Chapter 261: Finale
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 261: Finale
A few weeks had passed since that stifling and rather exhausting day at the hotel—the one where Charlotte, the Professor, and eventually even Miss Mycrony had joined in uninvited.
- Glance, glance…
Arriving at the address Charlotte had sent in her letter, I began scanning the area cautiously, my eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“This… just looks like an ordinary house.”
Contrary to my expectations of being immediately confined the moment their business with me was finished, I had spent the past few weeks in relative peace at my hideout.
Even though word had spread among most of the women that I had returned, none of the crazed ones had come barging through my door. Instead, my trusted subordinates occasionally dropped by with a casual air to keep watch over me, or the Professor would sometimes bring the children along to play. That was it.
Because of this, I had been enjoying a brief respite. That is, until today, when a letter addressed to me arrived with the coordinates of this location.
It’s obviously a trap.
Honestly speaking, there was no way Charlotte had called me here for an amicable chat. Even though I no longer possessed the powers of a devil or the strength of a vampire, I was well aware of the ominous energy radiating from this place. It was clear that Charlotte wasn't the only one waiting for me inside.
“Heh…”
And yet, despite knowing all this, I had come willingly—and for good reason.
…If I had my way, I’d run away again.
But I knew all too well the catastrophe that had unfolded the last time I tried to escape them. Above all, I couldn’t bring myself to abandon my adorable children and disappear to some far-off land.
Moreover, even if this place turned into a hellscape filled with traps, I was confident I could get out of it unscathed today.
I feel like I’ve been bending over backward too much lately… Let them be prepared.
Though I might have been reduced to a pitiful state in recent days, those who underestimated me—someone who once worked as a crime coordinator for the National Intelligence Service—would surely regret it. Granted, my expertise lay more in hacking and information manipulation, but still.
Overcoming a crisis like this in one piece was necessary to ensure my future peace.
What’s with the smug smile?
“…I’ll be in your care later.”
Haaah.
Smiling at my own thoughts, I whispered softly to Miss System—the key to today’s plan—before taking a step forward.
- Knock, knock, knock!
“Hello? Anyone home?”
After a brief moment, I knocked boldly on the door of the mansion.
— Come in.
After a short silence, Charlotte’s calm voice rang out.
“Alright then, I’ll take you up on that.”
- Creak…
With my heart thumping just a bit faster, I opened the door quietly and stepped inside.
“...So, what exactly is the reason you called me here today?”
I immediately spotted Charlotte sitting on the sofa in the living room just ahead. Doing my best to maintain a composed expression, I posed the question.
“To show you this.”
At that, she smiled and held something up. The living room remained unnaturally dark despite it being morning.
“That’s…”
The object she held was something that could make even the bravest of men break into a cold sweat.
“Two lines, see?”
“……”
“It’s the latest model, crafted with top-grade magical crystals. There’s practically zero chance of a false result.”
Of course, no matter how much one might brace themselves, what man wouldn’t feel his heart drop upon seeing two lines on a pregnancy test?
“I’m pregnant.”
“Ah…”
“Hey, don’t you understand what that means?”
But fortunately for me, this wasn’t my first time handling such news. Straining to maintain a calm expression, I watched as Charlotte rose from the sofa and slowly walked toward me.
“It means your child is inside me.”
“……”
“The seed you planted in me a few weeks ago has started to grow.”
Standing close, her belly lightly pressed against mine, she tilted her head up to whisper as she locked eyes with me.
“It’s surreal…”
Unable to hold back, I confessed my honest feelings.
Of course, while the Professor had been the first to carry my child, this was the first time I was witnessing someone pregnant with my child in real-time—and that someone was none other than Charlotte.
“Isn’t it fascinating?”
“…It is.”
“Then, have you decided on a name for the baby?”
As I gently caressed her belly, murmuring softly, Charlotte widened her eyes and directed the question at me.
“A child who will save the world in the future deserves a good name, don’t you think?”
“Ah… Yes, I suppose so.”
Hiding the rapid thumping of my heart as best as I could, I began answering her calmly.
“Oh, now that I think about it… I actually had a name in mind.”
“Oh my, did you?”
“Yeah, it’s, uh… well…”
It was time to fulfill my last mission as this world’s sole probability.
“How about the name Sherlock?”
“Hmm…”
Trying to avoid Charlotte’s gaze, I whispered the suggestion. I noticed the corners of her lips curl slightly upward.
“You really did think about it, didn’t you?”
“…Ahaha.”
“I always thought you’d be an irresponsible father.”
Smiling awkwardly at her remark, I scratched the back of my head.
“Still, what a coincidence, isn’t it?”
“Hm?”
“If I had been born a boy, my parents were planning to name me Sherlock.”
“Is that so…? Haha.”
Her casual, probing tone made me break into a cold sweat as I awkwardly averted my gaze.
“What an… uncanny coincidence… really fascinating… haha…”
“…Though I’m sure it was my sister who told you about that.”
“Ah… Y-Yeah. That’s right.”
As I racked my brain, trying to figure out how to make this situation sound plausible, I quickly latched onto Charlotte’s muttered words.
“Mycrony mentioned it to me in passing the other day…”
“Oh, did she now? I figured as much.”
“Ahem… well, that’s how it is.”
“But how exactly do you know that the child, who hasn’t even been in my womb for a month, is a boy?”
