Ch.99Chapter 99 – The Adventure of the Three Garydebs (6)

“…I’m fucked.”

The moment I realized how things were going, my head was filled with that thought.

‘I should have noticed earlier.’

There were more chances to notice than I thought.

The abnormally low body temperature of Miss Neria Garydeb who pounced on me.

The terrifying strength impossible for someone of her build.

And even those strange wounds on the arms of our client, Mr. Nathan Garydeb.

Evidence suggesting that Miss Neria Garydeb was an artificially created being was scattered everywhere.

It was just obscured by the keyword of rabies patient rather than werewolf.

By the time I realized it, it was too late.

The professor, Sharlotte Holmes, and I were already too deeply involved in this bizarre case.

‘If both sides clash like this, things will surely spiral out of control…’

Considering cases like Gil the Reaper and Arsène Lupin, I can somewhat understand the conditions that increase the erosion rate.

Whenever characters from other 19th century works or real historical figures unrelated to the Sherlock Holmes series get involved in a case, the ‘erosion rate’ increases dramatically.

Even in this case alone, the moment the name ‘Frankenstein’ was mentioned, the erosion rate jumped by 7 percent.

What if Sharlotte Holmes or the professor become more deeply involved in the case?

The erosion rate might go berserk. No, it definitely will at this rate.

‘…I have to stop it.’

Then there’s only one way.

I, as the world’s plausibility, must fight against beings that shouldn’t exist in this world instead of Sharlotte Holmes.

‘I need to twist the case’s conclusion before Sharlotte Holmes reaches the truth.’

So there’s no time to waste.

Before Sharlotte deduces Neria Garydeb’s true identity and the existence of Dr. Frankenstein behind her, I need to cut out and eliminate the plausibility errors in this case.

And then manipulate the truth to reconstruct the case.

To do that, I need to eliminate Dr. Frankenstein who must be hiding somewhere in this mansion as quickly as possible.

Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s possible with this glass cannon body of mine, but this is no time to debate what’s possible and what’s not.

If I fail, the world’s end will be hastened. I have no choice but to do this, however reluctantly.

“…Hmm.”

Then, what should I do first?

“Time is passing, Miss Holmes. The truth will soon be buried in darkness.”

“…Shut up.”

“Hmm. Even the world-renowned genius girl gets nervous? Quite a different side of you.”

It’s simple.

I need to shake off Sharlotte Holmes and Professor Moriarty who are currently exchanging cold glares and arguing.

If I want to deal with Dr. Frankenstein without anyone knowing, that’s the only way.

– Click, click…

But the problem is that my physical freedom has been taken away by those women.

The mana chains of the world’s strongest, and the mana chains of the only one who can stand against her.

This restraint, where both are overlapping, clearly cannot be undone by anyone except Zia Lestrade, who can neutralize all magic.

‘Well, then there’s no choice.’

If so, there’s only one option left.

‘…I really wanted to save this as a last resort.’

It might be an action that disqualifies me as ‘plausibility,’ but there seems to be no other answer.

“Excuse me for interrupting your enjoyable deduction.”

“”……..?””

As I spoke quietly after making my resolution, the attention of the arguing women immediately focused on me.

“There’s a minor error in the case.”

“What?”

“What are you talking about?”

“So I think I need to make a quick correction.”

Their puzzled expressions quickly turned cold after hearing those words.

“Are you planning to disappear somewhere alone again, only to be found half-butchered to death?”

“Do you perhaps have some secret masochistic tendencies? If not, you’d better stop while I’m still asking nicely.”

The comments directed at me were exactly what I expected.

“…I figured you’d say that.”

Looking at them with a smile as they were perfectly in sync just at times like this, I quietly raised my hand with gleaming eyes.

– Snap…!

A crisp finger-snapping sound echoed through the room.

– Tssssss…

“”……..!?””

The anomaly in the room occurred right after that.

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“…Ugh.”

“Hmm?”

As the chains binding my body slowly began to unravel, Sharlotte Holmes and Professor Moriarty started to groan and twitch.

– Ziiing…

Simultaneously, my golden seal began to glow from their lower abdomens.

“What exactly are you doing?”

“Adler. When did you engrave this on my abdomen?”

While Sharlotte glared at me murderously while clutching her abdomen, Professor Moriarty asked with eyes full of curiosity.

“It was engraved when we made the slave… graduate student contract at the very beginning, Professor, and with Miss Holmes, it was through our contract at Raigite. Probably.”

“I don’t recall agreeing to have such a seal engraved.”

“Don’t feel too bad, Professor. Unlike contracts with other women, your seal is also engraved on my abdomen…”

To her somewhat murderous voice, I smiled and exposed my lower abdomen.

“….Oh.”

I briefly paused when I discovered two seals overlapping, alternately emitting gray and black light as they fought for dominance.

“The seals are as strong-willed as their owners~”

“Enough of that. Would you care to explain why my mana is suddenly sealed?”

“Come to think of it, I can’t use my mana either.”

Despite my deliberately cheerful voice, Sharlotte and the professor’s cold voices inevitably came flying.

“Well, you see. Not just me, but I’m using all the mana from every woman whose abdomen I’ve engraved a seal on to suppress your mana, your mana.”

“How is that possible?”

“It works, doesn’t it?”

