Chapter 7: Treasure Hunt
Day Eight in Japan
This was Natsukawa's eighth day in Japan.
He was feeling remarkably unexcited today—the weapons delivery appointment with the Organization was scheduled for Monday. He'd risen early and was lounging on the third-floor rooftop balcony, leisurely sipping coffee.
As for Anya, Natsukawa had taken her to school.
Well, no—Bond had taken her to school.
Since starting elementary school, Bond had become Anya's personal chauffeur for the daily commute, causing other students to rave with envy. The price of large dogs in Beika Town had skyrocketed overnight.
She was enrolled in Teitan Elementary School, Class 1-B, exactly as Natsukawa had planned—the same class as Conan.
Life without work was truly blissful.
However, the next moment...
BANG!
The third-floor balcony door was kicked open violently, and Frank—wearing sunglasses and also holding a cup of coffee—appeared.
"You're going to pay for that broken door, right? Can't you be more careful?"
Frank took a sip of his coffee with a satisfied smile. "No big deal. I'll pay!"
A ¥10,000 bill was slapped onto the table.
Natsukawa didn't even look up.
He wasn't concerned about the money—he was mourning the loss of his peaceful mood. A broken door would definitely ruin anyone's morning.
"Did the Organization give you the address?" Natsukawa asked.
"Address? What address?"
Frank pushed up his sunglasses and took another sip of coffee. Though his eyes weren't visible, his tone dripped with confusion.
Natsukawa suddenly had a terrible feeling. "Didn't the Organization say they were delivering the weapons on Monday—which is today?"
A question mark practically materialized above Frank's head. "What Monday? Today is Friday! Our agreed transaction time is Monday—three days from now!"
Of course! Something's wrong.
Natsukawa's mood plummeted. The timing was completely off!
They'd arrived in Japan eight days ago—the Sunday before last—so today had to be Monday! And Anya had stayed home yesterday and the day before, clearly because it was the weekend, so today must be Monday.
"What day was yesterday?"
"Sunday!"
"What day is today?"
"Friday. Is there a problem?"
Frank stated it matter-of-factly, even pulling down his sunglasses to reveal his eyes, seemingly wanting to scrutinize Natsukawa more closely.
Exhausted? Yeah, with a daughter like this, it'd be strange if I wasn't tired.
Fine. I'm tired. Let it all end.
Natsukawa placed his arm over his eyes, closed them, and started to doze.
If time kept flowing this inconsistently, he wondered when he'd finally receive the Organization's equipment.
Then Natsukawa thought of Anya. Actually, maybe it wasn't so bad. If she repeated first grade for twenty years, she'd probably become a little smarter, right?
This old father had been taking a lot of hits lately.
"By the way, I'm just idling around anyway. How about taking on some jobs?"
Natsukawa pondered for a long moment. It did seem accurate. The more these idle days stretched on, the more bored he became.
"What kind of jobs can I even do in Japan?"
"I don't mean that kind of work—I mean detective work!" Frank became animated, removing his sunglasses entirely. "Spies and detectives are actually quite similar. I think even if you're taking a break from espionage, you could still consider becoming a detective."
"Finding lost cats, missing dogs, or cheating spouses?" Natsukawa sneered, rolling over to face away from Frank.
What a terrible idea.
Natsukawa knew what Frank really meant—he wanted to know how Natsukawa planned to investigate the Organization. After all, Frank hadn't seen any connection between the Organization and the people and situations before them.
"Keep an eye on the Mantendo game launch event!"
Frank raised an eyebrow. "Which Organization member is connected to Mantendo Games? Where did you get this intel?"
As I suspected—Natsukawa must have another intelligence source!
Who is it? When I find out, I'll definitely teach them a lesson.
Without waiting for Natsukawa's answer, Frank could only concede. "Understood."
Afternoon - Car Shopping
That afternoon, Natsukawa was selecting a vehicle at a local dealership. Though Japan wasn't particularly large, a car was still essential for getting around efficiently.
"This one will do!"
Natsukawa chose the Nissan Skyline GT-R. This car had the maximum legal horsepower in Japan, and with minor modifications, it could handle mountain passes like Akina without breaking a sweat. In the world of Detective Conan, owning a fast sports car was absolutely essential.
The worldview of Detective Conan was utterly absurd, and he needed to be prepared for urban chases. A high-horsepower vehicle was necessary—who knew when he might need to race against the Shinkansen bullet train?
After making his selection, Natsukawa paid in full and drove off under the dealer's watchful gaze.
He didn't have a Japanese driver's license, but the forged documents Frank had provided included one. It didn't matter whether the driver's seat was on the left or right—he had experience with both.
The GT-R roared out of the city, and Natsukawa planned to take it for a proper test drive. The 280 horsepower felt like a wild stallion breaking free, quickly carrying him out of the urban sprawl and into the suburbs.
At the same time, a police cruiser pulled up behind him.
Natsukawa's lips twitched slightly, somewhat helpless. He'd gotten too excited and forgotten to ease off the accelerator—now the cops were on his tail.
"Please pull over, vehicle ahead."
The only response Officer Miyamoto Yumi received was the wailing roar of an engine. The GT-R accelerated explosively, becoming a white blur before vanishing from her sight.
