Sherlock Holmes

Actually.

No need to emphasize repeatedly, everyone knows that Sherlock is not easily shocked.

But he didn't know why. In the past six months, he seemed to find that he would often be stunned for a few seconds after seeing something or hearing some words.

He likes this feeling. When the various puzzles in this world are solved layer by layer, and the shocking deep answers are revealed to him, he must feel pleasure.

But during this time, the pleasure was a bit too much.

When Shylock heard the words Nightingale was an evil god, he was startled.

Immediately afterwards, Master Dante in front of him saw that Sherlock was just startled when he heard such news, and he couldn't help but be startled as well.

It’s a bit convoluted. Anyway, at this moment, the old man and the young man in this small house looked at each other face to face and were silent for a long time.

In the end, Lord Dante nodded appreciatively:

“When I brought Nightingale’s embryo back from that world, it was really hard to describe the little thing in my arms.

A life that has not grown into a human form is soaked in green viscous liquid.

I saw a large tube under the glass, inserted where her umbilical cord should have been.

The septum of her eyes has not yet completely split, and her fingers have just formed. No one in our world can see an embryo gradually growing into a baby, and I can't explain to you how I felt at that time.

But I know that this unborn baby is the root of the destruction of our world. "

Speaking of this, Lord Dante suddenly raised the corners of his mouth, but it did not show that kind of wisdom, or unrivaled confidence and strength. Instead, it was full of bitterness. He looked at the sky outside the window. It was so clear that it was blue, as if it was still. The picture looks like:

"And I didn't kill her."

In fact, the evil god has always been just a conceptual name. It could be some kind of machine, some kind of monster, or it could be an unborn baby.

In short, the evil god is the thing that can connect the two worlds and allow humans 800 years later to cross the rift in time and space unscrupulously.

Nightingale had this ability.

"I was young, and I had people I liked, and people who liked me." Master Dante murmured: "But I never married a wife, let alone had children. My beloved woman died during the second demon invasion. No, she was just a nameless tea garden worker.

When he died, I had been on the battlefield for three years. I had killed a lot of demons and seen a lot of blood.

But I don't know why, but I still can't do anything to that young embryo.

She wasn't even a child, she didn't know anything, she was just forcibly born using a machine that violated the principle of life reproduction.

I still remember that I saw her in the breeding barn, scratching her belly with her little transparent hands that were not yet fully developed.

Okay, I know, I can't kill her anymore. "

It was hard to imagine that the old man who had harvested countless lives in front of him was now feeling extremely guilty for not killing a baby.

"I brought her back home, and when everyone was celebrating my return and when the entire empire was erecting statues of me, they never imagined that my home was actually feeding an evil god.

Due to technical reasons, it was impossible for the embryo to survive because it could not even absorb basic nutrients.

But it was because of Nightingale's weird mutant characteristics that she was forced to survive the embryonic development stage without nutritional supply.

I did not keep her by my side, after all, my identity always attracted too much attention, so I put Nightingale in a basket and delivered it to the door of a young and kind-hearted couple on a rainy night. , knocked on the door, and then hid in the shadows across the road.

I watched as the couple opened the door, looked at the infant child in surprise, and then took it into their home.

I thought at that time, it would be great if this little baby could grow up anonymously in an ordinary person's home, and never be tainted with the right and wrong of this world.

But who could have imagined that she turned out to be such a kind and selfless girl, so she left her home with some simple luggage, and then became famous all over the world.

It was then that I realized a problem that I would never be able to figure out, it was extremely complex and frightening.”

Suddenly, Master Dante looked at Sherlock: "You have been to the other side, so you should know that the other side of the big hole is actually the world after the sun explodes 800 years later, right?"

Sherlock nodded.

"Then you should also know that in fact, all [contract abilities] are just due to the cracks in time and space that allow two beings with the same life coordinates to have a connection spanning 800 years, right?"

Sherlock also nodded. These things should be the first things he understood in another world.

But suddenly, Sherlock also realized something.

He frowned slightly, and then looked into Lord Dante's eyes. He saw the same confusion in the other person's eyes.

The old man and the young man all had an extremely complicated question in their minds at this time.

That is.

Nightingale was created by technology 800 years later.

So, if she is brought to the current timeline, will she live until 800 years later because of the characteristics of her body as the timeline goes by?

Even if she will still die, will she get married and have children? Leave descendants behind.

Even if she does not leave any descendants, her genes and biological coordinates will remain for a long time.

In this way, under the long flow of time, an erroneous closed loop that cannot be logically formed.

I was born about 800 years after my death?

Sherlock is very smart, but he is not a philosopher or a scientist. In his era, it is impossible for anyone to understand the concept of time, let alone think of parallel universes, the grandmother's paradox, and the Möbius strip of time. Questions like that.

Anyway, he suddenly got stuck.

Too fast thinking and analysis ability actually produced some side effects at this moment. Sherlock was like a super calculator who suddenly came to the conclusion that his algorithm was wrong under the correct algorithm. When he found that this was a puzzle that could not be solved according to existing logic and had to give up, he found that the tea in front of him had already cooled down. Looking out the window again, dusk had arrived.

