Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Yuzhu's eyes suddenly flickered, and she touched the three hidden Command Seals on the back of her left hand with her other hand.

She had no intention of conforming to others, nor did she intend for others to submit to her. To a witch, everything in the world was only a matter of whether it could be turned into a tool. This was the kind of teaching that Kuonji Aratama received...

She even thought that since Eri Se needed it so much, she might as well find a time to terminate the contract.

However, Yuzhu felt that this was not a good idea. Since the Servant was supposed to assist the Master, the release should be agreed upon by both parties, right?

Little by little, very little...

"I came in when I saw the door was open, solved the Shinjuku murder case, sent the three criminals, Louis XVII, back to their seats, and Frankenstein."

Just then, Chitose Masuru appeared from the doorway with loud footsteps.

Even in Akihabara, she still wore a very traditional black sailor uniform and had long, silver hair, exuding a gentle nostalgia.

"Half an hour ago, London asked us to return the collection that we borrowed before the war and that was once in the British Museum."

Then Chitose's gaze fell on the silver-haired Erise, her eyes like those of a white snake eyeing its prey, but she quickly smiled as if joking.

"Since this is the first official public visit to major cities since the beginning of the new era, could you please serve as our escorts for this journey?"

Chapter 489 The Death of the Detective.

The chill of the cold rain had not yet dissipated when a crack appeared in the leaden clouds, letting in sparse sunlight.

Rain, a rain in my hometown that I haven't been able to return to for many years, is so different from the familiar cities of Japan.

Although the sun was high in the sky, it could not hide the gloomy weather. Even with a hat on, you could still feel the rain dripping down your body. The people coming and going seemed to have gotten used to the rain and gloom. They were all dressed in slightly old-fashioned detective outfits, chatting and laughing as they walked by, holding their monocles.

In the distance stand exaggerated modern high-rise buildings, a complex array of 21st-century architecture, resembling a giant maze.

Nevertheless, the roadside is lined with numerous food stalls serving tea, and the surrounding area is plastered with wanted posters for all unsolved cases from 1900 to 2020. The facial features of the portraits are reconstructed as raindrops fall, and the wanted posters are written in English, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic. The languages ​​heard from the surrounding area are just as diverse as those on the wanted posters.

It's a city that seems to breed an atmosphere where disagreements can easily escalate into heated arguments, but overall it's a very vibrant and energetic place.

London, the capital of the British Empire, is a city known to the world as the Foggy City.

But that was a thing of the past. Although London remains the capital of Britain in the new era, its nickname is the detective city.

Just like nostalgic Shinjuku and touristy Akihabara, their nicknames are naturally based on the common interests and hobbies of the local people. Therefore, at this moment, humans and servants in London are generally accustomed to dressing up as detectives and assistants to satisfy their own needs.

In that sense, London has actually changed a long time ago.

Kuonji Yuzu couldn't help but think that even though she had lived here since childhood, she would still be an outsider after the change.

"There's not a single person in London to receive us. Do these guys even want our stuff anymore?"

Right next to Kuonji Yuzu, Erise, carrying a backpack, was walking in step with her.

According to Chitose Masuru, London hopes to return several Egyptian artifacts from the British Museum. One of them is a stele inscription discovered at the Tanis site in the Nile Delta of Egypt, dating back to around the 13th century BC, during the reign of Ramses II. It depicts a deity wearing an Egyptian double crown and holding a lightning scepter, but the style of his beard and the decoration of his belt have Canaanite characteristics. The inscription is written in both Egyptian hieroglyphs and Canaanite cuneiform and is called 'Baal-Set'.

Secondly, it came from Jaffa, a coastal city-state in Canaan, and was later stored as a war trophy in the bull altar of the Karnak Temple in Egypt.

It's understandable that the establishment of the new era has led to near-isolation of various regions for almost a decade, and the proliferation of drones at sea has resulted in a ban on going out to sea. Therefore, Chisai was quite puzzled by London's sudden request. However, since these artifacts were originally borrowed for exhibition before the start of the war, it was only natural that they had to be returned now that they were being asked to.

