A Mark Left Behind

Clank.

The sound of a tea cup meeting its plate.

Jill the Ripper's office was well furnished as expected of a princess of an Empire should. Though, there was a certain lifeless feeling to it that could not be replaced by the grandeur of books, wallpaper, a desk or the various other furniture placed within the large room.

Alvis, who stood by Jill the Ripper's side, was listless.

It was the second time that Jill the Ripper had caught Alvis within a trance.

"I do not like not having attention."

The lifeless words of Jill the Ripper snapped Alvis awake.

"Do you need something? Ever since your workload of documents has turned nonexistent, all you do with me is watch me as if I am some play."

"Yes. And I do not like plays that have turned stale."

Alvis sighed within his mind.

"If I have turned stale, then the entire world must seem rotten, Miss Jill."

"Oh? Have your remarks grown enough to now be called 'witty'?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

As silence once again took a hold of the atmosphere, Alvis still stood behind Jill the Ripper as her eyes were wide open looking at him. As if trying to burn a hole into his body with how intense her stare was.

Although Alvis would have preferred the silence, now conscious of Jill the Ripper's stare, he could no longer quietly think about his problems in peace.

"What is it that you exactly want?"

In truth, over the course of these six months, Alvis had never enquired Jill the Ripper's goals.

She was akin to a natural disaster, one day she may be docile, the next you may get shredded until you are placed in the hospital.

"Hmm… So you finally asked me."

'It's that look again…'

A drop of sweat started to form on his forehead.

Jill the Ripper's eyes held a depth that they didn't before.

The blurry static-like mask that covered her face parted to let her eyes gaze into Alvis.

"Hmm~ So you still haven't realized… Though since you are braver, should I call you stupid or foolish? As they say, there is a thin line between genius and stupidity."

'Have I been too close with her? I've grown quite lax after all…'

She had already answered his question before, though for Alvis it felt more like an excuse or a secondary reason as to why she had turned him into her slave upon a second thought.

'Getting to know her more over the past year, Jill the Ripper isn't such a person who narrowly looks at only 'dyeing me eyes in her color'... So could her goal possibly be?'

"I did say back then that I would 'dye you in my color'... Correct?"

"Yes, I quite vividly remember that moment…"

Alvis closed his mouth before silently adding '-that haunts my dreams at times' to his statement in his mind.

"Hmm~ Back then, that truly was my only goal with you. I was planning on making you so enthralled with me that I was the only thing you needed in life…"

'How crazy… Though I suppose she truly isn't as she had already completed her goal halfway already…'

"Though for now, consider me as an observer. I will not tell you all my goals."

"..."

"Entertain me, act for me, do whatever you can to squirm your way as I hold your life in my hand."

A grand spectacle…

"..."

'If only I didn't know that I am Jill the Ripper's only 'play'... Those words would have made me fear her to death… If only.'

Alvis bitterly thought Jill the Ripper's words felt more so for show or a young child spouting words and not a threat.

"Hmm… I suppose my words did not go through to you. My threat must have diminished quite a bit to you…"

Jill the Ripper's silver spoon twirled around the tea inside her cup, looking into it.

"What to do… what to do…"

Time passed in silence as Alvis stood in place and Jill the Ripper occasionally stared at Alvis or sipped on her tea.

Soon, the Big Ben rang indicating the time was 10 o'clock at night.

Night had long taken its place and darkness had already seeped into the office like dust.

"I'll be leaving now…"

Alvis announced.

Jill the Ripper shooed him off as she was left inside the office alone.

'Is this the first time I've seen her truly deep in thought?'

Alvis pondered.

'Well… Those thoughts can be left for later, this case is now underway once more.'

* * *

I am noticing things…

Incomprehensible things that should not exist, things truly equal to the Mad Gods' existence itself.

Apostles?

No… Perhaps the proper term for these beings would be simply 'pieces'. Yes, they were pieces, or remnants of Mad Gods…

I sense that they are the same.

Their very presence is so distinct that it cannot be anything other than something that is from the Mad Gods themselves.

It is not simply the equivalent of 'potato potatoe'.

And… They are watching me.

Those things… are watching me as I work on the case about the blinded musicians.

'...Looming threats are nothing new I suppose.'

Although I brush it off as nothing within my mind… I know in my heart that they are not to be ignored.

How long have they watched me?

Why are they watching me?

I naturally noticed their presence after some time, but since when?

I can only ask myself without answers.

I stop my research on meaningless leads. It does nothing to help with the case and since the day before, my mental state would be in the negatives if it could be valued numerically.

'...Let's first get rid of this restraint.'

From my wooden desk I bring a piece of paper out. A magical contract.

Magic in this world is convoluted and strange. Abstract like art yet somehow defined by human consciousness into a systematic order for all mana users.

I am not one of such beings, even in the entire world the mana users would only amount to nearly a hundred thousand.

And even fewer would have curses as well.

The more I know, the less it makes sense.

The words that flow out from Dr. Frankenstein makes sense… But why is it so that when I hear those words together indescribable words flow out instead?

It's as if you try to explain the concept of philosophy to a monkey.

It simply is not possible.

