Dead, Just as Expected

"It's just some superficial injuries, nothing serious."

Fujino glanced at the wound on his arm. "I guess a bandage should be enough."

"I'll go get the first-aid kit."

Ai Haibara didn't say much, and quickly turned to get the first-aid kit.

"Are you really okay?"

Momiji glanced at Fujino with concern. "He fell from such a height to protect me..."

"It's really okay..."

Fujino stretched his arms helplessly. "I'm perfectly fine, nothing's wrong with me."

"Honestly, you're so badly injured and you're still acting tough, just like back then... I'll get someone to take you to the hospital right away..."

Ooka Momiji looked at Fujino's injuries with heartache, wiped away her tears, and took out a pink flip phone from her pocket.

But after dialing the number, all I heard on the other end was, "Your number is not in service. Please try again later."

"Well?!"

Ooka Momiji asked in surprise, "How come there's no signal?"

"It's probably because there are no base stations in these deep mountains and forests."

Ai Haibara returned carrying a first-aid kit. "In places like this, they probably still use landline phones with telephone lines for communication..."

"Landline phone..."

Ooka Momiji suddenly remembered something. "When I first arrived, I saw a landline phone in the lobby!"

"However, given the current situation, it's too risky to make a phone call from the lobby."

Ai continued, "After all, we just found that Mummified corpses in the basement."

"Mummified corpses..."

Momiji recalled the scene just now, still feeling a lingering fear. "Could it be, like Ai said, that they were villagers who were sacrificed?"

"That was just Ai joking."

Fujino chuckled and said, "Maybe it's just some local custom, like needing to hide deceased relatives in one's own villa or something. As for my injuries, they're really nothing serious."

"Compared to all that, it's most important to treat his wounds as soon as possible."

Ai put down the first-aid kit, rummaged through it and found a bandage. She turned to look at Momiji and said, "Miss, come and lend a hand."

"Oh oh!"

Momiji Chick nodded, startled by Ai's composed demeanor.

To be honest, ever since she met this little girl, she's felt something was off.

He didn't show much shock upon seeing the corpse, and his personality remained unusually calm.

She vaguely sensed that the other person was like a little adult.

However, she didn't think about it too much.

After all, it's impossible for someone to shrink into a little adult, right?

This is neither reasonable nor scientific.

Although it was their first time working together, the two had great chemistry.

Momiji was in charge of bandaging his back, while Ai was in charge of his arms.

As for the lower body, Fujino will have to do it himself.

While getting his wound bandaged, Fujino silently activated his Eagle Vision, observing the movements of everyone around the room to prevent anyone from breaking into the guest room.

While observing, Fujino pondered the secret room he had just left, and the mummified Mummified corpses inside.

Fujino is currently unable to determine the cause of death of the Mummified corpses; it may have been burned to death or beheaded.

The time of death is also impossible to determine because the body was burned.

However, one thing is certain: that Mummified corpses is definitely related to the secrets of Rokkaku Village.

He didn't want to delve into the matter for the time being.

After all, if the village is really involved, then judging from the secrets hidden in [Rokkaku Village] given by the system, the entire village might be the murderer.

Now that they have stumbled upon the body, it has certainly aroused suspicion. If they investigate the secret now, they will most likely be hunted down by the entire village.

He was fine, but Ai and Momiji were different.

Without ruling out the possibility that the other party possessed firearms or other weapons, he couldn't say he could protect the two of them 100%.

Unless they strike first and turn this entire village into a living hell...

This is not the outcome he wanted to see.

On second thought, since the other party hasn't made a move yet, it's highly likely that their breaking into the secret room isn't directly related to that so-called secret; they're just observing from the shadows.

Or perhaps, they simply didn't take it to heart.

In this situation, his first priority is to ensure the safety of Ooka Momiji and Ai Haibara.

As for other matters, it might not be too late to investigate them again after we leave.

Anyway, the system didn't give a time limit.

Soon, it was exactly nine o'clock in the evening.

The Pre-wedding Banquet was held as scheduled.

Ooka Momiji changed into an exquisite pink gown. The skirt of the gown went past her knees and covered her chest well, even making it appear smaller. It was easy to see from the design that this gown was meant for high-end occasions.

Wearing this on such an occasion gives off a feeling of Lu Bu riding a dog.

Ai wore that black Lolita dress and was still as cute as ever.

