i am just a student? in Conan world

In the dark underground tunnel, two figures walked forward slowly. 

"So, your purpose in stealing the Egg of Memories was simply to return it to its rightful owner?" 

Fujino asked Kaito Kuroba with a hint of insinuation in his tone. 

Kaito remained silent for a moment. Initially, he thought Fujino might bring up something like, *"You're interested in Natsumi Kosaka, aren't you?"* 

However, before Kaito could respond, Fujino continued, "If I'm not mistaken, Natsumi Kosaka should be a descendant of the Romanov dynasty, from the Nicholas family, right?" 

"You figured it out?!" 

Kaito's surprise was evident. 

But after a moment of reflection, he realized this detective had always been disturbingly perceptive. 

Never mind, then. 

"A German-style castle, the photos of Kosaka Kiichi with Rasputin inside the castle, the so-called *Magician of the Century,* and your talk about 'returning something to its rightful owner,'" Fujino deduced. "Logically, what you mean by returning the item to its rightful owner should be giving it back to Natsumi Kosaka, the descendant of the *Magician of the Century,* Kosaka Kiichi. 

"But in reality, it's not quite that simple. What you truly intend is to return it to the Romanov dynasty's descendant, the great-granddaughter of Maria, the third daughter of Nicholas II—Natsumi Kosaka." 

"As expected of a renowned detective, your analysis is impeccable," Kaito acknowledged with a nod. "That's right. My intention from the beginning was just that." 

After a brief pause, he continued, a trace of grievance in his tone, "But who could have predicted that an Interpol agent and a certain someone who wounded my sincere feelings would show up and disrupt my plan?" 

"Hurt your sincere feelings, huh?" Fujino chuckled. "Being able to rattle a phantom thief is quite the accomplishment, as far as detectives go." 

"You…" Kaito was at a loss for words. 

Come to think of it, though, there were quite a few detectives eager to toy with him as if he were a plaything. 

Whether it was that football kid with an electric kick or a certain white knight, they all wanted to best him. 

But the only one who could truly manage to unsettle him was this particular pain of a detective. 

"All right, enough chatter," Fujino said, raising his hand to stop Kaito. "Catching Utsusemi Purin takes priority." 

Glancing at the system task, Fujino activated his *Eagle Eye Vision* and scanned the darkness ahead. 

In his view, Purin was right in the middle of the tunnel before him. 

From the vital signs visible, she was alone. 

It seemed the art dealer who had gone missing alongside her had already been killed. 

If that was the case, then they had their evidence. 

Adding this to the earlier murder of Ryuu Samukawa, they now had enough ballistic evidence to prove Purin's role as an assassin. 

Even if her crimes couldn't be fully pinned down, it would still be enough to send her to prison. 

That should also complete the system task. 

"She's ahead, right?" 

Kaito frowned as he pulled a card gun from seemingly nowhere. "How did you even spot her?" 

"Breathing." 

Fujino replied matter-of-factly, while reaching behind his back and pulling out a wooden sword from who-knows-where. 

"Uh…" Kaito's lips twitched as he stared at the wooden sword. "Where did that even come from?" 

"And you're allowed to perform magic tricks?" Fujino shot him a glance. 

"Fair point." 

Kaito smacked his lips but didn't argue further. 

"By the way, you can mimic voices, right?" 

"Of course I can. You know that." 

Kaito closed his eyes briefly, then, mimicking Yoko Okino's voice, whispered softly, "Yada, H!" 

"Dial it back." 

Fujino felt exasperated. 

Was this guy a pervert? 

Probably. 

Taking a deep breath, Fujino resisted the urge to punch him and continued, "Do you still remember the voice of Ganjo Kazuyuki?" 

"I do," Kaito replied with a hint of suspicion. "Why?" 

A sly smile appeared on Fujino's face. "I have a plan…" 

"A plan?" 

Kaito squinted at him. 

"By the way, are you wearing a bulletproof vest?" Fujino asked. 

"I am." 

As he spoke, Kaito tapped his chest, producing a crisp metallic sound. 

"Good. That makes things easier," Fujino said. "Purin has a gun, and it's impossible to beat her in a straight fight. You go and distract her while I sneak around and knock her out from behind." 

Kaito frowned. "Why do I have to be the one to distract her?" 

"You're wearing a bulletproof vest. If not you, then who?" Fujino gave him an incredulous look. 

"Fine, fine, I'll go," Kaito sighed, waving his hand dismissively. "Just make sure you act fast. Even though I'm wearing a vest and bulletproof lenses, if she shoots somewhere else, I'm done for." 

"Don't worry. You can count on me," Fujino assured him, thumping his chest with a confident smile. 

Kaito Kuroba was left speechless. 

"It's precisely because it's *you* that I can't trust it!" 

...

After Pu Si Qinglan killed Qian Jiangyi, she stepped out of the tunnel in the dead-end alley, handgun in hand. 

