Chapter 42: The Missing Case of Silver Blaze (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: The Missing Case of Silver Blaze (4)
With Silver Blaze following behind me, her head bowed and her tail wagging tentatively, I stepped out of the room and tilted my head, lost in thought.
‘Why did Silver Blaze suddenly become so loyal?’
I had merely offered her some advice and kept my distance, only giving in to my emotions enough to hug her at the very end. Where on earth did this sudden devotion come from?
‘Maybe she couldn't help it, after being treated that way for so long.’
Reflecting on it, she had lived a life no better than a slave's for a very long time. I sighed and pushed the thought aside. I felt it was necessary to maintain some distance, but perhaps treating her a bit better in the future wouldn't be a bad idea.
｢You.｣
“...?”
As I descended the stairs, lost in my reflections, a voice suddenly echoed in my mind.
｢Was what you said back then the truth?｣
Princess Clay, whom I was carrying in my arms for protection, poked her head out and sent a message.
“Pfft...”
｢Are you laughing?｣
Was she annoyed because her voice sounded so cute in the form of a stuffed cat? Either way, I couldn't help but chuckle at the stark contrast between her appearance and her tone.
“...Of course it’s true.”
As I responded with a slight curl of my lips, she shot me a murderous glare.
｢Do you truly intend to strike the finishing blow against this entire farce of demi-human discrimination?｣
“I do, but...”
｢How naive... Do you really think I’ll trust the very humans who have practiced racial discrimination for eons?｣
She bared her tiny teeth at me, her mental voice thick with emotion.
｢Perhaps not now, but eventually, you will undoubtedly drive both the demi-humans and us vampires to the brink of death.｣
“..........”
｢Didn’t you say it yourself? That this is a risky endeavor?｣
She wasn't wrong. Even if everything went perfectly and the demi-humans were successfully assimilated into our organization, they would be assigned dangerous tasks alongside the vampires.
“You’re right.”
｢See? In the end...｣
At my quiet agreement, Princess Clay looked at me with a cold expression filled with rage.
“...But they won’t be the only ones driven to the domain of death and demise.”
｢What?｣
“After all, I will be the first one to jump into danger.”
I began to quietly explain my perspective to her.
“In order to turn England upside down, I have no choice but to risk my life, Princess.”
“..........”
“The era of vampires I promised you. An era where demi-humans aren't treated as slaves and can live with pride in their identity. An era where humans can no longer discriminate against anyone. This is the only way to ensure such an era is established.”
Her twisted expression gradually softened into one of confusion.
｢Weren’t you trying to establish a kingdom of crime?｣
“If I don’t establish a kingdom of evil that embodies those concepts, would it even be possible? Would it ever succeed?”
She looked up at me, at a loss for words.
“Ah, of course, it’s not like I’m doing this out of some grandiose sense of justice. I simply want to see the Professor become the Queen of Crime.”
｢Then why...?｣
“Because everything beneath a Queen should be equal. It’s just killing two birds with one stone.”
｢...How utterly disgusting.｣
Seeing her doll-like eyes widen was so cute that I subconsciously reached out to caress her cheek. She flinched and threw a tiny cat-punch at my hand.
｢...What if you fail?｣
The Princess lowered her gaze, lost in thought for a moment, before sending another message.
“Who knows?”
｢Look at you. In the end, you’re just a big-mouthed, deluded—｣
“Then, shall the two of us run away to a place where no one can find us, Princess?”
Wanting to lighten the heavy atmosphere, I tossed out the joke.
“Come to think of it, living a life as part of your family might not be so bad.”
Admittedly, with the recent increase in threats, there was a tiny sliver of sincerity mixed into those words.
“..........”
I smiled while scratching the chin of the Princess as she poked her head out from my embrace. She looked up at me with a dazed expression.
｢You... Do you even realize what you’re doing?｣
Her voice was tinged with a hint of genuine emotion.
｢Do you not realize the consequences of nonchalantly throwing such witty remarks at women while playing them off as jokes?｣
“Pardon?”
｢Starting with the subordinates of that woman in Romania, do you even know how many people are tailing you?｣
What was she talking about? I had always been on my guard, but I’d never noticed anyone.
｢I’m saying that if it weren’t for someone like me, who knows your true nature, there would definitely be misunderstandings.｣
“Eh? I was being quite sincere with you, Princess.”
｢...Just shut up already.｣
Thinking she might be trying to fish for better treatment, I gently rubbed her cheek with my finger to reassure her. However, the Princess sent a cold message and hid herself back in my arms.
｢You really are a helpless idiot.｣
“.........”
