Illustrated by Van Teacat
Chapter 1: Red Coral – Blood of the sea
“Riing…riing….”
The rhythm vibrated in Manteau’s chest, along with the soft sound of a bell ringing, signaling an incoming call.
A call from a country 5,870 miles from London.
Young detective Hakuba often has international calls like this. And the caller now is also someone who often has time-sensitive communications compared to normal people.
“I listen, Bayya”
The teenage detective picked up the phone, it was a call from the devoted housekeeper named Bayya who had been taking care of Hakuba since childhood. And as usual, that woman is also the handsome young detective’s assistant in his investigations.
Perhaps the housekeeper had found the information that Hakuba Saguru had asked her to gather before. Although not too erudite, Bayya is an experienced and careful person.
“You have all the documents I need, right? Okay, just send it all to me by email.”
As Hakuba spoke, the corners of his lips unconsciously drew an elegant smile. Just thinking about the Poker Face of the person hiding under the moonlit night made curiosity and intellectual stimulation well up in Hakuba’s mind.
“Oh I know, I will pay close attention to that part, thank you very much.”
The auburn-haired detective nodded in response to the old butler’s instructions.
“Beep…Beep”
The call ended when the young detective pressed his finger on his mobile screen.
Leaning back against the soft leather seat in the luxury car, detective Hakuba looked at the streets of London through the transparent glass door.
People passing by on the streets are still busy…
The softness of the back of the chair makes Hakuba feel more comfortable and at ease.
It’s good that the interior upholstery of Bentley cars is mainly pure European cowhide and bullhide that grazes freely in the highlands of West Germany, a place with spacious space and a great cold climate to limit Treats insect bites, as well as scratches on the skin caused by steel fences. That’s why the most perfect leathers are tanned using traditional methods to enhance their natural fragrance.
Or like the wood used to cover the interior of this car is taken from the base of the tree with the largest diameter, the part with the optimal quality, rarity and best pattern of many different types of trees.
Hakuba Saguru loves perfection, so this is a great gift.
Seeing the wooden panels have similar patterns and are perfectly symmetrical from left to right is like balancing your own vision.
The wood paneling is cut to a thickness of 0.6mm and pre-selected by an Italian supplier. Then the wood artisans will go through a strict inspection process by the car company and only select at a rate of 30-35 square meters for each shipment of 72,000 square meters of wood.
And what’s even better is that they also allow customers to choose leather color combinations, leather stitching, embroidered logo decorations or even special personal motifs.
The young auburn-haired detective especially likes this, because it can be engraved on the Hakuba family crest – as a mark of family pride.
“Hmm…”
Speaking of the Hakuba family, that’s also the reason why the young auburn-haired detective arrived here two days late after the KID super thief’s mission.
A previous case had kept Hakuba .
If it were simply a normal case in Tokyo, Hakuba Saguru would leave it to the Japanese police force or some talented detective to handle. But this is a case that happened in the research room of Hakuba Saguru’s grandfather. And as a matter of course, Hakuba had to deal with it before leaving Japan.
With the intelligence and caution of an excellent detective, Hakuba had no difficulty handling it. But that wasn’t when the young detective was hit so hard on the back of his head that he fainted and the perpetrator almost took Hakuba’s life with a knife that grazed his ribs.
When the young detective woke up, he was lying in a room filled with the smell of hospital disinfectant.
Arranging work and leaving Tokyo within two days is probably not too delay in the above situation. That also explains why Hakuba arrived here late – after Kaitou KID had returned the gem he had stolen.
“Keezz”
The sound of wheels scraping against the road made a trail as it stopped in front of a magnificent and majestic building covered in ivory white paint.
The young detective pushed open the door and got out of the car, the toes of his leather shoes touching the lines dividing the London sidewalk. The road surface was a bit slippery because of the sudden showers of March.
