Conan: I've been linked to the tech tree system.

The crimson hue of the setting sun bathed his face, highlighting his sharply defined jawline. Even while driving, a faint smile graced his lips, softening the harsh lines of his features.

He's very handsome, I have to admit.

Unfortunately, in contrast, she had medium-length, jet-black hair.

She turned her head away and continued looking at the scenery outside the window.

"Starlight" is a topic of frequent discussion among the researchers in the organization. Out of curiosity as a fellow researcher, she also learned some things from their snippets of conversation.

It has a dark sense of humor, is mysterious, and is powerful.

The source of the information was one of the few people who had contact with "Starlight," a big, serious-looking man who unexpectedly enjoyed chatting.

According to him, even with Gin and him, they only managed a draw...

Even considering that vodka is a burden, this is still too outrageous.

I had wondered what kind of person "Starlight" would be, but I never expected to meet him so soon in such an unexpected way.

Not only did they guess the wrong gender, but in reality, they were nothing like they had imagined.

Gentle and easy-going, like the boy next door, only occasionally revealing a hint of danger.

Is this the real him?

If that's the case, it would be quite strange.

If not, that would be terrifying.

......

"Why does this feel like the way we came?"

Toru Tono's quiet mutterings pulled Shiho Miyano back to reality.

She turned her attention to the view outside the car window; the woods were lush and green, but she had never seen anything like it before.

"Could they be lost?" she wondered.

“...most likely.” Toru Tohno, who had a general understanding of Professor Agasa’s personality, couldn’t help but sigh.

No matter what, it's incredibly irresponsible of the person leading the way to get lost.

"Have you invented anything like GPS?" Shiho Miyano asked him.

"I'm not Doraemon, how could I possibly have everything?"

Toru Tono lies without thinking.

—Of course, I'm not referring to Doraemon, but rather that he does indeed have an invention that can navigate.

Although the sun was already half-hidden on all sides, it wasn't too late yet, and the sports car's speed was enough to get them home before dinner.

This way, Shiho Miyano can go back and enjoy a nice hot bath, minimizing the damage in time.

Unfortunately, Tohru Tohno, who was obsessed with getting involved in cases, was not going to give up the detective points he had gained.

Having mastered nanotechnology at LV3, he could hardly imagine the power of LV4.

"So, is the car in front of us not stopping for a moment trying to find a hotel? Or is it looking for a place to stay?"

"Even if you ask me that, I don't know..." Before Tohru could finish speaking, a majestic castle in shades of light and dark blue suddenly appeared in the distance.

"...I'm looking for a place to stay," he replied confidently.

At the same time, the system also emitted a notification sound.

[Ding, Detective storyline system quest triggered: Blue Castle exploration event]

Mission objective: Uncover the hidden truth of the ancient castle.

Mission completion reward: 200 Detective Points, Fire Resistance Potion

Okay, he knows which case it is now.

And what the heck is this "fire-resistant potion"? Is this another example of the system's twisted sense of humor?

Chapter 98: Blue Castle Exploration Incident (Part )

As expected, the yellow beetle stopped in front of the gate outside the castle courtyard.

By the time Toru Tono and Shiho Miyano walked over, Genta, with his pointed head, had already skillfully scaled the door with sharp spikes on top and illegally entered.

Seeing this, Tono reached out and placed his hand on Conan's head.

"I learned it from you, didn't I?" he said with certainty.

"Hey, don't talk nonsense." Conan felt slandered. "I would never do anything illegal."

"Is that so?" The tone was very perfunctory.

"Hey, you bastard..."

"Hey kid, where did you come from?! How dare you barge in like that?!"

Yuan Tai jumped over the fence and landed, but before he could even run, he was caught red-handed by the gardener who happened to be working in the yard.

Fate was grabbed by the back of his collar with one hand and lifted up.

Dr. Agasa was startled and quickly stepped forward to explain, "Sir, we're not bad people."

"Who are you?"

"We just happened to be passing by and were curious about such a magnificent castle... If it's possible, could we go inside for a visit?" Dr. Agasa's forehead was sweating, and he was somewhat embarrassed by such an offensive remark.

"No way! This isn't a place for idle people like you!"

The gardener refused in a very firm tone.

"Who are these people?" a voice suddenly asked from behind him.

"Master?" Turning around, he saw one of the castle's owners.

