Holmes of Kyoto Volume 1 Chapter 4 part5

—We waited for another 10 minutes or so.

While drinking some tea, I was touching the flowing river with my hand and saying, "As I thought, it's cold," when Kajiwarsan's emissary arrived at the front of the shop to receive us.

"I am Kajiwara's secretary, Kurashina."

The smart-looking man who was bowing and introducing himself was clad in a suit and looked to be in his forties.

So Kajiwarsan had a secretary. That seems amazing.

"I am Yagashira Kiyotaka."

"I-I am Mashiro Aoi." I bowed, while he returned a grin.

"Nice to meet you."

"Thank you for coming all the way here to receive us."

"No problem. I also apologize for sudden, impolite request. Please, get in the car."

Kurashinsan said as he opened the back door of the Benz parked outside the restaurant.

A Benz! And a black one, too!

"Authors have a lot of money, huh."

Overwhelmed, I muttered to myself and got onto the car with Holmes-san.

"Aoi-san, do you know of the movie 'Power Struggle'?"

"Yes, but I only know about it by name. It's a movie with a messy fight between politicians and the yakuza, right?"

I hadn't watched it since it was a genre I wasn't interested in, but I knew that it was a famous movie that even had a television series.

"Kajiwarsensei was the original creator of that movie."

"What, really? That's amazing!"

Kurashinsan, who was sitting in the driver's seat, chuckled.

"It's not a movie that a young girl such as yourself would watch, huh?"

"S-Sorry. My father was watching that movie, and he liked it, I think."

I also recall that the content of that movie seemed really complicated.

"Kajiwarsensei was a student at the University of Tokyo at the height of the student movement1. After he graduated, he became a lawyer, and sometimes got to catch a glimpse of the underground community. Making use of that abundant experience, he wrote 'Power Struggle'. That work earned him the Rookie Award, and was a big hit, adapted into a drama as well as a movie, propelling him towards the path of a spectacular writer."

Holmes-san explained to me, as usual.

"You are well-informed, Kiyotaksan."

"Yes, naturally. He was a great author who was really close with my father, so I felt proud for him too."

Holmes-san spoke with a first-rate smile on his face. As expected, he was flawless in terms of tact.

"However, Kajiwara was not only the author of 'Power Struggle', Kiyotaksan. He also wrote beautiful works like 'Blossoming of A Hundred Flowers' and 'Forbidden Fruit'."

Kurashinsan cheerfully introduced us to the writer's other works as he drove.

While he appeared to speak casually, I could feel the enthusiasm behind those words.

"Yes, I hear that Kajiwarsensei's 'Forbidden Fruit' is also quite popular. Kurashinsan, you seem to be quite a passionate fan yourself."

"…Of course. I might be his biggest fan, even."

Probably feeling embarrassed that he had been seen through, Kurashinsan shrugged.

The car continued moving up the mountain path.

"…Amazing, we're really in the mountains."

Outside the windows were green maple leaves that made my eyes sparkle.

This view of the mountains might not have changed since a long time ago.

That was what I thought as I felt a strong emotion welling up from deep within me.

After turning into a small road from the main street, a woody mansion in the middle of a grove of trees appeared, giving off the exact impression of a mountain retreat.

"Wow, it looks majestic!"

"Thank you. This is Kajiwara's workplace."

"Did he confine himself here whenever he was writing?"

Holmes-san asked for confirmation. In response, Kurashinsan nodded and said, "Yes, that is correct."

"During those times, his wife and myself would come here with him, so you could say this is his second residence."

"Where is his main residence?"

"It's an apartment on Shijō Street. He used to have a house at Kinugasa District when his children were young, but when the three children grew up and moved out, it became too big for just Kajiwara and his wife, so he moved into the apartment." Kurashinsan said as he stopped the car outside the mansion.

We immediately got off the car.

A refreshing breeze containing the fragrance of greenery blew past.

"The air's really clear."

Feeling comfortable, I stretched my arms and took a deep breath.

The air seemed to be filled with the "essence" of Mt. Kurama.

I could certainly understand why the author would want to seclude himself here to write.

"Please, come inside."

Kurashinsan stepped forward and opened the door, revealing a woman who looked to be Kajiwarsensei's wife.

"Welcome to our humble abode. I am Kajiwara's wife, Ayako." She then deeply lowered her head.

She was about fifty, I think?

She was a beautiful person, slender and delicate like an actress.

"Nice to meet you. I am Yagashira Kiyotaka. I have often heard about you from my father, Ayako-san."

"My, Ijuuin-sensei mentioned me?"

"After meeting you, he would always say, 'She's so beautiful that I'm jealous of Kajiwarsensei.'"

"My, how nice. Kiyotaksan, you look a lot like your father, don't you?"

She chuckled to herself. From her words, I could tell that she wasn't someone from the Kansai region.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt your date today."

Ayako-san shifted her gaze onto me, causing me to return a startled look.

A d-d-d-d-d-date!

"So, what did you want to consult me about?"

Holmes-san ignored the changed the subject smoothly.

Wait, does that mean that he acknowledged our hike as a date? Well, it is certainly a date.