The old man across the table did not rush him, but just waited quietly. Of course, he had not figured out this problem for more than 30 years, and it was impossible for Sherlock to solve it so quickly.

Lord Dante smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"I thank you for bringing Nightingale back more than a year ago.

Because I simply can't imagine what would happen if she traveled through the cracks in time and space again.

Of course, I don’t know what would happen if she died in our world, let alone what would happen if she continued to live.

It seems that no matter how you think about it, she is a paradox.

I really regret it, but I finally brought her back. If the world logically collapsed because of this girl, then I am not a god who protects the world at all.

I'm just a sinner.

Therefore, I will no longer interfere in all issues of the empire. I am old and will die one day.

But the empire still has a future, an increasingly brighter future. In the hearts of people living in the future, they also need someone they respect. The Holy Light protects mankind, but the Holy Light is not human after all. We need our own heroes. "

Sherlock didn't quite understand why Lord Dante said this to himself at this time, but his mind had been occupied by the paradox of that time, and he was immersed in thinking for a while and couldn't extricate himself.

He walked out of the old man's simple house and shook hands with the old man in the fading sunshine. Lord Dante also patted his shoulder casually.

In fact, based on Sherlock's past observation skills, he would realize in an instant that these actions seemed to be intentional.

He would also observe that on the other side of the path, a newsboy seemed to be holding a camera, which happened to capture this scene.

Under the setting sun, in the breeze, on the coast, Lord Dante and Mr. Holmes held hands cordially. The old man's hand, which once supported the dying empire, gently patted the young man in front of him on the shoulder.

His eyes were full of relief and appreciation.

No one dared to take photos of Lord Dante casually, so this photo must have been approved by him.

I don’t know what kind of commotion it will cause when the editors see this photo and it is sent to the Holy Journal.

The old man retired to the seaside and became a fisherman. He said that he would no longer interfere in the world.

But after the sea recedes, it will inevitably leave traces of the shore that stretch for thousands of miles. The trees are motionless, but they can still block the wind, rain or sunshine, especially those statues that stand all over the empire. They have never said a word. , but it still makes people passing by stop and admire it.

In this world, it no longer means that if you want to go into seclusion, you will do so.

Therefore, every move of the old man has always affected the entire empire, just like he once took a train away and went to the blood prison; or like today, shaking hands with a young man under the sunset.

Sherlock didn't notice this. He had been in a blank period of thinking. He even forgot how he said goodbye to Lord Dante.

In fact, he still had many questions to ask, but it didn't matter, because until he left the village and walked continuously along the beautiful coastline, he was silent and thinking under the sea breeze.

But there are some problems that can no longer be solved by logic or reasoning.

When the past timeline is changed, what will happen in the future?

In Sherlock's mind, there seemed to be a line that represented the passage of time, from the birth of mankind to the development of society. But when it reached the beginning of the holy calendar and the door to hell opened, it suddenly Unable to move forward, it seems that the only way to continue moving forward is to separate two parallel lines.

Suddenly, a word appeared in his mind.

【World No. 12】

This word was mentioned by the voice in his head when he faced the Hall of Thought in the Holy Light Temple a few days ago.

At that time, he just thought it was strange why the world was divided into so many numbers.

But since Holy Light pretended not to answer, there was nothing he could do.

But now.

"Hey, Holy Light, come out!"

"What did you mean by [World No. 12] before?"

"Do you want to tell me that there is more than one world?"

"Get the fuck out of here!"

Still no response.

At the end of a long street in Wilnis City, the people at Erin's Bar were pushed away.

In every city that can be named, Erin's Bar is a private, safe, and highly privileged place, and Sherlock is already familiar with it. The owner of the bar actually told Mr. Holmes three years ago that dining in Irene's Bar would be free of charge.

It's just that at that time, Sherlock was still an unknown person, and he might have to tell his name before entering Irene's Bar.

But now there is no need for this step. There is no one in the entire empire who does not know the famous Sherlock.

The waiter was slightly surprised when he saw him, and then he professionally hid his emotions and took him to a quiet private room upon request.

Sherlock didn't come here to meet anyone, he really just needed a place to be quiet for a while.

However.

Just when he was digesting all the events during this period.

A waiter suddenly knocked on the door of his box.

Sherlock knew that with the professionalism of the waiters in Erin's bar, they would not disturb the guests casually, so there must be something important to inform him.

So he opened the door.

And he was very surprised when the service staff in front of him said respectfully:

"We certainly didn't disclose anything about your whereabouts, but the traffic patrol officers in the city saw you walking into the pub.

So, just now, His Royal Highness the Emperor received a phone call.

He wants to ask you if you have time to have dinner with you. "

The airship was traveling in the clouds at extremely high speeds, but against the backdrop of the huge sky, everything outside the window was as quiet as a picture.

Sherlock sat on a seat by the window, feeling the vibration of the air outside the window passing through the glass, and couldn't help but feel a little sad.

At this stage, even if the emperor wants to see him, he has to see if he has time?

Although Franklin's shady old boy's rise to power has a lot to do with him.

But after all, he has been the emperor for several years.

Thinking of all the experiences he had come in, he felt helplessly that it seemed that his past life was gradually moving away from him.