C158: Unwelcome Guests (4)
Even Rudger, who seemed to fear nothing in the world, was reluctant to meet some people. Among them, the absolute first place was his Master, the one who fed and raised Rudger and was practically like a parent.
However, on the contrary, he was also a typhoon-like person who inevitably got involved in incidents when they stayed together because his personality was so eccentric and arbitrary.
So Rudger declared independence and separated from his teacher. In fact, it was close to running away. In addition, while running away, he even brought some things that his teacher loved, a magic book, and magic reagent materials.
To be honest, he was terrified of his master. However, even with the exception of his Master, there were many people whom Rudger was reluctant to meet. Among them, Casey Selmore, the detective in front of him, is definitely at the top.
'Why the hell is she here?'
Did she come to Theon because of the festival?
Except for when the incident happened, she was always moody, so there was nothing strange about coming here. It's just that he didn't know how to face her all of a sudden.
'Casey Selmore didn't recognize me and talked to me. The current situation is purely coincidental.'
Rudger, who finished his judgment quickly, pointed to the direction of the stadium and opened his mouth.
"The stadium is over there."
That's the only thing Rudger said. His current character didn't talk much anyway and he didn't want to speak with the woman in front of him for a long time.
Casey, who had a bizarrely good reasoning ability, might read something out of his trivial remarks and actions. There was a need to be careful about everything.
"Oh, it's over there. Thank you for letting me know."
"Don't mention it."
"Oh, by the way."
Casey asked, staring at Rudger as she walked away.
"Didn't we meet somewhere before?"
"……."
Rudger did not answer. Instead, with a calm gaze, he sent the meaning of what he meant.
"I'm not asking that for any suspicious purpose, but I suddenly thought so. How can I say this? I feel like we met before."
"It's my first time seeing you."
Rudger cut it short and said so but Casey was confused by his firm voice.
'Something's not right.'
It was the first time she saw him. However, the more she looked at this man in front of her, the more Casey could not help but feel a sense of strangeness.
It's not a suspicion. Rather, it was more of a curiosity. The first time she spoke with him was because of the strange atmosphere he emitted just standing still.
"Hmm. Nice to meet you. Since we met like this, should we say our names? My name is Casey Selmore. I'm working as a detective."
"I'm sorry, but I don't feel like having a conversation."
"What?"
Contrary to expectations that he would recognize her, Rudger's reaction was cold. Casey pondered if she had ever done anything to offend this person. But no matter how much she thought about it, she didn't do anything to upset the other person.
"Ordinary people are impatient because they can't talk to me once."
Some were fascinated by her appearance, others showed off their over-familiarity due her reputation but t Rudger was the other way around. While Casey was a little flustered, Rudger tried to get leave, thinking that his job was over because he had told her the way.
However, it was faster for Casey to open her mouth.
"You're a teacher here, aren't you?"
Rudger pondered a little about how to answer the question. He showed he didn't want to talk, but she didn't seem to want to step down. However, if he tried to push himself further outright here, Casey may be suspicious of him. At least if it was Casey he knew, it was very likely because he pushed her away once.
'I'll have to step back at least once.'
Rudger opened his mouth thinking so.
"Why did you think so?"
"I knew right away by looking at you."
"You knew right away after seeing me"
"First of all, the outfit you're wearing. It's a very luxurious and detailed outfit that I can't see any sewing lines or threads. The unique wave pattern on the shoulders must be a coat sold at the <Perilton> tailor's shop."
Rudger nodded because she was right.
"That's right."
"But that kind of suit is something that ordinary people can't easily buy. It's hard to wear it on a festival day like this in an environment where clothes get dirty or the smell of food is easy. It's a waste. Plus, this is a golem startup. Did you know that you can get oil on your clothes?"
Casey stretched out a finger.
"Then there is only one answer. It's a person who doesn't care about money. But is it a merchant? That's not it because they always carry a purse but there's nothing in your pocket and there's no sound of coins. Merchants are punctual but you didn't check the pocket watch in your chest. I mean, you don't really care about time. Then you must be a noble."
"Oh."
"But you don't have a family mark or a ring that symbolizes your family. You don't want to or can't reveal your family name, but in this case you must be a fallen aristocrat. However, there is no reason for a fallen aristocrat to visit Theon as a guest, so he must be living or working here."
The clues are piled up one by one and the painting, in which all the pieces were gathered, points to a single result.
"If I exclude them one by one, I end up with only one fact left, that you're the teacher here at Theon. If you're a fallen aristocrat and you have such a presence, then you must be Rudger Chelici, right?"
She only saw him for a moment, but she judged that far? Her ridiculous analysis and excellent eyesight must have raised her to a higher level than before.
"That's right. Then bye."
"Oh, oh? Wait a minute!"
"Is there anything else?"
When Rudger asked, Casey's face became blank for a moment.
"No, it's… Aren't you surprised?"
"What do you mean?"
"Ordinary people are amazed or surprised when I deduce something like this."
Casey has always seen a similar response. If she analyzes and deduces a person she meets for the first time and guesses the person's job, most people are surprised.
Sometimes people who recognized the extraordinariness of her ability even had feelings of fear.
