King of Games C31 Mana's positive effect on intelligence

As the bullet train whisked along its tracks, Shinro found himself seated next to his younger sister Sonoko, engrossed in a lively conversation with Kogorou and the Detective Boys. Kimiko, Kogorou's client, was also part of the group, poring over a perplexing fox puzzle. The air inside the carriage buzzed with excitement as they tried to decipher the cryptic message together.

"Feed the carp to the fox?" Shinro asked, leaning in to catch every word of their discussion. Mitsuhiko nodded in affirmation, "Yes, that's what it says. 'Feed the carp to the fox.' It's part of the puzzle."

Shinro's curiosity piqued, he gently stroked his chin in thought. "If Ms. Kobayakawa doesn't mind, may I have a look?" He asked politely, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.

Kimiko, the owner of the puzzle, smiled and handed him the paper. "Of course, feel free to try your hand at it."

As Shinro took the puzzle paper, he muttered under his breath, "Thanks, I'll give it a shot."

Kogorou scoffed, "Good luck with that. Puzzles about hidden treasures aren't usually easy to crack."

Conan and the others nodded in agreement, but Shinro paid them no mind. Instead, he focused intently on the illustration before him.

The picture depicted a fox staring at a stream of carp, but it was the border lines that caught Shinro's attention. Upon closer inspection, he realized they weren't just random strokes. His eyes, imbued with Mana, deciphered the hidden message.
He pretended to fold the paper, obscuring the drawing of the carps, but as he did so, the lines connecting the streams revealed a secret message in Japanese.

Kogorou's voice cracked with worry, "Shinro-kun, what are you doing?" He feared that the paper might get damaged.

Shinro smirked, "Relax, I've already solved it."
Sonoko gasped, "Really?"

The others, including Conan and Ai Haibara, couldn't believe their ears.

Kogorou scoffed, "Impossible! How could you solve it so fast?"

Kimiko was equally astonished, "You cracked it in just a blink of an eye?"

Shinro handed the folded paper to the group, who leaned in to see the hidden message. Kogorou frowned, "You solved it by folding the paper?"

Conan's eyes lit up, "Look! There's a new message!"

Ran nodded, "He's right!"

Ai Haibara read the message aloud, "Below the top of the hidden Inari?"

Kimiko's eyes widened as realization dawned on her.

Kogorou raised a valid point, "There are countless Inari shrines in Japan. Which one is this paper referring to?"

Kimiko's eyes lit up, "In our hometown, the closest shrine to the place depicted in this drawing is the Taikodani Inari Shrine."

Genta's eyes widened, "You don't mean the treasure's hidden there, do you?"

Ayumi squealed, "Shinro-oniisan is so smart!"

Mitsuhiko agreed, "Thanks for solving it for us, Shinro-oniisan!"

Conan observed Shinro closely, his detective instincts tingling. He thought, "I knew there's more to this guy than meets the eye."

Ai Haibara's gaze didn't waver from Shinro either, her thoughts mirroring Conan's. "Interesting indeed."

---

As the bullet train pulled into Shin-Yamaguchi station, the group disembarked, buzzing with excitement over their newfound lead. Shinro couldn't help but chuckle to himself, watching their animated expressions.

Conan, ever the observant one, noticed Shinro's amused expression and found it odd.

Shinro caught him staring but chose not to comment. He was more surprised that Conan, as sharp as he was, hadn't thought of folding the paper to solve the puzzle. It was a simple trick, but he supposed even the best of detectives could miss something once in a while.

As the group disembarked at Shin-Yamaguchi station, a young man with blonde-dyed hair approached Kimiko. He greeted her warmly before introducing himself as Kawaguchi Shigeru. However, eagle-eyed Conan and Ai Haibara didn't miss the "A.T." pendant around his neck, instantly deducing that "Shigeru Kawaguchi" was a fake name.

Shinro watched the exchange with a mix of amusement and intrigue. "Fascinating," he thought to himself. "These two can decipher so much from a mere glance and yet they couldn't solve a seemingly simple puzzle like that."

He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, sensing that this adventure would be more captivating than he initially anticipated.

As for how Shinro, Conan, and Ai Haibara knew that the man was lying about his name based on his necklace alone, it was because they had noticed Kimiko also wore a similar pendant with her initials. They simply assumed that Shigeru's "A.T." pendant must have held a similar significance.

Shinro decided to keep an eye on the blonde-haired man, curious about his true intentions.

Kawaguchi Shigeru, or whoever he really was, had already procured tickets for them to Tsuwano via a train locomotive. As they boarded the train, the others couldn't help but wonder how he managed to get the tickets so quickly. His response, "I have my connections. It's pretty easy." only added to the mystery.

As the train chugged along, Shinro noticed Kimiko and Shigeru sneak away for a private conversation. His keen hearing picked up on their hushed but heated exchange.

Meanwhile, Sonoko offered him a drink and asked, "You look deep in thought. Mind sharing what's on your mind?"

Shinro chuckled, "It's rude to pry into other people's thoughts, young lady."

Sonoko pouted, "What's wrong with it? Your my brother!"

Shinro smiled at her, but didn't respond. He knew from the original Shinro's memories that he had spoiled her a lot, which had led to her bratty yet endearing personality. She often boasted about her family's wealth and influence, but always in a light-hearted manner.

As the train ride progressed, Shinro noticed Conan sneak away to eavesdrop on Kimiko and Shigeru's conversation. "This kid is as nosy as my middle-aged neighbors back in my previous life," he thought with a chuckle.

The train finally pulled into Tsuwano Station, and they disembarked. The group found themselves amidst a lively crowd, gathered around a charismatic politician named Hisamichi Takahashi, who was giving a speech. The locals praised him, gushing about how he cared for the town and its people.

Shinro tuned in to their conversation, catching snippets like, "To think such a great father would have a son like Atsushi."

"Hmm, I know right."

A lightbulb went off in his head. "Atsushi Takahashi," he muttered under his breath. The pieces fell into place. The initials on the blonde-haired man's necklace, "A.T." must stand for Atsushi Takahashi, and judging by the locals' whispers, he was the politician's son.

Shinro glanced at Conan and Ai Haibara, but they seemed oblivious to the connection between the conversation and Shigeru's real identity. "Strange," he thought, amused. "They must have either missed it or are waiting for the right moment to reveal their hand."

As Shinro pondered, he couldn't help but notice the men in black suits tailing them. His Mana senses had picked them up as soon as they entered the city.

Thanks to Kimiko and Atsushi's conversation on the train, he knew these men were likely underlings of Mayor Hisamichi Takahashi. "Not very good Mayor as he seems, is he?" he mused to himself.

At the same time, he could feel a chilling presence around them - spirits roaming the streets, their Mana faint but still discernible.

As they strolled through the streets, they came across a picturesque canal teeming with carp. A local guide informed them, "These carp were once kept as emergency rations in the old days."

The group marveled at the sight before heading to their lodgings for a brief rest. Reinvigorated, they set off towards the shrine, their anticipation building as they climbed the steep stairs leading up to it.