<CHAPTER 4>
FULL TRANSLATION
I Was Mistaken for a Genius Antique Appraiser – Episode 4
Si-woo couldn’t take his eyes off the black light emanating from the box.
‘What is that?’
It was completely different from the light he’d seen from the vase.
Black light.
Just looking at it sent chills down his spine.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
At Shin A-young’s voice, Si-woo came to his senses.
“It’s nothing. Just……………”
Si-woo tried to withdraw his gaze.
But his eyes kept turning that way.
“Seems like that item bothers you.”
Shin A-young followed Si-woo’s gaze.
“Just…………… It feels different somehow. Like there’s a heavy atmosphere, you could say. Don’t mind me. It’s just intuition.”
Jeong Hae-won looked at Si-woo with interested eyes.
“Intuition?”
“Yes. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like there’s a heavy energy. Don’t worry about it. It’s just a hunch.”
Jeong Hae-won and Shin A-young exchanged glances.
“You say interesting things.”
Jeong Hae-won spoke.
“Actually, that item is quite a headache. It’s definitely a Japanese sword, and we’ve identified the period and smith, but……….”
“What’s the problem?”
“We don’t know the owner. Who exactly used this sword.”
Jeong Hae-won frowned.
“It’s already been through countless appraisers. The period is around the Imjin War, the smith is Fujiwara Masakuni, 2nd generation master of the Dotanuki school—that much we’ve figured out, but who the original owner was remains a mystery.”
Si-woo’s curiosity grew.
He wondered what that black energy was.
What could emit such strong energy?
“Could I…………… take a look?”
The words came out without him realizing.
Jeong Hae-won raised his eyebrows.
“You want to see it directly?”
“Yes. Actually, I’m quite interested in this field. The blue and white porcelain earlier too, tracing history through items…………… it was interesting.”
It wasn’t a lie.
The process of searching through the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty to find Yi Jong-seong’s records had been fascinating. Uncovering the stories contained in a single item. He hadn’t known it could be such a thrilling experience.
Jeong Hae-won showed difficulty.
“The storage room isn’t a place just anyone can enter……………”
“Mr. Jeong.”
Shin A-young interjected.
“Wouldn’t it be alright? This is the person who found the Annals records for the blue and white porcelain earlier. Someone who showed that much sincerity doesn’t seem to be asking out of mere curiosity.”
“But…”
“And honestly, that sword. It’s frustrating. We haven’t found the owner for over two months, a fresh perspective might help.”
Jeong Hae-won seemed to ponder for a moment.
Looking at Si-woo once, then at the box, he finally sighed and nodded.
“Very well. But you absolutely must not touch it carelessly.”
“Of course. Thank you.”
Si-woo inwardly felt relieved.
An opportunity had come naturally.
The three walked down the corridor.
Passing the exhibition hall and entering deeper into the building, a heavy iron door appeared. Shin A-young swiped her card and entered a passcode, and the door slowly opened.
“This is Eterna Gallery’s storage room.”
When they entered, dry air enveloped their skin. He could feel the climate control system working. Various artifacts were systematically organized in the spacious space. Ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, Buddhist statues, metal crafts—a different atmosphere from the items in the exhibition hall filled the room.
‘Just what’s here must be worth tens of billions.’
Si-woo inwardly admired.
But his gaze kept being drawn to one side. Staff members were setting a box down on a workbench. The black energy was rising even more densely. Perhaps because it was an enclosed space, the concentration felt thicker.
“Come this way.”
Jeong Hae-won guided them to the workbench.
“First, let me explain how this item came to us.”
He spoke before opening the box.
“Right after liberation, when Japanese were hastily withdrawing, they sold many items at throwaway prices. This sword was one of them. In August 1945, some Japanese person hurriedly sold it to a merchant in Busan before returning.”
“So it’s been in Korea for nearly 80 years?”
“Yes. It was passed down through that merchant’s family until recently, when a descendant contacted us while organizing the estate.”
Shin A-young added.
“I met them personally and purchased it. At first, I thought it was just an old Japanese sword, but looking closely, it didn’t seem ordinary. The blade condition was too good.”
She continued.
“So I requested an appraisal. I showed it to four experts, but as I said earlier, they couldn’t identify the owner. They only presumed it was used by an outstanding military commander.”
Jeong Hae-won sighed.
“Dotanuki school swords have almost no decoration. So it’s difficult to identify the owner through family crests or symbols. This sword is the same.”
The box opened.
Instantly, black energy spread out.
The others didn’t seem to feel anything. But to Si-woo, that energy was clearly visible.
