Casey Selmore looked around the banquet hall.
It was a spacious hall filled with beautiful lights like stars in the night sky. Glittering lights scattered brilliantly in the glaring chandelier, and sweet music drifted inside.
A lot of people were gathering and laughing and talking. Their fancy clothes clearly showed that they hold a high position in society.
'It's so chaotic outside right now, but you're laughing and drinking in a place like this.'
Casey, who was watching the scene from the corner of the banquet hall, grumbled inward as she didn't like it.
The atmosphere outside was now unsettled by James Moriarty's crimes. Citizens held pickets one after another and police suppressed them with violence.
Newspapers have been talking about James Moriarty every day and yet the people here were acting like they have nothing to do with it. As if the world they live in is different.
Casey suddenly thought that maybe some of these people had something to do with what was happening.
"Detective Casey Selmore, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Baron Gareth.…."
"I'm sorry, but I want to be alone."
What she didn't like most was those who came to her and tried to make friends somehow. In particular, the eyes of young male aristocrats were burdensome, all of whom were affected by her appearance and fame.
'At least he didn't do this.'
Casey, who recalled the jokes she exchanged in James Moriarty's office, belatedly realized what she was thinking and clenched her fist.
'Wake up, Casey Selmore. What are you doing? He's the criminal of the century. I must not be captivated.'
And now, the criminal may have snuck into this banquet hall because his next goal was here.
"Oh, oh, oh."
Just in time, one side of the banquet hall became noisy and Casey Selmore instinctively thought that the time had come.
A gorgeous young handsome man was walking down the stairs from the balcony on the second floor.
"Everyone, it's nice to meet you. My name is Ludwig Venkanto, the organizer of today's banquet."
Duke Ludwig Venkanto having inherited the dukedom at a young age, he was one of the most famous people in the Delica kingdom.
When he appeared, all the eyes of the people gathered in the banquet hall turned to him.
"Sadly, something unfortunate happened to the Delica Kingdom recently. The crime rate soared and the royal family lost credibility."
Ludwig raised the glass in his hand high.
"But our Delica Kingdom will never collapse even in this ordeal! Because just as steel gets stronger the more you tap it, so will we. Gentlemen, we never give in to evil deeds."
"Oh, oh, oh."
There were exclamations throughout the banquet hall.
"In honor of the victims, I would like to express my thanks once again to those who are here today to forget this sadness, and please enjoy the banquet prepared."
The nobles clapped their hands while Casey only glared at Ludwig with a sullen look on her face.
'How is drinking and talking amongst yourselves, honoring the dead?'
In the end, this place was only a place to honor the dead on the surface, but in fact, it was only a place to promote friendship with each other.
Of course, Casey's feelings toward Ludwig, who held this event, were not good. Nevertheless, Casey came to this place to meet Ludwig because he was James Moriarty's target.
'I haven't seen James Moriarty yet.'
Of course, James Moriarty will not be openly mixed among people unless he is a fool. In the first place, he was not the kind of person who could hide because his presence was too great wherever he went.
'Even so, it's clear that he's looking for an opportunity somewhere.'
It seemed necessary to meet and talk to Ludwig once.
"Would you like a drink?"
"Never mind."
Casey ignored the waiter's words as he handed champagne on a silver platter and approached Ludwig.
Ludwig, who was talking to the guests, saw Casey approaching him and asked them for their understanding.
"Excuse me for a moment."
The quick-witted aristocrats immediately stepped back when they heard him.
As the interrupting people disappeared, Ludwig welcomed Casey with a fresh smile.
"It's nice to meet you. Lady Selmore."
"Call me Detective Casey, I'm not here as a representative of the Selmore family now, Duke Ludwig Venkanto."
"I'm so sorry. I was rude without realizing it. Will you give me a chance to make up for this mistake?"
Casey looked around instead of answering. Even if the distance was far, there were too many people looking this way.
"It's too noisy here. Let's talk separately in a quiet place."
"I'll do it if you want me to."
Ludwig readily agreed.
Casey, who left the banquet hall and arrived at the drawing room, suddenly brought up the subject.
"Your life is in danger."
Ludwig blinked when he heard it.
"Lady Selmore. If I'm not mistaken, you said that my life is in danger……."
"You heard it right. I said your life was in danger."
"Then it's even weirder. My life is in danger. Why is that?"
"Professor James Moriarty is after you."
Ludwig smiled amusedly.
"It's amazing. I've never seen James Moriarty, but he's trying to kill me. He will have no opportunity for that."
"The dead military generals were closely related to him."
"Why are you so sure?"
Ludwig did not understand why James Moriarty was after him and how Casey Selmore knew about it and warned him.
"I just saw his behavior and figured out his next goal."
"You mean it's me?"
"Duke Ludwig you can deceive other people's eyes but I know you had your own friendship with the dead generals."
"I don't know what you're talking about. As an aristocrat, I've only encountered them a few times because I'm related to the military."
"Don't get carried away. Do you think I don't know it's possible to know people even though you rarely meet them?"
When Casey spoke without backing down, Ludwig leaned forward and crossed his arms.
"Very well, then. Let's say Lady Selmore is right, then what do you think I should do now that James Moriarty is after my life?"
"Run away, to the safest place you can think of."
"Haha. Funny you should say that. Have you forgotten what this place is like?"
