I was the fourth disaster in Yokohama and was loved by everyone.

A silver-haired samurai walked in the sunlight, the hem of his dark kimono brushing against the withered grass, a katana hanging at his waist.

Zhu Yu turned around and jumped over in surprise.

He's a reliable president, Fukuzawa!

This kind NPC often cares about players and gives them gifts.

On several occasions, he even escorted players to collect trash—although I don't know why his expression was so stiff when he stood there watching, and after the players finished collecting the trash, he immediately made them go to take a shower.

-------------------------------------

Zhu Yu (hopping around): Yay, picking up trash, picking up trash!

Fukuzawa Yukichi, who was passing by, exclaimed in shock: "Did this child fall into the garbage dump?"

Upon inquiry, it was discovered that he had come back from collecting trash.

Fukuzawa Yukichi (sighs): ...I'm really worried about him.

He stopped Zhu Yu and earnestly advised him that he should take a bath if he got dirty.

The "cleanliness value" isn't something you can ignore unless it drops below the danger line!

Anyway, once you lie down on the bed, your "cleanliness level" will automatically recover...

Players don't understand, players sigh.

But Zhu Yu pretended to understand, greeted Fukuzawa Yukichi, and then skipped away.

Fukuzawa Yukichi: ......

Having raised Ranpo for many years and having considerable experience dealing with problem children, Fukuzawa Yukichi realized that the child was not listening at all.

Vision is a dirty cat who came back from playing in a mud puddle, his fur covered in mud. Because he was not guided by an adult cat, he had no common sense about survival and did not even know that he should clean his fur when it got dirty.

Fukuzawa Yukichi had a headache that he hadn't experienced in a long time. He held down the dirty cat, intending to take it to get a bath.

Zhu Yu struggled slightly, meeting the other person's disapproving gaze...

Zhu Yu: Hmm... A green-named NPC is offering players a free bath! Why not go?

Obediently following behind Fukuzawa Yukichi, he was thoroughly washed and changed into a new set of clothes.

The starting gear you get when you land in the game—a white T-shirt and jeans that increase various stats—was still dirty before midnight when it refreshed.

She first unequipped the items and changed into the new clothes that Fukuzawa Yukichi had bought for her, so that her newly maxed-out "Cleanliness Value" wouldn't drop again.

Currently, the stat bonuses from the [Clothing] equipment she obtains in the game are similar to her beginner gear, and the durability is very low, making it easy to break during combat. It also doesn't refresh at midnight, and gets dirty quickly while wearing it.

Comparing the two, the beginner outfit is more durable and doesn't require frequent purchases of new ones, so she has worn the beginner outfit for years and rarely equips herself with new clothing.

Today, you're a thrifty player again!

After that, whenever Fukuzawa Yukichi encountered Zhu Yu picking up trash on the street, unless he was in a hurry, he would silently follow her and keep an eye on her—he would not force her to change her hobby of picking up trash, but he would at least cultivate her awareness that she should take a shower after picking up trash!

The player, happily rummaging through the trash can, was unaware that she had already attracted the attention of a reliable adult.

So, whenever she was lazy and didn't take a shower or use any cleaning tools after picking up trash, if Ranpo bumped into her, he would turn around and grumble and complain to Fukuzawa Yukichi.

The gift that Fukuzawa Yukichi was supposed to give her that day would be canceled (crying).

Despite Fukuzawa Yukichi's disapproving expression, Zhu Yu could only helplessly stare at the [Cleanliness Value]. As soon as it dropped below the passing grade, she would immediately rush to take a bath or use an item.

Under Mr. Fukuzawa's intensely noticeable gaze, the player who had been dressed like a beggar finally started to look presentable...

*

"Hello, Mr. Fukuzawa."

“Kuko, it’s time to go back.” Fukuzawa Yukichi’s voice was cold and stern, but softened slightly when he saw her.

He carefully examined her from head to toe, making sure not a single hair was missing, and his brow relaxed almost imperceptibly: "Thank goodness you're alright."

"Ranpo said you might run into a strange person today." He stepped forward and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes. "He said you wouldn't be in any danger, but he's still a little worried."

