novelhk Chapter 249 The Journey to Izu
Chapter 249 The Journey to Izu
Chapter 249 The Journey to Izu
On the rugged mountain road, Amuro Tooru was driving his white Mazda toward Izu, while Akutagawa Hiko was sitting in the back seat looking up information about Kikuemon, who had invited him.
Although he knew that this was an 80-year-old national treasure-level ceramic artist, he knew little else about him.
After all, who would care about a supporting character who only appears in one episode, even if he is a very famous figure in the backstory?
Kikuemon is actually a name passed down through generations of the best ceramic artists. The current Kikuemon's real name is Tsuchiya Mankichi, and he is the fifth Kikuemon.
Amuro Tooru had a mission in the organization, so he left Akutagawa Hiko alone and made an excuse to leave first. He figured that it was impossible for his mysterious boss, Akutagawa Hiko, to get into trouble.
This is a courtyard with a very artistic atmosphere, and the entire room is filled with all kinds of ceramic works.
Although Akutagawa Hiko had no artistic talent and was unaware of the techniques and skills involved in making these ceramics, that did not stop him from pretending to appreciate them.
Because Kikuemon is clearly not the kind of artist who is so immersed in his own art that he is oblivious to the world around him and simply engages in abstract art, even someone with a poor eye for ceramics can sense a smooth and natural beauty.
"Hahaha, you're finally here!"
Kikuemon walked over quickly and happily, grabbed Akutagawa Hiko's hand and shook it up and down, looking very excited.
"I've been following you ever since that case at the art museum, Mr. Akutagawa!"
The elderly man with the Mediterranean hair stroked his beard that reached his chest, reminding Akutagawa Hiko of the case he had mentioned, since the museum director and this man did indeed look somewhat alike.
Kikuemon had no idea what Akutagawa Hiko was thinking; he was already immersed in the excitement of meeting his idol.
Indeed, this national treasure-level ceramic artist is also a mystery enthusiast. He loves all kinds of bizarre cases and has great admiration for those who are active at crime scenes and crack the suspects' conspiracies.
This is one of the reasons why he invited Akutagawa Hiko to the event this time.
Not long ago, while this ceramic artist was looking for cases solved by detectives in the newspaper, he immediately saw the front page report about Hiko Akutagawa solving the museum case.
In order to protect the artworks that were like his children, the old curator acted like a knight, punishing those who insulted the art, but in the end, he also fell into the trap of becoming a demon with blood on his hands.
Ultimately, persuaded by a truly righteous but inexperienced detective, he surrendered to the bewildered police.
Afterwards, he paid close attention to this rapidly rising famous detective and repeatedly studied and speculated on these cases as if they were his own treasures. The more he looked at them, the more incredible they seemed. When solving these cases, it was as if he had known them beforehand.
However, news reports are prone to distortion, or rather, omission of some related details, especially since this genius detective seems to assume that everyone can keep up with his seemingly leaps in reasoning.
This makes it difficult to guess how he discovered these things, even though the evidence is complete, the logic is sound, and the motive is sufficient.
He invited Akutagawa Hiko over this time to discuss the details of these cases.
"Hehehe, Dad, you need to tone it down a bit, or you'll scare Mr. Akutagawa."
Kikuemon's daughter-in-law, Tsuchiya Masuko, came over with a ceramic tea set, her face full of smiles, and teased her unpretentious father-in-law.
Holding the priceless ceramic teacup that could buy a Conan statue, Akutagawa Hiko sighed inwardly.
No wonder he can be called a national treasure-level ceramic artist; his mindset alone has already surpassed that of many other ceramic artists.
Pottery is meant to be used. Even if it's labeled as art, its original purpose shouldn't be erased. People can use a pottery piece worth ten million yen to make tea without a second thought.
Of course, as the saying goes, one can only pursue spiritual fulfillment once material needs are met.
For example, he knew that Sonoko Suzuki had several small toys worth hundreds of millions of yen that were just sitting in the warehouse collecting dust.
Regarding solving cases, Kikuemon expressed his sincere hope that Akutagawa Hiko could be more understanding of the fact that the minds of these elderly people are not as sharp as those of young people, and try to be as detailed as possible when solving cases.
Few can rival him in pottery, but he truly can't keep up with the detective's thought process, after all, he's almost eighty years old.
The daughter-in-law smiled and agreed, "That's exactly right. Besides, my father-in-law doesn't allow anyone to add anything beyond your reasoning. He says that only the most original reasoning is the most authentic."
After saying that, she ignored her father-in-law's blushing face and continued, "You don't know, our whole family originally wanted to help him analyze the situation, but he threw a huge tantrum and didn't sleep well all night."
Just then, Kikuemon's two apprentices appeared at the door. One had a long chin, and the other had a wide chin; both were quite distinctive in appearance.
Arita Yoshihiko, with his long chin, remarked with admiration, "My master really admired Detective Akutagawa."
Ryuichi Seto, with his broad chin, scratched his head: "Speaking of which, did Detective Akutagawa make his selection?"
Before Akutagawa could express his doubts, Kikuemon, wanting to change the subject, quickly introduced his two apprentices to Akutagawa.
According to him, Yoshihiko Arita has made rapid progress recently, producing many qualified works that meet his standards. In contrast, Ryuichi Seto has been imitating his mentor recently and has inevitably hit a bottleneck.
Then he answered his apprentice's question: "I haven't had a chance to talk about this yet."
It turns out that after Kikuemon decided to invite Akutagawa Hiko to his home, the family decided to give this famous detective, who had brought them such a thrilling experience, a little artistic treat.
Therefore, they decided to display all of Kikuemon's proudest ceramic works in this room, and let Akutagawa Hiko choose one to take home as a souvenir.
However, they still set a trap: the teacup in Akutagawa Hiko's hand was a non-sale item worth ten million yen.
The entire exhibition hall was filled with ceramics, including the teacups and teapots on the tables. They all wanted to see if, without any preparation, the detective was still so sharp that he could instantly detect the flaws in their words.
Kikuemon was also very excited, pointing to the display case and saying, "These are all my masterpieces. You can choose any one to take home."
After saying that, the old man, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, showed his idol his proudest side.