THE grim mountains of Afghanistan have always been forbidding places where tribesmen and travellers lived in fear of bandits, and bandits lived in fear of no man.

That morning, countless centuries ago, was no exception. The sun rose above the craggy horizon and spilt across the desolate province of Badakhshan. In a district called Charan, on the right bank of the River Oxus, just twenty miles from Ish-kashm, alone, a robed figure stood on a rocky outcrop some meters above the rugged landscape below.

He was an old merchant from the markets of India, having worked for over 40 years in the business, and his fierce eyes were focused on something he clutched in his weathered hands. Behind him was a slot carved in the rock face. Only minutes before, it had been the scene of frantic activity.

In truth though, the work that had brought the old merchant to this wilderness had begun a week ago. And it had begun in the way that was honoured by time in this fearful place. Its opening had first been cut into the rock, a gash wide enough for a man to enter: Once the man had found a vein of red rock, the other miners he brought with him soon cut a passageway along the red seam.

Blazing torches lit the narrow passage. As the miners worked their way deeper into the rock, the first rubies they discovered were small. The miners called them piadеhs or foot soldiers. Further digging revealed larger rubies of better quality, and these were called Sowar, or horse soldiers.

As the excavation progressed, the miners had found bigger and better stones, beginning with tourmaline, Emeralds and kunzite, until at last, they struck the king jewel, a bright red ruby of such fine quality that the mine would then be abandoned and another started elsewhere. It had always been thus.

The robed merchant examined what the miners had presented him minutes before, a ruby greater in size than a pigeon's egg. The old man had never seen a ruby so intense, as red as the colour of blood, with fire in its depths. It was a jewel so pure, so precious that his heart pounded against his rib cage.

The rumours were true after all, the merchant thought to himself.

According to his networking, he learned that this mine used to be a private property of the exiled Royal family of Afghanistan. If memory serves him right, there had been rumours that there is a bright red ruby from this mine, which is why the royal family bought it in the first place. Legend has it that the first queen of Afghanistan had a penchant for red rubies, so when they got married, the king bought this in a wimp for her as their honeymoon gift. With the monarchy wiped out, this mine was left to be on its own and long forgotten by the government.

Thank Allah for the connections he had made, or else this mine will never be discovered.

The merchant hefted it in the palm of his hand. He judged its weight to be at least two tolas a jewel worth a ransom in the markets of India. He raised his eyes to the heavens.

A lone hawk wheeled in the sky, a single bird of prey, a bad omen if ever the old merchant had seen one. His bony fingers clasped the ruby tighter.

This jewel would finally break free of his poverty with his six kids and wife, he finally declares this to himself with a twinkle in his eyes. His family have been living in a poor state for over six generations and with this ruby, there will be dreams he could finally fulfil that he wasn't able to live throughout his life, let alone, his children. They deserve an education, as well as live in a bigger fancy house where each has their own bedrooms rather than share together with his wife. A beautiful dress he owed to his wife, not to mention, a simple wedding ring she deserves. And of course, uproot his merchant business to a better country with brimming opportunities. With this ruby, life will change for the better.

Plus maids and butlers, he would need that to keep the house clean while he and his wife attend future fancy balls to network with other rich powerful individuals to do his merchant business. Also the payment for the men who were with him, for they have been by his side for over 10 years.

For right, he finally has it: The King of Rubies: Or in another term, the Rajah's Ruby.

Had the old man been more observant, he would have noticed the approach of the invaders coming after him and his men. The quick flash of a sword in the sun, the swish of a robe, the bob of a turban, but alas, his attention was caught by the ruby.

Had the old man been faster and more alert, his blood would not have been the first to stain the ancient rocks. But it did, gradually, the life in his eyes diminished as quickly as the flames of the torches in the mine, wiping out all of his hopes and dreams for his wife who is still waiting at home for him to return for dinner, even his six loving children, wondering what is the surprise their beloved father had in store for them tonight.

The Kunduz chief then gave orders and his men descended on the mine, slaughtering those who opposed them and canning the others into slavery. He even ordered them to end the life of the merchant's family, let alone, the merchant's loyal men, so that no one could ever report them for their crimes.

And while the fabled mines of Badakhshan were lost in the mists of time, the ruby that fell from the hands of the slain merchant created a legend of its own.

