The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 153

He felt deceived by Evelina Kalderan. Zavi initially thought Luis had hired him, but it turned out they were working together, and Evelina apparently knew that James Moriarty would arrive in Semilir, on Ource.

'I can't underestimate the nobles of the third-largest city in Havanuheta.'

Zavi resumed playing the role of James Moriarty; steadfast, cold, and indifferent so as not to diminish James Moriarty's charisma.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Evelina placed the blazing red ring and the skull necklace on the table.

"So, does Moriarty agree to the job?" she continued calmly, carefully observing James Moriarty.

At first, Zavi wanted to refuse, but he was cornered at the moment, and his presence in this city was completely unfamiliar.

Even the real Zavi had never visited this place before, making him hesitate to accept the job, especially since it was being offered directly by the youngest daughter of Count Batistutan Kalderan.

Zavi once again played the role of James Moriarty.

"I had my doubts at first... But after considering it, I will accept the offer, but on one condition."

"One condition?" the two of them repeated simultaneously.

Luis thought about several possibilities regarding what was going through James Moriarty's mind.

'Mr. Moriarty seems to be looking for something here. At first I didn't know, and I truly didn't realize it when I hired him. Was this arranged by that woman, and has she been manipulating me this entire time?'

Luis bit his lip and hissed.

'I'll make you pay me double. Just wait, Evelina.'

He chose to wait and hear what James Moriarty would say next.

Zavi's actual objective was simple, but he was genuinely hesitant to reveal it.

"...The supernatural," James Moriarty said coldly while lifting the brim of his bamboo hat with his thumb.

'Huh? The supernatural?'

Evelina had never imagined she would be stepping into the world of the occult. Yet after hearing James Moriarty's earlier words, she began considering deepening her own occult knowledge because of her admiration for the feats James Moriarty had accomplished.

"Claude Diston... Is it true that Moriarty is working with him?" Evelina looked at him with a faint smile, though hidden behind that smile was unmistakable sarcasm.

James Moriarty's role briefly faltered as Zavi slowly glanced toward Evelina.

'How much does she know? Is her information network really that extensive? She's truly not a woman to be underestimated.'

Zavi resumed playing James Moriarty, straightened his gaze while holding the edge of his bamboo hat, and spoke in his slightly heavy voice:

"How much do you know about what I've done?"

He wanted to be angry, but that never happened because he was impressed by what Claude Diston had accomplished according to the instructions and plans Zavi had carefully devised.

Evelina hesitated briefly, glancing at Luis and blinking as though she wanted him to answer instead.

Luis frowned and made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

Evelina let out a short sigh. Whether she liked it or not, she had to handle this herself.

"As much as I said earlier," Evelina answered calmly.

From the beginning until this very moment, Luis's intelligence seemed to have declined because he couldn't understand a single thing they were talking about.

He wanted to hear more, but his slow processing made his head feel as though smoke were coming out of it.

Overheating.

"I've spent thirteen years in school, and I don't think I'm suited for this conversation."

Luis nodded without thinking much about what he had just experienced.

The two of them briefly fell into a circle of uncertainty as awkwardness took hold of their minds.

Evelina drew a long breath, waiting to see what James Moriarty was truly thinking.

Second after second passed, and Zavi began considering asking something surprising that night.

Zavi once again played the role of James Moriarty.

"Jack the Ripper. Tell me, what do you know about that man?"

"Jack the Ripper...? Mr. Moriarty, do you know what he and his dogs have been doing?"

James Moriarty nodded.

"I do. He was the mastermind behind the riots in the capital city of Sanerva two years ago, and several cities including Moran, Greysia, Semilir, and Kuranda were also drawn into his game."

Evelina immediately corrected that statement.

"It seems Moriarty received incomplete information."

Zavi was surprised. He had never imagined that his previous understanding was wrong.

Still, he chose to wait and hear Evelina's correction.

After a brief silence as she carefully organized her thoughts, Evelina nodded and let out a short sigh before speaking in a firm voice.

"It's true that Jack the Ripper destroyed things there, or rather caused the riots. However, the truth is that 'he' never actually carried out those actions himself, even though he appeared at the scene. The ones who truly carried them out were his dogs."

Zavi immediately asked why Jack the Ripper had done all of that.

"Do you know Jack the Ripper's true motive behind the riots in those cities?"

Evelina hesitated briefly. Two seconds later, she finally answered, "I'm not entirely sure. My intelligence network doesn't know anything about his whereabouts, and my sources also say that the real name of 'Jack the Ripper' is Norwich Norwich or something like that."

Luis immediately joined the intriguing and dark conversation.

"Oh? Wasn't it Keilta Zamora and a woman named Kharensya Zorca whose names appeared in the newspapers and criminal posters distributed throughout Ninesorals?"

Evelina responded to Luis's mistake with a faint smile.

"My beloved Luis. What you said is true, but Norwich Norwich is the one who makes that group move."

