Xiao Ai's Ghost Story

The mysterious old woman in front of me looked to be over sixty years old. She was wearing a light blue kimono, had age spots on her forehead, and her face was as sinister as everyone else in the village.

Judging from the fact that Wakaba calls her Aunt Yuki, she must be a long-time employee here.

"Can't move around freely?"

Ooka Momiji asked with some confusion, "Excuse me, are there any rooms in this mansion that I can't enter?"

Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask.

Aunt Yuki didn't give Momiji a friendly look and said in a deep voice, "In this mansion, curiosity will only bring misfortune."

"We understand that we cannot move around freely."

Fujino picked up the conversation and asked, "Is there anything else we should be aware of?"

"No, that's all."

Aunt Yuki was clearly taken aback for a moment.

They were caught off guard by Fujino's unexpected turn of events.

Coming to her senses, she turned around and said to herself, "Now that the rooms have been assigned, please check in as soon as possible. Miss's Pre-wedding Banquet will be held at nine o'clock tonight, and I would appreciate it if you could attend..."

At this point, she turned around and repeatedly reminded them, "You are the first guests to listen to me. Don't forget, don't wander around this mansion, or you might bring trouble upon yourself."

"We understand, Aunt Yuki."

Fujino narrowed his eyes as he watched Aunt Yuki disappear around the corner.

He always felt that the villa, where he couldn't move around freely, was somewhat similar to the Blue Castle.

Could there be some kind of corpse hidden here?

This mansion is getting more and more interesting.

The reason they can't move around freely is probably to prevent them from stumbling upon a corpse...

The rules of the Conan World are like a kind of supernatural tale.

Asking too many questions could make you the next victim.

Our young heiress clearly had no experience with similar cases.

As a young lady from a wealthy family, she had heard that some families had private rooms that outsiders were not allowed to enter.

Although her family didn't have similar rules, she was still influenced by them from a young age.

But to say it in such an almost threatening tone...

It doesn't seem quite right.

Thinking of this, Momiji turned around and asked Fujino curiously, "Fujino- kun, did you understand what she meant by 'encountering misfortune'?"

"It must be because of Mr. Jin," Fujino pondered.

"Because... Odagiri-sensei?" Momiji looked at Odagiri with a puzzled expression.

"...?"

Odagiri Susumu a little confused.

What does this have to do with me?

"I think the reason Aunt Yuki said that was because she was afraid that Mr. Odagiri would secretly meet with Wakaba..."

Fujino sighed and explained, "The villagers' cold attitude is probably the same, after all, many people probably already know about his relationship with Wakaba."

"So that's how it is..."

Momiji thought Fujino's words made a lot of sense.

Although she was Wakaba's classmate, judging from the behavior of the Tokita family head just now, it was probably Wakaba's idea to invite them over.

In this situation, their purpose in bringing Odagiri Susumu in became somewhat unclear.

However, looking in the direction where Aunt Yuki disappeared, Momiji couldn't help but mutter, "What a strange person..."

"I would say the people in this village are all very strange."

Ai Haibara suddenly said something that caught Momiji's attention, "Strange?"

"Don't you find it strange that there's such a huge mansion in such a remote village?"

Ai Haibara crossed her arms and glanced around. "If I remember correctly, these old mansions built in the village should be what are called 'Foreigner's Mansion'."

"The Foreigner's Mansion?"

Momiji murmured, "It was probably a residence for foreigners who came to Japan during the Meiji period, but what's so strange about that?"

"Actually, these secluded Foreigner's Mansion have another name in legends."

"Another alias?"

"I heard that long ago, these Foreigner's Mansion were built by missionaries from the West who came here, and these Foreigner's Mansion were also known as the Mansion of Demons."

Ai Haibara narrowed her eyes and continued, "Those missionaries perform evil demonic rituals here, draining the souls of all the villagers and turning them into mindless walking corpses... Who knows, there might be one or two sacrificed corpses hidden inside this mansion..."

"A sacrificed corpse?!"

Ooka Momiji's face turned deathly pale. "So, what does 'encountering misfortune' mean? It means that if you accidentally discover a corpse, you'll be killed to cover your tracks?!"

"That should be the meaning as it appears on the surface."

Ai Haibara nodded meaningfully, and a slight smile appeared on her lips as she looked at Ooka Momiji's frightened expression.

"No wonder Wakaba seems like a completely different person. If that's the case, then her soul has already been sacrificed!"

Ooka Momiji swallowed hard, then felt a chill run down her spine.

Fujino: "..."

Who would have thought that this rich young woman would be afraid of ghost stories...

