Ch.263Side Story – The Adventures of Isaac Adler (1)

London’s worst scoundrel. A ruffian and trash. Yet, paradoxically, the final destination of women’s hearts, a male fox who bewitched England.

Issac Adler—a name so infamous that wherever he went, he stirred up storms of scandal, eventually making it harder to find someone who didn’t know him throughout Europe.

When such a remarkable figure suddenly disappeared, it was only natural that London was turned upside down.

The massive search operation that continued for months under pressure from British high officials (mostly women). The frenzied protests by women who had suddenly become quasi-widows with unclear objectives.

Countless sightings of Issac Adler from various regions, and even several imposters claiming to be him.

The social phenomenon created by the disappearance of just one boy was so enormous that even the British royal family eventually had to intervene.

Nevertheless, as they say time heals all wounds, and as time passed, the dark period of London filled with angry madness seemed to subside somewhat.

“Today, as usual, we received another request to find Issac Adler.”

However, even the passage of time couldn’t stop the flood of related requests coming to London’s premier detective agency at 221B Baker Street, known as the last resort for those who had lost hope.

“It’s truly amusing, isn’t it?”

But who would have known?

“What’s so great about this damn dog that everyone’s so desperate to find him… hnngh…”

“Please… loosen it a bit…”

“Shut up and swallow the aphrodisiac.”

“Then at least… a c-condom…”

“Hnngh… I said shut up.”

“…sob.”

Who would have thought that the owner of that agency would be one of those behind Adler’s disappearance?

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“Stop… really stop… I’m dying…”

“…Phew.”

Adler was covering his eyes with his sleeve, sniffling and muttering to himself on the bed, while Sharlotte Holmes glanced at him from the window, quietly adjusting her clothes and exhaling cigarette smoke.

“Your pleas are useless.”

“Sniff, sniff…”

“This is the most secluded place in London. Moreover, it’s an abandoned house in the middle of private property.”

As she said, the place where Adler was being kept looked completely uninhabitable from the outside.

Of course, thanks to Professor Moriarty’s space expansion and security magic, the inside was actually one of the most comfortable places in London, a supernatural paradise.

“In case you’re still harboring hope, let me tell you that I’ve taken care of the property title transfers and tax issues, so there won’t be any legal problems for about 100 years.”

“…!”

“Haha. I used to tell Watson all the time—if I were a criminal, I’d be the world’s best.”

“……..”

“Confining you here is actually a service to global justice, so strictly speaking it’s not a crime, but it still pleases me to prove it like this.”

However, for Adler, whose life force came from freedom and women, this was clearly hell, not heaven.

“Anyway, our break time is almost over.”

“Hic.”

“I’ll give you 5 more minutes, so take the aphrodisiac next to you and get ready again.”

Just as Adler, withered and twisted from years of continuous and repeated milking, was about to cross the threshold between life and death once more—

“If you try to pull out again this time, I’ll knock you out and do it anyway… Hmm?”

As Sharlotte was exhaling cigarette smoke and making that chilling statement in a languid tone, a receiving sound came from the portable telegraph device in her pocket.

“Hmm… I see.”

“…Gulp.”

As Sharlotte’s eyes narrowed while holding the receiver, Adler, who had been sporadically trembling his lower body like someone receiving a sentence, swallowed nervously.

“Haah…”

“A-a request came in? Right? Tell me that’s right.”

“Tsk. Tomorrow would have been the shift change. Bad luck.”

When he couldn’t hold back and asked the question anxiously, Sharlotte sighed and spoke in an irritated voice.

“It seems I need to go out for a while. I’ll probably be back around evening.”

“R-really? Don’t you want to stay overnight somewhere?”

“Keep crawling up to me and I might just put you in a bag and take you with me.”

“…Have a safe trip.”

Adler, who had been questioning her quite desperately, quickly put his hands together respectfully at Sharlotte’s savage warning.

Looking at him with a completely distrustful expression, Sharlotte put on the coat hanging on the wall and added:

“By the way… you know, right? If you try to escape again when no one’s around like last time…”

“Th-that was a mistake. No, not a mistake, more like force majeure? A-anyway…”

“…You’ll have the mysterious and delightful experience of not having your lower half subside for even one second for an entire month.”

A statement so chilling that it immediately shut Adler’s rambling mouth.

“I may have quit making drugs because of the child, but I’m still doing research.”

“…….”

“So behave yourself.”

With those words, Sharlotte left the room, and silence filled the room for a while.

“…Sniff.”

How much time had passed?

While Adler was sniffling and cursing his narrow-minded prejudice, having thought that forced aphrodisiacs were the worst treatment that could be inflicted on him—

– Creeeak…

“…Hic?”

The door, which he thought wouldn’t open until at least sunset, was very quietly pushed open.

