Chapter 56: The Mystery of the Reigate Squire (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: The Mystery of the Reigate Squire (4)
“The hallucinations from severe mana stone withdrawal should have faded by now...”
After concluding her investigation, Charlotte Holmes returned to the Cunningham mansion.
“...So, what exactly am I looking at?”
The moment she opened the front door, she froze. She stared blankly at the scene unfolding in the parlor before her expression turned icy. She tilted her head, her gaze narrowing.
“Who knows?”
“Eeek...”
In the center of the living room, Isaac Adler sat in an armchair with his legs crossed, looking every bit the arrogant rogue. The eldest Cunningham sister was prostrate at his feet, trembling with humiliation as she served as his footstool.
“Sister, are you stupid?”
Meanwhile, the second sister, perched comfortably on Adler’s lap, looked down coldly at her elder sibling.
“You should bend your waist a bit more.”
“Hieek—!”
Her usually obedient demeanor was nowhere to be found. The younger girl muttered coldly, putting her full weight onto her sister’s back without a shred of mercy.
“Mr. Adler looks uncomfortable.”
With that, the girl leaned back cautiously, sinking deep into Adler’s embrace.
“What on earth happened while I was away?” Charlotte demanded.
“...Who knows, really?”
“I told you not to go overboard on my account and to obey the commands given by that unknown entity...”
Shush... Shush...
“However, I don’t recall ever telling you to become a thug who seduces young girls.”
As Adler gently stroked the head of the younger girl—who looked up at him with adoring, expectant eyes—Charlotte Holmes muttered under her breath, her face a mask of incredulity.
“There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“...?”
A low, melodic voice echoed from a nearby sofa.
“My assistant is currently... intoxicated.”
“...Ah.”
“It seems the officer gave him some brandy, likely taking pity on his frail appearance.”
Professor Jane Moriarty, with a fresh set of bite marks clearly imprinted on her neck, was busily stirring sugar into a freshly brewed cup of tea.
“Commands, you say? What do you mean by that exactly, Miss Holmes?”
“You certainly have a knack for erasing your presence,” Charlotte replied.
Wearing a look of sudden realization, Charlotte—who had been glaring at Adler until then—casually brushed off Moriarty’s sharp question and stepped forward.
“Miss Holmes!” Adler suddenly shouted. “Don’t walk past the window.”
“...Why?”
“Because you're too dazzling.”
Charlotte paused, her head tilted in confusion. Then, hearing Adler’s bright, innocent reply, her brow furrowed in irritation.
“Just explain the case from there.”
“...Explain what, exactly?”
She let out a heavy sigh and slammed a stack of documents onto the desk.
“The truth of the case, of course.”
“...You smell nice, Mr. Adler.”
“Sigh...”
While Adler continued to stroke the head of the younger sister—who was busy rubbing her cheek against his chest—he wore a sly, knowing smile. Charlotte glanced at him briefly with a look of weary resignation before beginning her report.
“I’ll explain, then...”
“”...........””
Before long, her eyes sharpened with their usual predatory brilliance.
“I have uncovered the truth behind this incident.”
Every eye in the room turned toward her.
*
“At first, I believed the Cunningham sisters were the culprits of the murder.”
“”.........!””
As Charlotte began her deduction, the faces of the sisters hardened.
“What... what kind of nonsense is that...”
“Shut up, sister.”
“...Huh.”
Watching their reactions, Charlotte smirked and fanned out the documents on the desk.
“You two are the ones who broke into old man Axton’s house, aren’t you?”
“Wha—what...”
“There’s no use denying it. Children who lack the basic sense to hide a stolen land deed wouldn’t have the foresight to erase their fingerprints from a crime scene, would they?”
As she presented the fingerprint samples she had collected, the color drained from the girls' faces.
“I am well aware of the land dispute between the Cunningham and Axton families.”
Charlotte began to press them, her voice low and commanding.
“You secretly infiltrated the house to find the land deed and made a mess of the place to make it look like a common burglary, didn't you?”
“That’s...”
“You thought you were safe once you returned to the mansion. But your behavior was suspicious, and the butler followed you. He discovered your crime.”
“D-do you have any evidence?” the elder sister, still pinned beneath Adler’s feet, gritted out.
In response, Charlotte calmly produced a letter.
“After that incident, you spent several days trembling in fear, threatened by the butler. Then, you received a letter like this, didn't you?”
“...Ah.”
The girl’s mind went blank as she read the contents.
Come to the east gate at 1:45 sharp. I will provide you with information that will surely surprise you. It may be the solution to the problem you are currently facing.
“I imagine you thought only one person could have sent such a message. So, you armed yourselves in secret and went to the meeting point.”
“”………””
“And there, you got into a struggle with the waiting butler and ended up shooting him.”
Having heard Charlotte’s deduction, the elder sister collapsed into despair, her head hanging low.
“I never intended to shoot him...” she sobbed. “But when the butler found my gun, he turned violent... he accused me of planning it all from the start... I just...”
“Hold on a moment, sister.”
“...Hic—!”
The younger sibling abruptly cut her sister off by stepping firmly on her stomach. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes cold.
“Sister, are you truly stupid?”