Tall, ivory-white pillars appeared in Hakuba Saguru’s sight when the young detective raised his head to look at the large gate of the London Museum of Art. Under the moonlight of the night, the glass windows reflect light as if inlaid with a layer of beautiful crystal. The British flag hangs high and proud.
Hakuba Saguru could imagine the image of the super thief in those silver wings gently landing on the symmetrical curving dome of the museum.
Stepping up the steps forming an arc on both sides, the young detective entered the big hall.
“Hello Sir! My name is Hakuba Saguru – a consulting detective for Scotland Yard. I came to investigate the case by super thief KID two days ago!”
Hakuba said to a manager patrolling the area while showing him his referral card.
It was a man with a slightly round face, a kind look and bright eyes. His gray hair color added to the poise inherent in his dark blue vest.
“Oh, are you the brilliant detective that Mr Theresa May told me about? You.. looks so young.”
The museum manager couldn’t hide his surprise after the auburn-haired detective’s introduction. He’s really too young for a consulting detective role, seems more like a teenage son of some rich family with mixed British-Japanese descent.
“Yes, I am also an international student in London. Can I take a look at the case scene? I think I’ll be able to deduce better when I see exactly what the police saw that night.”
“Of course. I will tell you everything”
The manager guided Hakuba down the hallway. When walked, they discussed the details of the gem theft case that had shocked London over the past few days. It is not surprising that thieves intend to steal the museum’s art treasures, but a thief who is a magician attracts special attention.
Of course, the details of the case were investigated and understood by Hakuba on the 14-hour flight from Tokyo to London. But the young detective still wanted to hear it fully from the mouth of the witness on that night of the case.
“He is the strangest thief I have ever known.”
The museum manager couldn’t help but let out a helpless sigh and exclamation.
Their footsteps passed through successive corridors. Pass by each gallery where masterpieces of art are carefully placed in formal, classical frames hanging on wide, embossed walls. The artistic yellow light behind the paintings gives them a classic beauty of time.
Each gold-plated or pearl-studded silver plate is neatly placed on oak shelves to let the light shine in, making them sparkle more and show off their own noble brilliance. Their age is probably no less than a human lifetime. And the museum’s professionalism is also the fact that the antique vases are placed neatly in glass boxes to ensure they are not dusty or damaged by the accidental sneeze of a visitor.
Hakuba Saguru and the museum manager stopped in a large room.
They finally arrived at the most important room, where the precious, exquisitely sculpted marble statues of humanity were placed. Statues of mighty Greek warriors with spears in hand, statues of the beautiful beauty of Aphrodite or Adam’s hesitation before the red apple of the Garden of Eden.
But the most prominent among them is the wooden statue of the sea god Poseidon placed in the middle of the room. Unlike the surrounding marble statues, the material that makes up the god who rules the sea is carved from elegant white oak.
Poseidon has a steady and calm appearance, but each muscle he creates gives him great and bold strength. The flowing bangs on the forehead create graceful movements, also softening the statue’s posture. The sea king’s eyes carried the determination and authority towards his fingers reaching out to hold a treasure in his palm.
And that is no stranger to the treasure that super thief KID had his eyes on not long ago – a pair of Red Coral earrings – known as the blood of the sea.
………………
*Turns out this is what made super thief KID have to work hard to fly from Japan to here?*
Hakuba Saguru thought, looking up at the gem and smiling slightly.
According to the information he knows, those precious earrings date back to the reign of King Charles. To be exact, it belongs to Queen Henriette Marie (1) – mother of King Charles II (2). The prestigious princess has a passion for art and has sponsored countless famous British artists, composers and sculptors in the fields of music and sculpture.
With the upheavals of war and the struggle for power, that crimson treasure was lost after the death of the beautiful Queen Henrietta Maria. “A Queen who is not respected by the people, a person who has never succeeded in making her courtiers respect her.”
A woman whose prayers made many people feel threatened and begin to criticize. And many contemporaries considered the queen’s role as an insult to the royal family.