Yet the information is within my mind as if it is an instinctual response.

Perhaps it is because I am someone not from this world but magic which should encompass all has a large hole.

Like how in math there are unsolvable conjectures which make mathematicians toss and turn in their beds.

I have named it this so-called conjecture within this world the 'Detective Conjecture'.

It was a month after I studied with Dr. Frankenstein that I noticed, there is no magic that can track, find, or locate people of any kind. It simply does not exist, as if the concept of 'tracking magic' is thoroughly erased from the world.

Thus my finding of the 'Detective Conjecture' was found.

A problem so blatant that magic scholars who created the very magic system that all mana users use have not found.

I once asked a person early in the morning, "Excuse me. What do you think of tracking magic?"

"Could you say that again?"

"Tracking magic, magic that would allow a person to find another person."

"Could you say that again?"

"...Tracking magic…"

"Could you say that again?"

"..."

It was then I realized, this world… This world in which I chose to live in was already so thoroughly ■■■■■■.

For the sake of the 'genre' of the world, for some unknown reason, the world itself could not fathom the existence or thought of any sort of 'tracking magic'...

I am going mad…

From the Pieces to the world itself, everything seems to look so frail and breakable.

Instinctively I realize that if I try to make 'tracking magic', the world will ■■■■■■■■.

Laws are being bent, reality is a plaything, nothing no longer makes sense.

My mind is breaking down.

'ThosebeingsthosebeingsthosebeingsthosebeingsthosebeingsthosebeingsmadgodsmadgodsmadgodsmadgodsmadgodsmadgodsIdontwanttodieIdontwanttodieIdontwanttodiehelphelphelphelphelpgazesgazesgazesgazes!'

As I hold my head and my hands tearing my hair almost with enough force to pull it out from my scalp… A tiny, incomprehensible whisper is fed into my mind.

'lp— ...No, I see. That was the path all along. I understand. It all makes sense.'

Taking the knife off of the wooden desk, I slit my palm.

* * *

The next day arrived.

"Ugh…"

Alvis groaned as the sun was still starting to rise and the birds started to awaken to start the day.

"Haa~"

He yawned as his day started.

Kitchen work, commanding the maids and butlers, being Jill the Ripper's butler…

The day soon ended once more and Alvis was at his wooden desk.

'Let's finish this case.'

He simply had less time compared to the other detectives. Though in this unique case he simply needed to bid for his time.

There was no middle of investigation truly needed, the beginning then the finale. A truly unique case that it wasn't an exaggeration to say it was a 'one-of-a-kind'.

'I truly want to find the culprit in this case. It's almost like a sweet latte or drug…'

It was simply incomparable to his minor cases with the police.

'The clues are too little…'

'...It's Christmas tomorrow… isn't it?'

Alvis thought, his hand placed on his head.

'Let's… go out for a bit…'

Grabbing a coat to wear, Alvis walked out of Buckingham Palace and into the festive streets of London which were still active as it was Christmas Eve.

The cold air and snow somehow fit into the festive mood.

The coldness somehow changed into warmth and the snow into something not to be feared.

An atmosphere unique to only the current Christmas Eve.

Ring~

Alvis stepped into a store.

"Welcome…"

"Oh…? It's you. Are you here for those items today?"

An old man called out. One with wrinkles and looked decrypted, as if his coffin was already preordered and the grim reaper was just biding its time.

"Yes… Is the order in here today?"

"It just dropped today… You're lucky, delivery usually would be closed this time of year."

"I suppose."

"...You are one mysterious young man. I don't know what you are going to use these assortment of items for but all I can say is good luck."

'Luck… huh?'

"Yes, thank you for keeping these for me. I wish you a merry Christmas."

"You too…"

Ring~

'Cold…'

Alvis breathed out a sigh.

'Just like how that old man felt out of place with this mood… somehow I feel the same.'

Walking past the cheerful people of London, Alvis looked back on the city before entering Buckingham Palace.

…

The next day arrived.

'...It's Christmas.'

Alvis awoke with that thought coming to his mind right after awakening.

Outside his window was the white snow falling endlessly, like a painter who was furious with their work and decided to start anew.

'The start of the next year is soon.'

It was cold inside his room as well.

Alvis' room was small yet more spacious compared to other butlers and maids who had to sleep together.

A wooden desk in front of the glass window, a bed in a corner of the room, a coat rack near the door, and a small wooden closet at the base of his bed.

A small yet clean and organized room.

Alvis looked at the wooden desk, on which was a large bag reminiscent of a duffel bag of modern times.

'...'

Alvis stayed in his bed motionless.

It was already past the time where he needed to get up yet he stayed motionless.

A red light started glowing inside his wooden desk.

"It's time…"

Upon opening the drawer, Alvis found a glowing red mana stone and an open letter.

'...'

'...It seems, the finale is nigh here.'

The blank space from before now changed.

｢ —come to 'Theatre Royal Haymarket In London at 12 o'clock' — ｣

'The Theatre Royal Haymarket…'

'I suppose now would be the time to involve Miss Martin if she so wishes to go.'

Grabbing his coat, Alvis headed to a familiar hospital.