Phantom Thief of Heart!but conan

Chapter 855 Reunion after a long absence

"Two travelers look up at the night sky

The devil descends upon the castle and the king escapes with his treasure

The princess shed tears on the Holy Grail and begged for forgiveness; the soldier committed suicide with a sword, and the blood was all over the ground..."

Staring at the faded lead type on the yellowed paper, Tang Ze silently folded it and looked at the second piece of letter paper.

"This is the commission that the Karasuma family sent forty years ago." Curious Dr. Agasa came to him and looked at it carefully for a while, and couldn't help but sigh, "The wording is very humble and cautious, and the reward is generous. No wonder so many people went to the banquet forty years ago..."

"This letter is unsigned." Tang Ze's focus was not on the content of the letter. He stared at the end of the letter and said, "There is only a crow emblem. Is this the family emblem of the Karasuma family?"

"No, to be more precise, it's the emblem of Mr. Karasuma Renye himself." Mamiya Takato shook his head. "Although it's not wrong to regard it as the family emblem of the Karasuma family, Mr. Karasuma Renye did not leave any offspring. After his death, his property was handed over to several capable subordinates and professional managers of the group, and gradually divided into several different groups. I have to say, this is actually a pity. If the Karasuma family had a successor, his heir would definitely be the richest man in the country, even if he was not the richest man in Asia."

There was some sadness in Mamiya Nobuhito's heart when he said this.

As Karasawa said a long time ago, Japan attaches more importance to surname rather than blood relationship in family inheritance, that is, the form of the family itself is more important than kinship.

Just like Mamiya Takato himself, his father and Mamiya Mitsuru were both sons-in-law who married into the Mamiya family, so the son of the eldest daughter still calls the old man of the Mamiya family grandfather, and is the heir to part of the family's industry.

The fact that Karasuma Ren'ya has no descendants actually does not affect the continuation of the Karasuma family much if he is willing to adopt a child before his death and inherit the surname.

His behavior was actually puzzling to some wealthy people. After all, as the helmsman of a once-powerful chaebol, it was actually quite contrary to common sense that he had not prepared an heir for his business.

Tang Ze, who knew the inside story, pulled the corner of his mouth without any smile.

Of course Lao Deng would not have nothing to do and find an heir for himself. People expect to be the only one in power for generations to come. Wouldn't finding an heir be a nuisance to himself?
He could also use his own death to escape, splitting the overly large and eye-catching industry into different parts. With the death of his social identity, he would completely become a giant hidden in the darkness...

"So, this Twilight Mansion was not actually inherited." After briefly despising Old Deng who dreamed of immortality, Tang Ze turned his attention back to the letter in his hand, "Who owns this castle now?"

"Well, if you ask me that, I'm really not sure..." Mamiya Takato stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then shook his head, "I haven't heard of anyone taking over this place. Maybe the murder that happened there was too bloody and tragic, plus it has this unlucky reputation, so no one is willing to take it over..."

At this point, Mamiya Nobuto paused for a moment, turned his head to look at his grandfather's portrait, coughed twice, and closed his mouth.

He didn't seem to have the right to comment on this, as if his family wasn't the same...

Tang Ze looked through the photos, puzzles and letters repeatedly, thought for a while, turned his back, and quickly scanned the three things with his third eye.

A faint but exceptionally bright light suddenly appeared on the old black-and-white photo, as if some special printing process was suddenly added to this old photo paper, making this gloomy Gothic building suddenly become bright.

This is the precious light that Tang Ze is already very familiar with. It is a secret treasure, or in other words, a special luster transmitted by the power of the cognitive world.

He picked up the photo and slightly changed the angle of observation to make sure that the light in the photo showed no signs of flowing, and it was more like it was completely frozen in the image by the film. Only then could he be roughly sure of what he had seen.

"Forty years ago..." Tang Ze pinched the fragile and yellowed paper, turned around, and looked at Mamiya Nobuto with a smile as natural as possible, "Mr. Nobuto, do you mind giving us this photo? As you know, our club has always been very interested in such ancient castles and legends..."

"If you need it, I'll give you this letter as a reward for helping me find the truth." Mamiya Takato waved his hand casually, "After all, it was forty years ago. Many people probably can't find where this castle is now."

Tang Ze smiled and didn't hesitate to carefully put the badly damaged piece of paper into his bag. "It is indeed possible. That's why we need a photo. Maybe we can have a chance to find it..."

"That's great." Mamiya Takato smiled, "If you find the answer to the puzzle, would you mind sharing it with me? I have no other purpose. My grandfather must have felt a lot of regret for not being able to help solve this legendary castle mystery."

"...Of course." Tang Ze turned his head and looked at Huihara Ai, who instinctively took two steps back after hearing the name of Karasuma Renya, "If, there is a chance."

----

A deep blue color unfolds before your eyes.

The long chain passed through the endless silent colors and came before him.

Then it rose, rising continuously, passing through the blazing flames, through the endless corridors, through the white moonlight, and blending into the dazzling brilliance.

Kenji Hagiwara, who had vaguely regained some consciousness, felt the warm light in a trance. He wanted to turn his head and try his best to look towards the direction it came from.