“...Huh?”
“Don’t you see something strange about that letter?”
The older sister’s eyes widened as the realization hit her.
“The letter we received said: 'Information that will surely surprise you two sisters.' But the letter she’s holding says: 'Information that will surely surprise you.'”
“Then...”
“What do you think, Mr. Adler?” Ignoring her sister, the younger girl turned to Adler, seeking his approval.
“You’re quite sharp,” Adler praised, caressing her hair again.
“Hehe...”
“...Tsk.”
Charlotte clicked her tongue in annoyance, shooting the pair a frigid look.
“Anyway, based on that reaction, the truth is clear.” Her eyes sparked with renewed intensity. “You’re wondering where this letter came from, aren't you?”
“Come to think of it...” The sisters realized they had no idea how Charlotte possessed a letter they thought they had destroyed.
“This was found intact in the butler’s pocket.”
“That’s a lie. I definitely burned it...”
“Perhaps you didn't check thoroughly in the dark? Did you not notice that during the scuffle, the butler managed to tear away a portion of the letter you were holding?”
Charlotte posed the question with a triumphant expression. The sisters stared at her, shocked. She began to pace the living room with a confident, rhythmic gait.
“In other words, there wasn't just one letter.”
“...What?”
“One for the butler, and one for you two. Two letters, written in the same hand, sent to both parties.”
Silence fell over the room.
“From that moment on, I revised my deduction,” Charlotte’s voice rang out, filled with certainty. “There is a third party involved—someone who manipulated the situation to make it look like the sisters killed the butler.”
“You can’t mean...”
“Yes. There was another perpetrator who actually murdered the butler.”
She slid an autopsy report across the table.
“This is the evidence.”
The report, detailing a bullet wound in the butler's forehead, passed by the sisters and Adler before finally reaching Professor Moriarty.
“Simply presenting an autopsy report explains nothing,” Moriarty noted.
“Professor, surely someone of your caliber can see how this unfolded just by looking at the data?”
“Even so, one cannot simply skip the explanation. Care to elaborate?”
“...Sigh.” Charlotte’s eyes flashed with irritation, but she continued. “The gunshot wound on the forehead is far too clean to be the result of an accidental discharge during a physical struggle.”
“Couldn't such a thing happen by chance?”
“I’ve seen hundreds of corpses, Professor. Half of them had gunshot wounds. I have never seen a wound this precise from a scuffle.”
“Stranger things have happened in this world, Miss Holmes. Far more than you might expect.”
For some reason, Professor Moriarty seemed intent on challenging her.
“A small self-defense pistol, the kind young girls would carry, couldn't possibly inflict such a wound.”
“As I said, accidents can produce strange results...”
“I don’t know why you’re playing devil’s advocate, but there is one crucial fact that proves my deduction. So please, stop the charade.”
“...And what is that?” Moriarty asked, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Charlotte glared at her. “The bullet was fired from point-blank range, yet there are no powder burns or heat injuries on the victim’s body.”
“………”
“Logically, that is impossible, isn't it?”
Finally, Moriarty fell silent, her smile widening ever so slightly.
“Unless,” Charlotte continued, “the 'bullet' fired was actually compressed air.”
“So you’re suggesting a passing wizard capable of air manipulation just happened to snipe the butler at the exact moment the girl fired her gun?”
“A bit different, but close to my theory. Perhaps you were nearby and witnessed it yourself?”
“I didn't expect you to take my joke so seriously.”
Their gazes locked, cold and unyielding.
“The moment I realized the girl’s bullet—fired by an amateur—had missed its mark, I concluded that a third party was involved. The same person who lured them there with the letters sniped the butler instead.”
“Hmm...”
“That is the truth of this incident.”
—Found it!!
At that moment, a cheerful voice echoed from outside the window.
—I found it!!
Following Charlotte’s instructions, the inspector searching the bushes had finally located the stray bullet. With mud-stained hands, she waved enthusiastically to show it off.
“...Well done.”
“Don’t go near the window!”
Just as Charlotte moved toward the glass with a triumphant smile, Adler yelled out in a panic.
“The brightness of your face... it’s fading...”
“Did you take drugs instead of alcohol?” Charlotte halted, looking at Adler with utter disbelief after his bizarrely sweet comment.
“Why would I need drugs when I have Miss Holmes right here?”
“...You are acting incredibly strange today.”
“My assistant isn't quite himself right now,” Moriarty added with a chuckle.
Charlotte cast a suspicious glance at Adler, then shifted her gaze back to the Professor.
“Nevertheless, it was an impressive deduction, Miss Holmes.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“But then... who exactly is this third party?”
Charlotte smiled slyly. “There’s only one possibility, isn't there?” Her eyes shone as she reached the climax of her logic.
“The person who suddenly put their mansion up for sale despite having no financial troubles. The only close friend of old man Axton, who was at death's door. The person most likely to inherit the land from a kind-hearted elderly man. And even if they didn't inherit it, the person who could buy that land for a pittance using the money from the mansion's sale.”
Charlotte paused to catch her breath.
“So, you are pointing the finger at Colonel Hayter? The man who let both you and Adler stay here?”
