Ch.15Chapter 15 – Red Mana Alliance (4)

“Miss Holmes. Do you really have to go this far?”

Issac Adler sighs as he comes out of the bathroom and speaks to Holmes.

“I didn’t want to mention it, but this is sexual harassment, you know?”

“Follow me.”

“Ugh.”

But Holmes mercilessly leads him and starts walking down the street again.

“Oh, it’s Miss Holmes.”

“Adler’s with her too. Has she finally caught him red-handed?”

“…But didn’t those two just come out of the bathroom?”

As whispers from people around them become audible, Adler smiles bitterly and whispers in her ear once more.

“This could lead to unsavory rumors, Miss Holmes.”

“Unsavory rumors?”

“London’s gossip spreads surprisingly fast.”

“I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about.”

Despite pretending not to hear, Holmes, who had been walking ahead, soon asks in a low voice.

“By the way, Mr. Adler. Are you feeling unwell?”

“Pardon?”

“You look pale.”

Adler touches his face and tilts his head in confusion.

“Do I look that way?”

“Even setting aside comparing you to photos taken at the mansion years ago, there’s too much difference compared to photos taken just a few months ago.”

“………”

“Why have you become so sickly in the span of a few months?”

At Holmes’ sharp question, Adler stares at her with a dumbfounded expression.

“…You looked up my photos?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Then, tilting his head, Adler throws a question back at Holmes, who was wearing a cold smile.

“Why, you ask… well…”

Holmes was about to answer with a look that questioned why he would even ask such a thing, but she suddenly loses her words.

“And what do you mean by photos taken at the mansion years ago? Why do you have those?”

“………”

After asking her another question, Adler speaks in a gentle, admonishing voice.

“Miss Holmes. Stalking is a crime.”

“…It’s not like that.”

“Yes, please don’t do it again next time?”

“I said it’s not like that.”

Holmes avoids his hand trying to pat her head by twisting her body, then mutters to herself.

‘He deliberately changed the subject.’

It wasn’t very noticeable because his response was so smooth, but he clearly intentionally avoided talking about his physical condition.

That meant there was definitely something wrong with his body right now.

“………”

The hourglass she had seen earlier suddenly flashes through Holmes’ mind, and she quietly begins to bite her lip.

‘Could such an hourglass of unclear origin actually be…’

“Miss Holmes, we’ve arrived at our destination.”

Holmes snaps back to reality at Adler’s words.

“This is…”

The entrance to the City and Suburban Bank was visible before them.

“…I was planning to come here a bit later.”

“Why?”

Holmes, realizing that she had somehow been led to this place by Adler, slightly furrows her brow and says.

“There’s nothing we can gain here right now. Only after gathering all the evidence, the basement…”

“Is that so?”

Holmes suddenly stops speaking.

“Hmm…”

For some reason, Adler was looking at her with disappointed eyes.

‘…Why?’

Sharlotte suddenly starts to sweat.

‘What am I missing?’

Clearly, she should be the one evaluating and being disappointed by the puzzle he had prepared.

But seeing Adler’s disappointed gaze, she finally realized.

That she wasn’t the only one who could be disappointed.

“If that’s Miss Holmes’ opinion, then we can come here later…”

The puzzle creator, Adler, could also be disappointed in her.

“Ah, no.”

“Pardon?”

“This is the right place.”

As that thought occurred to her, an urgent voice bursts from Sharlotte’s mouth.

“…The place I was planning to visit.”

“Ah, I see.”

Words spoken without time to think.

But there was no time for regret.

Having spoken, she had to follow through.

“………”

After briefly closing her eyes and rolling her eyeballs, she opens them steadily and looks at Adler.

“…Mr. Adler, you’re my assistant now.”

“Just for today, but yes, let’s say that’s the case.”

Her eyes, which seemed to have found an answer in that short time, were now shining.

“Then please help me when I give the signal.”

“…Help with what?”

“You’ll naturally understand when the time comes.”

After finishing those words, Holmes begins walking toward the counter, hiding the arm with the handcuffs behind her back.

