Chapter 27: The Secret of the Speckled Band (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: The Secret of the Speckled Band (2)
A day after Isaac Adler vanished from his hospital room with Lady Roylott—
“………”
Professor Moriarty arrived at the front gates of the mansion where Lady Roylott resided. She stepped down from her carriage and walked calmly into the garden.
- Rumble, rumble…
- Growl…
No sooner had she entered than the ferocious cries of wild animals began to echo from the shadows.
The estate was considered a danger zone by nearby residents; rumors claimed it harbored not only savage beasts but mythical creatures as well.
“Be quiet.”
Moriarty whispered the command softly, releasing a faint, gray-colored mana. The garden fell silent instantly, as if the feral growls had been nothing more than a lie.
- Plod, plod…
With a cold gaze, she surveyed the silenced garden. Just as she resumed her pace…
“Ah, look who we have here.”
A voice called out from ahead—one that had become all too familiar.
“You should be out of your mind with work right now, busy preparing the audit trail for your thesis defense. What brings you here, Professor?”
“………..”
Moriarty’s expression turned even colder. She confirmed the presence of Charlotte Holmes, who had clearly been prowling the mansion grounds for hours, and Rachel Watson, who followed cautiously behind her.
“…And what are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to resolve an issue caused by someone’s reckless curiosity.”
Charlotte wore a sly smile. She looked Moriarty dead in the eye before adding, “But it’s quite surprising, isn’t it? You, showing up at the scene yourself. Why take such a risk after going through the trouble of setting all this up?”
“Miss Holmes. It seems your Mana Poisoning is still quite severe. It’s a serious condition, is it not?”
Moriarty met Charlotte’s gaze, her voice dropping to a low whisper.
“I am simply a newly appointed professor at a rather ordinary detective academy. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“For someone who presented a groundbreaking thesis on the binomial theorem at such a young age—causing a stir in the entire academic world—I find it hard to believe you're 'ordinary.'”
“I don’t particularly care to explain why people treat me with respect. However, that does not justify your delusions that I am the mastermind behind this.”
“There is a saying that the perpetrator always returns to the scene of the crime.”
“I am simply here to retrieve a graduate student who has breached the terms of his contract. It is a perfectly legal and straightforward matter.”
As they spoke, the smiles on both their faces grew increasingly chilly.
“Upon reviewing the records of incidents at the academy over the past year, I found that you were involved in almost all of them, whether directly or indirectly, Professor.”
“That is simply because I hold a special position at Auguste Academy.”
“Or perhaps… you were the real culprit behind that entire series of incidents.”
“If you continue to insist on these biased delusions without a shred of evidence, I will have no choice but to take legal action.”
“Do you think you could win?”
“Well, if you still feel the same way after years of psychological therapy and counseling, I might be willing to find out.”
As the tension reached a boiling point, Moriarty was the first to look away. She began walking again, her voice deeper and more subdued than before.
“…Adler might just be disappointed in you, you know…”
Hearing that low, mocking tone, Charlotte Holmes stopped in her tracks.
“Enough is enough.”
“And you over there—Watson, was it? Your partner doesn’t seem to be in the best state right now…”
“You dare talk about Isaac Adler being in danger while trying to provoke me…”
Professor Moriarty, who had been speaking softly to Watson—who was shivering from the sheer pressure between the two women—suddenly cut herself off at Charlotte’s sharp retort.
“Don’t pretend to be his friend now.”
“…Ho, Holmes?”
Faint wisps of smoke drifted from Charlotte’s body as she finished speaking. She brushed past Watson, who looked stunned by her partner's current state.
“…I am going to pay another visit to Lady Roylott. You may follow if you wish.”
“…………”
A heavy silence ensued.
…How unpleasant.
In the midst of that silence, Moriarty walked forward, the corners of her mouth twisting.
Adler is the one who ignored my warnings and recklessly threw himself into danger.
The reason Professor Moriarty had risked appearing in person was clear to anyone who knew her.
Naturally, it was because of Adler, who had willingly allowed himself to be abducted by Lady Roylott the night before.
- Zzzz…
Truth be told, Moriarty was in a foul mood.
Usually, she would have indulged Isaac Adler, but depending on how this situation unfolded, she was prepared to mete out punishment.
…I must remind him exactly who he belongs to.
And perhaps, she might do something far more severe if pushed.
“Guests? Take a seat.”
However, any resolve Moriarty had crumbled the moment Lady Roylott finally opened the door. Despite Charlotte Holmes combing the mansion for hours, the woman had remained unresponsive until now.
- Lap…
“Very well.”
