Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 169 The Magic Train Murder Case

"Bang bang!"

Hokkaido.

The Silver Meteor No. 1, a sleeper express train bound for Dead Bone Plain.

Deluxe Sleeper Class A Room No. 5.

Unlike regular sleeper berths, the private rooms are very spacious.

Gao Mo snapped out of his nap, looked at the unfamiliar hills and fields outside the window, and picked up a "Fantasy Travel Group" brochure from the small table.

He was on this tourist train because of that letter signed "Hell Puppet Master".

The other party invited him to take this train to the final stop, Shikokuhara, to investigate the truth behind the death of top magician Chikamiya Reiko several years ago. The letter included detailed information on the former Chikamiya Magic Troupe and the current Illusion Magic Troupe.

There's also 300 million for travel expenses...

Looking back on his experiences since coming into this world, this was the first time someone had written him a letter directly.

They weren't looking for "Kindaichi" or anyone else, but instead pointed directly at him, specifically asking him to investigate—as if they had already seen through his disguise and tricks.

However, in reality, he had never seen any Hell Puppet Master.

He has always been very low-key.

"call!"

Gao Mo let his thoughts wander as he gazed at the scenery outside the window.

Could it be because of this revelation of the Egg of Memories incident?
However, he only works as an appraiser, and no one outside the industry pays him any attention.

Even when dealing with Scrooge, he was extremely cautious, not even drawing his gun...

Can't figure it out.

Gao Mo frowned and gathered his thoughts.

This time, the Fantasy Magic Troupe will perform on stage at the final stop.

Leaving aside the truth about the death mentioned in the letter, his most important mission on this trip was to investigate the identity of the Hell Puppet Master.

The word "puppet master" reminded him of his previous precognitive dreams.

He knew perfectly well that the threat of death had never disappeared; from the day he was resurrected and chosen by the notebook, there was no turning back.

Could the puppeteer-like agent of death in my dream be Takato Yoichi?
[Storage Pool: 42 Stars]

[Occupations: Detective lv5, Actor lv4, Magician lv1, Librarian lv1]

[Detective Level 6 Upgrade: 100 Stars, World-Renowned]

[Actor Level 5 Upgrade: 50 Stars, A Perfect Performance]

【魔术师lv2升级：20星，破解2次魔术犯罪1/2】

[Third-Tier Upgrade: Three Level 5 Classes (1/3)]

……

"Good morning!"

"It's breakfast time..."

Footsteps echoed in the train aisle. The train attendant gently knocked on the door and asked, "There will be a magic show in the dining car. If you're interested, you can go and watch."

"Please enjoy."

The luxury private room is definitely different; a waiter brought breakfast directly to us.

However, the magic show...

Gao Mo's gaze returned to the Fantasy Magic Troupe's brochure on the table.

Five years ago, Reiko Chikamiya died in an accident during rehearsal, after which her apprentices re-established the Fantasy Magic Troupe.

The Dead Bone Plain Hotel, located at the final stop, happens to be the very place where the accident occurred 5 years ago...

The same old routine.

It sounds like a revenge drama.

But now he's also caught up in it.

It's as if you can see the brochure shrouded in the stench of blood, and the lambs wailing in agony.

No matter how many tricks are used, they can't diminish the horror of death...

It seems like there are a lot of deaths in the cases in Kindaichi.

It's unclear whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for him.

Actually, Ai wanted to come along this time, but he didn't agree.

Ai's ability to attract ghosts is perfect for uncovering the truth behind a death five years ago. However, this time it's not just an old case, and he's unsure what dangers might arise.

Death might pull some unexpected tricks.

"Let's go check out the dining car first."

After having breakfast, Gao Mo got up and left the private room. Before he even got into the food cart, he heard lively laughter.

The magic troupe has already begun their impromptu performance.

"The Magic Train?" Heiji Hattori rested his chin on his hand, looking like he hadn't slept well. "Why did I have to come all the way to Hokkaido? The B sleeper bed was so narrow and small, I couldn't even stretch my legs out, and I didn't sleep well all night."

“I think it’s great,” Kazuha said, joining the other passengers in clapping for the magician. “Isn’t the dining car amazing? We can even watch a free magic show.”

“How could it be free?” Hattori Heiji sneered. “The ridiculously expensive tickets already include this cost.”

"Stop complaining, I came here specifically to accompany Heiji..."

"You're the one I most wanted to come, right?"

"Cough cough!"

Inspector Megure, sitting opposite them, coughed, interrupting their conversation.

"Why are you two here?"

“I was planning to go to Tokyo for a few days,” Hattori Heiji said, puzzled. “But Kazuha insisted on coming to see some kind of magic show.”

