i am just a student? in Conan world

Two days had passed since the incident with the Egg of Memories. 

The Suzuki family had generously given the Egg of Memories to Natsumi Kosaka. 

Of course, it wasn't entirely free. 

The condition was that the Kosaka family's castle would be available for Suzuki family promotional activities, like advertisements, without charge. 

After all, the Suzukis weren't fools. 

The sky was still dark, with heavy clouds obscuring the moon that had yet to set. 

Snowflakes floated gently down, one landing on Fujino's nose. It quickly melted from the warmth of his body. 

"Winter is here," he murmured, standing on the balcony as he wiped the moisture from his nose. 

Pausing, he opened the system interface. 

**[Current Balance: ¥9,200,000]** 

"Without realizing it, I've accumulated quite a fortune," Fujino said, glancing at the balance with a sigh. 

Nine million two hundred thousand yen was no small amount in this era. 

Converted to Chinese yuan, it was close to eight or nine hundred thousand, nearly a million. 

It was enough for one intermediate ten-pull draw in the system lottery. 

But Fujino didn't intend to pour all his money into the lottery. 

He now had other ways to strengthen himself beyond relying on random draws. 

By using fusion enhancement cards and spending money to improve his professional skills, he could achieve significant progress. 

Most of his currently unlocked professions were still at Level 1. 

Upgrading one level cost ¥1,000,000. 

With over nine million yen, he could make considerable improvements in a short period. 

He opened the profession interface and reviewed his unlocked professions: 

- **Swordmaster: Level 1 (300/500; ¥1,000,000)** 

- **Bomb Master: Level 1 (0/500; ¥1,000,000)** 

- **Martial Artist: Level 1 (203/500; ¥1,000,000)** 

- **College Student: Level 1 (267/500; ¥1,000,000)** 

Fujino analyzed the options, contemplating his next move. 

Two combat-oriented professions and two support-oriented ones. 

The perks of the College Student profession, such as discounts and learning boosts, and the Bomb Master profession's bomb-making and defusing enhancements, seemed less relevant to him for now. 

The Swordmaster and Martial Artist professions, on the other hand, were far more practical. 

After all, strength was the ultimate currency, no matter the situation. 

After some deliberation, Fujino decided to prioritize upgrading the combat-related professions. 

**[¥1,780,000 has been deducted.]** 

**[Swordmaster upgraded to Level 2 (300/750; ¥2,000,000). Current skill points: 1.]** 

**[Martial Artist upgraded to Level 2 (203/750; ¥2,000,000). Current skill points: 1.]** 

"So, Level 2 requires ¥2,000,000?" 

Fujino noted the escalating costs with a deep breath, resisting the urge to splurge further. 

He refused to fall into the trap set by the "greedy system." 

Instead, he turned his attention to the two newly earned skill points and allocated them. 

- **Iron Fist of Valor: Level 5 (Increases strength by 100%; boosts all stats by 100% during unarmed combat.)** 

- **Sword Embodiment: Level 6 (The user becomes one with the sword, gaining a 155% boost to all attributes.)** 

"A 20% increase in strength and a 15% boost to all attributes. Not bad. Worth the ¥2,000,000," Fujino concluded, nodding in satisfaction. 

After assigning his points, he donned a tracksuit and went out for morning training. 

--- 

Meanwhile, in Ai Haibara's room: 

"Ah… ah…" 

Ai woke with a start, her body drenched in cold sweat that soaked through her pajamas and the sheets beneath her. 

She panted heavily, her wide eyes scanning the room. 

The bedroom was small but cozy, with walls adorned with pink wallpaper. The well-furnished room showed signs of thoughtful decoration. 

"Was it… a nightmare?" 

Ai let out a relieved sigh, her tense shoulders relaxing. 

She stood and walked to the wardrobe, pulling out a clean shirt. Opening the door, she headed to the third-floor bathroom to wash off the sweat clinging to her body. 

After her shower, she returned to her room and stood by the window, gazing at the snow falling outside, lost in thought. 

--- 

After his morning training, Fujino returned home to find Ai Haibara and Akemi Miyano had already prepared breakfast. 

Refueling with a hearty meal, Fujino then drove Ai to Teitan Elementary School. 

After dropping her off, he planned to head to Teitan High School. 

But along the way, he spotted a familiar red sports car parked in front of a convenience store. 

"No way…"

Fujino glanced around and quickly spotted a familiar figure. 

"Ms. Hiratsuka, why aren't you at school yet?" 

Opening the car door, Fujino called out to Shizuka Hiratsuka, who was crouching near the entrance of a convenience store not far away. 

"Fujino?" 

Shizuka straightened up and turned around. When she saw Fujino, she let out a surprised exclamation. "What are you doing here?" 

"I was just on my way to school..." 

Fujino approached and noticed a small girl standing behind Shizuka. 