｢Whatever. Just give me your blood.｣
She curled up inside my embrace and gently bit into my chest.
“Didn’t you already drink plenty last time?”
｢...Shut up and just give it to me. There will be many uses for it from now on.｣
The voice echoing in my mind felt slightly different than usual.
Princess Clay feels a tiny bit of loyalty toward you.
An unbelievable message appeared before my eyes.
‘...Is this a bug or something?’
With my eyes wide in surprise, I stepped outside the dormitory.
“...Huh.”
I froze on the spot, unable to take another step.
“Professor, I have an entrance permit. So, even if it’s you, you don’t have the authority to stop me.”
“Are you talking about that poorly forged permit? You can’t fool my eyes, Miss Holmes.”
At the entrance of the academy, Professor Moriarty and Charlotte Holmes were facing off, both wearing icy smiles.
‘...Should I actually consider running away with the Princess?’
“Meow?”
If only her goal wasn't world domination... it might not have been such a bad choice.
*
“Uh, excuse me...”
“Mr. Adler.”
“Adler, dear.”
After a long hesitation, Adler cautiously approached. The two women turned their unified gazes toward him.
“What... are you doing? Right now?”
Overwhelmed by the tense atmosphere, Adler instinctively tried to step back, but he quickly composed himself and asked again.
“I am inspecting Miss Charlotte Holmes for forging official documents.”
“It was for a great cause, so it couldn't be helped. Well, if it really becomes a problem, I can always get a permit later.”
“I honestly don’t understand why you call this child a detective when she doesn’t even know the basics of the profession.”
“It seems only you don’t understand, Professor. The readers of the Strand Magazine, where Watson publishes our case logs, as well as Mr. Adler, know very well why I carry that title.”
The war of nerves between the two women, both wearing frozen smiles, showed no sign of ending.
“Everyone, please calm down.”
Sweating coldly, Adler stepped between them, separating the two as they stood chest to chest.
“So, why have you come here?”
As he asked Charlotte Holmes, her eyes sparkled.
Clink—
“Obviously, it’s to arrest you.”
With a practiced motion, she snapped a pair of black handcuffs around her wrist and Adler’s.
“...You’ve really taken a liking to these, haven't you?”
“Without a doubt, you are the culprit behind the Silver Blaze disappearance that has turned London upside down.”
Ignoring Isaac Adler’s disgruntled voice, Charlotte pulled him toward her, her tone brimming with confidence.
“On what basis?”
“Well...”
Suddenly, she leaned in close, burying her face in Adler’s neck.
“...Miss Holmes?”
Just as Adler had smelled Silver Blaze moments before, Charlotte inhaled his scent for a long moment. She then lifted her head, a cold light in her eyes.
“It’s because there’s a new woman’s scent on you.”
“...What do you mean by a ‘new woman’s scent,’ exactly?”
“Are you feigning ignorance?”
Charlotte silently picked something off his clothes to show him.
“Then what is this?”
A strand of hair, resembling a brown mane, was held between her fingers.
“Oh.”
“...Mr. Adler. What exactly did you do inside that room?”
Seeing Adler’s eyes waver, Professor Moriarty asked in her signature, unwavering tone.
“I didn’t do much. I just...”
“”You just?””
Both women, their patience worn thin, echoed him simultaneously.
“...I just embraced her.”
“”............””
“No, not like that! I really just hugged her. Because of certain circumstances...”
Unable to withstand the pressure, Adler confessed, trying to provide an excuse. However, his voice quickly trailed off.
“Anyway, you were caught red-handed, Mr. Adler.”
Charlotte closed her eyes, trying to suppress her rising impulses, before grabbing his arm with a chilling smile.
“At this point, even the Professor can’t protect you. From now on, your body is in my—”
“...Your thinking is quite one-dimensional, Miss Holmes.”
Just as Charlotte was about to pull him away from the Academy, Professor Moriarty spoke up.
“You are so engrossed in the simple solution at hand that you’ve failed to see the bigger picture.”
Having also suppressed her irritation, the Professor looked at Charlotte with a cold smile.
“Does this seem like a simple kidnapping case to you?”
“What?”
“Just by visiting the crime scene—no, even just by reading the newspapers—you should have noticed. You truly are unfit to be a detective, Miss Holmes.”
Adler, tactfully observing the Professor, quietly picked up on her lead.
“If you hand me over to the police now, it is likely that Miss Watson will soon be publishing the great detective’s most fatal blunder in her next set of notes.”
“.........”
“There’s a hidden truth in this case, a conspiracy that was in motion even before I arrived at the racetrack with you, Miss Holmes.”