As for Fujino, he was wearing a black suit with a bulletproof vest underneath and a trench coat on top, essentially putting on every possible protective layer.

The group met up with Odagiri Susumu and arrived at the banquet hall of the Clock Mansion.

The banquet hall was already full of guests.

Besides the owners of the six pavilions in the village, many local celebrities also came.

The Pre-wedding Banquet officially began.

The door not far away was pushed open, Shida Wakaba came out.

Shida Wakaba wore an exquisitely crafted, fitted wedding dress. Her delicate face was slightly obscured by a white veil draped over her short black hair. She held a bouquet of red flowers in her hands, but her expression was unusually cold.

Behind her followed a girl in a black evening gown.

The girl looked somewhat familiar to Fujino...

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the girl carrying two crows whom I had encountered when asking for directions earlier.

Next to appear was the groom of this wedding, a man named Renjo Hisahiko.

Renjo Hisahiko wore a white hood, the style of which resembled that of an ancient executioner, revealing only his eyes, which unexpectedly fit the eerie atmosphere of the village.

After the bride and groom entered, the banquet officially began.

However, according to the strange custom in this village that the bride must stay overnight in the church when she gets married, after meeting everyone, Wakaba left the banquet with the crow woman and went to the church in the middle of the village.

Before leaving, Wakaba glanced at Odagiri.

However, Odagiri appeared flustered and couldn't speak.

"Mr. Tokita, congratulations!"

A man with a birthmark covering half his face was cutting up a steak on his plate with a knife and fork Shida Jusan sitting next to him and said, "Being able to become in-laws with the Liancheng family, the richest family in the county, means that the future development of our village will all depend on your family!"

"Hehe, not at all!"

Shida Jusan put a piece of steak into his mouth and smiled awkwardly.

"Is this what they call a political marriage?"

Ai Haibara sat to Fujino's left, picked up a drink, and silently surveyed everyone present.

She finally understood that Wakaba's wedding was a so-called arranged marriage.

Although neither party held a particularly high social status and the transactions were purely financial, that was the nature of the so-called marriage alliance.

It's nothing more than money and power.

Capitalism is truly evil.

"If it were a political marriage, that would be fine; a marriage of this magnitude would just be a minor affair..."

Ooka Momiji gave Ai Haibara a deep look. "To be honest, I really feel sorry for Wakaba, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"Yes, this is, after all, their family matter."

Fujino chimed in with a comment.

"You guys are probably still minors, right? It's best not to drink champagne."

Suddenly, a voice interrupted Fujino's thoughts.

Fujino turned his head and saw a middle-aged mixed-race man with blond hair, wearing a black evening suit, appear behind him.

"You must have come from outside the village, right?"

Matsuri Junya introduced himself with a smile, "My surname is Kazamatsuri, and I am the village representative."

"Mr. Kazamatsuri?"

Fujino thought for a moment, "Could it be the Wind Festival at the Wind Direction Mansion?"

"Yes."

Matsuri Junya nodded. "I am the owner of the Wind Direction Mansion."

"I see..."

Fujino chuckled softly, "My name is Fujino. I'm here with a friend to attend the wedding. This is my younger sister Ai Haibara."

Ai Haibara nodded knowingly.

Ooka Momiji, who wasn't introduced, gave Fujino a resentful look before introducing herself with a light laugh, "My surname is Ooka, I'm Wakaba's classmate, and I'm his fiancée."

"My fiancée?!"

Kazamatsuri was slightly surprised. "But speaking of which, the surname Ōoka sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

"Have you heard of it?"

Fujino was somewhat puzzled.

Although the Ooka family does seem very powerful, perhaps even extremely influential, their reputation shouldn't have spread to such a remote mountain village...

"Ah--!"

A scream suddenly interrupted Fujino's thoughts.

The group turned around and saw an elderly woman, dressed in a medieval-style dress, suddenly shouting, "Fire... fire!"

"Mrs. Kusanagi?"

Beside her, a wealthy woman in a fitted black evening gown, exuding a seductive charm, looked at the old woman with a puzzled expression.

"The church is on fire!"

With the old woman's loud shout, the atmosphere at the banquet immediately turned cold, and everyone's faces darkened.

Fujino narrowed his eyes slightly, vaguely sensing that something was amiss.

Church on fire...

He remembered that the previous mummified Mummified corpses had been burned to death.

