Unlike Urakusai.
Charlotte did not return to the Grand Narukami Shrine for lunch. Instead, she stayed in town, maintaining her disguise as an ordinary civilian while carefully observing Arataki Itto's every move.
When her stomach started to growl, she casually ate some bread she had brought from the cafeteria that morning.
An entire morning had already passed, and during that time, Charlotte had not seen anything particularly noteworthy happen around Arataki Itto.
Still, she did not feel disappointed.
As a veteran reporter, patience was a basic requirement when gathering news.
Compared to her days in Fontaine, when she would regularly go undercover in factories, working grueling black jobs for weeks just to uncover the truth, only to receive death threats after publishing the exposé, her current situation was practically relaxed.
Around this time, Arataki Itto seemed to be hungry as well. He ran into a shop and spent a few Mora to buy the cheapest rice balls available, the kind with nothing but pickled plum inside. He stuffed them into his mouth in a few big bites, patted his belly, and smiled in satisfaction.
Charlotte snapped a photo of the moment.
She felt a little surprised.
The satisfied smile on Arataki Itto's face was not an act. Anyone could tell it came straight from the heart.
It was hard to imagine that, in this day and age, someone could feel so content simply because a few cheap rice balls were enough to fill their stomach.
But after observing him all morning, Charlotte thought it over and realized it was not that surprising after all.
The leader of the Arataki Gang seemed to be an extremely optimistic person by nature.
From the first time she saw him, there had always been a smile on his face, as if nothing in the world could truly make him unhappy.
Charlotte watched Arataki Itto happily run off to play rock paper scissors with children again, her expression turning thoughtful.
In a way, Arataki Itto's personality was actually a little similar to Mr. Xia's.
Mr. Xia also seemed to never be unhappy. He always wore a reassuring smile.
But the resemblance stopped there.
Mr. Xia had no worries because he was seemingly capable of anything. No matter what problem arose, he could resolve it with ease.
As for Arataki Itto, his lack of worries came from a simple mind and a pure heart, free of complicated desires.
Thinking of Mr. Xia made her space out for a moment. Charlotte shook her head and looked back toward the distance.
Arataki Itto had just won a round of rock paper scissors against a child and taken the hard candy from the kid's hand. He even ate it right in front of him.
The child looked like he was about to burst into tears.
Seeing this, Charlotte felt both amused and exasperated.
Back when she was a reporter for The Steambird publishing house in Fontaine, she had followed and investigated plenty of local groups and gangs. None of their leaders felt anything like this one.
Arataki Itto walked away smugly.
Charlotte approached the child, who finally broke down crying, and handed him a piece of candy.
"Don't cry."
"Big sister?"
"Here, have some candy."
"Huh? This candy is so sweet!"
"Right? Don't play rock paper scissors with people next time."
"Okay! Thank you, big sister!"
Watching the child smile through his tears, Charlotte nodded and turned to leave.
Candy made by Xiangling really was the ultimate tool for comforting children.
After that, she continued to secretly tail Arataki Itto.
This guy seemed to have no proper job at all. He wandered around the streets all day, either playing Onikabuto battles or rock paper scissors and hide-and-seek with kids.
In Hanamizaka, a place filled with craftsmen who were busy from dawn till dusk, he was far too idle.
The afternoon passed just like that. As dusk approached, Charlotte could not help but mutter to herself.
Was Mona's divination really reliable?
Did she not say that something interesting would happen to the Arataki Gang today?
After thinking it over, Charlotte pulled out her phone and called Mona.
"Hello, Mona?"
"What is it?"
"About your prophecy last night. It seems like it didn't come true."
"That's impossible!"
"I followed him all day and didn't see anything happen."
"Wait a moment."
Mona seemed to be consulting her crystal ball again.
After a short while, her voice came through the phone.
"Three."
"Three? Don't tell me you want me to follow him for another three hours."
"Two."
"Huh?"
"One."
At the same time, several Tenryou Commission samurai suddenly appeared on the street.
Fully armed and wearing serious expressions, they surrounded Arataki Itto.
Charlotte froze for a moment, phone still in hand, as she watched the sudden turn of events.
