Killed Again, Mr. Detective Volume 1 Case 1 Chapter 1 part 1

Volume 1

Case 1: Queen Irie Class Murder Incident

Chapter 1 Please deduce seriously every now and then (Part 1)

TLed by: TanoshiKara

Detectives are like waves. Detectives (Waves) swipe in at the last moment and destroy the sand castle that the Children (Culprits) work hard to build.

Waves are neither good nor evil, they are also neither merciful nor merciless. They merely return the sandy beach to its original state. Indeed, there are no good or evil waves.

If one is competent, one becomes a Master Detective, if one is incompetent, one becomes an Inept Detective1. This is a given but in this world, there are only that many existences who can be called Master Detectives.

However, there is a man who, even among them, stands out, is talented, and is a true prodigy.2 That man has the nickname 'Undying Detective' and is feared, avoided, and resented by every Child (Culprit). He dies to no culprit nor is he killable by any serial killer.

No matter the case, he does not hesitate, does not fear, does not shudder, whether it be difficult, unsolvable, or impossible. He solves, he crushes, he puts an end to it—. Whether it be a Closed-room Murder, a Terrorist Bombing, or a Financial Crisis, as long as there exists one who can be called a culprit, the man will, under the name of a detective, deduce their identity.

Occurring in broad daylight, inside the office building of the National Police Agency, the ‘Sixty-six Police Officers Murder’.

Making the European Union (EU) lose a third of its budget, the ‘European Union Euro Plundering Case’.

Making a single country a No-Man's land, the ‘Vanrehete Royal Kingdom Total Disappearance Case’.

The most gorgeous crime carried out by a woman called the Empress, the ‘Great Love of Seven Continents Incident’.

'Ascend to Heaven by eating an Angel—', caused by the belief of a certain cult, the ‘Cannibalism Sect's Banquet Case’.

These cases were solved by the 'Undying Detective', the culprits caught by those hands, uncountable, his contribution, immeasurable.

If detectives are waves, this man would probably be the Great Tsunami that will swallow the entire beach whole.

This man is traveling around the world, even today, solving cases.

And, along these lines, I am that very History's Greatest Detective, Tatsuya Outsuki—nope, I am his very son.

Additionally, I am currently in my own room writing my final letter.

"To my not-so-beloved father, by the time you are reading this letter, I will already not be in this world......"

Why? Merely a daily routine.

If I were to find a more specific reason—my shoelaces snapped all of a sudden today. That is why I would like to leave things that should be left behind so I am able to die at any moment.

My pen moved quite smoothly across the paper.

I think that I have written a will that is calm, impartial, and makes the reader shed a reasonable amount of tears.

"Volume 243......there. Phew"

Feeling satisfied after numbering my will, I head for the office on the floor beside this one but—.

"Huh?"

Perhaps everyone was away, but the office was silent. As I cooped up in my room immediately after I returned from high school, I did not see the situation over at this office.

The glass window facing the walkway has the words, 'Outsuki Detective Agency', written in mirrored. This is the Detective Office that my father is the President of. It is technically linked to the house so I can freely travel between both places.

The sunlight entering from the window makes me subconsciously squint my eyes. And there stands a young girl.

The glaring sunlight stretches the beautiful silhouette of the girl standing by the window. The sunlight shining on her platinum-colored hair makes it sparkle like that of a crystal.

She is dressed in tight western clothes similar to a black dress. That outfit looks somewhat similar to a maid's but also resembles a dress worn for mourning.

While closing in on her, I waved lightly to the young girl, who had her back turned.

"Ah"

However, I soon found myself in a certain situation that made me freeze up subconsciously.

The young girl held onto the jacket of my uniform. It is the very jacket that I, being lazy in the moment, took off and chucked away randomly in the living room when I got home earlier.

The smell of that jacket—the young girl was smelling it. Putting my jacket close to her chest, she sinks the tip of her nose into it. She does this with neither the knowledge nor the realization that I, the owner am watching her.

"Welcome home, Sakuya-sama"

Ah, I was wrong. Our eyes met. She is staring at me. She totally realized.

She realizes and is smelling the jacket all the same. Boldly, while she is looking over at me. She is smelling it while staring at me with those eyes that are as clear as glass beads.

No, what in the world is she doing? Is she crazy? Is this a situation where a man can truly be all excited about? I struggle to come to a decision.

Anyway, I should first be amicable. Much like a wild animal, she should not be provoked carelessly.

"Erm......I am home Lilithea" When I replied, the young girl Lilithea finally distanced her face from my jacket.

After that, she unwrinkles it as if nothing has happened and hangs it with a hanger.