“Wh-wh-who is it…?”

Despite the dignity of the grand compromise that had been dramatically concluded years ago under the supervision of Professor Moriarty and Sharlotte Holmes, occasionally there were incidents where signatories would take advantage of gaps in security to pounce on Adler out of turn.

“If that’s you, Lupin, I’m pulling this cord, okay? They promised the Professor would be here within 5 minutes if I pull this. Okay?”

In fact, such incidents were quite common, led by Arsène Lupin, who was quite dissatisfied with the agreement.

That’s why it was understandable that Adler frantically wrapped himself in a blanket and grabbed the emergency alarm cord.

“Please… my brain is about to melt right now… Huh?”

“……..”

“……!!!”

Somehow, Adler’s eyes, which had been looking at the person who quietly entered with a pale face while holding the cord, widened slightly.

“Y-you came!!!”

Eventually, he jumped up from his place with teary eyes and ran forward barefoot.

“Moran!!!”

“…You’ve been through a lot.”

The person he welcomed so gladly was none other than Celestia Moran.

The reason was quite simple.

“Somuchhasbeeenhappeningwaaaah…”

“…….”

Because she was the last and only signatory who had never pounced on Adler or even demanded relations with him.

“You’ve had a hard time, haven’t you?”

“Sharlottemademeeatanaphodisiac24hoursadayandI’msoexhaustedI’mgoingtodieofcomplicationsinactualfactIalreadydiedoncebutPoppyresurrectedme…”

“It’s okay. Lean on me, Master.”

As if quite familiar with this situation, Moran naturally embraced Adler who had run to her, and patted his trembling back.

“Sniff… Moran. You’re the only one I can trust now…”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes… Y-you’re the only one who didn’t p-pounce on me.”

“How could I ever do that to you, Master?”

She chuckled at Adler’s sniffling complaints and answered in a gentle voice.

“…Unless that’s what you want.”

“Hey, what are you saying?”

Adler, looking much better now, cheerfully opened his mouth.

“Moran will always be like a daughter to me.”

“…What?”

“If I could, I’d adopt you right away.”

He said, struggling to pat Moran’s head on tiptoe, as she had grown slightly taller than him.

“And you’re not even an adult yet, so you shouldn’t say such things. Right?”

“……”

“Anyway, let’s continue to live happily and normally like this forever, okay?”

“…Okay?”

Adler asked, suddenly feeling anxious as Moran became quiet and he cautiously watched her reaction.

“…Of course, Master.”

Moran, who had been quietly staring into his eyes, eventually smiled and reassured Adler.

“Ha, haha. Right. That’s my Moran.”

“By the way, I got it.”

“Hm?”

“What you secretly asked for last time.”

“Ah!”

Adler, who had been smiling along with her, was startled and looked around nervously when Moran whispered in a lowered voice.

“Alcohol with over 60 proof. It was difficult to bring in. It took longer than expected to neutralize the Professor’s security magic.”

“F-finally…!”

When Moran discreetly handed him a small bottle of liquor from her bosom, Adler trembled with emotion.

“But what will you do now? Even if you can regain your old strength when drunk, there’s a limit to how many you can handle…”

“I love you!!!!!”

“…Gasp.”

When he smiled broadly and kissed Moran on the cheek, she froze again, having just been asking him a question with a slightly puzzled expression.

“As long as I can get out of here, nothing else matters. I have a last resort.”

But ignoring her reaction, Adler continued to shower her with cheek kisses for a while, then began chattering happily.

“Don’t worry about being tracked. I’ll move as quickly as possible anyway… It might be dangerous, but as long as you’re by my side, Moran, there won’t be any problems.”

“…You say such things so casually again.”

“The Omake Room. If I can just get there somehow… Huh?”

Suddenly, he stopped talking, sensing an eerie atmosphere in front of him, and checked Moran’s expression.

“…What did you just say, Moran?”

“Oh, n-nothing. Just talking to myself.”

“R-right? Haha. Must have been my imagination…”

After scratching his head for a moment, he burst into laughter and began to turn the cap of the bottle he had obtained after several years with a gleeful face.

“Anyway, you should get ready too. From now on, we really need to be on high alert…”

“…Well, this is entirely your fault.”

“Alright, so… I need to measure the exact amount, so first just one sip…”

Because of this, he failed to notice Moran quietly caressing her cheek and muttering in a low voice behind him.

“…I’ve been patient long enough.”

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Meanwhile, at that time.

“…So, you’re finally coming?”

A woman who had been staring at a machine emitting light in a dark room stretched and smiled wryly.

“I thought my neck would fall off waiting.”

The light leaking from the machine, which looked remarkably similar to a modern laptop despite the 19th-century setting, illuminated the nameplate on the desk in front of her.

[Academy Director《Auguste Dupin》]