Ch.178Chapter 178 – Korean Interpreter (2)

“Professor…”

“What is it?”

The next morning. On our way to check on an ominous-feeling request after leaving Cornwall.

“Is it really necessary to walk like this…?”

“Let me ask you instead. Is there any reason I shouldn’t maintain this level of security with an impudent assistant who somehow manages to disappear, whether by choice or not, the moment I take my eyes off them?”

“Uh, well…”

As I walked along watching the professor’s expression, after quite a long deliberation, I muttered my complaint in a low voice.

“Still, walking down a major road in broad daylight with a minor tucked inside your coat might, how should I put it… potentially cause some issues…”

“Why would you be a minor? You are clearly an adult.”

“But I’m…”

“There’s a difference in the legal adult age between mana users and ordinary people. For instance, while ordinary people become adults at 21, mana users become adults at exactly your current age…”

“…N-no need to explain!”

I hurriedly tried to stop the professor from speaking, sensing that something potentially dangerous from a 21st century perspective might come out.

“…which is 16.”

“……”

The professor finished her sentence anyway and smiled at me.

“Mana users are treated as resources important enough to warrant that. In exchange, they must be registered with the state.”

“I see…”

“Actually, I was recently registered with the state myself.”

“What?”

“I was seen using mana when I saved you from that disgusting murderer.”

“Ah…”

That would be when Gil the Reaper first appeared, wouldn’t it?

As I recall that situation, I remember her swinging her knife around like a madwoman just moments ago.

Considering that, perhaps it’s a stroke of luck that I haven’t been killed yet.

“It wasn’t exactly accurate information, mind you. But I still had to pay the fine without exception.”

“…That’s quite thorough.”

“By the way, Adler. Something is strange.”

As I was agreeing with the professor’s words while lost in thought, she suddenly addressed me with gleaming eyes.

“You should be British, so why is your knowledge of such basic common sense so lacking?”

“Um…”

“Could it be that you’re not British?”

Somehow, that penetrating gaze that seemed to see through everything sent chills down my spine.

“W-what are you talking about…”

“Come to think of it, your English is slightly odd too. Usually you have a British accent, but occasionally an American accent slips out, and sometimes even accents I’ve never heard before… Sometimes you use terms I’ve never heard before…”

“D-didn’t I tell you? I’m half American and half British.”

I hurriedly made up an excuse, but hearing this, the professor opened her mouth with a chilling smile.

“What are you saying… Adler.”

“Yes?”

“After all, you’re a Demon…?”

“…Ah.”

Only then did I realize my slip-up and break into a cold sweat, as the professor whispered in my ear in a languid voice.

“Your backstory seems to be conflicting in your head?”

“……”

“You should craft it more carefully. If that young detective discovers your true identity, it would be a serious problem indeed.”

A chill ran up my spine at those words.

“Y-you’re right…”

“……..”

“By the way, could you please take me out of your coat soon…?”

I tried to shake off that feeling and casually asked a question, but the professor instead tightened the coat wrapped around me and whispered in a low voice.

“Shut up and keep walking.”

“……..”

“I’ve cast a perception-inhibiting spell on both of us anyway, so no one can recognize us.”

Having lost both the logic and will to argue against that statement, I had no choice but to continue walking with my shoulder supporting the professor’s chest until we reached our destination.

“…My shoulder hurts.”

“Then how about turning into a cat like before?”

“I’m sorry. Let’s just go.”

.

.

.

.

.

“Hmm.”

“Is this it…? The place where we’re supposed to meet the client…?”

Waddling like a mother and baby penguin, we arrived at what appeared to be the most neglected high-crime area among London’s back alleys.

“This is the only abandoned house where I sense any presence.”

“A-are you sure…?”

“As you should know, having your secret hideout nearby, this area is quite dangerous for anyone to live in.”

– Creeeeak…

“And yet I sense two very strong presences here, so that answers our question.”

Honestly, I couldn’t really feel the danger since the professor was strolling through this high-crime area as if it were her own living room, but I quietly entered the house as she instructed.

“”………..””

And then came the silence.

“…Hmm.”

