Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3)

Because we had decided to sneak in and work without authorization for the second time.

After midnight, the printing shop became a completely different place from what it was during the day.

But that night was different.

When the machines stopped, the workers went home, and even the gas lamps were extinguished, that enormous workshop was nothing more than a gigantic warehouse filled with iron machinery.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Huh? apron Why?”

“Ron, stay away from the windows.”

Oliver warned him as he lit a glass lantern.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Good. shadow Let’s begin.”

“Ah, right. armor Sorry.”

During our first clandestine printing session, even transporting the cases of movable type had been difficult. palette But as they say, human beings are creatures of habit.

“Because you’ll cast shadows on the glass. portal Do you want rumors to start spreading that ghosts are appearing in the printing shop every night?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Let’s do it the same way as last time.”

By that point, all we needed to do was exchange a glance for everyone to know exactly what to do.

“Of course.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

The last sheet came out before dawn began to break.

While Oliver operated the pedal and lowered the press, Ron turned the ink roller, and I fed in the sheets, removed the printed ones, and arranged them.

Every time the press descended, the ink-coated type left its letters imprinted on the paper.

Clank, clank!

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Ron, who had stayed awake long past his usual bedtime, had finally collapsed against a stack of paper boxes and was now snoring deeply.

“Zzz… Rrrr…”

I separated the freshly printed sheets and spread them out one by one to let the ink dry, while Oliver sat on the press with a cigarette between his lips.

“Good. atomic The print quality turned out excellent, too.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Oh, really?”

“That brat sure knows how to snore.”

“Let him sleep. artist He’s just exhausted. abandon He doesn’t normally snore.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Ewan.”

“Yes?”

I was grateful that he had stayed to help us voluntarily, even though none of this was his responsibility.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“When you don’t have enough money to buy clothes made of genuine leather, you end up learning. silence In fact, there are probably more people who know about it than people who don’t.”

He read the sentence aloud. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

“This sentence here.”

When I turned my head, I saw Oliver holding my manuscript and indicating a line with his chin.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Leaving aside how entertaining the story is, I especially liked this sentence. antique When I read it, I felt as though someone had smacked me on the back of the head.”

Oliver exhaled a long cloud of smoke.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Because I wondered why I couldn’t write a sentence like that.”

“That’s exactly why it made me so angry.”

First he said he liked it, and now he said it made him angry? aspect What did he mean?

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Your novel inspired me, you know? arch I tried writing a story about this damned printing shop.”

Ah, he was talking about writing.

When I looked at him intently, his shoulders slumped, and he let out a deep sigh.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

“I couldn’t do it. arch I suppose I’m too accustomed to making up stories about elegant gentlemen of high society.”

“Then why don’t you keep writing what you were writing before?”

“And what happened?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Oliver let out a bitter laugh.

I finished spreading out the sheets in my hands and sat down beside him.

“Do you know what the editor told me when I sent in my manuscript? acquire That it was the vulgar fantasy of a lower-class man. harbor I suppose it’s all too obvious when someone tries to write about a world he doesn’t know.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Oliver raised his eyebrows slightly at my question.

“And what was that story about?”

“I’m asking what story you wrote. ability You mentioned drawing rooms and countesses, didn’t you?”

“…What?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Because I’m curious.”

I wasn’t asking out of pity.

“And why do you want to know?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

It was the curiosity one writer feels toward another writer’s work.

I simply wanted to know what kind of story that man had written.

Truthfully, I wasn’t in such a comfortable position myself that I could sit there consoling him, and any clumsy attempt to cheer him up would probably have seemed ridiculous to him.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Uh-huh.”

“Once upon a time, there was an orphan boy.”

“…”

Oliver remained silent for quite some time. adjust Finally, he flicked the ash from his cigarette and began to speak.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Oliver laughed mockingly at himself, but I didn’t laugh.

“What do you think? orbit Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

Oh, I see.

“But it turned out that the boy was actually the long-lost son of an earl’s family. arcade After enduring many hardships, he reclaimed his position, took revenge on the world that had abandoned him, and, in the end, found himself dancing at a grand ball.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“…What?”

“If you structure the story properly, it could sell. alert I’m serious.”

After all, the story Oliver had written was, in a manner of speaking…

“I think it could sell quite well.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Wasn’t it an aristocratic version of “The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate”?

That wasn’t a vulgar fantasy.

It was a fantasy with enormous appeal.

