Chapter 15: The Red Mana League (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: The Red Mana League (4)
“Miss Holmes. Did you really have to go this far?”
Adler, having just stepped out of the restroom, let out a heavy sigh as he addressed her.
“I hate to bring it up, but isn’t this practically harassment?”
“Follow me.”
“Ugh.”
Holmes remained unyielding, tugging him along by the handcuffs as they began to navigate the streets once more.
“Oh, look, it’s Miss Holmes.”
“There’s Adler, too. Did she finally catch him?”
“Wait, didn’t those two just come out of the restroom together?”
Hearing the whispers of the surrounding crowd, Adler could only manage a bitter smile. He leaned in and whispered into her ear again.
“Nasty rumors are going to start circulating because of this, Miss Holmes.”
“Rumors?”
“Word travels surprisingly fast in London, you know…”
“I’m not quite sure what you’re getting at, Mr. Adler.”
Feigning ignorance, Holmes continued to lead the way. After a moment, she posed a soft question to him.
“By the way, Mr. Adler. Are you feeling unwell?”
“Pardon?”
“Your face looks quite pale.”
Adler touched his cheek, tilting his head in confusion. “Do I really look that way?”
“Even comparing you to the photograph taken at your mansion a few years ago, you look quite different from how you did just a few months ago.”
“………”
“What caused you to become so frail in such a short time?”
Faced with her sharp observation, Adler stared at her, looking genuinely taken aback.
“…You’ve been looking at my pictures?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Adler tilted his head, a cool smile playing on his lips as he countered her question.
“Well, because…”
Holmes, who had intended to reply with a look that suggested the answer was obvious, suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
“And the picture from the mansion years ago? Why do you even have that?”
“………”
Seeing her falter, Adler pressed further, his voice softening into a gentle, soothing tone.
“Miss Holmes, stalking is a crime.”
“…That’s not what I was doing.”
“Don’t do it again, alright?”
“I told you, I wasn’t!”
Holmes dodged his hand as he tried to pat her head, muttering under her breath.
He deliberately changed the subject.
Though his diversion was slick and almost imperceptible, he had clearly and intentionally avoided discussing his physical condition. That could only mean one thing: there was definitely something wrong with his health.
“………”
Suddenly, the image of the hourglass she had seen earlier flashed through her mind. She bit her lip in silence.
That hourglass of unknown origin—it couldn't possibly be real…
“Miss Holmes, we’ve arrived.”
Snapped back to reality by Adler’s voice, Holmes spoke up, her tone uncertain.
“This is…”
The entrance to the City & Suburban Bank loomed before them.
“…I intended to come here later.”
“Why?”
Realizing she had somehow been led here by Adler, Holmes frowned slightly.
“There’s nothing we can gain here immediately. Only after gathering all the evidence can we head to the vault in the basement…”
“I see.”
Holmes trailed off.
“Hmm…”
For some reason, Adler was looking at her with an expression of pure disappointment.
…Why?
For a moment, Charlotte broke into a cold sweat.
What did I miss?
By all rights, she should have been the one evaluating him—the one disappointed by whatever riddle the blond-haired boy had prepared. But seeing Adler’s gaze, she realized something unsettling.
She wasn't the only one capable of feeling disappointment.
“If that’s your opinion, Miss Holmes, then we can come back later…”
Adler, the one who had set the challenge for her, was perfectly entitled to be disappointed if she failed to meet his expectations.
“Oh, no.”
“Yes?”
“This is the right place.”
As the thought struck her, the words tumbled out of Charlotte’s mouth in a hurry.
“…The exact place I intended to go.”
“Oh, I see.”
She had blurted it out without thinking, but there was no time for regret. Having said it, she had to follow through, no matter what.
“………”
She closed her eyes for a moment, her pupils darting behind her eyelids as she processed the situation. When she snapped them open, she fixed her gaze on Adler.
“…Mr. Adler, you are my assistant now.”
“Temporary assistant, to be precise. But for now, let’s go with that.”
The gleam in her eyes suggested she had found her answer in that brief instant.
“Then please, assist me when I give the signal.”
“…What?”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
With that, Holmes began walking toward the counter, carefully hiding the arm handcuffed to Adler’s.