The reason for their shock was Adler. He was wearing a collar around his neck, kneeling on the floor, and lapping milk from Lady Roylott’s hand.
“”………..””
Upon seeing the tinge of foreign mana that had seeped into his body, the thoughts of Professor Moriarty and Charlotte Holmes aligned instantly.
Let’s lock him up.
We must lock him up.
.
.
.
.
.
“So, I assume you wanted to discuss some matters with my pet and share a few stories.”
Lady Roylott leaned back arrogantly in her chair, crossing her legs. She smiled as she looked at Charlotte and Moriarty, who were staring back with dark, icy eyes.
“Well, I suppose I could permit that for a brief moment.”
Adler snuggled close to her side, his eyes tightly closed as she rubbed his cheek.
“If you act foolishly, I will make you just like him.”
As Lady Roylott gently stroked Adler’s head and rose from her seat, the expressions of Charlotte and Moriarty darkened further.
- Keeekekekeeeee…
In front of them, Lady Roylott took an iron wrench from beside her chair and began to twist it using nothing but her raw grip strength.
- Clang…
She dropped the mangled piece of iron onto the desk, lightly stroked Adler’s chin, and left the room.
“”………….””
Silence followed.
- Keeekekekeee… keeekekekeeee…
In that silence, the bent iron wrench suddenly trembled and lifted into the air.
- Kekekeee…kekeee…
Enveloped in gray and black mana, the wrench screeched before snapping into two separate pieces.
“What… what is going on here?”
While Watson looked on in shock at the ominous display, Adler—for reasons known only to him—appeared completely unfazed.
“Mr. Adler.”
Of the two women glaring at him, Charlotte was the first to speak.
“I’ve already discovered the truth.”
She leaned forward, her gaze piercing.
“So, stop this act right now.”
However, Adler simply shook his head slightly.
“…It seems I must share my deductions for you to change your mind.”
Charlotte grit her teeth at his response. She took a deep breath and began her explanation in a low voice.
“The reason Helen Stoner, Lady Roylott’s stepdaughter, stabbed you was because of Lady Roylott’s brainwashing.”
“Why do you think that?” Adler asked quietly.
“The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was a low whistling sound and a speckled band.”
At his question, Charlotte’s eyes lit up as she laid out her reasoning.
“I was wondering what those things could be when I entered Lady Roylott’s room. I saw a small safe, and on top of it was a dish filled with milk.”
“………”
“Strange, isn’t it? The cheetah and exotic animals she keeps could hardly be satisfied by such a small dish.”
Adler, who had been watching her, carefully wiped the milk from the corner of his mouth and nodded meekly.
“…That’s not the only strange thing. This mansion has an odd ventilation system.”
Charlotte looked momentarily flustered by his submissive response, but she closed her eyes and continued.
“It seems to have been completed recently. The problem is… it doesn’t actually serve as a ventilation system.”
“Why not?”
“The vent connects Lady Roylott’s room directly to Miss Stoner’s room. It serves no practical purpose for airflow.”
Adler’s eyes narrowed as he listened.
“And then there’s the long rope hanging by the vent. Even the bed adjacent to the vent is fixed in place so it cannot be moved.”
“………”
“Miss Stoner said that when she woke up with a bad feeling over the last few days, she saw something resembling a rope disappear into the vent.”
Charlotte tilted her head at Adler’s silence, then slammed her hand on the desk, her voice resolute.
“When all these facts are taken into account, there can be only one answer.”
A moment of silence hung in the room.
“Lady Roylott sent a snake from her safe into her daughter’s room via the ventilation system after feeding it milk. Then, she made the snake bite her own daughter.”
Charlotte’s confident voice reverberated through the room.
“Watson examined Miss Stoner and found she was suffering from severe hallucinations. Most likely, the snake’s hallucinogenic venom was the cause of her condition.”
“So, are you saying that Miss Stoner, harboring a grudge against me, was bitten by the snake, began hallucinating, and committed the crime as a result?”
“That’s correct.”
Charlotte crossed her legs and added, “As London’s top animal trainer and exotic animal expert, it would be no problem for Lady Roylott to control a snake with a whistle.”
“Hmm…”
“Do you have any objections? The secret of the speckled band was a venomous snake carrying hallucinogenic toxins.”
“And the motive?”
“…For some reason, Lady Roylott discovered you are a vampire and orchestrated these events to acquire you.”
Charlotte glanced briefly at Professor Moriarty.
“She created the perception that you were in danger, vulnerable to attack at any time, to make you reliant on her expertise.”
“………..”
