The Noble Detective (貴族探偵)

You have arrived at your destination.

Coming!

- Um... - Tarumi Haruka-san, right?

Welcome. Please come in.

Is coffee OK?

What's wrong?

I can't pay you that much.

Ah, it's OK.

Really? Is it really OK?

This case takes place at a small harbour town in Chiba.

It's here.

One week ago, a body was found in this warehouse.

- Sempai, thanks for coming. - The victim?

The victim looks to be a woman in her 30s,

the cause of death is blood loss after being stabbed by a sharp object.

Ugh, this is ugly.

The body of a woman who seemed to be in her 30s

had a stab wound on her back.

And there was another peculiar thing.

The head and arms had been cut off.

There were no items found with her, so her identity remained unknown.

It was a difficult investigation.

But then there was a sudden development.

A man was accidentally seen burying the head and the arms,

along with the woman's personal items, on a river bank several kilometers away.

The man was Hamamura Kousuke, a teacher at a public high school.

Sensei!

Haruka!

After interrogating him, they discovered the identity of the body.

The victim was Uwajima Itsuko, age 31.

She was a housewife living in the same town as Hamamura.

Actually, Hamamura Kousuke was dating his student, Tarumi Haruka.

Uwajima Itsuko knew about it, and was blackmailing him for money.

Since he had motive, everyone was certain that Hamamura Kousuke was the killer.

But Hamamura strongly denied it.

The high school teacher who killed and dismembered his victim to hide an affair with his student.

This sensational crime was extensively covered by the press.

The only one who thought otherwise was Tarumi Haruka.

She had been earnestly dating Hamamura Kousuke, and they had planned to marry after she graduates.

Not having anyone else to turn to, she saw me as her one last ray of hope.

I understand.

I'll be honest.

The result may not be what you are hoping for.

But... I'll promise you this.

Until the truth is revealed...

I will not abandon you.

Hey, don't look so tense.

You'll become like this, you know.

To her, I am her last hope.

I will definitely help her.

Just like how Master had saved me back then.

Can you wait here?

Yes.

- Good! - You threw so well!

With such a beautiful girl like you here, Spiegel's feet are lighter than usual.

What? No...

Hey, Miss Female Detective!

Would you like to join us?

What are you doing?

Playing frisbee. Just a teabreak entertainment.

If you'd like, please join us, Takatoku-sama.

Spiegel is a master catcher.

Especially a frisbee thrown by a woman. He has never dropped it.

Here, please try it.

Here I go!

Spiegel, house!

I've prepared fig scones.

But, Haruka-san, just with your presence here,

even without any rain this entire week, it seems that the parched earth is verdant again.

Hey, what are you doing here?

Yamamoto.

With all due respect, allow me to explain in place of his lordship.

Wait, wait.

You're making someone else to do even this?

Troublesome matters like explanations should just be entrusted to the servants.

Aaaaah! Enough, enough.

Yamamoto-san, please continue.

This morning when his lordship woke up, he said he wanted to go hunting.

It is a lovely season with gentle warm sunlight.

The hills are awash in colours from blossoming plants, and the birds are--

Yamamoto.

- Yes. - Keep it short.

Please forgive me.

To keep a long story short,

on the way home from hunting, we passed close to the scene

of the famous and strange case where the body was found without a head or arms.

So we decided to make a detour and came here trying to make sense of the case.

It's just a diversion for you, huh?

Whether it's a diversion or a serious undertaking with grass on my head,

if I can find out the truth, then what does it matter?

What kind of attitude is that?

Haruka-san is really suffering from being involved in this case.

Be a bit more considerate!

Why is Haruka-san suffering?

Actually, the man I'm marrying is the suspect in this case.

How tragic!

That you have a fianc?.

THAT?

I'm sad to tell you that the detective you hired is incompetent.

Allow me to take over this case from her.

Hey, look here, this case--

Please wait!

Aika-san made a promise.

