Killed Again, Mr. Detective Volume 1 Case 2 Chapter 1 part 1

Volume 1

Case 2: ?????????

Chapter 1 Nothing, It's Fine. I'm Free Anyway. (Part 1)

TLed by: TanoshiKara

Two months have passed since the incident that has been said to be the worst passenger plane crash and the sinking of Queen Iry.

"You know how there is the phrase 'Picked up my life1', right? The one that roughly means—surviving by a hair's breadth and escaping death. This phrase has bothered me recently. Picked up my life. Picked up? What does picked up mean? Doesn't that sound like I threw it away? Isn't that kind of strange? Life is something that everyone has by default. Pick that up? Wouldn't that mean I have to throw it away first? After all, you cannot pick up something that has not been thrown away. But to throw your life away is, in other words, to die. There is also the phrase 'Throw your life away'. That is why, usually, when a life has been thrown away, it can never be picked up ever again. Isn't that weird? Don't think so? That is why I am telling you that the phrase 'Picked up my life' is filled with contradictions or so I think"

A little past five in the afternoon of a lively Friday. While walking on the well-paved walkways in the city, I was about fervently discussing the imperfectness of a certain phrase.

I noticed it all of a sudden yesterday night, and it was my best discovery recently, so I wanted to let Lilithea know as soon as possible.

"So cute......"

Lilithea, on the other hand, gave the one-year-old infant, carried in the arms of a woman waiting for the traffic light, a small hand wave when they passed by each other. She was not listening to me at all.

"Hey, Lilithea!"

"What do you mean by contradictions? If it is about picking life up, then has Sakuya-sama not been doing that all the time?"

Seems like she was listening.

"That might be the case for me, but normal people are......"

"Then ‘picking life up’ is a phrase meant only for Sakuya-sama. It's crooked, by the way," She said as she nonchalantly reached her hand out to my necktie.

Her expression made her seem more vulnerable than I had expected which startled me.

"Enough already, Lilithea. People are looking at us. Besides, it is just a trifling advance screening today, so there is no need to put too much effort into it"

"‘Just a trifling advance screening’, you say? Even though you sprayed some of that deodorant, which is uncharacteristic of you?"

"......Was it obvious?"

"All too obvious," She said as she brought her nose closer to my neck. This made it even more embarrassing.

"This deodorant was the one that was delivered last week; A present sent by that person, right?"

"Is that so......? ......That might have been the case"

That person could mean no one but the rookie actress, Yuriu Haigakure. We were invited to the staff's advance screening of 'Highschool Girl Detective Uzura The Movie', her very first movie as lead actress, and are on our way to 'Crimson Theatre', a cinema in the city.

It has already been two months since I got to know Yuriu. We were supposed to be individuals who lived in different worlds, but a lot happened and she now calls me Master and looks up to me.

That very girl sent me the invitation to the advance screening along with a certain present last week. I found a stylish deodorant when I opened the small box.

"Wouldn't it be rude if I go without applying it? We are going to the advance screening today, where Yuriu is the lead actress after all"

"It is not like I am criticizing you. However, you applied a little too much"

Lilithea brought her face even closer. The fragrance coming from the girl in question smelt different from perfume, it smelt natural and fragrant. Like flowers; Like fruits; Like soap.

"These things should be used in moderation, just enough for there to be a faint scent"

"That so? I do not use deodorants often so I did not know the right amount to apply"

I did put on the best suit available to me today to match the deodorant. The truth though, is that I sent my suit for cleaning, but they seem to have blundered it and could not finish it by today, so I had no choice but to borrow my father's clothes.

It is likely due to this that its overall design and brown color felt a little retro. However, it fitted me perfectly.

We arrived at the Crimson Theatre at a little over half past five. As its name suggests, its interior and exterior have matching colors—-crimson.

"Whoa, crimson red"

"It has a sense of unity which is captivating, right?"

"Hmm......looks just like blood. Feels like we are inside a living being, or rather...... Aah, if I make a mistake and get killed here, my fresh blood will probably also dye this Crimson Theatre (Blood and Pus Theatre), covered in red, in an even deeper red"

"Imagining the worst is fine, but please do not call a regular theatre by such a nasty name"

The theatre has various halls and the advance screening takes place in one of these rented-out halls. It starts at six, so there is still some time left, but there were already many well-dressed adults in the lobby, each enjoying themself as they stood and talked. Among them is a familiar face. 

That is Yuriu's manager.

"Oh, hello, Katsuragi-san. I see that you are already here. Thank you for taking care of us the other day. Yes, yes, I am ecstatic to say that Yuriu was overjoyed too"

She is on amicable terms with Producer Katsuragi, the cat lover.