The routes are naturally underground. How should I put it? Although they are generally not supported on the surface, city administrators turn a blind eye. After all, as long as it doesn't affect the city's barrier like the Ahazurus and the Dutchman duo, they won't be too strict with them.

Therefore, the three who were asked by Chitose, along with the Demon King, naturally embarked on the route from Akihabara to London.

The ship he was on was on a route with extremely strict regulations established by Bartholomew Roberts. It was very expensive, but since the city reimbursed the cost, it wasn't a big problem. Of course, it was a huge ordeal for Fran.

Behind Yuzhu, Fran, who had already changed out of his swimsuit and into normal clothes, was looking down with a pained expression. This was understandable, since Bartholomew was obsessed with covering up his eyes, and seeing Fran's appearance naturally required him to provide 24/7 care. That's why Fran didn't want to ride on his boat.

"After all, these artifacts are just collectibles and don't fit the current style of London anymore. I guess the British Museum doesn't get many visitors these days."

Eri's hair turned silver, the Demon King Novia said through her body.

"Ugh, I'd much rather wear a swimsuit in Akihabara during the height of summer than stay in that awful London where it's always raining..."

Fran muttered, "That place is still better, Fran thinks."

then.

"Wow! We haven't been back for so long, Miss Alice."

Such a cry came from near the right shoulder of the pearl.

"Robin."

Although Pearl called the robin's name to remind it to pay attention, given Robin's personality, he would probably still chatter on and on.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't Eri and I buy an umbrella?"

I would be very happy if you could do that.

With her umbrella raised, Yuzhu gave a curt reply to the silver-haired Erise, sighing softly as she tilted the umbrella slightly.

Actually, when Chitose first invited Arisu to London, the witch refused. Chitose generously said, "Since Kuonji doesn't want to go, there's nothing we can do. Let the Demon King and Erizo go instead." At that time, Arisu didn't agree, which led to an awkward silence.

Awkward silence.

"Sorry, but let me go too."

Finally, Yuzhu left with these words, which contained a hint of anger that she herself was unaware of.

Although it hasn't possessed anyone, it is now my servant.

"anyway--"

"Silver-haired Eri said."

In this subtle, somewhat awkward atmosphere, Novia, standing next to Yuzhu, coughed softly and extended her hand.

That slightly clenched fist left a deep impression on Yuzhu. During the Louis XVII incident, the Demon King had used a similar hand to stroke Louis XVII, causing him to utter his final words.

"Since we've run into each other, how about we have some tea?"

……

The food stalls were bustling with people.

It was as if this were a daily routine for the local residents.

The three silver-haired Eri and her companions each held a cup of black tea and savored orange-flavored sponge cake. The music playing at the stall sounded like it came from various detective dramas, and the humans and Servants dressed as detectives and assistants seemed to laugh along with the melody.

"Everyone in the White Pagoda District is still the same as before."

Fran spun the cake around with a spoon, saying, "All you do all day is research all sorts of detective cases or participate in detective activities."

The detective city of London is structured by dividing areas. For example, the White Tower District, where all magical conflicts are prohibited, is the most prominent central area of ​​the city. The underground Wasteland District is where most of the old humans who do not like detective activities live. However, this is just a division and does not have much impact on the living environment.

"By the way, how is Moriarty?"

Hearing Eri Se's question, Fran sighed and said cautiously, "My father has been imprisoned for seven years for trying to damage London's barrier. Ugh, he's such a worry..."

"If it's Moriarty, then that's perfectly normal."

Silver-haired Erise smiled and continued the conversation, "After all, with so many detective enthusiasts, he must be under a lot of pressure as Holmes's rival."

"The pressure...is immense?"

Fran couldn't imagine Moriarty's unreliable behavior at all.

"If Dad didn't follow Fran around and monitor my friendships less all the time, he might not feel so much pressure."

"...As a servant, we ended up as father and daughter."

Even in her hometown, which she hadn't returned to in a long time, Yuju's expression remained indifferent as she spoke, "It's quite a strange relationship, isn't it?"

