Chapter 11: Taxes Stump Even Heroes
Village Office - Lunchtime
The group proceeded to the village office for their promised meal.
"Anya, your dog is so cute! I want one just like him!"
The village chief's daughter was a year older than Conan and Anya—a difference clearly evident in their respective heights.
"Hehe, Bond is Anya's precious darling!" Anya declared, hugging Bond even tighter.
She'd just intercepted Mikami Rin's thoughts—this girl actually wanted to buy her Bond!
Absolutely unacceptable.
She then casually pushed Conan forward, positioning him directly in front of Mikami Rin as a distraction.
Conan, who'd been deeply contemplating the 'ghost ship,' nearly lost his balance from Anya's unexpected shove.
Meanwhile, Mikami Takeo, seated at the head of the table, seemed to have reached a decision and spoke in a measured tone. "Mouri-san, besides the lecture, there's something else I'd like to request your expertise on."
"If I'm not mistaken, it's related to the missing ¥1 billion worth of gold from the Ryujin Maru, isn't it?"
Kogoro Mouri was often unreliable, but he understood social dynamics exceptionally well.
When the village chief had taken them to view the Ryujin Maru earlier, he'd already suspected as much. However, since the other party hadn't explicitly mentioned it, he naturally wouldn't presume to interfere.
"As expected of a famous detective! My little scheme couldn't escape your discerning eyes." Mikami Takeo rubbed his bald head with a sheepish smile before continuing. "The ship sank within a kilometer of the island, so the missing gold should also be within that range."
"Even if that gold is recovered, it doesn't belong to Shikishima, correct? After all, it wasn't Shikishima's property to begin with." Natsukawa casually picked up a piece of salmon with his chopsticks as he spoke.
"That's true, but the gold has been submerged in the ocean for many years. If it's found now, besides the portion surrendered to the government, our island can legally retain one-tenth of the total value."
Natsukawa smiled knowingly. "Then what does that have to do with us? What compensation will Mouri-san receive?"
Mouri Kogoro was extremely satisfied that Natsukawa had spoken up on his behalf. It would have been inappropriate for him to raise such mercenary questions himself—far more suitable for an outsider like Natsukawa to broach the subject.
I heard my neighbor doesn't seem to have stable employment yet. I wonder if he'd be willing to become my Watson?
...Never mind.
My commissions aren't particularly stable anyway. We often struggle just to make ends meet. If I hire an assistant, we might not be able to afford food at all.
Mikami Takeo's slightly pudgy face broke into a practiced smile, his eyes narrowing into contented slits. "If the gold is recovered, Shikishima is prepared to pay one percent of the total value—that's ¥10 million!"
"¥15 million!"
Anya's sudden interjection startled everyone present.
"¥15 million!" Anya confirmed again with absolute certainty.
"Uh... this child..."
Mikami Takeo felt a surge of annoyance. Who is this brat?! She just revealed my maximum price range!
However, he couldn't express his irritation openly, so he looked toward Natsukawa instead—presumably Kogoro Mouri's assistant or manager who'd been handling the negotiations.
Natsukawa had been carefully observing Mikami Takeo's expression and noticed that while he appeared hesitant, he showed no genuine anger.
In other words, ¥15 million fell within acceptable parameters.
"Village Chief Mikami, ¥15 million. One price, final offer."
"This..."
"Village Chief Mikami, if we investigate this matter independently, and if we locate the gold..." Natsukawa deliberately left his sentence unfinished, but the implication was crystal clear.
"...Alright! Agreed!"
"Hahaha, excellent, excellent! Let's drink to this, Village Chief Mikami!" Kogoro Mouri laughed so enthusiastically his jaw nearly dislocated. Without even bothering with a proper glass, he boldly grabbed the sake bottle and clinked it directly against Natsukawa and Mikami Takeo's drinks.
Natsukawa's pretty impressive! He easily negotiated a fifty percent increase.