So she does hang it up for me properly.

"Everyone has already headed for their respective assignments for today"

"No, before that......"

She sure is able to calmly have a conversation about daily life. With a face that suggests that she has done nothing wrong no less.

That said, her going so far as to cover it up makes me lose the motivation to thoughtlessly bring it up and criticize her.

Lilithea is a girl that the Mochizuki Detective Agency relies on. Even though she is not a maid at all, she shows no flaws from the cleaning to the management of the agency, and even up until her waiting service.

"Let's hear your defense for secretly savoring the remaining fragrance of my jacket"

"I did not do such a thing"

"You did! You met eyes with me for about twenty seconds. Eh? Ah, or is it that I have not realized, but my smell has the effect of making members of the opposite gender irresistible to......"

"There is no such convenient effect"

"As I expected. Yeap. I knew. I would probably have been leading a more flowery school life by now if I had such an ability"

Rather than self-deprecation, this is the objective truth. Even so, Lilitina looks at me with reproachful eyes.

"Then is Sakuya-sama saying that his school life is the color of gray? Is that truly the case?"

"Eh?"

"Since you show signs that you got close to a charming school nurse, in her late twenties, at your school today, so would that not, as a man, mean that you lead a blessed school life?" Lilithea said some pretty disturbing words in her usual cool, or rather, slightly calm tone.

"Wh-what are you on about?"

"Allow me to say it clearly. Sakuya-sama, your jacket had the smell of disinfectant, medicine......and a slight scent of perfume"

"From my jacket......?"

"The smell of that medicine was one unique to an infirmary. Additionally, there is no mistaking that the perfume was a new perfume from Alice Vivi's Autumn Perfume"

Alice Vivi. I had also heard of it before. It is a perfume sold by a popular make-up maker. I have also seen their commercials quite often.

"That is a popular product among women in their twenties and this perfume has such a high hurdle that, as a woman, they must have quite the self-confidence or they will not use it. Also, it is set at a price that is pretty difficult for a female high schooler to buy"

While presenting her deduction, Lilithea, much like a doll, did not change her facial expression. She is cold, heartless, and has every intention of cornering me logically.

"Surmising from all this, it inevitably leads to the following. Sakuya-sama skipped classes today and did all kinds of touchy-feely stuff repeatedly with a school nurse, reeking of charm, in the infirmary......"

"This is a misunderstanding!"

What does she mean by touchy-feely stuff? Which dictionary has this term?

Although she is spouting all those weird words, she still has her dead serious face on. However, that is just who Lilithea is. Just like a noble cat, her facial expression rarely changes. There are times when it changes easily with points that make me think "Why?" but it usually does not.

"That said, Lilithea, does this mean that in order to investigate my tendencies in school, the smell......?"

So it is not like she has hidden feelings for me or my jacket emitting a convenient pheromone.

"Anyway, it is really just a misunderstanding. I did indeed go to the infirmary today. I shall admit that. I grazed my knee during gym class. Of course, I was alright either way but, in front of my classmates, I had no choice but to get it treated. But when I showed the school nurse my injury......See, you know how the rest went right? And so, the nurse was astonished and she physically examined my entire body rather excessively. I would say that she was interested in my body as a school nurse. Therefore that is......yes, purely a medical practice. There is nothing immoral about it"

"Due to that final part, only impure impressions remain"

Lilithea looks at me with her characteristic glare of reproach.

"......That said, to think that you were able to guess this much from just the smell. Impressive imagination and insight as always"

However, that is the girl known as Lilithea.

"I sure cannot hide anything from Lilithea"

"Then you confess to your crime yes?"

"No, there really is nothing going on between me and the school nurse though......won't it be better to not literally go sniffing about the daily lives of others?"

Lilithea is not my mother after all, or so I thought to add but, of course, I stopped myself.

"I have the obligation to always watch over Sakuya-sama to ensure that Sakuya-sama does not steer away from the right path"

"I am Sakuya-sama's (Detective) assistant after all" Lilithea said in a clear voice, standing proudly, without showing any signs of embarrassment.

"That is indeed true but you know, I am happy that you treat me pretty much as a detective but I am not even considered a full-fledged employee of the office though"

Originally, assistants were like unused treasures. Like casting of pearls before a swine. where there is an assistant, there is an incompetent detective.

That goes especially for competent assistants like Lilithea.

"That is merely the rating from your ever so strict father—Tatsuya-sama yes? From the perspective of that individual, the conclusion that everyone else is incompetent is also included"

It is as she says. He is that type of father.

"But you know......"

