Meanwhile, after a lovely meal at some other cafe within a 20-minute walking distance from the main HQ of Tantei Association, Shinichi was still staring hard at his smartphone, while he walked back alongside Ranran.

Shinichi was engrossed in examining the copy of the latest will that Ranran had sent him. He carefully scrutinized the details, looking for any inconsistencies or hidden clauses that might shed light on the situation.

Ranran glanced at him, noticing the intensity of his focus. "Find anything yet?"

Shinichi shook his head. "Not yet. This will is pretty straightforward, which is surprising considering the complexity of the situation."

Ranran frowned, deep in thought. "It's possible they're keeping the more sensitive information in a separate document, one that's not readily available."

"That's a possibility," Shinichi agreed. "We might need to dig deeper to find the answers we're looking for."

As they approached the Tantei Association, 5 minutes away, Shinichi had to ask. "Neh, Ranran."

"Yeah?"

"Just wondering...after hearing Emiko's story, will you be letting her remain in our HQ as a member?"  Ranran considered Shinichi's question as he persisted, "I know Emiko is telling the truth about her having no association with the royal family given her mother's history, but...I am worried this might drag us into something bigger than we anticipated."

"That's a valid concern," Ranran acknowledged. She looked at Shinichi, her expression serious. "But I also believe that we shouldn't have any issues."

"Eh?!"

"I didn't tell anyone this, but I contacted the same group of my Edgewood friends to look into that very Imperial family in Japan, so far, Emiko's story checked out all of the boxes, so we should be fine."

Shinichi's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"But we can't say we would be completely out of harm's way for now," Ranran admits, "Landon kidnapped Emiko to secure the throne, despite knowing that she doesn't carry much value should he marry her as an illegitimate royal, and we need to figure out what made him drastically do so."

"That's a good point," Shinichi agreed, still somewhat taken aback by the depth of Ranran's involvement in the matter, as frustration built up in him, "The problem is her biological father ain't even the king, but someone who is fifth-in-line....so what is there to gain for Landon's part?"

No sooner than they stood in front of the boutique shop, that Raanran's smartphone chirped. Notcing that the caller ID is seemingly private, Ranran answered out of curiosity, "Hello?"

A vaguely familiar voice cut into the 6-year-old girl's thoughts. "Where is the boy?"

Realizing the caller was speaking in English, she replied in her mother tongue language, "Who the heck are you?" 

"We met before, Kudo Ranran, about Landon." 

Recognizing that tone, Ranran confronted, "General Stefan?" she stalled. "How the heck did you get my number?"

"That's not important," came the stern reply. "Where is Landon?"

"Who is that?" Shinichi peered.

Covering the smartphone, Ranran whispered to the apprentice, "It's him, The General."

Shinichi's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Switching to speaker mode, Ranran confronted, "What makes you think I would know? You brought that secret police from Norway all the way here to Japan to do your job after all."

"You know little girls your age who behave rudely never ends well," General Stefan's voice held a note of irritation as he confronted, "I heard it was you who put a hit out on me to the Japanese authorities, am I wrong!?"

"And so what if I did?" Ranran's eyes narrowed as she listened to General Stefan's accusation.

Shinichi watched Ranran closely, ready to step in if the situation escalated. He could sense the tension through the speakerphone. The General's voice grew even colder. "You are playing a dangerous game, young lady. You....still haven't learned your lesson, especially after what happened in Edgewood Academy 2 years ago."

That statement from General Stefan brought a curious look from Shinichi, while Ranran's expression hardened at his words, "So you didn't leave any stone unturned, huh?"

Shinichi's curiosity was piqued as he listened to General Stefan's mention of the incident at Edgewood Academy. He decided to ask Ranran when the conversation was over to shed light on what had happened.

"I am going to ask you again," the deep voice commanded."Where is the boy?"

"This prick!" Shinichi's nerve was getting the better of him before confronting him, "You had the audacity to play pretend, huh?! Even though you knew where Landon is."

"So you are not alone, I see? I am assuming the boy who is with you is Shinichi," The General warned him."You, where is Landon?"