"Ah, please come inside for now."

The lady held the door wide open.

"Sorry for intruding."

I said as I took a step into the mountain villa.

The living room had a retro Showa atmosphere.

It had a black chandelier and a huge wall clock like the one in Kura.

There was a counter that would fit into any bar, as well as a billiard table. Three men were seated on the velvet sofa, and they stood up as we entered.

"You're Ijuuin-sensei's…"

"And Yagashira Seiji's grandson."

"Welcome to our house."

The three of them spoke in succession.

They must be Kajiwarsensei's sons.

They were all male, so that would make them the Kajiwara brothers.

One of them looked to be in his early thirties, another in his mid-twenties and the youngest one in his early twenties.

They didn't say it aloud, but I could tell that they were somewhat troubled by Holmes-san's young age.

"Nice to meet you, I am Yagashira Kiyotaka."

"I-I'm Mashiro Aoi."

After we introduced ourselves, the three of them followed suit.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Fuyuki, the oldest son of the Kajiwara family."

The first son, who looked like a young entrepreneur, spoke.

"I'm the second son, Akihito." The guy in his mid-twenties was slim, and gave off the impression of an artist.

Taking after his mother, he was quite handsome.

"I'm the youngest son, Haruhiko."

He looked to be about Holmes-san's age.

With his cheerful, gentle atmosphere, he seemed to be an agreeable young man.

Judging from their outer appearances, the oldest son, Fuyuki-san, probably looked like his father, although I had never seen the man himself, the second son, Akihito-san, looked like his mother, while the third son, Haruhiko-san, had a split of his parents' features. As expected of a group of three brothers.

I could also tell which season they were born from their names2.

Come to think of it, it was actually a really simple naming pattern for an author…

"Well, authors are sometimes unexpectedly bad at naming."

Holmes-san whispered so that only I could hear, causing my body to jolt.

Seriously, stop reading my thoughts! It's really scary!

"Please, take a seat." Hearing that suggestion, I sat down on the velvet sofa.

I was immediately brought coffee and baked sweets, and was relieved to see that milk and sugar had been prepared.

"Kiyotaksan, I heard that you're a student in Kyoto University, just like your father?"

"Yes, although I'm a graduate student there. Before that, I was in the prefectural university."

Holmes-san replied with a smile.

"Ah, the prefectural university. Our Haruhiko's currently a second-year student there."

"I'll work hard to enter Kyoto University as a graduate student as well."

Ayako-san and Haruhiko-san laughed cheerfully.

Haruhiko-san is a second-year university student. That means that he's about twenty years old.

At that moment, the second son, Akihiko-san, shrugged and spoke.

"The prefectural university and Kyoto University are different worlds for a high school graduate like me."

"You did suddenly fly off and said that you would become an actor."

Fuyuki-san said as a wry smile appeared on his face.

"Since you got into Tokyo University just like Dad, I felt ashamed for being bad at studying. But then again, thanks to you going to Tokyo, I got to proceed to the capital as well."

 "Seriously, you just crashed my house and leeched off me for a while."

"My husband was openly against it, but on the inside, he didn't mind providing some assistance if Akihito truly wanted to be an actor. Yet Akihito said at the time that he 'didn't want to ride on his parents' coattails', so he hid the fact that he was the son of the writer Kajiwara Naotaka while training to be an actor. He has been slightly rewarded for his efforts, and has recently gotten to appear on movies and on television, although only as side characters."

Ayako-san said in a way that gave off the impression that she was embarrassed but had to convey as much.

"Ayako-san, I remember hearing that when you were young, you also aspired to be an actress. You met Kajiwarsan through an audition, right?"

Ayako-san gave a small nod to Holmes-san, who was bringing the coffee to his lips.

"Ijuuin-sensei has really told you about all sorts of things, I see. Yes, I wanted to be an actress but failed due to my lack of talent, so I was really happy when my son succeeded my dream."

Ayako-san, it wasn't Manager who told him everything. It's just that Holmes-san somehow gained that knowledge.

I silently said in my heart as I listened to their conversation.

"So, what is today's consultation about?"

Holmes-san suddenly placed the coffee cup down and looked up.

Ayako-san and her three sons shot each other troubled looks, as if to say, "Where should we begin?"

At that moment, the secretary, Kurashinsan, stepped forward.

"…I shall start with the explanation."

A feeling of tension spread through the previously calm living room.

"When Kajiwarsensei passed away, his lawyers were entrusted with two wills. One was an official will dealing with the inheritance of his fortune, and was opened immediately. The second was to be opened here in his mountain villa three months after his passing.

"Three days ago marked the third month since his passing. We received the will from his lawyers, and it read, 'I want to give my treasured artworks to my three sons.' The number to a safe was also written there, and we found three hanging scrolls inside that safe."

Listening to that story, I gulped.

"Hanging scrolls, you say?" Holmes-san quietly responded with a polite interjection.

As I thought, they wanted Holmes-san to appraise those works of art.

The great author left behind three hanging scrolls to his three sons.

I wonder what value they hold?

I was nervous and excited by this development.

