Ch.44Chapter 44 – The Case of the Missing Silver Blaze (6)

A few minutes after escaping from Charlotte only to be caught helplessly by Colonel Rose.

“Excuse me.”

“Hmm?”

“When did we meet before?”

As I walked for quite some time through the secret passage she had prepared in advance, I scratched my head and asked Colonel Rose who was beside me.

“…You don’t remember?”

Suddenly, her eyes turned cold.

“I was the one who sponsored you when you were a nobody.”

“Ah, right.”

“Even though you’ve been receiving regular sponsorship until recently.”

“Haha…”

Was all that large sum of money being anonymously deposited into Issac Adler’s account from her?

But the amount seems too much for that to be the case.

Perhaps before I possessed this body, Issac Adler had seduced several other big spenders like Colonel Rose.

Issac Adler, what a crazy rascal. Why should I suffer for what his lower half did?

‘…Well, can’t be helped.’

But I didn’t have time to just grumble.

If I didn’t want to end up with a hole in my head or be shipped off to America in a cargo hold, I needed to do something.

“…Why are you stopping?”

When I paused briefly in place with such thoughts, she tilted her head and tightened her grip on the gun pointed at my head.

“Are you trying to escape again like last time?”

“………”

“That won’t be possible. This is a pistol specially custom-made to hunt you down.”

She’s right. Even though I’m a magician and a pureblood Vampire, there’s not much I can do in this situation with a high-powered mana pistol pointed at my head.

To use magic, I need to chant, and even transforming into a vampire takes time. Moreover, it’s daytime now, so I’m not sure if I can exert my full power.

But compared to that, Colonel Rose just needs to pull the trigger once.

Even if I somehow dodge the first shot, she’s a “Colonel” with an artifact-grade weapon. That’s probably enough to instantly kill not just me but most mid-level bosses too.

And I can’t send out Lady Clay, who has barely recovered enough power to use telepathic magic.

“Yes, you were my first.”

“…Huh?”

There’s only one option left.

“When I think about it, the reason I am who I am today is all thanks to you.”

“Adler…?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize until now.”

I’ve always been confident in my verbal skills since childhood.

“Why are you suddenly being so kind…?”

“……”

“Aren’t you going to resist or coldly condemn me like before?”

“I won’t.”

“…Why?”

I’ve seen how to deal with this type in comics on internet communities a few times. Though I’m not sure if it will work in this situation, it’s worth a try.

“Because you’re the best person in the world to me.”

“…………”

“…Shall we hold hands?”

After saying that and staring at Colonel Rose, the hand not holding the gun to my head slowly lowered.

“Th-this isn’t right…”

And then, blushing, she interlocked her fingers with mine.

‘…We haven’t even started yet?’

The hard counter to a yandere was, none other than plausibility.

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“What should we do first when we get to America? Should we look at houses? Or should we leave that to my subordinates and travel? Or maybe…”

“Anything is fine as long as I’m with you, Colonel Rose.”

“…Ugh.”

Colonel Rose, who had been rambling with crazed eyes, trailed off after hearing Adler’s gentle voice.

– Tremble…

Simultaneously, the gun pointed at the back of Adler’s head quivered slightly.

“You could have treated me like this all along… why…”

“By the way, I have a question.”

Adler, who had been quietly observing her, asked in a calm voice.

“What exactly did you put in the curry?”

“…What?”

She looked at Adler with wide eyes.

“Don’t play innocent. I need to know so we can get our stories straight…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Pardon?”

Colonel Rose tilted her head and asked back.

“I didn’t put anything in the curry.”

“What do you mean… Then why did you change the menu to curry yesterday?”

“I just wanted to eat curry yesterday, that’s all…”

Adler’s expression turned puzzled.

“Then what did you do to Mr. Straker?”

“I entered his room under the pretext of bringing him a late dinner.”

Colonel Rose began her testimony in response to his question.

“As you know, despite having a wife, he’s infatuated with me. He’d do anything I say.”

“Right… I suppose.”

“So I simply asked him to give Silver Blaze a doping injection.”

“…That’s it?”

Adler, who had been looking dumbfounded, frowned and asked again.

“Yes, I was planning to frame him and cut him loose later. But then he suddenly died.”

“Then what about the drug component in the curry?”

“Oh, I forgot. I gave him the meal meant for the Ain species I’m training.”

Colonel Rose clapped her hands as she muttered, then scratched her head.

“But that’s… an aphrodisiac?”

“Then… there’s no possibility it would make someone violent or cruel?”

“No? It’s an aphrodisiac specifically for the Ain species. For humans like us, it would just make our senses slightly more sensitive.”

Adler’s expression went blank as he sank into thought.

“…Then, why did Straker…?”

“That doesn’t matter anymore.”

Colonel Rose, who was holding hands with him, gently squeezed and stopped walking with a soft smile.

“We’re leaving this place today.”

At the same time, a massive door began to open.

“…Huh?”

“With these reliable subordinates.”