"What should we bother to tell you?" The tension in the air was palpable as Shinichi's anger boiled over before retorting. "He was seen with you last night at the airport the other day."

To their surprise, Ranran and Shinichi heard General Stefan's startled exclamation, while the two frowned, wondering what was with his reaction.

"You both saw me with Landon!?" The General almost screamed over the phone, "Are you....sure about that!?"

Shinichi's patience ran thin. "To be honest, no. But one of the members did and tipped Sergeant Genzo out about it."

"Shinichi-"

"So try anything funny, and I will get the police to head straight to your embassy and pick you up. Is that clear?" Shinichi ignored Ranran while he spoke harshly over the phone.

"If you're lying..."

"General Stefan," To the shock of Ranran, the 6-year-old boy calmly yet coldly replied, "If you are interested to see whether if we were lying, why don't you go personally seek him out like you did back at that airport last night!"

The line fell silent for a moment after Shinichi's bold statement. Ranran looked at him, surprised by his assertiveness. She could tell that Shinichi was not going to back down. After what felt like an eternity, General Stefan finally spoke, his voice tense and controlled as what he said next surprised them both.

"In that case, I am sorry to have troubled the both of you."

And General Stefan was off the line while the two stared at Ranran's phone in disbelief.

"What just happened?" Shinichi asked, still processing the sudden turn of events.

Ranran shook her head, equally baffled. "I have no idea. But I think... I think you managed to make him back off."

Shinichi let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "But his reaction is odd, don't you think?" 

"Right? He sounded confused," Ranran wondered, "What is with that reaction?"

"Let's head back to the HQ, it's getting cold out here." Shinichi decided.

Ranran nodded in agreement, still mulling over the strange conversation they just had with General Stefan. As they walked back to the Tantei Association, "By the way, Ranran, what was he talking about? That incident 2 years ago General Stefan was talking about?"

The little girl's face turned serious. She glanced at Shinichi, debating how much to share. 

After a moment, she replied, "I took down a royal back in Edgewood Academy 2 years ago."

Shinichi's eyes widened, his surprise evident. "You... took down a royal?"

"Basically, that person is no longer a royal anymore, and it made that person very murderous."

"Damn...." Shinichi couldn't hide his astonishment. "Murderous is an odd choice of word."

"It is, because that person killed another in retaliation."

The apprentice was taken aback by the revelation. "That is extreme."

"A lot of kids in Edgewood would go through extreme lengths to keep their privileges", pushing the door open, she entered without looking back at him, "And she would be the first and last person to ever take a life for such reasons ever again."

Shinichi followed her inside, his mind still processing the weight of Ranran's revelation. He knew that Edgewood Academy was a place of privilege and power, but the extent to which it could drive someone to such extremes was shocking.

..........................................................................................

"Eh!? Landon's deceased grandmother and King Leif's ex-wife...both worked under the same company before!?"

Still waiting for the interview between Sergeant Genzo and Emiko to end, the rest of the members had gathered at the boutique shop of Michio's mother, while the pink vending machine door remains shut, implying the interview between Sergeant Genzo and Emiko hasn't ended in their association HQ.

The rest of the members were in awe while Ranran revealed, "With my contacts at bay, both women apparently used to work under the same hospital in Norway."

"No way!" Ran's eyes widened in surprise. "This means they were colleagues, right? That's a strange coincidence, isn't it?"

"And awkward,"  Junko grew amused at this thought, "One the legal wife, the other the adulterer."

"I guess that's one way to put it," Michio chimed in, shaking his head at the strange twists of fate that seemed to follow the Norwegian royal family.

"It makes you wonder how they interacted with each other at work," Takuma mused, "Did they know about each other's connections to King Leif?"

"Probably not," Ran decided, "Otherwise, things wouldn't have turned out the way they did."

"It would make some interesting workplace drama, that is for damn sure," Shinichi speculated, while turning to Ranran, "What is their profession in that hospital anyway?'

"Landon's deceased grandmother worked as an IVF doctor, while the ex-wife worked something related to surrogacy and adoption, something of that sort before quitting her job," Ranran explained.

