Duncan had expected Morris's reaction. He only brought up the topic to confirm what he already knew. Just like the information he had before, an ordinary person like Morris had no idea about the big fire—it only existed in Nina's and his own memories. Strictly speaking, that fire had only been in Nina's memory until he took over this body.
The conversation quickly moved on, and Morris didn't seem to have any questions about the strange topic. He then introduced Duncan to some details about Nina's studies and class, and asked about her family situation. It was clear that this caring old gentleman had wanted to know these things for a long time, but Nina's uncle's previous troubled life had delayed everything until now.
Duncan's inherited memories were limited, so he didn't know many of the answers to Morris's questions. Luckily, he was quick on his feet and could fill in the gaps based on what he remembered. As for the things he couldn't answer, he could just blame them on the uncle's past issues with alcohol and hope to do better in the future.
He was quite experienced with "home visits" and knew the usual questions and concerns teachers had. Even though he had changed worlds and identities, some of that experience still came in handy.
Once they finished discussing the "serious matters," Morris's attention naturally turned to something else he was interested in. The old man looked at the well-preserved antique dagger on the counter, and his eager expression was obvious: "Is this for sale?"
Duncan smiled immediately: "This is an antique shop." Of course, the antiques here were for sale.
At that moment, he realized that even though this dagger came from the Lost Country, selling it didn't seem risky. The items on the Lost Country weren't all extraordinary; something like this dagger would just be a regular antique elsewhere. What was there to stop him from selling it?
Compared to the pile of fakes in the shop, the goods from the Lost Country were a much better way to make money! Once he sorted out his thoughts, Duncan felt a sense of freedom. He suddenly realized he had been sitting on a treasure trove—those things he had treated as junk were just misplaced treasures, waiting for someone with money to come along. And look at Morris—wasn't he just the right person?
Morris, however, had no idea what Duncan was thinking. His focus was entirely on the well-preserved dagger. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, "How much?"
Duncan was momentarily speechless. He had no idea how to price it.
Even though he had inherited the memories of this body, he still didn't know what to charge. The shop hadn't sold anything real since it opened, and antiques didn't have fixed prices. He was a complete novice—what price would be appropriate?
Duncan quickly thought through his options, first ruling out a price of two or three hundred thousand based on the price tags in the shop. Even if this dagger was real and in excellent condition, it was only a little over a hundred years old. Plus, based on what Morris had just revealed, this type of dagger, while rare, wasn't unique. Sailors had used it as a tool back in the day, which limited its value.
It was a relatively recent item, not unique, and had no special historical background. While it was in great condition, its collectible value was average. Morris seemed to like it, which could raise the price a bit, but he had to consider that Morris was Nina's teacher. That relationship had to factor in.
Duncan thought it over for a few seconds and finally shook his head, smiling: "You set the price, Mr. Morris. You're Nina's most respected teacher, so I can't price it like a regular customer."
He realized his own limitations in knowledge. Trying to come up with a reliable price was harder than getting a goat to stop talking for three days. If he priced it too high or too low, he wouldn't look good. It was better to let this old gentleman help him out.
He believed Morris could probably guess his intentions.
As for whether this deal would be a loss… Duncan was pretty relaxed about it. It was a no-risk deal—how much could he really lose? He was getting an unexpected income without any preparation and gaining experience while meeting a professional in history. No matter how he looked at it, it was a win.
Morris thought seriously about it. He didn't overthink it; most of his focus was still on the dagger.
"Three thousand… three thousand four hundred Solas, that's my estimate," Morris finally said after some careful consideration. "Mr. Duncan, you might think this price is a bit low, but you have to consider the age of this dagger and its historical context. Non-unique collectibles lose value in the market. Of course, its condition is excellent, which is rare, but not all collectors will be interested in it..."
The old gentleman seemed to be trying hard to explain his reasoning for the price. Meanwhile, Duncan was quickly calculating in his mind—
In the lower district, a typical three-person household only spent a little over two hundred Solas a month. Most lower district families had little to no savings at the end of the month, if they had any at all.
This dagger was almost equivalent to a year and a half of income for an ordinary family in the lower district.
That was the value of a "real item" here, and it wasn't even a particularly valuable one.
He didn't know whether to lament the state of the antique business—"three years without sales, then three years of profits"—or to be amazed by the shocking gap between the lives of ordinary people in the lower district and the so-called "upper-class tastes."
Maybe he should just be impressed that this old gentleman was quite wealthy.
"Deal." He let out a light breath and smiled at the old man.
He didn't want to waste time haggling.
No matter what, this was a significant amount of money for Nina and him right now—reporting a cult hideout wouldn't even bring in this much.
Not long ago, he was still thinking about ways to make money, but now he realized that this matter didn't seem so urgent anymore.
Life is unpredictable.
Morris felt that Duncan agreed too readily, and he even felt a bit guilty: "Actually… you’re losing out on this price. A proper valuation, considering the current number of these daggers and their condition, should be at least a bit higher… but…"
The old man rubbed his nose, looking a bit embarrassed: "I've been spending a lot on collecting antiques lately, so I'm a bit…"
This old gentleman was more honest than Duncan had imagined.
"I think it's a good price. Let's consider the difference as 'fate,'" Duncan said with a smile. Then he seemed to suddenly remember something and got up to walk behind the counter. "By the way, to celebrate this 'big deal,' I have a little gift."
Morris looked on with curiosity and anticipation as Duncan pulled out a small amethyst pendant from a compartment behind the counter.
The old man was sharp-eyed and immediately noticed that the pendant still had a label from a glass workshop attached.
Morris: "…"
"This pendant has calming and protective effects. The crystal has been blessed and can guide you through illusions and curses. Ancient hypnotists used it to protect their minds from the dangers lurking in the dream world," Duncan said seriously as he pushed the pendant forward. "It has protected generations of owners, and now it has found you…"
Morris hesitated and pointed to the label on the pendant: "But it says it’s from Johnny’s Glass Workshop…"
"I know, I forgot to take it off," Duncan said, expressionless as he removed the label. "This is a gift. How could I have so many real items as gifts in my shop?"
Morris paused for a moment and couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, that's fair—thank you very much for your 'gift.' With this, I hope my daughter will nag me a little less."
As he spoke, he accepted the pendant and then rummaged in his pocket for a while before pulling out a checkbook: "I didn't bring that much cash with me—this check can be cashed at the Pland City Bank in the Cross District or Upper District. Is that alright?"
Duncan smiled: "Of course."
As he said this, his gaze fell on Morris's check.
He had been a bit puzzled when Nina mentioned her history teacher, and now that he had actually met Mr. Morris, his curiosity resurfaced.
From his attire to his daily behavior and his expertise in history and artifacts, it was clear that this old gentleman was not an ordinary person. Even without knowing how things were in the Upper District, Duncan could tell that someone like him should be teaching at a university there, not in a public school in the Cross District.
Even without considering other factors, there was an obvious question:
Could an ordinary public school history teacher so easily pull out a year and a half of income for an ordinary family in the lower district to buy a collectible that caught his eye?
(End of Chapter)