It's no wonder that Momiji was afraid.

After all, Ai Haibara's ghost story is just too realistic.

It even made him wonder if the village was really carrying out some kind of illicit sacrificial ritual.

As darkness fell, the lights in the guest rooms remained on.

After Fujino sat on the sofa and began to ponder the various strange things he had encountered since arriving in the village.

Ever since he entered the village, he had felt that something was wrong.

A mansion where you can't move around freely, a village filled with an eerie atmosphere, and Great Detective invited to a wedding.

By any measure, this murder has all the elements...

If it were Conan, he would definitely go out and explore tonight, discover some unspeakable secret, and then stage a thrilling escape from the small village and a dramatic scene of kicking a Western missionary with a soccer shoe.

But Fujino isn't Shinigami Elementary School Student.

If he had come alone today, he might have investigated the matter more thoroughly.

Unfortunately, this System Task cannot be triggered...

His main purpose in coming here this time was to protect Momiji's personal safety.

After all, she's a wealthy young woman who paid two million yen; it's best not to involve her in such dangerous matters.

The guest rooms in the mansion are quite luxurious.

The room has a changing room, bedroom, and living room; it's practically a standalone building.

Perhaps the only thing that's a little puzzling is the lack of a restroom.

Thinking about it, that makes sense.

This villa looks very old. Back then, having a separate toilet in each room would probably have suffocated people with the stench...

Ai Haibara changed into a light set of pajamas and came out of the dressing room.

In the blink of an eye, she noticed Fujino sitting on the sofa, seemingly Fujino in thought.

Ai Haibara: "..."

Could it be that she was thinking about the ghost story she just told?

That ghost story was purely made up to prank that woman.

Although it incorporates some elements of reality, it is still fictional...

She felt that, given Fujino's reasoning abilities, he shouldn't believe it.

Probably...

Ai Haibara straightened her thin pajamas and buttoned up the undone collar. "Were you thinking about what just happened?"

"Um."

Fujino snapped out of his thoughts and said, "I feel there's something strange about this village."

'You really believed it?'

Ai Haibara was taken aback. "That was just a ghost story I made up on the spot..."

"I'm not talking about strangeness in a peculiar way, but rather the atmosphere..."

Fujino said seriously, "This village is definitely not as simple as it seems on the surface. Perhaps there are some unspeakable secrets hidden behind it."

"A secret that can't be told?"

Ai Haibara thought for a moment, "Should we investigate this?"

"Let's forget about it."

Fujino shook his head. "After all, you and Miss Momiji are both here. It would be troublesome if you encountered any danger."

"Um..."

Ai Haibara nodded, feeling a warmth in her heart.

Although the mention of Miss Momiji made her feel a little bitter, that was just Fujino's style.

He always considers the needs of those around him before doing anything, and would rather be imprisoned himself than let those around him be in danger.

Perhaps that's the biggest difference between him and those dull detectives.

"Knock knock!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Please come in!"

Fujino responded, raised his head, and his eyes gradually became somewhat confused.

The person who pushed open the door was Ooka Momiji.

She was wearing a pink nightgown, the thin, soft fabric covering her entire body and outlining her stunning figure, especially her breasts which were pushed up high...

Although it's impossible based on the materials, it still gives Fujino the feeling that the button might pop off at any moment.

"Ahem!"

At that moment, Ai Haibara suddenly coughed lightly and kicked Fujino's shin with her little foot.

Fujino's thoughts were successfully pulled back by this kick.

Ooka Momiji blushed slightly and stammered, "Um, Fujino- kun, could you keep me company for a bit?"

Fujino: "...?"

Ai Haibara: "...??!"

The Clock Mansion is a relatively old mansion.

Because it was built a long time ago, there are not many electric lights in the mansion; most of them are still kerosene lamps, but they are not lit.

On the way back from the restroom, Fujino walked ahead carrying a flashlight to illuminate the road in front of them, while Ai and Momiji followed behind.

Ooka Momiji's face turned bright red, and she kept her head down, not daring to raise it.

It's so embarrassing to have someone accompany you to the restroom...

Ai Haibara looked at Ooka Momiji speechlessly, unsure whether this was a wicked woman's scheme or if the woman was truly that weak.

So what if someone threatened me that I would die if I wandered around?

It's not a big deal...

Fujino, on the other hand, is more insightful.

In his opinion, someone could really die tonight.

However, he is not worried about this.

Although the buffs are already fully stacked, in theory, as long as I don't run around recklessly or trigger any ridiculous traps, I should be able to get through the night safely.

"Waaaaah... Sizzle!"

Just then, a strange voice suddenly came from behind.

