Chapter 913: Shosuke Menou

In the afternoon, Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture.

The car drove from Kobe, passed through the tunnel of Mount Rokko, and continued north along the Hanshin Expressway. The scenery outside the window shifted from the gray tones of the port city to the winter fields of the Kansai Plain, the withered yellow grass bending low in the wind then rising again, like a silent, breathing sea.

Uesugi Muneyuki sat in the back seat, Okada Masayoshi in the front passenger seat, and Ikeda Erena drove from the driver's seat.

The light outside the car window gradually shifted from the brightness of afternoon to the distinctive grayish-white of a winter afternoon, like thin gauze washed many times over. The navigation voice announced: "Approaching destination ahead," and "The terrible map will always guide you!"

Ikeda Erena slowed the car, and at the end of a wide tree-lined avenue, the iron gate slid open silently to both sides.

Uesugi Muneyuki felt somewhat nervous.

Osaka Prefecture—this is the territory of the Kansai New God.

But he had no choice but to come!

The car drove along the path and entered.

On both sides of the drive stood neatly trimmed Arhat pines, their trunks thick, their canopies shaped as if carefully tended for many years.

At the end of the drive stood a Sino-Western hybrid building, its walls off-white, its roof dark gray, classic Taisho Romanticism, clearly aged, its residents undeniably old money.

A man in a dark uniform stood at the gate, in his sixties, hair flecked with white, back ramrod straight.

He watched the car come to a stop, saw Uesugi Muneyuki step out first, then Okada Masayoshi, then Ikeda Erena circling from the driver's side; his gaze lingered on Okada Masayoshi's face for a moment, then shifted to Uesugi Muneyuki's, where it remained longer.

The sole son of the Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance, Okada Masayoshi, a National Hero.

Chief Medical Examiner of the Special Mission Division, Metropolitan Police Department, Uesugi Muneyuki, the Japanese Police's Final Weapon.

Tall Beauty who throws judo, female detective Ikeda Erena, the Boss's Assassin.

Weren't these people investigating a case in Kobe? Why are they here?

When these three simultaneously appeared at the Shosuke family's gate, the butler felt, in that instant, a vague but unignorable premonition that something major was about to happen.

"May I ask; ……"

"We; are…"

"No need, I know who you are. What brings you here?" The old butler interrupted them.

"We wish to see Miss Shosuke Menou; we have a matter to consult her about." Uesugi Muneyuki said: "It concerns the case."

"You're looking for the Young Lady?" The old butler blinked, wondering how the Young Lady could be involved with this Kantō lucky star and the Kobe grande belle. He lowered his head and said, "Please wait a moment," then turned and walked into the main house.

After a few minutes, he returned, stepped aside to clear the way.

"Miss is waiting for you in the living room."

The living room was more spacious than they had imagined.

The ceiling was high, hung with a crystal chandelier, its shade free of dust. The walls were white, adorned with several paintings, typical Song-Ming watercolor works, brushstrokes soft, as if painted by someone in leisure.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling window lay the courtyard, where several azaleas had been trimmed into spheres, and a small stone lantern, long covered in moss. The three were led into the living room.

The heating was on, the temperature inside a dozen degrees higher than outside, a thin mist coating the windows. The living room was large but sparsely furnished: a deep brown, slightly worn leather sofa, a coffee table, a display cabinet holding a few ceramic pieces of indeterminate age. On the wall hung a calligraphy piece, its strokes vigorous, reading: "Guard Simplicity, Return to Truth."

The signature read "Shosuke Seichou"—that is Shosuke Menou's grandfather, the former Prime Minister of Japan.

Below it was written "Exactly Enough"—this is Shosuke Menou's father, Shosuke Seiken.

Uesugi Muneyuki stood before that calligraphy for a moment, saying nothing.

Shosuke Menou rose from the sofa opposite to greet them.

She wore a milky-white knit dress, its hem above the knees, revealing slender legs wrapped in flesh-colored pantyhose. Her hair was medium-length dark brown, slightly curled, loosely draped over her shoulders, with no hair adornments.