"Of course, me too... Okay, let's go."

Zhu Yu glanced back at the park, made sure there was nothing to "pick up," nodded, and left with Fukuzawa Yukichi.

The silver-haired warrior kept a half-step distance from Zhu Yu as they walked side by side, so that he could draw his sword to protect her immediately should anything happen.

However... when the other person sees something new and runs away, he has no choice but to follow.

Fukuzawa Yukichi (sighs): ...This child has so much energy.

Fortunately, as a samurai, he trained every morning and never slacked off in his daily exercise. His excellent physical condition allowed him to keep up with her through all sorts of running around without much difficulty.

Of course, Zhu Yu, who was getting bored, enthusiastically invited the other person to ride on his vehicle—a children's bicycle.

She confidently asserted that she could carry the other person on her back while riding, which would be very convenient and save her a lot of trouble.

Fukuzawa Yukichi remained silent and decisively refused.

Thus, a scene unfolded where a player was riding a bike ahead, while the serious club president hurriedly followed behind...

If you were to ask if there had ever been a situation where you accidentally rode too fast and left someone behind.

That must have happened, and that's why Zhu Yu realized that in this little game, NPCs couldn't automatically follow players when they ran fast!

This often resulted in her running too fast and leaving NPCs behind, and she even failed her missions several times because she lost NPCs.

In the end, she had no choice but to reload her save and start over, obediently matching the NPC's slow movement speed.

The player, who had been filled with bitter tears, now considered herself a considerate player. She deliberately rode slowly, just to wait for President Fukuzawa.

Haha, isn't that praiseworthy?

The two walked to the entrance of the dessert shop.

Through the glass door of the dessert shop, Ranpo could be seen waiting inside. The moment the wind chimes rang, he looked up at Zhu Yu and Fukuzawa Yukichi as they pushed open the door, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

Well, the president must have had a tough time on the road...

"Please have a seat, the famous detective has been waiting for a long time." He pointed to the seat opposite him with his fork, his voice light as if he were discussing how delicious today's special dessert was. "Today is the famous detective's favorite 'cheap dessert' special—after all, we might have to talk about some unpleasant things later."

"Alright, now—tell me everything!"

Chapter 86 Same as always, it's like this...

Ranpo indicated that this strange person was extremely dangerous and might have a deeper purpose in approaching her, but because he hadn't met him in person and lacked sufficient clues, Ranpo himself couldn't draw any conclusions.

So Ranpo asked her to describe the whole process of meeting someone, making sure not to miss any information revealed in his words.

Zhu Yu briefly recalled in her mind and began to narrate—

When they heard Zhu Yu say that the other person's name was Verlaine and that he claimed to be her brother, both Ranpo and Fukuzawa Yukichi's pupils trembled.

Ranpo suddenly opened his eyes, his relaxed expression vanishing. Fukuzawa Yukichi, on the other hand, instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword.

They had certainly heard of Verlaine, the "King of Assassins," who was known as the "Transcendent One," whose attempt to assassinate the Queen at her coronation and then gracefully leave was reported in the newspapers, causing a great uproar.

Although it was not the Queen herself who died, but her double, this incident undoubtedly caused the Clock Tower Attendants, the supernatural organization loyal to the British Royal Family, to lose face.

In addition, he committed numerous assassinations that shocked both the real and underworld worlds. His ghostly assassination methods and powerful supernatural abilities allowed him to roam freely in the underworld, and to this day, no individual or organization has been able to successfully capture him.

It seems... things are getting complicated.

Ranbu lowered her eyes and listened quietly to Zhu Yu's rambling narration—it was obvious that she hadn't understood much of what the other person was saying at the time, and then summarized it in her own words.

Zhu Yu: Aba aba, do not disturb.

However, she didn't miss any of the ominous-sounding keywords such as "inhuman," "away from the crowd," "clearing obstacles," and "walking together."

Those leaping pieces of information transformed into flowing codes in his eyes, being deconstructed, reassembled, and ultimately forged into a complete chain.

