Chapter 254: The Preliminaries are About to Begin
Thoma nodded, and the two men began to quietly discuss the procedures for the upcoming finals, along with some of the finer points regarding their cooperation with the Jade Chamber.
Okiya Subaru pressed himself against the cool exterior wall, straining to catch every word. He knew that listening any further was unlikely to yield more critical information, and a cold knot of anxiety was tightening in his gut—the longer he stayed, the greater the risk of discovery. With careful care, he peeled himself away from the window, his movements a study in silence. He retreated from the vicinity of the study, his soft-soled shoes making no sound on the gravel path. Only once he was a safe distance away did he rejoin the main walkway leading from the restroom, melting back into the house's normal flow of traffic and returning to the room where Natsume, Ran, and the others were busy crafting their cheering materials.
Back inside the study, Thoma's gaze flickered towards the window before returning to Kamisato Ayato. "My Lord," he said in a low voice, "that person has left. Was that Shuichi Akai?"
Kamisato Ayato gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod, his tone as placid as a still lake. "That's right. It was Shuichi Akai, the FBI's ace agent."
"Why would he appear here?" Thoma asked, a crease of concern forming between his brows.
"Hmm... an excellent question," Ayato mused, his fingers tracing the spine of the book he had just set down. He picked it up again, his eyes scanning a page as he spoke. "However, with his capabilities, bypassing the estate's servants and approaching this study without being noticed would hardly be a challenge for him."
"I hope our words just now will be enough to make him and Conan focus their attention on the destruction of the finals venue," Thoma said, his voice laced with worry. "Perhaps it will temporarily stop them from interfering with our arrangement with the Jade Chamber." He couldn't shake the feeling of unease. It was a well-known, if unfortunate, truth that wherever those young detectives went, trouble was sure to follow. He prayed the competition they were hosting tomorrow would proceed without a hitch.
"Don't worry. They won't give up that easily," Ayato chuckled, a glint of amusement dancing in his violet eyes. "Besides, that child, Conan, will surely do everything in his power to find the culprit before we do. After all," he added, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips, "what I just said wasn't particularly... friendly towards the perpetrator."
The next day, a current of excitement had everyone waking up early, ready to go and cheer for their friends.
Kamisato Ayaka, ever the thoughtful hostess, had a delicious breakfast prepared for them. Afterwards, she arranged for Thoma to personally escort the entire group to the preliminary competition venue.
They arrived with time to spare, so the group decided to first find Kazuha and Barbara to offer some last-minute encouragement. As for Nilou, it seemed she was completely absorbed with her troupe, handling the complex stage props for their performance. Since she was occupied, she didn't come out to meet them.
After a brief, cheerful chat filled with well-wishes, everyone made their way to the spectator stands, finding the seats that had been reserved for them.
"Wow, look at all the people who came to watch!" Genta exclaimed, his eyes wide as he swiveled his head around. He took in the bustling, cavernous space, the evident tension in the air, and the sheer sea of faces filling the seats.
"Indeed," Mitsuhiko agreed with a solemn nod, equally impressed.
"It's not just the audience; the number of security guards inside the venue is quite high as well," Haibara observed, her gaze sweeping calmly over their surroundings. She had already noted the guards stationed at regular intervals along every corridor, their expressions serious and their posture radiating constant vigilance. Numerous other staff members were also busy maintaining order, directing the flow of the crowd to ensure everyone could enter and find their seats without issue. The sheer scale of the operation spoke volumes about how much importance the organizers were placing on this competition—and their deep concern for its security.
"They're probably trying to prevent certain people from sabotaging the event," Heiji Hattori speculated, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. The memory of the finals venue being destroyed not long ago surfaced in his mind, and a shadow of worry crossed his features. This competition was on an even larger scale, with a much wider influence. If a similar incident were to occur here, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Sigh... I just hope Lord Ayato and the others can find the culprit as soon as possible," Natsume murmured, letting out a long, quiet breath as she clasped her hands together in a silent prayer.
Hearing Natsume mention Ayato's name, Conan's mind immediately flashed to the email he had received from Mr. Okiya the previous night. It had contained a detailed summary of the conversation he had managed to overhear. From that exchange, one thing was chillingly clear: Kamisato Ayato intended to do something to the person who destroyed the finals venue.
A familiar unease settled in Conan's stomach. He was worried that Ayato and his people might resort to vigilante justice. That was never the right path, but he had no use—and certainly no standing—to stop the formidable Kamisato Clan from pursuing their own investigation.
Conan had wrestled with the problem for a long time last night, turning it over and over in his head. He had finally concluded that there was only one solution: he had to find the culprit and the evidence before the Kamisato Clan did. He had to get them arrested and into the legal system first. That way, with the perpetrator already in prison, Ayato and his associates wouldn't be able to exact their own retaliation. The law, and only the law, would deliver their punishment.
The problem was, Conan still had very few clues regarding that "accident." Fortunately, the incident had happened in Osaka, which meant the police there would surely have plenty of leads. He made a mental note to ask Heiji for the relevant information after they finished watching the competition today. Then, his own investigation would begin.
For now, though, supporting his friends was the most important thing.
Conan looked down, a feeling of weary resignation washing over him as his eyes fell to the cheering props Sonoko had just unceremoniously stuffed into his hands.
One by one, the audience members continued to file in. Before long, the vast spectator stands were almost completely full, and the air crackled with anticipation. The start of the competition was drawing near.
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