Chapter 82

□ Past Lucius Holmes

It is my past and present.

I was born in London, England.

Our family was neither wealthy, nor noble, nor poor.

But it was certainly not ordinary.

My father was the owner of a detective agency specializing in unsolved cases—a detective.

My mother was a thief specializing in art—a lady thief.

I was born between a detective and a lady thief.

This is not a joke but a simple fact.

My father was a famous detective who solved unsolved cases like a protagonist in a detective novel, and my mother was a lady thief who operated around the world like a character in a movie or a classic novel.

Both of our family lines have been detectives and thieves for generations.

I heard that the Holmes family name was changed by my great-grandfather to emulate the world's most famous detective when he started his detective business.

How my oil-and-water parents met, married, and had me as their son remains a mystery to this day.

When I was young, I asked my father, "Aren't you going to catch Mom?" and he replied, "A detective's job is to reveal the truth, not to arrest criminals."

I wondered if that was how it was.

Moreover, my mother would steal art, admire it, and return it within a month. More often than not, she would turn it over to the police rather than the original owner, who had obtained it illegally.

It seems that her purpose was not money but the act of stealing itself. "A thief's job is to steal, not to sell," she used to say. To be honest, I thought being a thief wasn't a job.

Both of them were so devoted to their work that the three of us rarely gathered.

Perhaps because both of them were so talented and active in their respective fields, they both noticed something about me when I was young.

—Lucius has exceptional talent.

Insight, observation, imagination, dexterity, physical coordination, and appearance.

These are the talents of a detective and a thief.

Both of my parents agreed that I had inherited and surpassed their talents.

As mentioned earlier, both of my parents were passionate about their family businesses and thought:

—This talent is a waste.

—I want to develop the talent of a detective (thief).

—But I can't ignore the wishes of my beloved wife (husband).

So they made a proposal.

They would take turns providing me with elite education.

My father taught me observation techniques, lip reading, languages and customs of various countries, and human psychology.

My mother taught me how to disarm traps, find blind spots, and manipulate others.

And together, they planned basic studies and physical training.

It was decided from a young age that I would be taught these skills.

However, they never once told me to become a detective or a thief.

They would develop my talents, but I had to decide how to live my life, they told me many times when I was a child.

In the first place, by the time I was taught these skills, I was already limited to being a detective or a thief, but fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't mind.

Now I can calmly reflect on my life, but if I had been educated that way since I was old enough to understand, that would have been "normal" and my standard.

Most importantly, thanks to the general knowledge and sociology included in the elite education, as well as the "value standards commonly thought of in the country," I knew that my standards were different from the general public.

I understood that my situation was far from ordinary.

Still, the final conclusion was that "our family is normal, and I should adjust my conversation to fit the values of those I meet," which shows that I was a true child of my parents.

Thus, I received ten years of elite education from the age of five and absorbed almost all the skills my parents possessed.

I also studied on my own, and at this point, I should have surpassed my parents in total ability.

I was to become an adult in five years.

I was thinking, "What kind of future will I choose by then?" when something happened.

—My parents died in a plane crash.

I received a call that the plane they were on had crashed while they were both unusually traveling abroad together.

I mourned my parents' death, but I also thought calmly, "Would those two die from something like that?"

It wasn't that I wanted to deny reality, but given their abilities, I thought they could have escaped even if the plane had crashed.

However, the next day, news arrived that several children wearing parachutes and life jackets had been rescued at sea.

All the children were on the plane that my parents were on.

In the news interview, the children said, "A tall man and a beautiful woman put parachutes on us."

That's when I understood.

It seems that my parents, in the falling plane, chose to save the children rather than escape themselves, for my sake.

I wanted them to prioritize their own survival, but at the same time, I felt a little proud.

I felt a sense of respect for my parents, who could take such actions.

Why were there tears in my eyes?

◇

After my parents' death, I took a breather after sorting out my affairs.

I had learned the methods for various procedures from my parents, so I could continue to use the land, mansion, and assets without any problems.

I could live comfortably until I died, but I couldn't just do nothing.

So, I... I...?

"Ah."

That's when I realized.

I finally... realized.

That I, who had been praised as a genius for mastering everything my parents taught me... for the first time, realized that I had never made a single choice on my own.

