The Unmarked Assignment and the Question at the Gate

My master handed down the pre-examination assignment for the provisional title. The subject is that "unmarked candlestick" brought in by that man. To say I feel no calculation in being assigned this item at this timing would be a lie. Article 8 of the Grand Appraisal Academy Regulations: The selection of pre-examination assignments must be conducted fairly and objectively. However, I have no intention of resentfully calling this unfair harassment.

At dusk, that man appeared at the gates. When I demanded to know its provenance, he merely left me with, "How would you write it?" and vanished. A shallow, filthy attempt to shake my composure.

The washer of that candlestick. And the alteration of the ledger from thirty years ago. My eyes catch the traces where the washer was once properly attached, and the unnatural toolmarks scraped to make it look like a "reverse-stamped" defect. Detailed Rules for Appraisal, Article 18, Paragraph 4: An appraisal report must rely solely on the physical form of the object, written without preconceptions of historical background. I will write only what my eyes have seen. There is no need to drag that man's intentions or my master's silence onto the parchment. The truth to be written is already determined.

Subject: Unmarked Candlestick (Brass, with polishing marks on the base)
Grade: Assessment Pending (However, the physical form is that of an extremely exquisite replica)
Note: Cutting marks by modern tools are observed around the washer.