The big news had finally arrived.
She quickly put her phone away, raised her Kamera, and excitedly crept closer. She heard one of the Tenryou Commission samurai speak.
"Arataki Itto, come with us."
"Hey, hey! The Summer Festival is almost here! It's way too fun outside. No way I'm going to rot in jail!"
"You've been reported for participating in several recent robbery and abduction incidents…"
"Robbery and abduction? Yeah, that's right! I did all of it myself! …Our Arataki Gang doesn't have food or drink. I'm the boss, so grabbing some food and booze is only natural, right?"
"So you're admitting guilt?"
"Whatever you call it, I'm not going back with you. If you know what's good for you, leave now."
"You bastard! Everyone, move! Arrest him!"
The samurai rushed forward.
But Arataki Itto was an oni, born with immense strength, and he also possessed a Geo Vision. He easily knocked the well-trained samurai to the ground and swaggered away from the scene.
Charlotte stood nearby and captured the entire incident, then shared it in the group chat.
Onlookers immediately began commenting.
"This guy is so arrogant."
"That's all the Tenryou Commission has?"
"Feels like he was holding back."
"When he confessed, his expression seemed kind of strange."
"Personally, I think this case is full of suspicious points. He's a Geo Vision holder. If he needed money, he could just work at a construction site. There was no need to take such a risk."
Soon, even Yoimiya and Kirara chimed in.
"Huh? Isn't that Arataki Itto? I know him! He's actually a really nice person. There's no way he'd do something like this!"
"I know him too! The Arataki Gang helped deliver packages for me before. I also don't think he's that kind of bad guy."
The interest in Charlotte's eyes grew stronger.
She personally leaned toward believing Yoimiya and Kirara. After all, she had followed Arataki Itto for an entire day and had a decent grasp of his personality.
Someone who could play games with children and truly accept the outcome, never holding back, could not be that bad.
But if Arataki Itto was innocent, why did he so readily confess in front of the Tenryou Commission?
There had to be something bigger behind this.
Charlotte was instantly fired up and decided to investigate the matter thoroughly.
That said, Mona's prophecy really had been accurate.
---
If she was going to investigate a case, the first step was gathering clues.
Back in Fontaine, Charlotte's favorite reads had always been detective case collections.
So she went straight to a detective agency near Hanamizaka.
A woman named Sango received her.
"What can I help you with?"
"Hello. I'd like to ask about Arataki Itto."
"Arataki Itto… him again."
Charlotte caught the implication. "Again? Have other people been asking about him recently?"
Sango nodded. "Several people, including members of the Tenryou Commission. I happen to have detailed information on him here. Would you like it?"
"Of course. How much?"
"A consultation fee of ten thousand Mora."
"That's expensive!"
"How is that expensive? Our agency has always charged this rate."
"Detective agencies in Fontaine aren't this pricey."
"Miss, Inazuma is Inazuma, and Fontaine is Fontaine. Market conditions are different. Besides, Arataki Itto isn't an ordinary person. He's an oni with a Vision. You can't compare him to a normal case. And there's more. You probably don't know this yet."
"Know what?"
"Because the recent robberies and abductions were especially severe, the Tenryou Commission is planning to issue a Wanted Poster. If you manage to catch the culprit, you'll receive a reward of one million Mora."
"Is that so?"
"This is internal information. You should remember I mentioned earlier that Tenryou Commission officers came here for materials."
"Alright."
Charlotte gave up on bargaining.
Any expenses incurred while gathering news could be reimbursed through her boss, Ningguang.
Boss Ningguang was not short on Mora.
Charlotte paid without hesitation.
Sango smiled and handed her a file envelope.
Charlotte opened it and skimmed through the contents.
The information was indeed detailed. It included Arataki Itto's background, personality traits, social connections, and even records of how many times he had been imprisoned.
At a glance, ten thousand Mora was expensive, but it was worth the price.
Charlotte put the file away and looked at Sango. "Do you think these cases were committed by Arataki Itto?"
Sango kept smiling. "I don't know. But I can tell you a story."
Charlotte was curious. "A story?"
----
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