Chapter 987
A Letter from Sherlock Hermes
“Dear Mr. Moriarty,
I have received the letter you sent a few days ago. Please rest assured, I have not forgotten our agreement: I will return promptly to attend your wedding with Her Majesty the Queen and the coronation of Isabel I on May 22nd. I expect to arrive on Glass Island by the 20th.
I am still staying at the Duke Vendome’s manor, and it is quite pleasant here. All worries are superfluous. I simply find it hard to suppress my damned curiosity. While investigating for a friend – you know, the one I told you about before – I inadvertently delved into some rather tense territories.
The details of the matter are too numerous to write down in a letter. I will tell you more when we meet. For now, I can reveal that it involves the former Iris royal family.
During this investigation, I also inadvertently stumbled upon a secret that you would absolutely not expect and that is closely related to you. Please forgive me for being coy, as I am eager to witness the surprise and curiosity on the face of the Respected God Slayer firsthand.
On a side note, your heroic deeds in defeating the Fallen Heavenly Envoy have spread among the Iris people. You wouldn’t guess how much they adore you; sixteen theaters are now performing plays like “The Valiant Eivass” and “The God Slayer Pope.” Your famous black robe has also been replicated by a skilled tailor and has become a best-selling fashion item. I dare not even say I know you, lest a horde of your fans descend upon Duke Vendome’s manor. Please spare me.
It has been less than half a year since we parted, and it’s hard for me to imagine how the little fox in a wheelchair has become such a prominent figure. This makes me feel very complex… I can only say that Madam Alistair educated you well.
The friends you asked me to contact are still out of my reach. However, their help is not needed; the investigation here is progressing smoothly, and you need not worry about my safety.
The case I am currently handling has reached a critical juncture. In the next few days, I need to concentrate on pursuing some clues, so I will not elaborate further here. If you write to me, I may not be able to reply in time, so please do not send a reply.
Please convey my regards to Her Majesty the Queen, my friend. And please give this letter to my brother, Mycroft.
— Your loyal Sherlock Hermes.”
Eivass read aloud every word of the letter Sherlock had sent, his tone fluctuating with emphasis.
Isabel, wearing her pajamas, sat on the bed and carefully examined the postmark on the letter.
She asked with some confusion, “A letter from May 12th… It’s already the 19th. Did it take this long to arrive?”
After finishing his reading, Eivass flicked the letter in his hand and gently tapped the paper.
“What do you think, Isha?”
“I… feel something is a bit off,” Isabel replied.
Isabel pondered, “I sense a subtle sense of incongruity, a disharmonious note. But I can’t pinpoint exactly what’s wrong…” Her intuition told her that there was something amiss with Sherlock’s letter, yet upon closer inspection, it seemed perfectly normal.
Eivass chuckled, “That’s why he sent it to me, not you. Sherlock was worried you wouldn’t notice… He’s calling you stupid. You’ll have to teach him a lesson when he gets back.”
As he spoke, Eivass shook the letter, his expression turning serious. “In fact, this is a letter of distress.”
“…A letter of distress?”
Isabel’s brow furrowed slightly, and she sat up from the bed. “Should we send troops to rescue him?” She didn’t ask Eivass how he knew because she understood he would never joke about such matters.
Eivass shook his head. “There’s no need to be so dramatic. Let me explain it to you from the beginning…
He received a letter of distress from his friend, Arsen de Vendome, and went to handle the case. Our pre-arranged contact point was Mr. Maurice Leblanc’s cafe. If we were to write, we would send it there… right?”
“Yes,” Isabel nodded. “So, I sent my letter to that address too. It started with what he mentioned – ‘Diligent Mr. Hermes’.”
As it was mid-May and Sherlock still hadn’t returned, Isabel was getting anxious. She planned to write and urge him to come back. After all, Sherlock was a mutual friend of hers and Eivass, one of Isabel’s very few friends, and even the witness to their first meeting. She desperately wanted Sherlock to attend the wedding.
