Chapter 94: The Three Garridebs
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: The Three Garridebs
Professor Moriarty’s anxiety grew as her subordinates remained silent, no matter how many times she tried to contact them. Reaching the limit of her patience, she rose from her armchair, intent on heading to the pub where Adler was reportedly drowning himself in alcohol.
But then...
"Am I a bit late?"
"……."
A sly voice drifted in as someone entered the hideout.
"It seems you were speaking with my assistant?"
"…Assistant?"
The client, puzzled by his words, couldn't help but look at the boy. This was the same boy who had just picked her up from the pub—now clearly in disguise.
"Aren't you the assistant, and she the criminal consultant?"
"Ah, my mischievous assistant tends to be quite playful, you see…"
Adler answered with a thin smile stretching across his lips.
"My dear assistant likes to indulge in such jokes when I’m not around."
"…Mr. Adler?"
"Shh. Stay still, unless you want to get into trouble."
He sat beside the bewildered Moriarty, stroking her head while whispering into her ear.
"You have to take the client seriously."
"……"
"You still lack experience, so observe carefully and learn from me."
The Professor, rendered speechless by this sudden treatment, could only stare blankly at Adler.
"So, what task does our client wish to entrust to us?"
"…Is this really alright?" the client asked.
"If you’re feeling uncomfortable, feel free to leave."
Despite the client's concerns, the conversation between Adler and the stranger began in earnest.
"Honestly, I wouldn’t engage in such a foolish act if I were you."
"Why is that?"
"If you were to leave now, we would be the only ones to gain—by uncovering the identity of a future criminal. Isn’t that right?"
"…Haa."
Once those words left Adler’s lips, a tired sigh escaped the client. She muttered with clear weariness, "You mean… we’re already in the same boat?"
"We haven’t set sail yet, so whether you want to get off now is ultimately up to you. But you must be willing to accept the risk."
"…Well, it can’t be helped. I was planning to entrust this to you anyway."
"Then, please, state your request."
The client straightened her posture. She looked at Adler, whose eyes shone with anticipation, and then at the quietly seated Moriarty. Finally, she began her tale.
"It’s a simple request."
With a nervous expression, the client pulled a photograph from her pocket and whispered in a dark voice.
"Please kill this person."
For a brief moment, silence filled the hideout.
"…And who exactly is this?"
"Do you really need an explanation to kill someone? Isn’t the face and address enough?"
In the midst of the silence, Adler pressed the client. She replied in a slightly agitated voice.
"It’s not strictly necessary. However, we like to hear the details to prevent any mishaps. If you prefer not to disclose them, we can still manage."
"Then please, proceed with the job."
The client calmed her breathing and continued, guided by Adler’s composed voice.
"The address is written on the back of the photo, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Now, as for the compensation…"
"Actually, I’m getting a bit curious."
"…About what?"
Adler interrupted the client mid-sentence. He whispered in a soft tone, a frosty smile curling his lips.
"Why would Nathan Garrideb, a renowned London lawyer who has been on the rise recently, go so far as to crossdress just to request the murder of his own younger sister?"
"……!"
The client’s face was instantly painted with horror.
"What on earth…"
"You seem to be a unique lawyer who actively seeks out evidence yourself. You also have quite the talent for disguise, making full use of that pretty face of yours."
"Listen here!"
"Well, in an era overflowing with foolish detectives bred by an abundance of bizarre cases, one has to be at least at this level to become London’s most popular lawyer."
Seeing the client’s face turn paler by the second, Adler added softly, "But you still have a long way to go if you want to deceive experts of our caliber. Choosing bulky men’s clothing to hide your physique was a wise decision, but it was still quite obvious to us."
"……"
"Even my assistant had already deduced your identity and name."
Ending his statement, Adler stroked Jane Moriarty’s hair once more.
"That’s why I told you earlier—you’d regret it if you simply left."
"Uh, huh…"
"Now that you’ve been caught, would you care to explain why you’re trying to kill your own sister?"
