Chapter 40: The Missing Case of Silver Blaze (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: The Missing Case of Silver Blaze (2)
“…Ugh.”
My head throbbed. No, "throbbing" didn't do it justice; it felt like my skull was about to split open at any moment.
“…?”
I clutched my head and forced myself upright. A somewhat familiar sight greeted my blurry vision.
Rustle…
“What…?”
Having just woken up, I couldn't quite grasp where I was or what was happening. Then, I heard a soft rustling from below.
“…Meow.”
A crimson toy cat was perched on my lap. It pointedly avoided my gaze, letting out a sharp, indignant meow.
“Princess?”
I reached out dazed, but the little thing dodged my hand and shot me a piercing glare.
Come to think of it, did I take care of Princess?
Only then did the memory return—I had been so preoccupied with Rachel Watson that I’d left the cat behind in that room at the opium den. Judging by how every muscle in my body ached, I must have somehow escaped on my own and made it back here.
“I’m sorry.”
“……..”
When I scratched my head and offered an apology, she sharply turned her head away, her mouth set in a tight line.
“Anyway, what am I doing right now…?”
Understanding the situation was more pressing than appeasing a toy cat. But the moment I turned my head, I was rendered utterly speechless.
“……….”
A beautiful girl sat silently beside me. Animal ears poked through her hair, and her body was covered in wounds.
Brrr…
Her face was deathly pale, her gaze vacant and lifeless. She shivered incessantly as if caught in a permanent chill. It was obvious she had been caught up in something horrific.
“Excuse me…”
However, there was a more immediate question.
“Who are you?”
Why was this wounded Demi-Human sitting in silence right next to me? I didn't have the slightest clue who she was.
“………”
As I asked the question, still clutching my aching head, she slowly looked up. She stared at me with a blank, hollow expression.
Drip…
“Huh?”
Tears suddenly began to stream down her face.
“Hey, why are you suddenly—”
“…Mr. Adler.”
Before I could finish, a chilly voice drifted from behind me, making my skin crawl.
“Meow!”
“How could you possibly fail to recognize your own client?”
Startled, I looked past Princess—who had just leaped to the floor—and turned around. Professor Moriarty was sitting at her office desk, sorting through papers. She tilted her head, watching me with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
“…You brought her here.”
It was then that I noticed the marks on the girl's neck and arms. They were bite marks—and they looked hauntingly familiar.
“Oh…”
Fragments of memory began to resurface: the brandy Rachel Watson had handed me, the burning sensation in my throat, and the blackout that followed.
…Fuck.
What on earth had I done?
*
“You can’t possibly have forgotten last night, can you?”
“……….”
“You seemed… slightly different from your usual self.”
Professor Moriarty slid a newspaper across the desk toward Isaac Adler, who remained frozen in place, breaking out in a cold sweat.
[Racing Star Silver Blaze Missing! Kidnapping or Runaway…?]
“…Silver Blaze.”
Isaac’s eyes went hollow as he whispered the name.
“Late last night, you barged into my office and dumped something onto my expensive sofa.”
“……….”
“At first, I thought you were practicing some sort of bizarre pantomime. But then you snapped your fingers, and that girl appeared out of thin air.”
Professor Moriarty continued her "kind" explanation of the previous night's events, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“How on earth did you manage such perfect concealment magic? Even that young detective’s disguise magic couldn't fool my eyes, yet I couldn't decipher yours at all.”
“……..”
“What exactly are you, Adler?”
“Maybe I just… wasn’t feeling well?”
Naturally, Isaac couldn't admit to being the developer of the world's magic system. He avoided her gaze, desperately trying to deflect.
“Magic or not, surely you don’t think I could surpass you, Professor?”
“…Hmm.”
The corners of Moriarty’s mouth lifted ever so slightly at the flattery.
“By the way, what’s with those injuries?”
Seeing her penetrating gaze fixed on him, Isaac tried to change the subject, pointing toward the girl.
“That happened right after you put her on the sofa.”
Professor Moriarty reached up, quietly stroking her own neck. Her voice dropped to a soft, melodic tone.
“You attacked me.”
“…Huh?”
“You forcefully grabbed both of my arms and pinned me to the floor.”
