Chapter 197: The Five Orange Pips (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: The Five Orange Pips (3)
WhyThe Five Orange Pips… of all things?
The Five Orange Pips. It was a case that made me frown just by hearing its name.
In the original work, it was one of the few failures Sherlock Holmes ever acknowledged—a case where both the client and the criminals died, leaving the mystery officially unsolved.
Of course, as a Sherlockian, I felt the need to defend Holmes. While the case remained unsolved, it wasn't truly his fault. The client was murdered by the criminals on his way back from the consultation, and the criminals—whom Holmes had successfully deduced and set a trap for—were lost at sea due to a natural disaster.
But an unsolved case was still an unsolved case, even if the outcome was dictated by force majeure.
Therefore, in this world as well, this case had to remain unsolved. Otherwise, the already precarious Erosion Rate might finally hit its limit.
But… how am I supposed to make sure it stays unsolved?
The problem was that there was no realistic way to keep the truth buried. Ridiculously enough, Charlotte had already discovered my real surname. Dealing with her had become several times harder than before, and she wasn't the only one involved.
Inspector Lestrade, who had been at the scene, was likely scouring the back alleys with a murderous glint in her eyes by now. The Professor, who was probably the first to hear the news, would have mobilized the minions she’d been secretly cultivating to start an investigation of her own.
It didn't stop there. Looking at the calendar on the hospital room wall, it seemed more than a day had passed since the incident. That meant the pact members gathered in Cornwall had already been informed.
It was only a matter of time before everything within Britain was sorted out. It wasn't impossible that the entire organization behind the attack would collapse under the pressure.
How could I possibly save these endangered criminals when the odds were so heavily stacked against them?
…No, what am I even saying?
After briefly indulging in such frivolous thoughts, I shook my head violently to regain my senses.
Honestly, I had a rough idea of who the criminals were and what their motives might be. I had read the original work, after all. Although things might look a bit different in this twisted world, that particular organization was undoubtedly behind this incident.
The problem was that those people were irredeemable scumbags. They didn't deserve a defense. Protecting them—or letting them get away with their crimes while I fought against the people trying to help me—was simply unacceptable.
However, if I just let the situation unfold naturally, the Erosion Rate, which was already at 80%, might reach 100% in an instant.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“…!?”
In a situation with no answers, while burning pain still surged through my body, I had been gritting my teeth in deep thought. At that moment, a soft voice drifted into my ears from the side.
“…Miss Watson?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Although it hadn't been long since we last met, it felt like a lifetime ago. Rachel Watson stood leaning against the window, quietly observing me.
“What brings you here…?”
“Well, this is the hospital where I work, and I am your attending physician.”
“…Ah.”
I was momentarily confused by her sudden appearance, but her cold response made me bow my head in awkwardness.
“…I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Uh, that is…”
Honestly, I had nothing to say to Watson. Even if she were to draw a pistol right now and blow my head off, I would have to accept it.
“Because of you, Britain has been turned completely upside down. Public opinion is violently divided.”
“…….”
“Half the people think you got what you deserved, while the other half are furious, saying that terrorism should never be tolerated in the British Empire.”
“Haha…”
“By the way, regarding that latter half? Eighty percent of them are members of your fan club.”
As I watched her quietly, a rather chilling story spilled from her lips. Should I be terrified that half the capital was glad I’d been targeted? Or should I be more terrified that my fan club made up the bulk of my support? I honestly wasn't sure.
“…Anyway. Listen to me.”
“Yes?”
“Honestly, I’ve been fighting the urge to smother you with a pillow for the last few hours while you were lying there. But I really need to say this.”
As I sat there, terrified, Rachel Watson’s eyes grew heavy and she leaned her head toward me.
“You know, because of this incident, your already short lifespan has been reduced even further.”
“Ah…”
“There really isn't much time left for you.”
At her words, a sudden ache gnawed at a corner of my heart. I had been prepared for this. It wasn't truly about dying, since I could just use the return ticket—so why did my chest feel so heavy?
“…There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask.”
“Yes?”
As I sat with my head bowed, Watson abruptly spoke up.
“Did you ever truly love me?”
“……..”
“Was there ever a time you sincerely cared for me?”
When I failed to respond, her expression began to distort.
“I know this isn't the right time to ask, but I need to know.”
“…….”
“Because, I… I loved you…”
Her trembling voice echoed quietly in the room, vibrating through the silence.
