Novelist Running Through Time

Chapter 75

TL: KSD

Every time someone unfamiliar enters the Baker familys detective agency, they find themselves at a loss, enveloped in the dense smoke of burning actinidia wood filling the room.

Especially, when the strong feline instinct running in the blood of the British meets the actinidia wood, somewhat embarrassing situations occurlike losing ones composure as a gentleman or lady and rolling on the floor with laughter,

Fortunately, John Watson, being a gentleman of honor and also having a close friendship with the eccentric owner of this office, made it a practice to open the door wide before entering, to let out the smoke of the actinidia wood.

The typical gentleman of the British Empire, namely a lion among felines, and not just any lion but a Barbary lion, John Watson was worried that the smoke from the actinidia wood might permeate his meticulously groomed mane, which he took two hours each day to care for. Amidst his concerns, an irritable voice rang out sharply from inside the office.

Damn it! Watson! You again?

Thats my line, Holmes.

Watson, limping due to a physical scar left from the Afghan War, and on the other hand, walking with dignity through skilled use of his cane, looked down at the peculiar owner of the detective agency with a commanding presence.

Sherlock, Holmes.

Ahem!

The full name called by his close friend made the British Shorthairs adorably ears droop.

If one were to say that this cat, holding its tail taut with tension and pouting its lips, was Londons greatest detective, the enthusiastic followers who had not encountered the real deal, that is, the numerous citizens of London, would doubt their eyes.

However, Watson knew all too well to be easily swayed by that pitiful appearance, just how much of a peculiar cat Sherlock Holmes was and how much he needed to change.

Watson advised firmly, looking down.

Ive told you how many times to quit the actinidia wood!

37 times?

Correct. And all the more irritating for it.

Watson slammed the desk. Bang!

I keep telling you! Actinidia wood is closer to opium than tobacco! Please listen when a doctor speaks!

Alright, I surrender. Ill try to hold off for a while. Anyway, what brings you here, my friend?

Watson knew too well that for a while meant no more than a couple of days, but all he could do today was to sigh with worry and place a letter on the desk.

Its a case.

Finally!

Holmes, who was on the verge of going mad with boredom, snatched the letter with feline agility

There

The room of the pop culture and arts research club was immersed in reading.

It was because Gu Yu-na had threatened me with a glare sharper than a knife to read her novel.

Thus, while being forced to deeply engage in reading the novel, Min Hyo-chan cautiously raised his hand.

I have a question.

Gu Yu-na, monitoring her reader with fiery eyes, allowed the question.

What is it?

The sharp question of the pink-haired rapper, Min Hyo-chan.

Why is it a cat?

Gu Yu-na did not answer.

As the silence stretched, Min Hyo-chan grew anxious.

Suddenly, a proverb flashed through his mind. Of course, the source was an internet community. The phrase, piercing the essence of art history, went as follows:

Art has always been dominated by the wealthy.

Nobility, millionaires, and those suspiciously wealthy

Cats are cute, arent they?

What!?

Arent cats cute?

Gu Yu-na looked at Min Hyo-chan, who was startled and jolting, as if he were strange. Moon In-seop sitting next to him did the same.

Min Hyo-chan belatedly made an excuse.

Ah, ah! Right! Cats! Cute!

As Min Hyo-chan awkwardly scrambled, Moon In-seop and Gu Yu-na naturally began a conversation.

After all, its not rare for art pieces to transform humans into animals.

Its probably only those steeped in internet memes who would mistake an author for a furry enthusiast simply because the protagonist of their novel is a cat.

Eventually, Min Hyo-chan, sighing in relief and criticizing himself, noticed Gu Yu-nas yellow furry blanket.

Could it really be?!

Leaving the increasingly troubled Min Hyo-chan behind, Moon In-seop asked Gu Yu-na.

Is it perhaps expressing nationality?

Yes. The British are lions. The French, chickens. The Germans, Dobermans

Its rare but a classical way of expression. But why is the protagonist a cat? The animal that represents England is the lion.

Then the protagonist should be a lion too.

But?

Lions arent cute.

What?

Write what you want to write.