That she will not abandon me until the end.

That's why, I'll trust Aika-san until the end too.

Haruka-san...

I see. I can't ignore the earnest feelings of a fair maiden.

This is a huge responsibility, Miss Female Detective.

- Kou-kun! - Haruka!

Hey! You can't do this with a detained suspect! Ya hear?!

Of course. But this is an extraordinary dispensation.

The headquarter has ordered to fulfill every Kizoku-sama's request.

You two, step away.

It is ill-bred to get in the way of a lovers' reunion.

- Please leave. - What?!

Oi, oi, oi! It's an order from the HQ!

- Please be patient! - What "oi, oi, oi"?!

Furukawa-san, just 5 minutes, 5!

They'll be done in 5! 5!

- Then just 5 minutes! - Yes! Thank you!

Yes, thank you! Thank you!

Kizoku-sama, I, Hanagata, have taken care of the police here. Please don't worry.

Huh? Is this Kizoku-sama's...?

His name is Spiegel.

Wow, he looks just as smart as his master!

Spiegel. Just like Captain Ultra, huh?

Good boy! Good boy!

Wow, you're absolutely lowering yourself in front of Kizoku's dog, huh?

How did you...?

It's that man.

Thank you very much.

It doesn't please me when a man like you thank me.

I'm only doing this for Haruka-san's sake.

Ah, there's no time.

Please let us ask questions quickly.

- I understand. - Then, over here.

- Ow! - Sorry, sorry.

- Hana! - What?

First, why did you bury those body parts at the river bank?

That's...

There was a box in front of my door.

When I looked inside, they were in it...

I was afraid of being the suspect, so I decided to bury them.

Uwajima Itsuko-san's time of death is between 2 and 6 PM on the 21st.

Do you have an alibi?

No. I was at home grading exams the whole time.

Did anyone else know about Uwajima-san blackmailing you?

No.

- I know! - Hm? Hana?

Forgive me, Kizoku-sama,

I, Hanagata Raiyuu, have figured out the truth behind this case.

The murderer killed Uwajima Itsuko because he couldn't take her repeated blackmail anymore.

In order to hide her identity,

he cut off her arms and head, then he buried them at the riverbank.

Which means, the real killer is you, Hamamura Kousuke-san!

That's exactly what the Investigative Department said.

- What? - House!

Woof!

I believe you.

How noble... The pure heart of a maiden.

- This is bad, huh? - Yes, seriously!

Is it OK to show the investigation report?

It's for Kizoku-sama! The higher-ups have approved it.

Why don't you quickly read these so you can be useful to Kizoku-sama?

Why did you call me here too?

This is not forensics' job!

That's because the two of you are members of the Ki Team.

What's that? Ki Team?

It's a specially created team. The secret unit chief officially appointed me to be the leader.

We are the Kizoku Investigative Team. In short, the Ki Team.

I'll pass.

It's a lame name.

Oi, oi, oi.

- Giri, Ki Team. - As the leader, it's my job to--

I found information about Ki Team on the web.

There is?

It's an udon shop at the East exit of Gotanda Station, huh?

- Looks delicious! - 3.72 stars.

- Quite high. - Is that a good thing?

Then shall we do the Ki Team celebration there?

You're too close, Hana!

Thank you for sharing the information.

Ah, are you done, Tanaka-san?

Yes, I'm done with the summary draft.

Oooh~ Can you show us the draft?

No, it's not good enough to be shown.

No, no, no. No matter how it looks,

please show us your wonderful summary.

Well, if you put it that way.

Eh? Where are you going?

Didn't you say it was a draft?

This is very well done already!

You're too fast in summarizing!

You're embarrassing me.

So the focus is definitely on Uwajima Itsuko-san's time of death, right?

Yes.

Uwajima Itsuko-sama's time of death is

on the 21st between 2 and 6 PM.

But Itsuko-sama was at the hair salon from 3 to 4.

And then at 5, she was at the cake shop.