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

Volume 1

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

Chapter 1 Whatever, It's Fine. I'm Free Anyway. (Part 2)

TLed by: TanoshiKara

The lovely rookie actress puffed out her chest. In her case, it is puzzling as I do not find her alluring at all, even after she said that.

"However, I feel like it is thanks to Master that I now have a slightly better understanding of what a detective is than before"

"Understand in what way?"

"I had the image that detectives thought about who the culprit was with stern faces and a pipe in one hand. However, I see now that, in reality, detectives get wounded all over whenever an incident occurs and face countless brushes with death"

"Your interpretation is wrong"

That only applies to a rare, few, detestable exceptions.

"Ehehe. Then I am fine with being mistaken. Master shall be my one and only role model. Please continue teaching me"

"I am not in a position to teach others, but if you are fine with it... However, I will not allow you to do anything dangerous"

"I am sorry. I have only ever been saved by Master...... It would have been better if I were as strong as Lilithea"

"I would be put to shame if you were as strong as her. Yuriu-chan is alright just the way you are"

A cheerful, energetic, courageous, and endearing girl, like a puppy, might I add.

Yeap, yeap, she is alright just the way she is—, or so I said as I nodded on my own.

Yuriu blushed when she heard that.

"Erm, does that mean you will protect me with your life when the time comes?"

"Err......well, when the time comes. I will put my body on the line"

I say that I will ‘put my body on the line’, but it looks like I will literally be doing exactly that when the time comes.

Yuriu had a mischievous expression on her face

"Does Master perhaps say these suggestive words at various venues and go around solving the mysteries behind the private rooms of women one after another?"

"A bewildering misunderstanding"

What does ‘the private rooms of women’ even mean?

"You sure do not have any self-realizationnn. I feel like I not only understand what detectives are, but also what Master is like"

"Wait a minute-"

It was then that the screen lit up and showed the movie. It seems like it was about to begin.

I had missed my chance at justifying myself.

However, I wanted to at least get this one thing out before the movie began in earnest.

"I also feel like I am beginning to understand what Yuriu-chan is like"

"Eh?"

"You have a cute face, but seem to have thorns hidden underneath"

I meant that as a retort, but she put her index finger to her lips a second after she heard my words before smiling and saying—

"Do you want to try getting stabbed by my thorns in secret?"

"You say that I am always suggestive......but those words I return to you bow knot tied"

Both of us giggled at the jokes we told each other.

Well then, let's put the flirting with my disciple on hold and concentrate on the movie. It is a movie completed after so much hard work had been put into it, so I shall gratefully indulge in every last bit of the movie.

The movie started off with an everyday scene of the protagonist, Uzura. The usual high schooler's life is being depicted with a continuous shot fitting for a movie.

The Yuriu on-screen was like a different person.

I unconsciously glanced beside me; There the person herself was.

A strange feeling.

I met eyes with the real Yuriu, who noticed my gaze.

She stuck her tongue out, as if to hide her embarrassment.

From there, the movie's scene shifted to the site for the incident that is to be its main plotline.

With the characters present, the background music keeps the suspense in the air.

And, just as I was expecting the movie to gradually start heating up from there—the screen went black.

"Huh?"

The hall went pitch black all of a sudden. It felt like a time when someone was watching television at home and a blackout occurred

Everyone was murmuring among themselves.

"Is this a stage effect?" I asked Yuriu.

That was when the director shouted—

"Hey, what's wrong!?"

"Sorry! There is some technical trouble with the equipment!"

The staff are apologizing at a distance.

It is pitch black, so all I hear is the back and forth between a sea of voices.

This movie has been plagued with misfortune to the very end.

Even so, the movie screening would probably resume at a moment’s notice. There is no need for frustration. It is not like I will die if the movie stops. I also have lots of time, so let's wait with bated brea—

☐

Lilithea's remarkably beautiful face was right in front of my face when I came to.

After confirming that I have regained consciousness, she draws her face closer.

"You came back (Welcome back), Sakuya-sama." She then murmured in a caring voice.

"......Eh?"

Unable to grasp the situation at that moment, I hurriedly lifted my body up.

I was in the hall used for the advance screening and was sitting in my own seat. Lilithea was sitting to my left.

It seems like she gave me a lap pillow in that spot.

The movie is playing on the screen. If I am not mistaken, it should have been put on hold due to some equipment issue, but it has been resolved, and the screening has resumed.

The movie is now at the scene where Uzura is racking her brain to come up with deductions for the case.

"Just how did the culprit of this case sneak behind the victim? I haven't got the slightest idea how! I want to go home!"

This unreliability is one of the traits of Uzura, the female high school detective.

"Culprit......"

My memories came back to me thanks to this scene.

