Chapter 166: The Devil's Foot (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166: The Devil's Foot (4)
“The innkeeper is taking his time…”
“It certainly seems that way.”
“Now that I think about it, something definitely feels off…”
At Professor Moriarty’s suggestion, Isaac Adler had followed her into the inn. Now, they sat in the lobby, waiting for an innkeeper who was supposedly only stepping away for a moment.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, well…”
Adler scratched his head, mumbling a series of incoherent thoughts to himself. However, when the Professor pressed him, he leaned in and whispered.
“Everything that’s happened since we arrived. None of it has gone the way I anticipated.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Honestly… until now, I’ve been able to predict and react to cases to some extent. But this one? It’s completely unpredictable.”
“Hmm…”
The Professor narrowed her eyes, studying him intently.
“And why do you think there is such a discrepancy this time?”
“…I’m not sure. This is the first time it’s ever happened.”
Adler muttered his response, oblivious to the suspicious gaze she leveled at him. A frown creased his brow as he sought her opinion.
“Could that mysterious entity we encountered be involved?”
“Adler. Didn’t I tell you already? You don’t need to worry about that.”
“But I can’t think of any other explanation…”
Seeing his genuine anxiety, a flicker of amusement crossed the Professor’s face, her composed facade momentarily slipping. She quickly adjusted her expression, adopting a tone of mock gravity.
“Let me be frank, Adler. I came here on a whim after receiving that request letter. To me, your claim of being able to predict the future is even more incomprehensible than your usual ramblings.”
“……..”
“Adler. I’ve been considering a hypothesis for some time now…”
She paused deliberately, waiting until Adler looked up at her.
“Can you see the future?”
“…Pardon?”
Her eyes wide, Professor Moriarty leaned closer, pressing him as he wore a look of sheer perplexity.
“If not that, perhaps you’re a traveler from the future?”
“……..”
“There must be some way you’re peeking ahead, isn’t there?”
“I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t try to squirm out of this.”
Her head began to bob in that characteristically cute manner of hers, but her eyes remained locked on his as she laid out her reasoning.
“I still remember what you said during our… monumental first meeting.”
“That was…”
“You knew exactly what kind of person I would become. You knew the titles people would give me, didn’t you?”
Adler opened his mouth to counter her, but her sharp, piercing questions made him think better of it. He fell silent.
“…If that’s true, I have one question.”
She inched even closer, a cold smile stretching her lips as she voiced the question that had been haunting her.
“I’ve done some research. I found that Reichenbach Falls is a waterfall in Switzerland. I’ll admit, I’m not sure why I would ever end up there…”
“……”
“So, based on what you said back then… will I die at Reichenbach Falls?”
Adler looked at her, his gaze turning dull before a wry smile touched his lips.
“I see. So even the Professor fears death.”
“Oh, please. I left such trivial fears behind long ago.”
Despite her dismissive words, her voice was subdued and grave.
“Then why is your voice trembling?”
“Because I might not be able to see you anymore.”
A heavy silence descended upon the lobby.
“Honestly… the thought is a bit frightening.”
In the quiet, Professor Moriarty whispered softly, resting her head on Adler’s shoulder. The faint, elegant scent of her perfume and cosmetics drifted into his senses. It seemed she had spent considerable time refining her makeup skills recently.
“Rest assured, Professor. You won’t die there.”
“…How can you be so certain?”
The weight of the situation sank in, and Adler fell silent for a moment. Then, a firm voice rose from the depths of his heart, filled with absolute conviction.
“Because I will make sure of it.”
“……”
“So don’t worry about any of that, Professor.”
At his staunch reply, a faint blush began to creep up her cheeks.
“I’m terribly sorry for the wait…”
Just then, the missing innkeeper finally returned.
“Ah, it’s quite alright.”
Adler, still wearing a radiant smile, stood up and made his way to the counter.
“By any chance, do you have two separate rooms available? If not, at least a room with two beds…”
Professor Moriarty watched his back as he walked away. For some reason, he looked far more reliable than usual.
“Pardon?”
Her lips quirked upward.
“There’s only one room left?”
…Isn’t that obvious?
Her plan, carefully nurtured over the past few weeks, was finally on the verge of fruition.
“…Yes, well. We’ll take the available room for now.”
After all, I’ve already rented out every other room in this inn.
.
.
.
.
.
“Pant, pant…”
“Miss! You have to pay before you leave!”
Meanwhile, at the border leading into Cornwall…
—Ding-a-ling!
“…Oh, dear.”
Charlotte threw a handful of coins at the coachman trying to stop her. Not willing to waste a single second, she sprinted toward the county entrance, her eyes burning with intensity.
