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Hi Guys, I am translating a ⭐NEW NOVEL⭐ called "MCU: Druid's Adventures". Please Check it out.
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Dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong!!
Accompanied by the continuous beat of drums, the festival officially began.
At this moment, the shrine was already packed with tourists. Some were there to enjoy the festival, while others were waiting for the drawing of lots, hoping to obtain the life-extending "Dugong Arrow".
For a while, the place was bustling with people.
However, because the area had been cordoned off with ropes, the visitors were all standing around the perimeter. Those closer to the shrine could clearly see the proceedings.
With the drumbeats, the single door was slowly pulled open by the Shintō priest, revealing the aged figure standing with their back to the crowd.
"They're about to come out!" Heiji Hattori commented as he looked at the figure behind the door.
Conan, standing nearby, looked at the diminutive figure inside the house and asked curiously, "Is that the person, known as 'Immortal Elder,' who's rumored to have eaten mermaid flesh?"
At that moment, the elderly woman known as Elder Mikoto stepped out slowly. She was quite short in stature, giving the appearance of being small, and her makeup was heavily applied.
"Elder Mikoto!"
"Elder Mikoto has arrived!!"
Amidst the crowd, voices could be heard exclaiming, and some elderly people clasped their hands together in a devout manner.
However, in the eyes of Senichi and the others, the figure was just a short, hunchbacked old woman with heavy makeup and osteoporosis.
Under the gaze of the onlookers, Elder Mikoto ignited one end of the prepared stick and gently placed it on the paper door of the shrine, letting it burn slowly.
This move actually startled Conan, Heiji Hattori, and even the tourists participating in the festival for the first time.
As the paper door burned, everyone gradually understood the process. It turned out that setting the paper door on fire was a way to reveal the drawn numbers.
In response to the drawing results, of course, some were pleased while others were disappointed.
And Kazuha was one of the lucky ones among them, cheering enthusiastically at this moment.
After igniting the paper door, Elder Mikoto slowly entered the house, while Kimie Shimabukuro, dressed in a red and white shrine maiden's attire, walked out.
"So, please take a temporary rest for a moment. The "Dugong Arrow" will be distributed in one hour. At that time, please proceed to the Mermaid Waterfall!" Kimie Shimabukuro, dressed in the shrine maiden's attire, announced to the crowd after the drawing had concluded.
"Let's go! Let's go! We're heading to the Mermaid Waterfall," Kazuha exclaimed joyfully, clutching her number plate. "Eternal beauty and youth are mine."
"Don't get too smug, Kazuha. Immortality might not be a good thing," Heiji Hattori interjected with a dose of reality.
"Haha, Heiji, don't worry. I'll take care of your bones for you in the future."
"Heh... Do I need to thank you for that?" Heiji Hattori rolled his eyes, wearing an exasperated expression.
"You guys go to the waterfall. I have something to take care of."
Just as everyone was about to head to the Mermaid Waterfall to await the distribution of the "Dugong Arrows", Senichi spoke up.
"Hmm? Officer Senichi, do you have something to do?" Ran curiously inquired.
"Well, you could say that. I need to attend to a little matter," Senichi smiled.
"We'll be waiting for you at the Mermaid Waterfall then." Ayako noticed that Senichi seemed to have something to attend to and didn't press further. She nodded in understanding.
"Sure, I'll be back later." Senichi waved and bid farewell to the group, then quickly disappeared into the sea of people.
"Hey, what do you think Officer Senichi is up to?" Conan nudged Heiji Hattori's knee, looking in the direction where Senichi had vanished with a hint of suspicion.
"Who knows? Officer Senichi's actions are always so unpredictable," Heiji Hattori shrugged.
"It couldn't be that he found some clue, could it?" Conan couldn't help but speculate.
"Well, I don't think so." Heiji Hattori's composure wavered upon hearing Conan's guess. They exchanged a glance, both understanding the meaning behind each other's eyes.
Join forces!
Although the two of them were competitors, their common "enemy" was Officer Senichi, who was steadily keeping them in check.
They didn't want to just be bystanders, watching Senichi solve the case while they remained ignorant.
So, even though teaming up felt a bit unsportsmanlike, they were even less willing to play the role of mere bystanders!
At the very least, they couldn't let themselves remain clueless and late to the game!
"We shouldn't delay. Shall we review the previous clues to see if we missed anything?" Heiji Hattori suggested.
"Sure!" Conan nodded slowly. "Alright then, let's get started without delay!"
........
As Conan and Heiji collaborated to sort through the clues in hopes of discovering something significant,
On the other side, Senichi, having bid farewell to the group, walked alone out of the crowd and headed straight toward the direction of the shrine.
His target? Kimie Shimabukuro!
That's right, this time around, Senichi intended to make a direct frontal breakthrough.
There was no other choice. Despite Senichi having envisioned various strategies based on the information about this case, upon careful consideration, he realized that, given the current circumstances, he really had to cut through the chaos with brute force and confront it head-on!
Because the well-laid plans were situations where the urgency wasn't pressing; at least, the victim needed to be guaranteed safe for a while, without any immediate threat to their life.
However, with Saori Kadowaki missing now, if he didn't act quickly, he might soon discover her lifeless body flowing down from the Mermaid Waterfall.
For Senichi, as long as there was a death involved, his mission would fail – not only would he fail to prevent the tragedy, but his reward would also undoubtedly shrink significantly, creating a gap much like that between a millionaire and a beggar.
But there was no choice – the balance never tipped in favor of Senichi, as the cost of a crime was much lower than the cost of preventing one.
The cost of a crime was so low that, at any moment and anywhere, a person could impulsively grab something nearby and become a criminal.
On the other hand, those upholding justice had to expend a thousandfold or more energy seeking evidence and engaging in intellectual battles.
After careful consideration, Senichi realized that a straightforward approach might indeed be the best course of action.
"Ah, looks like I'll have to go all out again. It's not that I don't want to stay low-key; the circumstances just won't allow it."
Senichi sighed with an "I pity the world" expression, without the slightest hint of humility. "Saving a life is more important than building a seven-story pagoda. It seems like I'm destined to stand out."
I really don't want to steal the limelight!
You have no idea how hard it is for me to be in the spotlight. Behind me, there are two high school detectives, both equipped with full talent points, who consider me a rival and are always trying to outdo me.
This forces me to maintain a certain image, work tirelessly like I'm powered up, and study late into the night.
While dealing with cases, I have to strain my brain to arrange the scenarios, all the while projecting an air of ease and casualness.
From time to time, I have to find opportunities to give those two "rebellious kids" a reality check, preventing them from thinking they're in charge and jumping around needlessly.
Ah~, life's so tough for me!!
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Early access to the following translations:-
~⭐NEW⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA) - +14 advance chapters
~Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
~Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +115 advance chapters & 2 Chapters/Day
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