After a brief moment of silence,the antique shop owner began to warn that it was time to open the shop door.
Iris warned along with him.
“Would it be okay for you to go back as you are?”
“Ugh,it’s a bit scary.The explosion sounds seemed like mere threatening scare tactics,but…if it’s okay,could you take me to the shop?”
Iris nodded.
One of her principles was not to forget a favor.
She wasn’t the type to help just anyone indiscriminately,but she believed in repaying those who had helped her.
After arriving at the shop,the owner raised the shutter and unlocked the door with a key,then gestured for her to come in.
She looked around the deserted street,worried that the vengeful troublemakers might return to cause more harm.
After a while,Iris followed the owner’s persistent gestures and entered the shop.
As the owner flipped the light switch,the antiques displayed in the cabinet gleamed with a shiny luster.
Iris,having undone her transformation,looked at the items in the cabinet.
“It’s amazing that only the Zhengjiaodai has the power among so many antiques.I wonder if there might be another antique here that can awaken abilities?”
Her green eyes,hidden behind glasses,sparkled with curiosity.
“Senior Teresa said it was the first time she had seen a thing-awakening-type hero.”
That meant there were other thing-awakening-type heroes.
There were no episodes about them in the comic;they were just occasionally mentioned and then glossed over.
It was because of that memory that I had started collecting antiques.
“Thing-awakening-type heroes are extremely rare,both in the comic and in reality.I’ll have to learn about them one by one through my own experiences.”
Thing-awakening-type heroes were rare,but they definitely existed in this city,or perhaps in other regions.
Among so many antiques,there might be another item that could give birth to the next hero.
While Iris was curiously examining the antiques,the antique shop owner spoke up.
“Miss Iris,if you want,you can take one.”
“Huh,really?”
“Of course.If it weren’t for you,Miss Iris,I don’t know what would have happened today…”
The antique shop owner wiped his chest.
As he lifted the black cloth covering the display case one by one,Iris’s heart beat more and more fiercely with each piece of cloth removed.
“I must choose carefully…Antiques with abilities aren’t common,so I should pick something of considerable value.”
Iris looked at the dazzling antiques and fidgeted her hands.
With the thought that she could take any one of them,the choices became overwhelming,and her indecision dragged on.
“But the antiques all seem to be in perfect condition.”
“Judging by the fact that the shutter was down,I thought maybe the troublemakers had attacked the shop?”
“Yeah.That guy who came to the antique shop a while ago tried to steal the antiques and sneak away,so I scolded him,and it seems he harbored a grudge.I got ambushed on my way to the shop.”
“You should be careful;they might come back.”
“I’ll be fine.I plan to stay in the room above the shop until my hand heals.If my hand hadn’t been injured,I would have shot them.In Chat City,it’s essential for every shopkeeper to have a weapon.”
The antique shop owner rustled around under the counter and pulled out a silvery weapon.
It was a silver-shining pistol.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
As he stood behind the counter and fiddled with various things,the shop ceiling opened,and a machine gun popped out.
When the muzzle of the machine gun was pointed at her,Iris’s body froze like a frog encountering a snake.
“Uh…”
“Oops,why is the muzzle pointing that way…Rest assured,the shop has such security devices.”
“Phew,yeah.”
After the machine gun was retracted and the ceiling closed,Iris let out a sigh of relief.
Indeed,being old meant being strong.
The antique shop owner was no ordinary person,just like Senior Teresa.
The owner straddled the counter chair and said,
“Iris,it seems like someone like you is meant to be a hero.Judging from today,it’s just right.It’s better for someone with a sense of justice,like you,to awaken abilities rather than someone with selfish desires like me.”
Iris’s conscience,which would have just run away if it weren’t for the familiar face,was pricked by the antique shop owner’s praise.
Unaware of her inner thoughts,the owner smiled kindly and asked,
“So,have you decided which one you want?”
“No.It’s not easy to choose…”
“It must be hard to decide.Wait a moment.”
