Chapter 193: Conan, the One Who Vanishes the Moment You Let Go
After Curacao and Camus had finished their "punishment" and were walking with feigned leisure back from the interrogation room, they happened to cross paths with Cointreau.
He offered them no greeting, his gaze merely sweeping over them for a fraction of a second before he continued on his way, a phantom in the sterile corridor.
Camus, puzzled by the sudden halt, glanced at his companion. Curacao had stopped dead in her tracks, her expression unreadable as she stared at Cointreau's retreating back. She had accidentally seen Cointreau's file at Rum's office and knew a few of his peculiarities. It was a source of genuine curiosity for her—why someone like him would ever join the Organization.
She was only here because she had no other choice. She'd seen things she shouldn't have, and now, her service was the price of her life. But Cointreau… from what she knew of his abilities, he shouldn't have been shackled by such troubles. He didn't seem to care about money, either. So why did he stay?
Lately, she felt he had changed.
, Curacao remembered what Cointreau used to look like, which meant she was keenly aware that he had been wearing a disguise. It was just another abnormality in his recent behavior, yet one he made no apparent effort to conceal.
She quickly pushed the questions aside. She had little interaction with Cointreau, and her thoughts were merely a fleeting ripple caused by their chance encounter. When no answer surfaced, she let it go.
But while Curacao dismissed it, her reaction had ignited a spark of interest in Camus.
He watched the way her attention lingered on the man who had just passed, a slow, intrigued smile touching his lips. He knew Curacao was one of Rum's confidants, privy to many of the Organization's secrets. This was the first time Camus had ever seen her fixate on someone with such intensity, which meant that man was anything but simple.
And yet, it was his first time ever seeing such a supposedly remarkable person. Considering that the Japanese branch currently had only two new codenamed members—Bordeaux and Cointreau—the possibilities were limited. Judging by his build, he clearly wasn't a researcher. That left only one option: the mysterious Cointreau.
At that thought, Camus's curiosity sharpened. Since he likely wouldn't need to show his face for the upcoming collaboration with that somewhat eerie "Jade Chamber," he decided he would find an opportunity to properly meet this Cointreau.
At that same moment, Conan, Kaeya, and the others, having already returned to the inn, were completely oblivious to the machinations unfolding within the Black Organization.
After borrowing a small spray bottle from the front desk, they gathered around a notepad. Sonoko carefully wrote out the message the "Winter Maple Red" film crew had asked them to help deliver.
"'I have found the tree you are looking for. Please come to the rock that appeared in the final scene of the film. —Hodumi.' There. Writing it like this should be correct, right?" Sonoko held up the notepad, reading her own handwriting from top to bottom.
"Mhm~ That's perfect. Your handwriting is very beautiful, Sonoko-chan," Lisa affirmed with a warm smile.
"Haha," Sonoko chuckled at the compliment. "Now that we have everything, let's hurry back to the mountain and start the operation."
"Okay," Ran replied readily.
But Noelle offered a different opinion. "We should go out and eat first. We'll be climbing the mountain and dealing with those handkerchiefs later, which will definitely take a lot of time. We need to be full to have strength. Besides," she added, her gaze softening, "there's still a child with us."
As if on cue, the distinct sound of a stomach growling echoed in the quiet lobby.
Every head turned toward the source. Sonoko clutched her stomach, an embarrassed flush creeping up her neck. "Noelle is right," she declared, trying to reclaim her dignity. "You need a full stomach to have the strength to work. Let's go! We'll find a restaurant first."
Some time later, the group emerged from a local eatery, their appetites sated.
A thought suddenly occurred to Ran, and she turned to Lisa. "By the way, Albedo-san is still on the mountain sketching. He must be hungry, too. Should we bring him some snacks when we go up, just to tide him over?"
"It's fine. Albedo will handle it himself," Kaeya said smoothly. "If he hasn't sent a message, it means he isn't hungry. No need to bother him." Besides, he thought, a man who could survive for extended periods alone on Dragonspine hardly needed others to worry about his meals.
Lisa added, "Albedo definitely brought food with him. There's no need to worry."
Reassured, Ran dropped the idea.
Arriving back at the foot of the mountain, the group began their ascent, heading toward Albedo's last known location. Just as they were about to reach the spot, something familiar flickered in the corner of Conan's eye.
He stopped, turning to look back more closely. "Wait a moment," he called out to the others, pointing toward the underbrush to their back right. "Isn't that the notebook that gentleman was holding earlier?"
"Yes, it seems to be," Noelle, who was closest to Conan, confirmed, her brow furrowing.
Conan scrambled over and picked it up. His heart sank. There were dark, wet stains on the cover—blood. And it wasn't dry.
He immediately knew. Something had happened to the man, and it had happened just moments ago.
There was no time to explain. Conan shot forward, a small blue blur against the forest green.
Sonoko stared, baffled. "Wha—What's wrong?!"
"Co—Conan!" Ran cried out, her expression twisting with panic as he suddenly dashed past her. "Wait up!" She felt a sliver of relief only when she saw Noelle immediately give chase.
"Wow, he runs really fast," Lisa whispered, a note of genuine admiration in her voice.
"Indeed," Kaeya agreed, his eyes narrowed on the path ahead. "In the blink of an eye, even his back is out of sight."
Further up the trail, Conan's eyes darted left and right, scanning the trees, the ground, everything—except the path directly under his feet.
Just as his foot caught on an unseen root, sending him pitching forward, Noelle appeared, catching him in a protective hold. She absorbed the brunt of the impact as they tumbled to the ground together, shielding him with her body.
She immediately pushed herself up, her expression etched with concern. "Conan, are you okay?"
Conan blinked, shaking his head to clear it. He looked up at her. "I'm fine. Thank you, Noelle-niichan."
After thanking her, a chilling realization dawned. He turned his head to look at the very thing that had tripped him. Sure enough, it was the man he had been searching for.
But he was one step too late. The man's eyes were vacant, his chest still. He had already stopped breathing.
"Ah—!"
The high-pitched screams of Sonoko and Ran, who had just caught up, tore through the quiet woods.
Kaeya's head instinctively snapped up. Just as he expected, he saw several birds burst from the canopy, startled into flight.
"Is—Isn't this the owner of that notebook?" Sonoko stammered, looking to Ran for confirmation.
Ran swallowed hard, her face pale as she gave a jerky nod.
"In this situation," Sonoko said, her voice trembling slightly, "we should probably call the police immediately."
Ran nodded again, her fingers fumbling for her phone.
Suddenly, a loud shout echoed from deeper in the woods, followed by the frantic flapping of many more birds taking flight.
Ran, who had just pulled out her phone and was about to dial, froze. The sound came from just ahead. Her heart hammered against her ribs, her expression seized by panic. Could that be the voice of the murderer?
Before she could shake off her fear and make the call, she realized that Conan, who had been right there a moment ago, had vanished.
He was gone. Again.
Clearly, the instant he heard the commotion, he had run toward it. Now, all Ran could see was a blurry, distant figure disappearing into the trees.
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