Casey took it for granted because she realized that she was special. To be honest, it was also true that she was halfway enjoying this kind of reaction.
The world was a dull place without stimulation for her, who was too talented. Her noble mission of leading the world in a better direction still remained deep in the heart and became the driving force of her life but there were times when she felt unbearable boredom.
Analyzing someone and noticing his nature was Casey's own little play to wash away such boredom. But the man in front of her showed an unexpected reaction. He was not surprised but calm enough to accept it naturally.
"Is that surprising?"
The answer that came back was also spectacular and Casey was genuinely embarrassed by his response.
'What is this? Why doesn't he look surprised?'
She tried to surprise him a little because he was being stiff, but she failed but his response hurt her pride.
"Other people were very surprised."
"There are many people in the world. Isn't it possible to understand the other person's job at first sight?"
In the first place, Casey's arbitrarily analyzing his job and talking to him was something he experienced enough when he was [James Moriarty]. And he also did a similar job while working as a 'private detective'.
Knowing what your opponent will do, and being surprised by it, was a rookie thing to do. On the other hand, Casey, who heard Rudger's answer, thought differently.
'I see. This person was taking my actions for granted.'
Most people said Casey's behavior was strange. But Casey has always questioned the question, 'Is that really strange behavior?'
And then she realized the fact that she was quite different from the rest of the world. Different and strange don't necessarily mean the same thing because she was so outstanding.
People couldn't admit the difference and turned it over as strange. That's why Casey Selmore was also called a freak but Rudger took Casey's actions for granted. He didn't force himself to say it while looking at her.
There, Casey noticed what Rudger really was.
'He's the same kind as me.'
She heard the name Rudger Chelici. A fallen aristocrat and a teacher at Theon, he recently invented a groundbreaking magic called source code and showed it to his students.
She couldn't believe that he taught his students a magic that didn't exist before. Can an ordinary wizard do such a thing?
'Considering the character of this man I'm facing right now, I'm sure he didn't show such magic for a purpose.'
In Casey's head, her assessment of Rudger changed and she judged him to be the same character as her. The word mediocrity is used to separate special existences from the regular people.
'I didn't expect that there would be another person like this. From the moment I glanced at him I felt that he was special.'
In fact, Casey's conversation with Rudger wasn't just to ask for directions, but something else. Rudger's appearance as he passed by suddenly overlapped with a person she knew in the past.
'He was special, too.'
Casey remembered a man he met in the kingdom of Delica.
James Moriarty.
Now they are enemies, but they have not been hostile since the first meeting.
'At that time, he was a person who seemed to be out of touch with the world as if everything was meaningless.'
There was no particular reason why she went to see the rumored man. She just went to see a great young mathematician out of curiosity but that encounter shook Casey's life.
'Still, it wasn't that bad at first.'
It wasn't a good relationship either. From the first meeting, the two fought like oil and water that didn't mix.
They had no choice but to collide because they had great talent and her pride was enlarged accordingly, not because she really hated him but they secretly acknowledged each other's skills and abilities.
Casey was also pleased to meet an equal.
'The reason why that relationship ended up being ruined.'
It was an incident of that day, an incident in which people went missing one by one. In addition, even the police continued investigation did proceed properly and she came forward because she couldn't stand it.
'And what I saw……That man. James Moriarty.'
The man who stood still in front of the missing child's body. The red blood flowing on his hands must have come from the bodies of the child and the police around him.
It was then that Casey realized what the man named James Moriarty was like. He was a wicked man but so outstanding that it was fate that he had no choice but to turn against the world.
-Why the hell did you do that?
At first, she tried to talk with him. Maybe there was some misunderstanding.
– I thought you were smart, but you're asking an unexpected question. Did you think you were like me because you were hanging out with a criminal?
But the man's cold voice shattered her expectations.
-How can humans live according to those who are worse than themselves? Casey Selmore you know that, don't know?
She didn't expect that.
– The world is so boring and the people who live there are so insignificant…….
Still showing his back to her, his eyes glistened faintly with only his head slightly turned.
-I'm suffocating. I'm so frustrated that I'm going crazy.
– So, you've done all this for your own good? Killing people here?
– Is that so wrong?
Maybe he didn't even realize he was bad. Bad deeds are committed only to those who are equal to them. For James Moriarty, who did not see others as equals, what he did now was not evil.
-You know that, don't you? Deep inside you, there's a voice like me.
What James Moriarty said stimulated the darkness in Casey's mind. The role she has had for a long time, and the evil she has turned a blind eye to.
Casey bowed her head.
– You know, I didn't want you to be a bad guy.
-…….
– It's just that this whole situation is just…… Yes, that's right. Misunderstanding. I wanted it to come from an inevitable misunderstanding. If we talk to each other, we'll definitely be able to solve it.… Such a minor misunderstanding.
-…….
– Because we're alike. I thought we could understand each other if we talked.
James Moriarty did not respond to her words and just stared at her with a cold gaze.
Casey made a sad face as if she was about to cry, and then bit her lip and took out her cane, showing her determined will.
– James Moriarty. I'm arresting you here!
What was contained in that action was her noble will to punish the evil in front of her.
And James Moriarty faced it.
-Try it if you can.
He was obviously smiling.