The little girl had short hair, a cute face, and wore a light three-quarter sleeve shirt and shorts. 

At first glance, Fujino thought the child might be Shizuka's daughter. 

But a second later, he tossed that idea in the trash. 

Impossible. 

Shizuka Hiratsuka, a stalwart "iron-fist maiden," probably hadn't even had a boyfriend, let alone a daughter. 

Fujino studied the little girl and then asked Shizuka, "Who's the child?" 

"I came across her just now when I stepped out to buy cigarettes." 

Shizuka glanced down at the girl. "Judging by the looks of it, she seems to have gotten separated from her mom…" 

Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, she turned to Fujino and said, "Oh right, since you're a detective, you should be able to find her mom, right?" 

"Isn't this something the police should handle?" 

"Well, there's not much difference anyway." 

Fujino sighed and walked up to the little girl, squatting down to her level. "Can you tell me your name?" 

The girl looked up at Fujino, her rosy little face filled with confusion. 

After a moment, she smiled and said, "Yui!" 

"Yui, huh? That's a nice name." 

Fujino continued, "Do you know where your family went?" 

"Mommy, and little feet!" 

The girl named Yui raised both hands—her left higher and her right lower—animatedly saying, "The convenience store with the red roof! Special door! Yui jumped out!" 

"I asked her the same questions earlier," Shizuka interjected, walking over with a helpless expression. "She's too young to articulate properly. I asked where her mom went, but she doesn't know either…" 

"She's probably around three years old," Fujino guessed. 

He gently patted Yui's head, stood up slowly, and looked slightly puzzled. "This child did get separated from her mom, but it didn't just happen. It was likely last night." 

"Last night?" 

"That's right. There's no way she got lost just this morning." 

Fujino nodded and glanced at Yui again. "The redness on her face looks like frostbite. Judging by the severity, she's probably been outdoors since last night." 

Frostbite alone wasn't conclusive evidence, but what led Fujino to this deduction was the child's clothing. 

It was currently winter in their detective world, and it had been cold since last night. 

Normally, no one would let a child out dressed so lightly. 

So, Fujino suspected she had been outside all night. 

Hearing this, Shizuka froze for a moment and muttered bitterly, "What kind of parents would let such a young child wander alone at night…" 

"This is just my assumption. Let's not jump to conclusions. We need to find her parents first," Fujino replied. 

Noticing the small backpack behind Yui, he crouched again and smiled. "Yui, can I take a look at your backpack?" 

"No!" 

Yui raised her left hand, while her right hand moved slightly but quickly dropped, clutching the straps of her backpack tightly. 

"You really don't know how to handle kids, do you?" 

Shizuka stepped forward, pulled out a sandwich from the bag she was carrying, and handed it to Yui with a warm smile. "How about we trade this for your backpack?" 

"Okay!" 

Yui readily agreed, reaching out with her left hand to take the sandwich. 

Shizuka gave a smug smile. 

Fujino silently stepped aside, leaving the task of dealing with the little girl to the "iron-fist maiden." 

Just like that, Shizuka successfully tricked the backpack out of Yui's hands. 

Her skill made Fujino wonder if she did this sort of thing often. 

The backpack was a panda-shaped one, not very new and even a bit worn out. 

What should have been white fur was yellowed. 

Inside the backpack were a dirty penguin plush toy, a pink mirror, a pink comb, several colorful plastic flowers, and a handful of crayons in various colors. 

"There's nothing here to identify this child… What kind of parents don't even leave anything like that in their kid's belongings?" Shizuka sighed, examining the items. 

"Fujino, any clues?" 

Fujino didn't reply immediately. His eyes were fixed on the bottom of the panda backpack's belly. 

At the same time, a system notification appeared in his mind: 

**[Detective Mission: The Lost Girl]** 

**Objective:** Find the little girl's home and uncover the hidden case behind it. 

**Reward:** 1,000,000 yen and 300 detective reputation points. 

Pulling his gaze back, Fujino turned to Shizuka and said gravely, "Ms. Hiratsuka, this isn't as simple as it looks." 

Shizuka blinked in surprise and followed Fujino's gaze. Turning the backpack around, her pupils widened. 

On the underside of the panda backpack's belly was a partial bloody handprint. 

"Is that… blood?!" 

Shizuka gripped the backpack tighter. 

"Yes, and judging by how dry it is, it's been there for over an hour," Fujino said, pulling out his phone. 

He glanced at Yui, hesitated briefly, then stepped aside to call Inspector Megure. 

At that moment, Inspector Megure was busy with another murder case and couldn't come. He promised to send Detective Takagi over shortly. 

Hanging up, Fujino turned back to Shizuka and said, "Ms. Hiratsuka, please get her into my car. There's a first aid kit in the trunk. If her frostbite isn't treated soon, it might leave scars." 

(Chapter Ends)