Fran wanted to say that it was already true while she was alive, but after thinking about it, she decided against it. There would be a lot to explain to this grandmother, so she would just let her think that way for now.

"It's hard to say. After all, there are some reasons why people say that Alexandre Dumas, Mary Shelley, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Robert Stevens knew each other."

Silver-haired Erise took a sip of black tea. "Perhaps Fran and Moriarty's deeper relationship is like this."

"Well……"

Yu-zhu covered her mouth as she thought, "Are you Father Faria?"

The name Faria appears not only in "The Count of Monte Cristo," but also in "Frankenstein," "Sherlock Holmes," and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." This leads to the conjecture that "these people live in different eras and have a large age gap, but they might find a place to discuss and exchange ideas together."

Fran's heart skipped a beat when he heard Yuzhu pronounce the name.

“When I was alive, I would often hear all sorts of rumors about my grandfather, Father Faria.”

"Hmm, so this inexplicable conjecture is actually correct?"

Yuzhu's eyes narrowed slightly.

They probably found it unbelievable, considering that people of such a large age gap would continue to exchange ideas about their work in private.

However, when I was acting together with the Demon King during Erise's slumber, it counted as such, even though it might just be my misunderstanding.

Thinking of this, Yuzhu sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it just feels like it's been a long time since I explored the sky."

"It's only been a week, and the sky in Akihabara is the same as the sky in London, right?"

"Indeed, it's the same here and there."

Although she said that, Yuzhu actually felt a little embarrassed inside.

After all, her words just now sounded like a complaint, which wasn't good... Not to mention that this wasn't her personality, Eri was also there.

"..."

Yu-joo wanted to say sorry, but the words stuck in her throat, and naturally, she fell silent again.

Suddenly, in the silence, a silver-haired figure walked over and casually patted Fran on the shoulder.

"Fran, what are you doing here?"

"Whoa!"

Fran jumped up like a frightened kitten, staring tremblingly at the fierce silver-haired youth before him, "Young man, young father..."

"I've already told you, don't call me that. You're nothing special to me. I'm asking you to fight. If any extraneous elements get mixed in, our relationship will become murky, and that won't be good for either of us."

The young James Moriarty frowned. "Although I liked you a lot when I was older, I have no feelings for you now, at least not at this stage."

The young James Moriarty, whose class is Ruler, is the same image Novia first saw in the Castle of the If.

"Understood……"

"You're so boring it's unbelievable. But making the boring interesting is what life is all about. Study, take action, and if you do that, even an android won't fall into depravity so easily."

James paused, then continued, "As for me, Holmes wants me to go to the British Museum, so please excuse me—"

As James spoke, he glanced at Fran and the other man. When he saw Eri with silver hair, he was momentarily stunned. Suddenly, he looked at Eri with a gaze more serious than ever before, almost piercing through her.

James Moriarty understood.

Since being forced to confront his mature self seven years ago, several years have passed, but in fact, he has never given up his former desire to become a mediator of evil.

or.

If he has other ideas, perhaps he can give up.

Perhaps, as the elderly Moriarty said, one can accept the inability to reach one's ideal self and commit crimes with a sense of entitlement.

Ignorant, shameless—James never imagined he would become that kind of person; in other words, it was something he couldn't help but accept.

That could also be considered a kind of seduction, giving someone with a strong will such expectations, at that time, and with that feeling.

But he couldn't help thinking about it.

Hopefully, Faria will be rewarded.

May Faria be redeemed.

He couldn't help but hope that the man trapped in the Château d'If would receive a definite reward that belonged only to him.

Even knowing it was a selfish and biased emotion, James Moriarty was determined to pursue that ideal and show Faria what he was made of.

Ultimately, the young James Moriarty felt he couldn't find 'him' in the silver-haired Eri.

Silver-haired Eri reached out her hand to him, stopping just before touching his shoulder, and asked a question.

"Does your back hurt now?"

"That was a problem I had when I was older; I don't have it now."

"But if your back has gotten that bad, then you shouldn't keep putting on airs on your throne. It would be better to start exercising as soon as possible."