I only had time to catch a faint candlelight and the strange, eclipse-like pupils that were wrapped in golden light at the edges...

“…What do you want to say?”

"What else can I say, I..."

"...Didn't you say before that if there was a chance..."

The loud tinnitus was still echoing in his ears, and it took Kenji Hagiwara a while before he could barely distinguish some faint human voices from the quiet environment.

A very familiar voice... No, it's more than just familiar...

That was a sound he had thought he would never hear again.

Kenji Hagiwara was in a trance for a moment, then he slowly opened his eyes with all his strength.

What caught his eye was the glaring square overhead light and the face of the guy standing next to him, with his back to the light, looking down at him.

Kenji Hagiwara stared at the scene in a daze, opened his mouth, and took some time to find his voice.

"Xiao Zhenping... why are you wearing sunglasses when you come to the hospital to see a patient..."

"You...!" Matsuda Jinpei, who had been brewing his emotions in silence for a while, was broken by his words. He clenched his teeth and slapped the other person hard on the chest.

This guy, really is...!
Hagiwara Kenji, who coughed twice after being hit by such a powerful blow, could not help but protest: "Hey, hey, this is not good for the burn patients... right...?"

As he spoke, he slowly regained his five senses, tentatively moved his hands and feet, and raised his right hand.

The protective gauntlet was still on his arm, and his five fingers were not damaged at all. Even the thin calluses from practicing with bomb disposal tools were well preserved at the base of his fingers, because he had previously left two red marks from squeezing the pliers tightly.

Kenji Hagiwara, whose head was still immersed in the intense burning pain the moment before, was greatly shocked.

"Has modern medicine advanced to the point where it can heal burns to this extent?" He looked at his palms back and forth, extremely amazed.

Given the situation he faced at the time, he thought it was a miracle that he survived...

Jinpei Matsuda took a deep breath and opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes fell on the bulletproof vest on Kenji Hagiwara. He couldn't help clenching his teeth and turned away in embarrassment.

Zhu Fu Jingguang, who took two steps back to leave space for them, saw this scene and couldn't help but take a breath and look away.

He could understand Jinpei Matsuda's feelings.

Just like when Morobushi Keimitsu woke up, the bullet hole and bloodstains on his chest were still there, and Matsuda Jinpei was still wearing his suit, Hagiwara Kenji, who was dragged back to the river of time from the old times, was still wearing the clothes he was wearing when he died.

The simplified protective gear that belonged to the explosive ordnance disposal team was chosen by him in order to perform more precise operations.

He thought that Matsuda probably wanted to welcome Hagiwara back properly, with a hug or maybe a punch. In short, the atmosphere shouldn't be the kind that makes people want to cry.

But whenever I see his current appearance, his exceptionally young face that remained seven years ago, it becomes so difficult to control my emotions.

If he was like this, then the shock to Matsuda Jinpei, who watched his friend go and never come back that afternoon seven years ago, would have been even stronger. Rubbing the back of his head, which was still in pain, Hagiwara Kenji, who didn't understand why the atmosphere was so heavy, slowly sat up and looked around. His expression quickly became blank.

He lowered his head again, looking at his body which was intact from head to toe, and then looked at Jinpei Matsuda who was facing away from him with his head down, enduring something. He finally realized that the situation was somewhat beyond his expectations.

This is definitely not a hospital, and it is far from being unfamiliar.

Not only were there papers and documents scattered around the sofa bed, but there were also screens hanging on half of the car body, and further away there were fixed racks filled with ominous things and emitting a dangerous atmosphere. They all seemed to be products from some special science fiction film and were completely beyond his cognition.

His eyes immediately noticed the time in the lower right corner of the screen, and then his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Huh? Now, now it is..."

"It's been seven years since you died in the line of duty." Matsuda Jinpei closed his eyes and readjusted his emotions before finally taking off his sunglasses, revealing his 26-year-old face with only slightly red eye circles left after several attempts at self-control. "Hagi...long time no see."

He tried his best to keep his voice calm, but when he saw the gauntlets and bulletproof vest on Hagiwara Kenji, a trace of trembling was still revealed.

He pulled Hagiwara Kenji, who was still very confused and hadn't figured out the situation, up from the sofa and gave the guy in the hard protective gear a hug with all his strength.

Seven years, already, seven years...

----

After scanning the man's eyes with the mini flashlight again and checking the data on the instrument again, Huihara Ai took the patch off the man's arm and said in a calm tone full of medical temperament: "All data are normal. There is nothing wrong with his body. If there is obvious discomfort, drink some healing potion. You know, it is especially effective for special cases like yours."

"Thank you, young lady." Hagiwara Kenji, who was still wearing the uniform of the explosive ordnance disposal team, pinched his arm that had been pressed by the cold patch for a long time, "I am really sorry to trouble you. My rare special case should be difficult for the doctor, right?"

It is normal to examine people's bodies, but examining the body of a person who has come back to life is a very strange thing no matter how you think about it.

Haibara Ai, who was packing up the instrument cables, paused slightly, raised her head, looked left and right at the other two people guarding on both sides strangely, narrowed her eyes, and her eyes were subtle.

