Sherlock Holmes - 3
"Young master. The reaction to Sherlock Holmes is incredibly hot right now."
"It's always like that, isn't it?"
"It's more than usual. Some readers even tried to storm the publishing house looking for the next installment of Sherlock Holmes."
"That's a bit extreme... but it's Sherlock Holmes."
There are many ways to draw readers into a work, but serialized novels often use a technique called a cliffhanger. Simply put, it's a cliff-cutting saber strike. You end the story right at the moment a conflict or new mystery arises. And the ultimate master of this cliffhanger is the detective novel.
Detective novels, structured as mystery-setup followed by resolution, ramp up the tension to the extreme, immersing readers endlessly in the tale.
"It's human instinct to crave the next Sherlock Holmes story."
"Instinct... is it?"
"Exactly."
And Sherlock Holmes is the masterpiece of detective fiction. No other work could surpass it in making readers desperate for the next chapter.
"The charm of the character Sherlock Holmes himself must have drawn readers in even deeper."
"Come to think of it, did you suggest that the detectives at White Rock Detective Agency stand guard dressed as Sherlock Holmes?"
"No. That was the idea of the Half and Half president. She's got some real sense."
Sherlock Holmes is the most brilliant character in literary history. In my previous world, he was the most frequently adapted into films, one of the most successful characters ever. So the Half and Half president's strategy of focusing on character promotion was quite effective.
"Well, it'll calm down once the resolution chapter comes out. No need to worry too much."
"Is that so?"
The first full-length novel, A Study in Scarlet, devotes half its length to explaining "this guy was actually a pitiful fellow too." It fit as the 'first button' of detective novels, showing that criminals aren't unconditional demons. But honestly... it's a bit boring.
Personally, I preferred short stories over novels anyway. And above all—
"The moment a brilliant character becomes truly captivating... is when they fall to their own preconceptions."
More than the noteworthy first novel A Study in Scarlet.
More than The Sign of the Four, where Holmes's character traits are fleshed out.
There was another work that made Holmes truly magnetic.
"Let's look forward to that woman's appearance."
"That woman... the third story, right? Hmm, it was certainly a very charming episode, but... I'm not sure it's the most fun compared to the others."
Ah, right. Sion had read all the Sherlock Holmes I'd plagiarized. Since he didn't follow the serialization order, he couldn't fully appreciate the thrill.
"Sorry, Sion."
"Pardon?"
"It's just how it is."
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A Scandal in Bohemia
To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman.
To Sherlock Holmes, 'she' was always that woman.
"A woman so beautiful that a man would think it worthwhile to lay down his life for her."
Irene Adler. She appears only once, in the short story A Scandal in Bohemia, but she's the most monumental female presence across the entire series. And the most reimagined by Sherlock Holmes fans. That story cemented Holmes as the most charming character in the empire—and literary history.
Hunting cap and cloak-lined coat. Pipe and magnifying glass. It was a common sight in the empire.
Every imperial detective donned the outfit symbolizing Sherlock Holmes. In fact, even non-detectives dressed like him. Because it looked cool.
"Thanks to Sherlock Holmes, business is booming these days! People's views of us have improved too."
"Tell me about it! Detectives used to just be seen as noble lapdogs cleaning up their messes—or beating drunks instead of the guards and getting cursed out."
"Honestly, that's what we were. Puhaha!"
Before Sherlock Holmes, the image of private detectives was poor. Even in the story, Holmes calls himself a "consulting detective" and looks down on "detectives." But to the public, he was a detective. This improved the profession's image overall.
"Lately, it's pretty rewarding. Beating bad guys, sometimes helping the poor—makes me think, this is why I became a detective."
"What's with you? Has the money-grubber lost his mind?"
And private detectives loved the new image. In fact, more started acting like Holmes from the stories. Media's creation was shaping the real job.
"Watson, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
"Puhahat! That doesn't suit you at all—stop it. And hey—I'm Holmes too, so why am I Watson and you're Holmes?"
"Shut your trap, Watson."
"Puhuhu."
A peculiar trend emerged: merchants and nobles favored hiring secretaries or valets named "Watson." Some even faked or changed their names. Fans of Sherlock Holmes started calling anyone by their side "Watson."
"People call 'Homerus' a god, but to us detectives, Herodotus is the real god!"
"Exactly! Herodotus is a god!"
"Honestly, Homerus's novels... aren't that fun, right?"
"Eh... don't say that out loud unless you wanna get beat by Homerus worshippers."
And with Sherlock Holmes, Herodotus's reputation skyrocketed.
Apart from its popular influence, the deductive reasoning in the Sherlock Holmes series impacted police organizations like the security forces and guards. Especially the Imperial Capital Police Force, directly hit by its influence.
"Us being this competent...?"
"Uh, we don't know stuff like fingerprinting...?"
"Police forces aren't even set up in rural areas yet...?"
"We private detectives do more than them...?"
They couldn't grasp most of the police techniques in Sherlock Holmes. The empire's wide-area policing law was less than 10 years old. Security and guard forces mixed with police for that reason. Experimental police were still disorganized.
In that process, Sherlock Holmes served as a guideline.
"Uh, doesn't it feel like we can just proceed like this...?"
"Yeah...?"
The empire's police started systematizing rapidly. The Imperial Capital Police Force and its superior, the Special Administrative Office for Imperial Wide-Area Policing Law Enforcement, even consulted Half and Half.
"Author!"
"Yes, President."
"The empire sent this request—what should we do?"
"Consultation for the special admin on wide-area policing...? Face-to-face is tricky... I'll compile it in writing and send it."
Soon, the Imperial Wide-Area Police Agency formed based on Herodotus's framework. This modern police institution for public safety, criminal arrests, and order maintenance achieved noticeable results from day one, becoming a pillar of the empire.
"You have the right to remain silent; if exercised, you may be tortured. You have the right to an attorney, and anything you say can be used against you in court."
"Do we really say all that when arresting criminals?"
"Dunno? They told us to."
"Feels kinda cool. I'll do it too."
In short, the empire's public safety was improving. Thanks to just one novel.
"Young master!"
"Whoa, Sion. What's up?"
I was relaxing at home reading a novel as usual when Sion burst into the room, panting hard from running.
"I-it's a big problem!"
"Big problem?"
"Yes! Someone's using Sherlock Holmes from your work to—"
"Another plagiarism issue?"
Sherlock Holmes was so appealing that countless adaptations existed. A story plagiarizing the character itself wouldn't be surprising.
"Not plagiarism, but— you need to see this!"
"Hm?"
Sion handed me a magazine. Mini & Life, a cheap pulp serialized novel mag like Half and Half. I read it sometimes too.
I took it and skimmed lightly. Then I understood why Sion's face was flushed and panicked.
"Whoa..."
Maurice Leblanc exists in this world too.