Her letter was sent on May 10th, and Sherlock’s reply was sent on May 12th. By the time she received this letter, it was already the 19th – only three days remained until the time Sherlock had mentioned, yet he still hadn’t returned.
“He called his proud ‘curiosity’ a ‘damned curiosity’ and mentioned that the matter involved the old royal family, yet he didn’t reveal the name of his friend – Mr. Arsen de Vendome, the redundant son-in-law of the Duke of Vendome. He is currently residing at the Vendome manor, which indicates he is still investigating this matter; it has not been concluded.
‘Madam Alistair educated you well’ is a crucial clue. Although most people believe Alistair to be my former lover, a Child of the Moon from the Hermes Empire… Alistair is merely a false identity I created. You know this, and Sherlock knows this. By saying this deliberately, the implication is clear – his mail is being monitored.
In other words, he is currently under someone’s control. Although he can receive mail normally, he believes that if this letter were sent, it would undoubtedly be reviewed. Therefore, he did not mention those ‘secrets unknown to outsiders,’ which also serves as a hint to me.
And the sentence ‘The friends you asked me to contact are still out of my reach’ is even more significant.
Because I only asked him to contact two friends… One is the assassins from the ‘Eagle Eye’ faction, whom he himself refused. This is because the problem his friend is encountering might be related to Eagle Eye. And the other…”
At this point, Eivass’s gaze deepened. “Is Brother Edward.”
“…Minister Moriarty… He is an ambassador of foreign affairs.” Isabel was greatly surprised. “Would the Iris people dare to make a move against him?”
“They likely wouldn’t dare, especially after knowing my power…” Eivass smiled slightly, but there was little genuine mirth in his expression. “After all, they also participated in the war to subdue the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. However, when it comes to Sherlock, that’s another story.
He said not to write to him and that he wouldn’t reply – this is actually an excuse for his inability to reply in the immediate future. He also asked us to give this letter to his brother, which is precisely to prevent me from overlooking the issue.
In other words, the entire process of him writing this letter, and the finished letter itself, were likely under surveillance. They did not act against Sherlock, presumably because they needed something from him. However, they chose to ‘imprison’ him, which means this matter likely involves some sin and secrecy… They likely intend to silence him afterward.
His statement, ‘I dare not even say I know you,’ actually hides the information that ‘he has not told anyone else that he knows us.’ This is likely to prevent him from being silenced immediately. Because if he were to reveal his close relationship with a prominent figure from Avalon, his captors would have to consider the risks involved.
“…Will my writing to him endanger him?” Isabel was suddenly startled and became worried.
Eivass shook his head. “On the contrary, you might have saved him. Because you, as the Queen of Avalon, are personally inquiring about the matter, are clearly aware of his location and situation, and have asked him to reply – to avoid arousing your suspicion, Sherlock had an opportunity to send us a letter.
In other words, they no longer have the opportunity to ‘dispose of Sherlock cleanly and silently.’ Although I don’t know how they plan to proceed… it will likely involve transforming him into a Child of the Moon, or controlling him with drugs, or similar methods.”
“Then what should we do now?” Isabel blurted out, “Do you want to dispatch troops?”
Ever since the incident with the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, Isabel seemed to have developed a dependence on dispatching troops. She had truly realized the immense power of the Gryphon Legion and instantly felt much more confident.
“No need.” Eivass shook his head slightly. “Sherlock said, ‘You wouldn’t guess how much the Iris people adore you,’ and ‘I will tell you more when we meet.’ These are actually hints to me… He wants me to go there personally, preferably without anyone noticing.”
He narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming gentle. “Originally, I intended to retrieve my family’s sword before the wedding… It seems I will have to delay it by a few days. I hope there won’t be too much bloodshed before the joyous occasion…
— I’ll see who dares to harm my friend.”
