Chapter Six: This Child Resembles Kudo a Bit… Really?

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Two suitcases—approximately how many yen could that be?

It is known that a stack of 100 brand-new 10,000-yen bills featuring Fukuzawa Yukichi is about 1 cm thick. Older bills might be slightly thicker but not by much, so we can still estimate 1 cm per stack.

In the first episode of Detective Conan, the black-suited organization's briefcase had one layer filled with 4 by 5 bundles—20 bundles in total—with a thickness of at least 10 cm. This means one suitcase contains roughly 200 million yen; two suitcases amount to about 400 million yen.

Is that a lot? Not really. Calculated at the 2003 exchange rate of yen to dollars, it's only around 3.5 million USD. Compared to the professor who once ruled a criminal empire spanning Europe—the former Moriarty, now Morlay—this wouldn't even touch the edge of his former wealth.

However, as his seed money, it was more than enough.

Moreover, there was still more in old Mr. Shuyu’s basement!

The secret basement, hidden from the household servants, was where Shuyu kept his self-portrait hobby. Morlay had emptied the Fukuzawa bills from there, ensuring that Shuyu's art wouldn't be tainted by the stench of money and spared from the servants’ plundering—a truly thoughtful act.

And as compensation and consolation for his emotional loss, these cute little notes were more than enough to soothe his wounded spirit.

However, as for Shuyu’s publicly known assets, the precious liquors were confiscated by the police. Meaning Morlay had only managed to swipe a bottle of 1998 Tokinoka noble rot wine.

But now Morlay had money! If I can’t swipe it, I can always buy it, hmph!

As the saying goes, “When a whale falls, it nourishes all creatures.” It couldn’t be more true; thanks to nature’s bounty.

After a day’s work, Morlay rented a high-end apartment in Mihama Town and transferred Shuyu’s inheritance there. Counting money is always a joy, a pleasure Morlay had long lost since ascending to the throne of the criminal underworld as the “Napoleon of Crime.” Now, he finally relived that initial delight, moved beyond words.

The final tally was about 1.6 billion yen, roughly 14 million USD.

Yet, all this money was still in cash. Depositing it in a bank would surely draw investigation. Morlay had to specially purchase a safe, stacking six suitcases inside and then casting concealment spells upon it.

From then on, Morlay no longer worried about money in Tokyo. With 400 million yen in virtual space for daily expenses, he truly couldn’t imagine any opportunity to spend it all... or could he?

Impossible! Once an uncrowned king of Europe’s underworld, how could he settle into a peaceful, wealthy life filled with happiness and ease?

One can only say: this money will be spent sooner or later—but not now.

Because now, he was about to visit the first friend he had made in Tokyo—Shinichi Kudo.

On a weekend, Mihama Town was quieter than usual. Most office workers preferred to stay home and rest after a nonstop week. Morlay went downstairs, came to the street, recalled the location of the Kudo residence Shinichi had told him, and prepared to hail a carriage.

A taxi passed by.

Another taxi passed by.

And a third.

“...Wait a minute,” Morlay suddenly realized, “Are there no carriages anymore?”

Contemplating whether to buy a car, Morlay hailed a taxi and soon arrived at the Kudo residence.

Looking at the detached house before him, he couldn’t help but wonder: this kid Kudo’s family might actually be quite wealthy?

“Ding dong.”

Taking out the bottle of Tokinoka as a gift, Morlay pressed the doorbell and waited patiently. It was just past nine in the morning; as a disciplined person, Shinichi must have already gotten up.

Three minutes passed.

Maybe he got up?

Five minutes more.

Could he still be sleeping?

“Ding dong.”

Just as Morlay pressed the doorbell a second time, a voice came from behind.

It was a kindly-looking Mediterranean white-haired old man with a prominent nose, wearing a white lab coat over a blue shirt.

“Um... may I ask who you are? I’m Kudo Shinichi’s neighbor. He’s not home right now. If you need to contact him, I can pass on the message.”

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“I see... I am a friend Shinichi met a few days ago. You might have seen me in the newspapers? Sherlock Morlay, former university mathematics lecturer, now a freelancer, here to visit Shinichi. You can call me Morlay.”

Saying this, Morlay showed the bottle of wine in his hand. “Since he’s not here, it’s a pity. If you know Shinichi well, could I leave this bottle with you for safekeeping?”

“Ah, hello. My surname is Agasa; you may call me Dr. Agasa,” the old man smiled. “Well, I’m very sorry, but Shinichi had to go abroad on urgent business and may not return for quite some time.”

“I see... Then, Dr. Agasa, if I may be so bold, could you help me with a small favor? As you see, I came from France to Japan recently and decided to settle here. I don’t have many friends here. I was hoping Shinichi could give me some advice on life, but now he’s gone abroad...”

As a strong contender for Mihama Town’s top good neighbor, Dr. Agasa wouldn’t normally refuse. However, at this moment, he was hiding someone in his home whom outsiders must not know about.

Once Kudo Shinichi, now Edogawa Conan, after dealing with Ran Mouri, was about to receive his second visitor.

Dr. Agasa’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward Conan, who was peering over the windowsill observing the situation.

Should he let him in? Dr. Agasa glanced at him.

Conan shook his head vehemently.

