Tuesday, morning.

Sherlock, who had just woken up, was huddled in his rocking chair, covered with a woolen coat, slowly eating the sandwich that Edward had brought.

Sherlock has some hypoglycemia. If he doesn't wake up and don't eat something or drink some sugar or honey water right away, his brain can't start working.

It may be a natural problem, or it may be that he simply does not like to eat.

If Edward hadn't brought him breakfast, I'm afraid he would have drunk some honey water to deal with it today.

"You're going to get stomach problems like this sooner or later, Hermes."

Edward sat in the chair next to Sherlock's desk and whispered.

He also has the same sandwich in his hand. Soft white bread with beef, onions, cheese, lettuce and plenty of cheese sauce.

It was the portable breakfast that Edward had instructed the cook at home to prepare in advance.

Because he knew that Sherlock would skip breakfast if he could.

Although eating sandwiches for breakfast seems to be a bit shabby for the Moriarty family. But if the food had been prepared more sumptuous and complicated, Sherlock would probably not have thought much of it.

Sherlock squinted his eyes and said lazily, "I usually keep myself as hungry as possible. This way my brain is more active. ”

"Are you doing penance?"

"Penance? No, no, no......"

Sherlock chuckled and looked up with interest, "How do you think I'm torturing myself for wisdom like a monk?" ”

"Isn't it?" Edward asked rhetorically.

"Of course not," Sherlock replied, "to care too much about something, and to fall into form and precept. On the contrary, the original intention of seeking wisdom will be lost.

"I admit that what is good is good. If the good and the bad are in front of me, and I have a choice, I will naturally choose the good as I can.

"But is it so bad that it's unacceptable? Not necessarily. As long as it meets my needs, then I can choose either one – in other words, I don't have to choose the better one. ”

Sherlock said, tossing the last bite of the beef sandwich into his mouth.

As he chewed, he muttered, "Honey water and sandwiches wake up my brain just as well." So, of course, whichever is delivered to me, I will eat it. You can't let me go downstairs and buy sandwiches in that groggy posture, right? You don't know what it feels like your brain to be like a dry machine, and that's terrible. ”

"Then you might as well hire a maid to take care of you."

"No, no, no, forget it. My dear friend. ”

Sherlock shook his head vigorously in a vehemently refusal: "You know, every document, every file in my room has its place. All of my bottles and cans also have their own and somewhat mysterious way of placing them. No one but me can put them in such a satisfactory and proper position. ”

"You're a bit like Ivus," Edward commented, looking at the cramped, messy room filled with all sorts of books and materials, "Seriously, you need someone to take care of your life." Why don't you go home and live, at least your cook can cook some good food for you three meals a day. ”

"Heh, forget it."

Sherlock sneered, leaning back and swinging his rocking chair back and forth slightly: "If I go back, the old man will tell me about my blind date and marriage again......

"When people eat too much, their brains become sluggish, and when they drink alcohol, their brains become numb. If you fall in love with another person, or if you are obsessed with fame, or if you are desperate for money and wealth, your mind will become unclear.

"You know, Edward. The path of wisdom is the path of selfishness. Truth is destined to be found alone. Getting married is too much trouble for me. ”

"When you say this, I thought you had come a long way on the path of wisdom."

Edward's calm expression did not change: "The farthest path you have taken is not authoritarian? Besides, you're twenty-six years old, and it's time to get married. It is only natural for Lord Arthur to be anxious about your business. ”

“…… That's only temporary. Soon, my path of wisdom will be overtaken. ”

Sherlock dealt with the past with some vagueness, and then countered without hesitation: "Also, what about yourself?" Aren't you all thirty-five years old and unmarried? ”

Edward only shook his head slightly, and his voice did not fluctuate: "I am called a widow."

"I got married in my early twenties, but my wife died unexpectedly."

“…… I haven't heard you mention that. ”

Sherlock raised an eyebrow, his amber pupils slightly open with some interest.

But he didn't ask here.

Inspector General Edward's once deceased wife - such a big man can be found out casually. Not mentioning it at this moment is a sign of respect for Edward, and at the same time a confidence in his investigative abilities.

And Edward didn't take the initiative to explain, just walked over and handed over this morning's "Glass Steps".

Sherlock, who was lying in a rocking chair, got up and took the newspaper, and then lay down again.

He lay in the rocking chair and swayed, his head little by little. It looks like I'm a little sleepy after I've eaten enough. I've been reading the first version for a long time.

Edward, who was standing next to him, waited for a long time, and finally couldn't help but ask, "See?" Ivas is in the newspaper again, still on the front page. ”

"I found out yesterday."

Sherlock said lazily, "As soon as I entered the club, I guessed the first time I saw His Highness. Speaking of which, when we used to go to school, did we also have a 'crystal dancing shoes' badge? ”

"It's just you. I've never been interested in music. ”

Edward replied casually.