“How may I help you?”

“I’d like to deposit something at your bank.”

The employee at the counter smiles and asks a question after hearing this.

“What would our little lady like to deposit at our bank?”

– Slide…

She then shows the ring she was wearing on her hand.

“Oh, what a pretty ring…”

“I’m not depositing that.”

“Pardon?”

Holmes whispers in a low voice to the employee who was picking up the ring and examining it.

“It’s merely a mark identifying who my proxy is.”

At those words, the employee’s expression stiffens as they tilt their head and examine the ring more closely.

“This is…”

Working at London’s largest bank and having dealt with numerous ‘important people,’ the employee couldn’t fail to recognize the crest of the Bohemian royal family.

“You don’t need to worry about impersonation. I’m showing my face clearly, so if I’m lying, I’d be executed.”

The Queen of Bohemia, who had insisted on only receiving a photograph but then stubbornly sent her ring as hush money in a letter the next day.

“By the way, does this bank have some manual that allows for rude language when someone looks young?”

Holmes, who had extended that high-quality magic stone-embedded ring she had been wearing for self-defense, begins to pressure the employee with a raised corner of her mouth.

“C-customer. I’m sorry, but… this alone is not enough to prove your identity.”

Nevertheless, the employee, while sweating nervously, begins to perform their duty.

“At the very least, an official document with a seal…”

“Will this do?”

But Adler takes out a folded document from his pocket, hiding its contents, and shows it to the employee.

“The contents are confidential so I cannot show you. But this is the Queen’s seal, protected by magic.”

“Ah, um…”

“I think that’s sufficient proof of identity now.”

The employee stares blankly at the Queen’s seal stamped at the bottom.

“I-I’ll bring the bank manager…”

The employee hurriedly bows and goes inside.

“Oh my, hello, distinguished guests.”

And shortly after.

“I apologize for the inconvenience. Haha…”

The bank manager, who had rushed over after receiving the call, greets Holmes and Adler with a bright smile.

“So, what exactly do you wish to deposit?”

“I heard there’s an underground vault in this bank.”

“…….!”

“Not just anyone can use it, right? I heard rumors that at minimum, one must be royalty to use that place.”

Hearing this, the bank manager asks with wide eyes.

“How did you know about that…?”

“Don’t underestimate the intelligence network of our employer.”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

“Could we perhaps take a look at that place for a moment?”

The bank manager, who had been clearing his throat, rubs his hands together and answers.

“I’ll check the reservation list right now. Please wait a moment.”

Hearing this, Holmes quietly smiles and whispers to Adler.

“If we couldn’t enter the basement, we just needed to become customers.”

“That’s right.”

“Once we’ve deposited valuables, we can visit at any time and even go inside to investigate right away.”

“Well done, Miss Holmes.”

Adler begins patting her head again.

“…This is just basic.”

As she pushes away his hand, Holmes’ heart was still pounding.

‘This is fun.’

Investigating with Adler was completely different from her previous cases.

It felt like solving a well-crafted puzzle while going on an adventure.

Especially the tense situation just now—the sense of achievement when solving it made her body tremble slightly.

So much so that she momentarily forgot she was being patted by Adler.

“Ahem, customer. I have good news.”

The bank manager returns to Holmes, who had unusually bright eyes, and begins to speak.

“Currently, no one is using the basement. So you can have the space all to yourself.”

“…What?”

“There’s no risk of theft. All security will be focused solely on your items…”

“Wait a moment.”

Hearing this, Holmes asks with an unusually confused expression.

“Are you saying there’s nothing inside right now?”

“Yes, it’s completely empty.”

But the bank manager’s words continued to echo in her ears.

‘…How can this be?’

Sharlotte had deduced that Joanne Clay’s purpose was to steal something hidden in the basement.

The fact that she was working part-time at a pawnshop near the basement under strange conditions.

The fact that she had overheard Clay’s statement about wanting to rob “London’s largest bank” just before anti-eavesdropping magic was cast in the interview room.