Isaac’s eyes widened in sheer shock.
“Afterward, you began to bite me. All over my body.”
“…You can’t be serious.”
“Does it look like I’m lying?”
When he dared to doubt her, she slightly lifted the hem of her top to show him the handiwork.
“……….”
Seeing the clear marks of his own teeth scattered across her skin, Isaac squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed by a wave of pure dread.
“I never imagined our relationship would take such a turn.”
“…I have committed a grave sin.”
“Thanks to that, as I lay there stunned, you called me by my name.”
A playful, predatory smile spread across Moriarty’s lips.
“And then, you even stroked my head.”
“………”
“Being addressed by my name and petted by my assistant… it was an oddly peculiar sensation.”
Isaac had lost the energy to respond. He could only stare blankly as she continued her relentless assault.
“I recorded the entire process.”
“Oh.”
“Including the moment when I began to feel anemic from the blood loss. You held me close and whispered that you loved me more than anything in the world.”
With a joyful lilt in her voice, she rose from her seat—a seat still holding the lingering traces of their "illicit conduct" from the night before.
“Pr… Professor.”
She began to slowly close the distance between them.
“Even if you were in a delirious state, it was quite an enjoyable event for me, Mr. Adler.”
Swish…
“Thanks to that, I was momentarily able to suppress my desire to kill you.”
“Wa… Wait…”
Moriarty’s face, which had been smiling as she grasped his hand, suddenly went stone-cold. Isaac instinctively tried to step back.
Crrrack…
“…Aaah!”
A searing, agonizing pain erupted from the back of his hand.
“Mr. Adler.”
“St… Stop…”
“Mr. Adler.”
“Professor…”
“Mr. Adler.”
“…Yes.”
Under the weight of her unwavering voice, Isaac stopped struggling and replied in a subdued tone.
“I, too, have a limit to my patience… you know?”
Her voice wavered slightly for a reason he couldn't identify.
“So, don’t ever try such antics again.”
As if nothing had happened, she whispered in that same steady tone, gently caressing his hand. Gray smoke rose from where she touched him.
“…Compared to what you did yesterday and the marks you left on my body, this is a very lenient warning.”
The engagement seal Isaac shared with Rachel Watson was now marred, overlaid and suppressed by Moriarty’s gray mana.
“But this is…”
“…?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Isaac looked at the damaged seal and then at Moriarty’s grim, shining eyes. Seeing the bite marks still visible on her skin, he decided it was best to back down immediately.
“Well, let’s get started.”
Isaac clapped his hands, forcing a carefree smile.
“I have a new case for you to consult on… Professor.”
“You always manage to intrigue me.”
On the sofa, Silver Blaze, who had been trembling in silence the entire time, slowly turned her gaze toward them.
*
“…I’m grateful that you helped me make the right decision back then.”
A few minutes later.
“But… there’s no need to assist me any longer.”
Wrapped in Isaac’s coat and clutching a cup of sweetened coffee Moriarty had prepared, Silver Blaze finally spoke, her voice trembling.
“I killed someone. That is a fact.”
“”………””
“So, I want to turn myself in.”
She tried to stand, her body swaying unsteadily.
“I don’t want to be a burden to kind people like you anymore. So…”
“Wasn’t it self-defense?”
Isaac, who had been sitting quietly, looked at her with sharp, discerning eyes.
“…Self-defense?”
“Looking at the whip marks and bruises on your body, it’s clear you and the deceased were not on equal terms.”
“………”
“Furthermore, some of those marks are old. It looks like you’ve been enduring this abuse for years.”
Silver Blaze’s expression turned icy.
“It’s only natural.”
“What do you mean?”
“That people of my race are treated like this.”
Isaac tilted his head in confusion.
“The abolition of the interspecies slave system is just for show. Racial discrimination is still rampant in this society.”
“………..”
“There are still laws—twisted, cunning things—that keep us down. It’s clear that a claim of self-defense wouldn't hold any water for someone like me.”
She looked him in the eye, her voice shaking with conviction.
“Someone as kind as you might not understand, but that is the reality of our world.”
Tears welled up in her eyes once again.
“…That’s why I wanted to change it.”
“”………..””