Could there be some connection between the two?

Upon seeing this, two maids from the Clock Mansion quickly helped the old woman leave the banquet.

What's wrong with her?

Fujino turned to Matsuri Junya and asked.

"She is the owner of the Ivy Mansion, and her name is Kusanagi Miko."

Matsuri Junya explained, "She's been like this ever since her son died in a car accident five years ago..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man with a birthmark on his face suddenly clicked his tongue and said unhappily, "Why hasn't this crazy old woman been sent to a mental hospital yet?"

"Mr. Isshiki! Today is a wedding banquet, what you said is really too much, isn't it?"

The noblewoman grumbled, "And it's really too impolite of Mr. Liancheng, who has come from afar, to be here as well!"

"That lady is the owner of the Tower Mansion, Gotou Ran, while the one with the birthmark on her face is the owner of the Colored Glass Mansion, Isshiki Torao."

Matsuri Junya Fujino to the man, then pointed to a man in a black suit and round-framed glasses who was quietly eating not far away and continued, "And the one eating is Kabuto Reisaburo, the owner of the Armor Mansion."

"The master of the Armor Mansion..."

Fujino pondered for a moment, "Then that bridesmaid from earlier, could she be his family member?"

"That's right."

Matsuri Junya nodded. "He's the father of bridesmaid Kabuto Kiriko, but speaking of which, how did you figure that out..."

"I met Ms. Kiriko at the entrance of the Armor Mansion on my way here."

Fujino replied, "I even asked her for directions."

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

Matsuri Junya nodded. "But it's really strange, Kiriko is known for not liking to talk to outsiders."

"Indeed, she didn't speak to us at the time, she just gave us directions."

Fujino nodded.

Although it pointed to nothing.

The dinner was probably just a formality; after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they went off to chat separately.

Everyone else in this village is the same, strange.

The only person who could talk to Fujino and his group was Uncle Kazamatsuri from the Wind Direction Mansion, who seemed rather enthusiastic towards outsiders.

After the banquet, Uncle Kazamatsuri led Fujino and his group to the balcony of the banquet hall.

"Is Wakaba inside that church?"

Ooka Momiji gazed at the church not far away and asked Kazematsu with a puzzled look.

"That's right, it's that church. Speaking of which, that church was built a long time ago."

Uncle Kazamatsuri nodded. "The people who built this church were missionaries from abroad who came here in search of the Apple of Eden. It's been about a hundred years since then."

"The Golden Apple of Eden?"

Ai Haibara frowned in confusion. "The one in the Bible?"

"That's right, it's the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve ate in the Old Testament of the Bible."

Matsuri Junya pondered, "Actually, to this day, no one knows what the 'Golden Apple of Eden' they are searching for is."

"It might be the Golden Apple."

Fujino said something meaningful.

When he talked about the Golden Apple in the Garden of Eden, he thought of the Golden Apple in Assassin's Creed.

That thing is a relic of an ancient civilization that could control people's minds.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking; such a thing is impossible even in the Conan World.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Fujino paused for a moment, then continued to ask Matsuri Junya, "By the way, what exactly happened with the fire that the owner of the Ivy Mansion mentioned earlier?"

"That was twenty-seven years ago."

Uncle Kazamatsuri hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, then continued, "The pastor and his wife, along with their seven children, who lived there at the time, were burned to death in the fire. The newlywed wife had to stay there for one night, which is why it exists. On the eve of the wedding, the bride has to wear her wedding dress and repent for her past sins there..."

Ai Haibara couldn't help but remark, "What a strange tradition..."

"It is indeed quite strange."

Fujino nodded.

Fire, Mummified corpses.

My thoughts are becoming clearer.

Could the Mummified corpses in the secret room be the body of the pastor's family from that fire?

But before he could finish speaking, a series of rapid clanging sounds suddenly interrupted his thoughts once again.

"Well?"

Uncle Kazamatsuri was clearly taken aback. "Why would you ring it at this time?"

Is this also your custom?

Ooka Momiji couldn't help but ask curiously.

No.

Uncle Kazamatsuri shook his head. "The church bells only ring when someone dies..."

"Dead?"

Fujino's right eyelid twitched slightly, and then, as he expected, a system notification echoed in his ears, "A new Detective Profession Mission has been detected. Please check it!"

Fujino: "..."

Someone did indeed die.