The fact that she was using Miss Wilson to engrave quite complex magical formulas in the basement of Auguste Academy, which had almost identical coordinates.

Considering all these facts, her target could only be the basement of this bank.

“Miss Holmes. You can’t steal anything from an empty basement.”

But that deduction was negated by the fact she just learned.

“By the way, the plan Joanne Clay told me about was also to break into this bank’s basement.”

Adler’s gentle voice from beside her was driving the final nail into that fact.

“Our fundamental premise has collapsed.”

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.

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“Miss Holmes.”

Adler begins speaking to Sharlotte, who had left the bank.

“A new puzzle has appeared for us.”

Hearing this, Holmes stares directly at Adler.

“Do you perhaps know the answer to this puzzle, Mr. Adler?”

“What about you?”

When she asks that, Adler shrugs and says.

“Well, how could I possibly know the answer before Miss Holmes does?”

“That’s a lie.”

At that, Sharlotte smiles and opens her mouth.

“You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you, Mr. Adler?”

“………”

“The truth behind this case.”

Adler’s eyes quietly begin to shine.

“Well then, here’s the question.”

As those words escape his lips, Sharlotte’s heart reflexively begins to pound.

“Ha.”

A laugh suddenly bursts out.

“…What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing, Mr. Adler.”

A few years ago.

No, if the Sharlotte from just a few months ago saw her current self.

What would she think?

‘She’d think I was on drugs.’

Or try to strangle me to death right away.

But now, she had to admit it.

“What exactly was Joanne Clay’s purpose?”

She liked the puzzles this man presented.

“…Joanne Clay’s purpose wasn’t bank robbery at all.”

And she liked answering those puzzles.

“Wilson. She was the real target.”

She liked how Adler’s expression brightened at her answer.

“Joanne Clay was targeting Diana Wilson from the beginning.”

“Truly excellent, Miss Holmes.”

And she liked the sincere praise he gave afterward.

“You really are the best.”

More than any case she had experienced before.

‘This could easily…’

As someone who knew the side effects of magic stones, tobacco, and drugs better than anyone, she could easily guess.

‘…become addictive.’

If she became wrongly conditioned to this pleasure she was experiencing for the first time, she would surely walk a path of no return.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

But it was fine either way.

The same was true for Adler.

Just as she had a “Curse,” he surely had a “Curse” as well.

And they, who could alleviate each other’s curses, were the best indulgence and entertainment for each other.

How ironic that they would find happiness by destroying each other.

“So, where should we go now?”

“Auguste Academy.”

Holmes, who had been quietly smiling with these thoughts, reflexively answers Adler’s question again.

“To be precise, we need to go to the basement of the dormitory there.”

“…I’m not even surprised anymore. You’re amazing.”

As Sharlotte followed behind Adler, who had said that and taken the lead, she quietly thought to herself.

‘I wonder if three people can live in a boarding house.’

If conditions allowed, it wouldn’t be bad to make him her assistant before they destroyed each other.

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Sharlotte Holmes follows behind me with a smile that somehow sends chills down my spine.

“Oh, by the way, let me tell you in advance.”

“……..?”

As the conclusion of the case was approaching, I began to whisper to her in a low voice.

“Investigating and solving cases is, as you can see, the role of the detective, Miss Holmes.”

“Yes. I know that well, Mr. Adler.”

The lesson she absolutely needed to learn.

“But you see, protecting such a detective is the role of the assistant.”

To prevent her from stepping forward unnecessarily and getting a game over.

“If things become dangerous, I’ll protect you somehow, Miss Holmes.”

I pledge to protect her at the conclusion of the case.

“Understood?”

Holmes seemed to understand my words, nodding her head without protest.

“………..?”

But what’s that hourglass she’s holding?

“…Mr. Adler.”

As I tilt my head and look at her, Sharlotte stops walking and quietly asks me a question.

“Did you mean what you just said?”

The expression on Sharlotte’s face as she asked this showed that she couldn’t understand.

“Yes, I did.”

“………”

Why is she suddenly acting like this?