Chapter 197: The Wanderer and Kir's Status
Under the complex, unspeakable gazes of the onlookers, Makoto Kyogoku finally explained himself.
It turned out that he had completely misunderstood the email Sonoko had sent him. Worried he would miss the appointed time she had mentioned, he decided to fly back to Japan immediately and camp out on the mountain, waiting for the "winter" Sonoko spoke of to arrive.
While the method was undeniably foolish, the outcome was, at least, a positive one. With Makoto's sudden appearance, Sonoko no longer had to go through the trouble of carefully clearing away all the handkerchiefs tied to the nearby trees.
Since that task was now moot, the group prepared to head back down the mountain.
Before they left, however, Conan's thoughts drifted back to the suspect's eerie behavior. He didn't believe in ghosts, but the man's evident terror suggested someone was orchestrating a very convincing trick. Still feeling a prickle of unease, Conan went to inspect the exact spot the man had been staring at with such dread. To his disappointment, he found nothing at all.
In the end, he was left with no answers, the mystery of what the suspect had seen to inspire such fear remaining unsolved.
At a Black Organization base, the Wanderer had been settling in for some time now. Though his tenure was still short, every member who had been partnered with him had come away with a deep and lasting impression. As a result, despite not yet having a codename, his presence within the organization felt more significant than that of some who did.
For Chianti, at least, the Wanderer had already become one of the people she least wanted to see, second only to Vermouth. This was merely because the Wanderer disdained speaking to idiots and thus kept his interactions with her to a minimum. Had he engaged with her more, he might have truly surpassed Vermouth's detestable status in her heart.
As for Vermouth herself, she also harbored a dislike for the Wanderer, especially since he had blundered straight into a woman's most sensitive minefield during their very first meeting. However, her feelings were complicated. Perhaps it was a sliver of sympathy she felt after hearing Cointreau speak of his background, or perhaps it was simply the fact that he was undeniably useful to the organization. All things considered, Vermouth didn't harbor much genuine ill will toward him.
Of course, a major contributing factor was that she had been consumed with searching for Kir's whereabouts lately and hadn't spent much time in the Wanderer's company.
Fortunately, her hard work was not in vain. Vermouth had managed to locate a young boy who had witnessed the incident. Through him, she learned that Kir had been injured and taken to a hospital by the FBI.
When Gin learned that Kir had been unconscious when the FBI took her, his mind went back to a previous incident. Kir had once been captured by the mole, Ethan Hondo, and interrogated with truth serum, yet she had revealed nothing. In the end, she had even managed to bite through his wrist, seize his pistol, and kill him. Given her unyielding resolve, Gin concluded that the likelihood of her betraying the organization was low. He decided a rescue operation was in order.
After being briefed on the situation, the Boss agreed and placed Gin in charge of the mission.
Gin seized the opportunity to include the Wanderer in the operation, intending for it to double as his codename mission.
The news that the Wanderer would be getting a codename so quickly, placing him on equal footing with her, made Chianti's blood boil. The man was already disrespectful when his status was lower than hers; if he actually got a codename, he would likely become utterly lawless.
But there was nothing Chianti could do to stop it, a fact that only stoked her fury.
Korn, who had been on the receiving end of Chianti's explosive temper for days, learned of the situation and offered his brand of comfort. "Don't worry so much. Even if the Wanderer gets a codename, his attitude toward you won't change. It's obvious he already doesn't think his status is lower than yours."
It had to be said, Korn's attempt at consolation was effective. After hearing his words, Chianti's emotions were indeed no longer so prone to exploding. Instead, they simmered into an even deeper, more venomous anger.
Therefore, upon learning that the Wanderer's codename mission was to rescue Kir—and that she and Korn would be participating—Chianti began to harbor an ulterior motive. She resolved to secretly trip the Wanderer up during the operation. Ideally, she would cause the mission to fail, thereby preventing him from obtaining his codename.
Although she knew it was only a matter of time before he earned one, the later, the better.
As for Kir… it would be best if she could be rescued, but if not, there was nothing to be done. It would just be her own bad luck. In any case, Chianti was no saint, and she had never been particularly close with Kir. If the Wanderer hadn't provoked her, she would have done her best to rescue a fellow member. But now, special circumstances had arisen.
In a twisted way, the Wanderer's status in Chianti's heart had become far more important than Kir's.
What Chianti didn't know, however, was that the Wanderer had almost refused the mission entirely.
Suppressing a wave of impatience, Gin had demanded a reason. The Wanderer had given him four simple words.
"I don't save trash."
It was only after Cointreau personally questioned the Wanderer that the full reasoning came to light. His original words were as follows:
"She didn't even realize an eavesdropping device was planted on her, got herself caught twice, and is now injured and helpless. If that's not trash, what is? Saving this kind of person is just inviting more trouble for the organization…"
Seeing that the Wanderer wouldn't even grant him face, Cointreau had no choice but to seek outside help. He had his sister contact Nahida, asking her to personally persuade the Wanderer. Only then did he finally, grudgingly, accept the mission.
Of course, Gin was oblivious to these behind-the-scenes complications. All he knew was that the Wanderer was arrogant, insubordinate, and acted as if he wasn't a member of the organization at all. But, fortunately, the man seemed to listen to Cointreau to some degree, a fact Gin could barely tolerate.
On the other side of the conflict, Conan Edogawa had also noticed that Eisuke Hondou's behavior was growing abnormal, and his suspicions were piqued. He relayed his concerns to Heiji Hattori, asking him to help investigate both Eisuke and Mizunashi Rena, who bore a striking resemblance to him.
With Heiji's help, Conan obtained a photograph of Eisuke Hondou's father. Tracing the clues bit by bit, he was stunned to discover that the man had an identity with the U.S. CIA and had been an undercover agent. The organization he had infiltrated was none other than the very same Black Organization that had turned Conan into a primary school student.
At the same time, Conan casually asked Heiji if he knew anything about Visions. He even showed him a picture he had drawn of one, but his friend had no particular reaction. It was clear he had never heard of such a thing.
After seeing Conan's drawing, Heiji had even asked where such nice-looking accessories were sold, remarking that he planned to buy one for Kazuha.
Although he had anticipated it, Conan still felt a pang of disappointment. Not even Heiji Hattori, the son of the Osaka Prefectural Police Chief, had ever heard of these objects.
However, Conan soon pushed these interludes aside. His current focus was a recent, alarming discovery: the Organization knew that Mizunashi Rena had been taken to a hospital by the FBI. While they weren't yet sure which hospital, Conan had a strong premonition that they would undoubtedly make a move soon.
Conan now only hoped that the members of that other mysterious organization—Teyvat—would not interfere with the Black Organization's rescue operation. Otherwise, things were bound to become even more troublesome.
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