"Miss Narumi, are you a resident of Tsukikage Island?" Kogoro Mori asked enthusiastically.
"No, I'm from Tokyo. But I saw how quiet and relaxing it is here on the island, so I wanted to live here," Narumi Asai said with a smile.
"Oh, so you're from Tokyo too, Miss Narumi! What a coincidence—I'm from Tokyo as well."
Kogoro Mori looked very excited.
"That's right." Kogoro Mori stood up straight and cleared his throat lightly. "I am the world-famous detective, Kogoro Mori."
"Kogoro Mori?" Narumi Asai suddenly looked at him with surprise. "You're that 'Sleeping Detective'?"
"That's right, it is I. Wahahaha!" Kogoro Mori laughed loudly and proudly.
Narumi Asai smiled beside him.
"Dad is really too much," Ran muttered, her brow furrowed in annoyance.
"Hehe, Kogoro hasn't changed a bit," Yukiko said with an elegant smile.
"I really wonder how Lawyer Eri Kisaki ever fell for this lecherous old man," Sonoko said, speechless.
[Heh, she was probably blind.]
Conan added a silent jab from the side.
Kazuha giggled nearby. She and Heiji had already seen Kogoro Mori's personality while staying at Ran's house.
Heiji completely ignored Kogoro Mori and walked straight ahead.
At that moment, a crowd of people stood in front of a nearby house. They were holding up various signs and shouting slogans at the top of their lungs.
"Oppose the current village chief's tyranny!"
"Reject violent rule!"
"Oppose Tatsuji Kuroiwa as village chief!"
Wave after wave of shouting could be heard from far away.
Seeing this scene, Heiji's group felt a bit strange.
"Miss Narumi, what is happening over there?" Kogoro Mori asked curiously.
"That…" Narumi Asai gave a helpless smile. "It's because the current village chief, Mr. Kuroiwa, has done some things that don't align with the villagers' interests, so…"
"I understand, I understand."
Kogoro Mori nodded quickly.
Heiji glanced at the crowd and walked directly in another direction.
"Heiji, where are we going?" Kazuha asked curiously.
"Dummy, to find a hotel, of course."
Heiji pinched Kazuha's nose.
Kazuha wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction and gave him a sharp glare. "Don't pinch it! What if it collapses?"
Heiji couldn't help but laugh. "It's not fake, how could it collapse?"
Kazuha still pushed Heiji's hand away and hugged his arm tightly. "If you pinch it too much, it'll collapse."
"I want to hear secrets too," Sonoko said, pouting.
"Heehee, someone is jealous," Kazuha teased.
Heiji took Sonoko's hand with his other hand and smiled slightly. "Let's go. Let's start our vacation."
"Oh my, I didn't bring any money. You aren't allowed to leave me behind."
Yukiko quickly followed them.
Conan's face was covered in dark lines. What is Mom doing?
"Miss Narumi, can you help introduce us to the village chief? I need to find someone."
"Find someone?"
Narumi Asai looked at Heiji with a strange expression.
Kogoro Mori then explained the whole situation again.
"Keiji Aso?"
Narumi Asai looked up and thought for a moment, then shook her head slightly. "I've never heard of that person."
"So, I need to see the village chief. Please."
Kogoro Mori looked helpless.
"Alright, follow me."
Narumi Asai prepared to take Kogoro and the other two to see the Tsukikage Island village chief, Tatsuji Kuroiwa.
"Ran, come and play with us too!"
Suddenly, Sonoko's voice rang out from a distance.
Ran did want to follow them; she didn't have any interest in investigating cases.
"Go ahead. This incident isn't going to be anything troublesome anyway," Kogoro said.
"Dad, you're being so encouraging. Is it because you don't want me here getting in your way?" Ran asked, squinting her eyes.
[Heh, that's probably it.]
Looking at Kogoro Mori's expression, Conan thought to himself.
"Ran, hurry up!"
Sonoko continued to shout from the distance.
"Dad, don't let me and Mom down." After saying that, Ran looked at Conan. "Conan, do you want to come play too?"
Looking at Heiji not far away, Conan curled his lip. "Ran, I'm not going. I want to learn how to solve cases from Uncle."
"Wahahaha! Kid, you'll definitely learn a lot by following me."
Kogoro Mori felt his ego being boosted.
[Heh, let's see how you solve the case without me.]
"Then I'm going to play. Dad, take good care of Conan."
Ran waved to the two of them and ran toward Heiji's group with her long legs.
The environment on Tsukikage Island was very good. There was a lot of greenery all around. The residents' buildings were built along both sides of the road in a long strip, which preserved much of the island's natural environment.
"Wow, walking along this path feels so good."
Kazuha walked along the leafy path with her hands behind her back, stretching her body. Her face was full of praise.
"Kazuha, let's come here to play often in the future."
Sonoko was also very satisfied with the environment here.
"Oh my, are you planning to settle down here?" Yukiko leaned in.
"Just to come here occasionally to relax."
For the entire day, Heiji followed the girls and visited almost all the scenic spots on Tsukikage Island.
"Alright, we're done sightseeing. We should go back to the hotel and rest now."
Heiji felt quite bored. Three women were enough for a drama, but four women were practically a whole TV series; their topics of conversation never ended.
"Yeah, I should head back too."
Ran looked at the night sky, a flash of worry in her beautiful eyes.
"Ran, you aren't worried about Uncle Mori and Conan, are you?" Sonoko saw through Ran's thoughts at a glance.
"I can't help it. They always make me worry."
"Oh my, if Conan knew Ran cared about him so much, he would definitely be very happy."
Yukiko's eyes crinkled as she smiled.
"Conan was left here with me by his parents. It's very pitiful."
Ran's maternal instincts were overflowing.
"Exactly! Those heartless parents are real jerks. They actually felt okay letting a child live long-term at someone else's house."
Sonoko nodded vigorously, her face full of disdain for Conan's parents.
Yukiko's smile stopped abruptly. She felt a bit awkward.
"It's no use talking about it here. Some people are just that much of a jerk. Yukiko, don't you agree?"
Heiji glanced calmly at Yukiko.
Yukiko immediately pouted and glared fiercely at Heiji, gritting her teeth silently. "You're right. They really are jerks."
Kazuha and the other two girls looked at Yukiko strangely.
[Yukiko seems very angry.]
As Yukiko passed by Heiji, she said in a low voice, "Humph, don't get too full of yourself. I'll get my revenge."
After this brief interlude, the way back was destined to be anything but peaceful.
After returning to the hotel, Heiji found himself isolated.
"Kazuha, Sonoko, Ran—let's go soak in the onsen!"
Yukiko pulled the three girls along and quickly walked toward the women's bath area. She didn't forget to turn back and give Heiji a fierce glare, blinking triumphantly.
Heiji was speechless. Is this her revenge?
Meanwhile, Kogoro Mori and Conan were very busy.
After all, the powerful "God of Death" aura of an elementary school boy was not something that disappeared so easily.
Someone was dead!