"......I see, I......have been killed"

I stare into blank space as I put my hand over my mouth. That is the time I need to come to terms with my own death.

"I see that you have been killed again, Sakuya-sama"

"......Seems like it"

"Ah, Master, you are awake now"

From the other side of Lilithea came Yuriu's voice all of a sudden.

"You must have been quite tired. It will soon be the final scene"

"......Sorry. Erm......Did nothing happen at all?"

"Something sure did happennn. You were asleep halfway through it, Master"

Seems like she did not notice that I had been killed while sitting beside her.

"Remember when it was pitch black during the equipment issue earlier? You were slumped over, eyes closed, when the movie resumed, so I thought about waking you up, but I did not disturb you as I thought you were exhausted from work. Lilithea-san walked over quietly after that"

"I strongly insisted, so she swapped seats with me" Lilithea said as she pointed to her previous seat.

I do not quite remember the person who sat to my left, but I hope they were not a celebrity.

"As expected of Lilithea-san. To think that you would not allow the slightest change in Master escape your eyes, even from a distance. And, umm...even giving him a lap-pillow"

Yuriu seems fidgety.

"It might seem like a weird way to describe it, but it feels like I have just seen the Holy Mother"

"Holy Mother?"

I do not quite understand what she was saying.

"It was the face Lilithea-san had when she was looking at Master's sleeping face. She was looking with such a kind look—"

"Yuriu-sama, perhaps you saw it wrong? As you can see, the hall is dark"

"Eh? Then what about the head patting?"

"Lilithea would not do such a—never do such a thing, I say! I would never, okay?"

She said the first half, namely 'never do such a thing, I say!' while facing me, and said 'I would never, okay?' while facing Yuriu.

"Now then, Yuriu-sama, let us focus on the movie. It is the advance screening after all"

"R-Right. T-The scene with my signature line is overr......"

Yuriu's shoulders dropped as she turned to the screen once again.

After ascertaining that she did that, I quietly whispered into Lilithea's ear—

"So, who and how was I killed?"

"It seems like you were injected with some sort of poison. There is a needle prick at the bottom of your neck"

I reflexively felt around for it when I heard that.

"Did you not notice anything at all?"

"That time......It was when the movie stopped, and it was pitch black. Someone put me to sleep. Like, in the darkness...I was made to smell something from the back all of a sudden......"

"Was it Chloroform? I apologize. I did not notice it right away. Even though I have been keeping my eyes on Sakuya-sama all the time, because you get killed by all kinds of methods when I take my eyes off you..."

"That is something I should be apologizing for instead"

"When the lights came back and the screening resumed, I saw that Sakuya-sama was slumped over and had an unsettling feeling"

With Lilithea's eagle eyes, she probably knew whether or not I was dozing off with a single look.

"I checked when I was by your side, and you were already dead. What a blunder"

"No, do not blame yourself. You were seated some distance away, and it was pitch black after all"

In fact, even Yuriu, who was sitting beside me, did not notice.

"But, well, you might have missed it even if it did not take place in the darkness. After all, it seems like the popcorn in your hand has grabbed your attention, Lilithea"

When I pointed that out, Lilithea's brows twitched slightly before she bent forward, imposingly, as if to say that it was impossible.

"Sakuya-sama, I am an incompetent assistant who could not be by your side during the most crucial of times. For that, I shall humbly accept your reprimand. However, I cannot stay silent after hearing such a slanderous speculation. What evidence would make you say such a thing?"

It seems like she has her own pride, as she was quite furious. While my body was barraged with her words, I decided to say the words I was hesitant to say earlier.

"The evidence (Leftovers) is stuck to your lips after all"

"Fufufu. What an interesting gambit"

However, Lilithea had a calm expression on her face.

She brought one of her hands to her lips as she smiled elegantly.

"......You nonchalantly wiped your lips while smiling, did you not?"

Her face is red too.

Leaving that aside, I looked to check what was behind my seat; There was a walkway about one point five meters wide. The row I was sitting in was the row right before the separation between seating blocks.

I turned back, acting indifferent, and we continued our conversation with our gazes fixed on the screen.

"Someone made use of the darkness to sneak up on me......huh"

Perhaps they factored in that the staff could fix it quickly; For a while, the hall was pitch black when the issue occurred.

"Roughly how long was the hall pitch black?"

"About five minutes at most"

"Definitely possible to pull off the act with that much time"

"Still, why do people keep going after your life one after another, Sakuya-sama? Let alone that, you get killed every single time. Such carelessness"

"That is the exact question I want to ask"

I never did imagine that I would get killed in a theater. I would wish to at least be at ease when I am watching a movie.

"So, do you have any idea why?"

