Chapter 171: Exponential Growth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: Exponential Growth
Crunch, crunch...
“Um, hey... Miss Holmes.”
Led by Charlotte, whose expression was frozen in a mask of ice, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of dread as we walked along the gravel road in heavy silence.
Questions swirled in my mind, threatening to overwhelm me. Where was she taking me? And just how much did Charlotte actually know about what had happened?
Not to mention, I was nearly driven mad wondering how such a vast shroud of smoke could blanket the entire Cornwall sky.
“My legs and back are a bit sore...”
To be honest, my body was a wreck, thoroughly battered by the Professor throughout the night.
“Perhaps we could rest for a moment...”
“………”
“Or, I could pay for a carriage...”
I spoke in a low whisper, cautiously gauging Charlotte’s reaction.
Creak...
“Er, um...”
The sound of her grinding her teeth made me freeze, my voice trailing off. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead as I wondered what dark thoughts were racing through her mind.
Swoosh—
“Eek.”
In that tense silence, Charlotte abruptly spun around to face me.
“M-Miss Holmes? What exactly is going on...?”
“Don’t speak.”
Her murderous aura was so intense I nearly fainted. I started to babble nonsense, but her voice suddenly took on a completely unexpected tone.
“...?”
“Don’t say anything,” Charlotte muttered, trembling like a lost child. “Just... keep your mouth shut.”
“........”
“Stay just like that...”
Following her command, I stood silently. Charlotte took a slow step toward me.
Swoosh—
She reached out, slowly pulling me into a tight embrace.
“”……….””
Silence fell between us.
Is she wearing perfume?
In the quiet, I unconsciously leaned my head against her neck, like a vampire yielding to instinct, catching the faint scent of her fragrance.
It’s quite strong today...
The potency of the scent reminded me of a cute mistake she’d made when she first started using perfume. But that was a long time ago. Now, she was adept at using makeup and scents to enhance her beauty, not just for disguises.
What was she trying to hide beneath such a heavy scent?
“...Were you scared?”
“What?”
As I mulled over my nonsensical thoughts, Charlotte blurted out something absurd.
“It’s okay. Now that I’m by your side...”
“.......?”
“Don’t worry...”
Though she tried to sound reassuring, her voice trembled uncontrollably. What was she even trying to say?
“...Seeing your reaction is so hollow, it’s just as I feared.”
“What are you talking about...?”
“That horrific violation... it wasn’t the first time, was it?”
I scratched my head in confusion, only beginning to grasp the situation as she continued.
“I’ve always wondered. Why do you look so pale and terrified whenever you see the Professor—someone you’re supposed to like as much as you like me?”
“No, that’s not related—”
“She’s been subjecting you to this for a long time, hasn't she? That’s why your eyes are stained with her color, even though you don't even love her...”
Charlotte’s eyes were tinged with madness, her words imbued with a bone-chilling killing intent.
“I do like the Professor...”
“LIAR! If you truly loved her, you wouldn’t have been violated like that today!”
“Uh... well...”
“Yes, from the very beginning... you were forced to be with her!”
Trying to make excuses was futile; Charlotte was already beyond the realm of reason.
“Calm down, Miss Holmes...”
“What? Calm down? You’re telling me to be calm?”
“Yes, let’s just take a breath...”
“How can I be calm when I watched the man I love being raped right before my eyes?!”
Sweat poured down my face. Where did this all go wrong? Wait, why was Charlotte even here in the first place?
...Is this a scheme by the Professor?
Suddenly, I remembered the Professor’s request—to pretend she had assaulted me. Could she have planned this exact scenario?
“...I’m sorry.”
“Miss Holmes.”
“You’re the one who was hurt. You must be suffering so much more... I shouldn’t have raised my voice.”
I narrowed my eyes, lost in thought. Charlotte pulled me closer, whispering with even more intensity.
“It’s... it’s okay. I am...” I started, feeling a deep pang of guilt. “...already used to it.”
I whispered in a low, hollow voice, perfectly playing the part of a victim who had finally broken.