"Like the mastermind behind those insane plans?" Luis asked curiously, knowing absolutely nothing about them.

Evelina shrugged slightly.

"Yes, you could say that."

She glanced at James Moriarty and asked in confusion, "Why are you asking about that?"

James Moriarty gave her a brief glance and tapped the edge of the table before calmly saying, "That was the condition I set earlier. If I receive the information I want, I will accept."

Evelina nodded uncertainly, only then realizing that the condition had been a question about who 'Jack the Ripper' truly was.

"Oh?"

'Damn it, I only realized it after he told me.'

Evelina's fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress before relaxing as she finally said:

"What exactly does Moriarty want? Information about his actions, or his true identity?"

"Both," James Moriarty answered with a faint grin.

'This man...?'

The veins on Evelina's forehead tightened.

"Alright," she said, suppressing her irritation.

"But before that, let me ask something."

Their attention immediately shifted when Luis finally inserted himself into their affairs.

At first, James Moriarty wanted to refuse, but after noticing that Luis's expression was different from before, he ultimately chose to allow it.

James Moriarty gave a signal when Evelina looked at him, indicating that he would accept the request.

Evelina nodded, looked at Luis for two seconds, and said, "Go ahead, my beloved Luis. What would you like to ask?"

Luis let out a short sigh and turned his chair so that his gaze settled on both of them.

"According to people in the YinUing bar, this very place, 'Jack the Ripper' is in Semilir. Is that information actually true?"

Since Evelina had received no information whatsoever regarding Jack the Ripper being in Semilir, she couldn't determine whether his presence there was fact or fiction.

"I don't know," Evelina answered briefly and firmly.

'Where did my beloved Luis get that information? Was it just drunken nonsense from people in this bar, or another bar besides YinUing?'

Zavi knew Luis's hypothesis had some merit. However, after thinking it through carefully, he wondered whether the claim that Jack the Ripper was in Semilir was a lie, or perhaps the opposite.

James Moriarty cleared his throat and tapped the edge of the table with his index finger.

"So, can Miss really say that?"

Evelina shifted her gaze toward James Moriarty and nodded uncertainly.

"As for Jack the Ripper's whereabouts, I don't know. However, if you're looking for an underworld organization known as 'Black Cage,' I can tell you about it. But on one condition: Moriarty must complete that job."

"..."

James Moriarty remained silent, a sign that he could do nothing but agree.

Evelina immediately added:

"As for Jack the Ripper's true identity, I think Vitas Civil can help Moriarty investigate information related to it."

The truth, however, was that Afalan Norwich had never been recorded in Vitas Civil, as though "he" were a ghost.

"That's all?"

Zavi felt that it wasn't enough and was uncomfortable pressing further.

"Yes, that's all." Evelina responded kindly.

....

On the left side of where they were talking, surrounded by red-colored walls, Quetheylia sat with her bodyguard and maid while making an announcement to two men wearing a bowler hat and a top hat.

"Will Mr. Viuesquart be concluding this meeting?"

Raki Viuesquart nodded and lifted his hat.

"Yes, Miss Theroyhel."

Quetheylia immediately corrected him.

"Don't be so formal. Just call me Quetheylia," she said rather indifferently.

After a brief silence, Quetheylia looked at the two of them for several seconds before speaking in a clear and firm tone:

"Mr. Afalan, do you agree to conclude this conversation?"

Afalan Norwich nodded with an expressionless face.

"Yes."

With that, he rose from his seat, adjusted his black-and-white vest, and headed toward the door. Raki tipped his hat before following him.

James Moriarty's role faded as Zavi glanced to the right, watching the two men leave. One of them, Raki, turned the doorknob before both disappeared as the door closed behind them.

Click...

Zavi immediately reached into his suit pocket, took out a pocket watch, and opened its cover.

Click...

The sound echoed in his mind for several seconds, causing him to stare at the movement of the clock hands longer than necessary.

'A few seconds until the next day.'

11:59 PM.

Zavi looked at them, no longer playing the role of James Moriarty as he spoke in his slightly heavy voice:

"We'll meet again. It's getting late, and there's something I need to take care of."

Evelina nodded.

"Alright."

Then she glanced at Luis and said softly,

"Can my beloved Luis escort Moriarty out of here?"

"No need," Zavi replied calmly, rising from his seat and striding steadily toward the door.

Luis felt uncomfortable because the remaining payment of five Pace had yet to be settled.

"Mr. James Moriarty. The drink you ordered cost 2 Pace and 500 Pence, you know," Luis said while carefully observing Zavi.

Zavi stopped walking.

'I just realized. But it's fine.'

"Don't worry about it."

After saying that, Zavi immediately continued walking. He opened the door and closed it behind him.

For a moment, Zavi heard murmurs coming from inside. He stood silently for several seconds before finally walking down the corridor, returning to the YinUing bar, looking at the two people who had been in the same room earlier when Zavi stepped out through the bar's door.

And thus, the meeting between James Moriarty and Jack the Ripper came to an end.

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