This kid's getting better and better at this.
"In that case, Kinoshita, please explain the complete situation to Mouri-san so he can resolve this matter more efficiently."
Kinoshita Goro nodded upon receiving the instruction. "The incident occurred seven years ago during a typhoon, approximately one kilometer offshore from Shikishima. The Ryujin Maru experienced hull damage and continuously transmitted distress signals. However, when we launched a rescue operation, the ship's distress signals abruptly ceased. The vast ocean was turbulent during the typhoon—ships are subject to powerful winds and waves. Despite our search efforts, we failed to locate the Ryujin Maru."
"It wasn't until the following morning that we discovered the ship owner's body washed ashore on Shikishima's beach."
Kinoshita Goro sighed heavily. "Forget about the gold bars—we didn't even find wreckage from the Ryujin Maru."
"So this ship didn't belong to Shikishima originally. Then how did everyone know there was gold hidden aboard?" Mouri Kogoro's question immediately captured Natsukawa's attention, and Conan's head snapped up as well.
Both were intensely interested in this particular detail.
"Actually, the ship owner was a company president. He was about to be arrested for tax evasion, so he converted all his liquid assets into gold bars in advance, intending to flee Japan aboard the Ryujin Maru. However, his timing was catastrophically unfortunate—a typhoon arrived precisely on the day of his departure, which ultimately led to these tragic events."
Tax evasion?
Natsukawa's eye twitched involuntarily.
That damned issue again. Taxes truly are everyone's nemesis!
This guy and the Black Organization were birds of a feather.
The word "tax" had stumped countless so-called "heroes."
"No problem whatsoever! Leave this investigation to me, the great Detective Kogoro Mouri! Come on, let's drink!"
Everyone enjoyed the convivial atmosphere—everyone except Conan, who remained lost in contemplation, absently fidgeting with his chin.
Natsukawa watched for an extended period, idly wondering if Conan would eventually grow a beard if he maintained this habit.
Village Office - Afternoon Lecture
The village office was bustling that afternoon.
The island didn't have many residents—only about a hundred households with a total population just exceeding three hundred.
Because residents had been informed in advance, the village hall was already packed to capacity. Some attendees came for the excitement, while others came to glimpse a celebrity.
Kogoro Mouri, who'd appeared in newspapers multiple times, was considered quite famous throughout the Kanto region—at least that's what many people believed.
There were also some insiders who understood the village chief's true motivations for inviting the detective.
"Huh? Where are Anya and Conan?" Ran asked, somewhat puzzled by their absence.
Natsukawa shook his head and looked pointedly at Bond.
Bond shook his head in response.
"I don't know!"
Ran felt slightly embarrassed. What's wrong with Natsukawa-san? Why is he asking Bond? What would a dog know?
"Don't underestimate Bond just because he's a dog," Natsukawa replied seriously.
Ran regarded him with a probing, somewhat bewildered expression.
"He's a Great Pyrenees over a meter in length. These dogs are extremely rare worldwide."
"Okay..." Ran smiled helplessly and continued searching for the children.
"Take Bond with you. Dogs have excellent noses for tracking."
Natsukawa gave Bond's rear a light kick of encouragement.
"But—"
"Woof woof woof!"
Bond's enthusiastic barking interrupted Ran's protest.
"Do you want to come help me search?" she asked the dog.
"Woof!"
"Alright then. Bond, let's go find Anya and Conan together. Natsukawa-san can take care of Uncle Mouri."
Natsukawa's voice carried a slight slur, though he was clearly far from actually drunk. He patted Kogoro Mouri sitting beside him.
He's genuinely drunk, and Natsukawa had been supporting him throughout their walk here.
Uncle Mouri weighed at least 150 pounds, and alcohol only made him feel heavier. Natsukawa had been essentially carrying him until the man sobered up somewhat.
"Natsukawa-san, Mouri-san still has his lecture to deliver shortly," Mikami Takeo said with obvious concern.
