Chapter 79: Let It Go
The black-clad one is like a shadow. When you pursue, he flees, when you flee, he follows.
–Alfred de Musset
“Phonograph Stone… I never thought I’d see it in London.”
As soon as I identified the stone’s nature, dozens of ways to utilize it flashed through my mind.
The Phonograph Stone is a mystical rock that stores sound, a rare treasure that can’t be acquired even with money.
It’s mined in small quantities in Italy, and the Holy See monopolizes it to engrave the voices of the Sacred Choir onto the stone for singing icons.
‘It’s said that once a sound is recorded, it can’t be erased, but that’s just what the uninformed say.’
In Italy, under the influence of the Zion Clan, anyone attempting to export this stone abroad is known to face severe private sanctions in secret.
I was simply delighted to have acquired such an item for free.
Surely, just possessing this wouldn’t lead the Zion Clan’s Exorcist or Inquisitors to hunt me down and kill me, will it? “So, to escape without getting caught, you’re willing to waste this much, huh? Only someone drowning in money could do this.”
Yes. It’s wiser to use a stashed treasure to escape rather than getting caught.
Considering the identity of the woman I’ve deduced, spending money like water wouldn’t be difficult for her.
However, there was one thing that bothered me.
She gave me an impression so foreign, so unlike any of the countless Unorthodox warriors I had encountered before.
‘When the opportunity arises, boldly place your bet, and if the chances of failure increase, know how to stand up without hesitation.’
Undoubtedly, if Watson were to play cards with that woman for a night, she would end up losing all her money.
She
sent an expensive blade with a subordinate who had no internal energy to steal the royal decree, and even discarded her weapon to escape from me.
Such actions would be considered worthy of suicide for a proud martial artist.
Even if she gave up on suicide after much deliberation, the rumor would spread across London through the mouths of the Homeless Clan, making her a target of social ridicule.
“To think she would flee while embracing such disgrace.”
At this point, one could commend her for admitting defeat gracefully.
‘Does she have a separate goal?’
Typically, masters of the Unorthodox sects rely solely on their Kung-Fu, living like the horn of a rhinoceros.
The woman I saw today seemed to use everything she possessed, including her Kung-Fu, merely as a means, unlike typical martial artists who aim to become stronger.
The woman is undoubtedly pursuing something fundamentally different from an ordinary martial artist.
Clearly, she is the type to live for a single purpose, without being bound by good or evil, using any means necessary.
“……”
The grudges of the martial world are as intricately tangled as a skein of thread, so I cannot know what circumstances she might have.
Moreover, knowing that doesn’t change the fact that she is a criminal.
Ultimately, what matters now is whether I can use such information to my advantage.
‘First, I need to investigate what that woman is up to in London.’
She is someone who meticulously seeks practicality and always prepares an escape route, making her not an opponent to be underestimated just because she is a woman.
Trying to poison a meal with a slow-acting toxin,
or attempting to steal the royal decree must have some hidden intentions that I have yet to uncover.
However, since I have taken the antidote
and secured the royal decree, I can ponder over it later.
If the woman’s identity is indeed the one I deduced, then she wouldn’t have harmed Watson and Mrs. Hudson, so I can be at ease-
“Holmes!! Are you alright!!”
Just then, I saw Watson waving from afar, walking towards me.
I had told her to wait at the pub, but it seems she couldn’t hold back her worry and rushed out.
Seeing Watson unharmed, it seems Mrs. Hudson is safely at home too.
“Don’t worry, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. I lost the culprit, but I retrieved this.”
From my bosom,
I took out the royal decree, and Watson’s face brightened considerably.
“Excellent! Now I won’t have to see the soldiers skin you alive!”
“I’d rather avoid such a fate.”
Having achieved some results, I should head back for today.
For now, I should explain what happened to Watson and Mrs. Hudson.
Watson and I went straight home without stopping at the pub to reassure Mrs. Hudson.
Mrs. Hudson was waiting for us to return, not having gone to sleep.
She was struggling to stuff a cloth into the hole the thief had made in the wall to block the cold wind, her face full of dissatisfaction.
“This is the worst. Why do I have to suffer such things?”
Mrs. Hudson, who came up to the second floor, was clutching the retrieved
royal decree as if she were a mother bird.
Even though she had read the letters on the scroll several times and confirmed it was genuine, she still seemed restless.
“Still,
it’s something to have reclaimed the royal decree right away.”
“That’s true, but…”
Mrs. Hudson crossed her arms and quickly turned her head.
It seemed she thought I was being too optimistic.
“Who knows if the thieves might come back. Mr. Holmes, you’re used to these things, but I’m different. It feels like my routine is being destroyed.”
