After solving a few cases, TV appearance requests kept coming in. The manager persistently asked, so I went out once or twice, but then the manager kept scheduling broadcasts for me.
"Well, I'm busy with school life."
When I threatened to fire the current manager and hire a beautiful one if this continued, the manager made a face as if about to cry and finally backed down. Now, it was decided to do broadcasts only once a month.
'Really, I came here to heal, not to work.'
In fact, it didn't matter if I didn't earn money. My inventory was overflowing with gold ingots.
After school, since Ran and Sonoko suggested eating something delicious in the city, I was moving to the city with Conan.
"This Sunday, I ended up going to the Rex live after-party. So, by the way, won't Ran and Cassian come along?"
"Hmm... This time too, I feel a bad aura, so it's better not to go. Why does Sonoko only get invited to strange gatherings?"
"Really? Sigh... It was a hard-made occasion... I guess I'll just give up."
A week later, news came out that Kimura Tatsuya, the vocalist of the group Rex, had committed suicide. It was actually a murder case, and the manager was the culprit, but since it was a matter of both of them misunderstanding like fools, I decided to let it go this time. Because Conan brings so many incidents and accidents, it would be very tiring to intervene in every single one.
The next day at school, Sonoko grabbed and shook me.
"Cassian! Tell me my fortune. Lately, I don't know why murder cases keep happening wherever I go..."
'That's because there's a death god named Conan nearby, not you...'
"Quickly! I feel like something's cursed!"
"Uh, okay."
I pretended to tell her fortune roughly. And I gave her some original spoilers.
"Hmm... Oh~ It says you'll get a boyfriend this year?"
"Wow~ Really?"
"Yes, and it says something good will happen in your family. I don't know what it is."
Sonoko looked at the sky with sparkling eyes, put her hands together as if praying, and said.
"Surely, the heavens are taking pity on me and blessing me~"
"Uh, yeah..."
I reached out my hand to Sonoko. Sonoko hesitated for a moment, then took my hand with a shy face.
"Oh dear... Cassian... This is the classroom, people might see..."
I don't know what strange misunderstanding she has.
"I told your fortune, so you have to pay me. Otherwise, it won't work."
As if embarrassed by her misunderstanding, Sonoko's face turned red, and after a moment of panic, she took out money from her wallet and gave it to me.
"Ugh... I understand..."
As expected of Sonoko being rich, she handed over a lot of money, so I took only half and returned the other half.
As time passed and today's class was about to end, Ran had a worried face, so I asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Cassian, it's about Conan... I'm worried because his parents haven't visited even once and there's no contact..."
"Didn't we say before that Conan's parents transferred abroad? They'll contact once they settle in."
"It's just... it's been too long. I'm worried they might have forgotten about Conan..."
'Ah! Is this perhaps the episode where Conan's parents come?'
I pondered for a moment. How to send that annoying Conan abroad. No matter how much I thought, no idea came to mind. If Conan stubbornly insists on staying, there's no way.
'But still, a way to give him a big trick...'
"Cassian? What are you thinking so hard about?"
"I received alcohol as a gift from a place I did a request for, but since I'm still a minor, I thought of giving it to the detective. Is that okay?"
Actually, if such things come, I drink them myself. This was an excuse to go to the Mouri Detective Agency.
"Dad would like that."
"Then let's stop by my house and go to the detective agency together."
"Okay."
I put Ran on my bike, stopped by my house for a moment, took out two bottles of decent alcohol from my inventory, put them in a shopping bag, and moved to the Mouri Detective Agency. When we arrived at the agency, Conan was playing a game on TV, and Kogoro saw me and welcomed me warmly.
"Welcome, son-in-law hahahaha."
Even though Kogoro called him son-in-law now, Ran didn't say anything.
"Long time no see, Detective."
"The fortune about you being my son-in-law was right. Lately, a lot of work has been coming in. I think you're the lucky charm, hahaha."
At those words, Conan stopped playing the game and glared at Kogoro. It seemed like you could hear 'Thanks to whom.' from Conan's mouth. Certainly, the atmosphere was brighter than the early office. Since they received many requests, it was well cleaned, and Kogoro was neatly dressed, not unshaven and messy like before.
