Chapter 98: The Three Garridebs (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98: The Three Garridebs (5)
Moments after Isaac Adler was stripped of his freedom by the two women…
- Creeeak…
“…M-Mr. Adler?”
Isaac was led into the room, bound tightly in chains forged from the mana of the two dangerous women. Seeing him in such a state, Neria Garrideb, who had been sitting sullenly on the bed, stumbled back in sheer shock.
“That child is the wicked wolf who has been devouring Mr. Adler night after night.”
“So you’ve been watching again? How diligent of you.”
Charlotte Holmes and Professor Moriarty began their exchange, their gazes fixed intently on the trembling girl.
“Unfortunately, my assistant can’t seem to go a single day without getting stabbed or kidnapped. Naturally, some… special management is required to prevent such things.”
“Using Romanian rebels as your private militia and surveilling a man’s every move twenty-four-seven isn’t ‘management,’ Professor. It’s a serious crime.”
“And yet, thanks to those precautions, we’ve prevented crimes against Mr. Adler that already number in the double digits.”
“That’s…”
“Of course, that is something you detectives cannot do. Your kind prefers to cheerfully chase after incidents that have already occurred rather than preventing them in the first place.”
The voices of the two women grew colder with every word. Meanwhile, Isaac, realizing a silent war was unfolding behind him, turned a shade paler by the minute.
“…If you think I’m making no effort, you are gravely mistaken. If that is truly your opinion, I have no desire to continue this conversation.”
“You mean your so-called Baker Street Special Forces? Really? Those beggar brats? Sigh. Don’t be confused. I haven’t kept them in check simply because they aren’t worth the effort.”
“No matter how weak those children are individually, they are a force to be reckoned with when united. Moreover, they understand the labyrinthine back alleys of London better than anyone. Do not dare look down on them.”
The glares Charlotte and the Professor exchanged became increasingly sharp, the tension rising to a lethal level.
“As I said before, you have a natural knack for crime. You’ve already taken the lead in exploiting children—something even I haven’t done.”
“I fail to see how it’s exploitation when they earn enough for a month’s meals and a warm blanket just by watching one person. If anything, it’s child welfare. Yes, that sounds about right.”
“It seems to me… you aren’t exactly in a position to criticize me right now, are you?”
“I am nothing like you, employing scum with impure intentions. My aim is purely the safety of London—”
“Um, excuse me…?”
Just as the two women began to emit faint trickles of grey and black mana, their eyes locked in a fierce stare-down, a small voice interrupted.
“Why have you come to my room?”
“”………””
“And why is Mr. Adler tied up…?”
Neria Garrideb, sweating profusely and terrified by the atmosphere, mustered the courage to break the silence.
“I came to check on something.”
“…It will only take a moment.”
Only then did the two women cease their bickering and turn their attention to the apprehensive girl.
“What… what is it?”
“Before that, I have a question for you.”
Professor Moriarty stepped forward, a frosty smile playing on her lips.
“…Have you ever heard the legends of the werewolves?”
“……!!!”
The moment the word left the Professor's lips, Neria froze.
“Wha… what is that?”
“A monster that shifts into a wolf beneath the moonlight. A creature supposedly extinct since the Great Demon Purge of the early 1700s.”
“…I, I don’t really know.”
As Neria spoke, her voice thick with terror, a look of genuine intrigue crossed the Professor’s face.
“Have you been conditioned to deny anything related to the word wolf outright?”
“………”
“Indeed, it would be quite the predicament for the rest of the family if it were discovered that a werewolf had been living among them for a century without ever showing their face.”
The Professor began to circle her, a hint of dark laughter in her voice.
“Perhaps they might even be eradicated by the ruling powers.”
“When they commissioned us, they deliberately avoided the term werewolf to minimize information leaks, didn’t they?”
“Look here.”
As Isaac tried to join in, Charlotte Holmes frowned and interjected.
“Excuse me? A werewolf?”
“Indeed. Did you not hear the stories before coming here?”
“Sporadic madness. The sight of blood inciting a frenzied leap. Strength that far exceeds human limits. Do these clues not give you a hint?”
Moriarty and Isaac both looked at Charlotte with wry smiles.