Next to Holmes-san, I looked on with anticipation for the scrolls, as Kurashinsan took a short breath and cast his eyes down.

"Fuyuki-san was to receive an artwork of Taira no Kiyomori, Akihito-san was to receive Hokusai's Mt. Fuji, while Haruhiko-san was to receive an artwork of Taira no Tadamori3. I instantly had them appraised, but since they were found to be replications, they have no value as old works of art. We believe that Kajiwarsensei just wanted to give artworks that he liked to his sons."

My jaw fell to the ground after I heard that statement.

What, they've already done an appraisal?

They didn't call Holmes-san here to have him appraise the scrolls?

As I was lost in bewilderment, Holmes-san sat beside me without any change to his expression, waiting for the next statement.

Fuyuki-san let out a deep sigh.

"That day, the three of us talked about taking good care of the scrolls that our father left us. We drank and ate here in this villa, and slept carefreely.

"…But the next day, something unexpected happened."

"Something unexpected?" Holmes-san and I asked in unison.

"Those three scrolls were burnt in the incinerator at the back."

Haruhiko-san divulged, with his face distorted by sorrow.

"Ehh?" We were lost for words, and our eyes were wide open.

"…They were burnt. Are there no traces left of the scrolls?"

Holmes-san asked with a frown. In response, Kurashinsan shook his head.

"No. Some parts of the scrolls remain, but the important pictures were burnt up."

"Who could have done this, and why?"

Ayako-san's shoulders shook as she bit her lip and looked down, while Akihito-san made a big show of shrugging.

"Mother, isn't it obvious that someone in our family did it?"

"Yes, the only ones in villa on that day were us."

Fuyuki-san firmly stared at Holmes-san as he spoke.

"But brother, I've said this many times, but which one of us would want to burn the scroll? It would be a different question if they were stolen."

Annoyed, Haruhiko-san raised his voice.

"Well, it's also possible that he burnt dummies and stole them away~"

Akihito-san spoke with a smile on his face, as if he were enjoying this situation.

"But aren't the scrolls worth nothing themselves, aren't they? Even if you sell them, you'd only get some tens of thousands."

"No no, the pictures might be worthless, but they might contain some secret left there by Father. Clues to a hidden fortune, for example."

"Hmm, you might say that, but aren't you the one who did it, then? Out of all of us, the one who needs money the most is you, isn't it?"

"What did you say?" Fuyuki-san and Akihito-san stood up in their heated exchange.

"Stop this!" Ayako-san shouted.

—I feel like I've been somehow dragged into a huge mess!

In the midst of all that, Holmes-san was drinking his coffee indifferently. While his facial expression was calm, I could tell from a slight upward curve of his lips that he somehow found the situation amusing.

"Hey, Holmes-san, what are you thinking about?"

I elbowed him slightly and asked in a small voice.

"Ah, I apologize. I was just thinking that you were very much alike, to an alarming degree."

Holmes-san put down his cup gently and raised his head.

"Very much alike to an alarming degree?"

Who are alike?

Was he referring to the three brothers?

I'm not sure about their inner personalities, but they seem to be different types on the surface level.

Or was he saying that the three brothers are like the recently deceased Kajiwarsensei?

I'm not sure, since I don't know much about Kajiwarsensei.

Or was he talking about how Ayako-san's and Akihito-san's faces were similar?

They are indeed quite alike.

As I slightly bent my head to the side, the verbal argument continued clamorously before me.

"—Please, calm down."

After hearing Holmes-san's voice, which was calm yet resounding, everyone stopped.

"Since you've called me here, you haven't consulted the police, right?"

"Of course. No matter how you think about it, the person who did it is here, so we don't want to get the police involved."

Fuyuki-san said with a strong tone. In response, I nodded and said, "I see."

The perpetrator must be one of them, so they don't want the police to investigate.

However, they still want to resolve this inexplicable situation, so…

"So, after talking to Yanagiharsan who did the appraisal, we found out that Ijuuin-sensei's son is a prodigy with a sharp mind and goes by the nickname 'Holmes'."

Haruhiko-san continued. Holmes-san weakly placed a hand on his forehead and replied.

"I see, so the appraisal was done by Yanagiharsensei."

"You know him, Holmes-san?"

"He's an old friend of my grandfather's."

"Ah, Owner's friend."

That's the usual 'lateral connections' at play.

Having regained his composure, Holmes-san looked at everyone.

"…If Yanagiharsensei has examined the art pieces, there should be no problems with the appraisal."

It seems that we can trust the words of the appraiser that they had no artistic value.

"Well, that doesn't matter. Mr Detective Holmes, you'd better investigate all of us and find out who burnt the hanging scrolls. I'm quite a fan of Sherlock Holmes, so I'm quite interested to see how good you actually are."

Akihito-san spoke with a mischievous grin.

He was also a handsome guy, but I had a bad feeling about him, because he gave off a flashy atmosphere.

"I'm called Holmes, but my family name is 'Yagashira', so I'm not sure if I can meet your expectations."

Holmes-san returned a grin to Akihito-san.

As I thought, Holmes-san was really calm and mature.

"So you can't help us with this problem, huh?"

I was startled by Akihito-san's provocative tone.