Fujino turned around and saw a pair of gleaming eyes suddenly emerge from the darkness.

Instinctively, he grabbed Ai with one hand and Momiji with the other, dodged to the side, and leaned against the wall to avoid the strange thing.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be just a black cat.

Why would a black cat make that kind of sound?

Fujino was speechless for a moment.

Before he could even catch his breath, the pristine white walls suddenly flipped over, pulling him and the two men into a dark room.

It rolled around in the dark space for about a few seconds.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud followed.

Fujino felt as if his back had hit a wall, forcing him to stop.

Before he could recover, waves of sharp pain swept over his entire body.

The stinging sensation reminded him of his last car accident...

Fujino took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the stinging pain.

Then, I felt a strange pressure on my chest.

Fujino didn't think too much about it. Enduring the excruciating pain, he took out the Divine Light from his Pocket Dimension.

The Shining Staff illuminated the pitch-black space.

The first thing you see is a sealed room made of cement.

The entrance to the secret room is a rotating, mechanical wall.

In front of the entrance in the wall is a long, sharp-edged concrete staircase.

Judging from the visual height, it is probably close to seven or eight meters high.

The three people who accidentally slipped and fell from above tumbled straight down the stairs.

After checking his surroundings, Fujino looked down and saw Ai Haibara and Ooka Momiji lying face to face in front of him.

The two closed their eyes and held Fujino tightly, their breathing relatively steady.

As for that soft, oppressive feeling... it was caused by Ooka Momiji.

Even though the facts were right in front of him, Fujino couldn't help but twitch his lips imperceptibly, and the following thought flashed through his mind:

"Is this really the figure a seventeen-year-old should have?"

"This young rich woman is a bit outrageous..."

"They probably lied about their age or something."

Ideas like these.

Judging from her demeanor, Fujino felt that the young, wealthy woman in front of him was probably on par with Vermouth.

But upon further reflection, it seems that Vermouth's actions weren't actually that outrageous...

This made him secretly sigh: We're both seventeen, how come there's such a big difference?

(Masumi Sera: Keep insulting me!)

Pulling his thoughts back, Fujino felt somewhat uncomfortable.

No matter what, he's a normal person, and he can't handle this kind of stimulation.

He struggled to sit up, gently pushed the two apart, and settled them to the side.

At this moment, Ooka Momiji and Ai Haibara's pajamas were somewhat disheveled, with faint traces of blood on them, and one or two buttons on Momiji's pajamas were even popped open.

However, the blood was not theirs, but Fujino's.

Fujino fastened the two ripped buttons and, after a brief inspection, he, being Doctor Profession, could confirm that apart from some minor abrasions on Momiji's feet, neither of them had any other injuries.

Seeing that the two had only fainted from the impact, Fujino breathed a sigh of relief and then slumped against the 'wall' behind him.

It was thanks to Fujino's quick reaction at the moment of the fall that he instinctively pulled the two into his arms, using his body as a human shield to protect them.

However, he, who served as the meat shield, fared rather poorly.

He tumbled down a concrete staircase seven or eight meters high with the two people in his arms, taking the full impact of their fall.

At this moment, his entire body was covered in bruises and tiny wounds, and the stinging pain was coming from those wounds.

Some of the wounds were quite deep, and blood was still seeping out, staining the white shirt red.

Judging from the pain, it's impossible to determine how serious the injury is or whether there are internal injuries.

"This time, the fall was even worse than the last car accident..."

Fujino's breathing quickened. He took out a bottle of "Fatty's Happy Water" from his Pocket Dimension and took a couple of sips. He then glanced at his injuries and a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

But on second thought, he was already quite content.

Carrying two people, weighing nearly 100 pounds, tumbling down from such a height—if it were someone in their old physical condition, they'd probably be dead by now...

Although the extent of the injury cannot be determined immediately, at least there were no fractures, which is already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

Despite his exceptional self-healing abilities, if he were to suffer a fracture, his mobility would be limited for a period of time.

After a few minutes, Fujino gradually got used to the pain in his body.

At this moment, Ooka Momiji slowly opened her eyes.

She rubbed her head, slowly stood up, feeling somewhat dazed.

Once she came to her senses, she immediately noticed the injuries on Fujino's body.

Just as he was about to say something, his gaze was drawn to the 'wall' behind Fujino.

Instantly, her face turned deathly pale, and then she let out a piercing scream, "Ah—!"

Ai Haibara was also awakened by this scream.

She had just stood up and looked at the 'wall' behind her when she couldn't help but frown and her expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Fujino looked at the two pale-faced people and was stunned.

