Trap 'Em by Storm

What if the Traveler is also unavailable... What am I supposed to do?

Well, that's your problem. It was your choice to get into this mess.

Oh, but fortunately for you, it appears your savior has just arrived.

Hmm? Ah, Traveler! Great, you made it.

Don't worry, I'm available.

Well, it's not like you were ever really busy to begin with.

Ugh, Sango!

Compared to the Traveler, you're the one who has too much free time.

No, I'm very busy. I'm busy standing here... I have to stand here all day.

Even if it's a commission you're unwilling to take, your excuse is just pathetic.

A commission you're unwilling to take?

Yes, that's why I've asked you to come over. Allow me to explain.

A key member of the Tenryou Commission has recently gone missing. No one has seen them and their whereabouts are currently unknown.

The Tenryou Commission has entrusted us to find this person discreetly because it would be a hassle for them to look for this person openly, for a variety of reasons.

Their name is...

Kujou Sara. That's right, the general has gone missing.

*sigh* ...If the general was really missing, the Tenryou Commission would have flipped Inazuma on its head by now. And do you think they would only commission us for a case like that?

Please ignore Sango's nonsense, Traveler. In fact, the missing person's name is Shikanoin Heizou.

He works as a special detective at the Police Station. Although his rank is merely a Doushin, he is quite competent and held in high regard by the Police Station.

Ah! Do they think he's more competent than me?

*sigh* We get that you don't want to help, Sango, but could you at least try not to make things more difficult here.

Sorry Traveler, even though I accepted the commission...

As you can see, Sango's less than thrilled to be involved in this case.

Because the pay is too low?

Because there are too few clues?

Nope! Not even close!

If you really want to know why, it's because I absolutely refuse to deal with that brat's nonsense.

The only news that could make me happier than "Shikanoin has gone missing," would be "Shikanoin has been missing for 100 years."

Ahem... Needless to say, Sango and Heizou have a bit of a history.

I see what you mean... they're competitors.

Hum... Ah well, it's a little more serious than that.

According to Sango, Heizou was an obstacle in her path to the "Temple of Truth"...

Like a yappy dog that was constantly in the way!

*sigh* Even though Heizou has... a "unique" personality, he's actually a nice guy. Really, I've learned a lot from him.

So I can't just ignore this case, even if Sango doesn't approve. At the very least, I could entrust the commission to someone capable and trustworthy... like you, Traveler!

I see, so you're outsourcing it to me.

I see, so you're basically the middleman.

Huh? No no, it's not like that! Listen, I'll pay the entire amount originally promised by the Tenryou Commission, and I'll even personally throw in some additional funds.

I'm really hoping you can take this commission, Traveler.

If Heizou truly is in danger, I know he'll be safer with you by his side.

Are you close with him?

Actually, we get along great, but Sango has always asked me to keep my distance and not to act like I know him in public settings.

So, when people ask, I usually just say I've met Shikanoin a few times. If it hadn't been for today's incident, I'd...

Ahem... Well, let's not get into that. Anyway, could you please help look for him?

No problem, but I'll need more information.

Great! We've learned that Heizou had expressed interest in Watatsumi Island before he disappeared.

During the war, he apparently carried out some mission on Watatsumi Island, and once the war ended, he made frequent visits to the island.

I heard you have a good standing with Sangonomiya. I think it might be a good idea to use that as a starting point for your investigation.

Understood, I'll head there immediately.

Well, that's about all I have to tell you. Oh, please take this commission letter from the Police Station. If you find Heizou, return there and report back to them.

There's no time for delay, Traveler. Oh, I sure hope Heizou isn't in any danger.

Tell me more about Shikanoin Heizou.

Oh, Heizou is quite the lively fellow! He's super talkative, active, and energetic, and he's always on the move.

Sango always compares him to a buzzing housefly... which I guess must be because he can accurately sniff out every bad apple in the pile.

In which case, Heizou isn't just some ordinary housefly, he's like the ace of flies!

Even with his nose plugged, eyes blindfolded, and ears covered, Heizou could still pinpoint the bad apples.

His skills are amazing, it's almost as if he relies on something other than just his five senses... You know, like a sixth sense! Or maybe it's pure intuition? Or he has divine favor? It's gotta be something like that...

I see what you're getting at, but I think that's enough of the fly metaphor for now.

*sigh* Sango always says I make a fool of myself when I talk. I guess she's right...

The whole fly metaphor is pretty bad, but I'd still like to hear more.

Ahem... Well, maybe we should chat another time. Sango is starting to stare at us.

