Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 226 New Identity: Black Mage

The Grape Pavilion.

When Gao Mo arrived as required, it was already dark, but fortunately it didn't rain in the end.

"It gets dark so quickly in Karuizawa," the taxi driver remarked, observing Gao Mo with curiosity. "Is this gentleman heading to that villa? He'd better be careful; I heard that guy suffered a curse backlash because he always used black magic."

"Thanks a lot."

Gao Mo paid the fare casually, ignoring the driver's incessant chatter, and headed straight for the villa complex in the dense jungle under the dim lights.

Unlike other places, the Grape House is surrounded by gardens, and the entire building is connected by long corridors like a snake.

The walls are mottled, giving them a sense of history while also creating a strange and eerie feeling.

According to the driver, locals are reluctant to go near this place and call the villa the Cursed Mansion.

Gao Mo paused briefly in front of the villa gate.

Meeting Takato Yoichi's requirements was fine, since there was a script that was detailed down to every move and even had a specific timeline. With his abilities, there was unlikely to be any mistakes.

But that alone is not enough.

A perfect performance... not only meets the requirements, but should also be related to the impression of others and one's own performance.

With a level 4 acting skill and such a suitable opportunity, if he still can't get a perfect rating, he really should reconsider his next level 5 profession.

"Excuse me, are you Master Heigua Guimen?"

The villa gate opened, and a maid with her hair tied in a low bun took the initiative to speak. She exuded both girlishness and maturity. When she saw Gao Mo's mysterious attire, her eyes showed some fear and evasion.

"The president and the others are already in the ceremony. I'll take you there..."

"Ah."

Gao Mo maintained his smile, which, combined with the half-mask, made him mysterious and elegant, almost perfectly mimicking Gao Yuanyao's demeanor and behavior.

"Let's go."

"Yes……"

The maid shrank her neck even more nervously, and the sound of her swallowing could be faintly heard.

Seemingly worried about offending him, he hurriedly explained, "I... I only recently started working here, so..."

"fine."

The ceremony takes place in a separate building outside the main building.

Gao Mo followed behind the maid and noticed several surveillance cameras starting from the entrance hall.

"Our dark magician has finally arrived," a tall man with burn scars on his face greeted him with a smile as he came out to greet him. "He is the Black Gourd Ghost Gate Master who will preside over this ceremony."

During the ceremony, everyone sat around a round table covered with a tablecloth. A uniquely shaped floor lamp stood nearby, casting an orange glow on everyone's faces, creating an odd atmosphere.

Koizumi Akako rested her chin on her hand, bored, and looked towards the door. The moment the masked man's figure came into view, her breath seemed to stop uncontrollably.

Magician?
I can't sense any magic, but...

The man in front of her gave her a strong sense of danger.

Is there really such a thing as black magic?

"Let me introduce you first," the burned man said enthusiastically. "I won't go into details, but the current head of the Fire Sacrifice family is here, and then this..."

Gao Mo looked at the various people in the room, each with a different expression, and compared them with the information in the documents.

The burned man is the current president, Kasaaki, one of the three adopted children of the former president. He is the eldest at 48 years old, but has a young wife who looks like a high school student.

The second son, Huo Si Jiu Yao, is 30 years old. He looks like a good-for-nothing who does nothing, as if something happened before. He scrutinizes Gao Mo with a sour face.

"Brother, why do you always choose these guys with unknown backgrounds to preside over the ceremonies? These guys might be the reason the old man gets into trouble..."

"Shut up!" Huo Sixiao's face darkened. "Teacher Heigua is the black magician I specially sought out who can break the curse!"

"cut……"

Huo Si Jiu Yao still looked displeased, but didn't say anything more, clearly somewhat afraid of his boss.

The last one is the daughter of the three adopted children, Hoshiko, 28 years old, a big-breasted beauty who looks preoccupied.

For some reason, Gao Mo felt like he was seeing his former colleague, the supermarket cashier fan, again.

Besides these three people, there were also guests attending the ceremony—Koizumi Akako, Hattori Heiji, and Kazuha, as well as a blond handsome guy who kept stealing glances at Hoshiko.

“Izawa is a genius programmer who came here to update the data system,” Hoji Akatsuki said with a smile. “Thanks to him, we can work remotely even here.”

Huo Sixiao did not continue to introduce the maids and other servants, nor did she feel the need to introduce them to the guests.

Just then, the maid brought over the ritual implements in a cart.

"Can we begin now, Teacher Heigua?" Huo Sixiao paused to introduce.

"of course."

Gao Mo remained silent to himself.

Black Melon Ghost Gate... He really didn't know why he chose such a bizarre name; it was completely out of character.

