novelhk Chapter 215 Gains a Subordinate
Chapter 215 Gains a Subordinate
Chapter 215 Gaining a Subordinate
Finally, when Subaru Okiya entered a room alone, Hiko Akutagawa found an opportunity to go in with him and closed the door behind him.
When the click sound of the door lock hitting the groove rang out, Subaru Okiya, who had been diligently searching for a possible bomb for his own safety, flinched and quickly turned around.
Fortunately, the room lights were still on. Even though Okiya Subaru was nearsighted, he wouldn't mistake someone for someone else. Besides, it would be difficult for him to mistake Akutagawa Hiko for someone else. After leaning against the wardrobe for a while, he finally felt relieved.
"Hahaha, it's Detective Akutagawa! Have you made any discoveries? Is there anything I can help you with? I'll do my best."
Akutagawa raised an eyebrow, momentarily curious about the child's past experiences. His behavior was just like that of an ordinary person who had accidentally entered the world of Detective Conan and had been ravaged by various events.
Perhaps that's why he didn't hesitate to sell his identity to Shuichi Akai, who needed to operate here and was ready to uproot the organization at any time.
But that's fine too, maybe we won't have to waste too much breath.
Since that's the case, Akutagawa Hiko chose to get straight to the point: "To be honest, I'm quite sensitive to sight. When Sonoko was attacked, did you see anything?"
A hint of panic flashed across Okiya Subaru's face. He instinctively wanted to deny it three times in a row, but he was defeated by Akutagawa Hiko's unwavering gaze, and his face was filled with uncontrollable bitterness.
"I think it's because my eyesight is bad and I misjudged it, really—"
Akutagawa Hiko chuckled and patted Okiya Subaru on the shoulder, comforting him, "Don't look so miserable. I'm not going to do anything to you. Ordinary people don't even have the chance to discover this."
Subaru Okiya was somewhat puzzled. What kind of good fortune was this? After discovering the other side of this world, what usually followed was annihilation.
Akutagawa Hiko took out a scroll of chakra extraction technique and a letter of appointment with a unique mark made using his chakra: "How about it? Interested in working under me? Easy work and excellent benefits."
Before Okiya Subaru could react, Akutagawa Hiko pulled him into the illusion. When they came out of the illusion, Okiya Subaru was in a daze.
The sheer volume of information overwhelmed the graduate student, and it took him quite a while to recover. His expression was extremely complex, clearly indicating that he hadn't expected the famous detective before him to have such an identity.
"Then—do I have the right to refuse?"
Although he asked the question, Subaru Okiya knew that with so much information, he no longer had the power to make his own choices.
In fact, he didn't want to refuse.
Please, is the extraordinary something cheap? He was lucky enough to meet a good-tempered and upright detective today, which gave him the opportunity to safely come into contact with the beings of the underworld.
Moreover, he'd had enough of living in fear, terrified of being dragged into the case and becoming an innocent victim or suspect. He could probably live a good life too—
"Ah, my faction advocates sealing away memories, but some radicals believe all risks should be nipped in the bud—"
As he spoke, Akutagawa Hiko turned his head, his gaze falling upon the ruins of Shimoda Kohei's room. They had boldly examined it, and apart from a few deformed metal ornaments stained with charred flesh—proof of his existence—there was no trace of his remains.
A guess suddenly popped into Okiya Subaru's mind.
"He looks like someone I knew well was the one who killed him—"
Subaru Okiya suddenly felt the scroll and letter of appointment in his hands were burning hot; this organization seemed very unsafe.
Akutagawa Hiko laughed and said, "Don't worry, as long as you agree, no one will bother you. Although partisan strife is inevitable, you're not at that level—"
Upon hearing this, Subaru Okiya felt much relieved, because in his opinion, Hiko Akutagawa had no reason to lie to him; the exceptionally realistic illusion he had just experienced was the best proof.
"Um—my studies—"
Since he had already accepted this job with excellent benefits but no social security, Subaru Okiya believed that even if it was easy, he should focus on the organization and the work.
After all, Subaru Okiya was quite clear that strength was the most solid guarantee.
The organization he joined happened to have the power to protect rights.
So, he could simply give up his postgraduate studies, but he should always ask more questions. What if this identity is helpful to the organization? Wouldn't giving it up leave a bad impression?
After thinking about it, Akutagawa Hiko realized that Okiya Subaru's identity, which attracted Akai Shuichi, might be one of the stepping stones to contact and cause trouble for the FBI, and that his identity as a graduate student could weaken others' vigilance.
So, naturally, we should continue to maintain the status quo.
Subaru Okiya breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad he had asked one more question. If he had just foolishly given up on this identity, it would have been virtually impossible for him to pick it up again on his own.
"In that case, be careful not to reveal your identity, as it could be dangerous not only for you but also for others."
Before leaving, Okiya Subaru heard Akutagawa Hiko say something like this, and he quickly stuffed the letter of appointment and the scroll into his underwear, then put them close to his body, with a down jacket on top. The movement was so subtle that it was barely noticeable.
After Akutagawa Hiko left, Okiya Subaru looked around, tightened his down jacket, and quickly left this place that held great significance for him.
The two men's actions went unnoticed by others. To them, it was simply that Akutagawa Hiko, the fearless and responsible detective, had carefully searched every room that might contain dangerous explosives.
"We searched the entire second floor, but found no explosives."
"No suspicious persons were found—"
"The gas cylinder in the kitchen is intact, and all the knives are still there."
"The wiring has been checked and there is no aging."
"I called the police, they'll be there as soon as it snows a little."
After a flurry of activity, everyone gathered in the lobby on the first floor. No one was sleepy; after all, the explosion had been terrifying, and no one could withstand another one.
Seeing the somewhat dejected group, Toyama Kazuha, who knew Hattori Heiji's experiences in Osaka quite well, tugged at him: "By the way, is this frequency of encountering cases normal?"
Hattori Heiji explained helplessly to Toyama Kazuha, who was somewhat skeptical of science, "There's no such thing as an 'event constitution' in this world. People who encounter cases more easily are more likely to become detectives."
"Moreover, the more cases we detectives encounter, the more our subconscious will follow them. Cases are bound to happen; we detectives are just walking up to them."
5
Kazuha Toyama also believed in this scientific explanation, but—
Two cases in a row – what a busy vacation!