He raised his hand and put on his thick-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting light so quickly that they momentarily obscured the sharp glint in his emerald eyes, just like the intricately working algorithm in his mind, analyzing every single variable.

The eyes behind the lenses were incredibly bright, like the first ray of sunlight piercing through the clouds after a storm.

He suddenly raised his face, a confident smile playing on his lips, as if he had already seen the dawn after the fog.

He said, "The famous detective already knows!"

Zhu Yu blinked blankly, then clapped along in agreement.

*

The familiar, salty, damp air seeped into his collar with the night breeze, like countless icy hands tugging at the hem of his clothes.

Night flows through the streets and alleys of Yokohama, and the moonlight transforms into a silver comb, blurring the sharp angles of the buildings into silhouettes.

As he turned the third street corner, his breath suddenly caught in his throat.

The halo of the streetlights, like a ring of yellowed old film, enveloped the figure bent over beside the trash can—

A young girl, wearing rubber gloves, was rummaging through a trash can.

She seemed oblivious to the stench emanating from the trash can, focusing intently on rummaging through the pile of discarded items as if they contained priceless treasures.

The rummaging motion was precise and hit the target directly. The black hair draped over her shoulders swayed with the movement, and the ends of her hair were covered with colorful ribbon fragments from who-knows-where.

"Found it!" She held up a brown bottle, the contents of which were unknown, and a dark patch on her face stood out under the light.

She nodded in satisfaction, casually stuffed the bottle into a small bag she was carrying, and continued searching intently.

His gaze fell on the other person's dirty cheeks and messy hair, and he smiled softly.

A handful of cold ashes, quietly remembering the familiar warmth. Some embers, even time cannot extinguish.

Spring, having lost its way, will eventually return to the soil it cannot bear to part with.

A sudden, bittersweet warmth welled up in my chest, like a butterfly that had been hibernating for a long time awakening deep within my heart, gently fluttering its wings.

"Still the same as always..." A soft sigh, like something passing through a long tunnel of time, finally landed gently on this land at this moment.

He walked slowly forward, his footsteps shattering the moonlight on the ground. When he finally stopped beside her, his shadow tacitly enveloped her hands as she rummaged through the trash can.

He took out a beige handkerchief from the inside pocket of his clothes.

"Please use it if you don't mind."

This sentence brought back the attention of the girl who was diligently rummaging through the trash, namely Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu: Oh no, I got so caught up in rummaging through the trash cans that I didn't notice any NPCs approaching.

Curious, she turned her head to see which NPC had disturbed the great player's trash can "collection plan".

The moment his gaze fell upon the newcomer, his mouth involuntarily opened, and his pupils suddenly contracted in the warm light, shrinking into thin lines like a cat's eyes.

She was completely stunned.

He smiled, and looking down, one could clearly see the complex emotions flickering in Zhu Yu's pupils—surprise, curiosity, and a hint of uncertainty.

Cat in confusion.jpg

It's very easy to understand.

He smiled.

Chapter 87 is just about caring about his wife~

He was like a gray silhouette casually cut from the crowd, his black trench coat wrapped around his slightly thin shoulders and back, his wide trousers hanging loosely at his ankles, and even the edges of his shoes were covered with unwashed dust.

Her hair was a neat short cut, with stray strands casually falling across her forehead, partially obscuring her dark eyes with faint crow's feet.

The Asian face that was completely unremarkable, looking to be around thirty or forty years old, was just the kind of random passerby you'd brush past on the street and wouldn't remember at all.

Although there are some differences when converting the chibi art style into a live-action model, there are not too many differences, and the features are so obvious that you can immediately match the chibi image with the live-action model.

But... this was completely different from the long-haired beauty she had imagined!

Zhu Yu remained silent, tilting his head back to repeatedly check the name box above the NPC's head—[Attil Rimbaud].

Before leaving Japan, Rimbaud revealed his true identity to her, briefly recounting the story of Arthur Rimbaud, a French intelligence agent.

At that time, the name box above his head was also updated.

That's right... it's the player's Rimbaud wife, but she looks different!