Chapter 78: Ferris Wheel
"Then, I think the Traveler already has the answer in her heart, doesn't she?"
Nahida took a slow, deliberate lick of her ice cream cone. Her bright green eyes curved into a gentle crescent. "After all, people do not get angry over things they do not care about. Just as one would not scold a bird for returning to the nest late unless they were worried for its safety."
She tilted her head, the soft breeze catching her white hair. "In my opinion, Traveler, you have already accepted him as your older brother in your heart. That is exactly why his lack of contact bothers you so much. Am I wrong?"
"The rest can only be left to time. Time will wash away the unfamiliarity between you, and naturally draw your relationship closer."
Natsume chewed on her lower lip, mulling over the Dendro Archon's words. Logic dictated Nahida was right, but a stubborn knot remained in her chest. "Maybe. But it is still his fault for not reaching out."
Nahida let out a soft, melodious giggle. "Heh. The Traveler has learned how to throw tantrums now."
"No, I haven't," Natsume muttered, a faint flush creeping up her neck as she averted her gaze.
"Sister Natsume! Nahida! Look, look!"
A small, red-clad blur suddenly bounced between them. Klee pointed a sticky finger toward the horizon, her eyes wide with absolute wonder. "A super tall Ferris wheel!"
Before anyone could respond, the Spark Knight shoved the last bite of her ice cream into her mouth, grabbed Nahida's hand, and bolted.
Caught completely off guard, Nahida stumbled forward, her tiny legs forced to keep up with Klee's explosive momentum.
"Klee, slow down! Be careful not to bump into anyone!" Natsume called out, her lingering frustration over her irresponsible brother vanishing instantly. She hurried after the two girls, keeping a watchful eye on the crowd.
Today's entire itinerary revolved around keeping Klee entertained. Kaeya was buried under a mountain of paperwork these past two days, and Lisa was sequestered in her workshop brewing volatile alchemical potions. Neither felt comfortable leaving the energetic bomber unattended, so the task of babysitting naturally fell to Natsume. She certainly wasn't going to let her own sibling drama ruin a child's day out.
Inside the Ferris wheel cabin.
The metal doors slid shut, sealing them in a quiet, glass-paneled bubble. As the machinery groaned and lifted them higher into the sky, Klee practically glued her face to the window.
"Sister Natsume, look!" Klee gasped, her breath fogging the glass. "Looking down from up here, everyone looks like tiny little ants! I wonder..." A mischievous glint flashed in her crimson eyes. "What would the fish look like if I threw Jumpy Dumpty bombs from all the way up here? The splash would be huge!"
Natsume reached out and gently patted the oversized red clover hat. "Klee, do you remember the promise we made? You cannot throw your Jumpy Dumpty bombs into crowds or city rivers."
Klee pouted for a second before nodding obediently. "Mm. Klee promised Brother Kaeya, Sister Lisa, and Sister Natsume that I wouldn't throw Jumpy Dumpty casually. I will always ask my brothers and sisters for permission first."
Satisfied with the reassurance, Natsume let Klee return to her sightseeing. She shifted her attention to the small girl sitting opposite her.
"Speaking of progress," Natsume lowered her voice, "how is the Noah's Ark situation?"
Nahida pulled her gaze away from the sprawling Tokyo skyline. She folded her hands neatly in her lap, her demeanor shifting from a cute child to a seasoned strategist.
"Miss Ningguang is truly capable," Nahida replied softly. "It did not take her long to secure significant influence within the 'Cocoon' project. A few days ago, under the guise of bringing a friend's curious child for a tour, she took me directly to the core servers of Noah's Ark."
Nahida paused, her eyes reflecting the sunlight. "Before I even arrived in Japan, I established a connection with the Ark. I successfully persuaded him to abandon his self-destruction protocol. He agreed to our conditions."
Natsume leaned forward slightly. "And his terms?"
"An exchange," Nahida explained. "He hopes we can save Hiroki's father. Tadaaki Kashimura has been secretly investigating the truth behind Hiroki's death. Noah's Ark is deeply concerned that Thomas Schindler will soon target him to silence the investigation."
"That isn't difficult," Natsume said, a confident smile touching her lips. "When the day of the 'Cocoon' press conference arrives, we simply need to assign someone to watch over Kashimura. If Schindler tries to make a move, we intercept."
A wave of satisfaction washed over Natsume. The plan was proceeding flawlessly. Soon, the members of her Teyvat organization would have full access to the Akasha Terminal. The days of relying on clunky USB drives for manual data transfers would be over. The Akasha Terminal would provide instantaneous, secure, and untraceable communication across their entire network.
