Lodging at the Kamisato Estate
With the case wrapped up, things finally settled down.
The police had the culprit in custody, and one by one they filtered out of the preliminary venue. Since the official competition wasn't until tomorrow, the organizers had arranged for all contestants to stay in lodging provided by the host family — that is, the Kamisato clan — as a precaution against any further incidents.
Sonoko, Ran, and Xia Yu had originally planned to meet Heiji's friend Kazuha today and put up at the Hattori residence overnight, then head to the preliminary venue the next morning to cheer her on. But far more people had come to Osaka this time than expected, and the Hattori house plainly couldn't hold them all.
The moment Xia Yu realized everyone was in a bind, she didn't hesitate to call on Ayaka for help. The Kamisato heiress agreed without a moment's hesitation, clearly delighted at the chance to host Xia Yu and her friends.
The original plan had been to split into two groups — one staying with the Hattoris, the other at the Kamisato Estate. But once it became clear that the Kamisato household had rooms to spare, enough to accommodate even a few more guests, everyone decided there was no point in splitting up at all, and settled on lodging together under the Kamisato roof.
Faced with such a large crowd, Ayaka showed not the slightest trace of reluctance. She immediately telephoned the family's housekeeper, Thoma, instructing him to prepare suitable rooms for everyone — and to send a car around to pick them up while he was at it.
In the car, Conan eyed Hattori with exasperation. The man's own home was right here in Osaka — why on earth was he squeezing into the vehicle with the rest of them to stay at the Kamisato Estate?
Catching the look, Hattori Heiji allowed himself a smug little smile, then leaned in close to Conan's ear and murmured, "Kudo, there's something off about this Kamisato family, isn't there? I saw how you acted around their eldest daughter — one look and I had it figured out. And what about that Miss Barbara? Her identity's a bit unusual too, eh?"
"See? Nailed it, didn't I?" he added, arching an eyebrow at the way Conan's eyes had widened slightly at his words.
Conan shot Hattori a surprised glance. He hadn't expected him to be quite so sharp this time. He didn't deny it — but since Hattori knew nothing of Teyvat, Conan kept the details to a minimum. He simply told him that the people of the Kamisato family, Barbara included, likely had backgrounds that were far from ordinary, and that he should keep his eyes open while staying under their roof.
Upon arriving at the Kamisato Estate, Thoma and Ayaka ushered everyone first into the presence of the head of the household. Kamisato Ayato wore his light blue hair short, his violet eyes framed by a beauty mark just below the faint upturn of his mouth. He was dressed in a cream-white, stand-collared haori lined in indigo, the inner hem bearing the camellia crest of the Kamisato clan.
Throughout the conversation, Ayato was warm and gracious, elegant without a single misstep, his tone unfailingly gentle — attentive to the feelings of everyone present, the children included. At a glance, he was the very picture of a perfect clan head: polished, dignified, and effortlessly approachable.
And yet, for all of Ayato's warmth, Sonoko seemed oddly stiff in his presence. A girl who normally pounced on any handsome man within range, she made no move this time to strike up her usual bold conversation with him.
As for Amuro and Conan, the moment they spotted the blue Vision hanging at his waist on its golden cord — confirming that he, like Ayaka, belonged to the people of Teyvat — the two of them tacitly fell silent, deciding that probing further would only invite unnecessary trouble.
Of the entire group, only Xia Yu exchanged more than a few words with him. But seeing how worn out everyone looked, Ayato did not keep them long; he soon had Thoma escort the guests to their rooms to rest.
Once Thoma had gone, Conan's eyes darted about for a moment before he sidled up to Xia Yu, tugging at her sleeve and putting on a child's innocent curiosity. "Hey, Xia Yu-nee, how do you know the head of a big important family like this one?"
Sonoko, overhearing, closed in around her with an equally inquisitive look. "Yeah, exactly! Men like that — the obviously-not-ordinary type — are my one weakness. I can't believe you actually know one, Xia Yu. And the clan head seemed awfully fond of you, didn't he?"
"It just so happened that I did Ayaka a favor once, and that's how I came to know Ayato."
Her explanation was brief, but the skeptical looks on everyone's faces left her no choice; with a resigned sigh, she elaborated a little. "Ayaka asked me to help change Ei's mind — Ei is that elder of the Kamisato family Zhongli mentioned before, the one who's a bit... set in her ways. Anyway, for a whole chain of reasons, back then I had to defeat Ei before she would change her mind..."
"Then you totally wiped the floor with that stubborn granny, right?" Genta declared, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Not exactly," Xia Yu said, shaking her head with an awkward smile. "Honestly, if a few other people hadn't lent me a hand, I very nearly lost."