Chapter 224: Bourbon's Intelligence
After their conversation, Eisuke Hondou finally relinquished his plan to confess to Ran. Before he left, however, he offered one last, pointed remark. "Even though I'm giving up, Miss Lisa will definitely keep her word. And her junior... he must be just as excellent and gentle as she described. But when that time comes, that will be something for you to worry about, won't it, Kudo-kun?"
Conan's mood, which had lifted ever so slightly with the resolution of one romantic rival, immediately plummeted back to rock bottom.
'Yeah,'he thought grimly,'the next one sounds like he'll be even more trouble.'
Someone who could earn such high praise from Lisa—described as both handsome and exceptional—was bound to be a far more formidable opponent than Eisuke Hondou. Could Ran really be swayed by such a person? To make matters worse, this junior was almost certainly a member of the Teyvat Organization, which meant Conan couldn't afford to target him too openly.
What was he supposed to do?
As his mind churned with this new anxiety, Conan couldn't help but recall the information Jodie had shared during a brief, urgent phone call earlier. It seemed the Black Organization had, through some unknown means, confirmed that Shuichi Akai was dead. Having been the one to "eliminate" Akai, Mizunashi Rena had apparently earned a measure of their trust and was granted a little more freedom.
She had used that opportunity to contact the FBI with a critical piece of intelligence: a new operative was about to be deployed. His codename was Bourbon, and he was an expert in investigation, specializing in intelligence gathering, observation, and deduction.
Mizunashi Rena had warned them to be especially careful.
"Bourbon..." Conan murmured the name to himself, weighing its significance.
A new member of the Black Organization was on his way, and from the sound of it, he was a dangerous one. If an operative of that caliber started digging around and uncovered any unfavorable clues, it would spell disaster.
Conan's brow furrowed, a flicker of worry crossing his eyes as he sank into deep thought. He understood with stark clarity that the days ahead would be anything but peaceful. Not only were members of the mysterious Teyvat Organization making their move—and likely approaching Ran—but the Black Organization was also deploying another top-tier investigator. The situation was spiraling into ever-greater complexity.
But no matter what, he would do everything in his power to protect everyone and expose the truth behind the Black Organization.
Just then, a sudden, piercing chill shot down his spine. He whipped around, his eyes scanning the street behind him, only to find it empty.
'An illusion?' Conan frowned, a seed of doubt and unease taking root in his heart.
Meanwhile, in a shadowed corner not far away, a mysterious figure stood perfectly still, silently watching their retreating forms.
"Have you seen enough?"
A moment later, a second, taller figure approached from behind, his voice laced with impatience. "If you're done, then hurry up and come with me to meet Natsume and the others. I don't want to keep my sister waiting."
After speaking, Aether cast an indifferent glance at Conan's distant back. It was clear the boy detective was not the focus of his attention today.
"I know. You don't have to remind me," the first figure—the Wanderer—replied, rolling his eyes in a clear display of disdain for Cointreau's anxiousness.
The reason the two of them had found themselves here, crossing paths with the just-departed Conan, was directly tied to the very intelligence the boy was currently mulling over.
Some time ago, under Gin's directive, the Black Organization had carefully re-examined the identity of the body found on Raiha Pass, confirming that it was, indeed, Shuichi Akai. Though Gin still harbored a sliver of suspicion about a "faked death," he lacked concrete evidence and ultimately chose to accept Kir's version of events.
Just like that, the suspicion hanging over Kir was cleared, and Gin restored a degree of her freedom.
It was during this period that the Wanderer engineered a private meeting with Kir. Holding a photograph of Eisuke Hondou, he had taken the opportunity to issue another warning to Mizunashi Rena. The meeting was held in a secure, secret location, with only the two of them present.
The Wanderer had shown her the photo of her younger brother, his message chillingly simple: if she failed to act according to the Teyvat Organization's requirements, Eisuke Hondou's life could be in jeopardy. The FBI agents protecting him would be powerless to stop it.
And the intelligence Kir had subsequently "leaked" to the FBI—that Bourbon was being dispatched to investigate Shuichi Akai's death—was a detail that had been discussed during that very meeting.
This brought Aether and the Wanderer to their current purpose for being here.
Although Aether felt it was highly probable that Bourbon wouldn't report Natsume's unique qualities to the Black Organization, they couldn't leave it to chance. They needed to devise a better strategy before Bourbon ever met Natsume—a way to make him hesitate, to render him incapable of disclosing any intelligence about her.
After all, when Aether first returned to Japan under the identity of Cointreau, he hadn't used any disguise. Bourbon had already seen his true face.
Now, with Bourbon set to investigate Kogoro Mouri, it was only a matter of time before he encountered Natsume.
And given Natsume's face, anyone who had seen Cointreau's true appearance would immediately connect the two of them.
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