Ch.19Chapter 19 – Conclusion

“Holmes?”

As the door to 221B Baker Street opens in the early morning, Watson, who had been dozing off on the sofa, raises her head.

“Why are you so late?”

Watson rubs her eyes and asks the question after checking the clock, but Holmes quietly passes by her and sits in her armchair.

“Did you solve the case?”

“…Yes.”

She answers in a low voice to Watson’s follow-up question.

“Our Miss Holmes solved a case, yet why does she look like that?”

“………”

“I think you might need a doctor’s examination.”

Realizing something isn’t right, Watson turns on the lamp and approaches her.

“Oh.”

She pauses briefly, examining Holmes who sits blankly in the armchair.

“Holmes, what exactly happened today?”

“…Do you want to know?”

“Looking at your condition, I absolutely must hear it.”

At her words, Holmes quietly lowers her gaze and begins her story.

“I made a mistake while solving the case.”

“You made a mistake? What on earth…”

“And that mistake left an indelible scar on a man.”

Watson, about to say something, closes her mouth and continues to listen attentively to Holmes.

“Until his remaining short life ends, that scar will eat away at him. And I’ll be watching it happen from beside him.”

“………”

“Since he stands on the opposite side from me, we’re bound to clash in the future. Either I win or his side wins. Either way, London’s fate will be decided on the day it’s settled.”

Holmes’s eyes quietly shine in the gaslight.

“But the problem is, he’s in love with me.”

In her eyes was a confused emotion she had never felt before.

“Watson, I simply cannot understand why.”

“……….”

“There’s no trigger or plausible reason for him to love me. There’s no probability, and it’s not logical.”

Holmes confides these feelings unreservedly to Watson, her only friend.

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand the rapid changes in situations and emotions over the past few days.”

As she speaks, she slightly furrows her brow and pours out her complaints.

“Maybe that’s why. My chest feels tight, and sometimes I feel severely nauseous. I get irritated for no reason, and my nerves feel on edge.”

“………”

“It’s probably because I’m overthinking. Watson, if it’s alright, I’d like to get a prescription for these symptoms…”

Suddenly, Holmes trails off.

“…Why are you looking at me like that, Watson?”

It was because Watson was looking at her with a smile, as if she finally understood.

“Because my diagnosis is complete.”

At that confident voice, Holmes looks at Watson with a gaze that seems to say “explain.”

“I never thought I’d be teaching you something.”

Watson mutters while looking at her, then clears her throat and begins to speak.

“Holmes, do you know that everything you just described constitutes love?”

“What nonsense.”

“It’s not always the case in every situation. But most love comes at incomprehensible moments that lack probability and logic.”

Despite Holmes turning her gaze away with a deflated expression, Watson steadfastly continues her explanation, recalling her own experiences.

“It’s the same for me, but right now, you’re proving it better than anyone else.”

At her voice mixed with laughter, Holmes makes an incredulous expression and says:

“I assure you, that’s not it.”

“Why not?”

“I couldn’t possibly be swayed by such illogical, unproductive emotions that only cloud reason.”

“Then what are the emotions you’re feeling right now?”

But when Watson stares at her intently, Holmes avoids her gaze and answers:

“Sense of duty, guilt. Competitive spirit.”

“Hmm…”

“A bit of compassion, responsibility. And…”

“Are you saying that all of those combined isn’t love?”

“Yes.”

Seeing her respond sharply, having abandoned her usual manner of speaking, Watson bursts into laughter.

“No matter how I think about it, I believe you’re wrong this time, Holmes.”

“Without objective and clear evidence, it’s not worth discussing…”

Then, Watson holds out a hand mirror that was on the table to Holmes.

“Look at your eyes, Sharlotte.”

Holmes is momentarily speechless as she sees her eyes, which were always dull and dark gray, still dark but now tinged with yellow.

“They say that when a mana user experiences a significant emotional change, their pupils become colored by the cause.”

Watson continues her explanation in a gentle voice to Holmes.

“I’m not sure why symptoms are appearing in you, who isn’t a mana user, but if it’s because you’ve accumulated mana in your body from handling so many mana stones, it’s entirely possible.”

Hearing this, Holmes pushes the mirror aside and says:

“You seem to have misunderstood, this is just a symptom of mana poisoning, Watson.”

“Newlywed couples often make that mistake and come to my hospital.”

But Watson persists undeterred.

“After a few visits, they just give up and live with it.”

“No. After a few days of good rest, I’ll be back to normal.”

Holmes then gets up from her chair and heads toward the cot beside it.

“Besides, ’emotional change’ doesn’t necessarily mean love.”

“So you’re going to deny it to the end, Great Detective.”

“I’m just thinking logically.”

She then lies down on the bed and covers herself with the blanket.

“I need to get some sleep now. To quickly alleviate the symptoms of mana poisoning…”

Simultaneously, as she habitually reaches for her pipe, she hesitates and drops her arm.

“Did someone tell you to quit smoking?”

“You’re being particularly irritating today, Watson.”

When Watson teasingly asks about this surprising behavior, Holmes answers weakly and pulls the blanket over her head.

“Watson.”

“Yes?”