"It's not so bad." She said in a subtle tone that was hard to tell whether it was a complaint or a reminder, "The first time is new, the second time is familiar..."

Kenji Hagiwara was stunned for a while, and after his IQ had recovered and worked for a moment, he quickly realized what the mature and calm girl in front of him meant. He widened his eyes in disbelief and looked left and right at his two friends.

"So, it's not just me..."

"Well, Zero is 29 years old now." Zhu Fujingguang raised his hand to cover up, put his fist to his lips, and said euphemistically, "But strictly speaking, you are still 22 years old now."

After saying that, he pointed at Matsuda Jinpei, who was sitting opposite him and covering his mouth and not speaking: "26 years old."

Finally, he tapped his chest and said, "Me too."

Kenji Hagiwara completely understood what he was implying. He couldn't help but raise his hand and press his forehead, letting out a painful groan.

"Oh my god, so among all of us ambitious guys, not even one of us has actually worked for ten years?"

Although it has not been ten years since they graduated from the police academy, three out of five are gone. This record is a bit too tragic.

"Indeed, he didn't. Don't be fooled by Master Jing's calm appearance. He went undercover and died. After careful calculation, he actually never officially joined the company." Matsuda Jinpei covered his mouth and squeezed out a muffled sound, "Neither did the squad leader. He also died a year ago."

"Huh? But the squad leader should go to the Investigation Division, which is responsible for on-site investigations. The risk of the Investigation Division is not that high, right..."

"Well, I got into a car accident while tracking down a criminal."

Well, after half a day, there is only one seedling left.

For Kenji Hagiwara, who died on the job shortly after graduation, the day when the five of them stood together and took the oath at graduation seemed like it was just yesterday. Hearing them say this, his emotions were particularly complicated.

After all this time, none of those promises, whether joking or serious, were fulfilled...

If Instructor Onizuka finds out, I don’t know what to say to these losers.

Although he, as the first person to fall after only a few months of graduation, has no right to say this...

Hagiwara Kenji opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. After trying for a long time, he finally squeezed out a sentence: "I don't know why, but I suddenly feel like I should apologize to Kouguchi."

I heard this news one after another. My old friends are getting fewer and fewer every year. It must be very hard for me to be the last one left...

"Puchi..." After packing her things and preparing to get out of the RV, Haibara Ai couldn't help but burst out laughing, not knowing whether she was amused by his strange tone or his address to Furiya Rei.

"I'm sorry, your tone is really too weird." Meeting the gazes of the three people, Huihara Ai turned around, not wanting the smile on her face to be seen by the group of former police officers sitting together discussing strange things. "I won't bother you anymore. I have to go back with the doctor. If you have any questions, please contact me in time. I will do further inspections when I return to Tokyo. Don't worry."

"I'm sorry that you have to worry about such things when we are traveling. Thank you for your hard work, Miss Shiho."

"I seem to have caused you a lot of trouble. I'm really sorry... By the way, is this child a special talent in a class for gifted teenagers? She looks, um, like..."

"No, of course not. Uh, that's not right. She is indeed in the gifted class, but she is not this gifted boy... Shut up first, it's very rude to say that..."

Haibara Ai got out of the car with a smile on her lips. The noisy voices of the three people were isolated behind them as the folding door of the RV closed again.

She shook her head and laughed, then turned her head and looked at Tang Ze, who was leaning against the outer wall of the RV, his hands in his pockets, looking at the sky, wondering what he was thinking about.

"You're not very interested in this kind of scene, don't you want to go up and take a look?" She tilted her head and looked at Tang Ze, who was rarely smiling, a little puzzled, "Why don't you look very happy?"

This guy, whether he is looking for people to make wishes for this shocking experiment, or he throws himself into it without hesitation after knowing the conditions, and works hard for such a long time without saying a word, or he always goes to the resurrection scene to watch the excitement, and he can't wait to hold a camera to record the whole process, it is not difficult to see that he is actually very enthusiastic about this matter.

Today, he dragged back a ghost that had been dead for seven years from the underworld. This should have been a milestone breakthrough, but he suddenly became depressed...

Tang Ze is such a hard person to understand.

"Why would I be unhappy?" Tang Ze smiled and exhaled softly, "I just feel that it's a bit inappropriate to appear at this time."

"How thoughtful."

"Of course, I am the best at reading the air."

Seeing that Tang Ze refused to admit it, Huihara Ai didn't say much. She just reached out and patted Tang Ze's hand, which was clenched into a fist in his pocket, when she passed by him.

"Don't be so stubborn. You've been busy with Kudo all night. Get some rest."

"You too."

After watching the small figure walk around the corner and disappear on the other side of the RV, Tang Ze slowly put away the smile on his face and looked up at the sky again.

After the rain, the sky in the woods is clear and blue, clean and clear, and deep and bottomless.

Tang Ze closed his eyes, feeling somewhat fortunate that he had quit smoking a long time ago and did not have any tobacco on him.

"After so many years, we finally meet again, friends... It's great to meet again after so long..."

(End of this chapter)