Ch.122Chapter 122 – The Hound of the Baskervilles (10)

“…Hah, hah.”

Charlotte Holmes, who had chased the strange creature hiding in the storm across the dim wilderness despite the early hour.

– Grrrrrr…

“…Good boy.”

After catching her breath for a moment, she slowly begins to approach the massive hound that had stopped in its tracks and was now glaring at her.

“Ho-Holmes…!”

A trembling voice comes from behind her.

“Don’t…!”

Watson, who was panting just like Charlotte had been moments ago, whispered with a face pale as a sheet.

– Step, step…

But after staring at Watson briefly, Charlotte continues walking toward the hound.

“Are you out of your mind…?”

“…It’s alright, Watson.”

After quietly gazing at the hound’s glowing blue eyes right in front of her, she mutters in a low voice.

“This one can’t hurt me.”

“What?”

“…Shh, stay still.”

While Watson wore a puzzled expression upon hearing this, Inspector Lestrade, who had been watching the creature with sharp eyes, whispers in a keen voice.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s going to attack right now.”

– Grrrr…

Just as she said, the creature was lowering its posture and growling threateningly at Charlotte in front of it, but showed no signs of attacking.

– Swoosh…

After staring at the creature for a while, Charlotte carefully extends her hand forward, and a moment of silence falls around them.

– Grrrr…

“Huh…..?”

Watson, who had been sweating nervously with her eyes tightly shut, opens them at the sound that reaches her ears and begins to look dazed.

– Purr purr purr…

“Wh-what…”

“Good boy.”

The creature that had seemed ready to pounce on Charlotte at any moment was, for some reason, purring as she stroked its cheek with her hand.

“…Wh-what’s going on? Holmes?”

“As I said just now, this one cannot harm me.”

Looking down at the scene as if she had expected it, Charlotte quietly speaks.

“Because this one belongs to Issac Adler.”

“What did you say…!?”

“I’ll explain later. We’re in a hurry.”

She whispers to the creature that was rubbing its cheek against her hand.

“Lead us to where Issac Adler is.”

“…Woof.”

Then, making the ferocity it had shown earlier seem like an illusion, the creature nodded with a slightly dull expression, got up, and began to walk.

“…I think I know what that creature really is.”

Lestrade, who had been staring intently at its back, narrows her eyes and speaks.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Actually, that creature isn’t some legendary demon hound from folklore, but simply a large hunting dog.”

“Oh…?”

“The blue glow in its eyes is probably from fluorescent material applied around them. If not that, then perhaps sun-infused magic stone powder was used.”

Watson nods with an interested expression at the plausible explanation that came from her mouth.

“If Issac Adler had been training it secretly since it was young, that would explain its behavior so far. Even fierce beasts can become loyal to humans if raised from when they’re cubs.”

“That does make sense when you put it that way…”

“And to add, it’s probably a gentle creature primarily used for reconnaissance and surveillance rather than hunting. Isn’t that right, Miss Holmes?”

Lestrade, who had been shrugging her shoulders knowingly, quietly cleared her throat and sought Charlotte’s agreement.

“…No.”

“Pardon?”

“That is actually a demon hound from legend.”

But Charlotte immediately contradicts her theory.

“It’s not an ordinary hunting dog, but should be classified as a supernatural being. It’s a beast that can use high-dimensional magic.”

“……….”

“By the way, it was just licking its lips while looking at Watson. Judging by that, I don’t think it would be this docile without Adler’s orders.”

Thanks to this, the atmosphere that had slightly relaxed instantly freezes over.

– Tremble tremble tremble…

“Th-then… how is Issac Adler able to command such a terrifying being like his own limbs…?”

In this atmosphere, Lestrade asks Charlotte a question from beside Watson, who had started trembling.

“We’re going to find out that reason now.”

Charlotte answers in a low voice.

“That’s the point of contention in Adler’s rebuttal, and the final key to ending this case.”

As she finishes speaking and pauses in place, a new landscape of the wilderness, previously hidden by the storm, begins to appear in her view.

“”………..””

Not far from the valley where the legendary demon hound had first appeared was a cave with a faint light seeping out.

“…Is everyone prepared?”

As the creature that had been staring at Charlotte’s group from the entrance quietly walked inside, she whispers this and enters the cave with a composed expression.

“I-I really… really hate this…”

“…Then would you prefer to stay here?”

“Th-that’s even worse.”

As Watson and Lestrade, their faces turned deathly pale, also step inside, silence begins to fall over the empty wilderness.

– Step…

Until a new figure, who had just arrived at the cave through the storm, reveals themselves stepping on the muddy ground.

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“Ha, haaah…”

“My, what a shame.”

Issac Adler, who had just slipped away from Helen Baskerville as she twisted her body while exhaling hot breaths, mutters with a regretful expression as he shifts his gaze forward.

“Time has already passed this much…”

– Grrrr…

The creature that had successfully completed the mission he had given it and returned catches his eye.

“Well done.”

– Grrrr…

Adler, who was naturally stroking the creature’s head, quietly begins to curl up the corners of his mouth.

“You all did well too. It must have been frightening with the day being so dim, yet you managed to find your way here.”

“””………..”””

Three women who appeared through the darkness before him.

“Issac Adler.”

When Charlotte, who stood at the front of the group, called his name with a cold expression, Adler asks her a question with a smile in his eyes.

“So, Miss Holmes, have you given any thought to the message I sent?”

“I don’t need any messages or anything else.”

But Zia Lestrade speaks up before her and begins to approach Adler.

“Issac Adler, I’m arresting you on the spot.”