"Wait, so they share the same workplace," Junko pieced it together, "Talk about irony."

"It's like a soap opera," Michio remarked.

"I think even if you expect a workplace drama, it wouldn't be 100 percent possible," Ranran crossed her arms at them, "As soon as one marries into royalty, they would be forced to give up their livelihoods to serve their family."

"What!? Why one should simply give up their dream just to marry a royal? Ain't this 21st century now?!" Shinichi was shaken.

"Exactly! That sounds outdated," Michio pouted.

"Ceremonial royal families nowadays relied on tax-payers money to survive and thrive, unlike those days one could just simply declare war and rob people's countries and stuff," Ranran replied, "To prevent that from happening, if one were to present themselves as likeable figureheads with a stellar reputation, that way, it won't give the people the excuse to remove them. That is the same thing they too expect from their future queen. If they let those future spouses keep their careers, people would simply go up to them and sweet-talk them to be their friends, then benefit or leach their way into high society, which will bring tons of problems to the royal family."

"That ain't fair," Shinichi argued, his brows furrowed before wondering, "Wait, but if the girl is royal, but the male isn't, would it be the same?"

"Of course," Ranran scoffed as she confirmed, "Queen Elizabeth II's husband was working as a naval officer before he retired. But when he married the Queen, he had to give up his career to support her in her role as the monarch."

"That is a low blow!" Takuma grew wide with horror, before realizing, "Wait, say if the guy is an athlete, does that count?"

"Yes, here we have Prince Daniel of Sweden Ranran nodded, "He used to be a personal trainer and gym owner before he married Crown Princess Victoria. After their marriage, he had to adjust his life and become a full-time royal."

Junko chimed in, "So, it's not just about the woman giving up her career, but anyone marrying into royalty has to do the same?"

"Exactly," Ranran confirmed.

"Well, that sounds fairly reasonable," Junko likes this idea with an impressed look, "It's always the girls who had to sacrifice everything for the guy."

"Same here," Ran grins.

"Oh no, that sounds very torturing to me," Michio grew pale at the thought of Junko sitting on the throne, gleefully ordering him around as if he were her servant.

"Why are you giving me that odd look, Michio?" Junko glared at Michio, feeling as if he was thinking the worst of her.

Feeling a tap on his arm, Michio turned to see it was Takuma, "You don't even have to think the worst," Takuma decided before directing Michio's eyes with his head towards Shinichi, "Just think of his apprenticeship under Ranran."

Michio's eyes widened as he considered Takuma's words. He turned to look at Shinichi, who had been by Ranran's side for over 3 months since. Suddenly, the idea of Shinichi being bossed around by Ranran who is acting like an authoritative queen seemed both amusing and fitting.

Speaking of which, since she is the founder of Tantei Association, Ranran constantly orders Shinichi around to carry out various tasks, some of which are menial, while others are crucial to their investigations. Shinichi, being the diligent apprentice, always obeys Ranran without complaint, even if it means fetching tea or poring over case files late into the night.

Though Michio nowadays thinks Shinichi may have taken this apprenticeship a little beyond overboard. Because he tends to jump at every command or suggestion from Ranran, even when it's not related to their investigations. It's almost as if he's become conditioned to fulfil Ranran's every whim.

During stakeouts, when they're waiting for hours on end if the temperature drops since it is still winter, Shinichi would make sure to bring over a hot flask filled with Ranran's tea at the perfect temperature and that she has everything she needs. On another occasion, Michio could recall, during their sixth major case, 'The Last Laugh' involving a deceased comedian murdered by her evil son, Felix, to get the inheritance, when Felix was on trial but the evidence owned by the cops went missing because it was misplaced, Shinichi, at the request of Ranran, went to the police station personally to retrieve the crucial piece of evidence that would turn the case around. 

But at the time, the distance between the courthouse and where the evidence was placed was rather far, forcing Shinichi to sprint through the busy streets. By the time he returned, he was out of breath and slightly dishevelled, but he handed the evidence to Ranran with a determined look on his face. Then there was this one time he was even been spotted holding an umbrella over Ranran's head in the rain, just to make sure she didn't get wet while one another stake out.