“Have you both lost your minds? Or did I perhaps overestimate you?”
Charlotte, her eyes half-closed, muttered in a frigid tone.
“A werewolf? That is utterly nonsensical.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It is logically impossible for a werewolf to still exist in Britain.”
Isaac, offering a slight smile, gestured to himself.
“If vampires exist, why not werewolves?”
“That was an exceptional case. This is different.”
“How can you be so certain? Do you have any evidence?”
“Of course.”
Charlotte firmly countered his point and began to rummage through her coat.
“Here. This should confirm it…”
“…Eek!”
The moment she pulled a shiny, silver object from her pocket, Isaac’s face went ghost-white.
“…Adler?”
- Tremble, tremble, tremble…
Isaac suddenly lunged toward Moriarty, clinging to her and trembling violently from head to toe.
“Why are you acting like this? You’re like a drowned rat.”
“That’s scary…”
“The silver cross?”
“…Hold me tight, Professor.”
“Hmm…”
The Professor tilted her head, patting his back with a look of slight satisfaction. Meanwhile, Charlotte, holding the silver cross, stared at the scene with a dazed expression.
“I failed to take Mr. Adler into consideration.”
“It’s alright. Continue with what you were doing.”
“…I’ll be quick.”
Her voice darkening slightly, Charlotte brought the cross close to Neria Garrideb.
“How does it feel?”
“……..?”
“Does it sting? Do you feel any discomfort at all?”
Neria shook her head, staring intensely at the cross pressed against her skin. Charlotte, as if she had expected this exact reaction, pulled the cross away.
- Swoosh…
“Sorry, sorry! I was wrong, Miss Holmes!”
As she moved the cross slightly toward Isaac, he cried out in a panic… even the black tail he usually kept hidden had popped out in his distress.
“Stop this nasty joke this instant.”
“…This could come in handy, hmm.”
“What was the point of that?” the Professor asked in a monotone voice, continuing to stroke Isaac’s head to calm him.
“Silver has been known since ancient times as a lethal weakness for both vampires and werewolves. There are records that the Hunters of the early 1700s carried silver bullets and blades for that very reason.”
“Put… put it away…”
“As you can see, Mr. Adler, being a pureblood vampire, has an intense reaction to silver,” Charlotte continued, her voice low and analytical. “And yet, a ‘werewolf’ comes into direct contact with a silver cross and remains completely unaffected? Odd, isn’t it?”
“Ah…”
“There is only one conclusion. This girl is not a werewolf.”
Neria sat on the bed, her mouth hanging open as if she had been struck by a hammer.
“That can’t be… I… I am…”
“Sporadic frenzy. Seizures at the sight of blood.”
Charlotte ruthlessly cut her off to proceed with her explanation.
“While it isn’t Lycanthropy Syndrome, there is another disease that causes nearly identical symptoms.”
“…What?”
“Well, you’ve lived your entire life confined to this house, so you wouldn’t know. The name of the disease is…”
Just as she was about to explain in a rare moment of kindness, two voices cut her off.
“Hydrophobia. A disease with a 100 percent fatality rate for which no vaccine has yet been developed.”
“Also known as rabies. According to recent reports, Dr. Louis Pasteur is working on a vaccine as we speak…”
“…Is that so? That’s the first time I’ve heard that term, but it does seem to fit.”
Professor Moriarty and Isaac had chimed in together, stealing Charlotte’s thunder.
“Hydrophobia…? Rabies…?”
“See? You both knew already.”
“Your know-it-all attitude is always so amusing, isn’t it?”
“What… what are you all talking about?” Neria asked, her voice rising in panic.
“Confusion, delirium, seizures. To use Mr. Adler’s term, these are the primary symptoms of Rabies.”
“But…”
“Moreover, more than half of patients exhibit an extreme fear of water. Even when dying of thirst, they convulse in agony at the mere sight of it.”
Neria fell silent as she listened to the detailed explanation provided by Moriarty and Charlotte.
“…And the same goes for the sight of blood flowing from a human body.”
“You speak as if you have experience with this?”
Isaac subtly posed the question to Charlotte, who looked exhausted.