After watching her with a smile for a while and about to get up, Watson tilts her head at Holmes’s voice coming from under the blanket.

“…Is there absolutely no way to restore someone who has contracted vampirism back to normal?”

“Of course not.”

Watson answers Holmes’s question.

“I’m not an expert in that field, but if such a thing existed, there wouldn’t be vampire hunters.”

Holmes’s blanket trembles slightly.

“But I do know some methods to slightly alleviate the symptoms of vampirism.”

Watching this, Watson recalls papers she read during her college days.

“I once read a paper stating that vampires who drank the blood of someone they loved were stronger and more rational than other vampires.”

“…………”

“It’s quite old, so I’m not sure if it’s reliable, but if you need it for a case, I can look it up for you.”

Sharlotte Holmes quit smoking and mana stone research from that day forward.

“…Thanks for the answer, Watson.”

Because there was a man who, due to her mistake, would have a hellish life with little time left without her.

– Grooowl…

And conversely, the same was true for Sharlotte.

‘A curse for me, vampirism for you.’

Whether due to her innate nature, she was still far from understanding, let alone acknowledging it.

‘In the end, we need each other.’

Because in her frozen heart, which had never thawed, something improbable and illogical that Issac Adler had planted was already stirring.

‘Even if I exclude emotions and judge rationally, the conclusion is the same.’

“Holmes? Are you smoking in there?”

‘You must spend the rest of your life as my assistant. That’s the most logical, probable, and appropriate conclusion at this point.’

However, the fact that it would grow slightly crooked.

“Why is there so much black smoke…”

‘…Not belonging to the gray-haired one.’

Was something even Adler hadn’t anticipated.

[Villain Maker: Professor Moriarty’s Appearance Probability Fulfilled]

[Progress 17% -> 51%]

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[Love-Hate Relationship: Chapter 1 Complete]

[Villain Maker: 17% -> 51%]

“Somehow this feels eerie.”

Looking at the message that appeared before me while making my way through the fog on the street, I shook off the creepy sensation that was beginning to creep up on me and dismissed the message.

‘…Well, at least I feel more secure now.’

The conclusion of the first case signaling the start of the main story.

The result was quite successful.

‘It’s perfect for starting an organization.’

The complete domination of Lady Joanne Clay, one of the top-tier mid-bosses. The successful absorption of the ‘Red Mana Alliance’ as a result.

And significant progress on two main quests.

‘…My combat power has also increased considerably.’

What I find particularly pleasing is successfully obtaining the power of a true vampire.

Of course, the penalty is no joke.

But for this body that’s practically dead already, and with proper utilization of the golden mana that the original owner had misidentified all his life, such penalties are no problem at all.

[The case has been concluded.]

While I was feeling quite elated, another message appears before me.

[You can now check your reputation.]

Seeing this message, I finally realized the nature of this system.

[Would you like to check?]

[Y/N]

“This is the achievement system I proposed, damn it.”

It was precisely the achievement system I had passionately advocated for during a full hour in the conference room.

Unlike mass-produced systems that hand out stat bonuses or cheat skills, this one focuses solely on showing the player’s current situation and progress, enhancing the desire for challenge and fun.

“…Tsk.”

Needless to say, this isn’t good for me who has fallen into this world.

Showing the current situation and progress is good, but in other words, it’s a system that only shows these things without intervening in the situation at all.

If I had known this, I should have suggested something like a shop system instead.

– Shiver…

As I was about to reach out my hand, unable to resist checking it, I suddenly felt a tingling sensation in my hand.

“…Huh.”

I turned my palm over, wondering what could cause pain in this practically dead body, and my eyes widened in surprise.

[Adler, come to my office immediately.]

It seems I’ll have to check my reputation a bit later.

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Several dozen minutes later.

“You’ve arrived.”

“………..”

Having hurried to Professor Moriarty’s office, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow.

“Professor?”

Professor Moriarty, who was pouring whiskey into a glass from a bottle already half empty, was staring at me intently as she dropped a sugar cube into it.

“What are you doing here at this late hour?”

“I have something I want to ask you.”

But in her eerie gaze and behavior as she looked at me, there wasn’t a trace of intoxication.

“In this case, I took a risk and hid my mana in the magic circle.”

As I stood there tense, she began speaking in a monotone voice.

“It was something I had never done before. I don’t want anyone to know that I’m a magician.”

“…I see.”

“But you’re my only assistant, aren’t you? So I could take that risk.”

Saying this, Moriarty begins to tilt her head as is her habit.

“But Adler. It seems you value the girl ‘Sharlotte Holmes’ more than me.”

“Ah, that’s…”

“You even dedicated your remaining lifespan to her, saying you wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world.”

And without giving me a chance to explain, she asks me with her gray eyes shining:

“Hearing that, I was truly curious.”

“……….”

“Does that ‘anything in the world’ include me as well?”

The air in the room slowly begins to freeze.

“Adler.”

In an atmosphere reminiscent of the first day I met her, as I was sweating profusely, Professor Moriarty asked me one question with a bright smile.

“You can answer slowly. Tonight is very long.”

A question on which not only my life, but also the fate of this world depends.

“To you, what kind of existence am I?”

Save this graduate student.