Oritis in the world of Detective Conan

Chapter 144: The Dark Pursuer (Part 2)

In the Beika Forest, Conan, Haibara, the little girl, the entomologist, Dr. Agasa and the three little ones are catching insects.

The entomologist was wearing her "Flower of the Wasteland" outfit, a perfect outfit for outdoor adventures. Beneath her leather expedition cap, a floral-printed tulle obscured her features. Around her neck was a moth-shaped pendant, and at her waist hung a notebook and a collection bag. She clutched a finely woven insect net.

Conan was grabbing a stag beetle from a tree trunk and stuffing it into a small cage.

Yuantai was eager to try under the tree, but was poured cold water on by several other people.

Ayumi: "You can't go up there, Genta."

Mitsuhiko: "I advise you to give up the idea of ​​climbing the tree."

Even Huiyuan complained: "That's right, the only ones who can climb to such a high place are probably Edogawa and the monkeys."

Conan sat on a high branch with his crescent eyes showing: "I'm so sorry, I'm a monkey."

Dr. Agasa took out his invention, the retractable sling. After his improvement, this sling can be retracted and extended freely within a hundred meters with just one button.

Conan extended the retractable strap to the ground, and Genta pulled the rope and slowly rose up. Then his head suddenly hit the branch, and he saw stars.

"Yuanta, are you okay?" The little girl below looked up and looked at Yuantai with concern.

It was obvious that the little fat boy was completely fine. He was even dancing with excitement because he found a stag beetle lying on the tree trunk.

Mitsuhiko also spotted a rhinoceros beetle flying past them, and everyone followed the flying rhinoceros beetle to a tree.

A male and a female rhinoceros beetle were resting on the tree trunk where resin was oozing out. The female rhinoceros beetle had its front wings taped.

"Isn't this the tape used in supermarkets and convenience stores?" Dr. Agasa said after taking a look.

"Give it to me." The entomologist reached out and took the rhinoceros beetle from Mitsuhiko's hand. "I don't know who would play such a prank, hurting such a small creature."

After the entomologist tore off the tape, he returned the rhinoceros beetle to Mitsuhiko.

"But since they are a male and a female, maybe these two rhinoceros beetles are a couple."

Ayumi excitedly named the two rhinoceros beetles: "Let me name them. The male will be called Cowherd and the female will be called Weaver Girl. How about that?"

"Good luck." Mitsuhiko agreed.

Huibara: "So, Tanabata is coming soon."

The entomologist smiled and said, "It's a day for lovers to get together."

Conan, who was climbing down the tree, noticed the word "Endlovu" engraved on the entomologist's insect net. He thought that the entomologist's surname before marriage should be Endlovu.

And Dr. Agasa said his riddle as usual: "It's time for the long-awaited riddle guessing game again!"

Conan showed half-moon eyes: "No one is expecting it."

On the night of Qixi Festival one year, rain prevented the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl from meeting. Feeling distressed, the two decided to set a day to spend time together, calling it 'Love Sharing Day'. Which of the following dates would it be?

"First, New Year's Day on January 1st; second, Setsubun on February 2nd; third, Peach Blossom Festival on March 3rd; fourth, Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th."

After the three children made some random guesses, Guangyan guessed the answer correctly: "May 5th."

Conan explained: "May 5th is also the day of offering sacrifices to children, which means 'the day of love and communion' when you break it down."

The little girl was a little helpless: "Another homophonic puzzle like this, so difficult."

The entomologist rubbed the little girl's head. "Don't worry, if it's a musical puzzle, it won't be difficult for you. After all, you are a brave nightingale."

"Yeah." The little girl nodded happily.

On the other side, Ayumi also looked at the two rhinoceros beetles in the small cage with anticipation: "On the day of love and coexistence, I really hope that this pair of cowherd and weaver girl can be together forever."

Conan grumbled, "By the way, wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate to name a rhinoceros beetle the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl?"

Huibara: "Would it be out of place? I think it's quite fitting. Vega is 'VEGA', and the tape on the female rhinoceros beetle looks like the letter V, doesn't it?"

Mitsuhiko looked at Ayumi with a happy face: "Really, it's very appropriate."

The entomologist wasn't interested in naming things: "But when it comes to staying together forever, insects do sometimes do a much better job than humans."

Dr. Agasa: "Ah, come to think of it, Ms. Pliny is indeed an expert on insects."

Mitsuhiko asked excitedly, "So, what kind of insects does Aunt Pliny find most interesting?"

The entomologist chuckled, "Different insects have different habits. I've been deep in the wilderness and conducted relevant experimental investigations."

"Mantises, their romance is incomprehensible to most people. Female mantises will devour males upon encountering them to ensure they have enough energy to reproduce. However, everyone debates whether the males sacrifice themselves voluntarily or the females harbor ulterior motives."

"Stick insects are masters of camouflage, able to transform into different forms to suit their surroundings, blending in so seamlessly that it's difficult for ordinary people to detect them. Although stick insects possess unique camouflage survival behaviors that surpass those of other insects, the one I encountered was so perfect in its disguise that it even confused itself before it could fool its enemies."

"Moths are attracted to light. When they rush towards danger without hesitation, they seem unaware that they are about to face death. If it were me, I would use a veil to block the fire and protect this brave girl."

"The wireworm is a true underground worker. Even though it moves in stealth, it's still greedy. I was curious, so I gently sprinkled a circle of powder on the surface of the soil, hoping to see if it could tell it was poison and not food when its head emerged from the ground. Apparently, it did, and it bit me hard."

[Explorer: Tsk, do you really have to annoy me?]

[Novelist: Apparently, Pliny is equally annoying everyone, including himself.]

[reporter:......]

Huiyuan thought thoughtfully: "It feels like some kind of experiment."

The entomologist nodded. "Yes, different insect species have different biological habits. Insects that originally didn't interfere with each other will become competitive in an environment with limited resources. Obviously, in a hostile environment, insects will cannibalize each other. However, I'm glad that this experiment ultimately failed."

"Okay, kids, let's put aside the overly complex technical knowledge for now," the entomologist clapped his hands. "Let me teach you some quick ways to find insect gathering places."

"Great." Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, and Genta who came down from the telescopic belt cheered.

Conan recalled the "experiment" mentioned by the entomologist and slowly came up with a terrible guess. If all the insects mentioned by the entomologist were replaced with real people, then wouldn't this be an experiment on human nature?

Conan's thoughts were interrupted by the little girl's words: "Conan, hurry up, Aunt Meili said there will be a lot of rhinoceros beetles ahead!"

"I've been really nervous lately, and I actually thought of something so scary." Conan laughed at himself and caught up with the main group. "Wait for me, I'll be right there!"