The Mermaid Island Commission

"Weekend..."

Upon hearing this, Fujino, who was cleaning up the mess on the dining table, paused.

Normally, after a two-day holiday, you should wait three more days before the next weekend.

But this world...

It could take one or two days, three or six days, or even longer.

Okay, it's time for another surprise blind box opening event.

Fujino looked at Ayumi and guessed, "Speaking of which, the weekend should be tomorrow, right?"

"Brother Fujino, what are you saying?"

Ayumi blinked in confusion, "The weekend is clearly the day after tomorrow."

"..."

Hmm, I guessed wrong again.

Fujino smiled gently and scratched the back of his head, "Oh, it's the day after tomorrow. I was so busy I forgot."

"In that case, how about we go together this weekend?"

At that moment, Akemi Miyano came out of the kitchen and overheard Ayumi and Fujino's conversation. "Speaking of which, it's been a while since we went on a trip. It's the off-season these days, so we can close up shop for a couple of days to rest."

"Is Sister Akemi going too?"

"That's wonderful!"

"It seems like this is the first time we've gone out with Sister Akemi!"

The three boys seemed very enthusiastic about going skiing with Akemi Miyano.

A cute and gentle older sister is always popular with children.

They are usually well taken care of when they come to Snow King Ice City.

In the eyes of the three children, Akemi Miyano was like a respected teacher...

Fujino didn't say much and simply agreed.

Going skiing to relax is a good idea...

But why does this plot feel a little familiar?

Yeah, probably tomorrow.

Professor Agasa would catch a cold from staying up late watching short videos...

If his prediction is correct.

The next day.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and today was another refreshing spring day.

Fujino's day is simple.

I get up as usual around three or four in the morning, change into my workout clothes, and do my morning exercise.

Sometimes I become a lazybones and skip the morning exercise altogether.

After my morning exercise, it's time to check my emails...

After all, sometimes clients entrust their clients through letters.

"Fujino, there is an email for you!"

Just as Fujino returned from exercising and was waiting for his mail, the postman rode his bicycle over and handed him a thick brown paper envelope.

"Thank you for your help, Uncle Postman."

Fujino took the envelope, opened it, and glanced at it.

The letter contained the following content:

[Fujino Doji's personal message

I'm about to be killed by a mermaid! Please save me!

Kadowaki Saori: xxxxx

Besides the letter, there was also 50,000 yen in cash.

"Fifty thousand yen... is that a deposit?"

"That's a bit too little..."

Fujino glanced at the deposit with a strange expression, sighed, and silently put the money away. Then, he looked at the contents of the letter, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But a mermaid?"

Such a letter, which seems like a joke, should logically be considered a prank email...

After all, being killed by a mermaid is just too outrageous.

However, there's also the mermaid, and Kadowaki Saori.

This letter, however, stirred up some memories for Fujino.

If he remembers correctly, this should be the storyline from Mermaid Island.

Mermaid Island, or more accurately, 'America Island,' is described in the mailing address on the envelope, but no detailed address is provided.

That's right, it's the USA, although it's a bit far-fetched, it is indeed called 'America'. However, this 'America' is not that America, it should be the America of beauty, the country of a nation.

To be honest, Fujino really couldn't understand what kind of abstract person could come up with such an abstract name.

However, he was familiar with the name. He remembered that a few years ago, this place had become famous for something called a mermaid.

After thinking for a moment, he turned around and went back upstairs, took out his notebook, and began to collect relevant information.

He quickly found the relevant reports.

The report says that on a small island in Fukui Prefecture, there is a 'Life Lord' who lives for more than 130 years. In layman's terms, she is a so-called shaman.

The report mentioned that the shaman with the surname Shimabukuro had eaten mermaid flesh and was therefore endowed with Mermaid Power, becoming immortal.

According to legend, a Mermaid Festival was spontaneously held on the island, led by the sorceress. At each Mermaid Festival, the sorceress would randomly give out three 'Arrow of the Dugong' as souvenirs.

The Arrow of the Dugong is tied with a shaman's hair. The person who possesses this arrow will be blessed with longevity. However, losing this arrow will also bring misfortune.