“How can I help you today?” the bank employee asked with a polite smile.
“I have something I wish to entrust to your bank.”
The employee’s smile widened. “And what would a young lady like yourself wish to deposit with us?”
Swoosh—
Holmes presented the ring she was wearing.
“Oh my, what a beautiful ring…”
“I’m not here to deposit the ring.”
“Excuse me?”
Holmes leaned in, whispering to the employee who was busy admiring the gemstone from every angle.
“It is merely a symbol to prove who my representative is.”
The employee, who had been tilting his head to get a better look, suddenly stiffened.
“This is…”
Working at London’s largest bank, he had dealt with numerous high-ranking individuals. He couldn't possibly fail to recognize the crest of the Bohemian royal family.
“You needn't worry about impersonation. I am showing my face quite clearly—if this were a lie, I would face execution without a shadow of a doubt.”
The Bohemian Queen, who had initially only agreed to send a photograph, had sent the ring the following day as a token of her silence.
“By the way, does this bank have a policy that allows staff to be rude simply because a customer looks young?”
Holmes, using the high-grade royal ring as her leverage, began to pressure the employee with a sharp smirk.
“Ma’am, I apologize… but this alone cannot confirm your identity,” the employee stammered, sweating profusely as he tried to do his duty. “We would need at least an official document with a seal…”
“Would this suffice?”
To the employee’s shock, Adler pulled a folded document from his pocket, keeping the contents hidden.
“I cannot show you the text as it is classified, but it is sealed with the Queen’s personal insignia and protected by magic.”
“Ah, um…”
“I believe this should be sufficient proof of our identity. Don’t you agree?”
Seeing the royal seal at the bottom of the parchment, the employee looked utterly dumbstruck.
“I… I will fetch the manager immediately…”
The flustered man bowed deeply and hurried into the back offices.
“Oh, greetings, esteemed guests!”
A moment later, the bank manager appeared, practically beaming as he greeted Holmes and Adler.
“My sincerest apologies for the inconvenience. Hehe…”
He rubbed his hands together nervously. “So, what exactly would you like to entrust to our care?”
“I’ve heard this bank has an underground vault.”
“……!”
“I’ve also heard rumors that access is restricted. At the very least, one must be of royal lineage to use it.”
The manager’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you come to know about that…?”
“Don’t underestimate the intelligence of the one who hired us.”
“Ah, I see. Understood.”
“Would it be possible for us to take a look inside?”
The manager cleared his throat and nodded eagerly. “I’ll check the reservation list right now. Please, wait just a moment.”
As he hurried off, Holmes turned to Adler with a subtle, triumphant smile.
“If we can’t get into the basement as investigators, we simply become customers.”
“Exactly.”
“Once we have valuables stored inside, we can visit whenever we like and gain immediate entry for our investigation.”
“Well done, Miss Holmes.”
Adler reached out to pat her head again.
“…It was a basic deduction,” she muttered, though her heart was racing a mile a minute.
This is fun.
Investigating with Adler was unlike any case she had ever handled. It felt like unraveling a masterfully crafted riddle—an adventure without equal. The tension of the situation and the rush of solving it made her entire body tremble with a faint, giddy excitement.
The euphoria was so intense that she momentarily forgot she was being patronized by Adler.
“Hmm, dear customers. I have good news,” the manager said, returning to the now wide-eyed Holmes. “At the moment, no one is using the basement vault. You’ll have the entire space to yourselves.”
“…Excuse me?”
“There’s no risk of theft from other parties. Our security will be focused solely on your belongings…”
“Wait a moment.”
Holmes’s expression shifted to one of pure bewilderment. “You mean there’s nothing inside right now?”
“Yes, it’s completely empty.”
The manager’s words echoed in her ears.
What happened?
Charlotte had deduced that Joan Clay’s objective was something hidden in this very vault. The peculiar part-time job at the pawn shop nearby, the strange conditions…
When she had secretly accessed the interview room before the anti-eavesdropping spell was triggered, she had overheard Clay mention robbing London’s largest bank to obtain an object that would lead the vampires to an age of glory.