“Howling Cemetery and Reconstructed Wolf. The culprits of those two low-level cases I recently solved both suffered from hydrophobia.”
“Ah…”
“They were so trivial and boring that even Watson gave up on writing about them. Still, the knowledge gained from the investigation comes in handy at times like this.”
Isaac nodded in understanding. Behind him, Neria Garrideb, her face a ghastly pale, began to tremble violently.
“Then I…”
“You’ve been deceived your entire life. You were told you were a werewolf when you were actually just a patient suffering from Hydrophobia.”
“………”
“I don’t know what reason your family had for lying to you, but it is truly regrettable.”
Having finished her piece, Charlotte Holmes turned to walk away.
“Now, it’s time to hear the truth from the two Garridebs who have been maintaining this lie for over ten years—”
“Stop right there.”
Professor Moriarty’s eyes gleamed as she stopped Charlotte mid-sentence.
“What is it now?”
“It’s too early to jump to conclusions.”
Charlotte tilted her head, waiting for an explanation.
“As I said before, rabies is a disease with a 100 percent fatality rate.”
“……..”
“Most patients die within a week of showing symptoms. Yet, Miss Neria Garrideb has survived for over ten years.”
As the Professor spoke, Charlotte’s expression slowly twisted into a grimace.
“Moreover, even if the disease causes violent behavior, the aggression this girl showed toward Adler was extreme—far beyond the norm.”
“That could vary by patient—”
“In the two cases you encountered, did the patients attack bloodied individuals to escape their pain, or did they bite and tear their flesh like beasts?”
Professor Moriarty whispered softly, her gaze leisurely.
“And what about the unnatural increase in strength during her fits? You skipped over that without a proper explanation.”
“………”
“Can you explain these three points of doubt, Charlotte Holmes?”
“What is your angle?”
“I feel a certain kinship with you.”
“…That is positively horrifying.”
Charlotte took a step back, looking genuinely nauseated.
“And like Adler, I’ve become interested in seeing how far you—a raw, unrefined gem—can grow.”
“Spare me the bullshit.”
“Oh dear, was my lie that obvious?”
The Professor’s gaze turned cold as Charlotte cursed.
“Adler wants this.”
“……..”
“He wants you to become my arch-enemy, so I am sincerely offering you my help.”
Professor Moriarty leaned in and whispered into Charlotte’s ear, her voice dark and ominous.
“Do you understand, little girl?”
Charlotte bit her lip, her hands clenched tight.
“The reason Neria Garrideb has survived a 100 percent fatal disease for a decade. The reason she harbors such primal brutality. The reason she possesses such tremendous strength.”
“…………”
“Look for them.”
The Professor pulled away, her provocation complete.
“Personally, I doubt you’ll be able to find the answers by the end of the day.”
Then, with a smile in her eyes, she looked at Isaac.
“Don’t you think the same, Adler?”
The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
.
.
.
.
.
“Ahaha…”
“What’s with the sudden laugh?”
I gave the Professor an awkward smile in response to her question.
“…Excuse me.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Do you meet with your mother often these days?”
Dragging my chain-bound, uncomfortable body, I sat down quietly next to Miss Garrideb and began my own line of questioning.
“Yes… she sometimes comes to my room before I go to sleep.”
“I see…”
“Every time she does, my eyes close automatically and I fall into a deep slumber. But I distinctly remember the touch of her hand stroking my forehead…”
I was searching for the one answer that could explain the doubts Professor Moriarty had raised.
“By any chance, what is your mother’s name?”
“Vi-Victoria Garrideb… Why do you ask?”
“Do you know her maiden name as well?”
“What? That is… oh, I remember.”
She pondered for a moment before looking into my eyes.
“My mother comes from a noble family in Switzerland. Because of that, she has a rather unique surname.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. As far as I remember, it’s…”
I gulped, waiting in tension as she revealed the information I needed.
“…Frankenstein.”
The moment the name slipped from her lips, confirming my hypothesis, I involuntarily closed my eyes.
“Mother’s former name was Victoria Frankenstein.”
‘…Damn it all!!’
The beings whose very existence was a paradox were slowly revealing themselves, having already established a foothold in London.
[Warning!]
[Erosion Rate — 33% → 40%]