Ch.230Chapter 230 – The Final Case (5)

We had safely arrived in Belgium, but in less than a day, we had no choice but to leave.

“…We’re being followed. Two people behind us.”

“But this is… Belgium?”

“You think there are only two followers because we’re in Belgium.”

Adler had noticed the presence of those pursuing us.

What was truly unfortunate and chilling was that despite this, we couldn’t deduce which faction they belonged to.

The forces chasing us weren’t simply a single professor.

“Should I kill them, master?”

“Hmm… I’d rather not add Belgian police to the forces chasing us.”

“…And if we make the newspapers, we’re in trouble. It would be like advertising our location.”

“Tch…”

We had no choice but to consider all possibilities.

“Run on the count of three. One, two… three!”

“How could you suddenly run in the opposite direction!!”

After barely shaking off our pursuers, we boarded a ship bound for France.

For the record, I opposed going because of the existence of Arsène Lupin, but for some reason, Adler insisted on heading to France.

His excuse was that he ‘didn’t want to create any variables by proceeding in order,’ which I couldn’t understand.

“It would have been nice if there were airplanes…”

“……?”

Well, this wasn’t the first time Adler had spoken nonsense that made no sense.

Would Holmes or the Professor have understood? Lately, I’ve been feeling like there might be some hidden meaning in the occasional nonsense Adler speaks.

“Hmm…”

“………”

Anyway, after entering France, we couldn’t help but receive blatant stares from all directions throughout our stay.

It was obvious even to someone as insensitive as me that they were Lupin’s subordinates who had practically taken over France.

“…I really don’t understand why we entered a tiger’s den just to avoid two followers.”

“Miss Watson. I’ll be going somewhere for a bit.”

“What?”

“The plausibility is still lacking.”

“Hey!”

Just as I was about to seriously ask him why we came to France, Adler suddenly disappeared somewhere, leaving me at the hotel, which left me completely deflated.

“What on earth…”

“…Tsk.”

“Hey, I don’t want to be with you either.”

The one fortunate thing was that he had left Celestia Moran to guard me.

Thanks to that, I was able to hold on for a while with the hope that even if Adler abandoned me, he wouldn’t abandon his closest aide.

“So, I was sniping the enemy’s hound in that street, you know? If I’d known, I would have gone as a sniper instead of an army doctor…”

“…Nonsense.”

“Look at this kid? Want to bet?”

Of course, she seemed completely disgusted that I was her guard subject, but on the seventh day after Adler’s disappearance, we were able to open up somewhat through stories about the military.

“…You’re pretty good.”

“Haah…”

Of course, in the shooting competition that followed, I was trampled by that youngster with a miserable score of 3 to 7.

According to Moran, I should be proud since no one had ever pushed her to a score worse than 2 to 8.

Nevertheless, losing to a 12-year-old kid didn’t feel particularly good.

If the targets had been dogs, I would have won.

“Excuse me…”

Anyway, we were on our way back to the hotel after finishing the shooting test.

“You used it cleanly and well.”

“…What?”

A passerby who brushed past me whispered that into my ear in a low voice.

“……!?”

Momentarily dazed by the sudden situation, I quickly turned my head, but the passerby had already disappeared.

“What the…”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing…”

The fact that Moran hadn’t reacted meant she hadn’t sensed any killing intent, so I wasn’t particularly worried, but feeling uneasy, I hurried my steps to the hotel, and…

“”……….””

When I opened the door, Moran and I couldn’t help but wear cold expressions at the scene before us.

“…Miss Watson.”

Adler, who had returned to the hotel after a week, was twitching sporadically on the bed, wearing only a bathrobe in an otherwise naked state.

“I know I have a lot of karma built up with you… but isn’t this too much…?”

With strange handprints, nail marks, and bite marks on both arms and neck.

“How could you pounce on someone who’s sleeping? Next time, at least with consent…”

For reference, Adler’s adventures with Lupin during that week can be confirmed in Lupin’s own published autobiographies such as <The Hollow Needle>, <The Crystal Stopper>, and <The Countess of Cagliostro’s Submission>.

Of course, they’re not books I’d recommend, as they misspell Holmes’ name or deliberately misrepresent situations.

