Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 177 Magician Level 2, Kido Takamori, who doesn't do his job properly

"This guy……"

Hattori Heiji was a little annoyed by Sakonji's smug look.

I was terrified just a moment ago.

“But I still don’t quite understand,” Hattori whispered to Gao Mo, “After spending two years investigating and planning, would they really just let their enemy go so easily? And Ms. Yuumi’s death, it’s completely incomprehensible, it seems like an accident no matter how you look at it…”

"No matter how skilled you are at magic, you can't kill someone that way, right? It's too random and difficult to control."

"Why think so much?" Gao Mo patted Hattori on the shoulder. "Anyway, the matter is resolved. Spend some time with your Kazuha."

"Why are you keeping Kazuha company?" Hattori Heiji asked, looking completely bewildered. "It's not like she can't have fun on her own..."

Gao Mo glanced speechlessly at Kazuha, who was about to go berserk, and then silently looked at Gao Yuanyao's departing figure.

He probably understood Gao Yuanyao's idea.

An ordinary prison probably couldn't hold this guy—you could tell from the powerful confidence hidden in his eyes.

Surrendering was both a way of making a final exit and a way of hastening Sakonji's death... while also testing him.

That's incredibly audacious; they're already scheming before even becoming a Grim Reaper's agent.

Gao Mo lowered his eyes to hide his gaze.

Only after actually getting to know them did I realize how difficult these highly intelligent criminals are to deal with.

Fortunately, he's not doing too badly now.

Raising the detective profession to level 5 first is the right choice—otherwise, it would be really difficult to control someone like Takato Yoichi.

If it weren't for the fact that upgrading the notebook requires more level 5 professions, he would have liked to upgrade the detective to level 6 first.

Although each level only increases the talent, the talents themselves also vary in strength.

He could sense that leveling up affected the strength of his talent. As for level 6, which was above level 5, the requirements were so high that the improvement would definitely be significant.

"Wow!"

The sound of pages turning filled the air.

After the projected text remained completely unchanged, Gao Mo officially extracted the task.

The projected text will disappear after the case is closed, so we can't waste any time before then, whether we can finish it or not is another matter.

[The leader of the group is abolished] - Yura, the nobleman.

The first draw surprisingly went to a dead person.

There is absolutely no possibility of it being completed.

carry on.

[Becoming a Death Agent] - Takato Yoichi.

It looks normal, but it seems impossible to complete right now.

He's just an imposter, good at pretending but not capable of truly turning Gao Yuanyao into a Death Agent.

Talking about it is meaningless.

Gao Mo began to flip through the book in his hand.

The foreseen future is not static, and he doesn't know if his intervention will cause changes in the future.

However, in his own opinion, Gao Yuanyao was probably just missing a trigger, like his own resurrection.

Wait a little longer...

The notes are projected and updated floating in the high-resolution view.

【魔术师lv2升级：20星，破解2次魔术犯罪2/2】

The Magician class can now be upgraded.

Gao Mo looked at the projected notes and, without thinking too much, immediately chose to upgrade.

[Magician Lv2, talent "Magic Mechanism", skilled in creating magic props]

While not exceptionally strong, magical talent is indispensable for top-tier magicians, as it can save them a significant amount of learning time.

[Magician Level 3 Upgrade: 30 stars, complete one formal stage magic performance]

Gao Mo checked the upgrade requirements for level 3.

30 stars is alright, stage magic performance... it doesn't seem too difficult, just troublesome.

[Magic Lv3-Lv4]

The magic ability that was already on the verge of collapse after reading Reiko Chikamiya's notes has finally taken a crucial step forward, gaining another level 4 ability.

Level 3 is an industry celebrity, level 4 is top-tier, and level 5 is another level altogether, which I guess should be an industry master.

The future is expected.

If it weren't for the Grim Reaper being such a big problem, he could have lived a carefree life in the Conan world even if he stopped there.

"Don't you feel ashamed?" the hotel manager argued with Sakonji.

"Don't be so angry. I've already said that Mr. Chikamiya's death has nothing to do with me. It was the mountain god and the others who called him to the ceiling."

Sakonji chuckled.

"Now I'm the only one left who can perform my teacher's magic tricks. I think if my teacher knew this in the afterlife, he would be happy to let me inherit his mantle... It would be a waste to leave those genius magic tricks unused. I'm doing this for my teacher and for all magic enthusiasts."

"You bastard!" the hotel manager gritted his teeth.

"Say what you will, I'll just take it as jealousy."

Zuo Jinsi shrugged, "A dead pig isn't afraid of boiling water."

"Anyway, even if you old codger got the Magic Notebook, you wouldn't know how to use it... You're the one who stole the notebook, right? Kirishima has her own notebook, and Sakurai and Zanma would have stolen it long ago if they wanted to, they didn't have time after checking in..."