Inside the box lay a Japanese sword.
Long, gentle curves. Despite the traces of time, the blade emitted a terrifyingly sharp light.
As Jeong Hae-won said, there was almost no decoration. A form far from ornamentation, pursuing only practicality.
“Mr. Jeong.”
Si-woo slowly spoke.
“The nakago, the signature part inside the handle. Could I see the smith’s signature directly?”
Jeong Hae-won’s eyes widened.
“Oh ho, you know about nakago?”
“I’m somewhat interested in Japanese swords. I know the basics.”
“You certainly aren’t an ordinary person.”
Jeong Hae-won nodded admiringly.
“The blue and white porcelain earlier too, ordinary people don’t even know the term nakago.”
Shin A-young also looked at Si-woo with interested eyes.
“I’m becoming more curious. What exactly do you do?”
“I’m just someone with many interests.”
Si-woo smiled vaguely.
Jeong Hae-won carefully lifted the sword.
With skilled movements, he began separating the handle.
He removed the mekugi and slowly peeled off the tsuka.
The signature part was revealed.
Jeong Hae-won narrowed his eyes and examined it for a while. Changing angles and looking closely, he soon frowned.
He shook his head.
“Nothing remains. No clues.”
“What kind of clues?”
Si-woo asked.
“Usually, high-quality swords have the owner’s name or family crest carved in the nakago. But this……………”
Jeong Hae-won pointed at the signature.
“There’s nothing beyond the smith’s signature. Four appraisers all checked this part, and the conclusion was the same. Nothing that could serve as a clue.”
Shin A-young sighed.
“Without other clues, finding the sword’s owner will be difficult.”
Si-woo looked at the signature.
The smith’s signature was clearly carved.
Fujiwara Masakuni, 2nd generation master of the Dotanuki school.
Si-woo cautiously opened his mouth.
“Could I touch it just once?”
Jeong Hae-won looked at Si-woo.
“Honestly, this sword. It hasn’t had an answer for a long time. Other appraisers have all failed so far.”
Shin A-young looked at Si-woo for a while.
Her eyes were weighing something.
She made her decision.
“Instead, wear gloves and be careful, and you must stop when Appraiser Jeong Hae-won tells you to.”
“Of course.”
“Here. Please handle it carefully.”
Si-woo put on gloves and cautiously reached toward the sword.
The moment his fingertips touched the cold metal.
Ding.
A semi-transparent window appeared before his eyes.
[Appraisal Result]
[Name: Hoyeon (Tiger Swallow), meaning fierce as a tiger and swift as a swallow.]
[Production Period: Spring 1588.]
[Production Place: Higo Province, Kumamoto.]
[Smith: Work of Fujiwara Masakuni, 2nd generation master of the Dotanuki school. Eldest son of the first generation master who inherited his father’s techniques and led the Dotanuki school to its golden age. Only 20 of his swords remain in the world.]
[Commissioner: Katō Kiyomasa. Lord of Higo Province, one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake who made his name famous, and served as a close associate of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.]
[Characteristics: The hidden inscription ‘Hoyeon Cheongjeong’ is concealed on the reverse side of the nakago signature.]
[A method of secretly carving by adding small dots between the strokes of the smith’s name, connecting the dots in order reveals the characters. Made to appear as damage from age to the naked eye.]
[Estimated Value: Minimum 10 billion won or more]
Si-woo’s heart dropped.
‘Katō Kiyomasa.’
Among the Japanese commanders who invaded Korea during the Imjin War, one of the most notorious.
His sword was right before his eyes.
“How is it?”
“I think I know something.”
Jeong Hae-won looked at Si-woo with surprised eyes.
“What exactly do you know?”
His mind was complicated.
How could he naturally reveal the information from the status window?
He had to make it look like finding clues one by one.
The handle was already separated and the smith’s signature was visible. According to the status window information, if he traced the traces of these characters, the answer would appear.
“Don’t these characters look strange?”
He pointed to the first character of the smith’s signature.
“There are small dots between the strokes. Here, and here.”
Jeong Hae-won narrowed his eyes.
“Isn’t that damage from age?”
“But the positions are too regular.”
Si-woo said.
“All the dots are only at the ends of strokes. Random damage couldn’t be this consistent.”
Jeong Hae-won tilted his head.
“Hmm. Certainly makes sense.”
“What if we connect just these dots?”
Jeong Hae-won half-doubtful but took out paper.
He marked the positions of the dots Si-woo indicated one by one.
Four from the first character.