"The Fantasy Magic Troupe's performance is such a rare treat; I had a really hard time getting tickets," Kazuha said excitedly. "Especially the 'Living Puppet' show—I've been wanting to see it for ages!"

"A live puppet?" Hattori Heiji scoffed. "Magic is all just boring tricks to deceive people. I don't find it fun to be fooled..."

As he spoke, he glanced casually and was surprised to see Gao Mo walking into the food cart.

"Kido-kun?" Hattori Heiji almost thought he was seeing things. Taking advantage of a break in the magician's performance, he quickly waved and called out, "What are you doing here too?"

Gao Mo's gaze lingered briefly on Inspector Megure.

I came to see a magic show... What are you doing here?

"Shh," Megure mysteriously pulled Gao Mo aside, "Actually, a threatening letter was sent to the First Investigation Division, saying that they wanted to perform a magic trick involving death and terror. The division chief was worried and sent me over to check on the situation."

"Just one officer?"

"I also have many cases to handle in Tokyo, and to be honest, I don't want to come here either."

Megure's face showed slight pain.

He wasn't a fan of magic shows, and the whole journey was quite a hassle for him.

"All the A-class sleeper berths are sold out, so I can only buy a regular sleeper berth, which is noisy and uncomfortable."

"Yeah, yeah," Hattori Heiji echoed, "The kid next door kept crying last night, and I didn't get to sleep until midnight. I woke up this morning feeling sore all over... Kido-san probably isn't feeling much better either, right?"

"Um……"

Gao Mo felt it was better not to mention that he was staying in a single room.

He slept quite well yesterday, but he kept thinking about "Hell Puppet Master".

Speaking of which, this first-class carriage ticket was booked in advance by the other party... They are quite particular in this regard.

“I’m so incredibly unlucky,” Hattori Heiji was still complaining. “You guys went treasure hunting at the castle without telling me anything, and there was Kid and professional assassins... It was quite a spectacle, while I was stuck at Osaka Castle taking care of women and children…”

"What do you mean, Heiji?" Kazuha suddenly moved closer to Hattori. "Do you think it's beneath you to come with us?" "Idiot, that's not what I meant..."

Gao Mo ignored the young couple and turned his attention back to the magic show.

Similar to the description in the Fantasy Magic Troupe's information, each magician performs the type of magic they are good at.

Water magic, card magic, superpower magic, standing magic, puppet magic...

The applause inside the food truck came in waves. Fortunately, there were long intervals between each performance, otherwise the aisle would probably have been packed with people.

No matter where you are, watching a spectacle is human nature.

Not to mention that most people on this train are there for the Fantasy Magic Troupe.

What Gao Mo was concerned about was that he couldn't find anyone who was Gao Yuanyaoyi from beginning to end.

He investigated not only the magicians listed in the brochures, but also all the staff of the magic troupe, and even launched a Transparent World exploration behind the scenes.

"This must be Mr. Kido, right?" A tall young man returned from the restroom and greeted Gao Mo. "It's truly remarkable that you were able to unearth the Egg of Memories."

With his coral-shaped bangs, broad eyebrows, handsome, slender face, and well-fitting tie and suit, he could be identified at a glance as a wealthy young master.

“He’s Officer Shiratori,” Megure explained in a low voice, “He happened to be on vacation in Hokkaido, so he joined me.”

"Shiratori Ninzaburo." The young man smiled and shook hands with Gao Mo.

Gao Mo suddenly came to his senses.

I thought it looked familiar; turns out it was this guy.

The young master of the Shiratori Group, the eldest son of a wealthy family, is currently Takagi's rival in love.

She initially appeared as a police assistant inspector, but quickly rose to the rank of police inspector. In terms of background, looks, talent, and position, she completely outshone Takagi.

I heard that a criminal that Takagi arrested not long ago suddenly died of a heart attack, which caused a lot of trouble. As a result, Takagi, who was already inconspicuous, is now still doing odd jobs in the life safety department.

They are completely incomparable.

"Mr. Kido, are you also interested in magic?" Shiratori asked curiously. "It's not very convenient here, how about we chat in the VIP carriage? Don't let my appearance fool you, I've been a devoted magic fan since I was a child, and I've even seen the Chikamiya Magic Troupe perform a few times..."

The Chikamiya Magic Troupe was the predecessor of the Fantasy Magic Troupe. Five years ago, after Chikamiya Reiko passed away, it was renamed the Fantasy Magic Troupe…

“Shiratori,” Megure said, wiping sweat from his brow as he watched Shiratori Ninzaburo chatter on, “even though you’re on vacation, you can’t just completely ignore things. Who knows what the guy who sent the threatening letter is planning? Now is not the time to discuss magic…”

"Is that not possible?" Shiratori Ninzaburo said regretfully. "I think that Hell Puppet Master might also be a magic enthusiast."