The men who later discovered it called it the Rajah's Ruby, the proudest of all the regal rubies.

It has been the ultimate symbol of power, wealth, and prestige. From the ancient courts of India to the palaces of Europe, this rare and magnificent gemstone has been sought after by kings, rajahs, and emperors, who sought to adorn themselves with its blazing, blood-red brilliance.

Its deep, rich color is said to evoke the fire of passion and the power of the sun, and its rarity and beauty have made it one of the most valuable and sought-after gems in the world. From the mines of Myanmar to the bazaars of the Middle East, the King of Rubies has been treasured by cultures and civilizations across the globe.

But along with its allure, the King of Rubies is rumored to carry a curse. Some say that those who possess it will be plagued by misfortune, that its beauty is offset by a dark energy that brings bad luck and disaster. Stories of kingdoms falling, dynasties collapsing, and empires crumbling in the wake of the King of Rubies have been passed down for generations.

Despite these rumors, many have continued to seek the King of Rubies, drawn to its beauty and mystique. For some, the curse is simply a myth, a tale meant to scare off potential competitors. For others, the risk is worth taking, for the King of Rubies is a symbol of prestige and wealth like no other.

Whether or not the curse is real, one thing is for certain: the King of Rubies is a gem of unmatched beauty and power, and its allure will always be irresistible to those who seek it. Whether they will be blessed or cursed, only time will tell.

.........

ONE thousand years later and a world away from Badakhshan, Fuyuko Junko strolled in a shopping mall not far from their Teitan Elementary school alongside Majima Michio, her school classmate/friend/crush at around 10 am. By now, they should've been in school on a Monday, having their school lunch there.

Instead, here they are, getting their meals far from their school. All thanks to the irresponsible founder of Tantei Association, Kudo Ranran.

Damn that girl, Junko gritted her teeth as she took a couple of sandwiches that is sufficient for her and Michio's class."I am so going to kill Ranran for what she has done...."Junko grumbled as they browse for their food from the fridge of a convenience shop.

Michio who was accompanying the 4th grader girl next to him just sighed and said, "She is just doing her job as a detective, Junko. Don't blame it so harshly on her."

"Yeah, I know. She did help us."Junko clicked in disapproval without looking the blue jacket boy in the eye, inspecting the bottle of milk's expiry date before adding it into the basket."It's her damn methods that I detest the most. Otherwise, we wouldn't be continuously dealing with the harsh stares we are getting from other adults who happen to spot us here on a school day."She spat bitterly before the two browsed the other shelves for other food options in stock.

But Junko never met a little girl as ruthless, let alone, as cruel as Kudo Ranran. She is 6 years old, yet she never hesitated to do anything, even if it was illegal, or the fact it risk the lives of innocent people, she had no care in the world!

Like that incident not long ago involving a serial child kidnapper lolicon who has been prowling in Beikai mall to do all those disgusting crap to his victims before leaving them dead, when Tantei Association took over the case, Ranran made use of an innocent child her age as bait, but at the price of their trauma.

Why she did do that? Simple, because Ranran caught on that Ran had been muting Shinichi's smartphone whenever Ranran made a call to seek help.

In Ran's defence, she didn't do it out of malice. After the events of 'The Illegitimate Extra', the cases they have been receiving had increased, so Shinichi at some point fell asleep on the table in their HQ, for he wasn't used to dealing with so many cases the way Ranran was. He is after all a 6-year-old little boy. Sympathizing him, Ran believed Ranran was abusing his apprentice-ship by ordering him to do all of the heavy load while she sit back and relax, so she did the only reasonable thing by muting his phone.

However, what Ran didn't know was that the two were busy looking for the kidnapper at that time as one of the victim's clients requested them to do it anonymously. That's why whenever Ranran tried to call Shinichi, he wasn't contactable.

So on the day as soon as Ranran spotted the elusive dangerous man, Ranran did the only thing that was logical: she had Sonoko be the bait of the lolicon since Shinichi could not be reached.

Of course, after that Christmas tree episode where Ranran made Sonoko dress up like one and sing Levan Polka in front of 4000 plus Teitan Elementary kids during the assembly, Ranran knew the one brain cell heiress was not going to oblige on something as dangerous as this. Then again, she thinks Ran only had herself to blame.