"Oh yeah, that too was bad," Michio shivered at that thought.

"Just remember, anytime you feel like being under Junko's thumb is the worst, think of Shinichi." Takuma elbowed quietly to him.

Meanwhile, Junko can't help but sneeze as Ran asks if she is alright.

"Nothing, I felt like someone spoke ill of me." Junko rubbed her nose.

..........................................................................................

No sooner than Sergeant Genzo had almost finished taking Emiko's statement, was when the group poured into the association HQ, Ranran questioned the Sergeant, "Neh, Sergeant Genzo, did you give our business card to General Stefan?"

"No, cause the last thing I would want was for you kids to be dealing with a case involving two countries! Why did you ask?"

"General Stefan contacted Ranran on the phone earlier," Shinichi revealed.

"Say what now!?" The other kids were shocked, as Sergeant Genzo leapt up to press them further. "What did he want?"

"Demanded to know where Landon is," Ranran said with a baffled look.

"Demand to what!?" Junko repeated those words before shaking her head in confusion, "Why would he be asking such a dumb question?!"

"Exactly!" Emiko frowned. "I saw them talking last night in the woods."

"That's what I told him," Shinichi said with a shrug. "But he talked as if we were bluffing."

"And did he sound as if he was lying?" Takuma probed.

"Doesn't sound like it," Ranran shook her head while rubbing her chin, "If anything, as soon as we said we did, he demanded to know whether what we said was the truth."

"Whatever it is, I think it's time I had a word with the Commissioner. Cause this case is getting messier by the minute." Sergeant Genzo shut his notebook. 

Michio shot him a curious look. "Do you think Takume's been killed?"

"Who knows?" Sergeant Genzo headed for the door. "Now remember, don't any of you leave headquarters without telling me, alright? No more framing, or drugging, or even going as far as to organize some shootout like the last time!"

But just as soon as the door closed behind him, Emiko's smartphone rang.

"Ah, it must be my Okaasan," she told the rest of the members nervously. 

But as soon as she answered the call, immediately her eyebrows shot up."Landon?! How did you get my number!?" she gasped.

The members of the Tantei Association exchanged puzzled glances. It seemed like the situation was spiralling into even greater complexity. Before anyone could react, Ranran put her index finger on her own red lips, signifying everyone to quietly take a seat and quietly listen to the conversation.

With Ranran taking out her notebook and a pen, she scribbled a note and held it up, the word: 'Set to speaker mode' came up before Emiko switched the mode on her smartphone.

Soon, Landon's voice burst out from the phone. "Emiko, what happened to you last night? Why did you run away?"

Emiko shot Ranran a terrified glance as the 6-year-old hastily scribbled another note before showing it in front of her. "Don't reveal to him about you seeing him with General Stefan yesterday night at the forest." As the artist read it anxiously, Landon's agitated voice rose in pitch. "Emiko, is somebody with you?"

"No. I'm alone, "She tried to sound calm. "I'm just surprised to hear from you, that's all."

"Well, why did you run away?" Landon demanded

Writing down the reason for Emiko, she read as if Ranran's words were her only salvation before acting out what Ranran instructed her to do, "I have many reasons: First, you had a gun pointed at me at the storage room at Haneda airport after I helped you take out the package from the locker, then second, you force me to ride on the same motorbike you got God knows where, thirdly, you then dropped off at some highway far from the airport in the middle of nowhere, on a night-time, with the wind howling and stuff, tell me, what would you do if you were me, Landon!? Especially being left alone in the middle of a forest at night?" Emiko flared.

Landon's voice on the other end sounded defensive. "I had to make sure we weren't followed, Emiko. It was for our safety."

"Followed? By who? And why the secrecy?" Emiko retorted, sounding frustrated.

Ranran motioned for Emiko to keep him talking, to see if he would reveal anything crucial.

"But I told you to wait," Landon snapped."I was going to come back."

"With no specific time!"She argued fiercely.