“I thought if I tried just a little harder, I could make a difference…”
Her voice broke, and she finally collapsed into tears.
“It hurt so much…”
Silence enveloped the office.
“Please, let me turn myself in. I want to take full responsibility for…”
“…Ms. Blaze? Is that how I should address you?”
Isaac finally spoke up, his voice calm.
“You seem to be under a few misconceptions.”
“…Yes?”
Silver Blaze slowly lifted her head.
“The moment you confess, it’s over for every Demi-Human in England.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Well, aren’t you a public figure with popularity rivaling even my assistant, Isaac Adler?” Professor Moriarty chimed in, her eyes gleaming.
“You… you’re that Isaac Adler…?”
“Imagine the headlines,” Isaac continued, ignoring the surprise. “The representative and icon of the Demi-Human race is revealed to be a murderer.”
“…That would…”
“Especially now, when public opinion is boiling over. People are already calling for the revival of discriminatory laws due to the rise in crime.”
“………”
The realization hit her like a physical blow.
“Your crime is no longer just a personal matter.”
“Oh…”
“Right now, you are holding a ticking time bomb that could turn all of England upside down.”
She looked stunned, her breath hitching.
“Ms. Blaze, your second misconception is that, despite all of this, not everyone in the world is your enemy.”
Isaac leaned in, his voice smooth and comforting.
“I’ve heard that hundreds of your fans—not just Demi-Humans—have been frantically searching the streets for you. It was in today’s papers.”
“Oh…”
“There are likely as many people who adore you as there are those who despise you. Even someone like me, who knows nothing of horse racing, knows your name just from overhearing the crowds.”
“………..”
Isaac whispered softly as she choked back fresh tears.
“Your efforts weren't in vain, Ms. Blaze.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“And your final misconception is this…”
Gently patting her back, Isaac leaned closer to her ear.
“…I’m not a good person.”
“Pardon?”
“I believe I mentioned it before?”
His voice was sweet—dangerously so, like a devil whispering a prayer.
“…The Professor and I are crime consultants.”
“Then…”
“This is our first time consulting on a crime that’s already been committed, though.”
Fear flickered across Silver Blaze’s face.
“…If you entrust this to us, we can ensure you avoid legal punishment.”
“If things go well, we might even turn it into a perfect crime,” Moriarty added.
“We could even create a wave of sympathy for the Demi-Humans. If we’re lucky.”
A faint glimmer of determination began to replace the fear in the girl's eyes.
“The choice is yours. But you must make it quickly.”
“London’s greatest detective will have already started her investigation. If we are to intervene, we must move now.”
The determination finally won out.
“…What about the consultation fee?” Silver Blaze asked, her voice trembling but firm.
“You catch on quickly. Good.”
Professor Moriarty gave a satisfied, dark smile.
“The fee is you.”
“If this ends successfully, you’ll be in the same boat as us.”
Silence followed.
“…It’s the first time since I lost my parents,” Silver Blaze said, breaking the quiet as she looked at Isaac. “That anyone has embraced a smelly Demi-Human like me.”
“Can I take that as a positive response?”
“It doesn't matter to me whether you are a good person or a bad one.”
She bowed her head deeply.
“…Please, take care of me.”
“The Demi-Human gangs dominate the majority of the back alleys,” Moriarty mused, watching the girl. “Whoever controls them becomes the king of the underworld, don't they?”
“………”
“Is this what you were aiming for, Adler?”
Isaac mimicked her mysterious smile.
“Perhaps, Your Majesty…”
At the change in title, the corner of Moriarty’s lip curled upward.
“…I might genuinely fall in love with you at this rate.”
“You flatter me too much.”
“So, are you becoming my courtier now?”
“That’s sexual harassment, Professor.”
The morning sun rose, gently illuminating the office and the dark shadows within.
*
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
[Racing Star Silver Blaze Missing! Kidnapping or Runaway…?]
“It’s all well and good…”
At a coffee house directly across from the racetrack, Charlotte Holmes sat with a pipe in her mouth. She stared at the newspaper, her voice cold and sharp.
“It’s all fine, but…”
She narrowed her eyes at the headline.
“…Why is it a girl again?”
It seemed that Professor Moriarty wasn't the only one beginning to lose her patience.