LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 273: Antique Tour (1)
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Recalling the history of the beginning and end of the Katenov Era brought back many memories for Mira, and she went closer to the stairs.
(Something from five hundred years ago might have spirits living in it…)
Considering how old the Katenov Era was, there had to be more than enough time for those items to start housing spirits. She wanted to see if she could see anything past the stairs, but there was only an empty wall on that side.
The art pieces of the Katenov Era had been made under a royal edict, so they were incredibly numerous.
And they were not just sculptures or paintings, but also more common objects like buildings or cutlery. Some were masterpieces, and some were of less quality. That also included the furniture that Mira was looking for. An artistic piece of furniture with a rich history was sure to be beloved by its owner, making it much more likely for a spirit to appear within.
(From what I understood, they have more items up there…)
Mira had heard the gentleman mention a selection up there.
That implied there was more than one item from the Katenov Era on the second floor, and maybe there were other types of antiques as well. Just to be sure, she looked around the shop for a bit.
Once she was done looking, she became certain of it.(That would make sense.)
There were plenty of items on the first floor, of all types and sizes, making it worthwhile for anyone to look around. But there was something she expected to see in an antique shop that was missing.
Namely, there were no items of superior quality. While everything there was already expensive, they were all within the same price bracket, and Mira knew there had to be better items.
As far as she could see, everything on the first floor had a price below half a million. Recalling the conversation she overheard earlier as well, she understood how the shop was laid out.
「Now that I think about it, everything here is either not interesting or pretty new…」
Mira understood that all the antiques with a long and meaningful history were displayed on the second floor, and she muttered that while looking at the furniture near her. While they could be considered antiques, they were not old enough to house spirits yet.
「Oh, you have quite sharp eyes for someone your age. But you’re right, everything on this floor is hardly a century old. They might be pretty new for antiques, but their price will increase in the future, making them a good investment.」
The owner had heard Mira’s mutter, and spoke to her with a cheerful voice.
「I see, I thought that was the case… Does that mean the older stuff is above?」
Just as Mira had thought, the antiques of the first floor were not old enough, and she tried to get direct confirmation about where to find them.
「Being old isn’t the only thing that dictates their worth, but yes, the more valuable ones are all on the second floor.」
The owner confirmed Mira’s suspicion. There were older items on the second floor, with some of them having a chance of being what Mira was looking for.
But she also had noticed that the second floor seemed to be something like a VIP area, and she was visiting the shop for the first time, and looked like a young girl without a hint of nobility. So it was unlikely that she would be allowed up there.
「Could I see that second floor?」
Nevertheless, she decided to ask in a straightforward manner, instead of trying to find a way to worm her way up there. In response, the owner seemed to think about it, before examining Mira’s appearance, and narrowing his eyes inquisitively.
「I’m really sorry if I’m wrong, but judging by your appearance…would you happen to be the Spirit Queen?」
The owner’s eyes were filled with expectation as he looked at Mira, and she thought about that question for a moment. That nickname had gained a lot of popularity recently, and was the mark of a high level adventurer. People knew that such adventurers tended to have a lot of influence and wealth, so it could also become Mira’s ticket to the second floor.
「Ah, yes. I believe that’s what people call me now.」
If she exploited that fame, she expected to be allowed entry up there. But she knew it was best to not rush things, so she just puffed her chest in an exaggerated way as she replied.
「Ahh, I knew it! You’re just as beautifully stunning as they say, and I’m glad I connected the dots! I’m truly honored to meet you in person! Please wait a moment.」
He not only looked glad his hunch was over, but looked like his wish had been granted as he ran over to the front desk. Seeing that, Mira tilted her head a bit, as that was not the reaction she had been expecting.
Instead of being happy that there was a client who could spend big in his shop, he simply looked excited to meet someone famous. And surely enough, when he came back, he was holding a nice sheet of paper and a pen.
「My daughter is actually a really big fan of yours. Could you please leave an autograph for her?」
He held those out while nearly begging her to do it, making one wonder if it really was his daughter who wanted the autograph, or the owner himself. But asking about that would not really change anything, so after a bit of consideration, Mira took the pen and paper while saying, 「Mhm, I can do that.」
(Hmm, an autograph… I didn’t expect this to happen so soon!)
While Mira was also excited about the experience, she maintained a calm demeanor as she swiftly scribbled with the pen, trying to act like she was used to it.
In truth, when she found out she was starting to become famous as the Spirit Queen, she practiced signing autographs during her trip from Gran Rings to Haxthausen. She believed her fame would eventually reach the point of being asked for those, so she wanted to be ready. What had started almost as an act of narcissism had ended up becoming useful, showing how unpredictable the turns of life could be.
「So about the second floor, can I go see it or not?」
When she was done writing, she took a more authoritative voice to ask that while holding onto the piece of paper instead of giving it back, almost like she was keeping it hostage unless the owner did her bidding.
That was effective, or maybe the owner meant to do that from the start, as he replied with an energetic, 「Yes of course, I’ll show you the way!」 all the while his eyes were glued on the autograph while he rubbed his palms in anticipation.
「I see. Well then, let’s go.」
With permission to go up to the second floor came the possibility of meeting a furniture spirit. That brought some reassurance to Mira, so she gave back the pen and autograph before instantly turning around to face the stairs.
「Thank you very much. I’ll be right back!」
The owner rushed to the front desk and pushed the autograph into a shelf with much care. Then he whispered something to an employee nearby and ran back to Mira’s side.
「Sorry for keeping you waiting. Let me give you a tour of our premium room upstairs.」
The owner gave a light bow as he said that, and while his manners were gentle, his eyes had been overtaken by a sharp glint. It was like a switch had been turned to activate his business sense, showing how thin the line was between his interests and occupation.
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「These… these are all incredible.」
Mira gasped as soon as she arrived at the second floor. The first floor was impressive enough, but it paled in comparison to the rich history that seemed to fill the air itself of the second floor.
There were no walls separating the different sections of the second floor, allowing one to walk amongst the antiques and see their type slowly change from one to another.
Mira did not have much knowledge about antiques. Basically, all she knew was the little that had rubbed off on her from being around her friend Dolfin, and that was mostly centered around weapons. But the items in front of her all seemed special, even to her eyes..
「I’m pleased to hear you like it here. Over here are items from the Katenov Era, a big turning point in universal art history. As you can see, they’re all exquisite down to the finest of details.」
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