It wasn't that Ranran was petty, but at that time, a total of 10 kids were murdered within the course of a week, and they didn't want any more kids dying in such a degrading manner, so time was running out for her and her apprentice. Also, she long suspected it was Ran behind it as Takuma had notified her that he had seen her touching Shinichi's phone multiple times. If Ran was going to continue rebelling in her efforts to protect kids, Ran needed to be taught a lesson big time.

So Ranran made sure to wait during peak hours of the mall when many women began using the public restroom, then, Ranran made a purchase of a beautiful white dress of Sonoko's size (she knew it because someone once commented about it in their school changing room), then stole Sonoko's clothes she hung on the door while she was changing in the toilet cubicle for she was planning to swim in the mall's swimming pool.

After that, Ranran sneaked out and waited in a hidden corner.

Within a few minutes, the idiot thought she got lucky that someone from Heaven blessed her with a beautiful white dress, reminding her of a fairy.

Big mistake, Ranran did it because she knew that was the serial killer's preference: He loves little girls in white dresses. And before she knows it, Sonoko was kidnapped by the man as he drugged her thinking she is going to be his 11th victim.

But Ranran was a schemer, she didn't do this alone without inviting Genzo and the other police over to the mall for an undercover investigation in advance. With all the doors within the mall sealed, he was arrested and Ranran got the credit. Though she was initially scolded severely by Shinichi and Ran over her actions, after she revealed what Ran did to his phone and that the kidnapper almost got away, he scolded Ran instead and his anger that was initially directed towards Ranran's unsympathetic demeanour subsided as if it never happen in the first place.

Sure, nothing bad happen to Sonoko as she wasn't touched inappropriately or murdered unlike the victims, but she had to go for bloody therapy thanks to Ranran! Did Ranran not care when Sonoko was sobbing miserably and was feeling traumatized by the whole ordeal!?

No, of course not.

Junko recalled when all the members learn of this, everyone except Shinichi and Takuma scolded Ranran, but she didn't care. Even Emiko and Michio think Ranran took it too far, but nope, Ranran silenced everyone by announcing: "Alright, if something like this happens in the future and anyone of you tried to call for help from either Shinichi, Takuma or my help, why don't I silence everyone's smartphone and let them sleep, while you all helplessly watch the disgusting bastard touch another kid!!!"

After that, no one dared to argue with Ranran anymore.

Seriously, Junko thinks there is seriously something wrong with Ranran. Even the bullies in this school never resort to doing the things she did! No wonder Ran always accused Ranran to be a manipulative yandere who didn't hesitate to take advantage of Shinichi, a.k.a Ran's crush (or if the rumours were believed to be true, Ranran's current boyfriend). Ran described Shinichi used to be a sweet, understanding boy. But ever since he met Ranran who Ran accused of luring him with his dreams of becoming a detective, he was cold towards Ran and no longer do anything she asked her to do. Instead, he listens to Ranran and worships her as if she was the centre of his world.

That's right, he even sided with Ranran on using Sonoko as bait!

In his defence, Shinichi later quotes the very word Ranran once said to them, "She had to sacrifice one for the lives of the majority. Also, Sonoko's brain ain't benefitting the world in a good way, after what she did towards me my whole life."

Honestly, Junko can't help and wonder who the hell gave birth to a psychopath like Ranran!? That girl should've been thrown in prison for doing something so vicious instead of working as a detective! In Junko's eyes, Ranran is nothing but an ambitious little fox who would do anything to hurt people in the name of justice, even if it meant manipulating and controlling everyone around her!

"Does it matter? We ain't skipping school, you know? We had permission from our own school that we are allowed to buy food outside the school, that is why they extended the recess for over an hour and a half because of the distance to get food between the school to the shops and convenient shops is kinda far."Michio pointed out, before he adds, "Also, we have the additional option of making our own bentos through our parents or ourselves."

"You don't understand, Majima."Junko exhale before ranting to him, "My mother recent job had her working longer hours than usual, and my maternal grandmother couldn't cook and prepare meals for me as much as she used to as she is getting too old to walk around. The school meals were a huge convenience at that time, till Ranran destroyed everything!"

"Fuyuko..."

