211 – The Red Head Club (2)
With that said, Holmes picked up a new cigarette. Watson knew that his friend always insisted on smoking a pipe to save money. In reality, pipe smoking was cheaper than just smoking a cigarette.
For that reason, it had a special meaning when my friend took out a cigarette and smoked it for the first time in a long time. It seemed like his friend was worried about something. Maybe he wanted to discuss it with Watson himself?
Watson grew a small flame in his finger and lit a cigarette for his secret friend.
“When we first met, you were reluctant to even use a little magic, but that has changed now, Watson.”
“My… Did I do that? Ah, well… Even if I lost my memory, it would have been the same. But, unless it’s really dangerous magic, it’s just trivial forgetfulness. “I can’t just sit there doing nothing forever, Holmes.”
“… I’m sorry, Watson. Using magic… I know what it means to you… “I get help like this every time.”
“I’m doing it because I like it, so don’t worry too much about it. Rather, I enjoy working as Holmes’ assistant. “I’m also working hard to keep records so I don’t forget.”
Of course, Jane Watson herself could have chosen to live a normal life. In some ways, Watson himself was still closer to an outsider.
He also wanted his friend Holmes to live his own peaceful life without being bound by the existence of James Moriarty. It was natural because he was a friend. Was it because Holmes had a self-destructive tendency, as he often quipped?
In Watson’s opinion, her friend’s obsession with Professor James Moriarty as if it were her destiny or only mission was not positive at all, and she had an intuitive feeling that it would not end well.
But Watson could not stop such a friend even by force. He even questioned whether he had such qualifications in the first place. Of course, he was worried about his friend earlier, so he tried to accidentally cross that line, but it was definitely a mistake.
Watson himself heard from his friend the truth about his friend’s long-running villainy or fateful encounter with James Moriarty. She didn’t usually believe in fate, but if her friend could hide his own hurt by believing in such things, then there was certainly something fateful about the relationship between Holmes and Moriarty.
A strange and outstanding detective that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. And the leader of this unprecedented criminal organization in Europe that she has to deal with.
Watson was clearly an outsider in the relationship that began as teacher and student from his childhood.
Of course, Watson himself had an excuse to intervene in this confrontation. He still couldn’t understand, and his friend Holmes couldn’t come up with a clear answer either, but James Moriarty clearly approached Jane Watson while wearing a mask with some intention.
Because of that appearance, at one time, no, perhaps even now, I couldn’t help but have some rational feelings for him.
Watson’s involvement in this dangerous confrontation by helping Holmes was clearly due to some degree of resentment for having been betrayed.
He felt a fateful friendship with Holmes, and helping such a friend against villains was dangerous in itself, which made Watson excited.
But is it really right to get involved in this huge confrontation just for this reason? Thinking about my friend’s tragic fate, I couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.
So Watson had to do his best. Of course, it was difficult for Watson himself to imagine what would lie in the end.
In fact, I was afraid to even dare to imagine it. Of course, Watson had no doubts about his friend’s victory. Holmes is such a great guy that he will surely one day completely defeat Professor James Moriarty and reveal that he is a villain.
But what after that?
Watson also couldn’t help but think about the coming future, which he had never seriously considered. Will his already broken friend be able to live his life after that? Also, will the arrogant Professor Moriarty be able to do penance in prison after being defeated by Holmes?
Could it be that one or both parties are breaking up with Watson forever?
This is a stupid idea. Watson thought hard. Watson, like Holmes, looked away from the future that had not yet arrived.
Now was the time to focus on a club with a strange name.
“So what exactly does this strangely named club do? Also… “It must be a suspicious secret society or criminal group, right?”
“Watson, Watson, I always emphasize that it is not a good habit to be decisive. Of course, since Mr. Moriarty personally gave me, no, us, an invitation to the club, I’ll have to check it out myself. However, no matter how connected they may be to the teacher, there is also a possibility that they are innocent… “For now, it exists.”
Holmes lightly shrugged his shoulders and answered. But Watson could tell that his friend’s tone wasn’t really criticizing his mistake. That’s why he added it right away. Watson, who was always pranked and scolded by Holmes, was now able to imitate him clumsily.
“But that means there’s a higher chance that it won’t happen.”
“You’re growing, Watson. It’s a good sign. It seems like the nutrients I always eat ignorantly are finally starting to go to my head. “It looks like your breasts have already gained weight, so you changed your underwear.”
“This…” Don’t be weird and just talk about the incident! And I didn’t gain weight! How many months have you been maintaining it?”
“Well, everyone can interpret it however they like. However, I could not properly investigate what exactly the ‘Red Head Club’ does. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Watson. It means that all the information I found out with the help of Mycroft was extremely ordinary. “It’s literally a new, promising club in London.”
From noble mtl dot com
“… Then, Holmes, as you said, Professor Moriarty… Didn’t you throw it out as bait? Or maybe they just wanted to make fun of us when it really didn’t mean anything?”
“It’s a very Watson-like thought, but it’s hard to say for sure. However, I would like to take a more fundamental approach with you, Watson. Many clubs in London are trying to give themselves creative names. From the tedious method of simply choosing the name of the founder, to things the club members have in common, or meeting places, or even cracking jokes. Why the ‘Redhead’ club, Watson?”
“I guess that didn’t come up properly even after researching?”
“Actually, people rarely pay attention to their names at social gatherings.”
Watson thought about Holmes’ answer for a moment.
Red hair.
When I thought about it, none of my acquaintances had red hair. Because it wasn’t a common case to begin with.
“Just…” Isn’t the founder a redhead? Or is it because only people with red hair can join?”
“The only thing worth noting about this club at the moment is that the founder is a pawnbroker named Javert Wilson, but other than that, it is difficult even for Mycroft to find information about exactly who he is. Like… It seemed like he was a nihilist created to show off his reputation. So I don’t know what hair color it is. Also, neither Watson nor I have red hair, right?”
“That… That’s right. In terms of giving an invitation, first of all…. Now that I think about it, is Professor Moriarty also a member of that club?”
“Okay. Of course, it is not something that is very suspicious externally. Not only Mr. Moriarty, but also many famous social figures have officially added their names to the club. Rather, I am considering the possibility that it is a prank taking advantage of the malicious image that red hair has in our society. “It’s a stupid symbol, but doesn’t red hair often have a good meaning?”
“That… “That’s right.”
“Or maybe red hair has a different meaning than hair in the first place. Hair stained with blood can also be considered red hair, perhaps?”
“That… That’s a bit… “It’s scary.”
Holmes smiled mischievously and said something creepy. Watson unconsciously rubbed his goosebumps on his forearms and spit out a thought that came to his mind thanks to what he had just heard.
“Because I’m bleeding… Isn’t there a story about vampires having red hair? This is a story I heard from my grandmother a long time ago. Ah… That might not be right. Or not… From Ireland? Aren’t there a lot of redheads there? Come to think of it, isn’t Professor Moriarty also from Ireland?”
“Wait a minute, Watson, did you say vampire?”
At a similar time, the famous invited Professor Van Helsing was conducting a seminar in front of professors in the lecture hall of Oxford University.
“Vampires are feared creatures, but because of that they are often accompanied by absurd superstitions. A representative example is the Transylvanian superstition that people who are born with lice, have many moles on their bodies, or have red hair become vampires. It is the home of all the vampires discovered by our modern science. Well, of course it’s a superstition. Isn’t that right, Professor Moriarty?”