As Adler spoke, the Professor, who had been about to say something, closed her mouth and quietly accepted his touch. On the other hand, the client, drenched in cold sweat, sighed as if resigning himself to fate.
"That child needs to die."
The man, dropping the feminine facade, spoke lethargically in his original male voice.
"She is a demon. That’s what she is."
"Why do you think so?"
"My sister periodically transforms into a monster. A truly horrific one."
"Hmm…"
The client’s face grew even more haggard as he explained his circumstances.
"Normally she is docile, but once she transforms… she goes on a rampage, losing all sense of reason. No doctor or specialist has been able to cure her madness."
"To the extent of being unrecognizable even to family?"
"My father was infected by a wound he received while trying to stop her. He passed away soon after. My mother, a doctor of medicine, developed paranoia and alcohol addiction shortly after that."
"That’s… quite serious."
"All I am left with is that damned sister and my half-mad mother. Oh, and to be precise, the tiny inheritance my father left and a crumbling house."
The client offered a detached smile amidst his harrowing story.
"Fortunately, after much effort, I managed to escape the clutches of dire poverty. But my sister’s seizures only grew worse with each passing day."
"That wound…"
"It happened just yesterday. Suddenly, my sister had a severe seizure, and not even all the servants combined could restrain her. When I went to help, I was attacked."
The deep wound on his outstretched arm was reflected in the eyes of Isaac Adler and Professor Moriarty.
"At that moment, her form seemed to overlap with the figure that attacked and killed my father."
"Hmm…"
"It was only then I realized that if things continued this way, I would either end up dead at her hands or simply wither away. Those were my only options."
The client murmured this with a gaze that couldn't have darkened any further.
"…I don’t want that. I’ve devoted half my life to her. Now, I want to be free."
As he spoke with increasing fervor, Isaac Adler nodded in silence.
"Please, kill the monster that lives in my house."
"“………”"
"I no longer want any association with her. If possible, I’d prefer it if you dealt with her outside the house—lure the monster to a quiet place and finish it off. Of course, she’s pathologically obsessed with staying inside, which might be challenging…"
"Do you want it to be treated as a disappearance?"
"The cleaner, the better. Just make sure it doesn’t trace back to me."
"…Very well."
Adler nodded quietly.
"I will take your request."
"Ah…"
A sigh mixed with a myriad of emotions burst from the client.
"But first, I have a few questions."
"…Ask away."
As Adler leaned in, the man nodded with weary resignation.
"When do the seizures usually occur?"
"…It’s unclear. They frequently happen at night, but there have been a few times in the early morning as well."
"The wound on your arm—could you show it to me in more detail?"
"By all means."
Adler and Professor Moriarty observed the arm he extended from the gloom with rapt attention.
"…Last question. What is the composition of the household staff?"
"Mostly strong men hired to subdue my sister. Apart from them, a few maids, a secretary for my legal work, and a personal doctor."
"I see."
"Um, but…"
The man finished speaking, a faint sense of anxiety in his voice.
"As for the payment… I’m not quite sure how to proceed…"
"Well, it shouldn’t be too much of a burden for you," Adler replied in a relaxed voice. "I’ll take just one thing of my choosing from your house as payment. How about that?"
"…What?"
"If you have no objections, then I shall take my leave."
As Adler rose, the client’s eyes flooded with apprehension.
"Are you starting already?"
"Why? Do you wish to bid your sister one last farewell?"
The client quietly shook his head.
"…Then, is it guilt?"
When Garrideb said nothing, a brief chuckle escaped Adler as he swiftly left the smoke-drenched room. A quiet mutter leaked from his lips.
"For a lawyer, that emotion is as good as poison, isn’t it?"
"………"
Hearing the soft remark, the client simply bowed his head. Soon after, he followed Adler out of the hideout, leaving only silence behind.
"…Haahh…!"
The only sound in the room was a faint moan from Professor Moriarty. Throughout the entire conversation, Adler’s hand had been hidden beneath her clothes, wandering and toyed with her body, leaving her breathless and trembling.