She was most likely going around greeting the restless industry people in that manner, with business cards and gifts in hand. Also, I have never talked to her in person before, but I can see that she has a zealous demeanor. I would very much like for her to do her best to make Yuriu a well-known actress.

Just as I was observing her, a man wearing a worn-out coat, unfit for an occasion like this, came up to me from the other side of the crowd.

"Huh, so you got invited too, as I had expected"

"Did Sozorogi-san get invited as well?"

We pointed at each other.

"Of course. I did lend them a hand as an officer during the shoot after all. It is undeniable that I am a distinguished staff" The unpopular officer, Kaoruta Sozorogi, an acquaintance of mine, said as he pulled the front of his suit proudly.

However, he smelled of cigarettes and coffee.

Same as always.

"Even though you did not do anything..."

"I did, you know! A lot!"

"I was joking. It was rough that time, huh" I replied lightheartedly; He had a disgruntled expression on his face.

That time referred to a month earlier. We were roped into a troublesome incident at a certain hotel. Nicknamed Clones Hotel, it was the filming location of the movie to be previewed today.

That was a truly terrifying night and, come to think of it, it probably cannot be passed off with the word troublesome.

"Hmph, I will have you know that it truly got troublesome only after you left the hotel" Sozorogi murmured resentfully, as if he was digging up awful memories in his mind.

"Well, that aside," He said immediately after that, however, changing the topic, before pulling me over to a nearby sofa.

The sofa is also red.

"Sit here for a bit"

Sozorogi looked around precariously before sitting beside me. Lilithea was standing a short distance behind me.

"What is it?"

"It seems like you are looking into that incident, huh" He said after clearing his dry throat once.

"Do not dig too deeply"

"What do you mean by that incident?"

"Hey! Now is not the time to play dumb! It is about that huge accident two months ago!"

"That is not an accident; It is an incident caused by humans"

The Mizou passenger plane crash and Queen Iry sinking incident. No day goes by without me thinking about it. There is no way that I am not digging too deeply.

"That is why I am telling you that. It is as you say. There are culprits behind it. You are chasing after the people who caused it, right? But, you know, that case is being investigated by police organizations all over the world, the ICPO, the FBI, and even the military is on the move. It has become an international issue. That is why—"

"Sozorogi-san, you said people, right? Are the culprits The Starting Seven (Seven Old Men), as I had expected?"

"You......"

Sozorogi leaned back on the sofa, seemingly embarrassed.

"So, you have uncovered that much as I had expected. That is highly classified information, just saying"

"Yes. But I only managed to uncover up until that point. The seven criminals that my father once managed to apprehend as a detective. These people are the <Starting Seven (Seven Old Men)>, correct?"

Embarrassing as it is, I only came to know of their existence recently. Using that incident as an opportunity, I looked through the case files that my father left behind and it was through those that I found out about them.

<Serial Killer (Kill Wonder)—Mimi Ureshibara—-250 years imprisonment

National-class Might (Warlord)—Hao Tao—-411 years imprisonment

Dreamless Robot (Android)—Félicette—638 years imprisonment

Human Gourmet (Rancid)—Talia Rigby—784 years imprisonment 

The World’s Lover (Empress)—Y Derringer—999 years imprisonment

Billionaire Phantom Thief (Celebrity)—Sharldina Infelicious—1466 years imprisonment

Depraved Detective (Ars)—Zilch—3875 years imprisonment>

The Starting Seven (Seven Old Men). That is the term coined for the seven criminals on international warrants, who were even called a calamity. I do not know the person who suggested the term though.

"I heard that they were imprisoned in the prison, with the highest security, within each of their countries, after being caught by my father"

"Yeah, it was then that they went from being criminals to being convicts"

Of course, depending on the country, it would have been no surprise if some of them received the death penalty, but they were allowed to live due to the various complex circumstances each of them had. As a result, they were each given a ridiculous amount in years of imprisonment instead.

"That is correct. And......currently, five of them have already escaped"

I suspect that one of the Starting Seven (Seven Old Men) was the one who crashed that passenger plane. It is also possible that every one of them might have been pulling the strings behind the scenes.

It seems like the police suspect the same.

"They carried out the hijack to take revenge, lured my father on the passenger plane, and crashed it. They even, very kindly, looked up the cruise ship that I, his son, boarded, and on top of that"

How many got caught up in it? How many died?

"I see that even you get so infuriated that it is as clear as day"

Sozorogi said that, but it was not like he was chiding me; It seemed like he was surprised from the bottom of his heart.

He then gave me the information, as if he had given in.