As Min Hyo-chans misunderstanding deepened, a brief thought crossed Moon In-seops mind.

Of course, a brain that had been gaslighted for nearly 10 years couldnt possibly function normally.

1. Does it make sense to force a setting just because you like cats? -X

2. Oh! Yu-na chose a cat as the protagonist because she likes cats! -O

I see!

Gu Yu-na slightly lifted the corners of her mouth in satisfaction, and Min Hyo-chan was frustrated. In this damn club of three people, only one is sane. It doesnt make sense. He missed Kim Byul Sunbae.

With that sentiment, Min Hyo-chan asked in a gruff voice.

Hey, so is the title Meow Meow Holmes?

Gu Yu-na shook her head from side to side.

Then what is it?

Surprisingly, the title sounded quite impressive to Min Hyo-chan.

The Automaton Murder Case.

Side EPAutomaton Murder Case

Its rare for anyone to think of automatons as human. Still, in America, where people with dark skin are not even treated as human, its unlikely that machines capable of talking, thinking, and feeling emotions would be considered human.

In that sense, Lady Rosa Luxemburg of Kent was as eccentric as Holmes. At least, thats how it appeared to Watson.

He was my lover!

How could one love a machine?

From Watsons perspective, possessing the typical British gentlemans qualities of splendid mane, honorable mindset, and conservative political views, it was incomprehensible to understand Lady Rosa Luxemburg.

But perhaps eccentrics understand each other somewhere. Holmes, puffing away at his damned actinidia wood pipe, gently took Lady Rosa Luxemburgs hand and patted it.

Calm down, madam. Of course, its regrettable that your husband was harmed

Hes not my husband. My husband died a long time ago.

Oh, I see. My apologies.

Watson could somewhat understand this part. It was not uncommon in the world of nobility to have lovers while being married. Moreover, it wasnt something to be criticized for a widow to have a lover.

The problem was that the lover was a machine.

Even now, in a room of the large mansion, the beloved lovers corpse lay. It was a human-shaped automaton made of gears and steel.

It didnt look much different from the automatons working in factories with their creaking movements, but its face was unique if anything.

Though uncertain of the material, it had a mask that looked almost human. It had the face with the majestic mane of a lion.

Watson felt a discomfort at the sight of something non-human mimicking a human, but he maintained his dignity in front of the mourning family.

Holmes asked.

Have you reported this to the police?

Lady Rosa Luxemburg, with a voice mixed with tears, appealed.

The police The police didnt help me. Those heartless scoundrels, colder than the machine, just laughed at me, saying it wasnt a murder case.

My goodness

Detective! Please find the villain who killed my lover!

Holmes quietly stood up. It was about 8 p.m. by then. As the sun set and darkness fell over the large mansion, the eyes of the cat detective flashed penetratingly through the dark.

Dont worry, madam.

Watson often felt a sort of thrill, if one could call it that, whenever he encountered moments like this. It was when his quirky, irritable, rebellious, and rude friend emitted a clear light of rationality that easily covered all his faults. Perhaps Watsons pursuit of Holmes company was driven by an impulse similar to a moth drawn to such light.

Because, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

That statement is!

I will take on this case.

* * *

Ahahaha!

The office of drama writer Lim Song-i is by no means small. Not because she has amassed a considerable fortune as a popular drama writer, but because being a drama writer is not a solo occupation.

Her assistant writers contributed to the conversation with satisfied smiles.

Youve done a proper homage to Sherlock Holmes.

The automaton is quite fresh. Inserting an SF-like setting into 19th century England Its an utterly unimaginable idea?

Ji-hye, its not exactly new, theres already a genre called steampunk. But still, this is a very fresh style.

Ugh. Could you please not nitpick everything?

While Lim Song-i and her assistant writers were discussing back and forth about The Automaton Murder Case, Gu Yu-na, who was at the very center of this discussion and receiving much adoration, bluntly asked.

Is it okay? I mean, in terms of being a detective story.

Lim Song-i smiled slyly.

It has a mystery novel vibe to it. You seem to have a talent for detective stories more than I thought?

Is that so?

