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In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Steven's life had been downright comfortable. Every day, he did only three things: eat, sleep, and "train" Vermouth.
When boredom struck, he'd tinker with small inventions to pass the time.
Thanks to Brother Wolf's card granting him the Genius Inventor and Mechanical Mastery skills, even his wildest ideas could be perfectly realized by his own hands.
And every one of those little inventions ended up being used on Vermouth.
Repeating the same moves over and over got dull. A little variety now and then kept things interesting.
The only regret was that Brother Wolf's skill tree hadn't been copied over perfectly.
For example, when it came to pharmaceuticals, aside from what he'd learned back in school, the system hadn't given him any enhancements.
In his memories, Brother Wolf had once created all sorts of bizarre potions. Four stood out the most: a Soft-Heart Spray that could make anything pliable, an Aging Potion that aged the drinker fifty years on the spot, Snail Sluggish Fluid that slowed a person's movements, and pills that could make the body grow or shrink.
If he had pharmaceutical skills to match, Steven's strength would rise to a whole new level.
Unfortunately, the damned system refused to give them to him, and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Why not raise a pharmacist of my own?"
The thought flashed through his mind, and the perfect candidate immediately appeared.
Sherry.
The Organization's prized scientist, formerly known as Miyano Shiho. She had inherited her parents' research and created the APTX4869 capsule that turned Kudo Shinichi into Conan.
Some people used company cars for personal errands. The Organization's scientists weren't any different.
Steven began plotting how to abduct Miyano Shiho and turn her into his personal pharmacist.
According to the main storyline of Detective Conan, she would soon learn that her sister, Miyano Akemi, had been killed by the Organization. In despair, she would take APTX4869 to commit suicide, only to shrink instead and escape. Later, she would be taken in by Professor Agasa and renamed Haibara Ai.
Waiting and doing nothing was clearly the safest option.
"Shrinking down is cute, sure, but her original form is far more useful."
Steven rubbed his chin, deciding to take Miyano Shiho out of the Organization before she ever shrank.
It wasn't that he enjoyed high-risk challenges. There was simply a necessary reason for doing it this way. Those who knew, knew.
"Judging by that perverted grin, are you thinking about some unhealthy adult game again?"
Vermouth came out of the bedroom and teased him when she saw him spacing out.
For three whole days, she'd been on the receiving end of his "training" and had developed a reflex. Whenever Steven wore that thoughtful expression, she knew he was cooking up something nasty, whether a new move or a new invention.
"Heh, if you figured it out so easily, wouldn't that hurt my pride? I should punish you a little for that."
Steven snapped back to reality and looked up with a shameless grin.
"You disgusting pig. All you ever do is bully a helpless woman. The Organization hasn't given you any new missions. Aren't you worried at all?"
Vermouth rolled her eyes and sat down on the sofa.
"Why should I be?"
Steven looked genuinely confused as he asked.
Free food, free housing, a beauty warming his bed, and a hundred thousand dollars in monthly allowance. This was paradise straight out of a laborer's dream.
If he could lie flat without consequences, whether he did missions or not didn't matter to him.
Do less, get more, earn without working. That was his ultimate goal.
"…"
Vermouth was speechless.
Most elite members of the Organization weren't in it for the money. Many joined for the thrill, to satisfy some twisted craving, or because they were undercover agents sent by their countries in pursuit of a so-called noble mission.
For different reasons, they all grew restless when idle and often took the initiative to ask Gin for new assignments.
Then there was Steven, this oddball who spent his days "training" her to kill time, showing zero urgency. He really didn't fit in at all.
"It's getting late. Let's rest for now."
"Get lost. We just trained this morning, and it's only noon. Do you ever let people rest?"
Vermouth slapped away his wandering hand and shoved him aside in disgust.
Even the most fertile land would become barren if plowed too often.
After three days with barely any proper rest, Vermouth was clearly exhausted. She still had the desire, but her body was starting to protest.
"Morning is morning, noon is noon. You can't skip lunch just because you had breakfast, right?"
Steven calmly presented his logic.
Since fusing with Brother Wolf's card, his physique had been greatly enhanced, and his stamina was more abundant than ever.
With nothing else to do, he had to vent somehow. Vermouth was the unlucky target.
"I'm afraid you won't be getting any lunch today."
Vermouth smiled mysteriously, her tone loaded with meaning.
"Why not?"
Steven frowned.
With his current strength, opening Vermouth's 'shell' was effortless. If he really wanted to, not even the King of Heaven could stop him.
"Gin called earlier. He wants you at the Organization's bar safehouse. There's a new mission for you."
Vermouth said it slowly.
What a mood killer.
Just when he was getting into it, this news hit him. Stevenfelt a bit annoyed.
Still, considering the Organization's generous benefits, he decided not to complain and went with Vermouth to meet Gin and receive the mission.
…
Beika Town, the Kudo residence.
With Mouri Kogoro out on an infidelity investigation, Yukiko had invited Ran Mouri over as a guest.
The four of them sat around the dining table, enjoying a lavish lunch. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious, like a family of four.
Conan sneaked glances at Ran, his mind filled with visions of their married life. He'd even picked out names for their future children.
"I'm done eating."
Yukiko set down her chopsticks and looked at Ran and Conan.
"I have good news. A high-end private club just opened near Tropical Land. They're in trial operation and have invited prominent figures to experience it."
"Yusaku and I received invitations. Tonight, we'll take you along to broaden your horizons."
How boring.
Conan rolled his eyes. He had zero interest in private clubs.
He'd much rather stay home reading or follow Mouri Kogoro on cases.
"Yukiko, how about inviting Chris as well?"
Yusaku took a sip of soup and made his suggestion.
Inviting Vermouth was just a pretext. The real objective went without saying.
"That makes sense. She doesn't seem to have many friends in Tokyo."
Yukiko instantly caught on and turned her gaze to Ran.
"Ran, what do you think?"
"Mm, I'd like that. I can see… Sister Chris again. I really enjoy chatting with her."
Ran nodded, secretly letting out a breath of relief.
That was close.
She'd almost blurted out the real thoughts buried deep in her heart.
"....."