He supported his battered body, stood up, turned his head, and looked at the 'wall' behind him, his face immediately stiffening.

That's not a wall at all, it's clearly Stone Coffin without a lid!

Inside the Stone Coffin, a figure lay quietly.

It was a headless, charred, mummified Mummified corpses!

Fujino stared at the mummified Mummified corpses before him, his expression gradually darkening.

As expected, no matter what I do today, I can't escape this calamity...

The Mummified corpses hidden in the basement is a bit outrageous.

Could it really be as Ai said, that this Foreigner's Mansion is Mansion of Demons used by missionaries to sacrifice villagers?

The prophet has been killed!

"A new Detective Special Profession Mission has been detected. Please check it!"

Just as Fujino was pondering, a system notification suddenly sounded in his ear.

Fujino was startled by the sound, and a screen of light appeared before him:

Detective Special Profession Mission: The Secret Hidden in Rokkaku Village

Mission Introduction: Strange Mummified corpses, a bizarre village, an old mansion—what truth lies hidden behind all of this?

Mission Objective: Unravel the secrets hidden in Rokkaku Village.

Mission Reward: Four million yen and six hundred Detective Reputation

Task restrictions: None

What secrets lie hidden behind Rokkaku Village?

Although it's based on Conan's theories, isn't this a bit too outrageous?

And the reward is a whopping four million yen...

The reward was so generous that Fujino began to suspect that the entire village might have been involved...

"Who goes there!"

At that moment, the mechanism door in the wall suddenly opened, and a figure shining a flashlight looked directly at Fujino and the others.

Fujino turned his head, and through the bright light from his Vision Enhancement Glasses, he recognized the figure.

It was none other than Shida Wakaba's father, Shida Jusan.

Fujino narrowed his eyes, his gaze toward Shida Jusan somewhat gloomy.

Shida Jusan's expression was also somewhat gloomy. He glanced at the group and casually shouted, "What are you doing here?!"

Fujino: "..."

Look at the injuries on my body, what can I still do?

"We got lost on our way back from the bathroom, and we accidentally encountered a black cat. We were so scared that we leaned against the wall and fell in here..."

Fujino remained unusually calm as he gazed at Shida Jusan, rolled up his cuffs to reveal his arm, which was covered in wounds and blood.

"So that's how it is..."

Shida Jusan's expression suddenly calmed down again.

He was so kind it was almost frightening, and he slowly walked down. "In that case, I'll take you back. I'm so sorry... that you suffered such serious injuries."

"Then I'll have to trouble you..."

Fujino watched Shida Jusan slowly walked forward with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, one hand was hidden in his pocket, ready to use the Enhancement Card or draw a pistol at any time.

Under normal circumstances, the other party should have taken action at this point...

Damn it, is he possessed by the Shinigami Elementary School Student?

How could something like this happen just to go to the restroom?

He was certain that Shida Jusan was up to something.

He dared not estimate the fighting power of the murderer in the Conan World. With his physical combat strength, if he used all his power plus the gold Enhancement Card, he could definitely defeat the opponent.

But what I fear is that the other party might pull out a handgun from their pocket...

Even the best kung fu master is vulnerable to a pistol. At long range, his shirt doesn't offer much bulletproof protection. If he were shot, he would be crippled if not killed.

At that point, we'll have to use guns...

It doesn't matter if it's exposed in front of Momiji and Ai.

As long as they can both live...

Fortunately, until the very end, Shida Jusan did not make any attempt to take action.

Fujino deliberately followed behind Shida Jusan, slowly returning to the guest room.

Ooka Momiji and Ai Haibara were well aware of the situation and dared not say anything. They simply followed behind Fujino silently, looking at Fujino injuries with heartache.

Are your injuries alright?

At the door of the guest room, Shida Jusan's expression remained friendly as he asked Fujino, "Would you like me to get you a first-aid kit?"

"No need... Thank you so much."

Fujino gave a brief reply, then dragged Ai Haibara and Ooka Momiji back to their room.

After returning to his room, Fujino locked the door immediately. Only after listening to the footsteps outside gradually fading away did he breathe a sigh of relief and slump to the ground.

When Ooka Momiji saw the wounds on Fujino's body, she immediately squatted down. Just as she was about to reach out her hand, she suddenly stopped, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Don't cry..."

Fujino sighed helplessly, "I'm not dead yet, you know."

How are you feeling?

Ai Haibara, on the other hand, was much calmer and asked about the injuries with a worried expression.

It wasn't that she was heartless; it was just that, as a science and engineering student, she understood that being sad wouldn't help in the current situation.