Especially <Arsène Lupin’s Last Love>, which records what just happened, is better left unread.

It’s not that I feel jealous.

Setting aside her characteristically vulgar and base descriptions, it’s ultimately an incomplete manuscript.

The reason for this, I will now recount.

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“I-I’m the victim here, really! This time for real…”

– Beep! Beep…!

“Ah, um… just a moment.”

In the chilly atmosphere, this bastard who had taken my hand saying he wanted to travel with me, then spent a week rolling around with Lupin, and just now had physically rolled around with him, was checking our expressions while receiving a telegram.

“…Hmm.”

Suddenly, Adler’s expression turned serious.

“Detectives have gone missing…? Even those from agencies like Pinkerton?”

“…What is it now?”

As he muttered with a pale complexion, I, who had been planning to show my annoyance for a while, couldn’t help but ask him a question with pouting lips.

“You might know of Lovecraft.”

“Love… craft? What kind of name is that?”

“…I requested American detective agencies to find him, but it seems the agencies themselves have taken a hit instead.”

His voice, which had somehow become calm, replied.

“I wanted to secure him before finishing…”

But as usual, his eyes were quietly trembling as he spoke words that only he could understand.

“…Is it a woman?”

“That’s not the issue. Listen carefully, Miss Watson.”

“…….”

“When this journey ends, warn Holmes. Tell him to be careful of the name Lovecraft.”

I asked such a question just in case, but Adler’s expression was serious.

Seeing that there wasn’t a trace of playfulness, this ‘Lovecraft’ person that Adler was pursuing despite being so busy seemed to be quite a dangerous individual.

“What exactly does he do?”

“…Here’s today’s newspaper. Articles about the strange phenomena beginning to rage across France fill the front page.”

As my curiosity was piqued and I asked, Adler suddenly pushed a newspaper that had been on the table toward me.

“The newspaper we bought in Belgium was the same, right? Not to mention England.”

“Now that you mention it…”

Although it seemed like an odd thing to do, it was also something Holmes often did when explaining something, so I watched quietly as Adler continued with a serious expression.

“Some say that if these phenomena continue to increase at this rate, the entire world will be in danger within a few years.”

“Such speculations exist. Personally, it doesn’t really resonate with me…”

“Lovecraft is the entity behind it all.”

“…What!?”

If that statement was true, it was truly astonishing.

To think there was someone behind the strange phenomena. Isn’t this something that would turn the detective world—no, the entire world—upside down?

“Then isn’t he more dangerous than Professor Moriarty!?”

“They’re different kinds. If the Professor is the ruler of the human world… he is the ruler of the strange phenomena. Their domains are different.”

“Ah…”

“Of course, at this rate, they will eventually clash. Perhaps that day will mark the beginning of the world’s end.”

But the analysis Adler presented was truly grim.

Even I, who normally thought I didn’t care what happened to the world, felt genuinely frightened.

“Then… is there no solution at all?”

“Of course there is, that’s why I’m moving so busily.”

Fortunately, it seemed Adler had a solution.

“I know a method to seal away these phenomena. This journey wasn’t just about playing tag; it was for that purpose.”

“……..”

“However, it’s not so easily accomplished…”

It was around then that I realized.

“But it’s okay. We’re almost there.”

Adler was revealing to me, for the first time, truths he had never shared with anyone else.

“Just a little more and we’ll really be there…”

To me, not the Professor, not Holmes, not the Inspector.

– Thump, thump…

“…Why, why are you telling me these things?”

Despite the disaster just moments ago, feeling the thrill that I usually only felt briefly on the battlefield spreading throughout my body, I asked in a low voice.

“Well…”

As Adler, who had somehow sat down beside me, caressed my neck with a gentle touch and whispered, I finally had to admit.

“…Because you are my final puzzle piece.”

That I quite liked this absolute bastard.

“You’re definitely going to hell.”

“…Is that a compliment? I’m a demon.”

“Haah…”

After that, we sent Moran out of the room for a while, stayed in France for about another day, and began to decide on our next destination by mutual agreement.

“…Watson, don’t you want to go somewhere cool?”

“Huh?”

And soon, a waterfall with a name I’d never heard of, located in Switzerland, was decided as our next destination.