Chapter 184: The Korean Interpreter (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: The Korean Interpreter (8)
“It seems our dear Mr. Adler thinks I’m nothing more than a chess piece.”
“…I am not Adler.”
Mycrony Holmes entered the room with a bright smile, her heavy eyelids fluttering open slightly. Adler, still seated, averted his gaze and muttered his response.
“I’m sure I told you… if you just kept your promise, I would turn a blind eye to whatever you did this time.”
“………”
“Was Mr. Adler always the type of man who couldn’t keep such a simple promise?”
Mycrony continued, her voice laced with a trace of mirth as she stared him down.
“…Aren’t you going to answer?”
Though the bright smile remained on her lips, her eyes—now narrowed to slits—held no warmth. Instead, an arctic chill permeated them.
“What’s going on here, Sister?”
“Hmm?”
“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of a case request?”
Unable to bear the tension any longer, Charlotte Holmes cut into their conversation.
“If you have something to say, say it later. I’m busy right n—”
“Charlotte, have I ever come to this boarding house of my own accord?”
Mycrony didn’t look away from Adler as she spoke.
“…Never.”
“Then you should be able to sense that this isn’t just some ordinary matter, shouldn’t you?”
A heavy silence descended upon the room.
““………””
In that brief quiet, the sharp gazes of the two sisters collided.
“Are you trying to meddle in my case now?”
“Well… I haven’t actually done anything yet.”
“The fact that you, who usually shuts yourself away like a hermit, dragged your bloated frame all the way here feels like a silent threat to me.”
“…Our Charlotte still has a very foul tongue, it seems.”
Since Charlotte had been the first to break the silence, Mycrony sat on the sofa next to her, a distinct gloom flickering in her eyes.
“If I end up becoming so weak that I die, I wonder if she’ll even shed a single tear…”
“…Enough. Tell me why you’re here.”
“Always so prickly…”
As Charlotte sniffed an unfinished cigarette, Mycrony began to mutter in a low voice.
“Charlotte. Do you remember what I’ve told you since you were a little girl?”
“That nonsense again?”
“A detective’s greatest weakness is authority. The kind of authority that ordinary civilians are utterly helpless against.”
“I’m not a detective; I’m a consulting investigator. And that fact works both ways, doesn’t it?”
At Charlotte’s sharp retort, Mycrony burst into a peal of unrestrained laughter.
“…Right, that’s true. But that only applies when the detective holds material evidence of the authoritarian’s weakness.”
“…….”
“Furthermore, that authoritarian must not be me.”
“What exactly are you planning?” Charlotte asked, clenching her fist as Mycrony’s playful tone vanished.
“You’re not usually like this. Sure, you always carry dark secrets and handle the government’s dirty work… but I thought you stood for justice?”
“…Something like that, yes. However, my definition of justice is slightly different from yours, little sister,” Mycrony responded with a sigh. “My definition of justice is the peace and tranquility of the British Empire.”
“…….”
“If that is violated, I deem it an act of evil.”
Her expression was more serious than ever.
“As a detective operating in London, there is hardly ever a chance for you to cross the line I have set. Even when you handle international cases, they usually benefit Britain’s national interests directly.”
“So…”
“But after analyzing the potential outcomes of your involvement in this current case from various angles… I felt I had to intervene.”
A chilly atmosphere settled over the boarding house.
“Are you telling me to back off?”
“Um… I’d like to say that. But you wouldn’t just accept it, would you?”
Charlotte stared down her sister in the lingering silence. Mycrony scratched her head, looking troubled.
“You know me well. I understand your position, but I don’t think that’s enough to stop me…”
“That’s why I’ve prepared a little gift for my cute little sister.”
The next moment, a newspaper was thrust in front of Charlotte.
“A gift? What…”
As Charlotte looked down at the paper, her expression suddenly hardened.
Advertisement: Looking for a Missing Person
– Age: 19
– Description: Asian female with black hair and eyes. Speaks neither Chinese nor Japanese. Missing for approximately two weeks. A generous reward is offered for any information regarding her whereabouts.
“…It was published in most of London’s major newspapers this morning,” Mycrony whispered after watching her sister in silence for a moment. “The criminals will be alternating between surveillance and torture this morning. They’ll likely see the newspaper over a late lunch. Adler left that place not long ago, too.”
“…Shit!”
“By now, all hell must have broken loose, right?”
Charlotte’s face turned pale. She scrambled to her feet and threw on her coat.
“Watson! Grab your gun and follow me! We’re in a hurry!”
“…Huh? Oh, uh, okay!”
“We need to catch a carriage right now!”
Following her cry, Watson—who had been sitting dumbfounded in the corner—flusteredly grabbed her gun and rushed after Charlotte.
“Good luck, little sister~”
“…Hmph.”
Just as Charlotte was about to step out, she paused. Her expression turned as cold as arctic snow.
“I’m disappointed.”
With a voice that mirrored her frigid gaze, she spoke to her own flesh and blood.
“…What makes you any different from the Professor, huh?”
The door slammed shut, leaving the room in a lonely silence.
“That is… a rather cutting remark, isn’t it…?”
Mycrony Holmes smiled bitterly as she rose from her seat.
“…Well, it can’t be helped. That’s my job, after all.”
“……..”
“Then, Mr. Adler, take care of yourself as well. I assume you’re withdrawing from this ca—”
“…Don’t try to fool me, Miss Mycrony.”
As she waved her hand and headed for the exit, Adler’s soft voice made her halt.
“It’s not out of mere loyalty to Britain that you did this, is it?”
“Pardon?”
“You did it for your sister, didn’t you?”
“Why do you think so?” she asked in a low voice, without turning around.
