Chapter 172: Snowball Effect
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 172: Snowball Effect
Moments before Isaac Adler’s subordinates received the bombshell from Charlotte...
“…Adler, that traitor.”
“Is it really opening? I heard no one could get in, that it was pure chaos…”
“How dare he... How dare he toy with me?”
Despite the restricted boundary of Cornwall being supposedly impenetrable, two figures slipped through as effortlessly as if passing through a soap bubble.
“I’ll kill him. I swear I’ll kill him…”
“No, you won’t, Inspector.”
The intruders were none other than Inspector Lestrade, who had forced her way in after neutralizing the anomaly in Cornwall with her curse, and a very reluctant Rachel Watson, who had been dragged along for the ride.
“I don’t care whether you kill that bastard or not!” Watson hissed.
“…….”
“Why are you dragging me along when I finally managed to take a vacation?!”
The moment they set foot in Cornwall, Inspector Lestrade sensed Adler’s presence and hurried forward. Watson’s voice rose in protest behind her.
“Well, you are a brilliant doctor, aren’t you?” Lestrade replied.
“Well, that’s true. But what does that have to do with anything?”
Lestrade turned to her, her expression terrifying. “Even if I beat Adler to within an inch of his life, a brilliant doctor like you could revive him, right?”
“What in the hell has he done this time…?”
“I made a pledge, dedicating my entire life to that man, and that son of a bitch broke it within days.”
As Lestrade spat out her resentment, Watson looked on in dismay.
“I… I even lost my… my first time to him…”
“Ha, he really is trash…” Watson muttered.
Lestrade was, of course, referring to the unfortunate incident where Adler had stolen a kiss from her, but Watson had clearly misinterpreted the gravity of the "first time."
“…Please take care of me today.”
“Sigh…”
It seemed highly unlikely that the strongest inspector in the British Empire—a woman who had never known defeat—could have been forced into anything by Adler.
Normally, the idea would be ridiculous, but given the person involved, it actually makes sense.
Regardless, the fact that Adler was an absolute scoundrel remained unchanged. Watson eventually sighed in resignation.
“…Thank you for understanding.”
“But, can I get a bit of revenge too?” Watson asked.
Lestrade looked at the doctor with genuine surprise. “Did I hear that right?”
“I still have grievances of my own. I’d like to put a few bullet holes in his shoulder with my pistol.”
Lestrade blinked in confusion. “…Excuse me, but that seems a bit harsh.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll be the only one doing the hitting.”
Rachel Watson’s gaze turned cold at Lestrade’s declaration. “It’s alright for the Inspector to beat someone nearly to death, but I can’t even fire a shot?”
“No, you cannot.”
“If it’s not too rude, may I ask why?”
The atmosphere shifted as Watson stared directly into the Inspector's eyes. Lestrade replied in a low, possessive voice.
“Because Adler is my husband.”
“………”
“I am the only one with the right to strike him. I will not tolerate violence from anyone else.”
Their cold gazes locked in a silent clash.
“I see… so he is your husband now…”
“…The word now bothers me a bit.”
“No, well. You must think I’m interested in Adler, but you needn't worry,” Watson whispered, sensing the officer’s wariness. “I like Neville. I have zero interest in that trash of a man, Inspector.”
“Birds of a feather flock together. It seems you’ve been influenced by Holmes after all.”
“I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about…?”
As the conversation began to spiral...
“If you don’t understand, I’ll tell you again. Isaac Adler is my husband—”
“……?”
The Inspector narrowed her eyes and raised her voice, but suddenly stopped mid-sentence, looking startled.
“What is it? Why stop all of a sudden—”
“Shh!”
“Eh?!”
Before a puzzled Watson could finish, Lestrade covered her mouth and dragged her into the nearby bushes.
“The bushes again? What are we even doing…”
“I can feel Adler’s presence. He’s close…”
“What?” Watson managed to shake off the Inspector’s hand, giving her a bewildered look. “You can’t even use magic. How would you know that?”
“I made a certain pact. It allows me to detect Adler’s every move—and whether he’s breaking our agreement…”
“…Ha. You realize that just makes you a stalker, right?”
“Keep quiet. He’s right in front of us.”
“Ehhh!”
Lestrade covered Watson's mouth again, breaking into a sweat as she concentrated.
