Becoming Professor Moriarty's Probability

- Fzzzzzzzz…

“Ah…”

How much time had passed since I left behind the maddened women of the real world, their feverish obsession to capture me still vivid in my mind, and found myself enveloped in that dazzling starlit radiance?

“… This place.”

When I opened my eyes, the sight before me was one I’d dreamed of countless times over the past couple of years.

“The back-alley hideout…”

Yes, while 221B Baker Street and the professor’s office were undoubtedly places I’d missed, if there was any place I could truly call my sanctuary, it had to be this place.

“I’ve really… really come back…”

As the thought sank in, tears welled up in my eyes, and I collapsed onto the sofa, overwhelmed by a sense of joy I hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

… Huh?

But then, a chilling realisation hit me, and cold sweat formed on my brows.

Wait a minute… this is right in the middle of London, isn’t it?

There was a high possibility that the nightmares plaguing me had been the real deal, that they were not hallucinations.

Then, after nearly two years of my absence, and them in such miserable states, I couldn’t possibly fathom just how much chaos would have erupted among them.

And if I were to reappear in the heart of London under those circumstances suddenly…?

… Hmm.

I couldn’t imagine that ending well for me. Not at all.

I need to… move. As quickly as possible.

On top of that, this hideout was a place I frequently used with my closest allies. In other words, there was no telling when the Princess, Silver Blaze, or Moran might burst in.

First things first, I needed to disguise myself. A quick, light disguise to slip out of London, and then I could dedicate a day or so to craft a more thorough one…

“…..!?”

But as I attempted to channel mana to execute my plan, I froze, staring blankly at my hands in disbelief.

What?

Why? Why wasn’t it working? Not a single trace of mana flowed through me. Even two years ago, it wasn’t this bad. What the hell was going on?

Why, you ask? It’s because your mana is completely depleted.

“Miss System?”

Your genetic information is the same in both worlds, so that’s not the issue. But as for your mana, it was entirely consumed two years ago.

Her timely explanation cleared up my confusion, though it didn’t bring any comfort.

In short, you’re no different from an ordinary human now.

“So… you’re saying I have to survive in this magic-infested London without any magic?”

Well, yes, if you want to put it that way. But you should consider yourself lucky.

“What do you mean, lucky?”

If you had even a shred of mana left in you, the Professor would’ve likely barged into this hideout by now.

Though initially overwhelmed with panic, her unsettling explanation gave me a small sense of relief. At least I’d narrowly avoided the worst-case scenario.

But that didn’t mean the situation was any less dire.

“I can’t turn back into a vampire… or a demon… no tail, no magic… How the hell am I supposed to live like this…”

It couldn’t be helped. I used up almost all my power in just restoring this body of yours, you know. Stop grumbling.

“… But what was that about my genetic information being the same? Aren’t the me from reality and the me here completely separate entities?”

I muttered gloomily before a sudden curiosity bubbled up, prompting me to ask.

Well… it’s not that the design team copied your modelling.

“Huh? Then…”

The you from the real world is actually the reincarnation of this world’s Isaac Adler.

“…!?”

At that moment, I was hit with an answer I could have never anticipated.

“What did you just say!?”

Did you think it was just a coincidence that your genetic information is identical?

“But, I’ve never died, so how could that even happen?”

Didn’t you die once about three years ago, killed by the Professor? That’s when you reincarnated and later possessed your original body again.

“… What the hell…”

The flow of time between dimensions is never consistent. Interactions with souls, especially, function on very different rules…

Learning such a shocking truth about my identity so suddenly left me shaken. But I didn’t have the luxury to remain in disbelief for long.

Still, is now really the time to be asking trivial questions like that?

“… Trivial? You think this is trivial!?”

You never know when your former subordinates might storm in, do you?

“Ah.”

Right. Whether I was Isaac Adler’s reincarnation or not, that wasn’t the issue right now.

Because if I wasted time sitting here, chatting with Miss System, and got captured by my subordinates… well, I didn’t need magic to know how that would end.

But, you’ve gone through all this trouble to return. Are you just going to leave without seeing them?

“……..”

Not that it’s my place to say, but doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of coming back?

As I hurriedly packed my things, her pointed question made me pause. For a moment, I stood still, lost in thought.

“Sure, you’re not wrong… but there’s something I need to do first.”

My return meant one thing— the re-emergence of the monsters.

In other words, the world would once again be in danger unless I eliminated the source of all the oddities and the supernatural.

Lovecraft, who was likely still lurking somewhere in America.

Fine by me, but are you sure about this? You can’t use magic anymore.

“… That might actually work in my favour.”

With my mana completely gone, my presence was harder to trace— at least for now.

And Lovecraft wouldn’t expect me to still be alive, making her all the more complacent.