"Such stubbornness I see. If that is the case, Sakuya-sama and I should—" Saying this, Lilithea puts her hands together, lovingly.

"Band together thus becoming competent"

"I do think that Lilithea alone is quite enough for that though, however, that warm support of yours makes the inner corners of my eyes sting......Speaking of, has that father of mine also gone out?"

"Yes"

"The request that my father took on today, if I remember correctly, was it not in the afternoon?"

"Due to an emergency, Tatsuya-sama has canceled his plans in the afternoon and he has headed for the airport earlier"

"Emergency? Was there some big incident?"

"It seems like it has not been broadcasted yet but it is a hijacking incident"

It is normal to have thoughts like “Why was a detective called in when a hijacking incident had already occurred?” or “Is that not the job of the Police or the Riot Police?”. However, as my father is not a normal detective, I am not especially shocked. The man known as Tatsuya Mochizuki, with the nickname 'Undying Detective', is that sort of detective.

"The hijacked passenger plane was set to depart Singapore Changi International Airport for Japan. The culprit is a nine-year-old girl. It seems like she has taken all 179 on board as hostages and has barricaded herself in the plane"

Nine-years-old? Right at this moment—an age came out of Lilithea's mouth that made me have the burning urge to clarify but I deliberately chose not to.

If the person rushing to the scene is none other than my father, then this is no ordinary incident. It is a special incident and the culprit is most likely unique. If so, it is not impossible for the culprit to be a nine-year-old girl.

Also, if Tatsuya Mochizuki was called, then the incident is something that

"The hijacked passenger plane's Aircraft Registration (Registration) is—" Lilithea even diligently tells me the plane's identification number but I was not listening all that closely. As this is an incident that has little relation to me, it is information that does me no good remembering.

"Thank you. Understood. That is enough" Asking for any more details will do me no good. Just like always, my father will merely guide an eccentric incident to an eccentric end anyway.

"What about my schedule?"

"Not a single request has come in today"

"Oh, okay"

Well, that is to be expected.

"If that is the case, then it is alright. We call it detective but it is more like one of my feet got caught all of a sudden while I was helping out with my father's job"

"Please be at ease. There is a request for an infidelity investigation tomorrow"

"Infidelity investigation?"

"Do you think that this is simple? That there might be a request that will allow you to contribute more brilliantly as a detective? However, originally, the occupation known as a detective would mostly receive these kinds of requests......well" Lilithea looks at me and stops midsentence.

"You sure do not look the least bit disappointed"

Exactly. I am actually not disappointed at all.

"That, is good. A job that does not seem dangerous"

"I do think that Sakuya-sama is better off having slightly more ambition and aspirations. Being happier the safer the requests are; as the son of Tatsuya Mochizuki......no, as a detective, I do wonder what to think"

"Take on a larger case if I am a detective you say? A locked room murder in an eerie mansion or a series of serial killings taking place on a deserted island far away? I don't want to take those on. One wrong step might just lead to me being killed by the culprit. That will make it so that no matter how many lives I have, they will not be enough"

An infidelity investigation is good enough for me. Simple requests, huge welcome!

Lilithea sighs cutely at my fervent speech.

"Getting results slowly and steadily matches my personality. So, who is the target of the infidelity investigation? Is it Mr. President of a small town factory again? Is the location Gotanda and we are staking out until morning?"

"Departing from Yokohama, bound for Singapore," Lilithea said when I asked without any expectation, after using both of her index fingers to point at two places on the Earth globe model, placed at the side of my father's desk,

"Huh?"

□

"So b-big! So wide!"

For the infidelity investigation, what Lilithea and I boarded was a cruise ship that was just too huge and luxurious.

"Queen Irie class. 251 meters long. 30.6 meters wide. Boasting a capacity of 1100 people, this is Japan's largest passenger cruise ship......huh"

Skimming through the ship's pamphlet, I sighed for the umpteenth time.

The type of guest room we were led to was, in terms of rank, faster if one counted from below but, even so, the design of the interior and the space are comparable to a hotel's.

"From Japan to Hong Kong with a stop at Singapore. The one-way journey that takes 8 days they say"

"I will be taking time off to help with household chores" or so I told the school so there would not be an issue but, with me not being able to attend most of the time in the first place, this makes me even more of a lurker in the class.

"It sure is amazing that we are able to sneak on board such a luxurious ship"

"It is the fruit of the requester's cooperation. Do not worry about the preparations and expenditure, I am counting on you to give your all for the infidelity investigation of my husband or so she said"

"The requester is the wife, huh. She sure is splurging to allow us to spend as we please. If it is like this, would it be alright for me to look forward to the reward being an exorbitant amount of cash?"