However, not many people care about things like the Mermaid Festival. What really made this event popular was the fire three years ago...

During the Mermaid Festival ceremony, a warehouse suddenly caught fire, and a body was found inside.

However, the lower half of the corpse had very strange bones; it had no feet, just like a mermaid.

However, after police examination, the remains were indeed human.

Coupled with the legends on the island, this matter attracted widespread attention from society, and many media outlets followed suit, making the story of mermaids on the America Island a hot news topic.

If this were on Into the Science, it could definitely be made into ten episodes.

However, as the hype died down, this place was never mentioned by the public again.

However, the name of the island, 'America Island,' and the mermaid legend are not the main points.

The key point is that a series of murders will occur on this small island, and the victims include the client who is supposed to be killed by the mermaid.

In Fujino's memory, the so-called 130-year-old mermaid legend on Mermaid Island was actually just a fabrication by the women of the Shimabukuro family for generations.

The mermaid corpse from three years ago was actually the previous sorceress, who is now the mother of the Mermaid Maiden, Kimiie Shimabukuro, in disguise.

As for why the corpse turned out that way... it all started with the client Kadowaki Saori.

Three years ago, at the Mermaid Festival, Kadowaki Saori and her two friends went to pray for the Mermaid Arrow, hoping to gain the power of immortality.

But fate had other plans, and none of them drew a winning number, which made them very depressed.

After getting drunk that night, the resentful women happened to see the mermaid enter the warehouse.

In retaliation, and to confirm the mermaid's claim, fueled by alcohol, they locked the warehouse and set it on fire.

The mother of the previous actress who played the role of the sorceress, Shimabukuro Kimie, died in this fire. The fire burned for a day and a night, and in the end, only bones remained.

Because she called her daughter before she died to tell her to continue the Mermaid Festival, this fact was not revealed.

As for why the body looked like that... it was probably an illusion created when the legs were crushed by a falling roof beam during the fire.

And just recently Kadowaki Saori lost the Mermaid Arrow.

After experiencing that incident back then, she became a devout follower of mermaids.

To prevent herself from being killed by the mermaid in revenge, she went to seek help from Shimabukuro Kimie, wanting to consult a shaman. She then told him about what happened back then and even wanted to eat the 'mermaid's ashes' to gain the Mermaid Power.

She didn't just imagine it out of thin air; after all, someone had tried it before.

When Shimabukuro Kimie daughter, discovered the truth about her mother's death, she was furious.

He was extremely angry after learning that Kadowaki Saori had not only burned his mother to death, but also wanted to desecrate her grave.

Consumed by rage, she killed Kadowaki Saori and her two other accomplices who had participated in the arson in order to avenge the past.

"Feudal superstition is deadly..."

Pulling himself back to reality, Fujino took a deep breath and silently reflected on the situation.

It's just a pity for Junhui's mother; after she died, she was dug up and eaten by people.

All I can say is that this is the result of feudal superstition...

If there were no mermaid lies, none of this would have happened.

But since it has already happened, all we can say is that those three girls were absolutely despicable.

"I wonder if her Murder Plan has even begun..."

Fujino thought for a moment, then took out his phone from his pocket.

He remembered that Hattori Heiji should also be involved in this case.

However, after he received the letter, Kadowaki Saori had already been killed.

I don't know if the plan has started yet.

The call was quickly answered, and a young girl's voice came from the other end. "Excuse me, who are you?"

The call went through, so it seems the person is still alive...

Fujino then tightened his throat and said in a strange tone, "I am a mermaid."

"Ah!!!"

A scream came from the other end of the phone.

"Ahem."

Fujino coughed lightly and reintroduced himself. "Just kidding. I'm Fujino. You should have sent me a letter earlier. The phone number is in the letter."

"Call..."

On the other end of the phone, Kadowaki Saori took a deep breath to calm herself down, then said resentfully, "Seriously, don't joke like that..."

"Well, sorry, I just think mermaids and stuff are really fun."

Fujino said calmly, "However, the letter also mentioned that you were going to be killed by a mermaid. Could you explain in detail what that means?"

"That's an arrow that can grant immortality..."

