SCIAW: Chapter 315/316

Chapter 315: The River Telegraph

After hanging up the phone, Ren, who was seated quietly in his study, pulled out his tarot deck and began a divination session.

Reversed Hanged Man. Upright Tower. Reversed World.

"Hmm, so there won’t be any more adapters… What a pity."

If ‘A’ continues being used to deal with certain people, then some unpredictable events are bound to happen.

However, just now, Ren had only done a divination to calculate the probability of such events. The result wasn’t particularly surprising.

This outcome already doomed the possibility of finding Kudo Shinichi simply through the abilities of ‘A’.

He reshuffled the cards, running them smoothly between his hands, then began a second round of divination.

Upright Sun. Upright Star. Upright Chariot.

"For Edogawa Conan, meeting Hattori Heiji is the best outcome."

He sat with his chin resting in one hand, lost in thought.

"A Holmes working from the shadows, and a Watson standing up front. Mr. Mouri still falls a bit short. In the end, Hattori Heiji is more suited to the Watson role."

The two were both detectives, with similar personalities and behavior. When they were impulsive, they were perfectly matched.

But in terms of intellect, each had their own strengths.

They both had sharp senses for solving mysteries and cases.

Edogawa Conan had the advantage of being a child, while Hattori Heiji had his identity, which gave him access to much more information.

That was a considerable advantage for Edogawa Conan, who was essentially operating solo.

"Of course, for Hattori Heiji, meeting Edogawa Conan is a huge challenge."

The moment he started digging into that organization, he’d attract attention.

That was the true problem.

That organization wouldn’t care who he was.

To those ruthless criminals, no matter how high your status, a bullet to the brain still kills.

Once Hattori Heiji’s fate became entwined with Edogawa Conan’s, his life would be in constant danger.

Ren didn’t attempt to divine specific future events. It was best not to rely on prophecies about the future.

Those who rely too heavily on predictions will only become puppets of fate.

That’s why some divinations focus on the present, not the future.

Of course, there are exceptions. If it's for guidance and shaping the future, that isn’t divination. That is design.

And design is the Spectator's specialty.

Such high-level techniques were beyond Ren’s current grasp. He knew better than to try forcing it.

After answering his own questions and putting the tarot deck away, Ren no longer concerned himself with Edogawa Conan and Hattori Heiji.

Ring, ring, ring~

The ringing interrupted his thoughts. Ren paused, looked at the caller ID, and saw it was an unknown number. After a moment of thought, he answered.

"Mr. Amamiya."

The voice on the other end was female, and carried a hint of respect.

Ren immediately recognized who it was.

"Miss Hatamoto?"

"Yes. I apologize for contacting you so late."

"Don’t worry. I’m guessing things are a mess within the Hatamoto family right now?"

"It’s more troublesome than I expected. The biggest problem is still those termites. During this period, I’ve officially taken over the group’s operations and started clearing out some of the dead weight."

Her tone showed that she had grown during this time.

"Your voice sounds more confident. You’ve grown a lot lately, Miss Hatamoto."

"Thanks to my grandfather’s guidance. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to assume control of the group so quickly. And of course, there’s the power you gave me, Mr. Amamiya. My grandfather can’t completely guarantee my safety, but that power has helped me confront many of the issues I’ve faced."

So, the internal purge of the Hatamoto Zaibatsu had likely been quite intense… Ren could easily picture the chaos.

"You still need to promote a few people within the Hatamoto Zaibatsu. You’ll need support."

While listening, Ren roughly pieced together the situation.

The elderly freeloaders had been purged, and a number of arrogant nepotists removed. But the result was that the organization now lacked reliable personnel.

Hatamoto Natsue had to consolidate control over the whole conglomerate. What she needed now were loyal subordinates who would work for her.

Natsue herself also realized that there were far too few people she could trust.

"My grandfather still has his loyalists, but most of the older generation only really listen to him. When it comes to me, they’re indifferent."

"That’s inevitable. You’re a new executive. You haven’t proven yourself yet, so it’s natural that not many people are convinced. What you need right now is a team loyal to you."

"Yes."

Now that she held power, Natsue Hatamoto finally understood what it felt like to be disregarded despite having authority.

Though she was still learning, without feedback or correction, and with her subordinates treating her indifferently, how could she grow?

"My authority is still being limited by some of the old guard. On top of that, the Hatamoto Zaibatsu has only just begun to recover and can’t afford to make any bold moves. That makes it difficult for me to take initiative."

"And all the employees at every level are waiting to see what I’ll do. That makes it even harder for me to cultivate people of my own."

The situation was worse than Ren expected… He thought for a moment, then came up with a straightforward solution.

"Miss Hatamoto, assess your current circumstances and find three promising people within the company. Ones who are competent and willing to listen to you."

"Modern people are driven by practical gains."

"If you want their loyalty, you need to provide them with real, tangible benefits. But your authority is being suppressed. So, you’ll have to use some tricks."

Natsue Hatamoto instantly understood.

She was pleasantly surprised.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Amamiya."

"Good. I hope your judgment is sharper this time. Otherwise, I’ll be the one cleaning up your mess."

Natsue Hatamoto’s expression changed at once.

"Please rest assured. I won’t let that happen."

(To be continued.)


Chapter 316: Are You Lonely?

[Just found out from Ran that Hattori Heiji came to my house. That really surprised me.]

