01 Letter

At King's Cross Station, Aili was overjoyed to see that her son had grown taller again. After bringing him back to Mephisto Manor, she personally cooked a lavish lunch.

"I still miss when Sherlock was little, when he could stay by his mother's side all the time. Those days were wonderful. Unlike now, when he has to wait four months before coming home for an extended holiday."

Aili wistfully complained at the dinner table that her son had grown up too quickly, though two months later, they would discover that their daughter Axinsha was growing just as fast.

"I remember you used to tell me all the time that the place you hated staying most was home, especially because you disliked your mother. You thought she was a witch with particularly bizarre habits." Fumengde continued teasing his wife. "Maybe Sherlock dislikes the way you dote on him too. What he wants isn't the restraints that come with affection, but freedom."

Aili shot him a furious glare. "If you're so full of ideas, why don't you become a politician!"

"Actually, I've already entered politics, and I'm doing quite well!"

Watching his father recklessly provoke his mother, Sherlock shook his head. Ignoring the sight of his mother clawing at his father, he quietly sipped beef soup from his spoon. The house-elf Shog carried a silver tray in his hands, lined with red silk, upon which rested a letter bearing the emblem of the International Magic Inspection.

Only exceptionally important letters were brought over by Shog on a tray.

Sherlock had initially assumed it was for his father. After all, Fumengde was now the chairman of the International Dark Magic Association. Who knew whether some dark wizard from the association had caused trouble somewhere, been caught by another country's Ministry of Magic, and sent Fumengde a notice asking him to appear in court?

"Young master, there is a letter for you?"

"For me?" Sherlock looked at Shog in surprise. Beside him, Fumengde pushed away Aili's scratching hand. He had been about to take the letter himself, only to find that it was addressed to his son.

It definitely wasn't from his friends. If it were, Pyros would have delivered it. So what international organization would send him such a formal letter?

Though the title Prince of Charms did indeed carry considerable prestige in the international magical world.

Sherlock took the letter and examined it. On the envelope was a round red emblem: within a torii stood a rabbit holding a pestle, beside a fox carrying a khakkhara, with a cherry blossom symbol inside as well.

"What a strange emblem. Which organization does it belong to?"

Sherlock was confident that he had read quite a lot of books, yet he had never seen this emblem before. Still, judging by its feel, it ought to have come from an international power on the Japanese island nation.

"Let me see." Fumengde gave it a glance, then searched his memories before finally confirming, "This should be the symbol of the Japanese magical government's administration!"

"The Japanese magical world!"

Fumengde nodded. "That's right. There is a dark wizard named Koizumi Saburo. He left Japan ten years ago and joined the International Dark Magic Association by chance. Don't underestimate Japan just because it's an island nation; it has a magical government of its own. I've heard that Japanese wizards once didn't even refer to their society as the magical world, though perhaps they were influenced by the West."

After thinking for a moment, Fumengde continued, "The reason people know so little about the Japanese magical world today may be related to its policy of seclusion. Although Japanese Muggles are very active internationally and love stirring things up, the wizards there are different."

Sherlock nodded. "So this is the emblem of Japan's Ministry of Magic?"

"No... although Japanese wizards collectively refer to their environment as the magical world, their government institution isn't called the Ministry of Magic. It's called the Great Way Academy Shogunate!"

Sherlock smacked his lips, feeling that the island nation truly was a strange country—wanting to learn from the outside world while preserving its traditions.

He opened the envelope. The letter read as follows.

"Thank you, Mr. Sherlock Mephisto, for opening this letter. I hope its sudden arrival has not caused you any confusion.

I am Teramoto Shoma of the Dharma Purification Institute, under the Japanese magical government's Great Way Academy Shogunate. Ah... the title Dharma Purification Institute is equivalent to the position of Minister for Magic in your country.

In ancient Japan, this was a noble title personally bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor!

But to get back to the point, the Great Way Academy Shogunate has recently encountered an exceedingly thorny matter. For generations, we have preserved a passed-down manuscript known as the Doman Manuscript. Today, it has been confirmed that the prophecy left by its author has come to pass—the time has arrived for the Doman Manuscript's secrets to be revealed. We sincerely hope to invite Mr. Sherlock, the Prince of Charms, whose mastery of charms has reached the pinnacle, to visit the Great Way Academy Shogunate in person!

Written personally by Teramoto Shoma of the Dharma Purification Institute!"

Sherlock waved the letter in his hand. So that was what it was—the Japanese magical government had some manuscript left behind by their island ancestors, likely containing powerful charms or major secrets.

But it was clearly now the day foretold by their ancestors to open the manuscript, yet the island's wizards were helpless before it. So they could only turn to outside help.

If one had to name the person in the world with the greatest research and achievements in charms today, it was likely none other than the renowned Prince of Charms. If they were going to invite someone, why not invite the best?

Though the letter did not explicitly state that Japan's wizards were unable to open the manuscript, if they had a way to do so, why would they need to invite Sherlock to the Great Way Academy Shogunate in person?

"Father, since you said Japan's magical world follows a policy of seclusion, what channel would foreign wizards need to use to get in?"

Sherlock asked Fumengde, who merely shook his head. "When a country closes itself off, getting out can be easy, but getting in is difficult."

Sherlock flipped through the envelope again and accidentally discovered a glittering golden ticket.

"Bird Sea Maru? And it's a first-class luxury ticket." Sherlock thought about it. Since they were inviting him, they would naturally have arranged transportation. But what exactly was Bird Sea Maru? Was it some kind of Japanese airplane? After all, its name included the word bird.

Aili and Fumengde both looked at the dazzling ticket, but they shook their heads, unable to make sense of it.

Only after Sherlock saw the tiny address printed on the back of the ticket did he realize that Bird Sea Maru was actually a giant international sightseeing cruise ship!

"That's great, Brother! It looks like you can take a trip to Japan this summer." Axinsha was full of envy, but unfortunately, the ticket only allowed one person aboard Bird Sea Maru. Otherwise, she would have wanted to go along too.

Sherlock looked at the ticket in his hand and smiled quietly. "Japan? This could be interesting."