Her features were of the type classified in traditional Japanese aesthetics as "Yamato Nadeshiko"—non-aggressive beauty, soft, expansive, like autumn sunlight, neither hot nor cold.

A beautiful Kansai lady of high standing.

"Mr. Uesugi, Mr. Okada, Miss Ikeda, please be seated."

She stood there, hands hanging loosely at her sides, slightly bowed, lips curved in a smile that was just right—neither too intimate nor too distant—her voice soft, tinged with a Kyoto accent: "May I ask, what brings you here?"

"Forgive the intrusion, Miss Shosuke, we came unannounced and without appointment; please pardon us." Okada Masayoshi bowed.

Uesugi Muneyuki sat on the sofa, Ikeda Erena beside him, Okada Masayoshi in the side chair. Shosuke Menou sat opposite them, lifted the teapot, and poured a cup for each: "Please help yourselves…… May I ask what has happened? I've also seen the recent news."

Uesugi Muneyuki did not touch his tea: "Miss Shosuke, we intrude boldly to ask one thing. Does your household keep cats? And are they adopted?"

"Huh? Why suddenly say that?" Shosuke Menou completely failed to understand.

"Because we've investigated a missing cat involved in the case—the cat from the victim's home in the Kobe Daireika case, adopted from the animal rescue organization 'Cat's Wall Outside Investigation Corps.' According to our investigation, you also seem to have adopted a cat from that same organization, is that correct?"

Shosuke Menou paused with the teapot in hand, set it back on the tray, her gaze shifting from Uesugi Muneyuki's face to Okada Masayoshi's, then back to Uesugi Muneyuki's, and said slowly: "Yes. Nanakoshi Sauce. A silver-gradient cat. Adopted last year from a rescue organization."

She gestured to the servant beside her; the servant turned and left the living room.

Upon returning, the servant held a large, silver-gray cat in their arms.

British Shorthair, silver gradient.

"Nanakoshi Sauce, adopted, temperament not great, likes to move feces, likes to harass people, yowls randomly, scratches, but fortunately the house is spacious, letting it roam the garden helps—I spent months reforming it."

Nanakoshi Sauce? What a strange name.

Ikeda Erena stared at this clearly ill-tempered silver-gradient British Shorthair; Nanakoshi Sauce clearly disliked this group, hissing, baring claws, wanting to leap, but was restrained.

Shosuke Menou took the cat into her arms, stroked its back. It began to purr.

Clearly, Nanakoshi Sauce only recognizes Shosuke Menou.

"Sexy cat!" Okada Masayoshi raised his eyebrows.

Uesugi Muneyuki gazed at the cat, his eyes resting on its fur for a moment: "Miss Shosuke, may I confirm—where did you adopt it from?"

Shosuke Menou tilted her head slightly, fingers lightly scratching the cat's chin: "Correct, from the 'Cat's Wall Outside Investigation Corps.' They have a branch in Osaka. Their adoption screening is very strict—I passed only after two home visits and one interview."

Uesugi Muneyuki did not respond, nor did Okada Masayoshi speak.

The living room fell silent for a moment, even the cat's purring became unusually distinct.

Shosuke Menou's gaze swept over their faces; beneath her gentle, composed smile, a hint of alertness finally appeared: "Mr. Uesugi…… is there something wrong with this cat?"

Uesugi Muneyuki gazed at the cat, curled in Shosuke Menou's arms, eyes half-closed, tail slowly swaying, throat emitting steady purrs: "Miss Shosuke, do you know? In the Kobe case, victim Yanaka Reika also adopted a cat. Likewise from the 'Cat's Wall Outside Investigation Corps.'"

Shosuke Menou's fingers paused on the cat's chin. The air in the room sank.

"I have a question, Miss Osaka, please answer truthfully." Uesugi Muneyuki asked in a deep voice.

"Is this relief organization often coming for home visits? Conducting sudden attacks? Even, threatening you and your family?"

The Osaka Prefecture Young Lady's pupils dilated slightly.

"Ah?! You guys…… what does that mean? I don't understand."

"Just say whether there is or isn't!"