The coordinates were nearly identical to the underground area of Auguste Academy. And in that place, they were using their client, Miss Wilson, to inscribe intricate magic circles.
Every factor pointed to this bank’s basement.
“Miss Holmes, you can’t exactly steal anything from an empty vault, can you?”
Her entire deduction had just been negated.
“For your information, the plan Joan Clay told me about also involved infiltrating this bank’s basement.”
Adler’s soft voice from beside her drove the point home.
“Our main premise has just collapsed.”
*
“Miss Holmes.”
As they exited the bank, Adler turned to her.
“It seems a new riddle has emerged.”
Holmes looked at him intently.
“Do you, Miss Holmes, perhaps know the answer to this one?”
“…And you, Mr. Adler?”
Adler shrugged, his tone light. “How could I possibly know an answer that even the great Miss Holmes hasn't realized?”
“Liar.”
Charlotte let out a soft, genuine chuckle.
“You’ve already realized it, haven’t you, Mr. Adler?”
“………”
“The truth behind this case.”
Adler’s eyes gleamed quietly.
“Well then, here is the question…”
As the words left his lips, Charlotte’s heart gave a reflexive thud.
“Hah.”
A brief, self-deprecating laugh escaped her.
“…Why the sudden laugh?”
“It’s nothing, Mr. Adler.”
If the Charlotte of a few years ago—or even a few months ago—could see herself now, what would she think? She would have assumed she was drugged. Or perhaps she would have tried to strangle her current self on the spot.
But now, she had no choice but to admit it.
“What was Joan Clay’s true objective?”
She enjoyed the riddles posed by this enigmatic man.
“…Joan Clay’s goal wasn’t a mere bank heist.”
And she loved answering them.
“Diana Wilson. She was the real target from the very beginning.”
Seeing Adler’s expression light up at her answer was immensely satisfying.
“From the start, Joan Clay had her eyes on Diana Wilson.”
“You’re truly remarkable, Miss Holmes.”
She relished the genuine praise he offered.
“You truly are the best.”
This feeling was more addictive than any case she had ever solved.
If I’m not careful…
Knowing the side effects of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs better than anyone, she could easily see the danger.
…I might become addicted to this feeling.
If she grew too accustomed to this pleasure, she would undoubtedly walk a path from which there was no return.
Well, does it even matter?
She didn't care. And neither did Adler.
It was as if she carried a curse, and she was certain Adler carried his own as well. For each other, they were the perfect distractions—the perfect sources of amusement to lift those curses.
Finding happiness in each other’s destruction… wasn't it ironic?
“So, where to next?”
“To Auguste Academy.”
Smiling quietly at her own thoughts, Holmes responded instinctively.
“To be precise, we need to head to the basement dormitory.”
“…I’m not even surprised anymore. You really are something else.”
As she followed Adler, Charlotte mused silently to herself.
I wonder if three people can live in the boarding house.
If circumstances allowed, she thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep him as her assistant before they eventually destroyed one another.
*
With an inexplicable chill running down my spine, I noticed Charlotte Holmes smiling as she trailed closely behind me.
“By the way, I should mention this in advance.”
“……..?”
As we neared the conclusion of the case, I leaned in and whispered to her.
“Investigating and solving the case is the role of the detective. That is your domain, Miss Holmes.”
“Yes, I’m well aware, Mr. Adler.”
This was the lesson she needed to grasp.
“But you see, the job of protecting that detective is the role of the assistant.”
I needed to ensure she wouldn't recklessly charge in and trigger a Game Over in the future.
“If things get dangerous, I will protect you by any means necessary, Miss Holmes.”
I gave her my word as we approached the climax of the investigation.
“You understand, right?”
Holmes seemed to take it in, nodding silently without a word.
“………..?”
But what was that hourglass she was suddenly clutching in her hand?
“…Mr. Adler.”
As I watched her, tilting my head in confusion, Charlotte stopped in her tracks and posed a quiet question.
“Was what you just said… sincere?”
Her face bore an expression of pure disbelief, as if she were struggling to comprehend something fundamental.
“Yes, it was.”
“………”
Why was she suddenly acting like this? I couldn't help but wonder.