Chapter 3 – Life or Death begins.
It seemed best to align with the Professor’s plan if I wanted the girl in front of me to awaken her full strength as quickly as possible.
『Life or Death』
– Description: Awaken Charlotte Holmes by any means necessary.
Gooooo...
For her sake, I was willing to do anything.
Warning!
※ Failure will trigger a Death Event! ※
...Of course it would.
The purpose of this event—where the power gap between Charlotte Holmes and the formidable Professor Moriarty would finally be leveled—was something I had planned myself, just days before transmigrating into this world.
*
“...What did you say?”
“At first, I couldn’t sleep. But lately, I don’t really think about it anymore... Haha.”
As Charlotte Holmes listened to Isaac Adler, her expression went vacant. As he continued, her face darkened considerably.
“Rather than letting the Professor run wild, if I sacrifice myself, I can act as a control... I think it might be better this way...”
“Leave the academy.”
“Pardon?”
Cutting him off, she spoke with a voice trembling with a myriad of dark emotions.
“Go abroad. I’ve already planned the escape route. We can definitely hide from the Professor’s eyes.”
“But...”
“The United States would be best, but first, we need to mislead them about our destination. We’ll go through Belgium to France, then Switzerland...”
“No, not Switzerland.”
As Adler sensed the Final Problem looming in her escape route, his face turned pale. He hastily shook his head, causing Charlotte to pause.
“No, escape is useless.”
“...Why?”
“Because wherever we go, we are still in the Professor’s grasp.”
Whispering this, Adler began to gently stroke Charlotte’s back.
“I’ll be the one to deal with the Professor from now on. You understand?”
“Why would you—!”
“Because it would be too much for you...”
Charlotte ground her teeth, her expression darkening dangerously.
“Moriarty...”
With trembling hands, she reached up and covered Adler’s right grey eye.
“You’re not going to take it from me, are you?”
“How dare she... how dare she...”
“Miss Holmes...?”
“Ahhhhhhhh....!!!”
She buried her head in Adler’s chest and let out a raw, piercing scream.
“………”
A brief silence followed.
“...Tell me you love me.”
“…….”
“Say that you love only me...”
As Charlotte sobbed, Adler gently patted her back and whispered tenderly.
“I love you.”
“...Ugh.”
Moved by his voice, she slowly raised her head.
“I’ve decided...”
“.......?”
“Somehow... I’ll catch her... with my own hands...”
A ferocious tone bled into Charlotte’s voice.
“Within a year...”
Goooooo...
...What have I done to deserve this?
As an absurdly dense black smoke spewed out in all directions, Adler sensed a surge of magical power from her that rivaled Professor Moriarty’s. His face froze in shock.
Swoosh—
Just then, a group of armed figures emerged behind them.
“I’m sorry, but the reunion ends here.”
“...What?”
The group included Princess Clay and Silver Blaze, who hadn't shown themselves for some time. At the front stood Celestia Moran, who seemed to have grown significantly in the short time since Adler had last seen her. She spoke with a cold whisper.
“From now on, Mr. Adler will be under our care.”
“...Ah.”
Adler, who had been neglecting his loyal followers for the past few weeks, began to tremble within Charlotte’s embrace.
*
“Care?”
“………”
“You people...?”
An awkward, heavy atmosphere settled over both sides.
“Ha! Hahaha.....”
Charlotte tightened her grip on Adler, a crazed look in her eyes as she burst into a peal of cold laughter at the group before her.
“What’s so funny?” Moran asked, looking noticeably more mature.
“Well, you lot are Adler’s loyal henchmen, aren’t you...?”
“Just... just a moment, Miss Holmes...” Adler tried to intervene, sensing the shift in her aura.
Charlotte’s expression turned chilling. “But just moments ago, your master was brutally violated.”
By then, it was already too late.
“...Where exactly have you all been this whole time?”
“””……….”””
...I’m dead. I'm absolutely dead.
As his faithful minions turned pale all at once, Adler’s mind went completely blank.