I had followed the path laid out by my parents and cleared the tasks they gave me.

Therefore, I had never experienced the act of choosing how to live my life.

The future that would come was "eventually" but not "now."

I vaguely thought that the future me would be able to choose.

However, I had no guidelines at all.

I, who had lived passively in my parents' love, had no vision of how I wanted to be.

"How should I live?"

It was like being thrown into the middle of a wilderness all alone.

I had water.

I had food.

I had a compass.

I had the wisdom and ability to survive.

But... I had no idea where to go.

No matter which direction I went, I didn't know what was there.

Even if there was something, I didn't know what to do.

I was extremely confused.

I was confused but couldn't choose.

Ah, this won't do.

If I continue like this, I will end up... just existing.

I was at a loss, thinking, "What should I do?"

◇

I decided to search my parents' private rooms to see if they had left any messages.

I felt a voice inside me blaming myself for seeking my path from my parents even after their death, but I ignored it.

I started with my mother's room.

...My mother's room had a trap that would set the room on fire and destroy all evidence if I took a wrong step.

I was able to disarm it, but if the house had fallen into the hands of someone else, it would have been a major incident, I thought detachedly.

My mother's room only had her work tools.

There were no artworks.

I didn't think she would keep stolen items in a room with a burning mechanism, but reading her diary, it seemed she had nothing that she hadn't returned.

If she had any art that she hadn't returned, I would have had to return it, so I was relieved.

Or, if that were the case, it would have been a good thing to find out what to do next.

The only thing other than her work tools was... a half-knitted sweater.

And then my father's room.

This room had only a normal lock and no traps. Traps are not normal, after all.

I immediately noticed something. There was an unfamiliar object on my father's desk.

It was a headgear-type electronic device.

"...Is this from <Infinite Dendrogram>?"

I knew the existence of the game as general knowledge.

It is a "real" dive-type VRMMO that is famous for being popular worldwide.

I had no time to play during my training and learning, and I had no interest in games other than chess with my father.

"Was Dad playing this?"

I wondered if he had time to play, given his busy schedule as a detective and my education.

I left it for the moment and continued searching, and found a letter in the drawer of my father's desk.

At first, I thought it was a will or something addressed to me, but after reading a little, I realized it was a letter addressed to my father.

I thought about stopping reading, but I was curious when I saw the words <Infinite Dendrogram> in the text, so I continued reading.

It seems that my father had received a request from an anonymous person to investigate the game <Infinite Dendrogram>.

In short, it was a request to "investigate the secrets of this game."

Someone suspected that there was a conspiracy behind the game and had commissioned my father to investigate with a large sum of money.

By the way, when I was sorting through the mail later, I found a letter from the sender of this request.

It was a letter of condolences for my father and a withdrawal of the request, stating that the advance payment and other fees should be kept.

It seems that the client was a conscientious person.

In any case, I had my father's <Infinite Dendrogram> game device in front of me.

A game that a famous detective like my father was asked to investigate the truth of.

It was very intriguing... and above all, I felt a desire to "choose."

Was this a new path shown to me, who had lost my way?

"The game's slogan was..."

—<Infinite Dendrogram> provides a new world and your own possibilities.

...It was a well-timed phrase.

There could be no more attractive words for someone who was at a loss for where to go.

And at this moment, that someone is... me.

"Then, let me see what it offers."

A new world.

"I hope it shows me something."

My possibilities.

"...Should I try it?"

So, I put on the headgear in my father's study and stepped into the world of <Infinite Dendrogram>.

◇◇◇

□ Duel City Gideon West Gate 【Pimp】Luke Holmes

『《Motorslash》』

『VAMOOOOOOOOOOO!!』

The ice <Majingear> used a slashing attack with its left hand this time, and Marilyn countered with the physical attack skill 《Trihorn Upper》.

—Next, quick draw of the large gun in the right hand, grenade launcher.

Babi, 《Little Flare》.

"Alright!"

『』

The collision of Babi's learned low-level fire attribute magic and the grenade immediately after it was launched caused the gun barrel to be damaged by the explosion.

Future attacks with the targeted firearm are impossible.

—Next, right