Yeah. This is a special setting mystery, isnt it? Its a good variation. You dont need to complicate the trick too much to give something fresh to the readers. And nowadays, this kind of thing is in trend, right? Like The Miracles of the Namiya General Store or Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Of course, comparing Gu Yu-nas work to those was a stretch, but The Automaton Murder Case had its own distinctive charm and fresh setting, making its mark as a special setting mystery.

Still, as a veteran mystery genre writer feeling somewhat unsatisfied, Lim Song-i was smacking her lips when Gu Yu-na unusually hesitated before asking a question.

Um, excuse me

Just the fact that she fidgeted with her fingers before speaking was enough to make the adults burst into laughter, calling it cutea privilege unique to that age group.

As the assistant writers around Gu Yu-na made a fuss and fawned over her, she asked Lim Song-i with a serious expression.

Sherlock Holmes Is it okay to make such an overt parody?

For Gu Yu-na, who found it difficult to create human characters, this was the best she could do.

But legal issues could complicate matters.

Moreover, the boundaries between homage, parody, and plagiarism are indeed vague.

However, Lim Song-i saw it as merely a cute concern.

Haha, legally, theres no problem. Sherlock Holmes is a work whose copyright has expired.

But, still

Are you worried about being accused of plagiarism?

Gu Yu-na, startled, nodded her head.

To reassure her, Lim Song-i thought for a moment before giving an example.

Well First off, Sherlock Holmes is a character that many authors have already drawn upon. So, you dont have to worry about accusations of plagiarism.

Really?

Yeah. Authors like Maurice Leblanc and Umberto Eco have referenced Sherlock a lot, and not just in novels. Disney and Nintendo have also created many characters inspired by Sherlock, some even using the name Sherlock Holmes directly.

Sherlock Holmes.

He is no longer just a character in a novel.

Sherlock Holmes has become a genre unto itself. Hes become a character inseparable from the detective genre. So, anyone who accuses your novel of plagiarizing Sherlock Holmes would first have to contend with the long history of detective fiction, wouldnt they?

Then, thats a relief

Gu Yu-na sighed in cautious relief.

Lim Song-i looked at her with affection yet couldnt suppress a sense of disappointment within herself.

She didnt mention it to Gu Yu-na, but The Automaton Murder Case felt a bit too juvenile.

Yes, it carried an atmosphere akin to childrens literature.

At best, it was adolescent literature. It felt like something that would hang in a middle or high school library with a Must-Read Books for Teenagers tag.

Of course, thats not a bad thing.

If adult literature is superior to childrens literature, does that mean The Little Prince is less literary than the adult books that fill the bookstores?

Its just that Lim Song-i had expected Gu Yu-na to show a bit more maturity in her writing.

After all, she was a friend of Moon In-seop.

The sharp tone Gu Yu-na had shown in the Baekhak Entertainment reception room reminded Lim Song-i of Moon In-seop she had seen on TV.

So she had hoped to see the second Moon In-seop in Gu Yu-na

Well, its not strange for a middle schooler to write stories appropriate for her age.

Rather, isnt it remarkable that a middle schooler wrote something of this level?

With that thought to ease the slight disappointment, Lim Song-i continued reading The Automaton Murder Case.

As Lim Song-i anticipated, The Automaton Murder Case followed the conventions of mystery fiction with a lively tone.

A cat detective and his lion assistant investigated the secrets behind the Automaton Murder Case throughout 19th century London.

Sometimes they faced sarcasm for making a fuss over a mere broken machine, and at times, automatons working in factories shed tears and thanked Holmes for investigating the death of a comrade.

The exaggerated characters and contrasting character traits felt like reading a well-crafted fairy tale at times.

As Lim Song-is assessment of the novel gradually improved,

At some point, the novel revealed its darker side.

And added two letters in front of the genre fairy tale.

Cruel.

* * *

The German army The German army filled the horizon.

In our deeply dug trenches, those damned automatons, those goddamn fucking pieces of metal, stormed in, roamed every corner of the trenches, and chopped off my comrades heads with entrenching tools.

Detective sir, do not be fooled. Those things, theyre not human.

*****

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