You still haven't left yet? So perhaps you've changed your mind about looking for Heizou, huh? That would be best. Take it from me, getting involved with that guy is never a good idea.

I'm curious, what's your issue with him?

Let me put it this way, it wouldn't bother me at all if he disappeared forever. That's my issue.

(Smile slightly and nod along.)

Don't give me that look. Everyone's allowed to have a few people they can't stand, right?

*sigh* In any case, I guess you should get moving, before that Shikanoin causes too much trouble.

By the way, if you do happen to come across any signs of a most unfortunate demise, be sure to notify me... It'll bring me great joy.

Oh, it's you...! The captain of Swordfish II! My name is Shibata. I'm in charge of the watch here. May I inquire as to what the captain needs?

I'm here for information about a specific individual.

So his name is Shikanoin Heizou, huh? Yes, I'm familiar with the detective, he used to stroll around the area.

Her Excellency had assigned me to keep a close eye on him at the time, fearing that he would do something unpleasant, but I eventually realized that he acted more like he was on a trip or something.

Come to think of it, I believe he was recently spotted in the area east of the Sangonomiya Shrine. Please feel free to go there and take a look for yourself.

If you are looking for the young detective, please go to the area east of the Sangonomiya Shrine.

Hmm? Didn't you go looking for that brat Shikanoin?

Investigate? Why would I come to investigate his nonsense? Hmph! I was tired of staying in town, so I decided to go out for a walk.

So get out of my hair and go back to whatever you were doing.

So, have you found anything?

I'm about to start looking.

Good, better get a move on. I've already noticed a few things of interest. Let's meet back here later.

旅行者, exercise caution when traveling to Ritou. If you come across any unexpected dangers, retreat first. Your safety is the priority. You must approach this issue with a long-term strategy in mind.

I apologize again for not being completely honest with you, 旅行者. I truly am sorry, but... I had to do it.

I understand.

By the way, does Kokomi know about all this?

Ah yes, Her Excellency... Well, let's just say that the war brought many terrible things while also forcing us to learn a lot.

Right, but that still doesn't answer the question.

Well, ahem... aren't you curious about who's been pushing for the new commodity bill? It certainly isn't the Kanjou Commission, because it doesn't immediately benefit them, and we don't have any connections there.

Yeah... it's kinda as if the gods suddenly appeared to offer you a divine hand.

Haha, yeah, the gods...

I was invited to attend the Irodori Festival on Narukami Island with Her Excellency a while back.

At the festival, I waited in the marketplace while Her Excellency...

This box is packed so tight, it looks like it could burst. Let's see what's inside.

Huh? What are all these plants and flowers? Oh, there's a small note here.

(A torn bill. The handwriting has been smudged by water stains, making it difficult to read. Only a faint outline of the words "Foreign Trade Association" can be seen at the signature.)

Whoa! Qingxin! Paimon was expecting to find Sango Pearls...

Glaze Lilies! What are these doing here? Shouldn't it be Crystal Marrow or something...

Officer, don't forget to tell the officials how cooperative we've been! Please put in a good word for us!

Your intel was spot on. When we arrived, the Nobushi were all still asleep, haha.

We captured them all, and the goods were retrieved and brought back here.

I'll take a look. Hmm... Everything seems in order, good work.

It's nothing. Thanks to the efforts of your caravan, the price of grain in the village has decreased.

That's right, and who would have thought that the injuries we sustained during the war would have such a lingering effect on our bodies. But thankfully, you also brought back some life-saving medicine.

Things are improving thanks to the help from those up top. By the way, what is the state of the village's inventory?

Make sure that it's confirmed tonight, I have to leave tomorrow morning after I go to the Sangonomiya Shrine and get instructions from General Gorou.

Don't worry. We've already prepared the list. Just follow us.

Todoroki, the shipment has arrived and is ready for inspection.

Good, let's go.

Hey, it's Todo... mmph!

Shh! Keep quiet. Let's follow him and see where he leads us.

Alright, let's see what we can come up with here.

Went to see Lady Yae.

Yeah.

She went to the Kanjou Commission to see Lady Yae — purportedly for a book review, but there were other items on the agenda, too. The meeting wasn't made public.

Following her return, we began our attempts at boosting commercial activity, and it wasn't long before there was a push for a new commodity bill on Narukami Island...

So, what do you make of it? Do you think Her Excellency knows about this?

What did she do...? I don't remember.

Hmm, let's see who's complaining about me here...