I wonder why Akihito-san is picking a fight with Holmes-san? They're both handsome men, so was he somehow dissatisfied about something? Or was it because Akihito-san's such a fan of Sherlock Holmes that he's displeased with someone calling himself 'Holmes'?

"Yes. However, I do have an idea of the perpetrator. I don't have any proof, unfortunately."

Holmes-san flashed a composed smile.

"W-What?" Everyone exclaimed in astonishment.

"Is that true?"

How did he manage to figure out the culprit just from such a short explanation of the situation?

"Seriously, you're kidding, right?" Akihito-san raised his eyebrows conspicuously.

"Really?"

"W-Who is it?" Everyone leant forward with interest.

"I apologize, but since I do not have any proof yet, I will not reveal my suspect. Now, I think I shall properly investigate."

Holmes-san must have been quite peeved to say all that even without evidence. While he might usually display an easy-going attitude, he might unexpectedly hate losing.

Akihito-san apparently sees Holmes-san as the type of person he hates, but perhaps that's also the same for Holmes-san?

"…Yes, an overbearing, arrogant playboy like him is certainly not to my liking."

Reading my thoughts yet again, Holmes-san casually answered my question by whispering into my ear, causing me to almost spit out all the coffee I'd drunk.

"Now, I would like to ask each of you some questions. Let us first start with Fuyuki-san. Could you tell us your full name, age and occupation?"

Holmes-san linked his fingers in front of his chest and looked over at Fuyuki-san.

"Ah, starting with my name? Understood. Kajiwara Fuyuki, 32 years old. I started an IT business as a student in Tokyo University's Faculty of Economics, which I've continued running up till today."

So Fuyuki-san's 32 years old. As I thought, he was indeed in his early thirties.

"You're an economist, huh. Could you tell me the name of your company?"

"It's called 'West Japan'."

"It's a small, elite company with good ratings and rising stock prices, right?"

"…Thank you for the compliment."

Fuyuki-san looked perplexed as Holmes-san immediately rattled off information about his company.

He'd probably expected Holmes-san to not know anything about it.

"Were you agreeable with the contents of the will from three months ago, with regards to your inheritance?"

I looked on in surprise as Holmes-san decisively asked such a question.

However, Fuyuki-san didn't seem to mind, and nodded.

"While he was alive, he said that 'the three of us would receive an equal amount', and the contents of the will reflected exactly that, so it was expected. Anyway, my father was a huge spendthrift, so he didn't leave behind much."

"I see. Fuyuki-san, what did you think when you saw the hanging scroll your father left you? Please tell us your honest feelings."

Holmes-san made firm eye contact with Fuyuki-san, who scratched his head.

"Ah, well, I knew that my father liked Kiyomori, so it made sense to receive a picture of Kiyomori. That was what I felt… And I also thought that I would have no where to hang it up even if I got it."

That seemed like a really frank response. It's even possible that he had felt excited wondering what he would receive, but was disappointed upon seeing a hanging scroll that he didn't particular like.

"Thank you. Akihito-san, if you please."

Holmes-san shifted his gaze to Akihito-san, who was sitting on a chair in front of the counter.

"You already know our names, so why do you want us to introduce ourselves again? Fine, I'm Kajiwara Akihito, 25 years of age. I work as an actor at the AK Company."

Akihito-san replied as he shrugged resentfully.

"AK Company has a good reputation among entertainment companies. What did you think about your inheritance?"

"Well, Dad always said, 'I won't give a single yen to a prodigal son like you,' so when I got it, I thought, 'Wow, he actually gave some money to me?'"

"That's different from what Fuyuki-san said."

"I don't know what he said, but he always told me that he would never give me anything, so I was surprised in a different way."

"What did you think when you saw the hanging scroll?"

"Ah, I was simply ecstatic. I like Hokusai, although it seems to be a fake." He laughed gently.

Akihito-san does seem like quite a playboy.

"I see. Now, we'll move on to Haruhiko-san."

Holmes-san coldly turned away from Akihito-san.

"Wait, that's all for me?" The actor exclaimed in response, apparently unsatisfied.

Having been pointed out, Haruhiko-san laughed at Akihito-san's appearance, then corrected himself.

"Kajiwara Haruhiko, 22 years old, and I'm a sophomore at Kyoto Prefectural University."

"Haruhiko-san, what did you think of your inheritance?"

"Ah, I honestly thought that we had more money than that, so I thought, 'That's it?' But I also knew that Father was a spendthrift, so it was understandable."

He laughed to conceal his embarrassment.

This also seemed like his frank opinion.

"What makes you think that your father was a spendthrift?"

"He was always really large-hearted. He would gather people he'd received favors from, and treat them to feasts. He would even treat total strangers at his favorite izakaya, saying 'This is my treat, so drink as much as you like!'"

Remembering his father's generosity, Haruhiko-san's face relaxed.

That told me that he respected and adored his father.

"…You're the youngest out of three brothers, so was your father especially strict with you? Or did he pamper you?"

"My father always fawned on Haruhiko."

"Yeah, the youngest son is special, after all."