"I have no idea why I must be killed. ......There is no reason to, right? I am not an ignorant prick who goes around doing things that will get me hated, right? Do not stay silent and tell me if there was ever such an atmosphere, alright?"

"Please do not act like an ignorant office worker who is concerned about their body odour. Well, I do think that it would be good for you to spray some deodorant from time to time, just like you did today, and pay a little more attention to yourself"

"I am dense when it comes to such things. It is also embarrassing to buy those things on my own"

"Hoo"

What do you mean by 'Hoo'? I am sort of a detective, and you are an assistant. Aren't you being too casual?

"In that case......Lilithea does not mind......buying one that suits Sakuya next time"

"Is that okay? I have actually been secretly concerned about whether I am giving off the stench of a corpse recently"

"Ahem......let us get back to the topic at hand. About the whereabouts of the culprit"

"Was it about that now? Well, whatever. What about it?"

"The doors at the entrance have not been opened even once from the time of Sakuya-sama's death up until now"

"You even confirmed such a thing?"

"Light from the corridor would enter through the gap should the doors even open ever so slightly, so it would be apparent with a single glance. It would be impossible for me to miss that"

"That means the person who poisoned me is still here, enjoying the movie"

"They probably plan to escape by blending into the crowd, leaving when everyone exits the hall after the screening finishes"

"Hmmmm......Still, what grudge could she have against me for her to......"

The more I think about it, the more clueless I am as to why I would be killed under these circumstances.

"......Sakuya-sama, what did you just say?"

"Hm?"

"Did you just say her? Is the culprit a female?"

"Ah, sorry. I forgot to tell you. Yes. I think so. I heard it just before I fell asleep. The culprit's voice. There is probably no mistaking that the culprit is a female"

The movie's plot progressed little by little, and its last scene was fast approaching.

Unlike me, Uzura has solved the frightening case at the hotel unscathed and is about to, enthusiastically, rush out from the entrance right in front of her, out to the outside world.

"Please say such things first. Before you point out things about other people's popcorn"

She is still holding on to that grudge.

"Sorry, sorry"

"So, what did the culprit say?"

While sifting through my memories that had the lingering smell of chemicals mixed in, I repeated the words I heard.

If I remember correctly, the culprit said this—

“—It's because you didn't cut the Ferris wheel.”

"Ferris wheel......? The one at an amusement park?"

"Probably"

"Is that something that can be cut?"

"Probably impossible with scissors or a knife"

"Is it a code?"

"The people who know probably do. From this alone"

"Are you saying that you have an idea?"

"Yeap. I have been thinking about its meaning ever since I came back to life, and I managed to think of something. Regarding this, my trust in you leads me to ask something of you, Lilithea"

"Alright"

A resolute response. I can sense the enthusiasm in her eyes; Enthusiasm to accomplish any task, no matter its difficulty and danger.

"Watch the remainder of the movie with me"

"......Come again?"

She had the very definition of a disappointed look on her face.

Frankly speaking, it is extremely cute for a person like her, who gives off the impression that she is an intellectual, to have that look on her face.

"Thoroughly. Down to every last detail"

"Are you alright with that alone?"

"Pretty please, Lilithea. Let us watch the movie together"

"Whatever, it's fine. I'm free anyway"

For some reason, Lilithea had the enthusiasm of a girl who reluctantly accepted an invitation for a date.

After that, the two of us, literally, watched the movie with utmost seriousness, appreciating it as a form of art. Or rather, we analyzed it.

After a while, a certain place with a certain scenery was shown on the screen.

After Lilithea saw that scene, she nodded in approval, seemingly convinced.

"Sakuya-sama, so this was what you were talking about, yes?"

"Seems like it. Yeah"

I nodded in the same manner before sniffing to ascertain my own odour. Seeing this, Lilithea pulled on my sleeve apologetically.

"Are you perhaps concerned about what I said earlier? That was not what I meant when I said those words, alright?"

"Eh? Ahh, I am not actually ascertaining my own body odour. Although it is a little late, I managed to recall something when I was thinking about why the culprit wanted to murder me; I was merely ascertaining it"

And, after ascertaining it, there seems to be no mistake.

"I see. It is alright then"

She sure is kind in the weirdest ways.

"Lilithea, about the plan later"

"I know. I shall leave first"

"Right"

My assistant quietly stood up from her seat and walked swiftly out to the walkway.

Staying behind, I thoroughly indulged in the final bits of the movie.

Yeap. It's a good movie, or so I thought as I turned nonchalantly to look at Yuriu.

It was then that I noticed that she was fast asleep and drooling from her mouth

Hey, lead actress. The end credits will be rolling soon, you know?

--------

Feel free to comment/pm me if you find any mistakes. Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter for the second case.