“However, Mr. Adler, you should know this…”
She spoke in a grave tone.
“The person who can protect you is not her, but—”
“Disappointing.”
“…Excuse me?”
To Charlotte’s shock, the word cut through her speech.
“You’re wrong, Miss Holmes.”
“…I’m wrong?”
She stood up, looking incredulous.
“…Completely wrong.”
Beside them, Professor Moriarty’s expression shifted into one of slight pleasure.
“Go outside and reconsider from the beginning. You’ve missed something.”
“I see…”
“Miss Holmes, I don’t want to be any more disappointed in you.”
As Charlotte hesitated, the corner of Moriarty’s mouth curled into a subtle smile.
“If you can’t figure out what went wrong… it seems we’ll have no choice but to end our association.”
“…I’ll investigate again.”
Faced with Adler’s final warning, Charlotte hurriedly stood up.
“Let’s go, Watson.”
“Huh? Uh… okay.”
Charlotte grabbed the arm of the dazed Watson and practically fled the room, looking to be on the verge of despair.
“Should’ve just ended it there, eh, Adler?”
Watching her retreat with satisfaction, Professor Moriarty finally spoke.
“You said she is my nemesis, but to be honest, whenever I see her, I feel nothing but discomfort.”
“……….”
“I’m not sure why, though…”
With a faint smile, she extended her hand toward Adler.
“I’ve grasped your intentions. It was clearly to test that insolent child.”
“………”
“Now, let us also slowly make our way ou—”
However…
“…Adler?”
Isaac Adler stepped back, avoiding her hand completely.
“Why are you doing this…?”
“…I apologize, Professor.”
The words from Isaac’s lips froze Moriarty in place.
“Professor, you’ve also made a fatal mistake.”
Was it her imagination? Adler’s eyes looked incredibly cold.
“A joke… perhaps? Adler?”
“It’s not a joke, Professor.”
Jane Moriarty blinked, her head tilting slightly in confusion.
“While I was unconscious, you approached the client and took on the case, which is indeed commendable.”
“……….”
“And it is also commendable that you didn’t expose the most crucial twist to Charlotte Holmes.”
Adler whispered in a low, chilly voice.
“But Professor, you’ve made the same mistake she did.”
Moriarty’s expression went blank.
“I’m disappointed, Professor.”
His words pierced her like a blade.
“I can understand Holmes… she’s still an inexperienced girl. But you, Professor… You too…?”
“…Adler.”
“Never mind. I don’t wish to speak further on this.”
Moriarty’s hand reached out into empty air as Adler stood up.
“Perhaps I’ve misjudged people.”
Her gray eyes caught sight of his face—a face that now bore a truly frigid gaze.
—Adler, is your conversation over, dear?
Lady Roylott’s gentle voice drifted from beyond the door.
“…Yes, my Lady.”
Responding in an equally gentle tone, Adler affirmed her words.
“I’ll take my leave now, Professor Moriarty.”
He looked back for a fleeting moment before walking away.
“If you go out now, you could die.”
“I don’t mind.”
Though Moriarty warned him in a dispassionate voice, his response was immediate and devoid of hesitation.
“The more disappointed I am, the less I hold onto regrets.”
“Wait…”
“If you’re going to kill me, please use an ingenious method.”
Adler, his hand on the doorknob, added softly, “Or whisper to me quickly that it was all just a joke.”
“………..”
“Surely, Professor Moriarty, you wouldn’t be unaware of something this simple, right?”
With a final, subtle smirk, Adler stepped out of the room. Soon, he was swept into the arms of Lady Roylott, who had been waiting for him.
“………”
Jane Moriarty was left alone in the silence.
“…Isaac.”
His name echoed emptily in the room. She sat there in a daze for a long, long time.
.
.
.
.
.
.
…This should be enough.
To prevent the world’s destruction, I had to hint to Holmes and Moriarty that there was a flaw in the logic of the case.
In reality, I wanted to tell them exactly what the problem was, but I had no choice. The system warnings indicated that the erosion rate would spike if I were too direct.
Of course, there was no need to worry. Once they recognized the problem, they would be able to clean up the colossal mess made by the story department—those people who had integrated illogical errors into the game, ruining the mystery.
Now, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“…Adler.”
“Yes.”
However, as soon as my immediate worry vanished, a new realization dawned on me.
“My dream is to fill this mansion with half-blooded vampires as servants.”
“…What?”
Wait… whatever I was doing to save this world…
“Let’s go to the basement.”
Warning!
— Probability of ??? — 10% → 15%
Would I actually be able to handle the repercussions of my actions?