"No one should be visiting here today, right?"

"That stupid-looking old man wanted me to let them in, but of course I refused." The gardener pointed his thumb at Professor Agasa outside the door, looking like he was doing his job.

"What do you mean, 'looks stupid'!" Dr. Agasa was a little angry at his mockery. "I'm a scientist, after all."

"the scientist?"

“That’s right.” Upon hearing that someone was interested in his identity as a scientist, Dr. Agasa immediately stopped being angry and proudly stroked his thick mustache. “I am Dr. Agasa, and I’m a scientist with a bit of a reputation now.”

"And this one is the youngest and most accomplished inventor in the world!" Dr. Agasa pulled Toru Tono over to introduce him, without even adding the suffix "one of".

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Tohno said with a smile, maintaining his usual humility.

“Actually, removing the ‘young’ prefix would work, wouldn’t it?” Shiho Miyano suddenly said to him from the side.

"What you're saying is even more outrageous; it'll make me feel so good."

"Haha, who knows."

Why did you suddenly switch to a sarcastic tone after praising someone?

Tohru Tono couldn't understand her.

The villa's owner looked at them thoughtfully.

"If that's the case, scientists must be much smarter than ordinary people like us."

"That's settled then, please come in." He gestured to welcome them.

Tohno heard what he said, and although he really wanted to say that scientists' "intelligence" belonged to a completely different field and he couldn't guarantee that it would help him unlock the secrets of the castle... he decided against it.

"By the way, would you like to stay here for the night?" They even extended an invitation for you to stay overnight.

"Oh! I'm so grateful!" Dr. Agasa was overjoyed that his biggest problem of finding accommodation had suddenly been solved.

He turned back and gave Tohru a look that said, "See, forgetting the tent is no big deal."

"..." Tohru Tono was speechless.

Standing beside him, Shiho Miyano chuckled, "Your neighbor is quite interesting."

"You can tell from how well he plays with these kids that Professor Agasa is young at heart despite his age... although he's not actually that old."

Toru Tohno remembered that Professor Agasa was only in his early 50s, but he looked like a grandfather because of his receding hairline and white hair.

So, is styling management really that important?

Considering whether to get a haircut that would make them look younger, Toru Tono and Shiho Miyano lagged at the back of the line, following the excited Junior Detective League through the gate.

Shiho Miyano kept her gaze fixed on Conan, who had his hands in his pockets and looked speechless, as if she were observing a lab rat.

The gardener, who had been rude just moments before, dutifully led the way and answered all sorts of questions from the incredibly curious children, completely shedding his previous menacing demeanor.

The speed at which these emotions change is simply divinely ordained for working-class individuals.

Toru Tono wasn't interested in the castle's history; his attention was entirely focused on a charred stone tower in the courtyard.

The stone tower looks a bit like the place where Rapunzel lived in a fairy tale, and you can still see the traces of the fire that caused its ruin.

"...The First Madam's steward and servants, a dozen or so people, were swallowed up in the fire..." The gardener walked ahead, introducing the intriguing stone tower to Professor Agasa, and also talked about the chaotic relationships among the people currently living in the castle.

In short, they are not related by blood.

Toru Tono was equally uninterested in their relationship, turning his head to look at the chessboard-like lawn in the yard and the huge chess set.

"Wow, there's a horse here!" Ayumi Yoshida saw the chess pieces and happily ran over to hug the white one.

"Really? There are black ones here too!" Genta and Mitsuhiko exclaimed in surprise as they ran over.

"But why does it only go up to the neck?" The studious Mitsuhiko asked a silly question that seemed silly to an adult.

"Those knights are chess pieces," Conan Edogawa said, already used to it. He crossed his hands behind his head and walked over.

"Chess pieces?" Ayumi asked in confusion, seemingly having never seen chess before.

"Moreover, the turf underneath has been trimmed and laid out in the shape of a chessboard."

"Speaking of which, the position of this chess piece is quite strange..." Conan was very interested in this kind of thing that could potentially be a mystery, and he rested his hand on his chin as he pondered.

"Is his thinking ability still the same as when he was a 17-year-old high school student?" Shiho Miyano quietly asked Toru Tono from the side.

"Probably. At least from my observation, I haven't noticed any decline in her reasoning ability." Toru Tohno glanced at her and saw her take out a small notebook from her bosom and take notes thoughtfully.