Chapter 18
Sherlock Hermes
In the hall of the Inspection Bureau, a young man with a lazy demeanor, black hair, and brown eyes was leaning against the wall, intently reading a newspaper. He looked young, perhaps just in his early twenties, like a recent university graduate. He was slender, with a long, hooked nose and thin lips that were always pursed, giving him a somewhat harsh appearance.
While he read the newspaper, Haina stood beside him, incessantly chattering. “…That’s how it is, Mr. Sherlock! I’ve told you everything I remember, so can you please answer my question now?”
Haina was clearly excited. Not only was she receiving recognition for her contribution, but she had also been interviewed and featured on the front page of the Glass Steps Herald. She likely even caught the Queen’s attention. This made her feel as if she were floating on clouds. Realizing she might become famous, she gritted her teeth and used all her money beyond essential living expenses to buy copies of that day’s Glass Steps Herald. She planned to take them all home during her holiday break to show her relatives and friends.
She happened to meet Advisor Sherlock on her way to work today. Half with the excitement of meeting her former idol and half with the desire to show off, she asked him a question—
“…What question?”
Sherlock Hermes looked up and casually replied, “Are you asking ‘Why did Mr. Eivass guess the bartender was suspicious’? It’s simple, because he’s a very intelligent person.
“He knew the bartender’s name, which means he had been here before. Mr. Eivass’s upright posture and refined sitting demeanor also easily reveal that he is not old. The shoulder condition of an older person differs from that of a younger person—of course, considering the bartender might not understand such anatomical knowledge, I believe a more certain and direct piece of evidence would be his boots.
“Hand-woven Elven boots, made with the Mystical Art of Alchemy and blessings. They are deodorizing, sweat-absorbent, breathable, waterproof, and improve grip to prevent falls. Such a pair of shoes would cost at least one hundred and twenty silver crowns. Ordinary Knight families wouldn’t even use them.
“Bars in the Lloyd District tend to engage in some illegal activities, and they are good judges of character. He absolutely wouldn’t be blind to such obvious features. Yet, he recognized Mr. Eivass’s identity but deliberately called him ‘sir’… Do you think a bartender from the Lloyd District would speak so politely and culturedly?
“Moreover, why wasn’t he afraid when he saw you? One of the Inspection Bureau’s duties is to conduct mandatory tax collection from people who appear to be not paying their taxes. Squeezing their meager savings from these impoverished individuals would naturally make them resentful and fearful of you. These business people are more afraid of you than ordinary workers—because their account books are often problematic.
“So, why wasn’t he afraid of you? That implies he didn’t care if you asked him for money. Or he simply wasn’t a local—perhaps not even from Avalon, and thus unaware of what a sudden, unannounced appearance of an inspector in this country truly signifies.
“The picture in the newspaper is very clear, and the wheelchair further highlights the style of his boots—not to mention his exquisitely crafted, elf-styled wheelchair. The etched Elven script on it is very clear—Moriarty. See? Right here. Didn’t you see it?
“I say, Miss Haina… Professor mentioned you graduated with high honors. I assume your Elven Language is at least passing, right?”
“…Ah, yes. I recognize it.” Haina said somewhat awkwardly, “I just didn’t see it.”
She had been quite excited and proud earlier, but now she felt chastised. Her excitement diminished, replaced by a sense of “I’m actually this incompetent.” She held back a part of the truth—specifically, that Eivass had been carrying a forbidden book to that bar on the day he was attacked. That was Eivass’s secret, and she was determined to keep it. After all, they were accomplices, sharing the same forbidden book!
Despite not having this crucial piece of information, Advisor Sherlock had still deduced the truth from other details. And these were things Haina had truly overlooked. It was as marvelous as how Mr. Eivass, from the bartender’s actions, deduced that the mastermind was hiding in the underground cellar! Haina felt a mix of excitement and disappointment. She felt like she had reverted to her state when she first started university—believing herself to be outstanding, only to realize upon encountering a wider world that she was perhaps not so special after all.
If she had been given these important details and evidence, Haina believed she could have deduced the truth, albeit more slowly. The problem was, she simply couldn’t see these details—that was the fundamental gap between them. It appeared small but was in reality a vast chasm.
