Ch.220Chapter 220 – Valley of Terror (3)

“…Just to remind you again, our goal is to dismantle the organization.”

“Yes, I understand perfectly.”

“We’re not arranging blind dates or group orgies. Please keep that in mind.”

“I said I get it.”

The director, who had been repeatedly emphasizing this to Adler, finally sighs and begins organizing the documents in front of her.

“I’m feeling rather uneasy about this…”

“You were the one who suggested it first, Director.”

“I’m slightly regretting it now.”

Looking at her with a slightly sulky expression, Adler rises from his seat.

“…By the way, what’s that?”

“Pardon?”

“The ring on your finger.”

When he suddenly points to the ring on the director’s finger, she responds with a businesslike expression.

“It’s an engagement ring. Since I’ve retired from active duty, it’s about time I settled down.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

At those words, Adler speaks with a regretful look in his eyes.

“I was hoping we could have tea sometime…”

As he mutters this while timidly tapping the ring on the director’s finger, her gaze instantly turns cold.

“You’ve already moved to a detective agency with a young detective, and you’re even married to a young police officer, yet you’re still eyeing other women? You’re consistently indecent, aren’t you?”

“That’s…”

“Take your hand away while I’m still being nice. Why are you touching the back of my hand?”

After fearlessly stroking the back of the director’s hand with his finger, Adler quickly withdraws his hand with a cowed expression at her immediate threat.

“……Tsk.”

A moment later, as he rises from his seat with a completely deflated expression, the director, who had been glaring at him with cold eyes, clicks her tongue and begins rummaging through her drawer.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“Stop slurring your words. It makes me want to kill you, never mind the request.”

“…Yes.”

“Take this.”

Eventually, she takes out a small piece of paper from the drawer and hands it to Adler.

“What is this?”

“A business card.”

“A business… card?”

“My contact information is on the back.”

When Adler, who had unconsciously taken it, looks puzzled, the director adds in a low voice.

“…You said you wanted to have tea sometime.”

She says this while slightly blushing and avoiding Adler’s gaze.

“Call me after you solve the case.”

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“Look. Don’t misunderstand. We’ll really just be having tea…..”

– Creeeeak…

Leaving the director’s still businesslike but somehow shy voice of excuse behind, Adler quietly opens the office door and steps outside.

“I’m not sure what I just witnessed?”

“Ah, Miss Lupin.”

And not long after, Lupin appears beside Adler without a sound and links arms with him.

“I’m glad you’re letting yourself be kidnapped so obediently, but are you trying to seduce another woman in the meantime?”

“…It’s just simple networking. It’s good to know people in influential places like Pinkerton, right?”

“But why do you only network with women?”

At her sharp question, Adler falls silent for a moment.

“…By the way, is it okay for you to appear so nonchalantly in front of the Pinkerton Detective Agency?”

“Are you changing the subject?”

“No, I’m just worried you might get caught…”

After a moment, in response to Adler’s desperate attempt to change the topic, she smiles slightly and tightens her grip on the arm she’s holding.

“I may not look it, but I’m the world’s greatest thief. I’m confident I could escape even if they brought an army, not just a detective agency.”

“…I’m sure you could.”

“Are you being sarcastic? That hurts my feelings…”

Then she suddenly tilts her head and asks a question.

“…By the way, did I originally speak formally to you? Or informally?”

“Sometimes you spoke formally, sometimes informally?”

“Really…? Then did I speak English, or French?”

“You always spoke French when you were being informal.”

“…Oh, you’re smart? You even know French.”

“But why are you suddenly asking about that?”

She answers with a slightly troubled smile.

“I think I mentioned this before, but I keep getting confused about my identity lately. It happens when you live in disguise so much…”

“Aren’t you in Lupin’s true form right now?”

“I don’t know. I’m not even sure if my real name was Lupin to begin with…”

Speaking with a slightly trembling voice, her gaze eventually turns quietly to Adler.

“…Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Huh?”

“Whatever I am, I have someone right beside me who will always make me shine…”

Her eyes begin to glow darkly.

[Probability of being preserved: 99.9999999…]

“Now that we’ve visited the detective agency, shall we head to the Demon Rock Castle?”

“Ah, um… about that…”

Sensing danger from her words, Adler breaks into a cold sweat and stammers.

“…I still have somewhere else to go.”

“What?”

“I have something to do in Bermisa Valley… ugh.”

He tried to continue speaking with a forced calm expression, but.

“I think I’ve been accommodating enough?”

“Why, why are you doing this?”