“What on earth is happening?”
“A phenomenon like this has never been reported…”
“I wonder if the people inside are safe.”
A crowd had gathered at the entrance, murmuring in confusion.
“Hey, young miss! There’s no point in trying to go in there!”
“……..”
“Since this morning, no matter how far we walk, we just can’t enter Cornwall…”
Charlotte ignored the resident calling out to her, pushing through the crowd.
“Move aside.”
“No, miss… I’m telling you, it’s futile—”
“Move.”
Irked, Charlotte released a terrifying, murderous aura. The resident, overwhelmed by the sudden pressure, scrambled out of her path. With a look of pure disdain, Charlotte marched past without another word.
“Isn’t this the kind of bizarre phenomenon that person should be solving? Who was it again…?”
“Inspector Lestrade?”
“Yes, her! I heard she has a 100% success rate with these strange cases…”
Charlotte remained silent, maintaining her pace while listening to the whispers.
“Just a moment, this area is currently—”
—Goooooooooo…
“…Eek?!”
Several people rushed forward to block her path, but a terrifying wave of black smoke erupted from Charlotte’s body.
“If you don’t want to die, get out of my way.”
Faced with her menacing expression, the meddlers cautiously backed away, just as the resident had done before.
“Haa…”
Finally standing at the boundary line separating London from Cornwall, Charlotte took a deep breath and reached out.
—Crackle!
Sparks scattered for a brief instant before her hand slipped through the barrier like it was passing through a soap bubble. She paused, surprised.
“…Are you inviting me in?”
Charlotte muttered under her breath with a look of disbelief before stepping through the dimension.
“Oh, by the way, you lot.”
She suddenly stopped and turned back toward the chattering residents.
“You might want to work on your acting skills while you wait.”
The idle chatter stopped instantly, as if on cue.
“Even if your acting were on the same level as Adler’s—or mine—I’d have to be a total imbecile to be fooled by the same people I met on the train the other day. Not to mention, you’re the same ones who take turns tailing me every week. There’s no way in hell I’d be deceived.”
Leaving those frost-laced words behind, Charlotte stepped fully into the barrier and vanished.
““……..””
A heavy silence followed.
“…Yes, she has just entered, Professor.”
The man who had first blocked Charlotte began communicating with someone.
“It seems she has a grasp of the situation. Furthermore, she was already aware of our identities…”
The other "residents" didn't speak; they simply dissolved into red smoke and dispersed.
“…But for some reason, her breathing was ragged. Labored, even?”
.
.
.
.
.
“Hmm…”
Lately, every time I wake up, I have a pounding headache and feel completely groggy.
Why did I faint this time?
It wasn’t insomnia or a bad sleep schedule. It was the fact that I kept getting caught in specific situations that caused me—a man in perfect health—to black out.
“…….”
Perhaps that was why I’d become so adept at handling it.
Rule number one: when this happens, do not open your eyes immediately. Instead, take deep breaths and mentally prepare for any possible scenario.
…I remember getting the room key from the counter and entering with the Professor.
Recalling the moments before the blackout usually helped.
What happened after we entered the room?
I searched my memory, but nothing specific came to mind.
—Swoosh…
Having successfully calmed myself, I cautiously opened my eyes to assess the situation.
“……..”
The scene unfolding before me left me gaping in stunned silence.
“Ad… Adler…”
“Professor?”
For some reason, the Professor—missing her top—was straddling me on the bed, mumbling something exceedingly embarrassing.
“My body… it feels so hot…”
“Yes? Excuse me?”
“…Help me.”
I blinked incredulously at the absurd scenario.
“…Uh.”
Suddenly, a wave of heat washed over my entire body, making me shudder. Realization dawned, and I frantically scanned the room.
“Ah…”
I found the culprit.
“…Shit.”
An incense burner sat on the desk, emitting a suspicious pink smoke. It was identical to the one described in the novel.
“This can’t be…”
I tried to cover my nose and mouth, but it was far too late.
“……..”
Both the Professor and I had been breathing in the smoke in this enclosed space for too long. The drug was already in our systems.
“Professor… we need to get out of here…”
“Adler…”
Even as my senses blurred, I tried to pull her toward the door.
“…Aren’t you going to overpower me?”
As those words hit my ears, what little sanity I had left vanished completely.
“Fucking hell… I can’t take it anymore!”
“…Ahhh!”
I must have been hallucinating in my delirium. Why else would I think that the terrified look on the Professor’s face as I pounced on her like a ravenous beast… had momentarily shifted into a bone-chilling expression of triumph?