Just when I thought I had wriggled my way out of her interrogation, I realized it wasn’t over yet.
“That’s…”
“It’s almost as if you’re certain it’s going to be a boy.”
“……”
“Come to think of it, this sort of thing has happened quite a few times before, hasn’t it?”
The person standing before me right now was…
“You always seem to have a vague idea of how sudden incidents will unfold, yet you occasionally make baffling mistakes that mess everything up… but somehow, you still manage to bumble your way to a resolution.”
…Still Holmes, no matter how familiar we had grown.
“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about…”
“It’s time to come clean, don’t you think?”
And such a Holmes, at this very moment, had decided to interrogate me thoroughly.
“About your true identity.”
- Gulp…
My throat tightened involuntarily.
So, it’s come to this in the end.
Trying to dodge her questions in a situation like this would clearly backfire. If that was the case, it meant I’d have to lay everything bare, here and now.
“It’s… a long story, really.”
“…I assumed as much. But you can take your time.”
Despite my nervous muttering, it was clear that Charlotte’s resolve was unshakable.
“You might regret it, or feel disappointed…”
“…That’s true. But so what?”
Even so, an inexplicable unease crept over me, pushing me to avoid making any definitive statements until the very end.
“I’m carrying your child. And do you know how much I’ve been dreaming of this moment for the past two years?”
“………”
“Do you really think I’d abandon you now?”
Her voice, filled with conviction, pierced through me.
“So, tell me.”
“I…”
“…The last mystery. Your true identity.”
Closing my eyes tightly, I finally made my decision.
“I am…”
“Yes.”
I resolved to reveal the truth I’d been keeping hidden all this time.
“…From another world.”
.
.
.
.
.
“Well, will this suffice?”
As my explanation came to an end, a deep silence settled within the mansion.
“Hmmm…”
Breaking that silence, Charlotte’s hum suddenly resonated through the room.
“Uh… Miss Holmes?”
“…….”
“I’d really appreciate it if you’d say something.”
With no response forthcoming, I asked her with a slightly uneasy expression.
“What, are you worried that solving the final mystery would make me abandon you?”
“…Our relationship, if you go back to the start, was ultimately born from mysteries.”
At last, her response came, and I replied with a slightly downcast expression.
“Pfft.”
She stifled a laugh as she gazed at me.
“That was before I fell in love with you.”
What she said next hit me directly.
“I’m not some idiot who’d run back to the world they came from, leaving the people they love behind, only to get homesick and give up everything just to return.”
“…….”
“…I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Relax your face a little.”
Though her words were laced with mischief, the sincerity behind them was unmistakable.
“Charlotte…”
Moved, I called her by her name rather than her surname—a rarity for me.
“…I love you.”
And in that moment, I finally realized.
“Forever.”
I wasn’t in love with her as Holmes, but as Charlotte—her true self.
Of course, this also applied to Professor Jane Moriarty, but there was no need to bring that up right now.
“I love you too.”
Scratching the back of my head as those trivial thoughts crossed my mind, I smiled softly at Charlotte’s gentle response.
“I’ll name the baby Sherlock, just as you suggested.”
“……!”
“…Whether it’s a boy or a girl.”
And with that, the moment I had been eagerly anticipating for weeks unfolded right before my eyes.
[The creation of Sherlock Holmes is complete!]
[You have reached an ending branch!]
Yes, this ending could only be a happy one, given that we had confirmed our love for one another. But even so, not everything was over just yet.
[Ending reward is being distributed.]
[1 Wish Ticket acquired.]
After all, there was still one final battle left—to decide who would take the reins in our long and eventful married life ahead.
.
.
.
.
.
- Clink…
At the very moment I steeled myself, the sound of the mansion’s door locking echoed from behind.
“…What was that sound?”
“Who knows?”
Feigning composure, I casually asked the question. Charlotte, tilting her head innocently, answered in the same nonchalant tone.
“A rat must’ve gotten in?”
“It’s so dark in here, it's hard to tell. I suppose we should turn on the lights.”
But I had no intention of playing along with her act. Before she could finish her sly remark, I made my way toward the light switch.
- Click…
“My, aren’t you impatient.”
As the once-dark mansion filled with light, Charlotte teased me, her voice laced with amusement. I could only offer a strained smile in response.
“”””………….””””
There they were.
First, Lestrade, her expression sulky, standing with an air of grievance. Next to her were my three subordinates, wearing similarly dissatisfied faces.
Rachel Watson stood quietly beside them, calmly loading her pistol, while Mycrony Holmes, holding a pregnancy test with a single line visible, wore a gloomy expression.
Perched on the windowsill, the Phantom Thief Lupin gleamed with excitement as she twirled two joker cards in her hand, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Meanwhile, the worst serial killer of all, hiding in the shadows, glared at me with glowing eyes that sent a cold shiver down my spine.
Poppy, who had somehow appeared from behind my shadow, grinned at me with a cheerful twinkle in her eye.
And lastly, standing at the forefront of them all was the Professor. Her usual serene smile was in place as she swayed her head gently from side to side, observing the scene.
“Haha… ha…”
Faced with this gathering of individuals—whether they were bonds I had forged or my accumulated misdeeds—I could only let out a hollow laugh.
“Looks like the rats are a bit bigger than expected?”
The time had come. It was time to settle this once and for all.