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XIII

Inordinate Coincidence

"Don't you think this is a little too much of a coincidence?" Cairn muttered as he stared at one black-haired detective perched strangely on a chair in the ice cream shop.

Es rolled his eyes.

The kitsune was currently invisible and floating around all over the place in reckless abandon.

Having to pretend to be a human had worn on him and the fact that Es had inputted information on how to speak one hundred different languages into his mind over the past months — his jobs now came from all across the globe — had been incredibly draining. The information overload is immense from learning a single language in an instant. For it to be repeated tens of times was an indescribable form of torture that Cairn did not want to experience ever again.

"Back then in Rome and now in Arizona? Why does it seem like we are always running into that guy? Earth is larger than the Five Great Elemental Countries, so how is this possible?" the kitsune complained while eyeing the blond suspiciously.

Es stepped into the ice cream shop, not looking bothered at all by the sweltering heat that was so common in Lake Havasu City. In truth, Es looked no different walking through a forty degrees celsius environment and a twenty degrees celsius environment. He looked so comfortable that everyone else stared at him in disbelief as they watched him pass. This was partly because of the cooling technology he had incorporated into his clothing and partly because he could control his metabolic processes due to his status as an immortal Kagami. However, simply looking fine did not mean that Es did not mind the heat. Unlike Cairn, who was nonmaterial, Es was still suffering even if he did not look like it. Es would prefer freezing subzero temperatures any day compared to the heat.

"Dark chocolate, mint and vanilla, please," Es ordered after a glance at the assortment available.

The clerk handed him his large cup with three scoops of ice cream and Es entered the interior of the shop, glad for the existence of air conditioning. Had chakra still been available to him, Es had no qualms using it to block out the heat. However, it was not. Hence, he had no choice and could only make do with whatever he managed to come up with using technology.

Es once again sat opposite L without awaiting permission from the other detective.

"It's hot," Es grumbled, removing his shoes and crossing his legs on the chair.

Cairn gaped. The blond had always looked so proper and seemed to take great efforts to ensure that he looked professional. Seeing the blond acting like this in public although he remained so prim and polite even in his own home was simply unbelievable.

"The world must be ending. Either that or you're being influenced by that boy," Cairn said, shaking his head.

"I hate shoes in general since they're stuffy, so I relate," L answered with an understanding nod.

The two brightest minds in the world were sitting in an ice cream shop together and no one was any the wiser about how the world's greatest detectives were in the same room as them.

"Why do you sit like that anyway?" Es asked curiously, not seeming bothered by how neither of them was greeting the other.

"If I do not, my deduction skills drop by forty per cent," L claimed as he ate the candied cherry on top of his sundae.

Es raised an eyebrow.