This is quite unusual. Who could possibly lodge a complaint against Heizou? It's not easy being a Doushin.

Interesting. Even Doushin Shikanoin can receive a complaint letter.

Police Station: Your application for the public awareness campaign "Heizou Talks Fraud" has been received. Following review, your station has been authorized to run the performance with Shikanoin Doushin in charge of the related work. — The Headquarters of the Tenryou Commission

"Heizou Talks Fraud"? What's that? Sounds interesting, whatever it is.

The beloved dog, "Eastern Express," reportedly went missing late in the night. The owner discovered twelve canine footprints of varying sizes in the courtyard, leading to the initial assumption that the crime was carried out by a team...

Who would give a dog such a strange name?

There is a slacker who claims to be the "Prince of Mischief" terrorizing Hanamizaka. Children have reportedly been losing valuables in the area, the bulk of which are Onikabuto, Genius Invokation TCG cards, and so on...

What! Ugh, not him again...

I apologize for earlier, I don't know what came over me.

Oh, Detective Heizou? He can't stand people like me, I'm sure of it.

Although he sounds polite and friendly, I can tell that he treats inmates convicted of fraud differently... He's really got something against us.

Do you think he may have been defrauded himself before? Impossible, who could ever be cunning enough to fool Detective Heizou like that, hmm?

Hello there, Traveler. I must apologize for my cousin — he must have been causing you all kinds of trouble? He's always been quite a handful... but I promise he doesn't mean any harm.

If he goes too far, please by all means put him in his place. And if he dares protest, just tell him he either does as he's told or he'll have me to answer to.

Getting on the wrong side of Heizou really was a mistake...

Eh? You two want to know what happened? There's not much to it, really.

As soon as I heard that Heizou was on the case, I knew it was over. I took the easy way out and confessed to everything. After all, what else can you do when a "Cyclone" is heading your way?

"Cyclone"?

Heizou's nickname. It's what all the prisoners call him, haven't you heard it before?

There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide... For criminals, Heizou is a force of nature nobody can contend with.

Alas, if only I'd known...

Traveler, I believe you can find out the truth. That Shikanoin is hiding something, I just know it.

*sigh*... Sango and Detective Heizou are both great people, but when they're together, only arguing ensues.

Oh suck it up, Ryuuji.

Hey, Traveler. Investigating a case isn't so easy, is it? Don't worry, I'll tell you all you need to know.

About President Sango...

Hah, Sango? The Takatsukasa Clan really hired an amazing detective, didn't they?

She comes to the station to submit applications every now and then, and has been constantly requesting to reinvestigate the Ryuuji Case. But Heizou has always prevented her from doing so. I really didn't expect that she'd go as far as writing a complaint letter, though. Whew, she's relentless.

As for why Heizou senpai has been keeping her away from the case, I think he's afraid that Sango would be putting herself in danger. After all, we're talking about the murder of an important man, that can be deep water if you're not careful...

Sango may run a detective agency, but in the end, she's just an ordinary person.

So are they friends?

Uh well... not exactly. I've pretty much seen them argue every time they meet. But, Heizou might still consider her as an old friend. I heard that he used to work with Sango.

Sometimes he'd ask me to hand over less pressing cases to the detective agency. I guess he just wants to support Sango's business.

Hehe, Heizou senpai is a good person, there's no doubt about that.

Don't take anything Uesugi says too seriously. Just nod along...

About Takatsukasa Isamu and Ryuuji...

Oh, that? Well, let me see...

Ryuuji saw Takatsukasa Isamu as his foster father, that's for sure. But I can't say whether Isamu helped Ryuuji without expecting anything in return.

After all, Isamu was a resourceful person. A simple and naive person like Ryuuji wouldn't ever be suitable as an adviser, but he could certainly be a loyal and trustworthy aid.

Isamu was expecting a child of his own later, but unfortunately he was killed before the child was ever born...

Anyway, enough about all that... Aren't you here to investigate the case? You'd better get a move on.

The deceased, Takatsukasa Isamu, 41 years old, Police Station manager.

Clothes intact at time of death. No visible trauma observed on the body, no sign of a struggle. The throat was congested and swollen, caused by a cold before his death.

Local ulceration was found in the stomach and intestines, caused by a novel toxin found in the stomach contents. Stomach contents include: partially undigested soft rice residue; ...

...small volume of fish-liver paste residue, the main ingredient of which is highly-concentrated fish-liver extract, a valuable nutritional supplement; ...