Ranran grinned and gave her a thumbs-up sign, while the other children watched in silence.

"Emiko..." Landon dropped his voice."Listen to me. I'm sorry about last night. Cause...a lot has happened after I stole Ran's money to get to the airport before your arrival. Anyway, when I went back looking for you, I didn't know what had happened to you. I thought General Stefan might have followed us."

"Bull-mph!"

Michio hurriedly had Junko's mouth covered with his hands before she could curse at Landon for lying, while Ran and Takuma exchanged looks, hoping Landon didn't hear anything. Emiko's eyes widened in shock at Landon's explanation. 

Emiko's eyes widened in shock at Landon's explanation. She exchanged a glance with Ranran and Shinichi, who nodded subtly, signalling for Emiko to continue playing along before Ranran added several words on the new page of the note, that read 'Say that hornets went after you, but then you ain't sure whether it was truly the case since it was dark'.

"Honestly, while waiting, I was chased by hornets. And since it was nighttime, I couldn't see properly, but the wing sounds were eerie enough to make me flee, even though you called me out. And in case you are wondering, no, no one followed me besides that hornet, which led me to run away in a hurry," she told Landon. 

"Please tell me he bought it," Shinichi was being hopeful.

Landon was silent for a moment, and then he sighed heavily. "That is true, I did deal with hornets before, and it was awful."

"Right? Anyway, why didn't you tell me about that money and the gun in the locker, Landon? You haven't been honest with us at all, have you? About everything?!"

"I can't explain on the phone," he countered defensively. A sly tone entered his voice"I suppose you've told Ranran and the others about last night?"

Shinichi snatched the notebook from Ranran before jotting his own words, telling Emiko not to reveal that either.

So Emiko forced a laugh that she hoped was convincing. "Why would I? You made such a fool of me, I wouldn't want them to know about it!"

Landon sounded satisfied. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. But the reason I'm calling is, I need to see you again... before I go."

"Go?" Emiko repeated. "Go where?"

"Home, to Norway," Landon replied, "I....I want you to come with me."

"No way!" she shouted. "I have a home here!"

But then Ranran snatched the book back from the apprentice before she scribbled another note.

To the shock of everyone, it reads 'Say you'll do what he wants." 

And in natural response, Emiko gaped at it and her eyes blazed. "In the first place, why should I?!" she shrieked, though it was more directed towards Ranran than Landon.

"You can't?" The voice on the phone was growing impatient. "Why not?"

Emiko recovered her calm. "Why should I go with you, Landon!?" she asked in the same sly tone she'd just heard. "You kept on lying to me! I don't know whether I can trust you anymore!"

"You can, I swear you can!" Landon took the bait."I want you to meet me. Tonight at eight am. Here's the address." 

As he gave her the details, Ranran quickly jotted them down. "And you'll come alone, Emiko, won't you?"

"I-"

"Please?" Landon pleaded. "Promise it will be just you and me?"

"I promise," She faked a purr into the phone and Landon immediately cut the call. Soon, the 9-year-old girl was glaring at Ranran before the unfazed founder, "Are you happy now!?"

Before Ranran could say anything, she spun around and rushed through the shop. He watched her disappear into his headquarters and slam the door behind her.

Then everyone turned to look at Ranran, who seemed chill with the stony stares, "What?"

"Ranran," Junko was the first to speak to her, "Yesterday night she narrowly escaped from Landon, and now, you are going to use her as bait! Have you lost your mind!?"

"I know it is cruel in nature, but hear me out," Ranran held up her hands in a calming gesture, "Considering Emiko's royal heritage is illegitimate, Landon somehow still sees some value in her enough to trigger a kidnapping last night, using Emiko to get Landon will get us closer to the truth."

"Even so, she had a gun pointed by Landon yesterday! How can you put Emiko in danger?! It's not fair to her!" Ran protested.

"I hate to admit it, but Ran is right, Ranran." The apprentice turns to her, "It may not do Emiko good on her part.

"But it will do the association good, including Emiko's dream as an artist, as well as the damages Landon had caused to us, including whatever the Lockwood family has at their disposal," Ranran replied.

