Chapter 9 “James Moriarty” — Part 3 - “I’m The Hidden Genius Who Became Both a Hero and a Villain in the Capital”

Within minutes, the entire underground lab had turned into chaos.

Bodies lay scattered everywhere, groaning or unconscious, and broken crates leaked glowing liquid across the floor.

Nox calmly wiped the blood off his gloves and the tip of his cane.

“…I held back. Even with my magic sealed, this is the best I can manage right now.”

He let out a slow breath, eyes cold as he walked toward the defeated boss lying on the ground.

Nox crouched down.

“Boss,” he said quietly, “you all lost. So tell me—who’s behind you? If it’s the Zodiac… I promise your death won’t be pleasant.”

The boss trembled.

Nox’s lips curled into a faint, icy smile.

‘There’s no way this idiot came up with this drug formula. And the materials they used are toxic and nationally banned… Someone is backing them.’he thought

The boss swallowed hard, gripping his injured arm.

“We… we just followed the orders of Eldon Farver! He gave us the recipe—we only made it and sold it! Eldon Farver is a merchant… a mid-rank noble… that’s all I know!”

Nox clicked his tongue.

“I see. And these documents?” He lifted a folder from beside the fallen man. “Enough proof to hang you all.”

He flipped through the papers briefly.

“I’m surprised… He even handed over trade account records. Nobles usually bury evidence, not gift-wrap it. Eldon Farver must be doing this for the first time—how sloppy or there is something else”

“Well, not my concern,” Nox muttered. “My job is to stop this right now.”

He pulled out a pink vial, uncorked it, and tossed it onto the floor. A thick cloud of mist spread instantly through the lab.

Workers collapsed one by one, drifting into deep sleep.

“I have a lot of work to do next… but the academy first.”

Shadows gathered beneath his feet, swirling like liquid darkness.

His figure dissolved into them—not even a footprint left behind.

The lab fell into complete silence.

---

Two Days Later — Headmaster’s Office

Velmira slammed her hands on the desk, laughing so hard the tea set rattled.

“Aahahaha! Seriously—when you act as James Moriarty, it’s too good!”

Nox stared blankly at her.

‘She’s four hundred years old… Why is she laughing like a five-year-old after too much sugar?’

He took a slow sip of his coffee.

Velmira wiped a tear from her eye.

“You really did great work. Ah, and your bounty went up again!”

Nox flinched.

“Shut up. It’s because you keep giving me these jobs.”

“As your handler,” she said proudly, “I consider it a success!”

She pointed at a stack of newspapers.

The headline screamed:

MID-RANK NOBLE ELDON FARVER ARRESTED — MYSTERIOUS INFORMANT DROPS EVIDENCE LIKE FLYERS IN MARKET

Nox’s eyebrow twitched.

“Don’t look at me. Someone dropped documents from the sky… very flashy.” Velmira grinned.

“And,” she continued, “the Imperial Knights received a letter with all the original documents you left behind. They raided the factory, found the thugs you put to sleep—they confessed everything. Then Eldon Farver was arrested. Tada! Big news!”

Nox sighed.

“The client laughed like a lunatic afterward… Anyway, payment?”

Velmira smirked and waved an envelope.

“You know it’s forbidden to give personal information about students. But… I’m doing you a favor.”

“Yeah, sure,” Nox muttered. “You do a lot of favors for me! Now give me.”

He took the envelope and opened it.

Inside was information about the Valorios family—the person he wanted to investigate.

Velmira crossed her arms.

“Well, you earned it. I gathered everything useful. But my advice is still the same—don’t get involved with her. You’ll regret it.”

“What’s next for you?” she asked.

“Search for the Zodiac, and my brother of course,” Nox replied. “It’s the only reason I came to this academy.”

“Any leads?”

“No.”

He stood up and turned toward the door.

“Goodbye, Headmaster. And next time—don’t give me troublesome work.”

Shadows rose like a curtain, wrapping around him.

In a blink, he vanished from the office.

Velmira looked back at the newspaper and burst into laughter again.

“Hahaha—seriously, this is too funny!”

Meanwhile — Capital, Knight Headquarters Inside the capital’s knight headquarters, a tall office filled with stacked documents and reports trembled as Elina Altia, a woman with flowing pink hair and matching eyes, let out a long sigh.

“…Troublesome. Absolutely troublesome.”

Her pen dropped onto the desk.

The higher-ups were restless.

Nobles were panicking.

And the name James Moriarty was now circling the capital like a ghost story.

Elina rubbed her temples.

All because of the Eldon Farver incident…

A knock came.

A young knight entered—short, glasses, twin-tails bouncing lightly, wearing a neat simple uniform.

“Ma’am Altia, you should rest. Your desk looks like it’s trying to kill you.”

Elina exhaled again.

“You’re right, Mira. But the paperwork is too heavy. After the Farver incident, nobles won’t stop hounding me. Some even accused me of targeting them… If the Valorios family didn’t shut them up, I’d still be in meetings.”

Mira handed her a cup of warm tea.

“Let’s talk about something else, ma’am. Forget work for a moment.”

“…Good idea.”

Elina leaned back and looked out the window, holding the cup between her palms.

A small smile tugged at her lips.

“I wonder how my sister is doing… My Liora. I miss her.”

Mira blinked.

“Oh! Right—your sister went to the academy. Special admission too. She’s smart, she’ll be fine.”

But Elina’s expression instantly turned into pure worry.

“She’s shy. So timid. So fragile. My sweet little pie…”

Elina pressed a hand to her chest dramatically.

“Liora Altia is my half-sister, an illegitimate child of my father. That’s why it’s so hard for her to enter the academy. Thanks to my recommendation she got in, but special admission draws too much attention. What if someone bullies her? What if she cries? What if someone scares her—”

Mira quickly grabbed her shoulders.

“Ma’am—calm down! You look terrifying when you panic!”

Elina slammed her face into the table.

“Miraaaa… what if Liora gets bullied…?! My Lioraaaa…!”

She clung to the edge of the desk, sobbing dramatically while Mira patted her back helplessly.

---

Meanwhile — Academy Classroom

Nox stepped into the classroom and sat in the same seat beside Alber and Sisbell.

Sisbell immediately started nagging.

“You’re so annoying! Why don’t you do assignments properly for once?!”

Alber ignored her completely.

Nox dropped into his seat with a dead expression.