"Alright, we're here."
The car drove another ten-plus minutes before finally stopping outside a mountain villa.
Though called a villa, it didn't look much larger than the mansions of the wealthy.
It was simply a three-story building nestled in the forest, open to the public and meant for lodging guests.
DING DING DING!
"What the heck? Isn't anyone coming out to greet us?" Uncle Maori slammed the reception bell, but no one appeared.
"Anybody here?" Ran called out loudly.
Just then, two gunshots rang out from outside the villa, drawing the attention of all four of them.
"Gunshots!" Conan shoved his hands in his pockets, frowning in confusion.
"Someone died again?" Every time Tsuneo saw a villa like this, he had a bad feeling something was about to happen.
Vacation? What a joke!
This Shinigami was clearly out here harvesting souls to hit his quota!
"No, no." As the voice spoke, the door behind the counter opened. The villa owner, a man in his sixties with a Mediterranean haircut, stepped out with a smile.
"The forests around here have all been designated as hunting grounds. Some guests are out hunting right now."
The owner glanced at Tsuneo as he spoke.
The signs nearby should have made it perfectly clear—how could anyone think someone had died?
In broad daylight, no less. His villa was perfectly safe; nothing like that would ever happen…
"You must be Mr. Maori, who made the reservation. I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting." The owner handed Uncle Maori the reservation slip for confirmation.
"Dad, did you actually check anything before coming here?" Ran turned to her father.
First an archery range, now a hunting ground—this route was way too dangerous.
Brother Tsuneo might be able to catch an arrow, but he definitely can't stop a hunting rifle bullet!
Uncle Maori, scolded by his daughter, looked helpless and speechless. That arrow earlier really had come frighteningly close to his head…
"It is indeed dangerous. Although we've placed mirrors and signs within sightlines to guide visitors, arrows still go astray sometimes."
The owner nodded. Guests' skill levels varied too much; there was no perfect countermeasure the villa could implement.
"Heh heh… we already got a taste of that just now. It really was that close." Uncle Maori still looked shaken at the memory.
"That dirt road might actually be inside the hunting grounds," Tsuneo said, pulling the car armrest from his pocket and giving the clueless detective a deadpan stare.
You really didn't read a single sign and just floored it blindly, didn't you?
Conan nodded too. The road had been unbelievably bumpy. With facilities this well-built, they'd obviously taken the wrong turn.
At that moment, a tall man with a gloomy face and long, unkempt hair walked in from outside.
"Welcome back," the owner greeted him.
The man silently walked to the counter, took the room key the owner handed him, turned, and left without a word.
Even Conan craned his neck to stare after him.
What's with this guy?
He looks like everyone in the world owes him money.
"Mr. Maori, here are the keys for the two rooms you booked for the four of you." The owner handed Uncle Maori two keys.
Glancing again at the reservation sheet, he continued, "Would you like to dine at our pride and joy, the Garden Restaurant?"
"Dinner outside?" Uncle Maori turned to look at Tsuneo and the others.
"Allow me to show you the way first."
From the owner's tone, it seemed the Garden Restaurant was a must-visit highlight of the villa.
"This way, please."
Guided by the owner, Tsuneo and the others stepped through a set of French windows and arrived at the so-called Garden Restaurant.
It was right beside the villa on the other side, not very large, with five or six solid wooden table-and-chair sets and a few European-style street lamps around the perimeter. Built high on the mountain, the open-air restaurant offered breathtaking views. Beyond the wooden railing lay sheer cliffs; dozens of meters below, a rushing river roared.
Conan crouched by the railing, peering down through the gaps.
"Be careful, Conan," Ran warned from beside him.
"You'll really hurt yourself if you fall," Tsuneo added with concern.
"Yeah, I know…" Conan shot the "repairman" a sideways glance.
It's not about whether it'll hurt…
Mountain weather changes in an instant. While they were talking, a light rain suddenly began to fall.
"Come on, the weather's ruining everything. Your proud Garden Restaurant is a bust now." Uncle Maori had been looking forward to having a drink in a place like this, but now rain was pouring down.
"I'm truly sorry. Let's head inside quickly." The owner apologized profusely and hurried everyone back toward the building.
Once the sky darkened, the rain would only get heavier.
"What a shame!" Ran gazed at the intensifying downpour outside, sounding disappointed.
"There's nothing we can do about the weather. Let's put our things in the rooms first." Uncle Maori picked up two small bags, looked around, and frowned in confusion.
"Where did Tsuneo run off to?"
Conan gave his signature dead-fish eyes and pointed toward the front desk.
He's already over there confirming the menu with the owner…
…
Evening.
The villa lobby.
The group sat on the sofas.
"What even is this drama about…" Tsuneo rubbed his temples, watching the masked man on TV.
A dagger-wielding, masked criminal named "Jekyliber V," and the white-clothed hero who descended from the sky with a gun to save the beauty, calling himself "City Hunter Mackerel Companion."
What kind of weird dramas does Ran watch every day…
"Heh heh heh." Conan wore the same speechless expression.
I have to watch this stuff with her all the time…
"Seriously, why are you still watching this garbage?" Uncle Maori came back from the bathroom and turned off the TV.
"I was at the good part!" Ran huffed, glaring at her dad.
"Please, that so-called great detective just gets lucky every single week to solve cases." Uncle Maori flopped onto the sofa, clearly unimpressed with the TV detective.
"Yeah, I'd rather watch Yoko than this." Tsuneo nodded in agreement.
The acting and action were way too over-the-top.
"Hey! Don't you dare compare Miss Yoko to this kind of plot!" Uncle Maori absolutely refused to accept that.
"I don't know that many celebrities."
"Still not okay!"
"…"
(End of Chapter)
-----------------------------
I've posted the next 40 chapters exclusively on Patreon!
If you like this story, please come and support me.
Here's the link: [pateoncom/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your continued support!