Chapter 70: Opening
Fame in the martial world is but the fragrance of chivalrous deeds.
–Socrates1
“Good morning, Mrs. Hudson. Watson.”
“…It’s a bit late for morning greetings, Mr. Holmes.”
Mrs. Hudson, with a tired face, glared at me with half-open eyes.
“You seem refreshed after a good sleep. Some of us are exhausted from having a noisy roommate since dawn.”
Watson was in a similar state.
She had enjoyed the performance but seemed rather upset, as if it was unfair that I went to bed alone after waking her up early.
“Strange. I remember you being moved to tears by the music.”
“It would have been nice to share the experience properly if someone hadn’t gone to bed alone, don’t you think?” By the way, as soon as I entered the bedroom, Watson went downstairs and managed to attach a fake mustache and complete her disguise perfectly in that short time. It seems she also has a talent for disguise.
“I’ll be more careful in the future.”
“Yeah, you should learn to be careful.”
I nodded and then passed by the two people waiting for food at the table and headed to the kitchen.
Aside from the unexpected discovery, there was something else I needed to be careful about.
“Oh my, you could have waited outside.”
As I entered, the maid who was preparing lunch turned around, startled.
Today’s menu was Egg Sandwich and Beef Masala.
Without changing my expression, I calmly conveyed what I had witnessed to the maid.
“Oh, my apologies. It’s just that I saw a fire on the stairs a moment ago.”
“Cough! What’s that smell?!”
As soon as I finished speaking, I heard Mrs. Hudson coughing from the smoke.
“Oh my goodness!!”
The maid immediately filled a basin with water and rushed to put out the fire.
I was left alone in the kitchen. I took out two bottles from my pocket, poured their contents into the curry pot, stirred it with a ladle, and then opened the window.
-Sizzle!
The flames were extinguished quickly.
I merely burned the gathered dust with the faintest exertion of Buddha Fire.
“Oh dear, that gave me quite a fright. Where did all this smoke suddenly come from…?”
“It’s a great relief it didn’t catch on the walls, madam. But the real question is, where did the embers come from in the first place?”
As soon as I walked out of the kitchen, the suspicious eyes of the two women fell on me, but I showed my empty hand to indicate I wasn’t holding a pipe and sat at the table.
The maid hurriedly served the food after putting out the fire, and we finished our meal while chatting about various topics.
It seemed that the amount of secret spice I added at the end wasn’t insignificant, as Mrs. Hudson and Watson’s expressions remained displeased throughout the curry meal.
“Could the ingredients have spoiled… Or is there an issue with the maid’s recipe…”
I heard Watson muttering softly as we returned to the second floor.
She temporarily removed her disguise and wiped off the curry that had smeared during the meal.
“Hmm.”
It seemed like the frequency of administering it had been too high.
While it was unavoidable for our health, intentionally ruining the taste of every meal was quite a hardship for me as well.
“It used to be more palatable.”
“I agree. Perhaps we should suggest to the landlady that she replace the maid. She’s too lazy, especially since she doesn’t even come to work when we’re out of the house.”
I was the one who set the fire and ruined the dish made by the maid following Mrs. Hudson’s recipe, but I spoke with conviction without a hint of shame.
This maid working in the house was originally a criminal who should have been arrested by Lestrade long ago.
‘Since she has outlived her usefulness, it’s time to find someone proper.’
The maid was a newcomer urgently hired by the landlady after her predecessor quit sometime past the Hiring Day (now officially renamed to the Day of the Annunciation of Gabriel), March 25.
Her true identity was that of an assassin targeting me, a fact I shared only with Mrs. Hudson, keeping it a secret from Watson.
The reason we pretended not to know about the assassin’s schemes was simple.
Thanks to her adding various poisons to each meal, I no longer needed to spend my own money on them.
‘If my mentor’s maid were here, I would have replaced her without hesitation.’
The assassin’s Kung-Fu was third-rate, unable to harm Mrs. Hudson who knew her identity, yet she managed to smuggle in various poisons, perhaps due to a generous employer.
Additionally, the White Worm given by Yan had a mysterious nature that produced antidotes in response to ingested poisons.
I focused on these two facts.
When I realized that the maid had started adding small amounts of poison to the meals, I fed all the poisons in my possession to the White Worm, securing a variety of custom antidotes.
Unwilling to invest additional funds in purchasing poisons, I began stealing small amounts from her stock to feed the Worm.
No matter how much poison the assassin used, there was no change in the bodies of the three of us. She kept bringing different poisons to mix into our food, and as a result, the White Worm was thriving, enjoying a variety of delicacies and growing rapidly day by day.
‘Well, thanks to her, I saved a lot of money…’
Of course, every time the maid brought a new poison, I, or Mrs. Hudson at my behest, would steal it to prepare an antidote.