Three from the second.
Five from the third.
Connecting the dots in order.
Jeong Hae-won’s hand stopped.
The form revealed on paper.
Ho (Tiger),
“Incredible! A character really appears!”
Si-woo nodded.
“Let’s do the rest of the characters.”
Jeong Hae-won hurriedly connected the remaining dots.
Hoyeon (Tiger Swallow) Cheongjeong (Clear/Proper).
“Hoyeon, Cheongjeong.”
Jeong Hae-won muttered.
“Why would they hide something like this?”
Si-woo slowly spoke.
“Hoyeon is probably the sword’s name. Meaning fierce as a tiger and swift as a swallow. And Cheongjeong……………”
“Wait!”
Jeong Hae-won’s face turned pale.
“Cheongjeong? Cheongjeong?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Cheongjeong…………… when you write Kiyomasa in Chinese characters, it’s Cheongchang.”
The storage room became as frozen as ice.
“Katō Kiyomasa.”
Jeong Hae-won spoke with a trembling voice.
“The likelihood that this sword’s owner…………… was Katō Kiyomasa is high.”
Si-woo nodded.
“They hid the owner’s name in the smith’s signature. Deliberately concealed to look like dots, so that to the unknowing eye, it would appear as old damage.”
“Why would they do such a thing……………”
“Who knows. Only the smith or Katō Kiyomasa would know.”
Jeong Hae-won looked blankly at the paper.
“For decades, countless appraisers have seen this signature. They all thought these dots were just damage, never considering them a single clue.”
Shin A-young looked at Si-woo. Her gaze mixed with great surprise and question.
“How on earth…………… did you know? Truly remarkable insight.”
“Mr. Jeong.”
Shin A-young turned to Jeong Hae-won.
“If this is really Katō Kiyomasa’s sword, how much would it be worth?”
Jeong Hae-won took a deep breath.
“……………It’s difficult to say exactly.”
He looked at the sword and continued.
“In Japan, the value of the figure Katō Kiyomasa is extremely high. To us he’s an invader, but to Japanese he’s treated as a hero. Especially in Kumamoto, he’s almost worshipped like a god. The person who built Kumamoto Castle was Katō Kiyomasa.”
“To that extent?”
“Yes. If you go to Kumamoto, there’s Katō Shrine. Hundreds of thousands visit for worship every year. He was also one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Seven Spears.”
Jeong Hae-won fell into thought for a moment.
“Actually, there are some swords related to Katō Kiyomasa. Katō Kunihiro is owned by the Mitsui family, and Nikkō Sukezane is designated a national treasure in a museum.”
“What about this sword?”
Shin A-young pressed.
“Katō Kunihiro and Nikkō Sukezane are famous swords, but there’s no record of Katō Kiyomasa actually using them on the battlefield. They were likely for presentation or ceremonial use. But……………”
He pointed at the sword.
“The Dotanuki school was the exclusive smithing school Katō Kiyomasa employed when he was lord of Kumamoto Castle. Swords with no ornamentation, made solely for actual combat.”
Jeong Hae-won’s voice trembled.
“The sword Katō Kiyomasa actually used when invading Korea was a Dotanuki school sword. The likelihood that this is a real combat sword he wielded on the battlefield is high. He was known as a master of the spear, but depending on the situation, he would have used swords too. And……………”
“Fujiwara Masakuni’s swords number only about 20 in the world.”
“Then how much is it worth?”
“In Japan, it’s practically national treasure level.”
Jeong Hae-won spoke with a serious expression.
“Fujiwara Masakuni, a legendary Japanese smith who led the Dotanuki school to its golden age. And his sword has Katō Kiyomasa’s name carved like a puzzle.”
Jeong Hae-won shook his head.
“Honestly, it’s difficult to assess the value. It’s certainly at least 10 billion or more. But this isn’t an item that can be priced by ordinary antique market logic.”
Jeong Hae-won’s voice grew heavy.
“If Japanese corporations or hidden wealthy individuals, or the Japanese government steps in, the value will exceed imagination. Japanese conglomerates or museums will rush to buy it. Especially Kumamoto Prefectural Museum or Katō Shrine side will try to secure it by any means. For them, it’s not a money issue. It’s a matter of symbolism.”
“It’s troubling how to handle this.”
Shin A-young furrowed her brow.
“Whether to put it up for auction, sell directly, or keep it in collection…… I’ll need to think more.”
She looked at Si-woo.
Her gaze had changed.
The wariness from earlier was gone, replaced by a new emotion.
A greedy desire to possess,