The pungent smell of blood that hit me as soon as we entered the hallway made me wrinkle my nose.

“A nostalgic smell…”

The professor, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying it.

“Professor, are we still under the perception-inhibiting spell…”

– Sizzzzle…

“…Huh?”

Anyway, as I was asking her a question while taking a step forward, a suspicious sound suddenly came from inside.

“Is someone grilling meat…”

“AAAAARGH!!!”

“…Oh.”

I realized it wasn’t just the sound of grilling meat when a terrible scream echoed from inside.

– Click…

And at that very moment.

“Both of you should raise your hands…”

A cold voice came from the darkness.

“…Very well, now identify yourselves.”

After the professor and I obediently raised our hands, a man in a suit pointing a gun at us looked at us alternately with wary eyes and made his demand.

“You people are quite rude.”

In that tense situation, Professor Moriarty began to whisper in a relaxed voice while slightly wiggling her fingers.

– Crack…

“…What?”

As the gun he was holding immediately disassembled and fell to the floor, confusion momentarily crossed the man’s face.

“We didn’t accept your request to be treated like this.”

“V-vampire…?”

“That’s right. As my assistant says, you shouldn’t think of us as ordinary contractors. Since we have both what you need and the upper hand in power, you are merely the subordinate party.”

In that situation, as I quietly turned my eyes red and spoke up, the professor patted my head as if pleased and drove the point home.

“…I apologize.”

After watching us cautiously for a moment, the man in the suit eventually bowed politely and apologized.

“Given the nature of the matter, we had to be cautious about security. Please forgive us…”

“Yes, showing proper manners is what makes us willing to work.”

Only then did the professor show a satisfied expression and begin to step forward.

“Grrrr…”

“……..?”

I raised my hand in a threatening posture toward the man who was still bowing his head, then began to follow behind the professor.

“…Is this the Oriental person who was kidnapped?”

“Ugh, ugh…”

As we made our way to the dimly lit basement, the source of the screams finally became visible.

“That’s right.”

“Judging by her rough appearance, you must have played with her quite a bit.”

An Oriental woman, who maintained her dignity despite being considerably emaciated, was tied to a chair with her head bowed, her eyes filled with despair.

“We tend to be quite gentlemanly when people cooperate.”

“And?”

“Unfortunately, this woman wasn’t particularly cooperative.”

As I stared at her somewhat blankly, the professor began to examine the woman with an interested expression.

“It would be better if we could at least communicate, but I simply cannot understand the language she speaks.”

“Is it not Chinese?”

“Judging by her appearance, she’s definitely Oriental. However, having dealt with many Chinese people, I can tell you… the language this woman speaks doesn’t seem to be Chinese.”

At those words, the professor’s eyes grew even more interested.

“I’d like to hear what she has to say.”

“…Very well. No reason not to.”

At the professor’s request, the man nodded quietly and removed the gag from the woman’s mouth.

“Y-you…”

Then, after looking alternately at him and the professor for a moment, the pale woman, filled with fear and pain, blurted out:

“You fucking bastards…!”

“…Gasp.”

A scent all too familiar to me, one I never imagined I would encounter in the heart of London, was wafting strongly from her.

“I’ll boil your bones and it still won’t be enough… Listen carefully with both ears!!”

“………”

“No matter how much you act like dogs in heat around me, you won’t get any information from me… Kuhak!”

As I tried to maintain my composure while listening to her rather earthy swearing that didn’t match her elegant appearance:

“Even if we can’t understand the language, we’re not so stupid that we can’t understand the nuance…”

– Thwack!

“…….!”

After looking up at the man who had struck her in the stomach mid-sentence, she trembled briefly before beginning to bite her tongue violently, which filled me with complicated emotions.

‘…I can’t believe my guess was actually right.’

“………”

The professor standing next to her was observing me with a strangely interested gaze, but that wasn’t important right now.

“Sigh… Go get a healing magic circle from the black market. The cheapest one.”

“Yes, sir.”

I never imagined I’d be providing criminal consultation regarding a distant ancestor.

“If you don’t want to die, you’d better stay still this time…”

– Sizzzzle…

“…Mmmmph!!”

What am I supposed to do about this?