Michio sympathizes with Junko as she continued her rambling, "I ain't like Ranran or Shinichi who had their grandparents' private chef to help them prepare meals whenever their parents aren't around, not like Takuma and Emiko whose mom are housewives and have the time to cook for them. Also, I ain't good in cooking like Ran and you are."

"You can always learn, you know? I or Ran can teach if you just ask."Michio offered.

"No, I think having learned to make a sandwich for me is enough."Junko decline the offer, before huffing, "It's just awful that the ingredients nearby my place for making a sandwich ran out. Also..." her eyes then cast onto the lady cashier in her 40's, "I don't like dealing with that woman, giving us those judgemental stares that we may have skipped school."

"Ah, that woman...she used to work as a discipline teacher in some school," Michio recalled as he observed the cashier from afar.

"You know her?!"Junko was stunned, before asking, "How?"

"She regularly shops at my mother's place after retiring, she tends to be reasonable...at least, most of the time."Michio then carried the basket of their lunch for the day for Junko, "I'll carry it, you carried enough."

"Thanks, Majima, "Junko smiled, thinking that it was sweet of him to offer to carry the basket, despite knowing Junko is physically stronger than him since she got a black belt in martial arts.

As the two kids approached the counter, he shares, "I think she can be reasoned if we explain why we are here. She tends to be an overly caring teacher who hates the idea of kids playing truant, so she judges anyone if she spots a kid wandering on a weekday when it is supposedly a school day. "

"Majima, Ranran's actions...I don't know if anyone would even believe a word we said if we told them the truth."Junko laments in dismay.

"We will see, "Michio then placed the basket of goods on the counter in front of the cashier, before greeting the woman, "Good morning, Mrs Nakano."

"Majima Michio, skipping school with a girlfriend, I see?"Mrs Nakano frowned at the two, "I know you are a good boy who barely skips school, but love isn't a reason for you to do so."

"Ah ha ha, no. We ain't dating."Michio chuckled at Nakano's words, as the cashier sorted and scanned the food items while the price of the items appeared on the monitor.

"You ain't?"Both of the woman's eyebrows rose.

"Ah no, we ain't in a relationship, though...I am just waiting for him to say it."Junko reassures the lady, before stating, "We were forced to come here because of what happen in school. We have to go back eventually."

"What happened in school.....did something bad happened?"The woman wondered.

"Well....kinda off. To a point, most of us has no choice but to buy food here for a month."Michio couldn't help but deeply sigh.

"Woah, that serious?"The woman express in shock before her curiosity got the better of her, "May I ask...what happened?"

"Well...our food delivery truck was messed up, that's what."Junko gave her a reluctant smile, indicating to the convenience staff lady that it has to be serious. Sensing she was still waiting for either of them to speak, she explained,"There is this man who has been pocketing money by stealing our school food, so the rationing couldn't feed the entire school. Let alone, the poor kids."

"Oh, poor both of you."The woman gave them a pity look,"Did you report the police?"

"Well...we kinda work for the police."Michio was reluctant to say at that thought.

"Kinda?" The woman's eyebrows rose, "Odd choice of words, I see."

"Well, we are detectives, the ones who are in charge of solving cases when the cops aren't available. And ugh...one of the members managed to stop the thief from fleeing. In the process..."Michio was hesitant to share further, but he pushed it through, "We ended up having no food for a month."

'Because the idiot later hijacked a car and ran the thief over with it, when the thief tried to flee in the food truck. Long story short...the food that would've lasted us a month...now either of us has to either make food for ourselves from home or buy outside the school."Junko finished his sentence, not caring about what others might think.

"Oh..what an irresponsible adult."After scanning the food and bagging it in a plastic bag, Mrs Nakano covered her mouth in awe.

"Ah no, she is a 6 year old girl."Junko corrected her.

"Excuse me?! She is how old now?!"The former teacher wanted to know more about the incident, but then her boss could be heard at the back shouting not to talk too long with the customers and do her job.

Reluctantly, she then asked the kids to pay before the two children left the shop.

"Alright, that will be 600 yen. Jesus, how can a six-year-old kid be capable of such a thing?!"The teacher couldn't help but wonder as the two left the curious woman and headed their way back to school by entering the carpark.