The antique shop owner went into the warehouse and soon returned with a black box.
He placed the black leather-covered box on the counter and opened the lid.
Inside was a gold bracelet adorned with a few pea-sized gems.
It seemed to be of considerable value.
Could he really be giving this to me?
Iris couldn’t help but gasp in admiration at the beautiful bracelet.
“Wow.”
“It’s one of the antiques salvaged from a wrecked ship.I bought it from a broker at the coastal dock.He said it was salvaged along with the Zhengjiaodai.Do you know?This might have power too.I didn’t feel any reaction when I wore it,but it might be different for you,Miss Iris.”
“Is it really okay to just give something like this to me?The Zhengjiaodai also seemed to be bought at a very low price…”
Iris drooled but couldn’t bring herself to pick up the bracelet.
The Zhengjiaodai was a high-priced item that couldn’t be bought with her part-time job wages,but the bald owner had sold it to her cheaply because he had no other buyer.
She had thought it was sheer luck and was delighted at the time,but now it seemed like the bald owner had been generous.
The bald antique shop owner sniffed his nose.
“Well,to be honest,when I got the Zhengjiaodai,for some strange reason,I felt like selling it to you,Miss Iris,and not to any other customer.And I’ve been feeling the same way about this bracelet.Maybe the items choose their owners.”
“Ah…May I try it on?”
The bald owner nodded,and Iris carefully put on the bracelet.
The bracelet fit her wrist perfectly as if it were made for her.
Iris waited quietly,but when no message appeared,she felt disappointed.
“This one doesn’t seem to have any power.”
“Hmm,unfortunately,it seems so.Even if it doesn’t have power,it’s still quite valuable,so it would be profitable if you sold it.”
“No,I absolutely won’t sell it.Thank you,sir!”
As Iris bowed in gratitude,the antique shop owner smiled warmly.
As Iris was about to leave the shop to meet Senior Teresa,the antique shop owner warned her to be careful.
“Be careful when you go out…Oops,Iris is a hero now,right?Still,be careful on your way!”
***
Thanks to the fortuitous encounter of awakening as a hero while performing the Fushin Sabha,Iris met Teresa,a retired hero and exorcist.
Teresa’s house was located behind the shop where the Fushin Sabha had taken place.
Climbing the winding mountain path behind the shop,Iris arrived at a building that resembled a temple,with a nameplate hanging on it.
“I thought I had come to the wrong place,but it’s indeed Senior Teresa’s house.”
Teresa had purchased a closed temple on the mountain behind the shop and lived there.
It was truly a fitting residence for a powerful exorcist.
As Iris entered the courtyard,she happened to see Teresa coming out of the kitchen.
Iris bowed,and Teresa nodded in return.
“Senior Teresa,I’m here.”
“Good.Time is money,so let’s get started right away.”
The two stood facing each other in the courtyard.
Teresa first instructed Iris to transform.
“Isn’t it possible to use skills without transforming?”
“Well,that’s true.However,it’s better to get into the habit of using abilities after transforming.It could be troublesome if your identity is revealed to just anyone.”
“I guess I need to transform for my own protection.”
“That’s not the only reason.After transforming,using abilities becomes much smoother.Scholars may have differing opinions on the transformation of ability users,but there’s no disagreement on this point.”
Iris nodded.
Indeed,there was a difference between using a skill in pajamas and using it against troublemakers after transforming.
It seemed like the skills came out more easily after transforming.
“It’s a bit surprising that transformation is a basic ability.”
Iris had always been curious about the heroes and villains in the comics who always changed their outfits before using their abilities.
She wondered whether they hastily put on clothes and rushed out or if their clothes changed through their abilities.
But she never expected it to be a basic ability.
“Isn’t this the kind of ability that appears in magical girl stories?”
Iris was lost in thought until Teresa gave her a hint,and then she transformed.
But then something unexpected happened.
The bracelet on her wrist sparkled,and suddenly a message appeared.
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