Chapter 111: Abduction
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: Abduction
It was a night when I received marriage proposals from three women in succession…
“…Oh my.”
“………”
“And who might this be?”
I visited the Diogenes Club in secret, accompanied only by my bodyguard, Celestia Moran. A voice so cold it sent a shiver down my spine greeted me the moment I stepped inside.
“…I haven’t even entered the waiting room yet. Is it appropriate to be so loud?”
“The Diogenes Club is not a place for socializing today.”
There, at the desk placed in the very center of the club, sat Mycrony Holmes in her usual seat with her usual smile. However, for some reason, that familiar smile sent inexplicable chills crawling down my neck.
Swoosh—
Slowly, she raised her hand in a subtle gesture. At that signal, the members sitting inside the club reading newspapers immediately began to emanate a heavy, murderous intent.
“…Hmm.”
It was exactly like the situation when I first met her.
“Dad, shall we kill them all?” Moran whispered.
“…Wait.”
The difference this time was that Celestia Moran was by my side, a small airgun concealed in her embrace.
“I’ve merely come to talk today,” I said.
Rustle…
Additionally, I had Princess Clay in my arms. She had transformed into her cat form and was currently fidgeting inside my coat. Rather than me bringing her along, it would be more accurate to say she had stubbornly followed me and slipped into my clothes. Even Moran, a specialist in detecting presences, had failed to notice her. Surely, she could provide some help if the need arose.
“You seem awfully prepared for someone who claims to have only come to talk.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The daughter of the hero of Afghanistan, the war machine Colonel Sebastian Moran… and the vampire princess who almost devoured the entirety of London. Wouldn’t I be justified in attacking you first when you arrive with such dangerous personnel?”
Mycrony’s words made me immediately dispel any hope of a stealthy approach.
“…As expected, you are impressive.”
“Pardon?”
“But I really didn’t come here to pick a fight.”
The feeling of having all my capabilities assessed so quickly wasn’t pleasant, but I couldn’t back down now. I wasn’t sure why her demeanor had reverted to how it was when we first met, especially since I had already engraved the slave mark on her. If necessary, I could use the mark to subdue her, and I was confident I could escape with my escorts if the situation turned dire.
“So, what is it?”
“…I’ve come to seek your counsel.”
To achieve the ultimate goal of my visit, what came next was crucial.
“My counsel?”
“…Yes.”
“You, of all people?”
I spoke to her with the most polite demeanor I could muster, almost pleading. My words prompted her to tilt her head in quiet contemplation.
“…Please.”
The reason I was being so polite to Mycrony Holmes was because her role in the game was none other than the Development Consultant of the narrative. In the game, she didn’t provide clues for cases like in the original Sherlock Holmes series; instead, she offered hints vital for the future development of the storyline.
Her hints, derived from those All-Seeing Eyes of hers, always proved invaluable when the game’s progression came to a standstill—exactly the situation I was facing now. Of course, to receive the best advice, one had to maximize their affinity with her.
“I would like to receive advice about my current situation.”
It was for this reason that I had built a friendship with her beforehand. Although the current atmosphere made me uneasy, I had to trust the goodwill I had established and take a shot in the dark.
“Would you be able to help me?”
“Hehe…”
As I asked in a low voice, she covered her mouth and began to smile.
“…No, I don’t want to.”
The very next moment, she opened her eyes and answered in a stern, indifferent voice.
“Why should I even help you?”
“……..”
“Please leave. You’re being bothersome.”
Silence fell over the club.
‘…This is problematic.’
After all the effort I went through to build a relationship with her, for it to crumble at such a crucial moment—what was I supposed to do? Should I activate the slave mark I’d inscribed on her stomach right now to force the advice and escape?
“……..”
Pondering for a moment, I eventually decided against it. Didn’t Charlotte say that intuition was both the most important and the least reliable skill of a detective? Although I wasn’t a detective, my intuition told me that proceeding that way would be a mistake.
‘…What should I do, then?’
“Why? Did you suddenly decide to feed a fish you’ve already caught?”
‘Why would she say that all of a sudden?’
As I broke into a cold sweat trying to understand why Mycrony Holmes was giving me such a solemn look, a system message suddenly appeared.
[Mycrony Holmes is upset with you.]
The system window fluttered next to Mycrony, circling her as it delivered the message.
“I’m sorry, but I’m full already.”
[She's quite a bit upset with you, in fact.]
The moment I saw the message, I grasped the situation.