“…On what charges?”

“The charges against you are too numerous to count, but we’ll start by investigating the kidnapping of Helen Baskerville and your collusion with Gloria Mortimer.”

“Hmm…”

Adler, who smiled mischievously upon hearing this, shifts his gaze to Charlotte.

“Do you agree with the officer’s opinion, Miss Holmes?”

“…No.”

“Miss Holmes. This is a matter where personal feelings should not be involved.”

When such an answer comes from her lips, Lestrade begins to admonish Charlotte with a serious face.

“Issac Adler will go through legal procedures and be brought to trial. Of course, since he doesn’t have direct murder charges, he’ll probably receive a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years…”

“…That’s not it.”

But Charlotte Holmes, who quietly shook her head, opens her mouth while staring intently at Adler.

“The charges Issac Adler holds are not limited to just this case…”

“…Then?”

“Not just this case, but he has been directly or indirectly involved in all cases that have happened so far, and will happen in the future.”

Lestrade’s eyes become slightly dazed upon hearing these words.

“We have been dealing with such an entity all along.”

“What does that….”

“Adler, I’ve realized your true identity.”

Behind her, Charlotte begins to walk toward Adler, who was still smiling darkly.

“…Is that so?”

“………”

“Then, tell me.”

Adler’s sweet voice reaches her ears.

“As you know, you only have one chance to satisfy me.”

“…Hah.”

As Adler’s eyes begin to glow red after saying this, Charlotte Holmes stops walking and lets out a deep sigh.

“I never imagined that the joke I muttered back then would become reality.”

“……..”

“…But I know better than anyone else.”

She utters what will become one of her most famous quotes.

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

“…It’s truly an honor to hear those words directly.”

And a moment of silence flows between the two.

“Issac Adler.”

In that silence, Charlotte’s cold voice begins to resound clearly.

“The magician of contracts who loves ‘contracts’ more than anyone else, but only makes unfair contracts that are advantageous to himself.”

“…I’ve been backstabbed a few times though. For instance, by you, or by the professor.”

“The bad taste of granting people’s wishes in the form of ‘consultation,’ but in a quite twisted way that leads to their downfall.”

“It’s not like I want to do it…”

At her words, Adler makes excuses with a seemingly sullen expression.

“The tail that you occasionally reveal when transforming into a vampire, which has nothing to do with vampires.”

“………”

“An abnormal charm that could captivate half of London’s women.”

“…That’s irrelevant, isn’t it?”

But Adler, who was momentarily speechless at the mention of the ‘tail,’ mutters with a slightly awkward smile at her next words.

“And, decisively.”

But Charlotte, who continued to ignore him, looks at the creature that was now sitting at Adler’s feet, rubbing its cheek against his leg, and continues.

“The unconditional loyalty shown by a demon hound that only appears in legends…”

“…….”

“Even for a vampire, that oversensitive reaction when seeing a silver cross should have tipped me off earlier. But now it’s too clear.”

At this point, her eyes begin to tremble slightly.

“Demons who disappeared from the earth due to the Crusades that marked the end of magic and mythology. But according to various legends and rumors, demons occasionally revealed themselves to the world afterward.”

But her voice remained unwavering and clear.

“For instance, like the very demon that appeared in the legend of the Baskerville family.”

“………”

“…That’s your true identity, isn’t it?”

In her gaze was Adler, who was waving the tail he had somehow revealed while smiling seductively.

“Correct.”

As a satisfied voice escapes from his mouth, a colder silence than ever before begins to flow in the cave where a chilly wind was blowing.

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[Relationship of Love and Hate: Being Hated by Charlotte Holmes]

[Progress: 20% -> 100%]

[Ups and Downs of Romance: Being Hated by Inspector Lestrade]

[Progress: 20% -> 100%]

[London Lady: Fraudulent Marriage with Rachel Watson]

[Progress: ???]

Looking at the messages that appeared before my eyes, I quietly let out a sigh of relief when I confirmed the reward that appeared at the bottom.

[Reward: Return Ticket to Original World ×1 (One-time use, single item)]

“I just realized it myself, so I’m a bit surprised too.”

As I expected, Charlotte Holmes succeeded in reaching the truth in an instant.

“The culprit who brought back ancient beings in an era when magic and mystery were being forgotten, the source of the recent surge in supernatural incidents, and the mastermind who is still attracting all sorts of supernatural beings in real-time.”

Even I, the developer, didn’t know the true identity of this body.

“That’s me, Miss Holmes.”

“……..”

“Now that you know that much, have you also predicted what I’m going to do next?”

Now that I’ve secured an escape route as a reward, there’s only one thing left to do.

“I will decline your proposal.”

So I whispered and took out their marriage registration forms from my pocket.

– Riiip…

I tore them in half right in front of them.

“I am darkness that must disappear after being dyed by your light.”

“””………..”””

“…A happy life that lasts but a moment doesn’t suit me.”

Then, the women began to stare at me intently.

“But I love you, Miss Holmes.”

It was at that moment that system messages slightly different from what had appeared before me until now, ones I hadn’t anticipated, began to appear.

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[Probability of being imprisoned: 100%]

[Probability of being kidnapped: 100%]

[Probability of being trained: 100%]

[Probability of having physical freedom deprived: 100%]

“…Huh.”

I was a bit surprised by these sudden messages, but it seems to be a bug emitted by the system that didn’t anticipate this development.

After all, now that I’ve secured the return ticket to my original world, there’s absolutely no way such things could happen to me.

[Probability of being ??: 100%]

Just scaring people for no reason, damn system.