Inside the GT-R, Natsukawa smiled. He hadn't even installed license plates yet, and besides, Tokyo's traffic surveillance cameras were laughably outdated at this time—no need to worry about them tracking him down through footage.
"Damn it! If Miwako were here, this guy wouldn't have escaped. White GT-R—I'll remember you!"
Miyamoto Yumi was livid, slamming her hands on the steering wheel.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
"Oops, I honked the horn."
Because Natsukawa was traveling too fast, Miyamoto Yumi had no choice but to turn around and abandon pursuit.
Not long after, Natsukawa reappeared in Miyamoto Yumi's field of vision, this time even faster, disappearing around the corner in the blink of an eye. All that remained was a sharp drifting sound and clear black tire marks scorched into the pavement.
"I'm so angry! Hey, moshi moshi, is that Miwako?"
Inside the GT-R
Natsukawa had planned to enjoy the suburbs a bit longer, but Anya's alarm suddenly activated!
Before school, he'd given Anya an emergency device she could activate if she was in danger or felt unsafe.
It also had a built-in GPS tracker, allowing Natsukawa to pinpoint Anya's exact location instantly.
This device—which Natsukawa had ordered from the dark web at considerable expense—was incredibly effective. At least half of Tokyo fell within its range.
Earlier - With the Detective Boys
"Anya, what are you standing there for? The Detective Boys' treasure hunt has begun! Hurry up and follow us!"
Ayumi waved excitedly, and the other two boys—excluding Conan—were equally interested in the treasure map they'd just discovered. If they could decipher the symbols on it, they would definitely find the treasure.
"But... but!"
Anya looked genuinely ill, unable to move or force a smile.
"No buts! Come on! That tower-shaped symbol should point to Tokyo Tower. Let's go check it out!"
At the Detective Boys' enthusiastic invitation, Anya joined the group of daredevils on her very first day of school.
This was her first case, but she wasn't happy about it at all.
While the others were still debating whether the treasure map was authentic, she'd already heard some disturbing thoughts.
A theft gang had their eyes on them—no, to be precise, on the treasure map they possessed.
The treasure map was actually real! Any other time, Anya would be overjoyed, but today... Papa wasn't around, and those thieves had guns!
With Natsukawa absent, Anya's courage was practically nonexistent.
Tokyo Tower District
"Strange, why is the signal still moving?"
Natsukawa watched the GPS display, spun the steering wheel, and the GT-R completed a stylish drift at the intersection with a satisfying screech.
Tokyo Tower! Wasn't she supposed to be in class today? Is she going to Tokyo Tower after school?
Natsukawa continued driving. It was approaching six o'clock, and far more vehicles crowded the roads, affecting his speed.
It took him over twenty minutes to reach Tokyo Tower from the suburbs—during which he'd drifted countless times. Natsukawa was already considering replacing his tires. With ordinary tires and drifting like that, the rims would be visible within days.
"Get out of here, and don't come back!"
Several children were thrown out of a clothing boutique. Natsukawa took a closer look and, sure enough, he'd found them.
Checking the GPS location again, Natsukawa was quite satisfied. This device is pretty useful.
"What are you doing?"
Natsukawa approached them, crouched down, and asked.
The boutique owner, spotting what appeared to be a parent, immediately began complaining.
"You're these children's guardian, aren't you! Look at them—so young and already causing chaos in my store, turning our merchandise upside down everywhere! Especially this chubby one—he even rummaged through the women's changing room! He has no shame!"
Natsukawa was immediately pulled aside and scolded for two solid minutes. Finally, in desperation, he extracted a ¥10,000 bill and pressed it against the owner's mouth.
The owner immediately fell silent and, as Natsukawa departed, called out warmly, "Boss, come again anytime! Your kids are so adorable!"
By the GT-R
Reaching his car, Natsukawa finally asked, "What kind of detective game are you playing now?"
As he spoke, he casually picked up Anya, who'd latched onto his leg like a koala.
"Uncle Natsukawa, we're on a treasure hunt!"
Genta showed absolutely no shame about searching the women's changing room. He took the treasure map from Ayumi and handed it to Natsukawa.
"This is... a treasure map? A tower, stars, rectangles, and fish... what kind of nonsense is this?"
Natsukawa was utterly speechless, staring at the bizarre symbols.
Is this even a treasure map? What use could a bunch of random symbols possibly serve?
Suddenly, he sensed something and turned to scan the surging crowd, but found nothing suspicious. Yet there were definitely several pairs of eyes watching him!
No—watching this treasure map!
Natsukawa straightened his posture and mentally reviewed his knowledge, finally finding the relevant plot details buried deep in his memory.
The Maple Leaf Gold Coin Case!
Strange. Shouldn't this case occur much earlier in the timeline? Kogoro Mouri is already famous, yet this case is only happening now?
"Alright, I'm taking Anya with me now. You guys continue your treasure hunt—be careful!"
Natsukawa grabbed Anya, tossed her into the GT-R's back seat, and drove off.
If it's maple leaf gold coins, then I'll reluctantly participate. My expenses have been quite high lately—might as well earn some extra to supplement the household income.
[End of Chapter 7]
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