Her operation was now more than halfway complete. 

Next, she only needed to follow those people to find this mission's target: another Memory Egg. 

If successful, this mission would be a resounding success. 

Although she regretted failing to steal the smaller Memory Egg due to interference from that annoying thief and that meddling detective, stealing the larger one seemed like an acceptable consolation prize. 

The mere thought of soon obtaining one of the treasures of the Romanov dynasty brought a subtle, excited smile to Pu Si Qinglan's lips. 

"A Russian pretending to be Chinese, Pu Si Qinglan—you must be a descendant of the infamous monk, Rasputin." 

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the tunnel. 

"That voice... Han Chuan!" 

Pu Si Qinglan's pupils slightly dilated as she scanned her surroundings. 

She distinctly remembered killing this person with her handgun—not just killing him, but ensuring he was beyond dead... 

Yet... 

**Click!** 

The faint sound echoed in the tunnel. 

**Bang! Bang!** 

Tense and on edge, Pu Si Qinglan raised her handgun and fired two shots toward the sound's origin. 

"Come to think of it, if you rearrange the name Pu Si Qinglan, it spells Rasputin." 

The source of the voice slowly revealed itself. 

Dressed in Kaito Kid's signature outfit, Kaito Kuroba made a dazzling entrance. 

"Kaitou Kid…" 

Pu Si Qinglan pointed her gun at Kaito Kuroba. "So you *did* follow me." 

"I couldn't let your sniper attack on me last time slide, could I?" 

Kaito Kuroba chuckled lightly before teasing, "But I must admit, I didn't expect the legendary 'Scout' to be such a beauty." 

"Beauty?" 

Pu Si Qinglan smirked playfully. "I didn't think someone facing their death would still have the energy to flirt." 

"Is that so?" 

Kaito Kuroba smiled mysteriously. 

Silently, Fujino crept up behind Pu Si Qinglan. The wooden sword in his hand was raised high before coming down hard on the back of her head. 

The classic, well-practiced "knockout blow." 

**Thud!** 

First came the clear, hollow sound of the impact. 

**Ahh…** 

Then a groan echoed through the tunnel. 

**Thump.** 

Pu Si Qinglan lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. 

"Quite a head she's got," Fujino thought to himself as he tucked away the wooden sword, silently assessing her. 

"…" 

Kaito Kuroba glanced at Pu Si Qinglan, sprawled out on the ground in a starfish-like pose, then turned to Fujino, who was deftly putting away his weapon. 

He fell into silence. 

This guy—why was his technique so practiced? 

And this overly rehearsed ambush plan... 

He must've done this kind of thing plenty of times before, right? 

"All right, now that we've caught the Scout, we should go uncover the truth behind the Memory Egg," Fujino said, tying Pu Si Qinglan up securely and hoisting her over his shoulder. Without further comment, he activated Eagle Vision and headed in the direction of the group. 

"Wait for me!" 

Kaito Kuroba hurriedly disguised himself once more as Shiratori Ren Saburo and followed Fujino. 

As for Fujino casually pulling a rope out of nowhere, Kaito had long since stopped being surprised. 

It must be another magic trick, right? 

He chose not to ask further—after all, the mechanics of such tricks were a magician's most guarded secrets. 

From another perspective, if Fujino wanted to investigate Kaito's own secrets, he wouldn't agree either. 

...

After Fujino and Kaito Kuroba left the group, the others discovered a hidden chamber at the end of the tunnel. 

The chamber was dark and eerily silent. 

Lighting the candles inside, the faint glow illuminated a room that resembled a chapel. 

At the center of the room stood a dais. Stone tiles radiated outward in concentric circles from the dais. 

At the far end of the room, directly opposite the entrance, sat a heavy white wooden coffin. 

Behind the coffin stood a life-sized statue of the Virgin Mary. Flanking her were two slightly smaller angel statues, with a golden cross rising between them. 

Curious, the group opened the coffin. 

Inside lay a skeletal corpse wrapped in star-and-moon-patterned bedding. 

On the corpse's chest was the very target they had been searching for: another Imperial Easter Egg. 

This egg was vastly different from the Memory Egg. Not only was it red, but its design was also distinct. 

The surface was adorned with glittering gemstones, and the openwork embellishments were golden, contrasting with the Memory Egg's green hue. 

The egg's interior was exquisitely crafted but hollow. At the base was a small circular mirror, reminiscent of the Memory Egg's design, surrounded by numerous grooves. 

The group couldn't help but feel puzzled. 

"Could it be like those nesting dolls?" 

Sonoko leaned in, examining the empty interior with curiosity. "I think this hollow egg reminds me of the Russian nesting dolls I played with as a child…" 

Before Sonoko could finish her sentence, a familiar voice came from behind them: 

"Just as Sonoko said, this Easter Egg is meant to house the Memory Egg." 

(End of Chapter)