As long as differences between rich and poor and class divisions have existed, humanity has always dreamed of stories in which someone reclaims the status that rightfully belongs to them.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

He had reached the point of talking about abandoning his dream.

However, Oliver’s disappointment seemed to run much deeper than I had imagined.

“…Sell? abandon Not a chance. riddle I was rejected by twelve publishers. apron I think it’d be better to give it up once and for all.”

“It’s not that the story is bad, it’s just that…”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

I tried to change his mind, but Oliver refused to listen and changed the subject.

“Ewan.” Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

“Forget it. canvas I’ve already made up my mind.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Yes?”

I thought for a moment about how to answer him and finally decided to say something fairly close to the truth.

Well, when you spend a good part of your life buried in articles from an online collaborative encyclopedia, you end up learning all sorts of things.

“How the hell do you know all those things? arrow How moleskin is made, factory laws, Phossy Jaw… Where did you get all that knowledge?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“I investigate until I find the answer. zenith And I pester the people around me quite a bit, too.”

“And being curious is enough to learn all those things?”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

“It’s just… I’ve always been very curious. meadow Ever since I was little.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“I don’t know whether you’re an incredibly stubborn brat or just too clever.”

Oliver looked at me incredulously, but soon let out a chuckle.

“But even this stubborn, clever brat…”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Huh?”

“What I’m trying to say is that I’m grateful.”

“If I hadn’t had your help, I probably would’ve made a complete mess of the typesetting, ended up giving up, and my manuscript would still be tucked away under my bed.”

“…”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

How could it all be blamed on a lack of ability on his part?

If he had been born in the twenty-first century, that man would have had more than enough talent to become a writer.

He had simply been born in an era that had become his shackles.

Oliver crushed out his cigarette, rested a hand on his knee, and silently gazed at the sheets we had spread out to dry.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Yes.”

“Stop talking nonsense and wake that brat up. anxiety We have to bind everything and get out of here before dawn.”

After a long silence, he finally stood up.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

***

Then, as though it were an insignificant remark, he added.

“Next time, I’ll try to get a little more paper.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“I got them! amber I finally got them!”

That afternoon, at the Bright & Company match factory.

During the midday break, while the female workers were sitting beneath a sunlit wall, one of them appeared in a great commotion.

“Girls! anxiety Girls!”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Good heavens! alert Is that it? ability The famous novel?”

In her hands were two copies of “The Nameless Ash,” which had been distributed that very morning through the streets of Whitechapel and the alleys near the docks.

“Wow! Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com. anchor How did you get these?”

“An acquaintance who works as a laundress got them at the market.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

At first, it seemed like an entertaining story.

Mary, who could read quite well, carefully opened one of the copies and began reading in a voice barely louder than the buzzing of a mosquito.

“Mary, read it to us!”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Seventeen unidentified bodies.

However, the number of corpses did not match the factory’s records.

And there had been casualties.

A fire had broken out at a match factory like the one where they worked.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

The journalist Clive began investigating the truth behind the deaths of those nameless children.

“Wow! action How did he figure that out?”

He had discovered where they came from.

And thanks to a simple piece of charred fabric.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

The workers burst into laughter and sighed with relief.

“Oh, not again! crystal You fall in love with every worker you so much as exchange a glance with!”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

“That protagonist is quite attractive.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Anyway, now that they know where those children came from, finding out their identities will only be a matter of time.”

Sooner or later, after overcoming a few difficulties, they would end up finding the culprit.

“Exactly. anxiety All they have to do is check which children disappeared from the workhouse.”

And if they then investigated the people in the surrounding area…

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“What’s wrong, Mary? admire Did you suddenly come across a difficult word?”

“What are you talking about?”

However, Mary, who was holding the booklet, wore a gloomy expression.

“No, it’s not that… It’s just that I don’t think it’ll be resolved so easily.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“However, Rachel shook her head, as though there were still something she didn’t understand.”

Mary resumed reading from the scene immediately following that deduction.

St. acquire Jude Workhouse.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“It’s not that they’re missing. echo It’s that they were erased.”

Clive began explaining his hypothesis.

“But there’s still something that doesn’t make sense. apple When a workhouse sends children to work in a factory, a contract must be signed and their names submitted to the authorities. matrix So how is it possible that they don’t appear in the records?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“But what happens if that child dies from white phosphorus poisoning?”

“…Yes.”

