Chapter 3 part 3

“That was a really interesting story. I’m glad I listened to it,” I said excitedly as we left the temple building.

Holmes smiled warmly and replied, “Indeed. When visiting places like this, I think it’s extremely worthwhile to listen to what they have to say if you have the time.”

“I agree. That Zenna had a way with words though, huh? If it were me, I probably would’ve said something boring like, ‘I didn’t count, but I chanted with all my heart.’”

“Indeed. Replying with ‘one million times’ showed that he was both clever and humorous.”

We continued to chat as we returned to the busy handicraft market. Upon looking at the antiques section, Holmes squinted and suddenly stopped walking.

I looked back at him in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong, Holmes?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I happen to recognize the person selling those antiques over there,” Holmes said, looking towards a middle-aged man. “His name is Kanebayashi. He used to run an antique store as well, but I believe it closed down last month.”

“He must be selling his leftover inventory, then.”

“I suppose.”

As we were talking a short distance away, an elderly woman approached the stall.

“My, is that you, Kanebayashi? I was so worried when I heard your store closed down,” she said loudly.

Kanebayashi smiled at her and said, “Long time no see, Nakamoto! Yeah, it went under. Antiques just don’t turn a profit, so I made up my mind to close shop and do business in Osaka instead.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. Is this a clearance sale, then?”

“Yep, take a look. Oh, but this one’s just for show.” He pointed at a ceramic sake bottle on the table. “It ain’t for sale.”

“Ooh, is this something special?”

“Uh huh. This here’s a salvaged Bizen ware. I’m sure you’ve heard of ’em, right?”

“I’ve heard the name before. Are they rare?”

“Well, yeah. It’s real hard to get your hands on one of these. That’s why I keep mine here as a good luck charm, and I won’t sell it to no one.”

I glanced at Holmes while listening to their conversation. “Holmes, what’s a salvaged Bizen ware?”

“Ah… In 1940, a capsized ship was found in the Seto Inland Sea. It was carrying old Bizen wares from the Momoyama period, which was major news for the antiques industry at the time. Those are what we call ‘salvaged Bizen wares.’”

“So they were treasures hidden in a capsized ship.”

“Indeed.”

Holmes had been staring at Kanebayashi throughout his whole explanation.

“If you were to sell it, how much would it cost?” the woman asked.

“Three hundred grand, I’d say. I won’t have to worry about that, though—ain’t no one here gonna pay that much. I’m counting on it to go up in value over time, too.”

“Three hundred thousand, and it’s still going to appreciate? That’s amazing,” the woman said, staring intently at the bottle.

“Don’t just look at that. There’s plenty of other things on sale,” Kanebayashi said with a smile.

“If I pay you three hundred thousand, will you sell this to me?” the woman said with a serious face.

Kanebayashi frowned. “It’s still my treasure, you know? But…three hundred grand, huh? I do want more capital for starting my new business…but…”

His reluctance seemed like an act.

“Hold on, I’m going to withdraw the money,” the woman said before darting away.

“Oh dear,” Kanebayashi said, breaking into a grin.

I guess bluffing is his standard sales tactic.

Now Holmes walked briskly towards him. “Long time no see, Kanebayashi.”

The man looked surprised to see him. “You’re…from Seiji’s place.”

Geez, everyone knows the owner, huh?

“Would you mind letting me see the salvaged Bizen ware too? If it’s in good condition, we’d be willing to pay five hundred thousand for it,” Holmes said with a sharp look in his eyes.

Kanebayashi’s expression stiffened. “I-I can’t. I wasn’t planning on selling it to anyone in the first place.” He hurriedly reached for the bottle, but Holmes picked it up first.

Holmes examined it in silence for a while before a smile rose to his face.

“Unfortunately, Kanebayashi, this is a fake.”

“I-I don’t need to hear your false accusations!”

“It’s the truth. There are various issues with this piece, but the most obvious one is here. Please look at the bottom,” Holmes said, turning the bottle over. “All salvaged Bizen wares have an inner circle on the bottom, whereas this one does not. It’s an ordinary Bizen ware.”

Kanebayashi couldn’t come up with a retort, but he also looked shocked to hear the truth. Perhaps he himself wasn’t confident it was real but believed it could be. It was possible that someone had told him it was salvaged Bizen ware.

“I doubt you’re selling a counterfeit on purpose, but in the end, I feel that it’d still be unethical to sell it for three hundred thousand.”

“Why you little…!” The man stood up with a swagger and headed straight for us.

“Holmes!” I shouted, frozen stiff with my hands over my mouth in fear.

It happened in the blink of an eye. It looked like Holmes had grabbed Kanebayashi’s hand, but the very next moment, the man was lying on the floor.

“Huh?” I said, dumbfounded.

“Ever since I was young, I was made to learn aikido as a means of becoming stronger,” Holmes said nonchalantly. Aikido is a defensive martial art that aims to not injure the aggressor.

Just then, the bearded potter from earlier ran over, looking shocked.

“What happened over here? Everything all right?” he asked.

“We’re fine. He just tripped,” Holmes said, quickly holding his hand out to Kanebayashi.

“Hmph.” Kanebayashi ignored Holmes’s hand and stood up, brushing the dust off of him. He silently began packing his goods into a cardboard box, presumably preparing to leave.

“Kanebayashi, you truly aren’t suited for running an antiques store. I think you made the right decision closing shop and switching to a different trade,” Holmes said to the merchant, who had his back turned to us.

Kanebayashi swiveled around with a mean look on his face. “What’d you say?” His anger was justified. Why would Holmes pour gas on the fire?

As I was watching them anxiously, Holmes took a pair of white gloves from his inner pocket and slipped them on. This was something he always did before an appraisal or before picking up an expensive item.

“I really was surprised,” Holmes said, picking up a red tea bowl from the scattered tableware. He squinted at it before saying, “Yes, I wasn’t mistaken. Truly a surprise.”

“What?” Kanebayashi said, glaring at Holmes.

“This is a genuine tea bowl by Handeishi Kawakita. I’m shocked that you would treat it like an ordinary tea bowl, not realizing what a rare treasure you had,” Holmes said with a grin.

Kanebayashi’s eyes opened wide. “A Handeishi Kawakita tea bowl…and it’s real?”

“Without a doubt. Please take it to a proper establishment and have it appraised. You’ll have the funds to start your new business.” Holmes gently placed the tea bowl back on the table.

“How much are we talking?” asked the bearded potter, who’d been listening from off to the side. Thanks, Mr. Potter. I wanted to know too.

“Let’s see… I think two million would be an understatement,” Holmes declared flatly.

The potter, myself, and of course, Kanebayashi, were all rendered speechless, our eyes wide in shock.

“R-R-R-R-R-Really?”

“Yes, please take good care of it.”

“W-Will do. Thanks so much, man.” Kanebayashi grabbed Holmes’s hand and shook it vigorously. Didn’t his attitude change too drastically?!

Just then, the woman from earlier ran over, panting for breath. “Kanebayashi, I withdrew the money. Could you sell me that salvaged piece?”

“Ah, my apologies, Nakamoto. I really can’t sell this to you. I don’t have a certificate of authenticity or any other kind of proof. Sorry ’bout that.” He bowed apologetically, unable to say that it was a fake.

“I see… That’s a shame.”

“Today’s a clearance sale, so there’s big discounts on everything. See if there’s anything else you like,” Kanebayashi said with a grin.

The rest of us quietly left the scene. Then, I heard the bearded potter mumble, “Huh, so the boy’s the real sensei.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

At any rate, Holmes’s discerning eye was as amazing as ever.