Now that I think about it, all that's left is you, the one who kept the spare key. It's disgusting that you're still clinging to your teacher at your age.

Gao Mo watched Sakonji leave, as if he were looking at a walking corpse.

Sometimes it is precisely because there are too many people like this that the crime rate is high—not everyone is a born criminal.

One month later…

He had no interest in watching this guy's death magic.

Inviting him to perform on stage would be fine, but judging from his performance, it's clear he won't agree.

……

The night passed, and the next morning, police officers from Asahikawa arrived at Shikokuhara by train.

Gao Yuanyao remained calm and was taken away by the police without any trouble.

The hotel staff stood on the platform, each with their own thoughts.

Sakonji was in high spirits, and had been smiling ever since last night.

The Fantasy Magic Troupe is finished, but its era has just begun.

This incident is not a bad thing for him; I believe it will attract a lot of attention once it's reported.

A good publicity campaign could definitely boost his popularity.

“Sakuraba,” Sakonji said, turning to the medium in the group and inviting him, “I misunderstood you before. Come and be my assistant. Once the Sakonji Magic Troupe is formed, you can become an elder.”

After Takato Yoichi left, the medium kept muttering with his eyes closed, as if he hadn't heard Sakonji's invitation.

The chilling feeling did not disappear or lessen after the prisoner left.

The real terror lies within the crowd.

"Tch." Sakonji was very dissatisfied with the medium's reaction.

If this guy hadn't been a witness from 5 years ago, he wouldn't have wanted to hire such a weirdo.

"Whether you join my magic troupe or not is up to you, but if I find out you're talking nonsense outside, something bad might happen."

"Mr. Sakonji..."

The apprentice magician opened her mouth to speak, but Sakonji walked by with a cigarette in his mouth, not even glancing at her.

Although she didn't particularly like Sakonji, she had nowhere else to go but here.

She wasn't Sakonji; as a newcomer with no connections, and with this kind of thing happening in her troupe... it would be difficult for anyone to take her in.

“Miss Rimi,” Shiratori said, handing over a business card, “I have some connections in the magic world. If you don’t mind, you can go to the Ryusei Magical Society for further studies. Although it’s not as famous as the Illusion Magical Guild, you can still learn a lot there. Ultimately, a magician has to rely on himself.”

The train back to Tokyo wouldn't arrive until the afternoon, but Shiratori used his vacation as an excuse to leave with the Asahikawa police.

The real reason, of course, is that they don't want their identities to be exposed.

"Huh? Can I?" The apprentice magician blankly took the business card.

This police officer is actually quite nice. "Even Chikamiya Reiko has undergone extensive training; keep up the good work."

Shiratori offered a word of encouragement, then turned to look at Gao Mo, who was returning to the hotel with Hattori Heiji.

In the end, Gao Mo was never exposed.

I could clearly sense that Gao Mo was doing something...

Under the light mist, Gao Mo's shadow was stretched long, deeply imprinted in Bai Niao's heart.

The more I get to know it, the less I understand it.

It's unclear who Gao Mo really is.

Washed-up idol, magician, antique appraiser, detective... or a lazy detective agency owner?

The strangest thing is that Gao Mo seems to know his true identity, and occasionally the way he looks at him seems to want to know his true identity...

hiss.

Forget it, it's better not to mess with this guy.

“Miss Rimi,” Gao Mo approached the apprentice magician after the train had departed, “what did Officer Shiratori say to you just now?”

“The policeman introduced me to a place for magic training,” the apprentice magician explained, then asked curiously, “What are your plans for a month from now? Are you going to see Mr. Sakonji’s performance?”

I probably won't go.

"why?"

The apprentice magician exclaimed in surprise.

"The last magic trick should be no worse than the puppet show... Mr. Sakonji was indeed going too far, but he's the only one who can perform it right now."

“It has nothing to do with Sakonji,” Gao Mo coughed lightly. “I’m just usually quite busy with work, and this is a rare few days off.”

As he spoke, Gao Mo explained his purpose to the intern magician: "Miss Rimi, are you interested in forming a new magic troupe? To be honest, I have the idea of ​​funding a magic troupe myself, but I know nothing about this."

"I?"

The apprentice magician pointed blankly at himself.

Does she seem to have that ability?

"My requirements aren't high, just a regular magic troupe will do, and you can be the part-time manager."

Gao Mo's actions were not impulsive.

Based on his psychological observation, this trainee magician was not a hidden figure; he was simple, energetic, hardworking, and familiar with the affairs of the magic troupe, making him a good candidate for recruitment.

Since he needed stage performances, he decided to go all out and establish a magic troupe.

He'll be the boss then, and he can do whatever he wants.

There are no additional requirements for upgrades, and it should be sufficient for ordinary magic troupes. It might even solve the problem of subsequent upgrades in advance.

"But……"

Satomi hesitated.

