NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 276: Purchase (2)
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After reading through everything, Mira did not have any issues with any of the sale terms, so she pointed to two blank spaces at the bottom of the page and asked that.
「Yes, right there.」
With the owner’s confirmation, Mira signed there. The owner checked it was right, and then gave her the second form as well.
「Is this good?」
「Yes, thank you very much. Now I just need your seal or thumb print here, here, and here.」
When Mira finished signing, she returned the fountain pen, and the owner brought forth a red ink pad. Mira did as told, placing a thumb print above her signature, and then once across both pages, with half of it on each. The owner then kept one of the forms, while Mira kept the other alongside all the certificates and expert reports, which she stored in her Item Box.
「Then the paperwork is done. This sofa is officially property of the Spirit Queen now!」
With all the complicated paperwork done, the owner turned to the sofa, patting it and saying, 「I’m so happy for you,」 almost like it was his daughter who he was sending off to be married.
「Could I ask for another favor from you, Spirit Queen?」 Then the owner turned around, looking serious again as he spoke to Mira.「Hm? A favor? What is it?」
Considering his obsession with antiques, Mira expected it would be something about repairs or warranties, but instead it was something she had not expected at all, though it was something she could have deduced.
「Please, let me take a commemorative photo!」 He opened a large box that was also on the table, taking a camera from it and turning to look at Mira, his eyes full of anticipation.
「A commemorative photo, you say…」
Mira had seen the preferences of the owner in the collection of paintings earlier, so for the first time she looked doubtful at him. He had been honest and forthright when it came to antiques, but now his intentions were less clear.
「Yes, it’ll serve as proof that the Spirit Queen was here and bought that sofa!」
As Mira pressed him on the issue, he seemed to ponder about it for a bit, before quickly saying that, and detailing his excuse, or explanation as it were.
According to him, her visit marked a turning point in the world of antiques, especially when it concerned those accused of being haunted, as a new hope had arrived for them.
「I’m not saying that all of them are good, I’m sure there’s some actually dangerous items amongst those secured by the church. But I’m sure most of them are spirits that have been mistaken for something worse. And I believe that all of them have been saved today, thanks to you. So what else would we do to commemorate this day?!」
His voice quivered with emotion as he said that, his love for antiques palpable.
「Well, if that’s how it is…」
Mira did not know much about antiques, so she felt like he was exaggerating. But helping spirits that had been sealed away for no reason was something she could rejoice in.
She still doubted that it merited taking a commemorative photo, so she stared intently at him, trying to discern if this was all motivated by certain tastes of his, that she had already witnessed in the paintings.
The owner noticed that she still needed some more convincing, so he stated another reason, saying, 「Actually, I have another concern…」
He continued mentioning how in the past, no one had ever found a way to deal with those antiques, so they had a pretty bad reputation.
Convincing everyone that they actually were inhabited by spirits was going to take a lot of work, since not even the most skilled of spellcasters had been able to see such spirits. The only way that would be possible, was by using the name of someone as famous as the Spirit Queen.
But the owner also mentioned that simply saying, 「The Spirit Queen told me so,」 would never convince anyone, and he needed more proof, as it was easy to make up such claims just to upsell something.
「That’s where a commemorative photo would help! Even the form you signed earlier could be forged. But a picture of you sitting on that very sofa would tell the actual story!」
The owner spoke with great emotion and exaggerated motions, doing everything he could to convince Mira of his explanation. And somehow, it seemed to work, as Mira’s doubtful gaze slowly softened.
He noticed that, and continued with enthusiasm.
「You, the Spirit Queen, who has ties to the Spirit King, could tell at first glance that there was a spirit in this sofa, even though no one else knew what to do with it. You found out that the gaze people were feeling from it was a spirit kindly watching over us. And you may not know this, but this sofa is actually quite well known in this line of work, thanks to all the efforts I went through with it. Anyone would be able to recognize it, so a picture of you on it would never be doubted!」
It was unusual for people to act so passionately and excited about something, it even felt like an act of desperation, pressuring Mira. But everything he said made sense as well. Mira had grown immensely famous all of a sudden, and the name of the one who caused that rise in popularity, the Spirit King, also added a lot of credibility to anything relating to spirits.
「I see…」
If they took a commemorative photo like the owner suggested, it could certainly help liberate all of those other spirits who had committed no sin.
And more importantly, Mira felt like she had to do something for those spirits. She had already decided to do anything for them, so everything the owner said made her actually want to take that picture.
Noticing that change in Mira, the owner picked up the camera with a glint in his eyes.
「Let’s take this photo, for the future of all antiques!」 The owner bowed with that final plea, his whole body filled with his love for antiques, and no room for suspicion.
「Sure, let’s do it!」 Mira also cast aside her doubt and happily obliged his request. All for the future of spirits.
「Thank you very much!」
The owner was glad to hear that, and then said he would prepare everything for the shoot, which would take around two hours. So Mira was free to go and come back when that was done.
He was really treating her like a model.
Mira left the shop while the owner prepared everything, while talking with the Spirit King about the spirits living in antiques.
Martel and the Spirit King seemed sad that those spirits were treated that way, as in the past, many thousands of years prior, while there were few Man-Made Spirits, people noticed them and valued them highly.
However, upon listening to the owner, they realized that there was no one left who appreciated these spirits in the same way. Had there been, someone like the owner, with his deep obsession for antiques, would surely have encountered and learned about them.
『He even said that the church is sealing them away, unaware of what they are. Anyone who serves the divine should be able to know it’s us just by being close, even if our presence is faint… I guess things have changed in the church as well.』
The Spirit King had spent what felt like an eternity without contact with the human world, and he muttered that with disappointment, but also knowing there was little that could be done about it.
『I know, things have definitely changed since then. Not just the scenery, but people as well.』
Martel had also been away in a similar way, and she was seeing the current world through Mira’s eyes. She sighed while wondering what had caused that. Her usual cheery voice also seemed more muted.
『I wonder why as well.』
The Spirit King harbored the same feeling, before asking, 『What do you think, Mira?』
That caught Mira off guard, as she felt that there was no way for her to know something that both the Spirit King and Martel were puzzled by, but after collecting her thoughts, she replied, 『Maybe it’s because people have less faith than before?』
Her reply was not based on current events or something she knew, but purely on her life experience in her previous world.
There were actual Gods, spirits, and even monsters and devils in this world, so faith here was rooted on something completely different to religion in her previous world. But her knowledge was fuzzy, as she had not spent too much time here yet.
『Hmm, less faith… But no, that would mean… Actually, I guess it could.』
The Spirit King did not seem fully convinced, but at the same time he seemed to think of something else. He then muttered that he would look into it later, and if he found anything he would update them.
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