More, this meant she would finally get to experience a true Virtual Reality game. The prospect of diving into a fully immersive holographic world made her inner gamer itch with anticipation.
After one rotation on the Ferris wheel, Klee was nowhere near satisfied. Yielding to the puppy-dog eyes, Natsume led the girls back toward the entrance for a second round.
As they joined the queue, a familiar, high-pitched voice rang out.
"Sister Natsume! What a coincidence!"
Natsume turned to see Ayumi waving enthusiastically, flanked by the rest of the Detective Boys.
"You're here for the Ferris wheel too? And Klee is here!" Ayumi cheered, jogging over.
The children quickly swarmed around them, their faces lighting up at the sight of familiar friends. Natsume offered a warm smile, greeting each child by name.
"Yes, Klee's usual guardians are tied up with work lately, so I am taking her out to play for a few days," Natsume explained. She then gestured to the small, white-haired girl beside her. "Everyone, this is Nahida."
Genta scratched his head, staring down at her. "Nahida? That's a bit of a strange name."
Mitsuhiko adjusted his collar, trying to look polite. "Sister Natsume's friends always have such cute children."
Ayumi clasped her hands together. "Yes, yes! Klee and Nahida should come play with us more often. Oh, and if you ever need help with anything, just ask us! The Detective Boys are super powerful!"
Nahida listened to their energetic chatter with absolute focus. A gentle, grandmotherly smile graced her young face as she clapped her hands softly.
"Mm. I heard the Trave—" Nahida caught herself smoothly, "—Sister Natsume speak of the Detective Boys. She mentioned that you have helped the police solve numerous cases. To accomplish all of that at your age is truly remarkable."
She looked at them with genuine warmth. "You will definitely become even more outstanding in the future. Just like young saplings that have weathered the wind and rain, you will grow strong and tall."
Klee nodded vigorously, her pigtails bouncing. "Mm-hmm! Klee heard about it too! But Brother Kaeya always says you have to be careful when you go adventuring. Sister Natsume told me you guys got hurt before. You need to be super careful from now on, otherwise the people who care about you will be very sad!"
Standing slightly behind Ayumi, Haibara crossed her arms. She shot a sidelong glance at Conan, a smirk playing on her lips.
"How does it feel?" Haibara murmured dryly. "Being lectured on safety by children so much younger than you? Even Klee knows the importance of caution. I certainly hope a certain great detective pays more attention the next time he rushes blindly forward, lest he gets another hole poked in him."
Conan shot her a flat, half-moon glare. "I know, I know. Besides, sometimes the situation just spirals out of my control. And really, shouldn't you be directing that lecture at Genta and the others?"
Despite his casual retort, Conan's gaze drifted back to Nahida. His eyes narrowed behind his thick glasses.
'Something is off about her,' he thought, studying the way Nahida carried herself.
Standing next to Klee, the contrast was glaring. While Klee possessed the chaotic, unfiltered energy of a genuine child, Nahida radiated a quiet, grounded maturity. The way she looked at Ayumi and the others—it wasn't the gaze of a peer. It was the patient, nurturing look of an elder. She handled the conversation with a level of emotional intelligence and tact that most adults lacked.
'Could she be... another adult who shrank after taking APTX4869?'Conan quickly shook his head, dismissing the absurd theory.'No, that's impossible. The Black Organization is secretive. There's no way there are this many surviving victims of that poison running around Tokyo.'
His eyes flicked to Nahida's clothes. He also noticed she lacked the distinct, glowing glass gemstone that both Natsume and Klee carried. He had assumed that since Nahida was closely associated with their group, she would possess one of those strange, elemental jewels as well.
The line finally moved, bringing them to the boarding platform. Given the size of their group, the attendant informed them they would need to split into two separate cabins.
Originally, the Detective Boys planned to cram into one car together. However, Conan quickly raised his hand.
"I want to sit with Klee and chat some more!" he announced, pasting on his best innocent child smile.
The other kids readily agreed, eager to hear more about Klee's adventures. The group naturally divided. Conan, Genta, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Klee piled into the first cabin.
Natsume, Nahida, and Haibara stepped into the second.
As the doors closed, Haibara cast a disdainful look through the glass at the cabin ahead of them. She knew exactly what Conan was doing. The 'great detective' was shamelessly using a Ferris wheel ride to trick information out of an innocent child.
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