Seeing Holmes and the professor’s incredulous expressions as I shrugged my shoulders, it seems they don’t know either.

That the ‘mana’ in this world is actually a shareable resource.

The reason why the ‘mana coloring’ phenomenon, where eye colors change due to the influence of each other’s mana, is so common is because the mana people possess is more fluid than one might think.

Therefore, if one lacks mana, it’s possible to receive it from others, or conversely, to transfer it.

And it seems that Isaac Adler, before I possessed him, was the only one who realized this fact.

He went around engraving mana channels disguised as slave contracts on the abdomens of women all over London.

His research was slightly lacking and never put into practice, but if it had worked according to theory, the entire London might have been his potential mana reservoir.

‘…And I actually completed it.’

Completing the unfinished mana channel magic was simpler than expected.

After weeks of correcting statements written with peripheral or incorrect logic using the know-how of an active developer, I succeeded in completely recreating Isaac Adler’s unfinished magic as my original.

In other words, I succeeded in making half of London’s women my mana reservoirs.

Of course, since the vessel itself is still small, I can’t even use mid-level magic, let alone top-tier magic like Sharlotte or Professor Moriarty, without resorting to tricks.

But if the mana reservoir is infinite, and there’s a channel connected to that reservoir on their abdomens, there’s a very simple method of restraint.

“So, how does it feel to be unable to use magic?”

That is a DDoS attack.

Pouring mana equivalent to nearly half of London’s women into their seals all at once over an extended period.

“…Really, what are you?”

“You always exceed my expectations, don’t you?”

Naturally, their bodies, overwhelmed with mana, cannot operate mana for the time being.

And unless one has a vessel as vast as London, there’s probably no way to escape this attack.

“Let’s see…”

“”…………””

“Yep.”

Just to be safe, I snapped my fingers to summon golden chains and bound Sharlotte and the professor, who were staring blankly.

“Now I can rest easy…”

“Listen, Adler.”

Just as I was about to move after confirming several times that the chains were securely fastened, the professor’s monotone voice came from behind.

“Hmm…”

Looking at the professor completely restrained by my mana, I somehow start feeling mischievous.

“Hey, Miss Moriarty.”

“…Adler?”

“I think you’re misunderstanding something.”

After all, how could I not feel some dark desires when the being who always watched me as if seeing through everything, sitting at the top of my head, is now so helplessly subdued?

“I’m the master now.”

“…..”

“So call me master, not Adler.”

As I caressed her chin and whispered in a teasing voice, the professor’s gaze grew cold.

“Oh my. Your eyes look quite defiant. You don’t seem to understand the situation.”

“………….”

“Should I train you while stroking you like before?”

But as I poked her lower abdomen with my finger and whispered, the professor’s gaze quietly wavered.

“A mean-spirited professor who hides papers.”

“A pervert who salivates without any intention of giving.”

“The age difference with Sharlotte is a whole ten…”

As I was unconsciously absorbed in continuing to provoke her because her reactions were somehow amusing, at that moment.

– Woosh…

A sudden chill emanating from her.

“…Does it feel good dating a student who hasn’t even graduated yet?”

For a moment my spine tingled, but I finished what I had to say.

Now that I’ve successfully executed the distributed mana rejection attack, which had only theory and a very high chance of failure, even the professor can be controlled when I want.

That means I have nothing to fear anymore.

“…Anyway, both of you stay put.”

“”……….””

“I’ll be back soon after fixing things.”

After stroking the heads of the professor and Sharlotte one last time, I quietly smiled and headed out of the room.

“…Miss Garydeb, come with me.”

“M-Me?”

“You’re my daily bodyguard.”

I should have been this assertive from the beginning.

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A few minutes later.

“Where does Mrs. Franken… I mean, Mrs. Garydeb usually stay?”

“Th-The master bedroom on the f-first floor. Ex-Except when she’s eating… she s-spends almost all day there.”

As Isaac Adler, who had escaped to the corridor with Neria Garydeb, asked in a friendly voice, she answered with a very tense expression.

“Relax.”

“B-But… it’s been so long since I left the room…”

“How long has it been?”

When Adler tilted his head and asked, Neria Garydeb quietly bowed her head and muttered.

“I’m not sure… but ever since father passed away…”

“My, you must have been lonely.”

After looking at her with slightly darkened eyes, Adler began to gently stroke her hair.

“I was lonely once too.”

“…Really?”

“Because of that, I was so depressed that I lost interest in life. So…”

Just as he was about to show off his eloquence as usual, at that very moment.

“I feel the same way, Adler.”

Right beside Adler as he was walking, he heard the monotone voice he often heard.

“Professor feeling lonely? That’s unexpected in its own way…”

As he chuckled at the natural situation and muttered, Adler soon trailed off.

“Huh.”

Eventually, as he slightly turned his gaze to the side, ‘Miss Moriarty’ entered his view, hands behind her back, tilting her head side to side.

“…Is this a dream?”

“………….”

“It’s a dream, hehe.”

After grabbing and stretching her cheek, then pinching his own cheek, Adler burst into relieved laughter.

“……But I can’t normally feel pain.”

His complexion gradually turned pale.

“That’s new information.”

Professor Moriarty, who had just been revealed to have a mana vessel at least larger than half of London’s women combined, was smiling broadly with her arm on Adler’s shoulder.

[GG.]

“…Hiccup.”