"......It seems like several countries are using various methods to cover it up, but the media are already starting to report about their prison break. One can never manipulate any kind of information for all eternity in this age, after all. However, they have barely managed to cover up the latest bit of information"

"Latest bit of information?"

"The information about how some of them have already entered this country"

For a moment, I hallucinated, feeling like the air pressure deep inside my ear changed. It was like I had turned on the noise-canceling feature of my headphones; Like the world had gone under.

They might already be right beside me.

"You should sit tight now that you know that. Do not poke your nose into this. Listen here, I am warning you out of the kindness of my heart. Sakuya, you have eyes like you want to get out there and apprehend them right this moment"

He got me.

I reflexively shake my head.

"You live too dangerously"

"I will not......be that reckless. I only want to know the truth about that day"

"You should stop if you are planning to exact revenge for your father. It is impossible for a half-baked person like you. Even that undying Tatsuya Outsuki......got killed, just saying"

Revenge? Wrong. You're wrong Sozorogi-san. I have no intention of doing that at all.

"My father is alive"

"I understand that you are in pain. Your father met that kind of end right after your mother, so even you......"

"It is not optimistic thinking. On the contrary, it is pessimistic thinking. Sakuya Outsuki is a man who would be alive, even when accounting for the worst. Call it a son's intuition"

"You......"

"That is why I, his half-baked son, must, in my own half-baked way, run the Outsuki Detective Agency until my father's sudden and eventual return"

That said, it is not like I am faithfully following the wish in the final message from my father. This is not me becoming a filial son, but is, instead, done out of my own desire.

"I am currently the interim president. Due to this, I must do one or two things that are detective-like. There are also a lot of difficulties though" I said confidently, to which Sozorogi, with a dissatisfied expression still on his face, broke into a tiny smile.

What a flexible face he has.

"I cannot bear to look at that recklessness of yours, but it seems like you have not become depressed, so I am relieved. Oh, seems like it is time" He said as he stood up from the sofa.

That is true, I can tell from looking at the clock that it is just before six o'clock.

A lot of staff have gathered in the lobby while we were talking.

The director, Hiichi Toriho walks over from the other side in a merry mood after finishing his business in the toilet. He is supposed to be in his thirties, but he is wearing a suit with an old-fashioned design that does not suit a person his age.

Not like I am one to talk.

He felt a mix of nostalgia and fear when met eyes with me for a second, appearing in the form of a weird expression on his face, before he hastily walked past me.

I have also met him at the location of the filming. He probably saw my face and remembered the Clones Hotel incident.

There was a man who swiftly walked up to this director as soon as he saw the director.

"Director! Congratulations on your movie's completion! Please sit at the VIP seat today, the center seat. We will have the dolled-up Yuriu-chan seated right beside you"

Looks like that man is a slightly influential person from Yuriu's agency. Her manager is beside him, unhappy.

"Welllll, I am, erm......"

However, Toriho seemed taken aback by the old-fashioned VIP treatment.

"Please go right ahead and sit at that location!"

Seems like the role of director has its fair share of difficulties.

"That said, I am surprised that you managed to finish even with that big of an incident occurring"

Taking Yuriu into consideration, I am honestly glad that it did not get shelved.

"......Lilithea?"

I meant to chat with Lilithea, but there was no reply. Feeling that something was off, I turned back to find that she was at the food stand, buying soft drinks and popcorn for two. She puts them on two trays and walks over with seemingly light steps and trays in hand.

"Shall we add hotdogs as well, Sakuya-sama?"

"Ah, so you would actually buy these things. You are well prepared, huh"

When I told her my honest thoughts, Lilithea came to a sudden realization and hid the trays behind her back.

"N-No! I-It is not like Lilithea!" She then said.

Seems like she was looking forward to it quite a bit.

Well then, the advance screening of the movie begins.

☐

"M-Masterrr! Here! Yuriu, your very first disciple is here! Here!"

When I set foot into the theatre, I noticed that there was a dog, wagging its tail enthusiastically.

I was mistaken.

That is the star of today, Yuriu, the lead actress. Black is the theme for her outfit, wearing a tight-fitting evening dress and a Bolero scarf over it; which are of the same color. A combination that suits her extremely well.

The chairs and walls in the theatre are the color of crimson as well, which is why Yuriu's black dress stands out, beautifully so.

"Master! I have secured the best seat for you"

Whenever Yuriu waved her hand, her slim waist and disproportionately well-endowed chest jiggled, as a pair, from left to right.

I accepted her invitation and sat to her left. The seat is slightly behind the center of the hall.

I see, this is indeed the best seat.

"How does this seat feel! It feels totally different right?"

Yuriu spread her arms out and did a welcome pose.

Praise me, praise me!, or so she thought, which showed on her face as clear as day.