Her earrings were previously lost and luckily the museum bought them back more than twenty years ago, but unfortunately there is only one left. Its imperfections make it look like a statue of Venus with its arms missing. And then again, history smiles on collectors. They found the remaining earring for sale on the black market for rich billionaires.
“If I remember correctly it’s name is Divine Harmony, a precious red coral gem”
Detective Hakuba Saguru said.
With government support, the gem was bought and donated to the museum for display immediately afterward. Red Coral – Red Coral – is also known as the blood of the sea just like Ruby is the blood of the earth. This classic treasure has caught the eye of super thief KID.
Hakuba was a bit surprised to learn that KID’s target was a gem owned by England. According to the information that Hakuba Saguru investigated, the magician’s operations with white wings only took place in Japan – the land of the rising sun.
*What made KID change his stealing location. Is KID aiming for something special?*
Gently scanning the statue, Hakuba especially noticed a dark mark on the wrist of Poseidon. It seemed like there was something unusual there.
“That place is a bit strange.”
“That’s right, that’s the mark that the super thief KID caused”
The museum manager spoke with a somewhat annoyed voice when mentioning that. Indeed, even though that statue of Poseidon is not considered a particularly valuable treasure when placed in this museum. It is simply a base for the Divine Harmony earrings. But destroying a work of art right under the nose of the police also makes them uncomfortable.
The museum keeper also believes that the Scotland Yard police force was not very happy when they lost that extravagant thief. Stealing the gem and then returning it the next day is like a mockery and satire of the national security forces.
“That fire made everything chaotic.”
The man sighed as he remembered that night. Under the high moonlight, that gallant thief looked like a magical wizard.
Hakuba Saguru looked at the man’s miserable appearance and suddenly remembered Inspector Nakamouri’s gloomy face when chasing Kaitou KID’s case.
Even though they are nine time zones apart, their outcomes are not much different.
Putting on his familiar white gloves in investigative cases, Hakuba Saguru carefully took out a small notebook from his chest and meticulously took notes.
The young detective heard about how the super thief KID stole the gem.
Police forces are strictly arranged around the museum so that Kaitou KID cannot enter. At the same time, they also arranged a full range of security cameras in the museum’s gallery area. British police do not use guns, instead they are equipped with batons, handcuffs, and pepper spray.
But the Scotland Yard force is different, they can use guns as weapons in special cases – such as the theft of a national treasure by super thief KID.
Only that advantage did not help them win the battle with that gallant super thief. He arrogantly overcame everything with the white gloved hands of a magician. He wore a white vest that stood out in the dark, but no one could see how he entered.
And while everyone was still holding their breath, counting every slight move of the clock hands, waiting for him to come, the hand of the Poseidon statue suddenly caught fire.
The fire was not too big, but it was enough to make people around and security forces panic.
Then again when he stood facing the gem in that gallery. A strange sound mixed with elegant violin music extinguished the fire like a strange magic act.
There was no CO2 gas, no dry powder to extinguish the fire, and no large piece of cloth to cover the fire.
That red flame wavered and then extinguished without leaving any trace except a small black stain like his arrogant assertion.
Magician under the moonlight.
*** Note: Source***
- Henriette Marie https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henriette_Marie_c%E1%BB%A7a_Ph%C3%A1p
- https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_c%E1%BB%A7a_Anh#:~:text=Charles%20II%20c%E1%BB%A7a%20Anh%20(29,n%C4%83m%201660%20%C4%91%E1%BA%BFn%20khi%20m%E1%BA%A5t.
- Inspired gemgem samples: https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/more-furniture-collectibles/collectibles-curiosities/collectible-jewelry/victorian-earrings-gold-sciacca-coral-england-1880/id-f_37446452/
- British Museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYYmhClYwbk
- Reference from the statue: https://t.co/V5WOVqn2o0
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