"No. It is a shame but I think that it is better to not have such expectations. With Sakuya-sama's Detective Standing (Rank) right now"

"......I had a feeling it was going to be like that"

I have only been accepting requests that are safe and simple so saying this is natural is, well, true. If you are bitter about this, then you'd better raise your Detective Standing (Rank) by leading a big case to its resolution, or so they said.

In order to do this, there is an obvious need for me to produce results but I have not decided whether I want to be serious about being a competent detective in the first place. This means that I am a normal high school student brooding over their future path.

By chance, I notice a seagull fly past the window. Drawn to it, I gazed at it to find a small balcony lying beyond and, spanning across from beyond that, the clear blue sky and the alluring color of ocean blue.

"And that philanderer of a husband, he is a Producer of a movie company was it?"

"Makoto Katsuragi, thirty-four. He is the investigation target this time. Married and has a son. Working as a Producer for Touten Company Limited, he has delivered many big hits to the world.

"And he is on board this ship"

"Yes. Katsuragi-shi seems to have been making strange purchases from time to time; when his wife tries to question him regarding this, he always changes the subject. Recently, aside from his own house, there are also traces that he has rented a mansion in the city aside"

"A secret secondary residence? It sure is no wonder that the wife suspects infidelity huh"

"There is no way my husband would not leave a trail to his infidelity, or so the wife did declare"

"I did catch sight of him at the lobby before we got on board but Katsuragi's baggage, wasn't it just too much"

Before boarding, Katsuragi had the crew carry several suitcases.

"What are in those? Presents for women or perhaps unspeakable toys for the night?"

"Please deduce seriously once in a while" 

"How vulgar" or so Lilithea added after saying her stern words. I did mean to deduce quite seriously though.

"There is also the possibility that he smuggled the partner of his infidelity on board"

I do not know what to think of that deduction.

"In the first place, why is he on board this ship? Sightseeing?"

"No. It is for the film. To promote his next work, he, the main actress, and the staff boarded this ship together"

"The actress is also on board?"

"Yes. Please refrain from doing anything based on the feelings of a bandwagoner"

"I won't do that;......By the way, what kind of girl is she?"

Lilithea pouted slightly at my all-too-straightforward attitude. A habit of Lilithea's that she displays from time to time. Honestly speaking, that is cute.

"No no, this too is one piece of essential information needed for the investigation"

When I followed it up with a plausible reason, it, surprisingly, seemed to work as Lilithea started to speak after sighing once.

"......Yuriu Haigamine. Sixteen. An unexpectedly new actress for that role in the film"

"Ohhh. Ah, it is true. She still does not have many appearances"

I tried searching with my smartphone but I could not find most of her proper career history. However, I did like the promotional photo of her being all lively.

"And, the main actress and the staff go on a cruise trip together? Part of the PR set up by the movie company perhaps?"

"Exactly. Conduct an interview with the main actress during the cruise trip today; this seems like a collaboration with the tourism company"

Recording the days of the new actress's very first protagonist role in a film up till the filming finishes in the form of a documentary, and turning it into a magazine or a package with bonus footage. A possible occurrence.

"By the way, say, Lilithea, there is no need to diligently accompany me for every request. I am able to do something like an Infidelity investigation on my own anyway"

"No. As Tatsuya-sama has told me not to leave Sakuya-sama's side. Also, Sakuya-sama and I, together"

"Become competent, right? I know"

"It is all good if you know that"

"Let's first find Makoto Katsuragi. Let's do this slowly and steadily, without overexerting ourselves or being reckless"

"At this time, most of the passengers are probably either enjoying the scenery at the deck or moving towards the restaurant to have an early lunch"

"No doubt I say"

We exchange words as we leave the room.

1 - This here (迷探偵 read me-i-ta-n-te-i) is a pun on the Kanji for master detective (名探偵 read me-i-ta-n-te-i). Both 名 and 迷 are read mei but the former means famous in this context and the latter means to cause trouble to others.

2 - Three Kanjis with the same reading 異才, 異彩, and 偉才 (all read i-sa-i). Both 異才 and 偉才 have the same meaning, being talented, a prodigy, a genius, etc. while 異彩 means a talent that stands out in this context

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Note that the copyright of the image in the chapter belongs to its respective owners and was uploaded to ensure that readers experience the translation as they would if they were reading the chapter in the book itself.

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Feel free to comment/pm me if you find any mistakes. Wishing everyone a belated happy Thanksgiving! Thank you very much for reading, I hope that you enjoyed the first half.