Before Haruhiko-san could answer, his two brothers replied, unsatisfied.

"I don't know why, but Father was always really gentle towards me. Perhaps it's because I always saw my brothers getting shouted at, so I did things to please him and not get him angry."

That might be a perk to being the youngest sibling. My younger brother who just got into middle school also acts cleverly after seeing me get scolded by my parents.

"Haruhiko-san, what did you think when you saw the hanging scroll?"

"Well, I didn't know what to make of it?"

Haruhiko-san laughed and crossed his arms.

"You didn't know?"

"For my brothers' artworks, anyone could tell in a glance that they were of Kiyomori and Mt. Fuji, but mine had a picture of a warrior I didn't recognize. Even when I asked my mother and brothers, they didn't know. It was the appraiser, Yanagiharsan, who informed us that the warrior was Taira no Tadamori."

Haruhiko-san said with a wry smile.

That statement conveyed his slight disappointment with his inherited art piece.

"I see. Now, could I ask you all for details of the pictures you received? Fuyuki-san, you were given a picture of Taira no Kiyomori, but what kind of picture was it?"

After hearing Holmes-san's question, the three brothers looked at each other.

"Hmm… It had Taira no Kiyomori in a golden kimono, holding up a large fan to a bright red sun."

Fuyuki-san spoke as he recalled. In response, Holmes-san nodded, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

"Was it in the pose of 'Kiyomori Calls Back the Setting Sun'?"

"Kiyomori Calls Back the Setting Sun?" Everyone asked in unison.

"There is a Kabuki4 play called 'Itsukushima Maneku Hiōgi'5 with Kiyomori in that pose."

Upon hearing that statement, Ayako-san went "Ah!" as if having remembered something.

"Now that you mention it, my husband liked Kabuki."

"Yes, my father enjoys it too, and he occasionally went to plays with Kajiwarsensei."

"I see."

Holmes-san and Ayako-san laughed.

"As for Akihito-san, what was your picture like?"

Holmes-san steered the discussion back to the main topic. Akihito-san said, "Hmm," and linked his arms.

"It was mostly an unpainted background with a black dragon rising to the heavens from a smart-looking depiction of Mt. Fuji."

"I see, it's 'The Dragon of Smoke Flying Over Mt. Fuji'. Next, Haruhiko-san."

Holmes-san immediately changed direction.

"H-Hey, haven't you been awfully cold towards me the whole time?"

Akihito-san complained discontentedly.

"You sure are an funny person to say that when you spoke aggressively to me earlier."

Holmes-san turned around and brandished a first-rate smile.

Overwhelmed by its intensity, Akihito-san was lost for words.

—There it is, that mischievous smiling attack!

While he doesn't directly badmouth his opponent, he still manages to give a sharp jab to them. That's a Kyoto guy for you!

I found myself cheering for him in a fight I didn't understand.

"So, Haruhiko-san, what was your artwork like?"

Just as Holmes-san returned to the topic with a serious face, the atmosphere in the living room also became more tense.

"Ah, yes. Mine had an old priest holding a lantern and a general walking through a forest."

"A priest holding a lantern…"

Holmes-san was silent for a moment.

"I see, thank you very much."

After a short bow, he turned towards Ayako-san.

"…Ayako-san, could you introduce yourself?"

She raised her head in surprise, apparently not expecting to be questioned.

"Ah, me? Alright. I'm Kajiwara Ayako, 53 years old."

As she mentioned her age, the inflection of her words became smaller.

Her hesitation was probably due to her wondering if she should give her age.

"Ayako-san, when did you get married?"

"I got to know Kajiwara when I was 18, and we got married when I was 20."

"Kajiwarsensei was 7 years older, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Did you know that Kajiwarsensei had prepared three hanging scrolls for your three sons?"

"No, not at all."

"Did he prepare anything for you?"

"No, nothing for me. Ah, but…"

Ayako-san showed us the ring on her left hand's ring finger.

The light blue jewel sparkled brightly.

"Before he passed away, Kajiwara gave this to me as a present. It's a ring inlaid with a birthstone."

"It's an aquamarine, which means that you were born in March, right?"

"Yes. Kiyotaksan, you're very well-informed." Ayako-san happily touched the ring on her finger.

"Ayako-san, what did you think of the pieces of artwork that your three sons received?"

"Hmm. I was certain that those hanging scrolls had some artistic value, so I was bewildered when it was revealed that it wasn't true."

"Did Kajiwarsensei like hanging scrolls in the first place?"

"He had an interest in all sorts of things, so that could have been one of them. Then again, I was quite surprised, since no hanging scrolls are displayed in this villa or in our mansion."

"I see. Thank you very much."

Holmes-san bowed, then shifted his gaze to Kurashinsan.

"Finally, Kurashinsan. Would you mind?"

"Alright." Kurashinsan nodded earnestly.

"Kurashina Youhei, 42 years old. I work as Kajiwarsensei's secretary."

"Kurashinsan, were you aware of the existence of the hanging scrolls?"

"No, the only person who knew of them was the lawyer in charge of the second will."

"…I see. By the way, Kurashinsan, how did you become Kajiwarsensei's secretary?"

"Well, it's a little embarrassing to talk about it, but I used to be in a biker gang."

As Kurashinsan gave a wry smile, I exclaimed, "Ehhh?", openly showing my surprise.

"Shocking, isn't it? That someone as diligent as him used to be in a biker gang."

Ayako-san and the three brothers chuckled.

It seemed that the whole family knew about it.

(And there's no doubt that Holmes-san was aware of it too.)

"When I was 18, I got into some trouble with the police, and Kajiwarsensei, who was at that time a lawyer, helped me out. I've adored him ever since that incident. Since I wanted to be of use to him, I loitered around and became hired as his driver. Two years later, he said, 'You're quite useful,' and made me his secretary."

Kurashinsan explained with a smile. The three brothers nodded.

"Kurashinsan might have been a biker gang member, but he turned over a new leaf really quickly."

"Just goes to show how academic records aren't everything."

"On top of that, he's Father's savior!"

As the brothers spoke in succession, Holmes-san opened his eyes wide and asked, "Father's savior?" This was probably the first time he heard about this.

"Yes. After writing 'Power Struggle', he drew the ire of the gang he used as a model. A bloodthirsty member of the gang took a knife and charged straight at Father, but at that moment, Kurashinsan stood in front of him and got stabbed instead."

"That's… the first time I've heard of that."

Holmes-san folded his arms in admiration.

"Well, I was stabbed, but I made a full recovery after just two weeks. Since we didn't make the incident public, we managed to reconcile with the gang. It's a great achievement for getting an injury." Kurashinsan smiled.

"This is a question for all of you. When did Yanagiharsensei conduct the appraisal?"

"He came here soon after the lawyer brought the hanging scrolls," Fuyuki-san answered.

"You invited Yanagiharsensei here?"

"Yes. We said that we would pick him up, but Yanagiharsensei knew this place, so he drove here on his own. After the appraisal, he said that he would go to the Kurama Hot Spring."

"Between obtaining the scrolls and those scrolls being incinerated, there was about half a day, correct? Did anyone leave the villa during that time?"

Everyone looked at each other after hearing those words.

"No, no one left this villa."

"That's right, we came here after buying the groceries and other stuff."

"After Yanagiharsensei's appraisal, all of you came here to drink, right? Where were the hanging scrolls at that time?"

"On top of the counter."

Akihito-san placed his hand on the counter in question.

"Did you all get dead drunk in this room?"

"No, the only one to be wasted was Akihito, while the rest of us returned to our bedrooms."

Upon hearing Fuyuki-san's words, Akihito-san scratched his head awkwardly.

"Were the scrolls on the counter when you left the room?"

"Yes, I think… On second thoughts, I'm not sure."

"I also don't remember."

"Me neither…"

They tilted their heads in bewilderment.

"By the way, did anyone handle the incinerator that was used to burn the hanging scrolls?"

"Yes. My father originally used it to incinerate rejected manuscripts so that no one would be able to see them."

Fuyuki-san answered, while Holmes-san nodded and muttered, "I see."

"But… this is… difficult."

I was startled by Holmes-san's rare display of anxiety.

While he mentioned that he "had an idea of the perpetrator" earlier, did he start having doubts after listening to their answers? Could it be that Holmes-san originally believed Kurashinsan the secretary, to be the culprit, but then started having second thoughts?

Is he alright?

As my heart fluttered, Akihito-san laughed.

"As I thought, you don't know who did it, huh? In that case, would you like to look at the burnt remains of the scrolls? Why don't you pretend to check if they were replaced?"

He opened a furoshiki on the counter and showed us its contents.

There were only the tragic, charred remains of the hanging scrolls.

"No, they definitely weren't replaced."

Holmes-san asserted as he gently covered his eyes with a hand. In response, everyone in the room exclaimed, "Huh?" and stopped moving.

"Every person here was unaware of the contents of the second will, or in other words, you all didn't know of the existence of the hanging scrolls before receiving them. I can tell that it's the truth from your earlier statements.

"Basically, you all first knew of the scrolls on the same day, at the same time. After that, you had Yanagiharsan conduct an appraisal, and you found the burnt scrolls the next day…

"During that time, no one left the house. No one would have had a chance to prepare dummy scrolls.

"Furthermore, there is no place here in which anyone could have prepared dummy scrolls without being seen by someone else."

Everyone was satisfied by that explanation.

"More importantly, what I find difficult is not in identifying the culprit."

Holmes-san revealed with a bitter look on his face.

What he finds difficult is not in identifying the culprit?

What does that mean?

Probably having the same feeling as I did, everyone else looked at each other, perplexed.

"What do you mean by that? If you know something, spit it out. Or are you just giving excuses?"

Having grown impatient, he struck the table.

"Akihito, you're being rude to the guest we invited."

Ayako-san snapped, unable to endure it any longer.

"…I suppose that might be true."

Ashamed, Akihito-san's diction suddenly became unclear.

Fuyuki-san then walked forward and lowered his head.

"Kiyotaksan, I apologize for Akihito's rudeness. But if you do know something, could you tell us without hesitation?"

"Yes, please tell us. Did the burnt scrolls contain a secret to a hidden treasure or something like that?" Haruhiko-san asked cheerfully, even in this situation.

He might be thinking of this situation as nothing more than a riddle.

"…Alright. The pictures on the scrolls don't contain anything about treasure, but they hold messages for each of you."

Holmes-san spoke hesitantly.

I could tell from his tone of voice that he was in fact reluctant to do so.

Even so, everyone else leaned forward, wanting to swallow every word.

"First, let's start with Fuyuki-san's 'Kiyomori Calls Back the Setting Sun'. The sun was about to set before an important ceremony, so Kiyomori, having heard the story of a Chinese emperor shooting down 9 suns6, used his fan to beckon the sun to rise.

"As he did so, the evening sun actually rose, and people in the surrounding area, awed by Kiyomori's power to move even the sun, prostrated themselves… and that is what the artwork depicts.

"Since Kiyomori was unable to keep his power and authority7 even in a time when 'You are not human if you do not belong to the Taira clan', there is in a way some irony expressed in this picture.

"And you should know what happened in Kiyomori's final moments.

"Kajiwarsensei, who liked Kiyomori, was trying to tell you as you were finding success in your business, that while you should aim for greater heights with your unique charisma similar to Kiyomori's, but at the same time, you should avoid succumbing to that same hubris."

Holmes-san spoke softly as Fuyuki-san's body shook.

His eyes turned red in an instant.

"My father was not the type of person to talk about every single detail. It's true that I was getting a little arrogant because my business was succeeding. To think that I didn't think deeply enough about the piece of art that contained such important advice… I'm such an idiot." Unable to contain his tears, Fuyuki-san wept.

He must feel disappointed that the scrolls were burnt.

My heart ached for him too.

While staring at Fuyuki-san sorrowful state, Akihito-san flicked up his hair weakly.

"So, um, what about mine…?"

Akihito-san asked meekly.

He'd been quite aggressive to Holmes-san and now found it awkward to ask for a favor, but he must have really wanted to know about the meaning behind his inheritance.

"Alright. Akihito-san's 'The Dragon of Smoke Flying Over Mt. Fuji' was drawn three months before Hokusai's death. He lived until he was about 90, and in his final moments, he said, 'If only Heaven will give me just another five more years, then I could become a real painter.'8

"Even up till his death, he wanted to keep drawing and lamented his in ability to reach the top. Thus, he can be said to be a true artist.

"I believe that Kajiwarsensei was trying to tell you, "If you truly love the path of an artist, you should strive to instill yourself with that attitude. Don't be half-assed. Become a star, just as how the dragon rises to the heavens from Mt. Fuji, the top of Japan.' He was cheering you on, even though he couldn't bring himself to say all that."

Holmes-san concluded his explanation with a gentle smile.

Akihito-san's eyes opened wide.

"…Dad…" His body shook slightly.

Probably not wanting to show us his tear-filled face, he turned around and sat at the counter without a word.

"Lastly, as for Haruhiko-san's picture…"

Just as Holmes-san started,

"—Stop!"

Ayako-san shouted in a pained voice.

"Ehh?" We turned around, surprised.

"Please, stop. I… I was the one who burnt the scrolls. That's enough, isn't it?"

Ayako-san spoke with a raised voice, causing the rest of us to widen our eyes in shock.

"Eh, Mother… Why?"

"B-Because while I got this ring, I didn't like how my name didn't appear once on the second will! Those scrolls were cheap, and I couldn't stand the sight of them, so I burnt them in a drunk state!"

"B-Because of that?"

Haruhiko-san's jaw dropped.

"Yes, exactly! I didn't know that they would contain such messages! I was wrong! So that's enough, right? Kurashinsan, thank them and send them off!"

Ayako-san stood up and left the room with vigor.

"Wait, Mother!" "Ayako-san!"

Haruhiko-san and Kurashinsan hurriedly rushed after her.

Left in the living room were me, Fuyuki-san and Akihito-san, absentmindedly staring at the door that Ayako-san and burst out of. Only Holmes-san put a hand on his chest in relief.

"…Seems like the problem has been solved. Shall we leave?"

He said something like that so readily.

"Huh? Has it really been resolved?"

"We've found out why the person who burned the hanging scrolls did it," Holmes-san said as he got up.

"Hold on. We haven't heard from you about Haruhiko-san's picture."

Akihito-san blocked the doorway to stop us from leaving.

"…Please, tell us. We could tell that our mother was trying to prevent you from explaining about it." Fuyuki-san pleaded with a deep bow.

Holmes-san took a breath.

"It could be something that you're better of not hearing. On top of that, Ayako-san doesn't want you to hear it."

"…I don't mind."

"Yeah, we'll keep it to ourselves."

Seeing their serious looks, Holmes-san gave a small nod.

"Haruhiko-san's artwork is about a story of the 'Tadamori lantern'."

"Tadamori, lantern?"

I repeated instinctively. I had absolutely no idea what it was about.

"When Emperor Shirakawa went to the streets of Gion to see his favorite concubine, a Gion court lady, he saw a demon in front of him, so he ordered his companion, Taira no Tadamori, to slay it. However, when Tadamori captured it to determine its true identity, it turned out to be an elderly man from Gion.

"Thus, the old man was not killed by the Emperor's mistake. The Emperor was thankful for Tadamori's prudence.

"After that incident, he gave that Gion court lady that he dearly adored to Tadamori as a reward, and that led to the birth of Kiyomori."

Holmes-san finished speaking, causing silence to return to the living room.

Huh… so what does that mean?

"What does giving the court lady to Tadamori mean?"

I asked solemnly. Holmes-san returned a weak, wry smile.

"…In other words, he allowed the two of them to spend a night together."

"H-Huh? And as a result, Kiyomori was born?"

"I'm not sure if this is historical fact, but such a theory exists."

T-That's unbelievable.

To put it bluntly, the Emperor lent his woman to his subordinate for one night?

But, what was the meaning behind Kajiwarsensei leaving Haruhiko-san that picture…

"W-What? Could, could that mean that Haruhiko isn't Dad's son? In that case, just whose…"

Akihito-san started, but fell silent.

Kurashinsan risked his life to save Kajiwarsensei. That was about 20 years ago.

If Kurashinsan held a yearning for Ayako-san, whom he was unfamiliar with, and Kajiwarsensei knew about it, he might have given Ayako-san to him as a display of sheer gratitude.

Kurashinsan and Ayako-san… And as a result, Haruhiko-san was born.

And then Kajiwarsensei brought up Kurashinsan's son as his own?

A chill ran down my back.

"Ayako-san really didn't want you to know about this. She probably didn't understand the meaning when she first saw the picture of Tadamori, but she did some research, I believe, and was shaken when she found out the truth."

Holmes-san softly said. Meanwhile, I stood on the spot without a word.

"I-If he didn't say anything about it, he could have kept it as a secret, so why did Dad give him Tadamori's picture…"

That was true. Why would he give a confession through a piece of art, three months after his death?

That seemed quite irresponsible of him.

"This is just a guess, but did Haruhiko-san celebrate his twentieth birthday recently?"

At those words, Fuyuki-san and Akihito-san nodded and said, "Ah, yeah."

"Haruhiko's birthday was two weeks ago."

"I think Kajiwarsensei decided to wait for him to get to twenty years old before letting him know the truth, and that's why the will could only be opened 'three months later'. However, in my opinion, it's too early for Haruhiko-san to learn of this truth. Ayako-san probably also feels it in her skin too."

A bitter countenance appeared on Holmes-san's face.

So that's the 'difficult' part he was talking about!

"I'll take my leave for today, and it would be great if I could talk to Fuyuki-san at a later date."

"Hey, what about me?"

Akihito-san asked in a loud voice, but was ignored.

"…Thank you very much for telling us. What should we do about this case?"

Fuyuki-san gave a pained look.

"Please tell Haruhiko-san of this when he's grown up enough, based on your own judgement. But never take this secret to your grave."

Holmes-san advised.

"Why should we not keep this a secret forever?"

Akihito-san raised his eyebrows.

I was also thinking along the same lines. I felt that it would be good to keep this secret forever as well.

"If you make light of your ancestors, your family will definitely be ruined. Haruhiko-san is in the Kajiwara family, but has the blood of Kurashina. That fact must be recognized."

Feeling some indescribable weight behind those words, we swallowed our breaths.

"Shall we go then, Aoi-san?"

Holmes-san looked me in the eye. After hesitating for a moment, I nodded and said, "Ah, alright."

"I'll send you home. Where do you live?"

Akihito-san offered, with a car key in his hand.

"Thank you. We'll be fine if you send us to Kurama Station."

"Just to the station?" Akihito-san asked as he left the living room.

"Ah, Kiyotaksan, please accept this as a token of our gratitude."

Fuyuki-san said, holding an envelope.

"No, no, it's alright."

"Come now, don't say that. These are tickets for a Kabuki performance."

"…Then, I shall accept them. Thank you."

Seeing Holmes-san received the envelope with both hands, I quipped in my heart, "So you'll accept gifts if they're Kabuki tickets!"

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This was apparently part of the global "student power" movement in 1968, in which the younger generation of students felt disillusioned by the teaching administration who had failed to keep pace with rapid modernization, as well as declining job opportunities for graduates.Fuyuki (冬樹) has the character 冬 for winter, Akihito (秋人) has the character 秋 for autumn, Haruhiko (春彦) has the character 春 for spring.Father of Taira no Kiyomori.Classical Japanese dance-drama, with elaborate make-up worn by actors.In the play, Kiyomori is so powerful that he can call back the setting sun by beckoning to it with his fan so that the building work of Itsukushima Shrine can be completed before sunset.This is referring to Hou Yi, a mythological archer who shot down 9 out of 10 suns in ancient Chinese lore.Soon after forcing the emperor to abdicate and installing a puppet emperor in 1180, many of Kiyomori's allies turned against him and worked together with the old rivals of the Minamoto clan to rise against the Taira clan. He died early in the next year from sickness.I omitted a line here explaining the previous sentence since the English translation is simple enough to understand.

Chapter end