SCIAW: Chapter 188/189

Chapter 188: Completely Erasing the Traces

"Ms. Suzuki, thank you very much for your help."

An elderly man with white hair bowed deeply to Sonoko, expressing his gratitude with utmost respect.

He was dressed in a traditional kimono, a dark blue haori with a light gray lining and a pale yellow hakama.

Sonoko, who was being thanked, waved her hands dismissively.

"Oh, old man, I've already told you, this cruise ship doesn't belong to me. It's Shinomiya's."

"If you want to thank someone, you should be thanking Shinomiya."

The old man, with his somewhat stiff demeanor, didn't consider his behavior shameful.

"No, I will thank Miss Shinomiya in person later."

His rigidness gave Sonoko a headache.

"Grandpa, your stubbornness really hasn't changed at all."

The old man had always been this stiff and traditional, even when upset. He was also very formal with people.

No matter how young someone was, if they weren't from the same social class, his attitude toward them would become extremely respectful, almost excessively so.

This was a way of humbling oneself before the higher-ups.

Sometimes, knowing when to bow your head was an art form.

Being arrogant in front of someone more powerful rarely ends well—attitude often determines the success or failure of a deal.

Is this a kind of condescension? Of course it is.

Is it flattery? Absolutely.

But when one's own abilities or even one's family's capabilities are lacking, then humility becomes a type of currency. All that deference is part of the transaction.

While Sonoko was dealing with the old man, Ran was staring at her father in curiosity and helplessness.

"Dad, how did you and this kid end up out at sea?"

"I should be asking you that."

Kogoro couldn't help but ask the question back.

"I brought this kid along because I accepted a commission on a nearby island. But wouldn't you know it, we stumbled into a murder case."

"After we finally wrapped it up and were preparing to leave, we ran into a ship in the harbor with engine trouble."

"If we hadn't been taken in by another cruise ship, we'd have been stranded on that island for at least half a month."

The island was that remote, ships only stopped by once every two weeks. Without help, Kogoro would've been stuck there for quite a while.

He nearly broke down just thinking about it.

Luckily, they encountered a large cruise ship chartered by a wealthy family. But even then, things didn't go smoothly, there was another malfunction at sea.

If it weren't for the second cruise ship that happened to pass by, Kogoro suspected he and Conan would've ended up on a sea survival trip.

And then, unexpectedly, he saw his own daughter on that second cruise ship. That gave Kogoro all kinds of feelings.

"By the way, what are you doing on a cruise ship over the weekend?"

"And what's with the 'Shinomiya' that the second young lady mentioned earlier?"

Ran explained.

"This time, I'm on the cruise because it's one of our club's outdoor activities."

"The Occult Research Club does these excursions when we have free time. We investigate mysterious cases and do some fieldwork."

"Outdoor excursions?"

Kogoro looked at her like she was crazy.

"Last time it was Tsukikage Island, and now it's a cruise ship. Ran, is your club even operating legally?"

"Would the principal of Teitan High School even approve of something this ridiculous?"

Seriously!

As a former high school student himself, Edogawa Conan was very familiar with how strict Teitan High's standards were. There was no way a club like that would get approval.

Ran gave a small smile.

"Well, that's thanks to Shinomiya-san."

"She made a donation to the school when she enrolled."

Kogoro's expression changed instantly. That was something only a rich heiress could pull off.

"And all the club expenses are paid by the members. The school doesn't pay a single yen."

"What?!"

Kogoro's eyes popped open.

"Don't tell me you're paying too?"

"What are you talking about? My allowance isn't even enough to cover snacks."

Ran grumbled, then clarified.

"It's Sonoko, Shinomiya-san, Sanzenin, and Saginomiya who pay."

Kogoro was stunned by the last three names.

"Uncle, Shinomiya is from the Shinomiya Group, rival of the Suzuki Group."

"Sanzenin belongs to the Sanzenin Group, the one that stirred up trouble a while ago. Didn't the rumors say they tried to wipe out the Shinomiya Group?"

Conan's mind was spinning. From just the surnames—Shinomiya, Sanzenin, and Saginomiya—he quickly figured out which zaibatsu stood behind them.

They were all colossal corporations.

So how did all these elite heiresses end up at Teitan High School?

This question puzzled him deeply.

Back when he was at Teitan High, he had never seen any heiresses of this level transfer in. How had things changed so much in the short time he'd been away?

"Oh~ As expected of the second Shinichi."

"…"

Conan, naturally, wasn't laughing. Facing her gaze, sharp and unmistakably aimed at him, he could only grit his teeth and step forward.

"Sister Ran, I'm Edogawa Conan—not Shinichi."

"That's true."

Ran's eyes remained cold, until her lips curved into a smile.

"Edogawa Conan… yes, that's right."

"It's Edogawa Conan."

Conan, hearing his own name being spoken, felt strangely hollow inside.

He could clearly sense that something incredibly important had just vanished, as if it had been lost forever.

Kogoro, noticing the subtle change in his daughter's mood, immediately changed the subject.

"Ran, when did all these young ladies start transferring to Teitan High?"

"I thought girls like that would all be attending exclusive academies."

His shift in topic worked, Ran's attention moved on.

"Well, Sanzenin and Saginomiya used to attend Hakuo."

"Hakuo? Hiss…"

Kogoro took a sharp breath. Hakuou was a top-class elite academy, well-known even among aristocratic schools.

"As for Shinomiya, she studied at Shuchiin before."

"That's another elite school."

Kogoro widened his eyes further. So he was right, all of these girls originally came from high-society schools.

But that only raised a new question.

Why would these elite heiresses transfer from prestigious private schools to a public high school like Teitan?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 189: The Hope of the Hatamoto Clan’s Comeback

After leaving the security room, Hayasaka made her way to the cruise ship's main hall.