Even he can't match her naming skills.

“Don’t worry, everyone,” Hoji Akatsuki said with a smile, turning to Hattori and the others. “Our black magic ritual is by no means an evil ritual that worships demons, but rather a more noble and aristocratic philosophical magic that benefits everyone involved.”

"Really?" Hattori Heiji muttered to himself.

It all looked like sorcery, the atmosphere was eerie, especially the masked man who suddenly appeared, whose exposed eyes and mouth instilled a sense of dread.

“In short,” Hoshi Akatsuki said solemnly as she took her seat, “everyone will be fine if we follow Professor Kuroko’s guidance… Ms. Mihara, you can leave now, and please close the door behind you.”

The last sentence was an instruction given to the maid.

"Yes." The maid breathed a sigh of relief and bowed her head as she left the ceremony room.

She worked, but she couldn't stand the strange atmosphere in the family; it felt like she was being sacrificed.

"Shh!"

As the tablecloth was lifted, a strange magic circle pattern appeared before everyone. Under the dim light of the floor lamp, the room temperature seemed to drop considerably.

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

Gao Mo walked past Hattori Heiji and picked up the ceremonial rapier.

"It's just a very ordinary ritual. It's fine to sit still. The most important thing is not to make any other noises, and it's best not to look around randomly. If you see a spirit that has descended here, it will be very troublesome."

Kazuha's face turned pale: "Will there be ghosts... or spirits descending?"

"If you're really scared, you can close your eyes."

"Hmph, playing tricks." Hattori Heiji continued to mutter to himself.

Despite saying that, when Gao Mo started the ceremony, Hattori Heiji still sat obediently in his chair.

He didn't believe in any black magic; he just preferred to avoid trouble and adapt to local customs... Yes, that's it.

"when!"

The clock on the wall chimed.

A cloud of smoke rose up between the rituals, as special incense began to burn.

Holding a rapier, Gao Mo led the group in chanting black magic incantations.

Although it was just a trick to fool people, Gao Mo's performance was so captivating that not only Hattori and his group, but even the members of the Fire Sacrifice family, who had held countless ceremonies, were impressed.

That's professionalism.

This time, we really invited a master.

"Please grant our request... (incantation)"

Huo Sixiao's expression was devout, and Huo Sijiuyao, who had been quite arrogant before, also had a solemn face.

This family seems to have an unusual obsession with and fear of black magic rituals.

The ceremony lasted for more than an hour. Hattori and Kazuha dared not move and waited for the ceremony to end as if they were sitting on pins and needles.

Koizumi Akako's expression grew increasingly subtle.

There was no sense of magic, and no spirits descended; it was as if it were just a farcical performance.

It's a performance, of course.

Gao Mo put down his rapier and announced the end of the ceremony.

Just kidding, he's just an actor, does he really expect to cast a spell?
He didn't even use any magic tricks. Takato Yoichi's script only required him to create atmosphere and stall for time.

He was exhausted, having stood for over an hour—I wonder if this was one of the reasons Gao Yuanyao found a stand-in.

Acting itself is a very troublesome thing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today's ceremony is now concluded."

Gao Mo continued his cryptic remarks.

"The elves will soon descend upon the ritual. Everyone must leave here and gather in the main building's living room at midnight. Otherwise, not only will the ritual's effectiveness be affected, but you may also be cursed by the elves... Also, this magic lamp must not be allowed to go out."

Gao Mo pointed to the floor lamp facing the door.

"I've used up too much magic, I'm going back to my room to rest. Don't disturb me before midnight."

"Of course, thank you for your hard work, Mr. Black Melon." Huo Sixiao stood up to flatter him, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. His air of a business tycoon had diminished considerably, and he still hadn't recovered from the ceremony.

Koizumi Akako, watching the play, couldn't help but laugh.

She was absolutely certain that this so-called black magic ritual was completely fake.

The initial sense of danger from the masked man was just an illusion; there was no black magic involved.

She is the only magician in this world.

The descent of spirits, the curse... it's all just rhetoric.

She had seen many similar scammers before, but this one's acting skills were far beyond what was expected.

With such acting skills, why not become an actor? Instead, he's out here pretending to be a ghost in a place like this.

but……

She hadn't initially thought about any black magic.

The important things are curses and evil spirits.

I had a vague feeling about it, but after the masked man's outburst, the evil spirit seemed to have vanished, and I couldn't smell it at all.

Koizumi Akako touched the bone necklace around her neck. With the full moon and this magical item, it should be easy to find the evil spirit.

"If this magic lamp goes out," Kazuha said, a chill running down her spine as she passed the floor lamp, "would something really bad happen?"

