Chapter 218: The Valley of Fear
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 218: The Valley of Fear
“Holmes, watch your tone. Is that any way to speak to someone?”
“Tone?”
Watson reflexively pulled her briefcase behind her back. Charlotte chuckled darkly, her eyes narrowing as she spoke.
“Have we ever been formal enough with each other that we need to mind our tone?”
“…No, we haven’t.”
“Then…”
“However, I don’t believe we’re at a stage where I’m forced to show you the contents of my personal briefcase, either.”
Without so much as a blink, Watson smoothly countered the question.
“Look, there’s clearly something off about what you’re saying…”
“You don’t even show me what’s in your desk drawer, and that’s supposed to be a shared piece of furniture.”
“…Why are you acting like this?”
“Holmes, now you’re the one—”
The usually friendly atmosphere between the two roommates turned ice-cold.
Thud.
Two hands slammed onto the bag simultaneously.
“…Didn’t you say there was nothing inside?”
“Something keeps rattling around, though.”
“That… that is…”
As Professor Moriarty and Inspector Lestrade began interrogating her in flat, emotionless voices, Watson couldn’t help but falter under their imposing presence.
“I… I put some lab rats in there.”
“…Are rats usually that heavy?”
“Well, I put quite a few in. About a hundred…”
“Strange. I only sense one.”
Despite her desperate excuses, the Professor and the Inspector were perfectly in sync, pressing Watson further.
“Let’s open the bag for a moment.”
“No, I refuse! Do you even have a warrant to search my belongings?”
“It’s an emergency search. A law passed a few months ago allows for the search and seizure of property if it’s deemed related to the supernatural.”
“That’s unreasonable…!”
“It’s for the safety of London.”
Overpowered and pressured by their combined force, Watson lost her grip on the bag.
Swoosh—
Not missing the opening, the Professor and the Inspector reached for the lock at the same time.
“”……Eh?””
A look of utter perplexity crossed their faces.
“Uh…?”
Surprisingly, the person inside the bag was none other than the very Rachel Watson who had just been arguing with them.
“Uh-uh…!! Uh…!!!”
Thump, thump!
Tied up tightly with ropes and half-naked inside the bag, the real Watson looked bewildered by the sudden light. Her confusion was short-lived, however, replaced instantly by an overwhelming wave of shame. She began thrashing wildly inside the cramped space, her face flushed crimson.
“…It’s been a while since I’ve had to act. That was fun.”
A familiar voice echoed from behind them, adding to their confusion.
“Did you really think I’d always be caught just because of the mana forcibly mixed into my body?”
“”……….””
“No way. I’ve actually transcended that state already. I can handle you folks whenever I want…”
Isaac Adler, who had been disguised in Rachel Watson’s clothes, now proudly revealed his true self, his tone boasting with confidence.
“…You used some kind of swap magic. When did you learn that from that thieving bitch?”
“Did you reach an agreement with Miss Watson? This is a crime.”
“You’re shameless. Can you even call yourself a British gentleman?”
“Uh, uhhhh…”
As the women who had signed the contract realized what had happened and began condemning him, Isaac started scratching his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
“…I’m sorry.”
Adler bowed politely, acknowledging his faults, before offering a farewell.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
“Where to?”
“Are you joking?”
As he took a step forward, the women’s eyes chilled with a dangerous glint.
“”………..””
The same went for the women who had incited the riot, surrounding him on all sides.
“Um…”
Looking at the scene, a troubled expression settled on Adler’s face.
“Regarding the contract. I was the one who proposed it, but it seems to have become a bit of a problem.”
“…Are you only realizing that now?”
“I didn’t expect the situation to escalate this much.”
At that, Professor Moriarty tilted her head, a sharp smile playing on her lips.
“And here I thought you were actually enjoying this.”
“…Well, I’ve come up with a fairly plausible solution.”
Ignoring her jab, Adler continued with a smile.
“It’s not just me who has the right to end this situation; all of you have that right as well. To explain more precisely…”
Whoosh!
“…Oh.”
As he spoke, the Professor’s eyes glowed a haunting grey. She waved her hands, sending grey smoke billowing in all directions. The suddenness of the move caught Adler off guard, stealing the words from his throat.
Thump…
“Alright, go on.”
“Ah, um… That wasn’t lethal, was it?”
“Go on.”