She didn't have much personal opinion about the people onboard, but she had just finished transferring intel related to the Usumoto clan.

The current situation was becoming complicated, and she could no longer keep things under control on her own. She needed someone capable of stabilizing the situation.

"Amamiya-san."

Her conservative black-and-white Victorian-style maid outfit was eye-catching as always.

Her appearance instantly drew a lot of attention.

But Hayasaka paid it no mind.

Ren gave a slight nod, then activated his spiritual vision to assess Hayasaka's condition.

Her spiritual body still showed clear signs of weakness, though there were no major abnormalities beyond that.

"Your mental state hasn't fully recovered."

"The collapse of the alternate dimension heavily impacted your spirit. For the time being, you shouldn't use that ability again."

"I understand."

Hayasaka nodded slightly. She had already experienced firsthand the backlash of forcefully opening a Door.

"How's Shinomiya?"

"Miss Kaguya is awake, but…"

"Her consciousness is still hazy?"

Hayasaka nodded again.

Ren understood. Kaguya's condition was similar to Hayasaka's, but she had released even more power. It was natural her situation was worse.

"This was my fault too."

Ren let out a sigh.

"I pushed her to release as much power as possible, to help her find her limits. I didn't expect it would lead to the collapse of the alternate dimension."

"I should've warned her beforehand."

"This isn't your fault, Amamiya."

Hayasaka shook her head gently. She didn't believe this sudden turn of events could be blamed on him.

"No one could've predicted something like this."

But just as she said that, she paused.

Indeed, normally, such an event couldn't be foreseen.

But couldn't Ren use divination to glimpse future events?

"Amamiya… didn't you divine this?"

"Don't overestimate what divination can do."

Ren shook his head slightly.

"Divination is useful, but you can't rely on it for everything."

"If you put too much faith in the future seen through divination, you'll become bound by that future."

"That's why I don't go around predicting things just for the sake of it."

Divination had always been one of Ren's most important tools, but he also clearly understood the taboos that Seers had to follow.

Seeing how carefully Ren avoided certain details, Hayasaka could tell there were likely many unspoken taboos involved.

"Your condition still isn't fully recovered why did you come out?"

Hayasaka gave a small smile and nodded, but her gaze subtly shifted toward the Hatamoto clan. She had keenly noticed that many of the Ryumoto clan members were focused on her.

"Is it about the Hatamoto clan?"

"Yes."

"What did you find out?"

"Yes."

Ren gave a light nod, then stood up and followed Hayasaka to the side.

After they left the main hall and confirmed no one else was nearby, Ren asked,

"Is there something wrong with the information we gathered?"

"Yes. According to the intel from the Hayasaka family, it's confirmed that the future heir of the Hatamoto clan is Hatamoto Natsue—granddaughter of Hatamoto Gozo."

"The reason they're gathered here is to hold a ritual on the island where the Hatamoto clan's ancestral home is located. The ritual also doubles as the engagement ceremony for Hatamoto Natsue and her fiancé."

"If it were just an ordinary granddaughter, Hatamoto Gozo wouldn't go to such lengths to arrange an engagement right after a ritual. But because of how much importance he places on her, it's become this grand of an event."

Ren nodded. He understood now why they had encountered the Hatamoto clan and how much Hatamoto Gozo, the clan elder, valued his granddaughter.

"So, your investigation points to a problem with Hatamoto Natsue's fiancé?"

"Yes."

"Hatamoto Gozo… Was he the type to make a lot of enemies in the past?"

"Yes."

"And Natsue's fiancé… is the son of one of those enemies?"

"Yes."

Ren let out a speechless sigh.

"This is some real soap-opera level drama."

"A textbook revenge story—'I infiltrated the family of my enemy by getting close to his granddaughter, all to avenge my dead father.'"

"That clueless fiancé doesn't actually think his identity hasn't been exposed, does he?"

If even the Hayasaka family had uncovered it, Ren seriously doubted it was some well-guarded secret.

Hayasaka Ai nodded silently.

Ren found this kind of naïve person irritating and pulled out his tarot cards to divine the outcome of the return trip.

He drew the Reversed High Priestess, the Reversed Magician, and the Upright Death card.

Ren completed the divination.

"Looks like it's going to be troublesome."

Even he had to sigh at the final result.

Though he enjoyed watching drama unfold, this kind of drama really didn't belong during his vacation.

Even if he wanted to spectate, he preferred better timing.

He looked at the Death card in his hand, a skeletal figure wrapped in a cloak, wielding a black scythe.

This time, the god of death would definitely swing that scythe.

"Amamiya, are you not going to stop it?"

"Do you think they'll listen?"

With that one line, Amamiya put an end to Hayasaka's suggestion.

It wasn't that Ren intended to turn a blind eye but some people just wouldn't listen.

"Hayasaka, since they wanted to play, and dragged Shinomiya into it, they should be ready to pay the price."

"The Hatamoto clan's situation isn't looking good."

"Yes."

Hayasaka nodded.

"The Hatamoto clan acquired a valuable piece of real estate through shady dealings with the Takasugi group."

"It's now confirmed that the government plans to designate that area for a new airport. The land value in the surrounding region is expected to skyrocket."

Ren wasn't surprised by that information. Major conglomerates always had inside knowledge of government policies. Otherwise, how else could certain officials maintain their lifestyles?

"But because of that land, the Hatamoto clan has been tightening its funds. They've sold off a lot of assets to stay afloat."

"They're staking everything on that land."

From Hayasaka's summary, Ren could tell that this real estate was the Hatamoto clan's last chance at a comeback.

"Then Hayasaka, spread the word that the land's value is about to skyrocket. I'm sure plenty of conglomerates will want a piece of the action."

(To be continued.)