Gao Mo had a slight sweat on his forehead.

So what does this have to do with him?
Do you suspect he is a puppeteer from hell?

"I'm going back to my carriage now," Gao Mo waved and left the dining car. "You can call me if you need anything..."

"Hmph." Someone inside the food cart smirked.

Gao Mo turned around abruptly, but saw nothing unusual.

Shiratori Ninzaburo continues his discussion with Inspector Megure about the Hell Puppet Master, while Hattori Heiji and Kazuha expose each other's shortcomings.

The others were still enjoying the magic show.

"They're all just small magic tricks..."

"The little magic tricks are also very interesting. Tonight they will have a formal performance at the terminal hotel, where you can see the world-famous live puppet show."

"Puppet shows are just so-so, aren't they?"

"That one is different. It's said to be an incredible, perfect magic trick that even famous detectives can't see through."

Gao Mo frowned, looked around, took in everyone's behavior, and then calmly walked out of the dining car.

It was the right decision not to bring Ai Haibara along.

There was a subtle malice emanating from them after only standing here for a short while.

For him now, these fellow human beings are the real source of danger.

Death can do too many things by exploiting human malice.

Room 5, Grade A

Gao Mo looked at the documents and books he had finished reading on the table, then silently closed his eyes and opened his mental palace to reorganize the relationship network between the members of the magic troupe and Reiko Chikamiya.

He doesn't really want to use the Mind Palace unless it's absolutely necessary.

Perhaps because he relied too much on his innate abilities, he clearly felt that his reasoning level had hit a bottleneck and was stuck at level 4.
But this magic trip is too important; I can't worry about anything else...

"The clues are still not enough."

Gao Mo opened his eyes again.

Even with the clues gathered from the investigation in the dining car, the truth behind the scenes remains elusive.

Reiko Chikamiya's death may have been related to her disciples, but that's all.

The resulting revenge plot could not be developed—because Reiko Chikamiya's network of relationships was severely lacking, making it impossible to pinpoint the Hell Puppet Master.

And whether this Hell Puppet Master is actually the Gao Yuanyao he thought he was... is currently uncertain.

It's really strange that the other party sent threatening letters to the police and then sent him an invitation letter—

He was provoking the police while simultaneously entrusting them with investigating an old case; something just didn't feel right.

There's also "magic of death and terror"...

Regardless of whether it's Takato Yoichi or not, it's pretty certain that the target is someone who is extremely confident and views crime as an art form.

This magic trip could very well be the magic crime he needs.

Gao Mo placed his finger on the promotional brochure.

We should at least wait until the Hell Puppet Master makes his move.

Based on the information currently available, the other party likely wants him and the police to be the main audience for the death magic trick.

Even if he does nothing, he will still get involved in the incident.

We'll see if the other party can fool his eyes then.

Every action will inevitably reveal flaws.

……

dining car.

Megure placed the information he had gathered on the table.

"These people from the Fantasy Magic Troupe are the most suspicious, but we can't rule out competitors or some strange magic fans... There are always some fans in this world who go to extremes."

"Shiratori, how much do you know about the Fantasy Magic Troupe?"

“I’ve only heard that Reiko Chikamiya’s death five years ago was suspicious,” Shiratori pondered. “Although it was ruled an accident five years ago, the motives behind it all come from the disciples who are now the main members of the Fantasy Magic Troupe.”

"Most importantly, the magic notebook that Chikamiya Reiko always kept with her has not been found, and now the core magic of the Fantasy Magic Troupe, which is said to be a new magic they came up with... all of them have Chikamiya Reiko's influence."

"That doesn't prove anything, after all, they are Reiko Chikamiya's apprentices and have performed many magic tricks before." Megure's fat face was also full of doubt, and finally he sighed and shook his head.

Having handled so many cases, he could sometimes discern something from them.

After all, even Mori can become a famous detective.

"Besides those magicians, there are also a few members who have joined the magic troupe in recent years: manager Junpei Kirishima, apprentice magician Satomi Zanma... Shiratori, please keep an eye on them," Inspector Megure continued.

"know."

"Is it really just a threatening letter?" Hattori Heiji couldn't help but interject. "Could it be a prank?"

If it were just a regular threatening letter, there would be no need to dispatch an inspector from the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division.

“In fact,” Megure said in a deep voice, “that threatening letter also contained a very sophisticated magic trick. Ordinary people wouldn’t do that kind of prank. I did have a feeling that something bad was going to happen, especially after seeing Hattori-kun.”

"What does this have to do with me?" Hattori Heiji asked, looking completely bewildered.

"You're a famous detective too, aren't you? Maybe you caught Mori's talent... You just happen to be the only detective on this train."

(End of this chapter)