"What are you talking about?" Michio and Takuma grew confused at Ranran's stance.

"While Emiko is being used as bait, the rest of us would be staking out there. After we capture Landon to our hands, I will make him pay up the damages in compensation."

Everyone looked at Ranran as if she had lost her mind, "A prince from Norway...to pay us our compensation?" Michio was in disbelief before shaking his head, "Ranran, there is no way he will pay up, even though he is rich."

"I don't know, I've seen Ranran pull a lot of things, so a prince is also possible," Takuma grew amused, intrigued over how his friend was going to pull this off.

"When I say I can do it, I know I will and get it done," Ranran held her ground, undeterred by their scepticism before deciding to drop one bombshell in particular, "Which is why today, any plans you all have before 8 pm, drop them."

"Eh!? Why!?" Ran and the others exchanged looks, wondering what was with this news.

"Cause I have plenty of tasks to assign all of you, and as soon as Emiko gets back from her anger tantrum, tell her she has things to do as well...."

..........................................................................................

Soon, the entire HQ was busy with activity as everyone worked on the tasks assigned by Ranran. The atmosphere was tense, but there was also a sense of purpose and determination. Each member knew that their role was crucial in ensuring Emiko's safety and uncovering the truth behind Landon's actions.

Shinichi who remained seated next to Ranran on the table kept on looking at The Will King Leif had left for Landon and his father, Thomas Lockwood, regarding who would take over the throne in Norway.

Ranran apparently had him check the will to see whether there was anything vague that would not be in the favor of Landon and his father. So far, nothing struck Shinichi as odd, since the will is pretty straightforward. Thomas Lockwood, Landon's dad is the first in line as Crown Prince, so he will take over, followed by his son Landon, and the third-in-line, General Stefan, who is King Leif's son from the first marriage.

Shinichi carefully examined the will, reading through each clause with a keen eye. It was a straightforward document, leaving no room for ambiguity. The succession order was clear, and it seemed to follow the standard protocol.

He looked up at Ranran, who was busy making phone calls. Ranran is certain that there must be something in This Will that would result in Landon to keep on lying and making use of everyone in the association to his political advantage, otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to drastic measures in kidnapping Emiko and stuff to secure his right to the throne.

As Shinichi pondered over the will, his mind raced to find any hidden implications or clauses that might shed light on Landon's desperate actions. He scrutinized every sentence, looking for anything out of the ordinary. "Found anything?" Takuma questioned while he and the recently returned Emiko were busy with a laptop each.

"I don't see what is wrong with this Will that would make Landon do all of this when he would eventually inherit the throne."

"There has to be," Ranran looked up from her phone calls as she insisted to the apprentice, her expression thoughtful. "It has to be something that General Stefan knew. That even if King Leif had passed away, Landon and his father believed General Stefan has the upper hand advantage to claim the throne," she mused. "The term can be vague."

Shinichi continued to comb through the will, paying extra attention to any potentially ambiguous wording or clauses that might give a hint to the situation. He read each line carefully, looking for any hidden implications.

After some time, he spotted something that caught his attention. "Wait a minute..." he muttered to himself, leaning in closer to the document. There it was, a clause that seemed rather vague, stating that in the event of unforeseen circumstances, the council of advisors would be responsible for making the final decision on succession.

"This is it," Shinichi whispered to himself before pointing the cause to Ranran, a spark of realization in his eyes.

As soon as she read the clause, her eyes widened before turning to Shinichi, "Is this....real?"

Shinichi nodded, his expression serious. "It appears to be legitimate."

"But if this is the case...no wait, I need to make another phone call." Ranran's mind had been juggling the facts, but before she could crack the case, she needed one more piece of information. She thought for a moment and then punched a number into her smartphone.

After a few rings, a voice picked up, "Hello?"

"Mr Moseby, it's me, Ranran. From Tantei Association," she began, "I need to confirm a couple of things."

While she was pacing around with her smartphone, Emiko frowned as she stared at the laptop, "This is difficult."