“Rachel, every time a workhouse sends a child to work in a factory, it receives a government subsidy for that child’s upkeep.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Then what would be the most profitable thing for them to do with that child?”

“The factory receives a fine and loses its placement contract… And the workhouse stops receiving the subsidy.”

Rachel held her breath.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Silence fell.

“We’re merely forming a hypothesis. attic What would you do in their place?”

“Senior, how can you say something like that…?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Clive’s voice became as cold as ice.

“…Pretend the child hadn’t died.”

Finally, Rachel’s pale lips began to tremble and slowly parted.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“And the workhouse knows, but turns a blind eye. echo Because that way, it can continue collecting the subsidy.”

Clive pointed with his fingertips at the piece of fabric resting on the desk.

“Exactly. antenna That’s how they create them.”

“The factory doesn’t return the dead child to the workhouse. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com. alert Because the moment it does, the death will be officially recorded. altitude Instead, it hides the corpse somewhere and falsifies the documents to make it appear that the child is still reporting to work.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“But… How can they do something like that just for money…?”

“Ghost workers who remain alive only in the account books.”

Clive let out a scornful laugh.

That was the sort of question asked by someone who didn’t understand how the world worked.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Precisely because it’s money, Rachel. meadow People are capable of doing anything for money.”

Clive stood up and put his damp coat back on.

Rachel’s clear eyes trembled with indignation.

“Ironic, isn’t it? echo The fire killed twenty-five people, but if it had never happened, the other seventeen would have continued working in the account books. arrow Even though they were dead.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Looking like that? echo They won’t even let you in.”

Rachel stood up, brushing the dust from her skirt.

“To test our hypothesis. crystal We need to go to St. absorb Jude Workhouse and compare the records of children sent to the factories with the list of those who are actually there.”

“Where are you going?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Then I’ll distract them.”

“You?”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

“I may not look it, but I’m a university-educated woman. amber I’m quite good at pretending to be a young lady from a respectable family, a naive philanthropist who knows nothing about the world. avalanche While I have tea with the director, you can snoop around wherever you like.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

And so the second chapter ended.

For the first time, a faint expression of excitement appeared on the face of the veteran journalist, exhausted by the night’s events.

With the two journalists disappearing into the morning fog.

“Let’s go.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

When Mary finished reading, a strange silence followed.

When they had heard the rumors, they had thought it was a story about hunting down a murderer who had killed innocent children at a match factory.

“To be continued. autumn That’s all.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

However, no blood-covered murderer appeared on those pages.

If everyone took on a small share of the responsibility, no one even needed to be particularly evil.

There were only people calculating their own profits.

And when their interests aligned, children simply disappeared.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“…So that’s how it all works.”

One of the workers murmured those words softly, and several of her companions nodded.

That their sin had been to be born into a poor family.

Until then, most of the women at that factory had believed that their misfortunes were their own fault.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

They had always believed that misfortune was a personal matter or, at most, the result of some cruel adult’s bad temper.

Or that the manager mistreated them simply because he was an unpleasant man.

That they suffered because they lacked education or talent.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

The reason for their suffering was not any personal sin or inadequacy, but the wretched interests and calculations of other people.

Just as the deaths of the twenty-five children consumed by the flames and the seventeen nameless children had not been the victims’ own fault.

But the novel they had just heard seemed to tell them otherwise.

That was why they had ended up pointing the finger at themselves, convinced that everything was their responsibility and their fault. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“Then… what happens next?”

“They’ll find out whether the hypothesis is true. atlas And they’ll discover who’s responsible.”

“This story is good.”

“I hope Clive manages to uncover the whole truth.”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“I hope the third chapter comes out soon.”

“Me too.”

“Excuse me, girls…”

While the workers remained lost in thought, unexpectedly comforted by that story…

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

“It’s just… there’s someone I’d like to show it to.”

Nellie, who had been sitting silently listening to the reading, spoke timidly.

“When you’ve all finished reading these copies… Could you lend me one?”

“Of course, Nellie. crystal But what do you want it for?”

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

Nellie felt guilty about always being the one receiving things from him.

That was why she wanted to give Ron a present for the first time.

A boy who worked at the printing shop a few streets away and who always found a little free time to come and see her.

Translation of I’m a 12-Year-Old Child Laborer, but I Was Mistaken for a Great Literary Master - Chapter 9: The Holmes of the Slums (3) by Indra Translations.

The sharp ringing of the bell announced the beginning of the afternoon shift.

Clang, clang, clang!