Conan: Science Cartoonist Kudo Yuji

"This is our home..."

Leading a group of people into the blessed land, passing through many tombstones arranged horizontally and vertically, Fu Jiang Takusan pointed to the small courtyard surrounded by bricks and stones at the innermost part, and asked everyone to see the wooden hut inside.

It is called a hut, but in fact it is only up to the waist of an average person. Unless Conan is here, no one would think of it as a house.

Takuzo Axe bowed to the old man beside him who was dressed in a shrine maiden's costume, then stood at the door and watched with everyone else as the other person pushed open the door to the yard and went in.

"This is the custom of our family. My grandfather believed that only when a person dies will they lose their desires and greed, so the dead are nobler than when they were alive."

Fujiang Takuzo explained: "So in the family's concept, the shrine maidens who serve the gods are purer than the dead, and things like sweeping the house are mostly done by the shrines that the family worships."

As soon as Fue finished speaking, the shrine maiden opened the door of the wooden house, revealing the dusty interior. Most people were looking around, and some were staring at Fue Takuzo. Only Maori Kogoro noticed that Fue Tadayuki's spirit tablet was particularly clean.

"You said the shrine is responsible for cleaning the house, but the spirit tablets in the house are all covered in dust."

Officer Nishimura could not see the spirit tablet of Afue Tadayuki from his position, but he could see Afue Takuzo's grandparents and ancestors of the previous generation, and he could see that they were all covered in ashes.

"This is because the Axe River Group has not dedicated to the shrine for a long time."

The sudden voice behind everyone made Nakamori Ginzo turn around. Seeing that it was the shrine maiden who had just spoken to Aoko, he couldn't help but stretch his neck to look in the direction she came from.

"She has already left."

"Huh?" Nakamori Ginzo was still confused. Wasn't it his daughter who said it was safer to stay with the police? The next second he realized that the person who had just spoken and pulled his face was Kaito, so he snorted with a sour face.

"what the hell……"

The little witch thought that Nakamori Ginzo's dissatisfaction was directed at herself, and she gave him a displeased look. She turned her head and saw Mori Kogoro, who was standing next to Axie Takuzo, staring at her with a frown.

"They are all weirdos..."

She went back to the front of the shrine.

"So you, an unfilial son, sold all your property and didn't even give the management money that the family offered?"

Kogoro Mori looked at Takuzo Axie speechlessly. He didn't think that this guy would give him a thank-you fee. After all, this guy even deducted too much from his deceased ancestors.

"What do you know? It was fine at that time with my grandfather, but since my father started to manage the family, I don't know why the fees were much higher than before. By the time he died, it was nearly 2 million yen per month, which is 24 million yen a year. I have no money to give them."

Fujiang Takuzo sighed: "If I could find the treasure buried by my grandfather, I wouldn't have to deduct even this money."

"Don't think about the treasure anymore. It's best for you to ensure your own safety."

Officer Nishimura interrupted Takuzo Axie and the yard became quiet again.

……

"Yuji, you went to the shrine yesterday, didn't you notice anything special?" Kuroba Kaito pointed at Yuji who was stirring coffee, forcing the brat to work quickly. He didn't believe that this guy didn't see anything, otherwise he wouldn't have let him go to the shrine with his father.

"That shrine, the pattern on the stone slab in front of the money box really caught my attention."

"Yeah, I noticed that too. What else?"

"Gone."

The young man waved his hands, took out a small notebook from his arms and drew the slate pattern in his memory.

[Five-pointed star, moon, full board dots, eight-pointed pattern.]
"You can tell it's a code at first glance." Hattori Heiji pointed at the picture and said, "The five-pointed star should be pointing to Goryokaku, which is the same as the six swords put together." After all, the code paper was the second method left by Keisaburo Axie to find treasure. If the code is rediscovered at the shrine at the end of the code, it will not unexpectedly match the first method of the star-pointed knife.

"The moon number refers to the moon, which is at night. The dots on the board are... a star map, I guess, to confirm the location."

Conan continued following Hattori Heiji's reasoning, but the eight-direction diagram that followed was not very clear to him.

"Then, can you tell me something that I can't deduce?" Kuroba Kaito slapped the table, somewhat helplessly: "The little miko said that the secrets of the shrine should be more than these."

The most important thing is that even if a new code is discovered in the shrine, it may not be directly linked to the treasure of the Fujiang family. Even if it is directly linked, it is meaningless if the Eight Directions Map cannot be guessed.

"I don't know what Dad is thinking..."

Kaito's muttering made the three people on the opposite side look up and stare at him in surprise.

"You mean, Mr. Kuroba Toichi already knows the secret of the shrine?"

Yuuji narrowed his eyes and glared at Kaito unkindly: "I told you about the shrine because I trust you."

"What? Dad called me before you did." Kuroba Kaito waved his hand: "I'm not saying that the old man must have figured it out, but he just didn't tell us."

"Tsk, we can see it too!"

Unconvinced, Detective Osaka took off his hat and put it on backwards. His expression became a little more serious. He moved his head just above the drawing paper, his eyes fixed on the four pictures.

Seeing this, Yuuji took out the menu from the table and pointed at the second side of pasta and said, "Can I order something to eat?"

"Whatever you say." Kuroba Kaito and Conan ignored Kudo Yuuji and looked at Hattori Heiji expectantly, wondering what he would discover.

"Excuse me, roasted celery with bacon, a classic pasta dish, a caramel pudding and crouton ice cream."

The sound of ordering, especially the sound of Yuji reading the menu, made the two people who were staring at Hattori swallow their saliva.

"By the way, no dairy products are added. If it's cold, please replace it with coconut milk, and toast the bread cubes to make them crispier."

The boy fished out a Natsume Soseki note from his pocket and handed it to the waiter as a tip, then turned around and noticed his two brothers who had given up on Hattori and moved closer to him.

"…We think it's easier to think when we're full." Conan smiled.

"That's right, that's right."

Conan flipped through the menu seriously, glanced at the prices, and said to the waiter, "According to his order, two more, he'll pay."

"That's right, that's right."

The magician who could only say yes touched his stomach.

"What about Hattori?" Yuji pointed at Hattori Heiji who was staring at the drawing paper and writing something.

"Him? He probably isn't in the mood to eat right now." Conan pushed Detective Osaka: "Hattori, can you hear me?"

"Obviously, you can't hear it." Kuroba Kaito nodded at Yuuji and smiled.

"Hurry up and ask them to serve the food." (End of this chapter)