BWDC:SDDK Chapter 125: Many Sharp Tools for Dealing with Vampires
On the highway.
Mouri Kogoro sat in the driver's seat, heading toward the destination of this commission. Although he should have kept his mind entirely on the road conditions while driving, he couldn't help but complain when he saw the extra person in the rearview mirror.
"You naturally wicked brat, Ren! How did you end up hitching a ride in my car again?!"
"You have a commission this time too? Why don't I believe that?"
Last time, when they went to the Nagamoto Group's villa, Ren Ichimonji had claimed that Hattori Heiji had commissioned him to come along. Mouri Kogoro hadn't said much then. But this time, there was absolutely no way anyone had invited Ren; it felt like the kid was simply hitching a ride for the sake of it!
However, he couldn't understand why Ren would want to hitch a ride to the Dracula Villa.
Seriously, what was so great about the Dracula Villa? The Nagamoto Group's villa was one thing, but the Dracula Villa had nothing worth seeing. No—it would be more accurate to say that if it were even slightly pleasant to look at, it wouldn't be called the Dracula Villa.
"I'm warning you, once we get there, if you get kicked out, I'm not making a special trip to drive you back," Mouri Kogoro muttered. "You'll just have to run back yourself!"
However, Mouri Ran and Conan, who knew Mouri Kogoro quite well, didn't take these words seriously at all. Mouri Kogoro had always been a man whose words were sharper than his heart. Even if he met a stranger in need of help, he couldn't resist stepping in, let alone someone like Ren who had already become an acquaintance.
Even if the owner of the Dracula Villa didn't welcome Ren, Kogoro would likely make a special trip to send him back to Tokyo before resting. At worst, he just wouldn't believe Ren's lies next time and wouldn't bring him along on a commission again.
"Mr. Ren, do you know who the owner of this Dracula Villa is?" Ran asked curiously, sitting by the left window with Conan sandwiched between her and Ren. "I've never heard of this Dracula Villa before."
Conan, stuck in the middle like a piece of cheese in a sandwich, nodded. He hadn't heard of it either; it sounded like some third-rate author from the roadside.
However, Ren spoke up, "The owner of the Dracula Villa is Torakura Daisuke."
"He is a famous horror novelist. His status is probably a tier lower than that famous ninja novelist, Tsukigata Ryutaro. His favorite subject is horror novels themed around vampires."
"Because of this, Mr. Torakura Daisuke's home is known as the Dracula Villa, and he himself is called Mr. Dracula. It seems he only recently started trying to pivot his style, researching some..."
Mouri Kogoro suddenly interrupted from the driver's seat, "Why does what you're saying sound so familiar?"
The more he listened, the more it felt off. He quickly adjusted the interior mirror to look at Ren's hands, and then he saw it: the Torakura Daisuke special edition horror magazine that Ren was holding—the very one Kogoro had been reading before getting into the car, intending to use it to show off in front of his daughter and Conan.
Dammit, those are my lines! If you say them, what am I supposed to say?
"Uncle Mouri, the book you brought on board just happens to have an introduction to Torakura Daisuke's life. I'm just reading along," Ren replied immediately.
Beside him, Conan looked at Mouri Kogoro's face in the front seat, which was turning red with frustration because his lines had been stolen. Conan chuckled inwardly—That's what you get for cramming at the last minute and not hiding it. Now that someone else has stolen your lines, you've got nothing left to say, right?
Though he was laughing to himself, Conan didn't believe Ren actually knew nothing about Torakura Daisuke before deciding to come. He wasn't just "cramming" like Uncle Mouri. Ren seemed like the type who liked to have everything prepared before starting.
"Torakura Daisuke's habits are very similar to Dracula's."
Sure enough, after raising Mouri Kogoro's blood pressure, Ren finally started delivering the real substance. Hearing this, not only Ran and Conan became interested, but even Mouri Kogoro pricked up his ears to hear what Ren had investigated.
To this, Ran quickly asked, "Who is Dracula?"
Ren, Conan, and Mouri Kogoro: "?"
Alright, now I know who in the car knows the least about horror novels. Dracula is one of the most famous vampire figures in the world, and Ran didn't even know that. It only proved that Ran was truly afraid of ghosts and didn't touch horror novels at all.
Ren explained, "Dracula is one of the most famous vampire figures in the world."
"The reason Torakura Daisuke is called Mr. Dracula and his villa is called the Dracula Villa is fundamentally because his habits and dress are extremely similar to the Dracula in movies."
"To put it plainly, Torakura Daisuke is practically a full-blown vampire himself."
"His house is constantly playing vampire movies, filled with various vampire-themed props, and he wears vampire clothes. You could call him a 'vampire fanatic.' Don't be startled when you see him later."
Just hearing Ren's description made Ran tremble slightly with fear. She hugged Conan like a pillow and said nervously, "Then... then Torakura Daisuke couldn't actually be a vampire, could he?"
Held in Ran's arms, Conan's face instantly turned bright red. It was only because Ran's mind was completely elsewhere that she didn't start suspecting he was Kudo Shinichi again. He lay in her embrace, not daring to move. While it felt a bit "uncomfortable," upon second thought, it didn't seem uncomfortable at all.
"Don't worry, I've come prepared for this."
Ren's voice was calm and certain. Hearing those words, Ran finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, she watched in amazement as Ren pulled out a Bible thick enough to knock someone unconscious and a wooden cross as long as his arm from somewhere. She was beyond shocked.
————Where exactly was he keeping those?
Even Conan, in Ran's arms, was stunned. Seriously, are you really here to fight vampires? You're not wearing a priest's robe under your clothes too, are you?
"In any case, rest assured."
"Even if he's a 'Celestial Being' vampire, I have a way to deal with him."
As Ren thought of this, he couldn't help but touch a mysterious little symbol he had prepared in advance. This symbol could make people subconsciously raise their right arm forty-five degrees. It was a specialized "anti-Celestial Being" vampire tactic.
"Besides that, I also brought garlic. If you want, you can hang a string of it around your neck."
"They say garlic has the power to repel vampires. It even has a special effect against zombies; I once saw a zombie take a bite of garlic, nearly vomit, and then take a different path, never daring to touch garlic again!"
Conan: "?"
This garlic you're talking about... which garlic is it? Did a guy wearing a metal pot on his head tell you this stuff could stop zombies?
End of Chapter
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