Survival Strategies of a Struggling Aristocrat

Masaya had limited knowledge about the work of a detective, so he settled himself on the office sofa and received an explanation from Fuyuhiko. 

“Hmm, investigations into infidelity or personal conduct, and even pet searches,” 

“There are also smaller tasks like creating alibis for cheating cases,” Fyuhiko added.

“Oh, even things like that… So, what is this detective agency particularly good at?” Masaya inquired.

Fuyuhiko pondered for a long while, causing Masaya to realize something. The detective agency wasn’t capable enough to have specialized areas of expertise.

“Well, I phrased the question poorly. What kind of requests does this agency intend to focus on?” Masaya corrected.

“To be honest, I wanted to be involved in solving murder cases,” Fuyuhiko said.

Masaya looked at Fuyuhiko with a dumbfounded expression.

“I get it. I went to detective school too. I know that detectives don’t usually investigate murders,” Fuyuhiko said.

“Before attending detective school, you thought you would be doing more deduction and reasoning; huh?” Masaya said.

Fuyuhiko averted his gaze, causing Masaya to sigh and demand an answer to his previous question about the agency’s specialization. In response, Fuyuhiko uttered the words “investigations involving infidelity.”

“A reasonable choice. And how do you attract clients?” Masaya asked.

“We advertise in local magazines and on websites,” Fuyuhiko replied.

Just to be sure, Masaya checked the promotional website. The home page displayed Fuyuhiko’s face with a frivolous grin, leaving him unimpressed.

“This website won’t do,” Masay judged.

Fuyuhiko wore a perplexed expression. He seemed to be quite fond of the website’s design.

“What’s wrong with it? It’s a site designed to attract troubled individuals with my charming smile and bring them to this agency,” 

Masaya groaned. When Fuyuhiko had a serious expression on his face, he could pass for a respectable gentleman. However, his smiling face gave off a carefree vibe. What made it seem lightweight was his loose tongue and thoughtless nature.

“Fuyuhiko, you look better with a serious face than when you’re smiling,” Masaya pointed out.

“I actually quite like this website,” Fuyuhiko said.

Masaya let out another sigh.

“Let me be clear, Fuyuhiko. Your smiling face gives off a frivolous impression. It’s better not to show it in front of clients,” Masaya said.

Fuyuhiko’s expression suddenly transformed into an exaggerated “Gaaah,” reminiscent of a character straight out of a comic strip.

“That’s… harsh,” 

Anyone who saw this website would definitely never consider hiring their services. Masaya began to question who was behind creating such a website that gave him such a strong conviction.

“Did you hire a professional company to make this website?” Masaya asked.

“No, it was done by a middle school relative of mine who’s skilled in this kind of thing,” 

“That makes sense.”

If Fuyuhiko had hired a professional, the website would have turned out much better. Masaya decided to entrust the task to a proper company.

Over the course of the next two weeks, Masaya assumed the role of an apprentice detective. After giving the website a complete overhaul, they started receiving a higher number of requests. However, these requests were not for the infidelity investigations Fuyuhiko had hoped for but rather for cases of finding lost pets.

The city where the detective agency was located had a residential area that sprawled away from the bustling downtown. It seemed that many households in that area owned pets.

“Senpai, it went that way!” 

Masaya and Fuyuhiko struggled to capture the stray cat they had cornered in an empty lot. The targeted Siamese cat proved to be quite nimble, making their capture efforts challenging.

Despite getting scratched on his cheek, Masaya managed to seize the Siamese cat. 

“Phew, that was quite an ordeal,” 

“Amazing as always, Senpai. This makes it our third success this month,” Fuyuhiko exclaimed.

“You’re right. Although, I’ve gained more scratches this time,” 

“These are scars of honor,”

“I highly doubt that being scratched by a cat brings any honor,” Masaya retorted.

“You’re just being dense, Senpai.”

“That’s a harsh way to put it. Are you still holding a grudge from when I called you frivolous before?”

“No, not at all. Look, I didn’t even get a scratch this time.”

Masaya himself was well aware of his declining physical condition. Over the past few years, his work has kept him busy and confined to his desk as he focused solely on design tasks.

During his student days, Masaya had climbed mountains and gone to the beach with his friends, so he hadn’t felt his physical decline as much. However, around the age of thirty, he started noticing it more frequently.

“Maybe I should start training my body,” 

“Shall I introduce you to the gym I go to?” Fuyuhiko suggested.

“Hmm, it’s not just about training my body. I’m looking for something that can lead to skill improvement,” Masaya explained.

Fuyuhiko looked perplexed. “Skill improvement… like what?”

“Learning martial arts, for example,” 

“Ah, I don’t think martial arts have much to do with skill improvement in our detective work, but I do know someone who practices martial arts on their own,” Fuyuhiko said.

Masaya gave Fuyuhiko a suspicious look. 

“What’s with that suspicious expression? When I expressed my desire to learn martial arts back in high school, it was my father who found a Sensei for me.”

“Oh, really? If it was Takfumi-san who found them, then they should be trustworthy,” Masaya said.

“Hey, what do you mean by that?” 

“Isn’t it fine? I only meant to say that Takfumi-san is someone who can be trusted.” 

Masaya’s father, Takafumi, was the chairman of Monobe Holdings and a remarkable figure who had significantly expanded the Monobe Group, exerting great influence in the business world.

The martial artist Fuyuhiko mentioned lived in the outskirts of a residential area not far from the detective agency, about a 20-minute drive away, in a mansion-like building with what seemed to be a training hall.

Fuyuhiko led Masaya inside. The building looked like a samurai’s mansion, and there was what appeared to be a dojo, where they encountered a middle-aged man with a small stature and a kind smile.

“It’s been a while, Sensei Miyasaka,” Fuyuhiko greeted.

“Hmph, Fuyuhiko. You ran away after only six months, and now you come back,” 

“Not really. I didn’t run away. I just got a bit busy,” Fuyuhiko explained.

Sensei Miyasaka was a formidable practitioner who had studied Shaolin Kempo since childhood and later learned one sword style (Itto-ryu) and revealed a reality style (Jingen-ryu), establishing his own unique Miyasaka style.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Masaya Hijiritani, a friend of Fuyuhiko’s,” 

“I’m Genzo Miyasaka,” 

Masaya and Sensei Miyasaka exchanged greetings. It appeared that Sensei Miyasaka taught Shaolin Kempo in his own dojo at home. His students mostly consisted of boys and girls ranging from elementary to junior high school, with many quitting in high school due to exam preparations.

“Coming here, does that mean you want to learn Shorinji Kempo?” 

Masaya lowered his head and said, “Yes. However, in addition to Shaolin Kempo, I would also like to learn swordsmanship, if possible.”

Sensei Miyasaka’s expression turned to one of surprise. 

“That’s quite unusual. May I ask you for the reason?”

After thinking for a moment, Masaya showed the scratches he received from a stray cat. 

“Currently, I work as a detective at Fuyuhiko’s agency, and I often get scratched by stray cats. I can’t react to attacks that I used to be able to avoid in the past.”

Sensei Miyasaka made a peculiar expression. 

“So, you want to learn martial arts to fight against cats?”

“And also because my body has become sluggish, I thought of training it a bit. Is that not a good enough reason?”

“No, it’s not that it’s a bad reason, but I thought it might become something half-hearted.”

“I may not become a good disciple in your eyes, Sensei. But if it’s still okay with you, please allow me to learn.”

Sensei Miyasaka granted permission for him to join. Apparently, he didn’t turn away those who wanted to join in the first place. And with that, Masaya bought a scooter and started commuting to the dojo on it.