"Fuyuko, if it wasn't for her, the other kids' parents would've been robbed blindly continuously by that scumbag delivery guy who has been stealing our food supply, alright? After all, the food in our school is paid for by all of the parents, including ours."Michio pointed out as he carried the purchased goods while his sights were in the mall compound.

"Even so, all of us in school couldn't eat for a month thanks to her!"Junko expresses her dissatisfaction with that thought, before adding, "Did you hear that the thief family's tried suing the school because of what she had done!? He is still in a bloody coma!"

"But they lost the lawsuit anyway."Michio shrugs as Junko shook her head in disapproval, which Michio noticed, "I don't understand why you and Ran are always criticising her efforts. At the end of the day, she did save lives."

"She did, I'll admit that she did better than the cops around here."Junko rolled her eyes.

"....but?"Michio prompted, as he knows she always had many things to say about their morally ambiguous leader.

"Whenever I said 'leave it to the cops', it wasn't without reason."Junko paused before stating, "There is a price to pay if one lives their life dangerously as Ranran does. I don't know if you feel the same as her, Majima, but it ain't worth it if our lives will be in her expenses for the case we solved."

And that was when Michio and Junko saw a man falling before them.

He had a skin colour that reminded Junko of copper, and his clothes appeared torn. He rocked on his feet, his hand clutching the side of his head, as he stumbled from the shadows.

"Oh my God, is that man alright?"Michio expressed as he and Junko exchanged worrisome glances before they rushed over to his side.

The man glanced at them in terror and muttered something in a strange language

"What happened to you?" Michio demanded."Did you have an accident?"

The man stared at them silently. Fear lit his eyes."Did somebody attack you?" Junko asked with a shiver noticing for the first time that blood trickled through his fingers.

The man tried to reply, lurching unsteadily as he tried to escape. Michio grasped his arm."Who are you?"

The wounded man groaned. "Rajah!" they heard him say as he struggled to catch his breath.

"What did he mean when he said 'Rajah'?"Michio became puzzled, and so was Junko.

"Could it be his name is Rajah?"Junko thinks.

Suddenly another voice came from behind them, reassuring the two, "It's okay, kids, I'll take care of him. That idiot...such a drunkard. He drank far too many bottles since yesterday, so he ended up running into things here and there."

Then Michio spun around and saw a tall blue-eyed stranger with a pale massive hawk-like face. A suit covers his frame. "This man's been injured," Michio told him

"He had a fall while getting out of the car earlier after I parked the car," said the blue-eyed stranger stepping forward. "I'll take care of him."

"But he needs a doctor!"Junko protested."He's bleeding."

The man with the blood trickling down his cheek pulled when the blue-eyed stranger grabbed away his arm. Michio jumped forward to shield the injured man."There's a doctor inside," he explained"Anyhow, who are you? Are you his friend?"

The stranger pushed Michio aside and hauled the wounded man toward the car park stairs. "We don't have time for doctors," he snapped. "I'll take him." His voice was clipped, and his accent was thick. German perhaps, thought Junko.

The stranger shot Michio a menacing look over his shoulder "You didn't see anything, kids, okay?"

And with that, they were gone.

Then Michio and Junko stared at each other."What do you think we should do?" she asked nervously

Michio then reached for his smartphone. "I'm contacting Ranran. Something very strange is going on and I think we need to talk about it."

"Do we need to? Maybe the other man with the accent could be right, you know? That he hurt himself when he was drunk."Junko suggested.

"No, that man was lying."Michio insist as the phone rang.

"Eh?! How did you know?"Junko became astonished.

"He said he was drunk, but I smell no alcohol when I got close to him."Junko's jaw fell at Michio's observation, while he wait for the receiver to pick up, "My mother taught me to stay away from men or women who are drunk by smelling alcohol from their breaths, as she said they tend to do horrible things to kids like us."

Blinking her eyes in confusion as she wonders why would his mother teach him that sort of thing, Michio explained, "I have no father, and she has to work to make a living to keep a roof above our heads. So she used to hire babysitters to look out for me. But then around that period, there were cases of babysitters murdering the kids they babysit for, so she told me to be wary if they try to do anything funny, this would protect me from them."

By this point, Junko frozed."So when you said he wasn't drunk-"

"He really wasn't drunk. I think...he could've been drugged before being kidnapped."Michio insist as this revelation sent chills to Junko's spine.