Bungo Stray Dogs - Volume 4 Chapter 1 Part 2

Chapter 1 Part 2

A strict identification check was performed aboard the ferry before arrival: a fingerprint check and retinal scan along with a thorough examination of everyone’s belongings. They searched for everything from explosives to chemical substances and drugs. It was the kind of rigorous security check you’d expect when entering a military facility or an airport in a war-torn country. According to Kunikida, the only way to enter the island was via this ferry where officials could check visitors’ identification and prevent any dangerous activities or crimes while they were still over water.
In any event, Atsushi and the others safely passed their screening. After that, they got off the ferryboat at the wharf, passing through the entrance of the island to step foot onto its territory.
Atsushi gasped in admiration as he gazed at the scenery. It was practically a foreign country. Covering the sidewalks were navy-blue cobblestones of varying sizes. On each side of the path stood brick buildings the color of vintage wine. Each house had ornamental windows treated with lime and front porches with sliding doors. Some even had water mills running.
A carriage being pulled by a real dapple-gray horse noisily passed by Atsushi and the others on the busy street. Erected on the far side of town was a clock tower with outer walls made of honey-stone. The massive clock hands were pointing to 11:12.
“This is the territory of England,” noted Kunikida while looking around. “It’s a replica of nineteenth-century London. That said, the basic infrastructures all utilize modern technology, so there’s no need to worry about getting sick drinking contaminated water.”
“I don’t even know what I’m looking at…,” gushed Atsushi with a sigh. “Let me give everyone one of these before we go any farther,” Kunikida
instructed before fetching a few silver coins out of his pocket. “What’s that? Snack money?” asked Atsushi.
“…No. These will serve as our ID on the island. Our client gave me one for each of us.” After handing everyone a coin, Kunikida began to walk. “Visitors usually receive copper coins, but with these silver ones, we’ll be able to enter restricted zones not accessible to tourists. They emit radio- frequency identification that can open doors. We just have to hold the coin near them for it to activate.”
Atsushi gazed at his coin while flipping it between his fingers. Displayed on the back was what appeared to be a god of the sea holding a trident, while the front had the profile of some king carved into it.
“Whatever happens, do not lose that coin. If a security guard ever stops you and you don’t have that coin on you, they will treat you like a criminal and kick you off the island.” Kunikida looked around at the other agents. “And you better not accidentally spend it, either!”
Just then…
…a covered wagon came rattling over before stopping in front of Atsushi and the others.
“Sigh… The Armed Detective Agency, I presume?”
The agents turned their gazes in the direction of the voice and exaggerated sigh. A young man wearing blue work clothes got out of the carriage. He seemed to be around thirty years old, but his mannerisms made him appear far, far older.
He looks exhausted, Atsushi thought.
“I am the captain of…sigh…Standard Island. You can call me Captain Walston. I am the client who…sigh…arranged for you all to come. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ah, so you’re the captain.” Kunikida took a step forward. “Thanks for coming to pick us up. By the way…you look extremely tired. Are you all right?”
“Sigh… Thank you for your concern. However…sigh…this is how I normally am. Sigh… Please do not worry about it.”
“Sigh…”
Atsushi let out a similar sigh as if the captain’s demeanor had rubbed off on him.
An exhausted-looking man wearing blue working clothes—he looks more like an engine room repairman than a captain, he thought. Still, he’s the captain, so I guess that makes him the highest-ranking person on the ship.
“At any rate, Captain Walston, could you give us the details of the mission now?” asked Kunikida.
All of a sudden, there was a dull electronic ring. It sounded like a shawm—a kind of flute often played by street vendors serving ramen. “Sigh, excuse me. It looks like I have a call.” The captain took a phone
out of his pocket. “Hello?”

Atsushi stared at the captain’s exhausted expression.
What a bizarre ringtone. Does he like ramen or something?
“Ah, yes! I am so terribly sorry! I’ll find it! …Yes, absolutely! I will make sure nobody is inconvenienced! You have my word!”
The captain hung up after profusely apologizing.
“Seems like we’re both at the end of our ropes here,” observed Kunikida, sounding strangely empathetic.
“I feel like…there’s a big hole tearing through my stomach now,” muttered the captain as if even his breathing had become feeble.
“Anyway, sigh… Ah, my apologies. Allow me to take you to your hotel.
Sigh… It’s nearby, so I’ll explain the details of your job along the way.”
“Sigh… So about your job…,” said Walston as he strolled through the foreign townscape. “I need you to capture some thieves who are trying to steal a certain valuable treasure. Sigh…”
“Thieves? Just who are they?” asked Atsushi.
“This island conducts strict background checks on all visitors. Furthermore, it has very good security, as one would expect from a resort island for the wealthy. As a result, we have many customers who store certain valuables here for safekeeping.”
“So that’s what the thieves are after,” Kunikida commented with a nod. “What kind of valuable are we talking about?”
Captain Walston slowly shook his head and replied, “Food.” “‘Food’?”
“Specifically, the most expensive food in the world: the European white truffle. They are extremely rare and worth four times their weight in gold. Currently, we are safeguarding a type of truffle known as ‘jewels,’ believed to be the most valuable truffles of all time. They say these go for around one million euros on the black market.”
“I see. Unlike precious gems and paintings, food has one advantage: It