"It's nothing, but since I do onmyoji work, I receive various gifts, and some good alcohol came in, so... Since I'm still a minor, I thought of giving it to you, Detective..."
"Oh~ Really?"
I placed the shopping bag on the table. Then, Kogoro took out the alcohol from the shopping bag and looked at it.
"This is... 'Royal Salute 38-year-old' and 'Macallan 25-year-old'. Is it okay for you to give such things? The two bottles combined would cost about 400,000 yen. And since Macallan 25-year-old is in short supply, just having it would increase in price..."
As expected, Kogoro knew well about alcohol. Ran was also surprised to hear the price.
"Eh~!! It was such expensive alcohol?"
"Don't worry. I have a few more bottles at home. Lately, since I do work for rich people, they send such gifts a lot."
"Is that so? Hahahaha, I really chose a good son-in-law. Then I'll gratefully accept it hahahaha~ Rest well and go~"
Kogoro handled the alcohol as if handling a baby and took it to his room.
"Oh my baby~ Smack!"
At that sight, Conan, Ran, and even I looked at Kogoro with pitiful eyes.
I looked at the game Conan was playing and said.
"Oh~ This is Tekken. Conan, want to have a match?"
Conan looked at me and spoke as if saying, 'Can someone like you beat me?'
"Hehehe, do you think you can beat me? I'm quite a high-level player, you know."
"I see. Then go easy on me."
I wiped the floor with him. My dynamic vision and reaction speed exceed frame units, so ordinary people can't even compete.
"This is unbelievable..."
"Hahaha, the world is wide, Conan."
"Ugh! One more match!"
"Okay."
Then, Ran said to Conan with a worried face.
"Wait, Conan. About your parents. It's been a long time since they transferred abroad. Don't you miss your mom and dad?"
"It's fine."
Hearing that, Kogoro also said.
"My, what amazing people. Not visiting even once and not even contacting... You said this kid was entrusted by Dr. Agasa, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, I'll go ask for Conan's parents' contact information."
As the atmosphere turned strange, Conan fidgeted nervously and broke into a cold sweat. Then, the bell rang in the office.
"Ding-dong~"
"Yes~ I'll get it!"
Ran opened the door, talked with the person who came, then with a bright face, she shouted to us loudly.
"Conan! They're here!"
"Huh?"
"Your mother is here!"
Through the open door, a well-dressed woman was standing, and when she entered the office, she saw Conan, immediately hugged him, shed tears, and spoke.
"I'm sorry, Conan. How lonely have you been alone? But now, rest assured. Let's go home with Mom!"
"Huh???"
Conan panicked, pushed the woman away, and said.
"Who are you!!??"
"Oh my, Conan... You're really angry. Because I left you alone for so long."
Then, I stepped forward, hid Conan behind me, and said.
"Who are you? What's your purpose?"
"Eh???"
As I stepped forward, Ran and Kogoro were surprised and said.
"Cassian, what do you mean?"
"That person is not Conan's mother. She's wearing an elaborate mask on her face, and she's stuffed something in her body to deliberately look fat."
"What?? Really???"
"Yes. Disguises don't work on me."
I looked at the woman again and said.
"What's your real identity? Why are you trying to kidnap Conan?"
The woman hesitated for a moment, sighed, and said.
"Oh, I've been caught... I heard about the onmyoji Cassian, but I didn't know he'd be this sharp... No choice."
The woman tore off the mask from her face and revealed her identity. Her identity was 'Yukiko Kudo', Shinichi's mother.
"Oh, Auntie!"
"Yukiko!"
Kogoro was a high school classmate of Yukiko, and Ran knew her well since she had seen Shinichi's mother a few times when she was young. Moreover, Yukiko Kudo was a famous actress. And despite being 38 years old, she maintained considerable beauty and was a lovely woman. Conan also had a surprised face upon seeing his mother.
"Yes, nice to see you."
"But why Conan?"
"Well... it's a friend's child, and they're too busy, so since I'm here, I thought of taking him abroad where his parents are."
Yukiko tried to make excuses to take Conan away. I alternated looking at Yukiko and Conan.
"Huh?? That's strange..."
"Cassian, why?"
"Looking at Yukiko-san without the mask, I seem to see a parent-child connection with Conan... Did I misperceive?"