Adler’s eyes widened as he stepped back slightly from the tremendous vibration.

“What do you think, darling?”

Quite a number of Ain species were bowing their heads before them.

“That’s all fine, but with this many people moving, we’ll surely attract attention…”

“We’ll divide into groups and move with elite small units. The personnel escorting you and me are the most trustworthy among them.”

“…Will all the Ain species follow orders?”

“They have no choice but to obey.”

Colonel Rose pulled out a bundle of documents from her bosom and waved them at the skeptical Adler.

“It’s all thanks to your contract magic, Adler.”

“……..”

“I find it so strange how you can’t do any other magic, yet you’re better at this one than anyone else in the world…”

Just as Adler was sweating profusely under the resentful gazes from beyond, it happened.

“This… this isn’t what we agreed on.”

“…?”

A chilling voice began to emerge from behind the Ain species.

“You clearly said you’d hand Adler over to me.”

“Who is that…?”

“Did I say that?”

While Adler’s eyes widened at the appearance of a new figure whose form was obscured by darkness, a cold smile appeared on Colonel Rose’s lips.

“I merely provided you with a hideout in exchange for you kidnapping Ain species from the back alleys.”

“……….”

“Don’t you understand who’s in charge here?”

An arrogant voice soon flowed from her lips.

“I don’t know who you are, but I don’t need you anymore.”

“Hmm.”

“So why don’t you just leave while I’m still being nice?”

Just as she gestured dismissively, it happened.

– Crack…!

“…Urgh?”

With the sound of something being pierced, a dying gasp escaped from Colonel Rose’s mouth.

“Ugh, urgh…”

“I helped with your plan a bit because it looked interesting, and this is how you repay kindness.”

Colonel Rose, who had been staggering with a confused expression, realized that her chest had been pierced by a black knife and fell to her knees.

“I should have killed you when I possessed Straker.”

“…What?”

“I don’t know why I have such bad luck with employers.”

The unidentified figure who had suddenly appeared before her began to gently stroke Colonel Rose’s chin.

“…Don’t you agree?”

“W-w-who are you?”

“Hehe…”

As the figure enveloped in writhing shadows turned its head and smiled eerily at him, Adler’s face turned pale as he backed away toward where the Ain species were.

– Bang!

At that moment, a gunshot echoed through the dark shelter.

– Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Run… Adler…..”

Colonel Rose, her face pale, was firing at the shadow before her with a pistol gripped in both hands.

“…How pitiful.”

But without showing the slightest agitation, the shadow looked down at its own body being pierced, then muttered in a voice mixed with mockery.

– Click, click…

“Do you think you can do anything to me with such a toy?”

The weapon that could take down most mid-level bosses with a single hit was pathetically broken with just a gesture from the shadow.

– Crunch…!

“Adler…”

Once again, a chilling sound of rupture echoed, followed by Colonel Rose’s faint moan.

“”…………””

Afterwards, the shadow quietly surveyed the fear-stricken basement before its eyes gleamed and it spoke.

“Hello, Adler?”

It spoke with deep thrill to the being it had so desired.

“I love you.”

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[??? feels murderous intent toward you that makes you shudder!]

‘Love my ass…’

As I continued to back away with a dumbfounded expression, I finally realized when I saw the message that appeared before my eyes.

“I really really really really love you…”

‘So this is the cause of the erosion.’

The mysterious “erosion rate” reduction that occurred whenever I didn’t directly intervene in events.

[Erosion Rate: 6%->15%]

The cause was right in front of my eyes.

‘I need to run.’

I knew it well even without having witnessed Colonel Rose’s desperate struggle just now.

I needed to escape right now.

I had to run without looking back.

“Are you running away?”

But as if already noticing my intention, the shadow holding the black knife tilted its head and spoke.

“If you run, I’ll kill you.”

Of course, it was clear it would try to kill me even if I didn’t run, so those words weren’t much of a threat.

“The Ain species behind you.”

But when I heard the words that soon came from her mouth.

“And that girl who was with you until just now.”

Without time to think, I had no choice but to walk forward.

[Probability of being killed: 40%->99%]

“That won’t do.”

I was really glad I had left Charlotte behind.

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How much time had passed since then.

“Hands up, police!!”

“Surrender!!”

The officers and police who had broken into the secret hideout hidden in the racecourse with Charlotte Holmes’ help shouted loudly.

“Everyone drop your weapons and…”

“Huh…?”

But they stopped in their tracks after just a few steps.

“Cough, cough…”

Issac Adler, his abdomen horribly mutilated, was sitting against the wall, breathing heavily as he greeted them.

“…..Adler?”

When Charlotte, who had been confidently leading the police officers with a self-assured expression, saw him with blank eyes.

“I’m sorry, Miss Holmes…”

Adler spoke with a bright smile.

“I’ve ruined the mystery…”

His pupils began to gradually lose focus.

“…But at least you’re safe.”

A terrified expression, one she had never worn before, began to appear on Charlotte Holmes’ face.