Firstly, Morlay’s background was untraceable. Without evidence, who could say he wasn’t part of the Black Organization? The person who knocked him out and drugged him yesterday had silver hair!

Secondly, if Morlay wasn’t involved with the Black Organization, then he could have lived peacefully. Dragging him into this would ruin his life.

By all reason and feeling, Conan could not allow Morlay to be drawn into this matter.

Yet perhaps Conan’s surveillance was too obvious, as Morlay had already caught sight of him from the corner of his eye.

This kid...

Looks so much like Shinichi.

Is he a relative?

“Dr. Agasa, is that little boy in your house… a relative of Shinichi?”

“Well... first, although I do have a doctorate, the ‘Doctor’ I just said is actually my given name... My real name is Agasa Doctor,” Dr. Agasa scratched his head.

Someone really named their child ‘Doctor’? Morlay struggled to keep a straight face.

“Also, well... he is indeed Shinichi’s relative. His name is Edogawa Conan... Oh, by the way!”

Dr. Agasa clapped his hands, recalling something.

“Ran was at that banquet too, so you probably know her? Her father just happens to run a detective agency here in Mihama Town.”

“You’re also a detective and just arrived in Japan... Whether as a local or as a senior in the detective field, he should be able to give you some advice. If you want to consult on that, you can ask him.”

Listening secretly through the bug in Dr. Agasa’s pocket, Conan couldn’t help but scoff.

That old man is hardly reliable.

As a local, his expertise probably only extended to the layout of the town’s pachinko parlors, horse racing tips, and a directory of mahjong parlors. He was probably well acquainted with the hostesses at local izakayas too.

Comparing the senior detective Mouri Kogoro, who spent his days tailing cats, dogs, and unfaithful partners, with Morlay, who had just slightly surpassed him in a reasoning duel yesterday, Conan could not imagine what advice the old man could offer Morlay.

But that was fine. Rather than die in the battle against the Black Organization, it was better to be active as a detective in Tokyo. With his abilities, he surely would not remain obscure.

“That kid is currently staying at the Mouri residence. He’s played enough at my place today and is about to head back... How about I drive you both there?”

Mind your own business!

With Morlay’s observational skills, if he noticed something, it would be a disaster!

“Co... Conan, I’ll drive you... Eh?!” Dr. Agasa hurried back to the door, sticking his head out, startled by Conan’s deadpan glare as he held his forehead, “W-why are you looking at me like that?”

“If you let me go with Morlay and he notices something—!”

“That’s unlikely. Who would expect you, Shinichi, to have shrunk? That’s just not logical...” Facing Conan’s silent stare, Dr. Agasa felt pressured, a cold sweat forming on his forehead. “N-no... it’s not likely... is it?”

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But faced with the situation, Dr. Agasa’s final solution was for Conan, at eight years old, to use the privilege of childhood—crying and throwing a tantrum—to naturally refuse Morlay.

Yet Conan seemed not to have accepted his child identity, feeling it was undignified. In the end, he braved it and chose to ride in the same car as Morlay.

As a last struggle, he shouted in a contrived child’s voice, “I want to sit alone in the back!” and jumped into the back seat, then hid behind Morlay’s seat in the front passenger side.

...Is this really Shinichi Kudo?

From a distance, it was unnoticeable, but once inside the same car, Morlay immediately sensed the mark he had left on Shinichi two days ago. Though it was fading, the unique magical aura belonging only to Morlay could not be faked.

Thinking this, Morlay naturally asked, “Kudo-kun, what is your relationship with Miss Mouri?”

Conan instinctively replied, “I’m with Ran... cough, cough, uh... um...”

Then he choked on his words.

Could he really have figured something out?!

“I’m not very familiar with Sister Ran or Brother Shinichi... hehe... so I don’t really understand either...” Conan smiled foolishly and scratched his head, trying to bluff.

“Oh...” Morlay, sitting in the front passenger seat, couldn’t see his expression.

“I was asking Kudo-kun, why did Edogawa’s little boy instinctively answer?”

“Be-because Brother Shinichi isn’t here, I wanted to help answer…”

“You want to answer a question that doesn’t involve yourself and whose answer you don’t know?”

Hurry! End! This!

Conan painfully held his forehead.

Seeing this, Dr. Agasa spoke up to ease the situation: “Morlay-kun, Conan is just a child. Children tend to speak without thinking...”

Conan responded with a timely silly smile. Seeing this, Morlay stopped questioning, and Conan breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he muttered under his breath: Damn Morlay, why so suspicious?

Morlay pondered silently.

This kid Kudo seemed to have been doing well before, so why is he starting again? And humans developed a youth-restoring drug in just 140 years? That powerful?

Morlay, a relic who traveled through time from 1873, had some misunderstanding of modern science.

Then how does he even date his girlfriend? Could it be...

Morlay shuddered.

Conan, unaware of Morlay’s thoughts, simply felt relieved to have fooled one more person. If he knew, Morlay’s knees probably wouldn’t escape unscathed.

In silence, they arrived at the Mouri Detective Agency.

“This is it, the Mouri Detective Agency.”

Morlay got out of the car and, along with Conan behind him, looked up toward the second floor.

Morlay had already glimpsed the strength of Tokyo’s detectives through Shinichi Kudo.

Mouri Kogoro—what kind of man will you be?