Adler put on a cold, serious expression.
“If you couldn’t even detect that and only focused on the glaringly obvious solution in front of you...”
“...You’d be greatly disappointed?”
Charlotte quietly finished his sentence.
“So, as you said back then, will you devour me?”
“...When did I say that?”
“Please, devour me now. Hurry...”
She leaned in close to him, raising her voice so her rival would hear her clearly.
“What a disgrace. Your inability to admit your own mistakes is truly appalling,” Moriarty whispered.
“Whatever. Besides, it seems both of you have some misconceptions,” Charlotte countered with a smirk.
“When did I say I was handing Mr. Adler over to the police?”
“Then...”
“As a detective, I have merely secured him as a key witness to the case.”
“Didn’t you say I was caught red-handed earlier?” Adler interjected, but was ignored.
“When you secure such a person, what is the first thing a detective should do, Professor?”
Charlotte looked directly at Professor Moriarty.
“It would be to verify the scene with the witness.”
“That’s correct.”
Charlotte’s eyes shone.
“So, I’ll be taking Mr. Adler with me.”
“I’m not sure how you arrived at that conclusion.”
“Oh, you want to come along too? That’s fine as well.”
Professor Moriarty’s eyes began to gleam dangerously.
“It’ll certainly make the headlines, won’t it? ‘Professor Jane Moriarty, who opened new horizons with her thesis on the Binomial Theorem, solves the case that rocked London!’ Something like that.”
“No, I don’t think it will.”
“No, it will. I’m going to give all the credit to you, Professor.”
The subtle war of nerves had transformed into a blatant verbal confrontation.
“Well, for me, it’s enough that there’s a record of your involvement in this case.”
“You think I’d be afraid of that?”
“I assumed you would be, since you’re always hiding behind Mr. Isaac Adler here.”
“It seems you aren't familiar with my capabilities.”
“Are you going to show me here and now? I’d be delighted.”
“I don’t particularly mind either.”
Just as the tension reached its breaking point and gray and black mana began to rise from their bodies...
“...I will go verify the scene with Miss Holmes, Professor,” Isaac Adler hurriedly interjected.
“Mr. Adler, even if you—”
“Professor, please take a break. Is it really necessary for you to personally involve yourself in a case like this?”
While suggesting that the case was too public for someone who should stay in the shadows, he added quietly:
“...Leave things like this to your assistant.”
With an expressionless face, Professor Moriarty finally allowed a cold smile to touch her lips.
“Well, I’ll leave it to you then.”
“You should’ve done so sooner.”
As the Professor stepped aside, Charlotte Holmes wore a triumphant smile.
“It seems this time, victory is mine.”
“I’m not quite sure what you mean.”
Then, Charlotte quietly lowered the collar of her dress, revealing her neck to Professor Moriarty.
“...Don’t feign ignorance. You know exactly why.”
On her pale white neck, the bite mark from Isaac Adler’s teeth was still vividly present.
“Interesting.”
However, Professor Moriarty looked mockingly at Charlotte, who was proudly caressing the mark.
Swish—
As the Professor rolled up her sleeve, countless bite marks appeared on her arm.
“I never thought you would willingly admit defeat so easily.”
Staring blankly, Charlotte’s gaze drifted toward Professor Moriarty’s cleavage, now exposed as she began to unbutton her shirt.
“It’s a place you couldn’t be bitten even if you wanted to.”
That area, too, was covered in bite marks identical to the ones on her neck and the Professor’s arm.
“My growth period hasn’t ended yet,” Charlotte muttered defensively.
“Perhaps you’ll feel that way your entire life.”
Charlotte, looking down at her own chest, responded to the Professor’s mocking laughter with a sharp voice as she took a step forward.
“...For someone whose eyes haven’t even turned golden, you sure talk a lot.”
“Maybe you should try getting a massage there or something.”
“.........”
“What on earth have you two been discussing this whole time?”
Adler’s puzzled voice echoed between the two women, who were now oscillating between joy and sorrow after their brief confrontation.
*
“...Excuse me.”
“.........?”
The Professor watched with a smile as Adler and Holmes disappeared into the distance. Just as she was about to turn away...
“Miss Blaze?”
Silver Blaze, wearing Adler’s casual clothes and a large hat to conceal her identity, reached out to grab the Professor’s sleeve.
“H-How does one enroll at the August Academy?”
Professor Moriarty’s pleased smile faded instantly.
“...What is with those eyes of yours?”
“Pardon?”
It was because the eyes of her client were tinted with a familiar golden hue—a hue the Professor herself did not yet possess.