Crunch…
“………”
Soon, they spotted Adler in the distance, walking hand-in-hand with Charlotte. Both women’s eyes darkened simultaneously.
“So, he was having an affair with Holmes after all…”
“…Hmph.”
Lestrade looked ready to explode but maintained a transcendent level of patience. Watson, meanwhile, pretended not to care while sneakily tracking every movement.
Slide…
“Ha, haha…”
“She’s out of her mind. Has her brain been pickled in drugs, or is she just under Adler’s influence…?”
Their patience reached its breaking point as they witnessed the intimate, lingering embrace between Charlotte and Adler.
—I’m sorry, but this reunion is over.
“”……!””
Just then, Adler’s henchmen appeared from the opposite side.
“Th-those guys…”
“They’re all classified as dangerous individuals by the London Metropolitan Police Department.”
“……..”
“I’ve heard they are so loyal to Adler that they would sacrifice their lives at his mere command.”
Lestrade watched as a significantly matured Celestia Moran threatened Charlotte, her voice turning icy.
“…For your information, that girl is the most dangerous among them. Even I cannot easily subdue her.”
“Even you?”
“This has become a massive headache…”
Troubled by the escalating situation, Lestrade spoke again.
“…We need to call for reinforcements. Now that they’ve shown up, I can no longer act on personal emotion—”
—But, just moments ago, your master was brutally raped.
The shocking statement from Charlotte’s mouth plunged everyone into stunned silence.
“What did she just say…?”
—…Where exactly have you all been this whole time?
“What did she say? Holmes…?”
Beside the frozen Lestrade, Watson began to mutter, breaking into a cold sweat. “We… we must have heard that wrong.”
“Right? It’s not April Fool’s Day. April was months ago…”
They looked at each other, desperately trying to deny reality.
—Since you didn’t answer, it seems you haven’t heard it clearly. Let me tell you again.
But Charlotte’s voice, now tinged with tears, rang out again, shattering their denial.
—Isaac Adler has been periodically raped by Professor Moriarty all this time. Against his will.
“”……..””
—From the beginning until now. Always forcefully. Continuously…
Lestrade and Rachel Watson’s eyes went completely dark, the color draining from their faces.
“Then, the breach of contract notice I received means…”
“Was it really… was it really because of the Professor…?”
The pieces of the puzzle began to click together in their minds—albeit in a completely distorted way.
.
.
.
.
.
“Master, is that really true? Look into my eyes and tell me. Please, tell me it isn’t true. Because if it is, I swear on my life, I will find her and…”
“…It’s a lie, right?”
Silver Blaze and Princess Clay approached me silently. Their faces were deathly pale as they began their intense interrogation.
“No, it’s… that is…”
“…Dad.”
As I desperately scrambled for words, Moran’s voice leaked out, sounding utterly bleak.
“Did you really get raped?”
“…….”
She was now tall enough to reach my chin. As she asked the question with chilling intensity, I stood there, dumbfounded. I felt a physical chill, as if the temperature around us was plummeting.
“Is it too painful to even recall?”
“No, well…”
Princess Clay, the only one who seemed to be maintaining a shred of sanity, pressed for an answer. I forced my frozen brain to spin.
“…It’s all a lie.”
“””……..”””
“Today is April Fool’s Day! Haha… ha…”
In the end, I could only blurt out a pathetic, nonsensical excuse.
Crunch…
“…….”
“Just wait a moment. I’m going to gather every demihuman in London right now and find that bitch…”
Naturally, there was no way they would believe my bullshit excuse after hearing Charlotte’s "earnest" testimony.
…What do I do? Dammit.
Even though I had resolved to play along with the Professor’s scheme, I never anticipated that so many people would find out all at once.
“Let’s live together from now on. I can protect you every minute—no, every second.”
“If you just say the word, I can start the plan we discussed last time…”
How on earth was I supposed to escape this crisis?
You’re not usually this nervous.
In this once-in-a-lifetime disaster, even the System seemed to have given up on displaying probability messages. I brainstormed desperately for a way out.
But remember, a crisis is also an opportunity.
“……..Ah.”
Just then, a voice drifted in from behind. I clenched my eyes shut, giving up on thought entirely.
“Isn’t that right, Adler…?”
Professor Moriarty, her face glowing with a radiant, refreshed expression, was walking toward us from the distance.