jhakkas

 “Sir, the response to Sherlock Holmes is quite overwhelming.” “It always is, isn't it?” “It’s more than usual. Some readers even attempted to storm the publishing house to find out the next installment of 'Sherlock Holmes.'” “That’s a bit extreme, but then again, it’s Sherlock Holmes.” There are various ways to captivate readers in a story, but in serial novels, the 'cliffhanger' technique is often used. In simple terms, it's about leaving the audience hanging. Ending the story at a point where a conflict or a new mystery emerges keeps readers infinitely engrossed. And the ultimate example of cliffhangers is found in detective fiction. Structured with mystery and solution parts, detective stories amplify conflicts to the extreme, drawing readers deeply into the narrative. “It’s human nature to be curious about the next Sherlock Holmes story.” “Is it really instinct?” “Indeed.” 'Sherlock Holmes' is a masterpiece of detective fiction. No work surpasses Sh...

 "So, um... I've been given the title of Chief Magician..." "Yes! I heard you loud and clear! Haha! That explains a lot!" "Hehe..." Milly Kleean's 'Journey to Becoming Chief Magician' continued for a whole hour. If this were turned into a novel, it would rival something as epic as 'Les Misérables'. It was that unnecessarily detailed. And I could be certain of one thing. Absolutely avoid having long conversations with this person. "After hearing the Chief Magician's story, I'm confident you'll provide excellent advice!" "That's right... Also, I..." "First, let's look at your work and then discuss!" Milly Kleean seemed about to say something else, so I quickly handed over the manuscript. Once she reads the manuscript, I'll find a way to proceed with the work. [Sherlock Holmes] [A Study in Scarlet] Sherlock Holmes. A Study in Scarlet. It was the iconic first work where Watson meets ...

 The Is Princess I hadn't seen in a long time seemed more cheerful. She looked free. Like someone who had put down a heavy burden for a moment and was smiling comfortably with a sigh of relief. Such a smile was subtly present on her face. "It's been a while since I last came by. Can't you be a little more welcoming? I'm a bit disappointed..." "...I am inwardly very pleased to see you." "You should express it! Stoic men aren't popular, you know?" "Haha..." Cold sweat trickled down my back. I felt like a frog in front of a snake. The Is Princess felt even more serpentine than the Lazy King with dragon eyes. "I'll try my best..." "Well, it's fine! These things can be adjusted slowly. By the way, it seems the Haren Royal Family paid a visit?" "Yes, the Lazy King visited." There was no need to hide it since she already knew the Haren Royal Family had come. "The Lazy King himself? How unusu...

 The ticket scalpers who had been plaguing the arts and culture scene were rounded up in an instant. Of course, the scalpers had their own trusted connections. They regularly "gifted" the administrative officials and the security guards, believing they could escape any crackdown. They were completely wrong. “What crime have I committed to deserve this?” “The ‘Prohibition of Unlawful Resale in Arts and Culture’ law passed yesterday. Everything you’ve been doing is now punishable.” “How could I have known about a law that passed just yesterday! Call the chief of security, Layton. He’ll understand—” “Are you talking about Chief Layton? Ah, here he comes now.” “L-Layton! It's good to see you! This must be a misunderstanding; I haven’t done anything—ack!” “…I’m here to warn you, Hans. If my name comes out of your mouth even once more, I’ll make sure you can’t set foot in this empire again, even if I have to use all my connections.” The security chief growled in a low voice. Th...

 The expression "like a movie" was somewhat inadequate to describe the magical enchantment. It felt... like a dream. Before my eyes, the actors performed, but the surrounding environment changed moment by moment, as if this world existed solely for the actors, harmonizing with them. Thus, it was a peculiar occurrence. [Hamlet: To be or not to be, that is the question] This performance was purely theatrical. When Hamlet soliloquized, he seemed to be praying alone despite standing among the actors. As if there was an invisible wall between him and the others, he soliloquized alone. Even the magical world could not fully envelop the actor into itself. [Hamlet: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune] This was the difference between theater and film. In a film, every character belongs to the world, but a stage actor belongs solely to the play. The world does not exist. Only the actor and the play exist, and thus, any place can bec...

 The genre of hardboiled fiction begins with a contradiction. A deep distrust and cynicism toward humanity, a life weary and exhausting contrary to the bright future promised by propaganda. As this contradiction deepens, people try to stop thinking deeply. That's when novels that smash things apart become popular. At least it feels satisfying inside! “I didn't expect hardboiled to become so trendy all of a sudden.” “Sir, what is hardboiled?” “A genre that solves problems with violence.” “I've never heard of it.” “Because I just made it up.” To call this hardboiled is a stretch; it's more like plain violence. There's no problem-solving, just breaking things. I put the book I was holding back on the shelf. [Mad Hammer] [Hammett's Revenge] [Ariant's Swordsman] The bookshelf was filled with violent stories of similar sentiment to the book I had just read. Most of them were low-quality short stories printed on cheap paper. For the price of one Don Quixote, you co...