Adler responded just as softly. “If you die in six months, you won’t be able to watch Charlotte’s back anymore, will you?”
Mycrony flinched.
“So, you orchestrated this to protect your precious sister from the higher-ups while giving her a lesson about the reality of this world, didn’t you?”
“How did you find out I was terminally ill? I even deceived my own doctor… so how?”
“…How much of your blood do you think I’ve consumed?”
“Oh my lord, how embarrassing!”
Despite her usual relaxed smile and light-hearted banter, she couldn’t hide the slight tremble in her voice.
“It’s a good thing I cast a spell to prevent eavesdropping, or my cute little sister would have found out that salacious secret…”
“It honestly looks like you’re barely able to stand on your own right now. Shall I support you?”
“It seems you’ve gotten rather full of yourself.”
Adler looked at her with a sympathetic gaze. Mycrony opened her mouth to retort.
“You’re terminally ill too, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know what you are talking abou—”
“Don’t bother denying it. You have exactly six months left, just like me.”
Initially, Adler scowled and tried to deny it, but when Mycrony accurately guessed the exact time he had left in this world, he surrendered with a tired sigh.
“Yes. So, I’m going to start taking things seriously from now on.”
—Click.
Adler pressed his ear, sending a signal.
“…Holmes has moved. Proceed as planned.”
“Haa.”
“I’ve been too playful, haven’t I? Distracted by women.”
Mycrony was momentarily caught off guard by his sly remark, then burst into a peal of unrestrained laughter.
“…As expected, you knew I’d place an advertisement in the newspaper, didn’t you?”
“………”
“You even used that as part of your plan. Like a convenient chess piece.”
“…I have to start doing things properly at some point, don’t I? Might as well start now.”
Upon receiving Adler’s confirmation, Mycrony’s cheeks flushed pink. She embraced herself tightly, her body writhing slightly.
“Being seen through by someone… that’s a first for me…”
“……..”
“It feels like I’ve been stripped bare in front of everyone. Completely naked. This is a new thrill…”
After shivering for a moment, she gazed at Adler as he put on his coat.
“…Hey, how grand a scheme are you envisioning?”
“I can’t tell you that, but I can say that it will end at a certain waterfall.”
At those meaningful words, Mycrony’s gaze toward Adler shifted.
“Well, I will do my best to complete my plan within the next six months.”
“……..”
“So, let’s not get in each other’s way, okay?”
Adler paced silently toward the door.
“You know.”
As he grabbed the doorknob, her voice reached him, barely audible.
“Am I included in that scheme somehow?”
She paused.
“I just had a thought… for the first time in my life, I genuinely don’t wish to die.”
“…That’s unexpected.”
“Hey, how about dating me instead of my sister? Just for six months.”
Adler paused for a moment before opening the door. A faint reply echoed in the air as he stepped out.
“…Sorry, but I’m already married.”
In the ensuing silence, Mycrony Holmes muttered to herself.
“Really, he’s such a fascinating man. The more I get to know him, the more he makes me fall.”
Her unchanging grey eyes brightened ever so slightly.
“…Can’t I just have three months with you before I die?”
*
The next morning. In a remote part of the British countryside, far from London.
—Clink!
…Uh?
A girl, unconscious from brutal torture, slowly lifted her head at the sound of the cell door opening.
—Thud!
“Ouch…”
A familiar face was thrown down beside her.
M-Mr. Interpreter?
…Yes, it’s me.
Adler, grimacing as he landed on his backside, answered with a bright smile. Seeing him, the girl’s eyes filled with hope.
Wa-Was the plan successful?
“……..”
C-Can we leave now…?
But.
No.
“……?”
I’ve been captured too.
Adler’s answer was like a bolt from the blue. She was stunned for several seconds.
So what do we do now…?
It’s alright.
Wh-What’s alright, dammit!? They’re going to kill me now instead of just torturing me. It’s over…!
Only then did the girl notice the rope tied around Adler’s body. She began to sob.
Why give me hope if this was going to happen…? There’s nothing crueler than giving someone hope only to snatch it away…
It’s alright, I tell you.
What exactly is—!
I let myself get captured on purpose.
Adler’s voice was soft and reassuring.
W-Why on earth?
To find out where they took you.
But what about after this…
Don’t worry. If something had gone wrong, a Buster Call would have been dropped on the world’s strongest powers by now.
Buster… what?
…Just watch.
Laying down completely, he muttered in a relaxed tone.
Even if that wasn’t the case, my subordinate has just…
—Screech…
Right, they’ve just arrived.
As the cell door opened again, Adler sat up with a smirk.
It’s time to escape…
But his relaxed expression quickly hardened.
“Hello, yes?”
“…….!”
The person who opened the cell door was not Princess Clay disguised as an interpreter.
“I am just an oldinary Asian intelpretel.”
It was Charlotte Holmes, disguised and mocking the exact way Adler had spoken to her the day before.
W-Who…?
“…Switch to Plan B.”
Adler frowned, then sighed and raised his hand to his ear to signal his subordinates.
—So there’s a Plan B too?
…At this point, it’s wise to have a plan for when things don’t go according to plan.
“Good eve… ning?”
“…Huh?”
As a slightly awkward Korean phrase slipped out of Charlotte’s mouth, even Adler’s well-prepared brain came to a screeching halt.
“You understand, right…?”
Charlotte murmured in broken Korean, watching Adler with a sinister smile.
*
Footnotes:
1. Buster Call: A reference to the ultimate military strike from the manga One Piece.
2. Oldinary Asian intelpretel: Charlotte is mimicking the phonetic accent Adler used while disguised as an interpreter to visit her previously.