I initially thought the floor lamp had a unique shape, but now it feels incredibly terrifying, like a decoration in a vampire castle.

“Be careful,” Koizumi Akako said with a wicked grin. “The lampshade looks like it’s made of human skin. Maybe the so-called elf is hiding inside.”

"what?"

"Human skin is too much," Hattori Heiji said, pursing his lips as he leaned closer to examine it. "It should be some kind of animal skin, but if it's human skin..."

"Compared to the evil hidden in this villa, human skin is nothing."

Koizumi Akako was dressed in a witch-like brown cloak, a stark contrast to her daytime demeanor, and her laughter sounded like a witch's mockery.

"If I were you, I would leave here immediately."

"This guy……"

Hattori looked grave; he'd sensed something was off about Koizumi Akako ever since they'd been at the station.

"Alright," Huo Sixiao urged, "We'll be closing up between ceremonies, everyone go back to the main building first."

"Let's go," the blond handsome man said, leaving first. "I feel uncomfortable staying in this place. Miss Yonehara, could you please prepare a cup of hot tea for me?"

"Ok."

……

10 pm.

Gao Mo stood alone by the window of the room.

Gao Yuanyao intentionally wanted to prevent him from knowing more information, which is why he restricted his movements and forbade him from having more contact with the Huosi family.

However, he also gathered a lot of information during the performance.

From the entrance hall all the way to that ceremony... especially the ceremony area, there are many hidden details.

If his judgment is correct, there is probably a hidden door under the carpet next to the magic table where the magic lamp is placed.

The sound of walking on it changed slightly; it was hollow underneath.

The black magic ritual, the basement, and the constant emphasis on "elf curse" in the script—it was practically the perfect crime scene for that ritual.

Furthermore, given Takato Yoichi's style, it's likely that none of the members of the Hōshō family will survive in the end.

Who could be this guy's puppet?

And the most important thing...

Gao Mo gently swirled the wine glass and tea.

Motive for murder.

Takato Yoichi is very good at hiding himself, but he can't change his nature of killing for the sake of art.

The prisoners controlled by them must have had sufficient motives to kill, and it is very likely that it was for "revenge".

Gao Mo took out his phone and sent a message to Xiao Ai.

He had done a brief investigation of the Fire Sacrifice family before coming, but it wasn't enough.

"Dong dong!"

A sudden knock on the door interrupted Gao Mo's thoughts.

"Mr. Black Melon?" Hattori Heiji knocked on the door and called out, "Can we talk alone?"

Gao Mo did not respond.

Aside from the limitations of the script, he doesn't want to have too much contact with Hattori right now.

Despite having enough confidence in one's acting skills and disguise abilities, it is still necessary to minimize the exposure of risks.

Moreover, if Hattori gets too involved, it might attract murderous intent.

Takato Yoichi is a very principled person with his own set of logic of justice. He will not target ordinary people for no reason, but when he kills, he really does kill, and he will not hesitate to do anything to those who stand in his way.

Hearing the footsteps leaving outside, Gao Mo shook his head slightly.

He had several suspects regarding the murderer.

One of them is that male secretary in the suit from before.

Even a seemingly timid maid could be capable of something—because of the magical ritual, all the other servants were given the day off, giving the maid plenty of opportunities to tamper with things.

Then there was that blond, handsome programmer; the timing of his appearance was far too coincidental.

Of course, the members of the Fire Sacrifice family are not without suspicion.

Gao Mo mentally reviewed the script.

The script didn't mention the crime, but he could still glean some clues about Takato Yoichi's criminal plan.

Where did this guy find the Fire Sacrifice family? He seems to know them exceptionally well.

It's impossible to come up with a criminal plan so casually if you're not very familiar with the villa.

Takato Yoichi is a perfectionist who admires the perfect crime.

……

Fire Sacrifice Star Room.

A masked man dressed the same as Gao Mo stood in front of the window, gazing at the full moon outside with a smile on his lips.

Heiji Hattori was actually introduced to the Hōji family by him.

The Magic Train incident still bothered him.

His mother's death had affected him to some extent, but this time it was different. He himself was detached, and the crime was entirely carried out by a puppet.

“Black Melon Teacher,” Hoshiko asked, fidgeting. “Why would a detective come? I heard he’s the son of the head of the Osaka Prefectural Police… I’ve already paid him, so there shouldn’t be any problems, right?”

"Isn't it a shame if a magic show doesn't have a discerning audience?"

Gao Yuanyao turned around to face Huo Sixingzi.

"Go ahead and do it. Even if he has some doubts, it won't matter."

(End of this chapter)