Actually, it wasn’t all that peaceful.
Apart from the murder case she encountered immediately after transferring to this world, she also ran into a robbery when she went to a gold shop to exchange money, once again becoming a hostage of the criminals.
But this time, she wasn’t the only hostage—there were also staff members in the gold shop.
And she once again easily dealt with the thugs without causing any casualties.
By the standards of the Conan world, that was already pretty good.
Although she had encountered two cases in a row on her very first day in this world, fortunately, the two days that followed had been completely calm and uneventful, as if those earlier incidents were just figments of her imagination.
“So these two days must be the normal situation, and the first day was just an anomaly.
Logically speaking, even if my Luck stat isn’t EX, it should at least be A++.
There’s no way I’d be that unlucky.”
Ritsuka analyzed, with sound reasoning.
After all, she was just an ordinary person.
If it weren’t for having sufficiently good luck, how could she possibly have survived one ordeal after another that were like battles between gods?
She was just an ordinary person with a bit of luck.
At least, that’s what she herself believed.
Also, she still couldn’t return to or contact Chaldea.
However, she could still use Magecraft and her Mystic Codes normally, and could also summon Shadow Servants without issue.
That, at least, put her mind considerably at ease.
“Ah?”
Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a cold sensation on the tip of her nose.
A cold droplet of water landed on her face.
Looking up, the sky had at some point been covered by thick layers of dark clouds, turning into a black, oppressive mass.
It looked like it was going to pour soon.
“Oh no, I forgot to bring an umbrella!”
Her expression changed.
She hurriedly stowed her belongings into the Treasury of the Retainer and began to jog quickly towards home.
The Treasury of the Retainer was a lapis lazuli bracelet she wore on her left wrist.
It was a Valentine’s Day return gift from the young King Gilgamesh.
Initially, the lapis lazuli bracelet was merely an accessory.
Later, as the gifts she received and the various tools and equipment she needed to carry grew more and more numerous, she was eventually inspired by the Gate of Babylon.
Ritsuka decided to request the Casters to design a similar Mystic Code, and also sought the opinion of King Gilgamesh.
“Fuhahahahahaha!
A retainer’s imitation of the king?
Though it is but a childish endeavor, like an infant babbling its first words, it is, however, not bad!
This king grants his permission!
Fuhahahahahaha!”
“Furthermore, be grateful, Ritsuka.
This king specially permits it to be named the Treasury of the Retainer!
Fuhahahahahaha!”
So said King Gilgamesh.
Although she would have preferred to call it the Four-Dimensional Pocket, since he had already spoken, she had no choice.
Incidentally, although it was just a brief recollection, that deafening, demonic laughter seemed to burst through her memories and into reality, making her involuntarily recall the terror of being dominated by the “Ha-ha Crew.”
She was genuinely curious: didn’t his throat ever get hoarse from laughing like that every day?
In any case, after obtaining the king’s authorization and passing through the design of a group of Casters, the bracelet was imbued with a storage space named the Treasury of the Retainer.
Although it couldn’t compare to the genuine Gate of Babylon, it was more than sufficient for her use.
Back to the main topic.
The sky grew darker and darker, and the rain, as expected, fell heavier and heavier.
The originally pattering sound of rain gradually swelled into a downpour, drowning out the bustle of the city.
The streets before her were almost devoid of pedestrians, which made Ritsuka involuntarily quicken her pace.
Yet, just then, from the corner of the intersection ahead, a small figure suddenly dashed out without warning.
“!”
The moment she noticed the other party, she immediately stopped her feet, but the slippery, rain-soaked ground still caused her to slide towards them.
At the critical moment, relying on her body conditioned through years of training, she narrowly dodged the other person, while also barely managing to keep her balance and not slip and fall.
The other party had also spotted her and attempted evasive action right away.
However, the other’s body was far less agile than hers.
Just as they tried to make a move, their foot slipped out from under them, and instead, they fell onto the rain-soaked ground with a splash.
“Little one, are you hurt?!
Huh?”
Ritsuka walked over, intending to help the other up, but as she drew closer, her expression turned peculiar.
The one who had almost collided with her was a little girl, but not an ordinary little girl.
The reason being, the little girl was wearing a set of ill-fitting clothes clearly sized for an adult—a white lab coat like that of a doctor or researcher.
Beneath her short tea-colored hair was a young, cute face.
Although she wasn’t familiar with this cute face, the combination of the rainy night, a researcher’s white lab coat, tea-colored hair, and a little girl…
With so many classic elements stacked together, for someone who had watched Detective Conan, even if they weren’t Sherlock Holmes, they could still make a passable deduction.
If she wasn’t mistaken, this “little one” was likely Miyano Shiho, who had just taken the shrinking drug APTX4869 and escaped from the Black Organization.
She would later be known as Haibara Ai.
She didn’t know whether the fall just now was too severe, or if the other’s body was simply weak to begin with, but she had already collapsed unconscious on the ground.
It was already evening, and with heavy rain falling, leaving her unattended could easily lead to something serious.
At that moment, a voice seemed to echo in her heart:
‘After picking up this girl, you will no longer be a bystander.
The ordinary, peaceful days of the human world will no longer touch you.
Your life will be filled only with murder cases, criminals, detectives, moles, and a mysterious organization.
Do you have any last words?’
“…It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal.”
“Oh well, whatever.”
Ritsuka picked Miyano Shiho up from the ground.
The other had fallen here partly because of her, so she couldn’t just ignore her.
She’d take her home first and think later.
Back home.
She first took a towel and wiped Shiho’s rain-dampened hair, then dried it with a hair dryer.
Next, she changed the girl out of her ill-fitting clothes and covered her with a brand new spare blanket to prevent her from catching a cold.
She was quite skilled at taking care of people and children, having learned nursing techniques from Nightingale.
Plus, she had children of her own—albeit child Servants.
Not only that, but in addition to children, she also simultaneously had several mothers (self-proclaimed) and wives (self-proclaimed) in Chaldea.
She herself had never imagined it: before going to Chaldea, she was just an ordinary high school student.
After working at Chaldea for a few years, not only had she achieved professional success, but also had a fulfilling family life.
(Sigh~)
Seeing that Shiho still hadn’t woken up, Ritsuka also changed out of her own wet clothes, ordered some takeout, and then went into the bathroom to take a shower.
And at that moment, accompanied by the sound of running water from the bathroom and faint, contented humming, the eyelashes of the unconscious Shiho fluttered slightly.
Then, with some difficulty, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Where…
am I…?”