On the other Kadowaki Saori's tone became somewhat unstable. "But I lost it not long ago. If I can't find it, I'll definitely be punished and killed by the Mermaid!"

"Um... calm down."

Fujino was speechless for a moment, then said, "I've already investigated the specifics. If I'm not mistaken, your purpose in commissioning me is to find that Arrow of the Dugong, right?"

"That's right!"

Kadowaki Saori said with certainty, "I'd give up everything I have if it can be found! Just find it!"

"Um..."

Fujino hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the time. "Since it's a request to find something, let's meet first. Do you have time?"

"Today!"

Kadowaki Saori hurriedly said, "I was going to see the dentist this morning, but I should be able to take the Shinkansen to Tokyo this afternoon."

"Okay, then we'll see you this afternoon. As for the address... let's choose the detective agency. I'll text you the location later; you should already know it."

Fujino sent the address, hung up the phone, and took a deep breath.

He gained a new understanding of religious and supernatural legends and culture.

Sure enough, this thing makes money faster.

A bunch of idiots are giving away money.

But it's all good, it's a perfect opportunity to lure them over, make some money, and teach them a lesson along the way.

Before we knew it, it was afternoon.

"Knock knock knock!"

There was a knock on the door of the detective agency.

Two young girls were coming towards me.

One of the girls had long, soft black hair, wore a gray-black suit jacket and fitted trousers, which accentuated her slightly outstanding figure. She had a gentle and lovely appearance, and even vaguely resembled Akemi Miyano.

The other girl had short brown hair, wore a white shirt with a blue knitted sweater underneath, and khaki shorts that revealed her fair thighs. She wore round-framed glasses and had an intellectual air about her.

"Miss Kadowaki Saori?"

Fujino looked at the two of them curiously and asked a question.

"Um... I'm Kadowaki Saori I spoke to on the phone earlier..."

Kadowaki Saori's face was flushed on one side, apparently from just seeing the dentist, and she was even having trouble speaking.

She nodded, then turned to the girl beside her and introduced her, "This is Junhui... she came with me to the dentist this time..."

"Hello, my name is Shimabukuro Kimie."

The other girl gave a slight bow and greeted them.

"Yes, please have a seat."

Fujino invited the two to sit on the sofa in the office and poured them a cup of black tea, but considering that Kadowaki Saori had just finished seeing the dentist, he poured them a glass of water instead.

After all, they are our customers now, so we should still provide the necessary support.

As for non-working hours...

Fujino sat down on the sofa, his gaze falling on Kadowaki Saori: "So, the thing you want to ask me to do this time is to find that Arrow of the Dugong, right? According to my investigation, that arrow is said to be able to grant people a long life, but losing it will result in punishment or something like that..."

"That's right, it's that arrow. It suddenly disappeared a while ago, and we can't find it no matter how hard we look!"

Kadowaki Saori nodded repeatedly, very satisfied that Fujino had found out the origin of the arrow.

Fujino briefly inquired about what had happened.

Kadowaki Saori quickly answered truthfully, afraid that it would delay finding that arrow.

"Yes, I have a pretty good understanding of the specifics, if my guess is correct..."

Fujino crossed his arms. "Next, we should go to the island to investigate what happened, and then help you find that arrow... But before that, we still need to talk about the commission fee."

"The commission fee is definitely not a problem!"

Seeing that Fujino Kadowaki Saori quickly said, "As long as you can help find that arrow, 500,000 yen is no problem."

"Saori ..."

Shimabukuro Kimie nearby, whispered, "Let's forget about it. It's just an arrow; spending 500,000 yen to find it is such a waste..."

"If I can't find it, I'll be killed!"

Kadowaki Saori wouldn't listen to any advice; she just clung to the last straw of guilt and seemed unwilling to give up.

Upon hearing this Shimabukuro Kimie sighed.

She wasn't actually worried about her good friend's money.

Instead, he was worried that his Murder Plan might be exposed.

After all, standing before her was Great Detective had solved numerous major cases, dismantled several criminal organizations, and prevented several major disasters...

To be honest, this inhuman record made her feel somewhat fearful.

If we really go to the island to investigate...

She'll probably be caught soon.