“It seems you’ve come to understand Mr. Eivass’s admirable qualities. That’s not bad,” the young Mr. Sherlock commented acerbically. “Regrettably, you are likely among the more capable workers in their midst. You could be considered intelligent among the fools. The others, with their muscles attached to their brains, are simply idiots.
“They are always incapable of doing anything and only manage to mess things up. Even if I tell them the truth, I have to explain it repeatedly to convince them. As for this Mr. Eivass—forgive my bluntness, but his observational skills far exceed those of half the Inspection Bureau combined.”
“…Your evaluation of Mr. Eivass is actually that high?” Haina asked, surprised. She had mostly heard Mr. Sherlock dismiss people as incompetent or foolish.
“Of course,” Sherlock replied with a cold expression. “In my opinion, your ‘joint’ success in solving this case was entirely due to his observations and judgment. Without him, you absolutely couldn’t have solved it; he, however, could have solved this incident without you. You were merely the one pushing the wheelchair, and you didn’t even fulfill your basic duty of protection—when he clearly told you to attack with full force, why did you hold back? If you choose to trust someone’s command, you must trust them completely. Trusting them halfway and then acting on your own ideas is far more dangerous than not trusting them at all.
“He possesses excellent observation skills, sound reasoning abilities, decisive judgment, calm execution, and a much more mature and steady mindset than you—as well as precise shooting skills. In terms of talent, personality, and ability, he is truly remarkable. At just eighteen years old, he far surpasses over ninety-nine percent of the people in this country. He deserves to be called ‘Mister.’ I’m very interested in him. I heard he’s a freshman? Then I shall return to my alma mater to see him—I have a premonition that working or conversing with him would be quite enjoyable.”
With that, Sherlock precisely folded the newspaper in his hand and returned it to Haina. The four corners perfectly aligned, without any deviation, hinting at Sherlock’s own perfectionism.
“Ah, he’s actually been on leave from home for two or three months and hasn’t come to school yet…” Haina said somewhat awkwardly as she took back the newspaper.
The black-haired youth showed no surprise at this, merely nodding calmly. “That’s normal. Universities cannot cultivate true talents. They are merely nannies of knowledge, diligently breaking down information into easily digestible mush and force-feeding it to the lazy and the foolish, attempting to turn them into usable tools for society. It is not a place for geniuses, nor a place specifically for teaching intelligent people. I suspect Mr. Eivass’s knowledge and wisdom come from the direct tutelage of his professor. Even within the entire Royal Law University, Professor Moriarty is among the most intelligent individuals.”
“…I see,” Haina replied sheepishly. She felt a pang of disappointment. She considered her own resume, entering the Royal Law University and becoming the female grade leader in her second year, to be quite impressive. Yet, she knew Sherlock had the right to say such things—he was, after all, the valedictorian who had graduated from the Royal Law University. When Haina was a freshman, Sherlock was a senior. Without much guile or background, relying solely on her excellent academic performance and popularity, she managed the student council affairs impeccably, largely due to the many rules Sherlock had established back then. Both were valedictorians, both student council presidents, and both graduated with perfect scores. Yet, a significant gap still existed between them.
“—Wait a moment, Mr. Sherlock,” Haina finally couldn’t help but ask, “I have one question: If you consider the Inspection Bureau full of idiots, and even rejected internship offers from the Inspection Bureau and the Inspection Department upon graduation… why are you now working as a mere consultant at the Inspection Bureau?”
No matter how well a “consultant” performed, there was no upward mobility. All credit went to Director Kent, and he could at best receive a couple of books as personal gifts from the Director. If he had chosen to join the Inspection Bureau back then, he might already be a Deputy Director by now, and eventually, the Director—at which point, the entire bookshelf would be his.
“…*Mere*?” Hearing this, Sherlock turned back with a hint of surprise. He studied Haina for a few moments, then understood her words and sighed.
The youth shook his head and lowered his voice. “Remember not to say such things to others in the future. Disciples of the Path of Authority should not be so focused on ‘promotion’ and ‘future.’ An inspector should not have such clear ‘ambitions,’ as it indicates an Adaptability that transcends the Path. In Avalon, those who seek promotion are not promoted—do you understand what I mean?”