“…So please leave as soon as possible.”
Miss Mycrony was upset because I hadn’t visited her in quite some time.
Thud, thud…
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to soothe her feelings. Taking the time to coax her would only aggravate the crisis I was currently facing. I was sure of that.
So, for now, I had no choice but to use an unethical, immoral method. It was simple, certain, and something I had been trying to avoid, but there was no other way out.
“What are you doing?”
“…………”
I quietly approached her. Seeing my advance, Mycrony Holmes sat at her desk with a frigid look and tilted her head.
Click—
At the same time, her subordinates reached into their coats, the murderous intent in the room spiking.
“Before you regret it, take your hands out of your pockets.”
“…Grrr.”
Behind me, Moran drew her airgun, aiming it at Mycrony’s subordinates. Princess Clay, fidgeting in my arms, bared her teeth and unsheathed her claws in a threatening gesture.
“”………..””
The atmosphere in the quiet club turned electric.
Swoosh—
Amid that suffocating tension, I slowly extended my hand toward Mycrony Holmes. Everyone’s gaze focused on the two of us.
“Ack!”
“…What are you doing right now?”
After taking a deep breath, I wrapped my arms around Mycrony’s waist and hoisted her up. Her frigid voice echoed through the room.
“Just some mild kidnapping.”
“Don’t you remember saying you came here for a conversation?”
“…Since the conversation doesn’t seem to be working, I am left with no choice.”
Holding her in a princess carry, I turned and began heading toward the exit.
“What do you plan to achieve by kidnapping me?”
“I will train Miss Mycrony to be completely mine.”
“………”
“I’ll make sure to make up for all the ‘suffering’ she has been through.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the club members drew their guns and aimed them directly at me.
Bzzzzzttt!
“”………!?””
However, their hostility was short-lived. With a burst of red sparks, their bodies became paralyzed, and they dropped their weapons simultaneously.
“…Well done, Princess.”
I had been preparing to expend all my mana, expecting bloodshed, but things went smoother than anticipated. If she had such a terrifying area-of-effect skill, she should have used it earlier.
｢No, I didn’t do it though…?｣
“Of course, you would say something like that.”
Despite clearly having expended a tremendous amount of power, Princess Clay maintained her typical tsundere act. I patted her head lightly and, along with Moran, who had quietly put away her gun, moved outside.
｢No, really, I didn’t do it this time…!｣
“…Dad, I smell something ominous from this woman,” Moran muttered.
I had already made up my mind. There was no turning back.
“Mycrony.”
The Protector of London, still wearing a frosty expression, was forcibly restrained by the slave seal on her belly as I held her.
“…Are you prepared to be trained like a dog?”
To escape this hopeless situation, I had no choice but to subjugate her.
“You’re the worst.”
“That’s a fitting response for someone about to be disciplined.”
It was time to cast aside any hesitation and truly immerse myself in the darkness.
*
Dawn, in Adler’s hideout located in the back alleys…
“…Do you think you’ll be able to get away with this?”
In the pitch-dark basement, Mycrony Holmes was confined, one of her feet shackled with a golden chain. She looked at the boy who had kidnapped her with a cold expression.
Click—
But Isaac Adler, paying no heed to her words, affixed a collar around her neck engraved with the name Mycrony Holmes.
Swoosh—
“Don’t start losing strength already.”
He pulled the leash sharply upward and whispered those words. Mycrony, forced to look up at Adler, bit her lip hard, her face a mask of utter humiliation.
“Change into the clothes in the room.”
While prodding her abdomen where his seal was engraved with his foot, Adler gestured toward the shabby clothes provided on the side.
“You’ll get food and water whenever you behave well.”
“……..”
“And from now on, you will call me Master.”
After briefly stroking her disheveled hair, Adler moved toward the exit.
“…Training begins tomorrow.”
*
[Hey.]
[Just thought I'd let you know, in case you didn't know...]
Just as Adler was finishing his sentence, a system message appeared urgently beside him as he opened the basement door.
[...No, it's nothing.]
“…What is it?”
[I guess it's better if you don't know.]
After a brief pause, the entity stopped its output and changed its tune. Adler, tilting his head in confusion, quietly licked his lips and went up the stairs.
“…….Hehe.”
A low chuckle from Mycrony Holmes—her index finger pressed to her lips as her eyes gleamed with an eerie hue—began to echo in the room the moment he left. However, by then, the basement door had already been firmly closed.
“…For a curse, it’s quite cute.”