“Fret not, Mrs. Hudson. I’ve given them such a scare that they won’t dare try it again. And we’ve already found out who instigated the theft.”
As I spoke, a look of relief spread across the faces of Watson and Mrs. Hudson.
“Soon, Watson and I will go to apprehend them, so you can rest easy.”
“Before that, they might get scared and run away.”
“They won’t know I’ve figured out their identity, so they’ll stay in London. Anyway, it’s someone we were bound to face eventually.”
“Who on earth could it be…”
“I’ll explain later. I haven’t yet figured out exactly what they’re after.”
While I’ve already identified the person in black, there are still many questions left, like how she got her hands on the Phonograph Stone.
Most importantly, based on my memories from before the regression, she might be entangled with Moriarty in this world too.
So, for Watson’s safety, it’s better not to share this story yet.
“Running for so long has made me hungry.”
“Perfect timing. While you two were out, I prepared something to eat just in case.”
As Watson and I expressed our thanks, Mrs. Hudson went downstairs.
“It seems the landlady will have a hard time until she finds a new maid.”
“By the way, speaking of the maid, how did you find out she was a criminal?”
As soon as we were alone, Watson recalled the conversation from earlier and asked me.
“It’s simple. Do you remember the maid who used to work here went on a trip with Mrs. Hudson?”
“Of course. Didn’t you and I purchase the train tickets for them?”
“That’s right.”
At that time, we devised a plan to prevent Watson’s true gender from being revealed to Mrs. Hudson and the maid while attending the Debutante Ball in a dress.
While solving the Red-Headed League case before the regression, I thought if you want to keep a secret, make sure those who shouldn’t know it are away.
Watson and I sent Mrs. Hudson and the maid on a trip to the countryside, and during their absence, Watson managed to get the dress and attend the Debutante Ball without any issues.
Mrs. Hudson and the maid returned home the day after we finished our Breath Control Tea Time and came back from Newens.
“Then you must also remember that the maid resigned within two days of their return.”
“Oh, yes. I remember. The previous maid was much better at cooking. How did she suddenly decide to quit…?”
“She said she was leaving for Spain to train in Kung-Fu.”
“That’s right. Now I remember. She said she wanted to become a pilgrim at the Cathedral of Kunlun. It takes courage to embark on the path of martial arts at her age. Quite an impressive person.”
“Unfortunately, that wasn’t true.”
“What?!”
Watson exclaimed in shock.
She looked like a child who had just been told that Father Christmas doesn’t exist, feeling betrayed and lamenting.
“Learning Kung-Fu, going to Spain, it was all a lie.”
“How did you find out this time?”
“I had Wiggins confirm that she was staying in London and then placed a fake maid job advertisement in the newspaper, offering double the usual salary. She quickly sent a letter to apply.”
“Huh…”
Mrs. Hudson hired a new maid right after the previous one quit.
It wasn’t long after that I discovered the poison hidden in the cupboard.
‘At that time, she was too busy spying on us to poison the food.’
She had gathered only slow-acting, non-lethal poisons, so I have no idea what she was planning.
I consider myself quite knowledgeable about poisons, but this time I think it would be best to visit Yan soon.
I also need to ask about the strange spiritual concoction created by White Worm and about the elder from the Yan Clan who is expected to visit from Chelmsford.
However, if I bring up White Worm and the antidote in front of Watson now, I might really end up with a Zither Finger Technique on my forehead, so it’s better to stick to the topic of the maid for now.
“The previous maid must have been paid to quit. Probably by whoever is behind this theft incident.”
“That makes sense… Now I understand. Was the new maid hired right after the Debutante Ball because of that?”
“Exactly. From the beginning,
they must have been targeting the royal decree. The person giving orders behind her is someone who knows that those receiving invitations to the Buckingham Ball
would be bestowed a royal decree.”
“So, you’re saying it’s someone of high status or someone who usually associates with them.”
I nodded.
Then, I picked up the invitations still placed on the table.
“They tried to steal the royal decree to put me in a difficult position. The fact that they didn’t touch the invitation means they want me to attend the Royal Ball unharmed.”
“Does it mean the culprit wants to see you troubled at the Ball?”
“It seems that way. They have a very nasty personality.”
As I nodded, Watson blinked in surprise.
“You said earlier that the mastermind behind this case appeared at the pub and fled with their subordinates. Even if they were masked, you would certainly recognize them if they showed up at the Ball. Isn’t it normal to change plans and not attend?”
I shook my head.
“No. That person will definitely reveal themselves.”
I had a clear conviction that I would reunite with the culprit.