Just as the poison of the thousand-year ice silkworm overcomes the poison of the great crimson bull toad, the wounds of love are healed by another love.

–John Dryden

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There is no trace of someone else moving the dismembered corpse here.

Although the footprints left on the floor were scattered and varied, none matched the size of the boots Hope wore.

No, before that, it was necessary to consider how the broken sword from yesterday ended up stuck in the corpse that died three days ago.

“Watson. Do you recall the evidence of someone being slashed before Drebber died?”

“If you’re talking about the blood spatter on the floor of the crime scene we visited yesterday, I saw that too.”

“If I told you that blood belongs to Hope lying here, would you believe it?”

“…What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

Watson’s eyes widened as if she had heard a blasphemous remark against Jesus or the royal family.

“So, if I’ve understood you correctly, the culprit lured the Zion Clan master into an empty house and poisoned him without leaving so much as a scratch?”

“Exactly.”

“Not only that. Even after being slashed all over by the victim, he managed to reach the Physic Garden and break through the formation.”

“Precisely.”

Watson pounded her chest as if frustrated.

“No, how can a corpse that died three days ago poison a Zion Clan master and then walk to Chelsea, which takes dozens of minutes by carriage, and dismember itself?!”

“You’re much sharper than I thought. I’ll definitely treat you to lunch.”

“By Jove, I must politely decline!”

In any case, the full picture of the incident has come to light.

All that remained was to prove and resolve the hypothesis.

-Sreung!

As I grasped the hilt of the unique weapon, the Heavenly Demon Cane, its sharp blade emerged.

This treasured sword, forged from Cold Iron, was my beloved weapon that could even cut through Enhanced energy.

“…Wait. What are you trying to do, Holmes?”

“Just thought I’d collect a specimen while we’re here.”

-Slash!

As soon as I finished speaking, I swung the sword down and severed the corpse’s neck.

Perhaps due to the sharpness of the blade, or maybe because it was an old corpse, not much blood splattered.

“Hmm.”

There was actually another reason why no blood flowed even when cut.

However, since I hadn’t yet confirmed that my hypothesis was correct, I didn’t feel the need to mention it now.

“What are you doing!!”

Aghast, Lestrade lunged at me to attempt a submission hold, but I lightly twisted my body to evade and then tripped him.

“Gasp!”

I thought he would fall flat on his face in the dirt, but the inspector executed a Lazy Donkey Roll and promptly stood up, dusting off his clothes.

“Excuse me. I reflexively acted in self-defense.”

Your skills have slightly improved since before.

“If you don’t want to ride the Black Maria, you should put that head down immediately.”

“That’s a request I cannot grant. It’s a valuable specimen, you see.”

“Specimen?”

I threw the head of Hope I was holding to Watson.

“Kyaaah!”

Watson, who instinctively caught it, let out a woman’s scream unlike the low voice she usually used for disguise, but quickly shut her mouth.

“Holmes, you really are a person who…”

“This is an important specimen, so handle it with care. I suggest you take particular care to keep your fingers away from your mouth and nose. Should your fingers come into contact with any mucous membranes, well…let us just say something unpleasant might occur.”

“…It seems more like you’re the doctor, not me.”

“Not at all. I just have a hunch.”

Watson, though looking distressed, was carefully holding Hope’s severed head.

Even as thick, coagulated blood dripped, she seemed to think that letting the deceased’s head fall to the ground was not something a doctor should do.

“This specimen is needed for the investigation, so I’ll borrow it for a while. I’ll return it to its place soon, so don’t worry.”

“You talk as if you’re borrowing a book…”

Lestrade sighed as if giving up.

“Oh, and it would be helpful if you could ask the Physic Garden staff one thing.”

“What is it this time?”

“Write down everything that went missing from the elixirs cultivated overnight. Don’t forget to bring them to the address written here as soon as you confirm it.”

I rummaged through my pockets to find a pen and a notebook. Unfortunately, there was no notebook.

“Lestrade.”

“…Yes?”

“Would you mind tearing out two pages from your notebook?”

“Use your own.”

“You know I write all my notes on my sleeve.”

Lestrade scowled as he tore out pages from his notebook and handed them to me.

I wrote the address on one sheet and a few lines of instructions on the other.

“Once you bring the list of missing herbs, follow the instructions on the second memo. Do not miss a single one.”

I folded the two memos in half and placed them in the inspector’s hands, then started walking toward the exit of the Physic Garden.

“Wait! Holmes!!”

Watson, holding the severed head, was following me awkwardly.

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To prevent the stench from leaking, we placed the head in an appropriate bag and tied the opening, then headed to a nearby tea house.

Normally, I often skipped lunch, but since we planned to be busy until the evening, we decided to fill up on sandwiches, snacks, and even tea.

“The cuisine in affluent neighborhoods certainly has a distinct touch. Pricey, no doubt, but the taste isn’t half bad.”

“……”

The strange thing was that Watson didn’t seem to have an appetite.

“Watson. You eat less than I expected for a former soldier―”

“Whose fault do you think that is!!”