At my words, Yukiko and Conan were very flustered.
"T-that can't be..."
"You must be misperceiving, hahaha..."
I pretended to ponder and said.
"Strange... I don't usually misperceive... If I read their souls, it would be clear..."
When Conan saw me seriously pondering, he quickly grabbed Yukiko's hand and tried to go outside.
"I'll go talk with Auntie about my parents for a moment."
"Uh, yeah, I'll be back in a bit too!"
As Conan pulled Yukiko's hand, signaling to leave quickly, Yukiko also hastily greeted and went outside. Seeing that, Ran asked me with a serious expression.
"Is it true? That Conan and Auntie Yukiko have a parent-child connection?"
"I don't know yet. I might have misperceived. I think I need to read both their souls to be sure."
Then, Kogoro said to me.
"Son-in-law, I received a good gift, so have dinner before you go."
"Understood."
Hearing that, Ran said to me.
"Cassian, then want to go shopping with me? I'll make something delicious today."
"I'd love to."
Ran and I got on my bike and went to the town market to start buying various ingredients. Perhaps because I gave expensive alcohol as a gift, she tried to buy some expensive meat, but seeing her hesitate for a moment, it seemed like a strain.
"This is what I want to eat, so I'll buy it."
"Cassian, this is our treat..."
"No. I want to eat it, and I can't burden you just because I'm a guest."
I bought enough meat for five people to eat fully, paid, and returned to the office. Conan and Yukiko had also returned, as if their conversation was over. But Conan's expression wasn't very good.
"Hungry? Wait a moment~"
"Ran, I'll help too."
I made the meal with the bought ingredients next to Ran. I used my [Cooking] ability to make it carefully. Since there were quite a few people, we decided to eat at the office table, and I served the dishes one by one. Kogoro drooled and said.
"Oh~ Looks delicious?"
"Hahaha, more is coming, so wait a bit."
"It's nice to see the future couple cooking together, hahaha."
Hearing that, Yukiko's expression also darkened. There was a reason for this: Yukiko knew that Shinichi had liked Ran since childhood. So, Yukiko also cherished Ran like her own daughter. Therefore, Kogoro's words couldn't be welcome.
"Hey, about that fortune, it could be right or wrong, couldn't it?"
It seemed Yukiko had also heard the fortune about me marrying Ran.
"That's for ordinary fortune-tellers or cultists. Son-in-law is different. Last time, he caught the culprit in several cases using onmyoji arts."
"But..."
Yukiko was about to say something, but I brought food and placed it on the table, saying.
"This is a meat dish called bulgogi."
"Oh~ Son-in-law, you can cook such dishes too?"
"Hahaha, since I make it at home as a hobby."
In that way, I made a few more dishes and served them, and the meal began. Yukiko ate the food I made and admired it.
"Wow~ It's so delicious. I want to learn how to make it."
"Right? Son-in-law can do anything, hahahaha."
"You flatter me."
As Kogoro continued boasting about me without tact, Ran's face turned red from embarrassment, and Conan's facial expression wasn't good even while eating delicious food.
After finishing the meal deliciously, I also simply made dessert and tea. Yukiko ate the dessert and said.
"Even the dessert is delicious. It's like eating at a high-end restaurant run by a famous chef."
"Phew~ Thanks to son-in-law, I ate well for the first time in a while."
"And since Conan doesn't want to leave, I have no choice but to ask you to take care of him a bit more."
"That's a bit..."
Kogoro made a troubled face at those words and seemed about to refuse, but
"This is child support. From Conan's parents."
Yukiko handed a bankbook to Kogoro.
"Wow! 10 million yen!"
10 million yen is a large amount in local currency. Seeing that, Kogoro's eyes sparkled, and he said with a smiling face.
"Hahaha, tell them I'll take care of him anytime."
"I understand. Then, I'll leave it to you."
After the conversation was settled and Yukiko was about to leave, we also went outside the office to see her off and bid farewell. After sending Yukiko off, Conan looked at me and said.
"I won't lose!"
"Huh? To what?"
"Ahahaha, Tekken!"
"Hahaha, yeah, practice hard."
'With this, even if I can't send him abroad, did I give him a taste of his own medicine?'