"It feels like the same as the other seats though" I replied.

"Kekeke!" She then cackled, eccentric but lovable as always.

"I am thankful, but is it alright for me to sit at a place like this? Wouldn't it be better for a more influential person or a person with more involvement to sit here?"

The people sitting around us are all people that give off such an aura.

"As expected of Master. You sure are sharp. The seating is not fixed, but there is a set seating area based on a sort of custom. And, this is the seat that the director was supposed to sit at"

"Eh"

I reflexively lifted myself off the seat when I heard that.

"Now, now. That director himself had secretly given up the seat to me. He told me that there is a seat that he has an attachment to. Look there"

She put her hand on my shoulder to stop me and pointed to the back of the theatre. When I took a look, I saw that Director Toriho was sitting in the leftmost seat of the last row.

"It seems like he always sat at that seat ever since he was a child. He told me that he was best able to immerse himself in the movie from that angle"

As expected of a movie director. That is a fixation that I cannot quite understand.

"In that case, I shall gladly sit here......"

However, there was no empty seat beside me for Lilithea. Yuriu was perplexed when she learned of that and had an expression that seemed to say 'Oh no!'.

"I am sorry! My preparation was lacking...... I-In that case, please sit here, Lilithea-san! It is alright. I will look for another seat......all on my lonesome......"

Go ahead, go ahead, or so she said after she stood up from her seat, offering it up to Lilithea.

However, there is no way we can take the seats of both the director and the lead actress. In the first place, the person herself is not even hiding the helpless expression on her face.

"Yuriu-sama, please do not concern yourself with me. I shall move to another spot"

Of course, Lilithea knows that as well. She elegantly sat Yuriu down and turned on her heels.

"Well then, goodbye, Sakuya-sama"

"Goodbye......? Erm, Lilithea......my pop......corn......"

"Yes? All of these are mine though?"

It seems my assistant is still angry about what happened earlier.

While we were having our back and forth, Director Toriho walked awkwardly in front of the screen and started with a simple greeting.

He then talked about today's weather; Talked about jokes with punchlines that only the insiders would know; And, talked about the perilous path to the movie's completion.

The greeting by Director Toriho, as a person who works behind the scenes, is by no means impressive, but it struck a chord with me, a person who faced similar, extreme hardships.

"Movies trace the good and the bad of an era without exception. In that regard, erm......I, personally, am happy that we managed to capture the now defunct Sun Ferris Wheel of Mizushima Park on film this time and feel that it was worth it—"

There will also be a greeting from the actors and actresses after the advance screening.

As the director backed away after the applause, the lights went out without a sound.

I do not mean to pretend that I understand everything, but I like this atmosphere, right before a movie begins, quite a lot.

It would have been the best if I had some popcorn and a carbonated drink though.

Just then, during the brief moment of silence before the movie was displayed on the screen, Yuriu poked my upper arm. When I reacted and looked towards her, I noticed that her face was right in front of me.

"I see that you sprayed some of that deodorant before coming here"

Her whisper tickled my ear.

"Ahh, yes. As a form of etiquette"

I was slightly flustered, so I gave a weird answer.

"Pft......! What is up with that"

"He-hehe-" Yuriu then chuckled innocently, stifling her laughter so that the surrounding people could not hear her.

I once again thought that she was a surprisingly beautiful girl.

Is it because this place we are at today is a monumental stage for her? She feels different from usual; She even feels mature.

"Thank you for the present"

Seemingly realizing that she was too close to me, Yuriu panicked and backed away from me as I expressed my gratitude.

"T-There is no need for that. It is to express my thanks after all. I did take quite a lot of time as I was pondering over it at the shop"

"I am restless as I do not usually use deodorants, but......come to think of it, this deodorant is......"

Actually, I do have some recollection of this deodorant's scent. However, I stopped myself from saying anything else.

I have the feeling that I did smell it somewhere before—or so I wanted to say. 

However, I felt that telling her, who tried her very best to pick it out for me, that someone close to me had already been using it lacked manners.

That is why I changed the topic.

"But, what do you mean by expressing your thanks?"

"There are, well, several reasons. Master saved me on the cruise, and there was also that time during the filming......and Master did become my master"

"I do feel that the Master incident was quite forced though"

"Right. I hit on you and stole your heart, forcefully"

1 - 命拾い (i|no|chi|bi|ro|i) in Japanese. A metaphorical phrase that means to narrowly escape death. 命 (i|no|chi) means life and 拾い (bi|ro|i) [read this way in this context] means pick up in Japanese.

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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. The first case has concluded and the curtain rises on the second case. What will Sakuya face this time? Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed part one of the first chapter for the second case.