*
⦗Mr. Adler.⦘
"Ah, is that you, Professor?"
Several hours later… in the vicinity of the mansion Garrideb had noted, located in an ancient district…
"When exactly did you implant a telepathic magic circuit in my head? It’s starting to get frightening."
⦗What is the meaning behind your behavior earlier?⦘
Arriving at the mansion, Adler strolled down the hallway as he unpacked his gear. He was utterly unfazed by the voice of Professor Moriarty suddenly echoing inside his head; he had clearly expected this. He merely replied in a sly tone.
"The Professor is like the King in chess. And I’m the Queen."
⦗What are you talking about?⦘
"If I pretend to be a mere advisor while actively moving around like this, I can protect and hide the King—which is you, Professor—to the greatest extent. Isn’t that right?"
After a brief silence, the Professor’s voice resounded again.
⦗Not that… I’m talking about what you did with your hand inside my clothes.⦘
"Oh, that…?"
Narrowing his eyes, Adler responded in a shaky tone, his body reeking of alcohol.
"Am I not allowed to touch the Professor?"
⦗That’s not…⦘
"I really, really like you, Professor. Why is it that you can freely touch me, yet I can’t touch you?"
Professor Moriarty fell silent.
⦗I never said you couldn’t touch me…⦘
"So, there’s no problem then, right?"
⦗But I have read this in a book. The place you touched…⦘
"Ah, that’s a different matter."
Ignoring the Professor’s hesitant voice, Adler swiftly changed the subject.
"What do you think about this case?"
⦗It’s quite an interesting yet familiar case.⦘
The Professor’s reply came back swiftly, sharp and astute.
⦗It’s very similar to our very first case, The Red Mana League.⦘
"What exactly is similar?"
⦗For the case to be solved, we have to bring a sickly girl, who’s cooped up inside a room, out into the open.⦘
"I see. So that’s the commonality you see?"
Adler’s voice carried a hint of intrigue as the Professor continued.
⦗Miss Diana Wilson was a vampire. Not just any vampire, but the last remaining pureblooded vampire in the world.⦘
"…And what about it?"
⦗Think about it. The sudden madness, the superhuman strength that’s difficult to handle even when all the servants cling to her, and the abrupt seizures that occur mostly at night.⦘
The more she explained, the broader the smile stretching across Adler’s lips became.
⦗It’s too early to jump to conclusions due to the lack of evidence, but there’s one prominent symptom that keeps coming to mind.⦘
"What might that be?"
⦗Lycanthropy Syndrome—a werewolf, so to speak.⦘
The moment the Professor finished, Adler quickened his pace, a twinkle in his eye.
"…That’s an interesting conjecture."
⦗So, what will you do now? Even for you, dealing with a werewolf devoid of reason will be a challenge.⦘
Suddenly, Adler started scratching his arm with his fingernails.
"To become friends with a wolf, you have to let it taste blood."
Fresh blood appeared where he had scratched; his preparations were complete. He stopped in front of a door covered in deep gouges, tightly bound with chains and heavy locks.
[Warning!]
— Probability of Death: 52% —
Please do not proceed. Danger ahead.
A bright red warning message appeared before his eyes.
"…If I'm devoured slowly, I won’t die… probably…"
He muttered calmly and began to unlock the chains with the key he had been given.
Are you out of your goddamn mind?
"As long as I’m not digested whole, it should be fine… right?"
*
Just a few dozen minutes later…
"…Gurrrr?"
The girl, crouched forward and making low, animalistic noises, wiped her damp mouth with her sleeve as she slowly regained her senses.
"…….."
The room was enveloped in an eerie silence.
"Have you finally come to your senses?"
In front of her lay Adler, sprawled on the ground and covered in blood. The bloodied boy greeted the girl with a bright smile—even as she remained bound by heavy chains.
"Could you please stop chewing on my fingers?"
"…Uh."
"I’d like to reattach them before they get digested."
The girl, who had pounced on the smiling boy in a frenzy and savored the taste of blood for the first time in years, turned pale at the horrific sight.