can completely disappear upon consumption, which probably makes it easier to find potential buyers on the black market,” said Kunikida. “In addition, there are most likely far more people who see more value in ingredients than collectibles. It’s a safe choice for thieves.” He took care to write everything down in his notebook. “So our job is to protect these truffles, correct?”
“Precisely. Scotland Yard informed us that three criminals were after the truffles, which is why I contacted you all.”
But there was something about this plan that was bothering Atsushi. “Um… Can I ask you something?” he said timidly. “I get that you want
us to take care of these bandits, but…did you really need all of us to come?”
Seven detectives in total had been sent out to handle this mission. The detective agency usually dispatched agents in pairs, so this was a comparatively large group.
“Atsushi has a point.” Kunikida cocked his head. “So what’s the deal, Captain? Is there something you’re not telling us?”
“M-m-m-me? Of course not!” Captain Walston suddenly jumped. “The reason I called you all here was simply because I wanted to do everything I could to make sure the truffles would be safe. That’s all. I promise!”
Atsushi and Kunikida exchanged glances.
“So…um… Yes, look!” the captain cried. “We have arrived at the hotel!”
A four-story wooden building stood in the direction the captain was pointing in. It was closer to an inn in a fantasy world than a modern hotel.
“Please come inside. This is actually the most popular hotel on the island with an extremely long waiting list. Anyway, please unwind from your journey…because there is nothing to be afraid of!”
After that sudden rambling, Captain Walston ended the conversation with a soft exhale:
“Sigh…”

Atsushi opened his suitcase in his hotel room. The hotel itself was
reminiscent of old London, with imitation gas lamps illuminating the room and elaborate wood carvings of ivy and flowers on the bed frame. On the wall hung a black-and-white photo of the oldest steam locomotive in the world.
“Kunikida, did anything bother you about what that captain said?” asked Atsushi. Kunikida turned around, pausing his tally of the amenities at the washstand.
“Everything he said bothered me. He’s hiding something from us,” Kunikida replied blankly. “But work is work. As I’m sure you’re already well aware, not all our clients are going to be saints. Some have a few skeletons in their closets. But all we need to do is finish the job the president gave us.”
After copying the emergency evacuation route in his notebook, Kunikida sat back down next to Atsushi.
“If anything, I’m more curious as to why the president took this job. He was the one who decided to send a bunch of agents and not let Ranpo come. Perhaps…”
“‘Perhaps’?”
“Perhaps someone persuaded the president to do this,” Kunikida stated. “He immediately gave us the orders right after meeting with someone outside the agency. Someone convinced him to take this case. That’s the most natural explanation. By the way, Atsushi…”
Atsushi looked up when Kunikida suddenly called his name.
“I was wondering why you brought such a big suitcase… What is that?” Atsushi followed Kunikida’s gaze to his luggage.
“What do you mean? It’s all my stuff. We’re going to be staying here on the island for a while, right? And I, um… I’ve never really gone on an overnight trip before, so I figured I should be thoroughly prepared.”
“I applaud your efforts, but give me more details—what is all that?” Atsushi then began to place his belongings one by one on the bed.
“A packed lunch, a folding umbrella, a water bottle, a towel, some bandages, a tarp, tangerines, cocoa powder…”
Kunikida staggered to his feet and stared at Atsushi, eyes glazed over. “…I’m pretty sure I told you this wasn’t a vacation.”
Atsushi waved his hands in a fluster. “No, I… I’m sorry. This is really my first time sleeping away from home, so I guess I just…couldn’t contain myself. But I haven’t forgotten that I came to work! I only packed all of this just in case of an emergency.”
“Oh?”
“Like these hanafuda cards, a sugoroku board, a deck of cards, a pillow for pillow fights—”
“What do you think this is, a school trip?!” yelled Kunikida. “From the look of things, you just want to play all night!”
“I-I’m sorry!” apologized Atsushi, taken aback. “I-I’ve just… I’ve never stayed in such an amazing hotel before, and when I lived in the orphanage, staying out overnight meant sleeping on some dirty floor somewhere. I didn’t have any friends back then, and so, um… I just, you know… I just couldn’t help myself… I’m really sorry.”
Kunikida glared at Atsushi before letting out a long, drawn-out sigh.
And then he finally replied: “… Lights out at two AM.”