He ate his sandwich and waited for Sherlock to finish reading the newspaper before asking, "What do you think?" ”

"It's not a good thing. But it's not bad either. ”

Sherlock tossed the Glass Steps aside: "Secretary Raff's assassination in front of the public had a terrible effect. But this is just a deliberate tension.

"What really matters is that this happened to Her Royal Highness the Princess. And Director Gordon failed to arrest the professional killer in the end. ”

"Although, based on our investigation of the scene yesterday, Director Gordon's actions can be said to be completely correct. But a lot of times, it doesn't matter what exactly you've done...... What matters is that you convince people of what you do.

"Either way, Gordon let a very dangerous assassin go. It's already the end of November, and the New Year will be over in a little more than a month. If the matter is not properly resolved for a long time, public opinion will go wrong. A high-level transcendent who has been let go and can kill people is basically pointing his nose at the Inspectorate for not doing things well. At that point, not only Gordon, but the entire Inspectorate may be under pressure - your Inspectorate must have wanted to reduce the Inspectorate's purview for a long time, right? ”

"In fact, it's just that he's not doing well. But dealing with Director Gordon at this time will only make people realize that the problem is out of control, and they will become more panicked and the situation will get more and more out of control. ”

Edward whispered, "That's why the Inspectorate plans to hold a large-scale commendation meeting for Ivas this week to shape his achievements and distract the public. ”

"Didn't there be a commendation for the Pelican Bar last time?" Sherlock asked, confused.

"Two commendations are two in one. It's still Thursday afternoon. This time, the plan will not award the 'Crystal Cross', but will directly award the Order of the Holy Sword. ”

Edward said in a deep voice.

"Huh."

Sherlock raised an eyebrow: "In what name?" The Order of the Holy Sword is usually awarded to a warrior who has made meritorious contributions to the country or who has made meritorious contributions on the battlefield. ”

"'Single-handedly discovered and prevented the assassination of Princess Isabel by the Transcendent Assassins.'"

"Huh? This becomes an assassination attempt? Secretary Raff has become an innocent person affected? ”

The black-haired young man with messy curly hair lazily collapsed on the rocking chair and sneered: "It's not impossible." Let's let them report it first. ”

“…… First? ”

Edward caught Sherlock's words: "What did you find?" ”

"Not an investigation, but a reasoning. It's an interesting case, my best friend. I thought about it all night yesterday and didn't go to bed until three or four o'clock in the middle of the night. ”

Sherlock said, pulling out his small notebook: "Start with the most critical points according to the priority of the matter."

"I've decoded the documents, and they have a lot of addresses and names written on them in a kind of ciphertext.

"You don't care about the reasoning process in between. I'll go straight to the conclusion - this document, which was found at the scene, is related to the smuggling case at the port. ”

“…… You mean the 'Brotherhood of Sweaters' line? ”

"Yes. That is, Trade Secretary De Rost may have something to do with the smuggling case.

"And the identity of the assassin, I have already found out. It was an Assassin association from Iris, called "Hawkeye". Only they will use this particular weapon. They are the remnants of the fall of the Duchy of Black Eagle...... Count as a mercenary. It is possible to accept commissions from anyone, including attacking the nobles and even the royal family of various countries. ”

With that, Sherlock fastened the notebook.

He looked at Edward meaningfully: "Do you think that under what circumstances would the assassins who came all the way from Iris would kill the minister's private secretary directly related to the smuggling case of the Star Antimony Kingdom in an open place?" ”

"I think it's to set up a blame."

Edward replied without hesitation: "That's why the deceased fell to the ground from the second floor with his back to the murderer in the position of holding the papers. This shows that he most likely did not go to get the documents, but to deliver them. ”

"Oh, there's some truth to that speculation."

When Sherlock heard this, the corners of his mouth rose slightly: "But unfortunately, this possibility does not exist. Because I confirmed the note on this document yesterday, it is clearly from the same person as the code word on the waybill we seized at the Sweater Brotherhood. After cracking the password rules, I successfully decoded the file, and found that it was written one repository after another, and a certain administrator of the corresponding repository.

"Thankfully, I have a file here that has documents that Secretary Raff used to sign. Although he deliberately controlled the brushstrokes, he was convinced that it was written by the same person.

"So I thought of a possibility. Someone has the handle of Chancellor Drost in his hands and therefore wants to expose him. ”

"And this kind of thing......"

Edward muttered in a low voice, staring at Sherlock, and asked in a slow, clear voice, "And who do you think it will be?" ”

"In terms of relationships, motivations, abilities, alibis, etc.," Sherlock paused, "I think it could be your father, Professor Moriarty. ”

(End of chapter)