The place where the banquet is being held now is the mansion of the Duke Venkanto.
Though it is far outside the city limits, it was filled with troops to protect Duke Ludwig.
"I assure you, there is no safer place in the country than here. How many bodyguards do you think we have here?"
"You look down on your opponent."
"I'm not. You say Professor James Moriarty used magic, which means he's a wizard, but what can a mere wizard do?"
"He's not just a wizard."
"I appreciate your concern for me, but I won't leave here just because of that."
Casey realized that Ludwig won't listen to her even if she keeps persuading him.
'This guy.'
Above all, Ludwig was hiding something.
Casey had a hunch, but there weren't enough clues to pinpoint what it was.
"I'll take your advice and I'll make sure I have an escort with me."
"……I understand."
Realizing there was no point in arguing, Casey rose from her seat. Her steps were laced with irritation as she left the parlor and headed for the ballroom.
'There's something about Duke Ludwig, and he's blatantly trying to exclude me, and if he won't listen to me, I'm going to have to make my own move.'
Casey was going to go back and change her clothes first. She'd purposely tailored the outfit for the dress code, but the flouncy frills kept getting in her way.
If James Moriarty showed up, she wouldn't be able to chase him down in this outfit.
"I'm already busy, but why is this skirt so annoying?"
Casey paced down the hallway, grumbling.
* * *
Ludwig, who was left alone in the drawing room, stared out the window with his hands behind him. Blue moonlight poured over the darkened garden as he saw his soldiers patrolling.
"James Moriarty."
Ludwig had a very different atmosphere from when he met and talked to Casey Selmore. His cold subdued expression did not like the situation itself.
"It is a pity that the faction of Lieutenant General Ghetto died. Even old people with rotten brains didn't live in vain. I didn't know they were all dead."
Isn't this a very painful loss from the standpoint of secretly planning a project behind the scenes?
But it's still okay. There were plenty of people in this country to replace vacant seats.
"This is all as he wishes."
When he murmured like that, there was a knock on the door of the drawing room.
Opening the door was a waiter with a silver tray in one hand.
"What's going on? I told you not to let anyone in here."
The waiter did not answer the question and Ludwig squinted his eyes.
"You're not a waiter."
"You're quick-witted."
The waiter immediately grabbed his face and tore it open.
At first, Ludwig thought he would take off his skin, but he didn't. It was an artificially made skin.
Soon after, when the black hair hidden inside was revealed and Ludwig smiled interestingly.
"Professor James Moriarty."
"Nice to meet you, Duke Ludwig Venkanto."
The black shadow on the floor hung over Rudger's waiter's clothes.
"I didn't expect you to come so early."
"From that reaction, you seem to know why I came here."
"You came to kill me. Well, you've killed everyone involved in the project so far, so it was obvious I was next."
"Then are you ready?"
Ludwig laughed at Rudger's words.
"Professor James Moriarty. I'll admit you're a great man. You blew up all my businesses and smashed all the important chess pieces I used to play."
Rudger waited for what Ludwig was going to say.
"But aren't you being too arrogant? I can't believe you broke into a place like this. Are you that confident in your skills?"
"All the other guys talked like that and died."
"Don't think I'm the same as them."
When Ludwig flicked his finger, a translucent wall was created between the two. It was a barrier of mana.
"Rather, I was waiting for you to come."
Shortly afterwards, the door of the drawing room opened and the guards of Duke Venkanto appeared.
They were all knights or wizards and surrounded Rudger at once.
Rudger opened his mouth, staring at Ludwig over the barrier.
"Was it a trap?"
"Of course. Unless I'm an idiot, there's no way I wouldn't know that you're coming after me."
In the end, the banquet held now was nothing more than a trick to mislead Rudger. It was set up so that Rudger could hide.
"A quick-witted lady came and offered to help, but honestly, it was funny. Without even knowing that the person she really needs to catch was right in front of her."
"……."
"But I was quite surprised. Don't tell me that the lab that was working on the Steel Chapel project has not been destroyed yet."
Rudger responded for the first time. He wriggled his eyebrows and stared at Ludwig with a look of how he knew it.
"There's a way for everything so I was curious. Why did you leave that place when you erased everything else without a trace?"
Ludwig stroked his chin with his finger and pulled out the answer.
"You said we kidnapped a child and used him as a guinea pig. Does that still exist? A guinea pig that's alive and not dead?"
"……."
"Don't worry, I've sent someone over there just in case. They're good at keeping things clean."
Ludwig grinned from ear to ear. It was the smile of a victor who was sure he had won.
"I don't know what this has to do with the child I used as a guinea pig, but don't be too sad. I'll take care of you here and now and then send him on your way, so you won't be lonely."
The knights surrounding Rudger drew their swords and the wizards were ready to use their magic.
"Still, I'd like to hear your last words before we go, is there anything you'd like to say?"
Rudger spoke up at Ludwig's provocation.
"I want to tell you two things."
"Oh. Two things? That's a lot, but I'll be gracious and allow it."
"First, the child's name is Arte. He was a child with a dream of becoming a renowned scholar."
"Did he? Well, whatever the name of such a child is, it doesn't matter. So what's the second one?"
"Secondly…"
Rudger's blue eyes slowly turned red.
"I'm very angry right now."