Chapter 24: It Usually Doesn't Bite

Tano Katsuo was startled and turned to greet the woman, "Madame!"

"Actually, the children's father knew about this too," Mamiya Masayo said to herself in the slow, nostalgic tone of the elderly. "But not only was he not angry, he was quite amused by it..."

"I am so sorry!" Tano Katsuo apologized hastily. "I shouldn't have reminded you of those past events, Madame."

"You don't need to be so nervous," Mamiya Masayo said, looking up at the portrait hanging on the wall. "I've grown accustomed to his absence. It's just like how the designs on banknotes or the sizes of passports change; at first, it feels strange, but after a while, you don't find it odd at all. Time is a terrifying thing; joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure all fade away as time passes..."

Chi Feichi watched Mamiya Masayo. During his time staying here, he had observed her behavior and speech, finding not a single flaw. He hadn't expected her to slip up as soon as Conan arrived.

Was she looking for someone new to talk to, or was she being influenced by 'Conan-logic'?

Mamiya Masayo noticed Chi Feichi watching her, but she was already used to the young man's unsettling, indifferent gaze. "By the way, who are these people?"

"These are the master's scientist friends," Tano Katsuo replied. "They brought these children over for a visit."

"Scientists?" Mamiya Masayo’s focus shifted, much like Mamiya Mitsuru's. She grew excited for a moment before realizing she was acting out of character and quickly composed herself. "That’s wonderful. I must ask for your help in solving the riddle my husband left behind, to see what mysteries he buried in this castle."

"Mysteries?" Dr. Agasa asked, confused.

Tano Katsuo explained, "I heard that the late master left a will before he passed, stating that he would bestow his greatest treasure upon whoever solved the castle's riddle."

"By the way," Mamiya Masayo looked toward the door, "has my daughter arrived yet?"

"Ah?" Tano Katsuo broke into a cold sweat.

"Didn't we agree she would come back to celebrate my birthday?" Mamiya Masayo pushed her wheelchair away, moving at a surprising speed, her tone filled with joy. "When she arrives, have her come to my room immediately. I'll be seeing my daughter soon!"

Tano Katsuo was once again overcome by the fear of the strange occurrences that plagued the castle day by day, and she sighed helplessly. "Ever since the fire, the Madame has been like this..."

Dr. Agasa sighed, "I imagine she must have suffered a great blow."

"Master Mitsuru really has it tough," Tano Katsuo added.

Dr. Agasa: "..."

It seemed they were not on the same wavelength.

Conan was clearly more interested in the riddle. He sidled up to Chi Feichi and tugged on his sleeve. Seeing Chi Feichi look down, he tilted his head and asked, "Brother Chi, haven't you solved the riddle?"

Since it was unlikely that this person was affiliated with 'that organization,' he didn't need to be overly cautious, and he did respect Chi Feichi's capabilities.

Perhaps the thin line between a genius and a madman was exactly what this person represented.

Chi Feichi shook his head. "I'm not interested in the treasure."

Conan sweated. Most people would be interested in treasure; this guy really wasn't like most people. "Then, is there any room where one can clearly see the chessboard in the garden?"

"I'll take you there." Chi Feichi turned to lead the way.

Conan: "..."

He hadn't even finished his request, yet the man already understood what he intended to do. His ability to read people's psychology was not to be underestimated.

Upon reaching the third floor, the three children of the Detective Boys and Conan crowded by the window to look at the chess pieces in the courtyard.

Haibara Ai tugged on Chi Feichi's sleeve.

Chi Feichi looked down. "Do children all like pulling on people's sleeves?"

Haibara Ai had black lines on her forehead. "If I could reach your shoulder, would I be pulling your sleeve?"

"No, I mean, suddenly tugging on my sleeve is not a very safe action," Chi Feichi explained.

Nonaka the snake also cooperated by poking its head out from the cuff, staring at Haibara Ai with its tongue flicking. It had heard everything the group said earlier. "Master, these five brats and that old man are alright, but that brat with the glasses says some unpleasant things. What does he mean by 'a little worse than Holmes'? No matter who that Holmes guy is, Master wouldn't be worse than him, would he..."

Chi Feichi: "..."

No, for a die-hard Sherlock Holmes fan like Conan, that should be considered a very high compliment.

Haibara Ai stared at the constantly flicking tongue of the snake and stood frozen, silently calculating how far her hand had been from the snake just a moment ago.

Over there, Conan had already taken photos of the chess pieces in the garden with his phone and was sitting by the window studying them. Hearing their conversation, he couldn't help but feel curious. He looked up and immediately saw the snake head emerging from Chi Feichi's cuff: "..."

He had also pulled Chi Feichi's sleeve just a moment ago!

If he had startled the snake while pulling it and gotten bitten, the scene would have been too horrific to imagine...

Also, why was he warned while Haibara Ai wasn't? Was there such a double standard?

"My pet, its name is Nonaka," Chi Feichi thought for a moment before adding, "It generally doesn't bite people."

Nonaka looked at the stunned Haibara Ai and spoke again, "This little girl is quite interesting. A bit dull and silly, but her skin is quite smooth. In the eyes of a snake, she's considered good-looking, but it's a pity she has no scales..."

