You can spend eternity being sad about it in your coffin," Mogi laughed.
Tsuneo decided right then and there that this was a meal he could probably skip...
"Simply divine!" Kogoro Mouri exclaimed, looking thoroughly satisfied.
The food was truly worthy of a gourmet detective's reputation. It was delicious.
The group had randomly swapped seats and wiped down every piece of silverware before eating, and they had managed to finish the meal without any incidents.
Hearing the praise, Ogami Shukuzen wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled. "It's nothing, really. To satisfy a palate as difficult to please as my own, one naturally has to put in a little extra effort in the kitchen."
"It seems we were overthinking things earlier," Ikumi Kyosuke said, setting her napkin aside.
Beside her, Conan was staring blankly at Tsuneo.
The handyman had said he wouldn't eat, and he truly hadn't touched a single bite.
Where does he get that kind of willpower? Conan wondered. It's so unlike him. Oh, wait... I forgot he practically finished an entire shopping basket of snacks on the way here.
"I just simply don't like the look of these utensils," Tsuneo explained when he noticed Ogami looking his way.
Playing cards stained with human blood was one thing, but he drew the line at eating off the silver in a haunted mansion.
Ran had also opted to stick to the rice balls Tsuneo had bought earlier, her fear still outweighing her hunger.
"I can understand that," Ogami nodded, choosing not to pry further.
"I trust everyone has eaten their fill? Are you satisfied with the Last Supper I prepared?" The voice of the Master of the annex rang out through the speakers once more.
"Now, let us get down to business. I am sure you are all curious as to why I chose this mansion—which cost me a fortune to acquire—as the stage for our game."
Everyone straightened up. Finally, they were getting to the heart of the matter.
"First, I would like you to take a very close look at the utensils placed beside you."
The host paused for a moment before continuing.
"This engraving... is it a crow?" Kogoro Mouri noted, looking at the pattern etched into the handle of his spoon. It was the distinct silhouette of a crow.
"If that's the case, then could this be...?" Senma Furuyo muttered as she picked up her teacup to inspect the bottom. Something had clearly clicked in her mind.
"Now you understand. That is the family crest of the multi-millionaire Renya Karasuma, who died under mysterious circumstances about half a century ago!"
"In addition to the cutlery, every door, every floorboard, every handrail—even the chess sets in the hall and the patterns on the playing cards—were all custom-made to his specifications."
"In other words, this annex was the villa built by the Karasuma family."
"However, that is all ancient history now. Because forty years ago, a tragedy beyond human comprehension occurred within these walls—a bloodbath that stained this mansion forever."
"I am sure that as esteemed detectives, you noticed the moment you stepped inside that this place is covered in bloodstains, left behind in various forms."
"Indeed. Those are the remnants of a night forty years ago, etched into this mansion that remains, even now, breathtakingly beautiful..."
(End of Chapter)
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