As the crowd surrounding them—excluding Charlotte and Inspector Lestrade—suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed, Adler looked at the Professor with a slightly frightened gaze.
“U-Uh, how about… how about we end this fairly with a game of tag?”
“………”
A chilling silence enveloped the group.
“Whoever catches me first within three months wins. Of course, this only applies to the four of you who signed.”
“””……….”””
“If three months pass and you still haven’t caught me… I’ll choose one of you at random…”
“Do you think this is a joke…?”
Gia Lestrade, disgusted by the childish suggestion, began to speak.
Whooosh!
“Really…?”
Before she could finish, the Professor and Charlotte simultaneously lunged toward Adler, their smiles bone-chilling.
“No, these bitches…!”
Sensing the crisis, the Inspector also reached out toward Adler with superhuman speed.
“…I haven’t finished explaining the rules yet.”
Thud!
However, their hands stopped abruptly just inches from Adler.
“…Grrrrr.”
The demonic hound of the Baskervilles, which had been grinding its teeth in wrath after being humiliated by Watson hours earlier, was now blocking the path to Adler, its blue eyes glowing with malice.
“Now, do you really think… that this puppy can protect you from me?”
The Professor, observing the scene with genuine interest, asked Adler with a curious expression.
“You really underestimate me. That’s truly disappointing.”
“No… I just figured I needed a bodyguard.”
Crash!
As Adler tried to make a cheeky remark, the sound of something breaking echoed in front of him.
“Uhh…”
“I can’t… stand it… anymore.”
The Professor, having snapped the hound’s arm in one smooth motion, stepped forward, emitting a terrifying killing intent.
“I should just stuff you right now. That would put an end to all this nonsense.”
“………”
“It’s all your own doing, Mr. Adler.”
But Adler just watched her, his expression surprisingly composed.
“So…”
“Now!”
Just before the Professor’s hand could reach him, he yelled, his voice echoing through the area.
Pop!
In the next instant, something burst through the smoke created by the Professor. It snatched Adler and his still-rattling bag, soaring into the sky.
“…You dare!”
In less than a tenth of a second, the Professor spotted the thief’s white cape. She took a furious leap to pursue, but the demonic hound blocked her path with its superhuman speed.
“Eek…!”
“Don’t let her catch him!!”
Charlotte and Lestrade grabbed the Professor from both sides, barely halting her pursuit.
“Isaac…”
Even with three formidable figures putting everything they had into stopping her, the Professor wasn’t fully subdued. She ground her teeth as she watched Adler drift away into the air.
“Next time we meet… you won’t be my assistant anymore…”
Her chilling threat echoed ominously through the fog-filled London afternoon.
“……If I ever catch you, I’ll turn you into a statue on the spot.”
.
.
.
.
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『Phantom Thief's Treasure』
Congratulations! You have completed the kidnapping quest.
There are only a few quests left now.
“…Ah.”
As the Professor’s chilling words echoed from the distance, I wiped away cold sweat and sighed deeply, reading the system message.
Only two or three more to go, right?
The time to part with this world was truly drawing near.
“……..”
It would be wise to prepare my mind in advance.
According to Miss System, my plan was indeed nearing its conclusion. Honestly, I wasn’t prepared at all. But I felt that if I took too much time to sort through the situation, it would only weaken my resolve.
…It’s okay.
I silently shook my head and steeled my nerves.
“Excuse me, Adler…”
“Yes?”
“This means you chose me, right…?”
Lupin was holding me in an intimate embrace, giggling as if she found the whole thing incredibly amusing. I quietly lifted my head.
“Let’s go straight to my castle. I’ll take very good care of you there.”
[Game Over Alert!]
[Warning!]
– Probability of being Preserved — 99.99999%
“I’ll treat you better than any treasure…”
“That sounds… nice. Haha.”
I desperately maintained a smile while accepting her overt statement.
“But before that, I have a personal request…”
“Hmm?”
I made a suggestion, capturing her attention.
“Could we stop by America for a bit?”
“Why there? I have subordinates there, but… it might take some time at this pace.”
Before disappearing from this world, I wanted to at least try to capture the culprit who was hellbent on wrecking this precious creation of mine.
“…I have some business with the Pinkerton Detective Agency.”
Yes, this was addressed to you, Lovecraft. You voyeuristic degenerate who takes pleasure in observing my monologues.
“I need to find someone.”