Today’s curry also contained a powder made from ground antidote.
The reason I hadn’t informed Watson of the truth was related to this.
Considering her nature that prioritized cleanliness and safety, it was obvious she would have a strong aversion to someone poisoning our meals or consuming byproducts created by insects.
Nevertheless, thanks to the steady supply of poisons, the three of us living in this house had become immune to most of the slow-acting poisons used in London.
Not only that, but if we continue feeding it the poison, the White Worm would soon be able to create an antidote for the last poison it ingested.
‘Considering the determination of the Worm Poison Immortal, he will undoubtedly attempt to cause another bloodbath in London.’
I must be prepared to confront him before he returns.
However, for now, I should first keep an eye on Moriarty, who has already shown his hand.
“By the way, Holmes, I haven’t told you about that matter yet.”
“Hmm?”
I was lost in thought, as there was still some time before we were to meet the Minister, when Watson brought up an unexpected topic.
“What matter are you referring to?”
“Remember I mentioned finding a puzzle in the basement of Scotland Yard?”
“I recall. You were about to tell me, but the train departed, so I didn’t get to hear it.”
While Watson was about to tell me about her experience walking through the underground of the Yard at St. Pancras Station, a whistle blew.
I hadn’t paid much attention to it because my mind was occupied with Moriarty’s affairs, but it was indeed a fascinating topic.
The fact that the dogged practitioners of the Yard were blindfolding those passing through the underground passages to keep secrets suggested something significant was hidden there.
“Tell me.”
“It was a song.”
“A song?”
“Yes.”
When I asked, Watson nodded.
“Someone was singing from afar. It sounded like old English, but the pronunciation and grammar were so awkward that I couldn’t understand it properly.”
The moment I heard that, a long-forgotten story came to mind.
“Can you tell me more? About the awkward song you mentioned. Even if it’s just a little, if you remember the lyrics, please share them.”
“Hmm… It wasn’t hard to memorize since it kept repeating a short phrase.”
Watson hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Then, a strange song without a melody began.
-I am the tree of my bodhi
-And mirr’r is my heart
-Wipeth off ov’r a thousand times
-Collecteth dust not^[-身是菩提樹
-I am the tree of my bohdi
-心如明鏡臺
-And mirr’r is my heart
-時時勤拂拭
-Wipeth off ov’r a thousand times
-莫遺有塵埃
-Collecteth dust not]
.
.
.
After finishing the song, Watson blushed as if embarrassed.
“Hmm. I’m not a sister of the E-Mei Sisters, but I ended up reciting something akin to a chant.”
“……”
Meanwhile, I remained silent.
“What’s the matter, Holmes? Do you have any idea―”
“I do.”
My mentor once mentioned it.
Somewhere in London, there exists a secretive force with authenticity and history surpassing even Kingswood, where monks from the Shaolin Temple have settled.
For some reason, my mentor knew a secretive song passed down only to them, and he shared it with me, his disciple.
He insisted I remember it, saying it might be useful someday.
“It seems you’ve discovered it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The secret that has been hidden in the London Murim world for 200 years.”
“What?!”
Watson leaned toward me and pushed her face forward.
“I can’t believe it! Does this mean I’ve finally accomplished something as your assistant?! Please, Holmes! Allow me to write about this adventure of ours!!”
“I’ve told you repeatedly that it’s still difficult. Above all, if you write about the underground, Commissioner Henderson of Scotland Yard won’t stay silent.”
“Then how long do I have to watch your achievements being taken by those foolish police?!”
As a capable assistant and an excellent physician, she was expressing her frustration.
I’m grateful that Watson thinks about my honor.
If our exploits, like in the past, become the talk of the citizens of London, not only would our lives improve, but it would also make conducting investigations easier.
However, one must also recognize the possibility that this might lead to an encounter with Moriarty earlier than anticipated.
It would also be problematic if the story about the location hidden beneath Scotland Yard leaks out.
Once I attend the Buckingham Palace ball, rumors about me will spread uncontrollably, and Moriarty will become aware of my existence.
However, until then, my honest intention was to remain as inconspicuous as possible, gather information about the enemy, and somehow inflict even a small blow.
“…If you insist so much, I’ll consider it. However, we must ensure that the information is well controlled to prevent any leaks.”
Yet, I cannot continuously dismiss the opinion of my roommate, Watson.
It’s more difficult to keep refusing when she’s looking at me with such eager eyes.
“Really? Holmes!”
“Let’s continue this conversation when I return later.”
“Alright then! See you tonight!”
Despite her leg injury, Watson seemed ready to leap off the sofa in excitement.
- TL/N: The original quote is as follows—The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear ️