Chapter 4

Si-woo could not tear his eyes away from the black light leaking out of the box.

What is that?

It was completely different from the glow he had seen in the vase.

Black light.

Just looking at it made a chill run down his spine.

"What are you staring at so intently?"

At Shin A-young's voice, Si-woo came back to himself.

"It’s nothing. I was just..."

He tried to drag his gaze away.

But his eyes kept drifting back there.

"Looks like that object is bothering you."

Shin A-young followed his gaze.

"It's just... it feels different somehow."

Jeong Hae-won looked at him with interest.

"Different?"

"Yes. It’s hard to explain, but I’d say it feels like it has a heavy presence. Don’t worry about it. It’s just intuition."

Jeong Hae-won and Shin A-young exchanged a glance.

"That’s an interesting thing to say," Jeong Hae-won said.

"To be honest, that object has been quite troublesome. We’re certain it’s a Japanese sword, and we’ve identified the period and even the swordsmith... but."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"We don’t know who owned it. Who in the world wielded that sword."

Jeong Hae-won’s brow furrowed.

"It’s already been through countless appraisers. The period is around the time of the Imjin War, and we’ve established that the smith was Fujiwara Masakuni, the second-generation swordsmith of the Dodenkan school. But the original owner remains a mystery."

Si-woo’s curiosity deepened.

He wanted to know what the black energy was.

What in the world was it that made it radiate such a force?

"Could I... take a look at it?"

The words came out before he knew it.

Jeong Hae-won raised his eyebrows.

"You want to inspect it directly?"

"Yes. Actually, I do have some interest in this area. What happened with the celadon earlier, too—tracing history through the objects themselves... I found it fascinating."

That much was true.

In fact, digging through the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty to uncover records on Lee Jong-seong had been fascinating in itself.

Unraveling the story inside a single object. He had not known it could feel this thrilling.

"Hm."

Jeong Hae-won looked troubled.

"The vault isn't a place just anyone can enter..."

"Dr. Jeong," Shin A-young cut in.

"Wouldn’t it be fine? He’s the one who personally tracked down the Annals record for that celadon piece earlier. Someone who showed that kind of sincerity doesn’t seem like the sort to ask out of idle curiosity."

"But..."

"And honestly, that sword is frustrating. We still haven’t found its owner after more than two months. A fresh perspective might help."

Jeong Hae-won seemed to think it over.

He looked at Si-woo once, then at the box. In the end, he let out a sigh and nodded.

"Very well. But you must never touch it carelessly."

"Of course. Thank you."

Si-woo felt a wave of relief in his chest.

The opportunity had come naturally.

The three of them walked down the corridor.

Past the exhibition hall and deeper into the building, they reached a heavy iron door. After Shin A-young swiped her card and entered the password, the door slowly opened.

"This is the vault of Eterna Gallery."

As soon as he stepped inside, cool air wrapped around his skin. He could feel the temperature and humidity control system at work.

The spacious room held all kinds of relics, organized with meticulous precision.

Ceramics, calligraphy and painting, Buddha statues, metalcraft. It was full of objects with a different atmosphere from those in the exhibition hall.

Just what’s stored here must be worth hundreds of billions.

Si-woo marveled inwardly.

But his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gaze kept sliding to one side.

Employees were setting a box down on a worktable.

The black energy was rising more thickly than before.

Because the room was sealed, the concentration felt even denser.

"Come this way," Jeong Hae-won said, leading him to the table.

"First, let me explain how this item came into our hands."

Before opening the box, he went on, "After liberation, when the Japanese were withdrawing in a rush, many objects were sold off for a pittance. This sword was one of them. In August 1945, we’re told some Japanese man hurriedly sold it to a merchant in Busan and left."

"So it’s been in Korea for almost eighty years?"

"Yes. It was kept in that merchant’s family for generations, and recently, when a descendant was going through the estate, they contacted us."

Shin A-young added, "I met them myself and handled the purchase. At first I thought it was just an old Japanese sword, but when I looked closer, I realized it wasn’t an ordinary piece. The blade was in far too good a condition."

She continued, "So I commissioned appraisals. I showed it to four experts, but the conclusion was the same as I mentioned earlier: they couldn’t determine who the owner had been. They only guessed it must have belonged to an exceptional general."

Jeong Hae-won let out a sigh.

"Dodenkan-school swords have almost no decoration. That makes it hard to identify the owner through a family crest or emblem. This sword is no different."

The box opened.

At once, the black energy surged outward.

It seemed the others felt nothing at all. But to Si-woo, it was crystal clear.

Inside the box lay a Japanese sword.

Long, with a gentle curve. Despite the wear of time, the blade still gave off a terrifyingly sharp gleam.

Just as Jeong Hae-won had said, there was almost no ornamentation. Far removed from anything flashy, it was a form that pursued utility alone.

"Dr. Jeong."

Si-woo spoke slowly.

"The nakago, the tang inside the hilt... could I see the swordsmith’s signature directly there?"

Jeong Hae-won’s eyes widened.

"Oh? You know about the nakago as well?"

"I’ve taken some interest in Japanese swords. I know the basics."

"As expected, you’re not an ordinary man."

Jeong Hae-won nodded in admiration.

"Even with the celadon earlier, most people don’t even know the term nakago."

Shin A-young also looked at him with interest.

"You’re making me even more curious. What exactly do you do?"

"I’m just interested in all sorts of things."

Si-woo gave a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vague smile and brushed it off.

Jeong Hae-won carefully lifted the sword.

With practiced hands, he began separating the hilt.

He pulled out the mekugi and slowly slid the tsuka off.

The tang was revealed.

Jeong Hae-won narrowed his eyes and studied it for a long while. He shifted the angle again and again, peering closely, before eventually furrowing his brow.

"...As I thought."

He shook his head.

"Nothing is left. There’s no clue at all."

"What kind of clue?" Si-woo asked.

"Normally, high-grade swords have the owner’s name or a family mark engraved on the nakago. But this one..."

Jeong Hae-won pointed to the tang.

"There’s nothing except the swordsmith’s signature. The four appraisers all checked this as well, and their conclusion was the same. There’s absolutely nothing here that could serve as a clue."

Shin A-young sighed.

"If there are no other clues, finding the sword’s owner will be difficult."

Si-woo looked at the tang.

The swordsmith’s signature was engraved there in clear strokes.

Fujiwara Masakuni, second-generation swordsmith of the Dodenkan school.

Carefully, Si-woo spoke.

"Would it be all right if I touched it once?"

Jeong Hae-won looked at him.

"Honestly, this sword has gone without an answer for a long time. All the other appraisers failed before this."

Shin A-young looked at Si-woo for a long moment.

It was a measuring gaze.

"...All right."

She made her decision.

"But only while wearing gloves, and carefully. If Appraiser Jeong Hae-won stops you, you’ll have to stop."

"Of course."

"Here you go. Handle it with care."

Si-woo put on the gloves and slowly reached for the sword.

The moment his fingertips touched the cold metal.

Ding.

A translucent window appeared before his eyes.

Si-woo’s heart dropped.

Kato Kiyomasa.

One of the infamous Japanese generals who had invaded Joseon during the Imjin War.

The sword of that man was standing before him now.

"Well?"

"I think I’ve found something."

Jeong Hae-won looked at him in astonishment.

"What exactly have you found?"

His mind raced.

How could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he present the information he had seen in the status window naturally?

He had to make it look like he was uncovering clues one by one.

The hilt was already detached, and the smith’s signature was visible.

If the information from the status window was correct, then tracing the marks in these characters would reveal the answer.

"Don’t these characters look a little strange?"

He pointed to the first character in the smith’s signature.

"There are tiny dots between the strokes. Here, and here."

Jeong Hae-won narrowed his eyes.

"Couldn’t that just be damage caused over time?"

"But the placement is far too regular."

Si-woo said, "Every dot sits only at the ends of strokes. If it were random damage, it couldn’t be this consistent."

Jeong Hae-won tilted his head.

"Hm. That does make sense."

"What if we connect only these dots separately?"

Though still half doubtful, Jeong Hae-won took out a sheet of paper.

One by one, he marked the positions of the dots Si-woo pointed out.

Four from the first character.

Three from the second.

Five from the third.

He connected the dots in order.

Jeong Hae-won’s hand stopped.

The shape revealed on the page.

Tiger.

"Impossible! The character really appears!"

Si-woo nodded.

"Let’s try the rest as well."

Jeong Hae-won hurriedly connected the remaining dots.

Hoyeon Kiyomasa.

"Hoyeon, Kiyomasa," Jeong Hae-won murmured.

"Why would someone hide something like this?"

Si-woo said slowly, "Hoyeon is probably the sword’s name. It means fierce like a tiger and swift like a swallow. And Kiyomasa..."

"Wait!"

Jeong Hae-won’s face turned pale.

"Kiyomasa? Kiyomasa?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Kiyomasa... written in hanja, Kiyomasa becomes Qingzheng."

The vault fell silent, as if it had frozen solid.

"Kato Kiyomasa," Jeong Hae-won said in a trembling voice.

"The owner of this sword... is very likely Kato Kiyomasa."

Si-woo nodded.

"He hid the owner’s name in the swordsmith’s signature. He concealed it deliberately so it would look like dots. Anyone who didn’t know better would just take it for age-related damage."

"Why would he go to such lengths..."

"Who knows. I think only the smith or Kato Kiyomasa himself would know."

Jeong Hae-won stared blankly at the paper.

"For decades, countless appraisers must have looked at this signature. They would all have dismissed these dots as damage and never imagined they were a clue."

Shin A-young looked at Si-woo.

Her gaze mixed shock and confusion.

"How on earth did you know that? Your eye for this is truly extraordinary."

"Dr. Jeong."

Shin A-young turned to Jeong Hae-won.

"If this really is Kato Kiyomasa’s sword, how much would it be worth?"

Jeong Hae-won let out a long breath.

"...It’s difficult to say precisely."

Looking at the sword, he continued, "In Japan, Kato Kiyomasa’s value is extremely high. He may have been an invader to us, but the Japanese treat him as a hero. In Kumamoto especially, he is almost worshipped like a god. It was Kato Kiyomasa who built Kumamoto Castle."

"That much?"

"Yes. There’s a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kato Shrine in Kumamoto. Hundreds of thousands come to pay their respects every year. He was also one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Seven Spears."

Jeong Hae-won fell into thought for a moment.

"There are swords associated with Kato Kiyomasa, to be sure. Kato Kunihiro is owned by the Mitsui family, and Nikkosukezane has been designated a national treasure and is housed in a museum."

"Then this sword?" Shin A-young asked.

"Kato Kunihiro and Nikkosukezane are famous blades, yes, but there’s no record that Kato Kiyomasa actually used them in battle. It’s more likely they were ceremonial or tribute pieces. But this one..."

He pointed at the sword.

"The Dodenkan school was the line of smiths Kato Kiyomasa employed as his exclusive swordmakers when he was lord of Kumamoto Castle. These were swords made purely for real combat, without flashy decoration."

Jeong Hae-won’s voice trembled.

"The swords Kato Kiyomasa actually used when he set out for Joseon were Dodenkan-school blades. This is very likely a real battlefield sword that he personally wielded. He’s known primarily as a master of spears, but he would have used swords as the situation demanded. And..."

"There are only about twenty of Fujiwara Masakuni’s swords left in the world."

"Then how much is it worth?"

"In Japan, it’s practically a national treasure."

Jeong Hae-won considered it with a solemn expression.

"Fujiwara Masakuni. A legendary Japanese swordsmith, and the man who led the Dodenkan school to its peak. To think that a sword made by him has Kato Kiyomasa’s name hidden inside it like a puzzle."

He shook his head.

"Honestly, it’s hard to even estimate its value. Ten billion won at the very least, and that’s certain. But this is not something that can be priced by the logic of the antiques market alone."

His voice grew heavier.

"If a Japanese corporation, a hidden tycoon, or even the Japanese government stepped forward, its value would defy imagination. Japanese conglomerates or museums would fight to buy it. Especially the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum or the Kato Shrine would do everything they could to secure it. For them, it wouldn’t be a question of money. It would be a question of symbolism."

"Now I’m wondering what to do with it," Shin A-young said, crossing her arms.

"Auction it, sell it directly, or keep it in the collection... I’ll need to think on it a little more."

She looked at Si-woo.

Her expression had changed.

The wariness from before was gone, replaced by something new.

Something greedy, something that wanted to possess.