Tokyo Detective Chronicles

After a brief moment of thought, he took the report from the servant and gave a number.

A price that was almost astronomical for Fushimi Iori at the time.

But to the Morikawa family, it was actually insignificant.

Morikawa Kanata's original intention was to tell the truth so that the other party would back down or at least ask for help.

Let go of the useless and meaningless pretense of a 13-year-old boy.

He even had a more lenient solution in mind.

But the boy remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded:

"I understand. I may be unable to pay for the first three months, but starting from the fourth month, I will pay the rent on time. Please calculate the interest at market rate."

There was no begging for mercy, no unreasonable demands, and no haggling; it was simply a statement and an explanation.

For the first time, Kanata Morikawa developed a strong interest in him.

How can a thirteen-year-old boy who has lost his parents and relatives make such a boast? How will he pay the rent?

Out of such curiosity.

He began to secretly send people to keep an eye on the boy named Fushimi Iori.

Watch how he gradually rebuilds his father's firm, which was on the verge of closing down due to years of mismanagement.

How to start with small requests such as finding lost cats and dogs, investigating infidelity, or secretly filming and stalking someone.

Then comes the investigation of missing persons, murders, cults...

Later, he even became involved in commissions as an assassin, and even became a formal member of the Tokyo Assassin Association.

Gradually, Fushimi comes into contact with some borderline psychic cases that neither ordinary detectives nor killers would ever touch.

Psychic encounters, urban legends, myths and secrets...

It was during this process that Morikawa Kanata discovered that Fushimi possessed a peculiar ability that always managed to resolve troubles involving supernatural forces and supernatural phenomena.

They have many methods, but they are efficient and decisive in their work, never dragging things out.

In Tokyo's fiercely competitive black market job-seeking industry, they have earned a good reputation and a considerable number of loyal customers.

At the same time, he maintained excellent academic performance, with his deviation score ranking among the top in the private high school he attended.

This is not the mindset or ability that a thirteen-year-old should have.

He understood and accepted the rent buffer period offered by the Morikawa family, which was far below market price, but never regarded it as an excuse for charity or intimacy.

He made timely repayments, gradually paying off the principal, and later even paying off all the interest.

It wasn't until the middle of last year that the debt was fully repaid and the house, which originally belonged to the Fushimi family but had been mortgaged by Fushimi Iori's father, was completely redeemed.

He would occasionally visit the Morikawa family to inquire about some ancient legends, and sometimes he would borrow certain books that did not involve the core secrets.

Sometimes, like today, I would directly ask him for help.

Fushimi would provide some special items that he didn't know where he got them from, or help the Morikawa family with some things that they couldn't do themselves.

They gradually became acquainted, and the two, whose social statuses were vastly different, actually became friends.

When Fushimi was short of money, he would often come to the Morikawa family's house to freeload...

He never cared about Morikawa Kanata's physical condition, showing neither pity nor deliberate avoidance.

He could say extremely impolite things like "You're not dead yet?" or "Hurry up and make the most of your remaining energy."

They would also hand over a medicine with a strange taste and origin when someone was suffering from excruciating pain, saying, "Bear with it, you won't die."

It seems that whether he is paralyzed or dead has absolutely nothing to do with who he is or how to get along with him.

But this strange guy always kept his promises without fail.

Now, only he and his sister remain in the main branch of the Morikawa family. If he were to die without any preparation...

What kind of fate awaits Xiao Kui, who also possesses all the skills of "flowers"?

At best, it will probably become a cash cow for the divided family and a tool for marriage alliances...

Therefore, Kanata couldn't think of anyone more suitable than Fushimi to entrust his sister's life to.

The ripples of memory spread slowly, then receded.

"anyway."

She opened her eyes, squinting at the flower field not far away, as if speaking to Yui, or perhaps whispering to herself, as if confirming a fact she already knew:

"He will marry Xiao Kui and be with her."

"You really trust Lord Fushimi. Even Miss Aoi and the entire Morikawa family are willing to entrust themselves to him completely."

She smiled and turned to look at the maid:

"Yui, do you know when I first saw the name Fushimi Iori?"

The maid shook her head, wondering why the master of the house would suddenly ask such a strange question. Wasn't it a few years ago, when Fushimi first came to visit?

"It was in the marriage contract that my father gave me before he died... on Xiao Kui's."

"Iori has been Aoi's fiancé from the very beginning."

"..."

Ignoring the maid's surprised expression, he turned his wheelchair and his gaze fell on the small glass bottle left behind by Fushimi.

Even in the dimming light, the liquid in the bottle still shimmered with a breathtaking crimson.

"Bring that bottle over here."

The maid, called Yui, walked to the cabinet and casually picked up a glass bottle.

But the moment she touched the bottle, her tightly closed eyelids trembled slightly, as if she sensed something unusual about it.

He quickly reached out his other hand to support the bottom of the bottle, as if he couldn't bear the weight of those few dozen grams.

"This is……"

As one of the top pharmacists in Tokyo and even the entire continent, Kanata Morikawa naturally recognized what it was.

Mermaid blood.

There was a complex smile in Morikawa Kanata's voice: "The lifeblood of a mermaid who has lived for at least three hundred years..."

He suddenly laughed: "That's really generous..."

Although Yui's eyes were closed at this moment, the subtle changes in her facial muscles revealed the shock she felt inside.

In the ancient legends of Yingzhou, mermaid flesh and blood are treasures that can revive the dead, heal the wounded, and grant immortality.

However, hundreds of years ago, real mermaids were hunted to extinction in the waters surrounding Yingzhou.

Although Yui didn't know how Morikawa Kanata made that determination, the head of the family's judgment couldn't possibly be wrong.

"How could Lord Fushimi have...?"

"Who knows?"

He unscrewed the bottle cap, brought it to his nose, and sniffed it.

An extremely light fragrance, reminiscent of the deep sea and moonlight, wafts out, and just smelling it is enough to invigorate one's spirits.

"He's always like that; he can get his hands on some weird and wonderful things."

"Legend has it that mermaid flesh and blood are priceless, capable of curing all diseases and granting immortality. Does that mean that your illness, Master..."

He whispered, "That's a lie... at least, it can't cure my illness."

Reseal the bottle and hand it to Yui:

"I don't have many more chances to get the better of him, so I have to cherish them."

"Put it away..."

Yui remained silent, carefully cradling the bottle in her palm. Even the legendary mermaid blood couldn't work...?

To avoid appearing too upset, she forced herself to speak:

"Master, if I may be so bold, then if Lord Fushimi truly agrees to marry into the family as you say, then these things will still return to him."

The other side was taken aback: "So, that kid really got off easy..."

He chuckled softly, looking towards the depths of the corridor, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right, go tell Aoi that Iori went to see her. Remind her..."

He thought for a moment, then his smile deepened:

"Forget it, it's probably too late. It's time to let Iori see Aoi's true colors."

"Hopefully she won't dress too inappropriately."

Yui bowed: "Yes, Master."