“You seem to be forgetting something…”

With her arms still linked with his, Lupin rests her head on Adler’s shoulder and begins to whisper in a cold voice.

“…You’ve been kidnapped by me.”

“…….”

“I don’t have any reason to listen to your opinion, do I?”

At those words, Adler quietly begins to tremble.

“Ah, how cute…”

As Lupin looks at him with a raised corner of her mouth and reaches out with her other hand to stroke Adler’s chin, at that moment.

“…I’m not usually like this, but for some reason, I want to torment you.”

“That’s far enough.”

“What?”

A chilling voice comes from behind them.

“…You, from that time?”

“If you don’t want to be torn to shreds… you’d better remove that hand.”

Lupin turns around with a start and finds a blue-eyed girl in a suit who has suddenly appeared behind them, her eyes widening.

“W-where did you come from?”

“…I can appear anywhere, anytime, as long as my master’s shadow is present.”

“Tch…”

“Last warning. Remove your hand.”

After frowning for a moment, Lupin quietly lowers her hand.

“Poppy!!!”

The next moment, Adler runs to the girl with a bright smile.

“You came to save me!”

“…….Woof.”

After a brief hesitation, the girl makes a dog sound with a blank expression.

“Good girl, good…”

“Heh…heh…”

“…How does he see that as a dog?”

Watching with disgust as the terrifying being, who could wipe out all the supernatural creatures residing in London if she wanted to, exposed her belly to be petted by Adler, Lupin quietly mutters and begins to walk away.

“Anyway, I ended up just being used…”

“…….”

“…Being used once in a while isn’t so bad, but it’s still a little sad.”

Trying to hide her tearful voice, Lupin moves away from the two.

“Excuse me.”

“…….?”

“If I help with this… I’ll go to the Demon Rock Castle with you.”

She stops in her tracks at Adler’s words from behind.

“W-why should I believe you.”

“I’ll write you a contract.”

“…Really?”

After hesitating for a moment at Adler’s proposal, she slowly turns her head.

“…Are you serious?”

Seeing the single tear flowing from her eyes, Adler nods hastily.

“Of course.”

[How many empty promises are you going to make?]

‘…Be quiet, Miss System.’

Ignoring the system’s message that appeared in a disgusted font, he gives a definitive answer.

“So, what do I need to help with?”

Lupin then sidles up next to Adler.

“…Grrrr.”

“If you need my help, is it about stealing something? If so, just leave it to me. I can steal the target within 24 hours…”

She begins to rapidly make her pitch while nervously eyeing the hound lying on the ground.

“Cross-dressing.”

“Huh?”

“I need to cross-dress.”

But when Adler opens his mouth to state his purpose, Lupin momentarily looks dumbfounded and closes her mouth.

“What… do you mean?”

“I need to infiltrate a women-only group to cause internal discord, but I can’t infiltrate as a man, right?”

Adler calmly begins to explain to her.

“So I’m planning to go in disguise as a woman… While I’m quite skilled at disguise, I can’t do it as perfectly as you can, Miss Lupin. So I’d like a little help…”

“Ah, so that’s what it was?”

Finally sighing with relief, Lupin looks relieved.

“I thought you’d lost your mind…”

“So will you help me or not?”

“…If it’s that kind of thing, I’m an expert.”

She grins and begins to drag Adler to a nearby clothing store.

“Are you ready to be transformed into the world’s most beautiful girl?”

“…No, that’s not necessary, just make sure I don’t look suspicious.”

“Let’s go!!!”

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A few days later. Bermisa Valley, America.

“Hey, you there! Stop!”

A carriage entering a village located there is stopped by some rough-looking women.

“We need to check your identity.”

“Only women are allowed to enter here.”

Eventually, they knock on the carriage window, demanding identification.

– Creeeeak…

After a moment, the carriage window is lowered, and the people inside reveal themselves.

“Hmm…”

“Doesn’t seem to be any men.”

The guards carefully examine Watson, who is sitting by the window with a half-annoyed, half-amused expression, and Lupin, who is grinning as if something is terribly amusing.

“…But that woman over there looks familiar.”

“Oh? You’re right.”

Their gaze eventually falls on the blonde-haired girl sitting at the very end.

“Excuse me… may I ask your name?”

“Ah, yes. So… umm…”

When one of them asks the question, the girl, with a completely reddened face and cold sweat, stammers.

“I, I am…”

No, the boy.

“…M-my name is Irene.”

Answering with a trembling voice and then lowering his head again, it was Adler who had completely transformed into the original character herself.