Meanwhile, Emiko and Takuma were deep in their own research. Emiko was focused on sketching a facial composite of Landon's father based on the description she received. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she worked on capturing the features accurately.

"Don't expect it to be easy," Takuma scoffed, with his fingers tapping on the keyboard, "While Ranran managed to ask the rough description of how Landon's Tousan looked like and put you in charge of sketching his face, here I am still struggling to find even a single photograph on the Lockwood family. I mean I knew Ranran said that the royal Lockwood family are a private bunch, but surely they had their photos of their royal engagements published somewhere on the web. And yet," He slam the screen a bit, "None!"

Takuma, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly frustrated with his search. He had been tirelessly scouring the web for any trace of the Lockwood family, but it seemed like they were indeed experts at maintaining their privacy. His frustration was palpable, and he let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Don't slam too hard on the screen, alright? The laptop doesn't belong to you." Emiko chastised him.

"It may have been the school's laptop we borrowed, but damn, these things are outdated and slow." Takuma pouted, before remembering something, "Speaking of which, you heard of the recent news with Mamiko?"

"The part where she wanted to have her family sue Shinichi for emotional distress? For breaking the laptop by intentionally throwing it against the wall? Because it had videos and photos of Shinichi taken without his permission? Yes, Tak-san, I did hear that."

"That whole situation is a mess," Takuma grumbled. "I mean, sure, Shinichi did intentionally destroy the laptop, since almost everyone in school saw what had happened. But who wouldn't be in his shoes?!"

"She is a brazen manipulative sociopathic narcissist 6-year-old after all," Emiko was busy doing her own work as she ranted, "Stalkers and psychotic girls like her are shameless to the core, just like her Minato mother who is constantly eyeing rich guys to bed on."

"I know right? Like mother like daughter, hah!" Takuma too ranted in anger, "How can a girl like her who tried to stab Ranran with a knife on school grounds still keep on coming here? Really....."

"I guess what Ranran said is true, the justice scales of Japan are broken." Emiko decided bitterly.

"But I am a bit surprised that Mamiko didn't try to press charges against Ranran, who was the one who gave Shinichi permission to do whatever he wanted with Mamiko in the name of justice. Cause I could've guessed Mamiko hated Ranran more than Shinichi." Takuma wondered, "I wonder if she feels intimidated by Ranran after what she did to her."

"Yes and no," Emiko observed this as she illustrated on her sketchbook that was put on her lap while using the laptop at the same time, "She definitely detests Ranran to the core, but she knows better that when it comes to who is the most cunning girl of them all, Ranran is at the top 1% and is beyond untouchable to her. The only way she could hurt her is to go after Shinichi. But given their situation, their lawsuit is bound to fail, let alone, barely take place. Cause they will lose more if this is brought to court."

"And Ran too," Takuma adds, those his face look a little sullen.

"You...don't sound happy about this," Emiko noted the expression on his face at a side glance, "I thought you detested her?"

"I had every right, especially after all the things she did to Shinichi and Ranran when Mamiko manipulated her, even now, I still do hate her." Takuma admits while side-glancing at Mouri Ran, who is busy talking to Michio and Junko at the other corner of the table with their notebooks each, "At the same time however...the one fact that hasn't changed before and after she was cleared out of Mamiko's manipulation, was that she cared for Shinichi, but she was so misguided by Mamiko's lies and all, she ended up becoming the villainess because of this. And honestly, I had a bit of pity towards her, because at the end of the day...a lot of kids including my girlfriend's cousin was a victim of Mamiko."

"I do see your point," Emiko paused in her sketching, looking at Takuma with a thoughtful expression. "I mean if Ran was an antagonistic unlikable meddling nuisance like Scrappy Doo from the show Scooby doo,  it would've been easier to simply blame her for everything. At the same time, however, you can't help but be wary of her because of the things she did to Ranran and Shinichi."

Takuma nodded in understanding.

"I mean all of us had our lowest moment when it comes to doing the worst to someone," Emiko resumed her sketching, her gaze focused on the paper. "No one is born an angel in the world we are in, however, if one acknowledges the faults within them, sometimes even the worst devil can become ultimately the best versions of themselves, Takuma. And sometimes..the only way to deal with this is to give a benefit of the doubt."