Chi Feichi silently pushed Nonaka's head back into his sleeve. What would happen if humans were covered in scales?

As for Haibara Ai being dull and silly?

He felt that when dealing with Nonaka, Haibara Ai's lethality would be greater than Kuroba Kaito's. If things went south, she might prepare some realgar, and if pushed to the limit, a bottle of sulfuric acid would leave Nonaka without even a whole body...

Haibara Ai looked up at Chi Feichi with a complex expression. "A... a very unique pet."

What else could she say?

She liked small animals, but mostly the fluffy, round, cute ones—not long, slithering things covered in cold, slippery scales like snakes.

"Actually, Nonaka is quite good-looking," Chi Feichi said in its defense.

He didn't know if it was because one always finds their own pet attractive, or if he had just seen enough snakes to stop finding them strange, but he felt that although Nonaka had gray-black patterns, the black was pure, the gray had a hint of pale white, and the luster of the scales was quite interesting.

Moreover, Nonaka's eyes were black. When it occasionally poked its head out, its snake face looked even dumber than Haibara Ai’s expression from just a moment ago...

Haibara Ai nodded reluctantly. "Ahem... I... I suppose so."

"By the way, what was it you wanted to tell me?" Chi Feichi asked.

"I wanted to ask..." Haibara Ai looked away. "What kind of illness did you have before?"

Chi Feichi had nothing to hide. "Multiple personality disorder. One personality has severe depression, the other..."

"Ah!"

Genta, who had wandered into the next room at some point, let out a startled scream.

Conan peeked inside and immediately ran into the room.

Chi Feichi followed, but by the time he reached the next room, only Genta and Mitsuhiko, who looked quite exhausted, were there. Conan, who had just run over, was nowhere to be seen.

Haibara Ai followed Chi Feichi as well. "Where's Edogawa?"

Genta looked around blankly. "Conan was just here a moment ago..."

"What happened?" Ayumi followed them over.

Mitsuhiko was completely bewildered. "Conan suddenly disappeared..."

Haibara Ai noticed the overturned chair, the scattered books, and the opened clock cover. She reached out to tug on Chi Feichi's sleeve, then remembered Nonaka and froze.

"I know," Chi Feichi said, not looking down at Haibara Ai but toward Tano Katsuo, Mamiya Takahito, and Dr. Agasa, who were walking in from the hallway. His voice dropped low. "If you open the secret door here, you'll see a signal in the former bedroom of the castle's King and Queen. Don't touch anything randomly. I'll search for it later when everyone goes to the dining room. Don't wander off, and don't enter doors that suddenly pop open."

Haibara Ai's heart sank, her expression growing somber. "This castle really isn't simple."

"Just don't go off one by one," Chi Feichi said. "Also, besides Mamiya Takahito, be wary of everyone else. Don't mention calling the police in front of them."

Although Mamiya Mitsuru hadn't done anything in the original plot, it was clear that he, too, was staying here for the treasure. His presence might change the original trajectory, so caution was necessary.

As for Tano Katsuo and the other servants...

Human nature couldn't withstand testing.

Haibara Ai was worried, but she remained calm and asked in a low voice, "Is that Mr. Mamiya Takahito reliable..."

"He's reliable," Chi Feichi said, having gained some understanding of Mamiya Takahito's character during this time. "Pure-hearted and harmless, but he lacks initiative, is indecisive, and is prone to acting foolishly."

Haibara Ai: "..."

What a sharp evaluation!

However, she understood now: she could approach Mamiya Takahito and ask for his help, but she shouldn't pin too much hope on him...

Because Tano Katsuo guessed that Conan had gone downstairs to use the restroom, Dr. Agasa and the three children of the Detective Boys were led away, deciding to head to the dining room for dinner first.

"I'm going to the restroom first."

Chi Feichi simply used the 'restroom' excuse and headed toward the second-floor bathroom.

As soon as the door closed, Nonaka slithered out from Chi Feichi's sleeve, unable to wait. "Is there action? Are we going to find that kid? Great, I've been bored to death these past two days..."

"Have you fully scouted out the secret doors?" Chi Feichi asked in a low voice.

Nonaka hadn't been scurrying around the castle for the past two days just for fun; it had been tasked with mapping out the hidden mechanisms.

After all, Kuroba Kaito might have left, but he hadn't forgotten about the treasure. On the day before he left, he had made an agreement with him—

If the treasure was found, he had to be notified. If it wasn't jewelry, it belonged to Chi Feichi. If it were all jewelry, Kuroba Kaito requested to look through it first and then take a portion...

The agreement had been so detailed that Chi Feichi had almost been tempted to tell Kuroba Kaito: Jewelry? You're overthinking it; this treasure doesn't even contain a one-yen coin.

However, Kuroba Kaito's enthusiastic remark of 'finders keepers' had blocked everything he wanted to say.

"Of course I've scouted them out!" Nonaka nodded its head frantically, like a chick pecking at rice.

Chi Feichi couldn't help but reach out to steady Nonaka's head. Every time Nonaka nodded so violently, he felt like the snake had gone insane. "Just nod once in the future. Tell me about the secret doors you've found."