“He is the only one who stands to profit. It is entirely possible.”
“Jumping to conclusions without evidence is a poor habit, Miss Holmes. Colonel Hayter may be a fine soldier, but he has no talent for magic.”
“I wouldn't be making the claim if I didn't have the evidence to back it up.” Charlotte began tapping her fingers on the desk. “And that evidence is with you, Professor.”
“Me?”
“A letter exchanged between your sister and Colonel Sebastian, a friend of Colonel Hayter. May I see it?”
“You mean the letter you claimed was a forgery?”
“...I’ll concede it’s real. Just show me.”
With a pleased expression, Professor Moriarty pulled the letter from her pocket.
“As I thought.” Charlotte compared the handwriting of the letter with the anonymous threat, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Now, look.”
She circled a few characters with a pen and passed it back to Moriarty.
“The tails on the 'p' and 'g' are identical. Both letters omit the dot over the 'i'. The overall stroke weight is the same.”
“However, this is a letter from Colonel Sebastian,” Moriarty pointed out. “My sister’s acquaintance—the master sniper. But he is already deceased.”
“...But he left a child behind. It is highly likely the child adopted his handwriting while learning to write.” Charlotte produced the final document. “And here, it is recorded that Colonel Hayter took that child in as her guardian.”
“...Where did you get that?”
“As you know, I am very close with the British government.”
“Haha, that is truly frightening.” Moriarty burst into a peal of laughter and leaned back against the sofa.
“Of course, it is still speculation for now.” Charlotte rose from her seat, the victor’s smile on her face. “By ordering the inspector to investigate Colonel Hayter, we will find the truth. To betray the trust of a superior who entrusted him with his daughter... to command a child to commit murder for money... it reveals his true nature.”
“...Miss Holmes.”
It happened in an instant.
“Kyaa?!”
“Didn’t I tell you not to go near the window?”
Isaac Adler, who had been sitting silently, suddenly lunged forward. He swept Charlotte into his arms, cradling her protectively.
“Why on earth are you acting like—” Charlotte began, her face flushing as she struggled in his embrace.
“………”
But her voice died in her throat. Her eyes went wide.
“It’s dangerous.”
Adler’s head had been pierced. Blood began to stream down from the wound as he swayed on his feet.
“It was hard enough... to dodge the first one...”
Charlotte’s face turned deathly pale. “Adler...?”
But before she could catch him, his form began to shimmer and melt away. He dissipated into thin air.
“...What?”
An illusion spell? Is that even humanly possible, Mr. Adler?
As Charlotte sat stunned, trying to process the fading image of the man who had just 'died' for her, Professor Moriarty remained on the sofa, looking deep in thought but entirely unperturbed.
...I truly want to understand you.
“Isaac...?” Charlotte whispered, her heart pounding with a chaotic mix of fear and confusion.
*
“I-it failed.”
“...What?”
Elsewhere, on a nearby hillside hidden within a thicket of tall grass...
“I’m sure I hit the target...”
“And?”
“The... the target... vanished.”
A young girl trembled in fear as she tried to explain herself to the man standing over her.
Snap!
The next moment, the girl’s head snapped to the side from a brutal slap.
“Does that even make sense to you?!”
“I-I’m sorry, Colonel...”
“Shut up!”
“...Ugh.”
The girl, who looked barely more than a child, was kicked squarely in the stomach. she rolled across the grass, gasping in agony.
“That was your last chance. I gave you an opportunity out of respect for your father, and you wasted it!”
“...Please forgive me.”
“You useless bitch.”
Gasping for breath and clutching her stomach, the girl’s eyes dimmed as she looked up at him.
Slap!
“………”
Her expression must have displeased him further, for he shoved her hand away from her bruised cheek and struck her again.
“I can’t stand the sight of you. Get back to the storage room.”
“………”
“You’ve wasted my time. You’ll starve for a while.”
Pushing her aside, the man reached for the sniper rifle he had brought as a backup.
Crack!
“...Huh?”
In the blink of an eye, both of his legs twisted at grotesque, impossible angles. It happened so fast he didn't even have time to scream before the pain hit.
“Ah... Aaaaah!”
“I didn't know Colonel Hayter was such a charming fellow.”
A blonde-haired boy casually strolled past the Colonel, who was now writhing on the ground.
“Hello, child.”
“...Wh-who are you?”
He stopped and greeted her. The girl, clutching the sniper rifle to her chest, stared at him with a terrified gaze.
“And who are you?”
“...Pardon?”
“Tell me your name.”
His voice was warm—a kindness she hadn't heard in a very long time. She found herself answering almost involuntarily.
“Ce-Celestia.”
“………”
“...I am Celestia Moran.”
Upon hearing her name, the boy’s eyes shimmered with a gentle light.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Moran.”
The closest confidant and second-in-command to the original Professor Moriarty. Despite her youth, she was destined to be one of the most formidable figures in the game, possessing a legendary talent for marksmanship. In the near future, she would become the second most dangerous individual in all of London.
“I’m sorry to ask this so suddenly upon our first meeting, but... won't you become mine?”
“...Yes?”
It was the fateful first encounter between her and Isaac Adler.