...small volume of cold medicine residue containing a large amount of acidic fruit and vegetable extracts. Appears to be a specially prepared medicine from the Office of Forensic Science; ...

...small volume of novel toxin residue, which was found to be the same toxin discovered in the homes of Ryuuji and Shiroyama. Cause of death: abdominal mucous membrane disease plus respiratory and circulatory failure triggered by the novel toxin.

Yikes... he ate all kinds of stuff!

The suspect, Ryuuji, 20 years old, Doushin, a subordinate of the deceased, Takatsukasa Isamu.

Ryuuji grew to resent his boss, Takatsukasa Isamu, following conflict at work. He then secretly bought a bottle of poison to kill him in revenge.

Unused poison was later found in the suspect Ryuuji's house. For the crime of premeditated murder, Ryuuji is ordered to remain in temporary incarceration awaiting trial. This file shall be kept as evidence.

Signed: Kujou Sara

Wow, Ryuuji's conviction really was signed by Kujou Sara... But now we know she had it wrong.

The suspect, Shiroyama, 22 years old, forensic doctor, a subordinate of the deceased, Takatsukasa Isamu.

Shiroyama grew to resent his boss, Takatsukasa Isamu, following conflict at work. He then secretly bought a bottle of poison to kill him in revenge.

Unused poison was later found in the suspect Shiroyama's office. In his testament, he confessed to having planted the poison found in Ryuuji's house.

For the crime of premeditated murder, Shiroyama is hereby sentenced to death. Punishment cannot be carried out as the suspect ended his own life before the execution could take place. This file shall be kept as evidence.

Signed: Kujou Sara

Huh? So Shiroyama's conviction was also signed by Kujou Sara... just like Ryuuji's!

On the toxin that caused Takatsukasa Isamu's death:

An odorless, tasteless, and inert substance. Soluble in water, but insoluble in other substances. Has the properties of a synthetic toxin. It appears as a fine, white, powdery substance in its normal state. Tentative name: "white powder."

The station has investigated the ledgers of all domestic commerce guilds, no transaction record for such an item was found.

Hmm, a synthetic toxin? What's that?

"A week before the incident, Master Takatsukasa Isamu caught a cold and lost his appetite. Rice was all he could eat and he had been taking some special cold medicine."

"The night before the incident, he had yet to recover and was still busy with his work, so I was worried about his health. When Dr. Shiroyama came to deliver the medicine, I consulted him about a health supplement."

"Dr. Shiroyama said fish-liver paste could help boost his immune system, so I went to the forensic office to retrieve some and gave it to Master Takatsukasa..."

"But by the next day... Really, Master Takatsukasa was so kind to me, I swear I wouldn't ever do that to him!"

Hmm, come to think of it, Shiroyama was a forensic doctor... He could easily pull off something like this.

"I murdered Takatsukasa Isamu. I poisoned his cold medicine."

"Though he appeared to be honest and honorable in public, in secret, he asked me to search out a new type of poison to get rid of those who opposed him."

"He also said that if I refused, he would have me thrown in prison. He used my family to blackmail me."

"He left me with no choice. I killed him with a new type of poison that I had someone purchase for me at the International Trade Association... To protect myself, I later framed my colleague Ryuuji."

"But now it's only a matter of time before the detective uncovers everything. I know that I've made a big mistake, and that there's no escaping it now. Only death awaits me. I merely ask that my family be spared."

Hey, this is the key to proving that Shiroyama was the murderer, right? That is, if he was telling the truth, of course.

(It's blank. Looks like someone tore out a few pages.)

Eh? That's weird, there's nothing here! This must be some of the false information that Heizou told us to look out for.

A note placed with Shiroyama's Testament. After comparing the handwriting, it was confirmed to have been written by the deceased, Takatsukasa Isamu.

"Shiroyama, long time no see. I trust the thing I asked you for is in progress?"

"I paid a visit to your home today while you weren't around. Thankfully, your wonderful wife welcomed me in... She's a fine woman. A perfect match for you."

"Your wife is five months pregnant, I believe? Fancy that — my wife too."

"I took the liberty of returning once more to provide her with some health supplements, even helped administer them to her myself. She was most grateful indeed."

"You will be equally grateful to me, no doubt? Then don't keep me waiting."

Takatsukasa Isamu seems like a thoughtful person, but something about the tone sounds weird...

I am at a loss for words right now... please, just leave me be.

Wait, aren't you going to see Ryuuji?

What did Heizou say to you when he left the agency?

Hah, now that I think about it, it's like a slap in the face...

He said, "Some things will always be more important than the truth."