Knock, knock, knock!
Urgent knocking suddenly hammered against the door.
“Who is it?” Watson asked, turning her head.
The door swung open, and two individuals rushed in.
“…You two?”
To my surprise, it was my loyal subordinates, Princess Clay and Moran.
“You two…”
“…Master.”
“There is… bad news.”
I tried to greet them with a forced smile, but my expression quickly went blank.
“Silver Blaze… she has been attacked.”
“She was just transferred to this hospital… Her condition isn't good. It might be even worse than yours right now.”
The world hadn't seemed this dark and lonely since the Professor was shot.
*
“You! No, if you move now—!”
“Ma-Master…”
“Hey, just wait a moment…!”
Ignoring the shouts pouring in from all sides, I threw myself out of bed and recklessy swept through the corridor, eventually halting in front of a specific waiting room.
Creak…
There wasn't even a nameplate, but I instinctively knew she was there. I would have been disqualified as a Master if I couldn't sense her this close, especially with the seal imprinted on her.
“Ah…”
As I stepped through the door, a horrific sight unfolded.
“Patient…! You can’t do this!”
“If you move now, it will be disastrous!”
“Mo-Move aside…!”
Covered in ghastly lacerations and bleeding heavily, Silver Blaze was struggling to shake off the nurses clinging to her.
“Agh…!”
“I must get as far away from Master as possible…”
Despite being in a more critical condition than me—and I was someone who could heal from almost anything as long as I was breathing—she finally shook off the nurses and stood up, muttering to herself.
“Ah…”
As she faced the door, our eyes met. Her complexion turned pale, and she collapsed to the floor.
““……..””
In the ensuing silence, I stepped forward. Silver Blaze’s eyes wavered.
“I… I’m sorry, Master…”
“……”
“This incident… it’s almost entirely my fault…”
As I tilted my head at her words, a cold sweat broke out on her face. She fumbled to pull an envelope from her bosom.
If you don’t stop what you’re doing now, the people precious to you will start disappearing one by one.
I took the envelope and read the message written on the crumpled paper.
Plink, plink…
A moment later, five orange seeds dropped from the envelope into my palm.
“I… I didn’t know… I was just running around trying to catch the culprit…”
“…And you were attacked?”
“I-I’m so sorry. I’ve committed a crime worthy of death.”
I stared at the letter for a long time before finally speaking. Silver Blaze bowed her head, her face pale and terrified.
“Ugh…”
“Patient…!”
Dizzy from blood loss, she began to stagger.
“I… I know these people well. They’ve been tormenting me for a long time…”
“……..”
“No matter how many times they are dismantled… they come back to life like cockroaches. Even if we wipe them out now… we never know when they might become a threat again…”
With the last of her strength, she raised her head and whispered to me.
“So… I’m going to leave, Master.”
“…Miss Blaze.”
“You have to establish it. The kingdom…”
Tears filled Silver Blaze’s eyes as the light in them began to dim.
“Without my role as the representative, I’m hardly of any help anyway… So maybe if I leave a will…”
Wobble…
“…Master.”
Even as she collapsed powerlessly to the floor, she looked at me one last time and left these words—
“I like you…”
““………””
“…And, I loved you.”
Her voice cut off, and a heavy silence enveloped the room.
*
“Miss Watson.”
“…Ah.”
The long silence was finally broken by Adler, who hadn't made a sound since the Professor was shot.
“How is Blaze doing?”
“Wa-Wait a moment.”
Watson flinched at the eerily calm, chilling tone of his voice.
“…She is still alive.”
She checked Silver Blaze’s feeble pulse and spoke in a low voice.
“If we operate right now… there might be lasting effects, but there’s a significant chance she’ll live.”
“…Then, please.”
Adler nodded quietly and turned around. Princess Clay and Moran flinched just as Watson had.
“If you can save her without any aftereffects, I will do anything you want. I swear it on my name.”
“……..”
“…I’ll also answer the question you asked earlier.”
Standing before them was no longer the usually clumsy boy.
“…You two, follow me.”
As he muttered coldly and walked out of the room, they felt a chill run through their very bones. They staggered as they followed him.
“Disband all the forces deployed so far. Especially the demi-humans. The three of us are enough…”
Adler murmured in a voice steeped in cold fury, issuing his orders.
“…If we just erase everyone without exception, it will technically remain an unsolved case, right?”