[Hattori Heiji came to my house.]

[I remember his reason for coming was that he hadn't seen Kudo Shinichi on TV for two months, and was encouraged by his childhood sweetheart to come compare their detective skills.]

[That reason really doesn't serve the story well, especially when shaping Hattori Heiji's character.]

[But this time, his reason is much more reasonable. Based on what Ran said, he probably guessed that Kudo Shinichi had encountered some kind of accident, so he came to investigate the forces behind it.]

[The intention is good. The reality, however, is harsh.]

[The organization is more complicated than expected. Many key members are undercover agents from various intelligence agencies around the world. Thoroughly investigating it will be very difficult.]

[It's definitely a tall order for just two high school detectives to take on this behemoth.]

[That said, I'm still very interested to see the sparks that fly between these two detectives and the organization in the future.]

[They're still one Shiho Miyano away from uncovering the organization's intel.]

[As one of the core members of the organization and the lead developer of A, she holds a lot of insider information. When she finally emerges, it will mark the beginning of the Death God's true confrontation with the organization.]

[The record of Ran's situation is complete.]

[Today, Miss Hatamoto contacted me. As expected, the internal chaos within the Hatamoto Zaibatsu is worse than I anticipated. Miss Hatamoto is being suppressed by a group of old-timers, and her authority doesn't reach far. I gave her some advice.]

[Cultivate your own confidants.]

[Of course, I wasn't just speaking casually. Miss Hatamoto can't rely on power or money to buy people, so I granted her three special slots.]

[I trust Miss Hatamoto will open her eyes and choose the right three.]

The diary ended there.

Sanzenin Nagi closed the diary while lying in bed.

"Hatamoto Zaibatsu… it looks like Ren is finally making a move."

She was aware of the gift system. Ren could bestow Pathway powers onto others, allowing them to gain mystical abilities.

"But… won't there be problems?"

"In today's world, it's easy to win people's loyalty with power, but people who believe only because of power are the first to betray it."

Sanzenin Nagi believed that there were those truly devoted to their beliefs, and some might follow Ren purely because of what he represented.

But faith built on strength alone was fragile.

"Do you think he would allow things to progress to that point?"

Maria, wearing a simple white nightgown, walked over with a gentle smile.

"Also, Nagi-chan, do you really think Mr. Amamiya would give others power without any form of restraint?"

"Probably not."

Sanzenin Nagi thought about it and nodded.

"Exactly. The power he grants still belongs to Mr. Amamiya. Do you really think those blessed by him could escape his grasp?"

"And don't forget what Mr. Amamiya said before. The power of the gift has certain side effects. Those who receive it slowly become aligned with the will of the giver. What does that sound like?"

"If you put it in religious terms, it's a fanatic."

"Such fanatics only hold the most devout beliefs and would never betray them."

"So, do you think Mr. Amamiya will advance that progression?"

With Maria's reminder, Sanzenin Nagi realized she had been too simplistic in her thinking.

"So in the end, it's not about whether something can be done, but whether Amamiya wants to do it."

Nagi agreed with that conclusion.

Some things aren't about capability, but intent.

"Then Maria, do you think he'll do that to me?"

Sanzenin Nagi's question made Maria chuckle.

"It's because Mr. Amamiya knows us deeply that he holds a good impression of us. Not because of what we are now, but because of the impression we left on him back when he viewed us from another perspective."

"It's because of that impression that Mr. Amamiya is willing to share what originally belonged solely to him."

"Again, this isn't about whether he can do it or not, but whether he wants to."

Maria reached out and lightly tapped the tip of Nagi's nose.

"So, do you really think Mr. Amamiya would treat us like that?"

Sanzenin Nagi lightly shook her head.
"No."

"Then you already know the answer. Mr. Amamiya wouldn't do that to us."

Maria laughed again.

"Also, do you really think the people Miss Hatamoto chooses would be so clueless?"

"Suddenly being granted such power by Mr. Amamiya—anyone with a working brain would realize it didn't come without strings. I think Miss Hatamoto should make that point crystal clear."

"If any of them are naive enough to think they can control that power freely, then that just means Miss Hatamoto chose poorly. And if that happens, Mr. Amamiya will clean up the mess for her."

That made sense… Nagi nodded thoughtfully.

"In that case… should I still help the Zaibatsu?"

Maria shook her head.

"The diary was clear. The Zaibatsu is in chaos. If Miss Hatamoto wants to regain power, she needs to earn it through her own efforts."

"Mr. Hatamoto Gozo isn't helping her directly because he wants her to grow."

"Mr. Amamiya's assistance is already a tremendous advantage. If you want to help, wait until Miss Hatamoto has real authority in her hands."

Maria had already grasped the rhythm of the situation.

The Zaibatsu's issues could be set aside for now. There was no rush to step in.

"Tomorrow is the weekend again."

"It really came quickly. But Amamiya had quite a fulfilling week. He was even invited to meet Sonoko's sister."

Maria noticed something in Nagi's tone and moved closer with a teasing smile.

"So, Nagi-chan, are you feeling a little lonely?"

"Who—who's lonely?! I'm just… not used to suddenly having nothing to do!"

Such a stubborn response. Maria was now convinced—Nagi-chan was absolutely lonely this time.

So Maria suggested,

"In that case, why don't you ask Mr. Amamiya out? For example, go visit Hakuo?"

(To be continued.)