Chapter 31: The Cross-Dressing Master (Please bookmark, please vote)

Conan shook his head and said, "I don't think it's a prank, Uncle Mouri. Didn't the client who sent this letter already pay the commission in advance? Besides, the postmark on this letter is from Moonlight Island. I think someone on the island is hoping to ask you to investigate the matter regarding Keiji Aso."

"That's right! Perhaps it was a close friend of Mr. Aso, and who knows, maybe there is some hidden story behind that case from years ago? We could start by asking the village mayor; we might just find a lead," Ran Mouri suggested.

Seimei Suzuki nodded silently. There was indeed a hidden story behind the events of that year. After spending the morning carefully recollecting his memories, Seimei had figured out the plot related to the Moonlight Island case.

Keiji Aso had not committed suicide back then. He had discovered the secret that the residents of Moonlight Island were smuggling drugs, and as a result, the drug traffickers had wiped out his entire family and staged it as a suicide. However, Aso had a son who, due to being frail and sickly, had spent years hospitalized in Tokyo, luckily escaping the tragedy. Seimei Aso had always harbored suspicions about his father's death, so after graduating from medical school, he returned to Moonlight Island disguised as a female doctor to secretly investigate the matter. Once Seimei Aso uncovered the truth and saw the men who murdered his family still living freely, he was consumed by the desire to kill. The reason he sent the request to Kogoro Mouri was actually a subconscious hope that Mouri would prevent him from committing murder.

In the original anime, Seimei Aso successfully avenged his family but, disgusted by his own blood-stained hands, chose to end his life in a fire. His suicide had a profound impact on Conan, forcing him to learn to consider problems more from the perspective of the perpetrator. This case became one of Conan's greatest regrets—not because he failed to stop the suicide, but because he failed to understand the meaning behind the letter in time to prevent a tragedy from unfolding.

Because of this, the case left a deep impression on Seimei Suzuki, and recalling the details was relatively easy. He quickly made a decision: he would stop Seimei Aso from killing, but he had no intention of letting the drug traffickers go. He planned to deal with them himself.

Whether in his past life or this one, Seimei despised drug dealers; they were demons who devoured people without a shred of conscience. In his previous life, a close friend had been tricked into smoking a cigarette laced with narcotics, eventually leading to the ruin of his family and his suicide by jumping from a building. The damage caused by drugs was immense, and the existence of a drug-trafficking ring could destroy hundreds of families or harm even more. Under the laws of this country, the death penalty was essentially a mere formality. Even if Seimei had the police arrest these traffickers, they might still escape the full weight of justice.

Therefore, Seimei decided to take matters into his own hands and deliver the punishment they deserved. Although such vigilante justice went against the law, the role of law was to maintain order, which did not always equate to true justice. If killing these traffickers could save hundreds or thousands of families, Seimei was willing to bear the sin. While he could not kill every drug dealer in the world, those he encountered would not be allowed to walk away alive.

To take a life to protect lives; to cut off evil is not merely to kill.

"Excuse me, beautiful lady, could you tell us where the village mayor lives?" Kogoro Mouri, following the advice of the others, decided to seek out the mayor and approached a beautiful doctor standing in front of a nearby clinic.

Seeing the beautiful doctor before him—dressed in a white coat with her hair in a ponytail, radiating a charm reminiscent of a professional role-play—Seimei Suzuki’s eyes grew strange. In the original plot, there was only one doctor on the entire island, the one Seimei Aso was posing as. It was clear that this was Seimei Aso. The floating characters "Available for Check-in" above the doctor's head further confirmed his suspicion.

Upon seeing Kogoro Mouri, a strange look flashed in Seimei Aso's eyes. On the surface, he pointed the way enthusiastically: "The mayor is at the community center not far from here. Just follow this road to the end, and you'll see the building."

Taking advantage of the moment Aso was giving directions, Seimei Suzuki quietly tapped him.

*Ding! Congratulations on successfully checking in with Seimei Aso. Reward: "Heartthrob" skill acquired. You may claim it at any time.*

[Skill Name: Heartthrob]
[Type: Passive]
[Level: Non-upgradable]
[Effect: Charisma stat increased by 10. (Special effect: Charisma stat increased by 20 when wearing women's clothing.)]
[Cost: None]
[Cooldown: None]
[Note: Please call me a cross-dressing master!]

Seimei’s eye twitched as he forcibly suppressed the urge to complain. Then again, he wasn't too surprised to receive this skill from Seimei Aso. After all, Aso's appearance in the original anime was that of a top-tier beauty, even if he was a cross-dressing man.

"You all look unfamiliar. Are you from Tokyo?" Seimei Aso asked with feigned curiosity.

"Yes, we just arrived by boat."

"What a coincidence! That’s where I was born, too." Seimei Aso smiled and tried to get closer to them, spreading his arms. "But Moonlight Island is wonderful, too. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but it's also very quiet..."

"Shimizu! Masato Shimizu! Please cast your vote for Masato Shimizu..."

A van equipped with loudspeakers slowly drove past, the noisy broadcast echoing through the street and causing the smile on Seimei Aso's face to freeze instantly. The slap in the face was too fast.

Seimei Aso laughed awkwardly. "Well... that’s an exception. The mayoral election is coming up soon."

"A mayoral election?"

Facing the confused looks from Kogoro and the others, Seimei Aso explained with a smile, "There are three candidates: Mr. Shimizu, the current fishermen's representative; Mr. Kuroiwa, the incumbent mayor whose reputation has recently declined; and Mr. Kawashima, the largest asset owner on the island..."

Hearing this, Seimei Suzuki wore a thoughtful expression. Among these three, two were likely the heads of the drug-trafficking ring. It seemed he would have to let Aizen keep them company tonight.