Chapter 300: Klee's Jumpy Dumpty and Dodoco
Just as Okiya Subaru was searching for a plausible excuse to ask Klee about the Jumpy Dumpty and the fluffy Dodoco charm in her backpack, a clear voice interrupted their quiet lakeside conversation.
"Klee? And Mr. Okiya? What are you two doing here?"
Kamisato Ayaka, having just returned to the Kamisato Estate, regarded the pair by the water's edge with a look of mild surprise. Her gaze drifted from them to the patch of freshly soaked earth on the shore, then to the fish still twitching feebly in front of Klee. A soft, helpless sigh escaped her lips.
"Klee, have you already forgotten what you promised your big brother Albedo?"
"Klee didn't forget..." Klee's head drooped, and she began to nervously twiddle her fingers. "Haibara said she wanted to rest by herself, so Klee came out to play... and then... and then Klee accidentally dropped Jumpy Dumpty in the water." Her voice was a small, guilty mumble. "Um... Big Brother Subaru is here too! He can prove it! Klee didn't throw things around on purpose."
With a hopeful expression, Klee pointed a small finger at Okiya Subaru, who had been standing silently a short distance away.
Meeting Klee's wide, pleading eyes, Subaru felt his resolve soften. 'She's still just a child, after all...'
When he felt Kamisato Ayaka's questioning gaze land on him, Subaru found himself testifying on the little girl's behalf. "Yes, that's correct. Klee did indeed drop her Jumpy Dumpty into the middle of the lake by accident."
Seeing the obvious wave of relief wash over Klee's face, Ayaka sighed inwardly. This child was truly a handful. She was so caught up in being let off the hook that she hadn't even realized Mr. Okiya had just subtly sold her out.
'How does one "accidentally" drop something into the middle of a lake?' Ayaka mentally filed the detail away, making a note to report the incident to Albedo once her own work for the day was concluded.
"By the way, Miss Kamisato," Subaru interjected, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but the Jumpy Dumpty in Klee's possession seems... quite dangerous?"
Although Klee hadn't explicitly admitted that her toy was a bomb—and it certainly didn't look like one—he had witnessed its explosive power firsthand. The fact that Ayaka had arrived, taken one look at the scene, and immediately deduced it was Klee's handiwork told Subaru that she must have some knowledge of the curious dolls.
"Ah, that..." Ayaka offered a placating smile, her composure flawless. "Those are merely toys that Albedo crafted for Klee to play with. While their effects may look a bit... powerful, they are not actually dangerous."
'As expected,'Subaru thought, his mind racing.'Anyone associated with Kaeya is far from simple.'To be able to create an object with that kind of destructive force... the Teyvat Organization was truly a collection of hidden, formidable talents. He committed the name'Albedo' to memory, adding another person of interest to his growing list.
"But..." Subaru began, still hoping to probe for more information.
"Please, don't worry," Ayaka cut him off gently but firmly. "Albedo is Klee's older brother. Why would he ever give her something that could bring her harm?"
With that, she skillfully changed the subject. "On that note, Natsume, Ran, and the others have returned. I was just coming to let you know. Would you like to go and meet up with them?"
Sensing that Ayaka had no intention of continuing the discussion, Subaru wisely followed her lead. He and Klee trailed after her, leaving the quiet lakeside behind.
On the other side of town, acting on the urgent tip from Okiya Subaru, Hattori Heiji and Conan Edogawa hailed a taxi and sped toward the Takahashi Residence.
Inside the car, Heiji was already on the phone with the Osaka Prefectural Police, explaining that he would be forwarding the evidence from Subaru shortly. He requested that they dispatch personnel to the Takahashi Residence to rendezvous with them.
Their plan was simple: they would use the pretense of "assisting with an ongoing investigation" to compel the Takahashi family members to accompany the police back to the station. This would not only get them on neutral ground but would also, hopefully, prevent Miss Raiden from doing anything irreversible.
The Takahashi family was undeniably wealthy. Their estate was a sprawling compound situated in a quiet, secluded district. While not entirely in the city outskirts, it was far enough from the bustling center to feel like a world apart, serene and almost isolated.
As the taxi neared the residence, Hattori Heiji glanced idly out the window. He saw a lone figure standing high atop the main building and thought nothing of it for a split second. Then, the implication hit him. His head whipped back around, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Kudo, look! Is that someone up there?!"
Heiji's hand shot out, slapping Conan's arm with uncontrolled force as he pointed frantically toward the roof. At the same time, he strained his eyes, trying desperately to make out who would be standing in such a precarious place.
Conan followed Heiji's shaking finger and, sure enough, could just make out a silhouette against the sky.
He frowned, quickly reaching up to adjust a dial on the side of the glasses Dr. Agasa had invented for him. The world zoomed into focus, the distant figure becoming sharp and clear.
"It's Miss Raiden!" Conan blurted out the name the moment he recognized her.
Honestly, after learning that the Takahashi family was the mastermind behind the recent events, they weren't entirely surprised to find Raiden Ei here. What they hadn't expected, however, was to see her from a distance, perched on the very roof of their mansion.
'What in the world,'Conan thought, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach,'is Miss Raiden doing up so high?'
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