The promising American Football Athlete glanced at Emiko with a thoughtful expression. He could see the wisdom in her words. "Emiko, do you think one day Mamiko will be removed from society someday? I mean with all of the things Mamiko has done, I don't know if Ranran has enough time left in this world if she continues on with her crime spree at our school."

"Truthfully, before Ranran arrived and opened Tantei Association, I doubt so," Emiko paused her sketching, looking up at Takuma with a serious expression, "But after seeing her cunning ways of dealing with such criminals in real life, my answer is yes: eventually, Mamiko would've to pay for her own sins in the worst way possible, as long as Ranran is around. Cause we need more kids like Ranran to deal with a she-satan like Mamiko."

With renewed resolve, the two of them returned to their respective tasks, working diligently alongside their fellow members of the Tantei Association.

..........................................................................................

Meanwhile, Ran, Junko and Michio were busy making phone calls to Norway to gather specific intel about the case.

Though the children are aware that the expenses of making overseas calls are very likely to be costly, Ranran insists she will be able to foot the bill. How is the 6-year-old girl about to do this? They have no clue, but they've learned not to underestimate Ranran's resourcefulness.

"I think my part is done." Michio sighed before turning to Ran, "You?"

"Same." Ran sighed, "We are honestly getting nowhere."

The two children then looked at Junko, who was still making phone calls while speaking in English, "She can speak quite fluently a lot more than last time." Ran noted.

"She joined tons of spelling bee competitions way back when she was in kindergarten, so it ain't surprising," Michio replied.

While the two waited for Junko to finish up her part, Michio can't help but ask Ran, "How are you dealing with Mamiko, by the way?"

"I wish she gets kicked out of school for good," Ran sighed, running a hand through her hair. "She wrote things on me and Sonoko's shoes again at our shoe locker."

Michio's eyes widened in disbelief. "Again? She's relentless, isn't she?"

"I did cause her laptop to be broken after all after everything was exposed," Ran nodded, her expression grim. "Other kids pity me nowadays, giving me and Sonoko sympathetic looks. Before, thanks to Mamiko's lies, we were the ones who were looked down upon for harassing Ranran to get Shinichi back. Now...."

"....is it bad?"

"I mean...." Ran didn't know how to put it into words, "Truthfully,  on one hand, it's nice that people are being more understanding, and it's a relief that they know the truth now. But on the other hand...it's frustrating."

"In what way?"

"I can still feel it, the fear from the other kids towards us, because of how we were both manipulated into going after Ranran and harassing her." Ran admittedly grew sad and regretful, "And I can't blame them, cause I too would distance myself from the likes of me and Sonoko in their shoes. To top it off, we are still dealing with Mamiko coming after us, which sucks. The worst part out of all of this is because Mamiko's family is influential, Mamiko can never get kicked out of school, which frustrates me a lot."

It was a difficult situation, and he could see how conflicted she felt.

"Sometimes I wonder if those justice that appear on TV were nothing but lies because I felt like there is no end to this madness from Mamiko." Ran spat bitterly, "If Ranran herself being cunning wasn't even able to get rid of her, that means there is no light at the end of the tunnel for me and Sonoko."

"What Mamiko did was manipulative and cruel, and it's not fair that you and Sonoko are still having to deal with the aftermath just because she exploited both of your feelings about this matter," Michio listened attentively, understanding the weight of the situation. "But if you think about it, you and Sonoko woke up from her lies. Which is good."

"Eh?"

"Cause if you think of it this way, all those characters who were duped to the bitter end on dramas that woke up at the very last episode, they lost everything overnight. They can't go back to their careers, repair their ruined reputation, even the friends and family they made will no longer speak to them." Michio pointed out. Ran listened to Michio's words, and slowly, her expression began to shift from one of frustration to one of contemplation. "Just think of what I said."

After more questions, Ranran ended the call and snapped her fingers. "As I thought!" she told herself, "It wasn't that straightforward after all!"