If ever there was a perfect opportunity, it was now.

This was my chance to uproot the source of all evil. And after that…

… It’s too risky to just suddenly reappear.

I’d need to take it slow, revealing myself one by one to minimise complications.

First, I’d reconnect with the subordinates who were most loyal to me, ensuring a basic level of protection. Then, I’d meet Charlotte. After that, the Professor…

You seem to be scheming something, but honestly, let me tell you that it’ll ultimately rendered pointless.

“…….”

Desperately trying to ignore Miss System’s borderline-cursed commentary, I began walking, fuelled by a sudden surge in survival instincts.

“… I missed you, London.”

Despite all the misfortunes and hardships I’ve faced in this place, I had never once forgotten the 19th-century London of my memories over the past two years.

- Crrreeeak…

With my heart pounding, I took a step forward.

“… Oh.”

Only to immediately lock eyes with a group of thugs loitering around the area, their gazes now fixed on me. In an instant, my body froze in place.

- Creak…

Amidst the oppressive silence that followed, the door to the hideout behind me slowly swung shut, the sound echoing cruelly through the back alley.

.

.

.

.

.

I had been far too naive.

“Uh, g-guys?”

“”……..””

“How about we calm down and talk this out…?”

After being relentlessly chased by the thugs, I found myself cornered at the end of an alley. Only then did this desperate thought pop into my head.

“Handsome face you’ve got there…”

“The boss is gonna love this one…”

“Wait, don’t they look kinda familiar…?”

“Holy shit…”

This wasn’t just anywhere; this was the back alleys of that London. I should’ve been more careful.

Even if, in truth, I was one of the rulers of these streets alongside the Professor, my outward appearance was nothing more than that of a well-known former child actor.

What do I do now? I couldn’t use magic, nor could I transform into a vampire. There was no way out.

Would I seriously have to sell myself to get out of this…?

“Uh, excuse me… by any chance, is your boss’s gender… uh…”

- Grrrrrrrrrrr…

As I stammered out my question in a small, trembling voice, entertaining that horrifying thought, something happened.

“”…….!?””

The thugs who had been closing in on me suddenly widened their eyes in shock.

- Thud…

“Ghhhk…”

“Huh?”

And moments later, one by one, they began collapsing to the ground, foaming at the mouth. I turned around in bewilderment, staring at the unexpected scene behind me.

- Step, step…

“…….???”

A girl in a sleek black suit slowly entered my line of sight, her footsteps echoing unnervingly in the silence. I tilted my head in confusion, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

“Who…?”

“Master…”

“Pardon?”

“MASTER!!!!!!!”

And then, to my utter disbelief, the girl – whose presence radiated an aura of menace rivalling that of the Professor or Charlotte – suddenly broke into a teary expression and charged toward me with the speed of a bullet.

“Wh-Why are you acting like this?”

“I thought, hic, I thought you were really dead…!”

“Excuse me?”

“I searched everywhere, everywhere for you… even scoured the underworld inch by inch… sniffle…”

“Uh, wait…”

“But I couldn’t find you… I thought you were completely gone… ughhh…”

Watching her blankly, I could only stare in shock as the girl who had knocked me to the ground began sobbing uncontrollably, licking my face like some overly emotional pup reunited with its owner. Her unrestrained actions left me even more bewildered, prompting me to silently direct a question to Miss System.

Do you have any idea who this is?

Ah, now that your devil origin is gone, you can see her true form.

The response I received was so unexpected it left me doubting my ears.

That’s your loyal hound, the ruler of the Underworld.

“… What?”

Wait a second— my Poppy? This girl was Poppy?

The same one I used to take on walks with a leash around her neck? The one I bathed and dried off after?

I’d always wondered why people gave me such cold, horrified looks when they saw us. I’d just assumed everyone was terrified of Poppy and left it at that.

So, what exactly had I been doing all this time…?

“… Master.”

“Uh… y-yeah? What’s up?”

“Come with me to the Underworld.”

Still reeling from the realisation of the atrocities I had conducted, I froze as the girl perched on top of me suddenly leaned in close, her face an inch from mine, and began whispering softly. Cold sweat trickled down my back.

“I’ll take good care of you there. There are too many people here who want to hurt you. You think so too, don’t you, Master?”

“Uh…”

“If you stay by my side, you could even become a god of the Underworld. Doesn’t that sound tempting? Hmm? Yes?”

Poppy’s eyes, which I remembered as once bright and brimming with vitality, were now anything but.

“Right, Master?”

They were the murky, lifeless eyes I had seen so many times before in those who had lost all sense of normalcy.

“Mr Adler?”

“……..”

“Adler?”

What was I supposed to do now, with my most loyal subordinate looking at me like this?

“Answer me, Master.”

“… Eek.”

***

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