Because Watson suddenly shouted, the people sitting at the outdoor tables all turned their gazes towards us.

“I didn’t realize you were so squeamish. Which is why, as a gesture of apology, I’m treating you to lunch, am I not?”

Watson glared at me with resentment, quickly snatching the food I was holding and stuffing it into her mouth.

Then she began to violently chew through the remaining sandwiches and snacks piled on the three-tiered tray.

“Do take your time. At this rate, you’ll give yourself indigestion.”

“Are you seriously offering medical advice to a doctor?”

She seemed quite upset. I shouldn’t have made that bet if I had known it would turn out like this.

“I’ve been tormented all day by your antics, to the point where my Twelve Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians are about to wear out.”

“What did I do? It was all necessary for the investigation.”

“When you left the Physic Garden earlier, didn’t you walk ahead of the guards and get ensnared by the formation? I spent a good ten minutes wandering around looking for you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never got lost. I just took a moment to handle some matters in a place I wouldn’t have a chance to visit otherwise.”

“Ha! Now you’re resorting to lies!!”

“I do wish people would take my words at face value.”

I thought this Watson was less suspicious than the one I knew, but I must have been mistaken.

Apart from the change in gender, they aren’t much different.

No matter what I say now, it won’t get through.

After finishing my meal, I immediately hailed a carriage.

“So where are you planning to go this time, Holmes?”

As soon as we got into the carriage, Watson asked with a face full of curiosity, as if all the annoyance from moments ago was a lie.

It seemed that her blood glucose had risen to an appropriate level, improving her mood.

I replied, repeatedly reminding myself not to let her go hungry when taking her out.

“Of course, we need to go where the next clue awaits.”

“You do realize I’m asking where that is.”

“I have an acquaintance living near Highgate Cemetery.”

“A cemetery? Is this person related to this case?”

Recalling his distinctive appearance and personality, I nodded.

“He is an expert in a couple of fields and makes a living through various sources. He will definitely help solve this case.”

“After viewing a dismembered body, you’re heading to a cemetery with the head. Surely, you’re not thinking of finding an undertaker to bury it.”

“…Amazing. How on earth did you deduce that?”

Watson blinked with a dumbfounded expression.

“Well, of course…”

“No need to explain.”

It seems that a lady’s intuition is still an enigmatic phenomenon beyond my knowledge and logic.

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The carriage we boarded headed north from Chelsea, passed Baker Street, and moved towards North London.

Highgate is one of the seven cemeteries on the outskirts of London, known as the Magnificent 7, situated on the high ground of Hampstead.

This lush area, amidst various styles of tombstones, is popular as a burial site for the wealthy and famous, contrasting with Chelsea, making it a high-class resting place for the deceased.

“Ah, we’ve arrived.”

The carriage stopped in front of a quaint house on the hillside.

Could it be because the sky of London was gloomier than before, or was it because of the rumor that ghosts appeared nearby.

In Watson’s expression, there was blatant wariness and fear.

“So, where does your acquaintance live?”

“That house painted all black over there.”

I walked up to the quaint two-story house standing on the hillside.

On the edge of the roof, sun-dried meat hung from strings, clearly revealing the homeowner’s taste and preference.

“Are you inside? It’s me, Holmes.”

After knocking lightly twice and calling out, there was a sign of presence from inside.

-Creak.

Peeking through the open door was a small-statured young Asian man.

“You’re early. Come on in.”

The man, whose long hair was braided down like a woman’s, greeted us in a neat suit.

The first sensation upon entering the dark house was the intense smell of chemicals.

It seems that Watson had also caught the scent and seemed to quickly deduce the profession of the man I had mentioned earlier.

“It’s our first meeting, who might you be?”

“This is Watson, my new roommate and assistant. His main job is a doctor. You could say his field is somewhat similar to yours.”

“John Watson.”

“I am Yan. At this hour, I usually work as an undertaker. I’ll serve tea and refreshments, so please have a seat and wait.”

The smell of the chemicals used for embalming corpses gave me a headache, but as a guest, I couldn’t refuse the offered refreshments, so I nodded.

“…I’m glad I forced myself to eat earlier. I feel like throwing up now.”

Watson whispered after confirming that Yan had silently turned and walked to the kitchen.

It seems that the thick scent of death lingering in the house didn’t quite suit her.

This was Yan’s home and workshop.

The smell of chemicals was unavoidable, but honestly, I was starting to feel a bit queasy myself.

“Smelling this on an empty stomach might actually be harmful to your health.”

“So, why have you come to see the undertaker?”

“Didn’t he say? Yan works as an undertaker during the day, but he does something else at night.”

As soon as I sat at the reception table, Watson began bombarding me with questions.

“I hope his night job isn’t against the law. By the way, that man Yan seemed to know you were coming. When exactly did you contact him?”

“Well, I contacted him early, just before leaving for Chelsea.”

“In that short time? How on earth?”

“Like this.”

-Thud!

When I stomped my foot, the upper body of a boy with shimmering golden hair hanging down suddenly popped out from under the table.