She was torn between pursuing further studies and forming a magic troupe. She didn't know which option to choose.

She felt she still needed to learn in terms of personal ability, but the opportunity to have someone invest in her magic troupe was too rare, equivalent to avoiding many years of detours.

“Don’t worry about magic training,” Gao Mo saw through the girl’s thoughts. “You can learn magic by forming a magic troupe. If you are capable, you can even poach people from training institutions.”

"Okay, boss!" Satomi immediately changed her tune, her round face beaming with excitement.

That's right, you can learn magic anywhere.

If we poach the teachers directly, they can learn even more.

only……

After the initial excitement, Satomi Zanmai became worried again: "Recruiting people must cost a lot of money, right? Besides, those teachers usually don't join third-rate magic troupes."

"That depends on how you do it."

Gao Mo took out Reiko Chikamiya's magic notebook from his pocket.

"I found this in the hotel. It seems someone tore off the last page of the record and threw it in the trash. The magic tricks on it were all used by your Fantasy Magic Troupe, but you should know its exact value better than I do."

"Boss, you actually found this notebook?!"

Satomi was completely thrown into a panic.

She was well aware of the value of the notes; even if the magic tricks had been used, the techniques and ideas inside couldn't be faked.

This notebook alone is enough to attract many magicians.

Gao Mo made a promise, saying, "Once you've set up your magic troupe, I'll give you this notebook. You can decide how to use it then."

……

in the afternoon.

Hotel guests gradually packed their luggage.

Apart from being quiet, Dead Bone Plains has no other special features, and tourists who came specifically for the fantasy magic troupe have no intention of staying.

The series of tragic deaths of magicians made the hotel even more deserted, with only a few regular writers paying no attention.

Many more reporters arrived, all inquiring about the details of the case.

Heiji Hattori seemed convinced that the hotel manager was Kindaichi, and had been pestering the manager even before the reporters arrived: "So, you can tell me now, right? This case..."

"What are you talking about, detective?" the hotel manager asked, bewildered. "Didn't you come to me to ask about what happened five years ago, and then you solved this case? When we went to the woods to find you, you were probably chasing the murderer, weren't you?"

"I'm chasing the murderer?"

"Kirishima himself said it, didn't he? Someone saw through his death magic... There's no point in hiding this. Even if you had an agreement or something, Kirishima has already been taken away, so there's no need to keep up the act."

"Acting? I..."

Heiji Hattori had no way to express his feelings.

He was clearly sleeping in his room, but everyone said he ran into that swampy forest.

"Mr. Kindaichi, you must have been impersonating me, right?" Hattori couldn't help but snort and pull the manager aside to expose him. "You're the one who should stop acting. I just wanted to thank you in person for saving my life last time..."

And this time, you actually discovered that Kirishima was watching me, so you deliberately impersonated me and pretended to be lured out, because you were worried I'd fall into a trap and get killed, right?

"Mr. Kindaichi?" The hotel manager narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"

"Don't try to fool me."

Hattori Heiji confidently grabbed the manager's cheek, but his body stiffened the next moment.

It's a real face...

"Haha, Mr. Yamazaki, are you sure it's me who's here to question you?"

The manager was somewhat annoyed by Hattori's rude behavior, but still patiently said, "I'm pretty sure it's you. Even if you're old, you're not going to be unable to recognize people."

"Uh……"

Hattori Heiji left the manager's office in embarrassment.

That's strange, if it's not this manager, then who could it be?

It can't be Kido-san, can it?

Hattori Heiji scratched his head in confusion, then glanced at Gao Mo reading a book in the lobby, and looked away with a wry smile.

"Oh, right," Kazuha said, remembering something, "Officer Shiratori also said he saw you. I was going to go to your room to look for you, but..."

"Officer Shiratori?"

Hattori Heiji's brow twitched suddenly, a strange sense of unease flashing through his mind, before he exclaimed in surprise.

Despite being a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department, Officer Shiratori's performance was quite ordinary, with Inspector Megure handling the case almost entirely.

Because it was their first meeting and they weren't familiar with each other, he didn't think too much about it.

But now that I think about it, the other party was not just taking a vacation by chance—someone was impersonating someone and deliberately getting involved in the case.

No wonder it ran so fast.

"So it was him! I've been tricked again!" Hattori Heiji slapped his forehead in frustration.

Kindaichi escaped beforehand on Mermaid Island, how could he forget that?

"What do you mean you were tricked?" Gao Mo was still reading the projected book when he heard this and turned around to ask, "What are your plans next? Are you coming back to Tokyo with me? I'm planning to learn some magic tricks, so I'm afraid I won't have time to entertain you."

"Learn magic?" Hattori asked, bewildered. "What are you up to now, Kido-kun?"

I know Gao Mo likes to do things unconventionally, but why did he have to learn magic?

Detectives and magicians are not a good match at all.

(End of this chapter)