Natsukawa smiled inwardly. Damn it, isn't this YOUR fault for plying him with sake?
"It's fine. Your primary objective isn't the lecture anyway, correct? We can just go through the motions later."
That's... actually true.
Mikami Takeo nodded in agreement—his real goal wasn't the speech after all.
Searching for the Children
Soon, Ran returned with Conan in tow, and Anya had climbed back onto Bond's comfortable back.
"Where did you two disappear to?"
Conan never vanished without purpose. If he was missing, he'd undoubtedly gone searching for clues. Natsukawa was absolutely convinced of this pattern and asked when the opportunity presented itself.
"There's a Naval Archives building adjacent to the village office. We were just exploring there."
"The navy personnel were so pitiful! The villagers used to be incredibly cruel—they drove the navy into a cave and massacred them all." Anya spoke with righteous indignation, using her hands and feet to demonstrate on Bond like he was a punching bag. Though she obviously applied minimal force—the pressure was very gentle, making Bond's eyes squint contentedly.
"I heard there was a murder case involving a naval ghost several years ago. Papa, Anya is so scared!"
"It's all just local folklore and hearsay," Conan maintained his composure, though his expression had grown somewhat serious. He was clearly attempting to comfort Anya.
Natsukawa nodded thoughtfully. "Then I should investigate it myself as well. Uncle Mouri should be fine now."
He then lifted Anya off Bond's back with firm resolve. "Anya, you need to learn to walk independently. Don't constantly burden Bond, understood?"
"Yes, Papa. Papa, please don't scold me! (￢_￢)"
It seemed she hadn't truly absorbed the lesson, but Natsukawa had exhausted his options.
A top-tier international spy, completely unable to handle one small child—truly frustrating beyond measure.
"Want peanuts?"
Natsukawa deployed his ultimate technique—producing some roasted peanuts from his pocket.
"Okay! Papa, I'll be good and walk by myself!"
The Lecture Begins
The speech preparations were complete, the audience was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, and on stage... Kogoro Mouri wobbled unsteadily toward the podium.
Is this really going to be alright?
Naval Archives
The Naval Archives—this must be it!
Natsukawa had already slipped away from the venue. He possessed zero interest in listening to Uncle Mouri's lecture, which was expected to ramble on for an indeterminate duration.
The archive's entrance featured a traditional sliding door, conveniently unlocked. Natsukawa easily pushed it open.
Inside, numerous naval artifacts filled the space—nautical charts adorned the walls, and various items that appeared to be historical documents were carefully preserved. To the left of the entrance stood a magnificent suit of samurai armor, and display cases on the tables were piled high with commemorative ornaments.
However, none of these were what Natsukawa needed to focus on.
He walked directly toward a particular map.
This map appeared to be a topographical chart of Shikishima, with a conspicuous X marked on it and accompanying text that read: Naval Cave!
This must be it, right?
This cave undoubtedly held some secret. Perhaps the ¥1 billion in gold bars was hidden there.
As for the Ryujin Maru itself...
Judging from the Shikishima topographical map, the naval cave was situated on a cliff face, so it was perfectly logical for there to be a cave accessible from the bottom of that cliff.
After all, this was the world of Detective Conan, where successful deduction required wildly imaginative leaps of logic.
However, this theory was also partially supported by the friction marks Natsukawa had discovered on the Ryujin Maru's railing earlier.
It's likely the ship had been anchored inside the naval cave all along, and its current appearance outside is probably related to the recent typhoon.
The typhoon had been powerful enough that the waves forcibly expelled the ship from the naval cave's concealment.
After thinking this through, Natsukawa decided not to proceed directly to the naval cave just yet. He still wanted to investigate the watchtower.
He'd sensed someone observing him that morning, which left him feeling profoundly uneasy. He needed to confirm his suspicions no matter what.
"A relaxing vacation turned into crime-solving. How utterly frustrating."
[End of Chapter 11]
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