Upon hearing Diego's words, the three people present were stunned.
They hadn't expected the self-proclaimed "exorcist," Diego, to say that the driver didn't encounter a ghost but had instead fallen victim to a scam...
Diego was confident in his reasoning: this absolutely wasn't the work of a ghost.
In Japan, taxi fares are incredibly expensive, charging 500-700 yen per kilometer, and for longer trips, 10,000 yen isn't uncommon.
10,000 yen is about 500 RMB, which means even just a few dozen kilometers can cost nearly 1,000 RMB—this is a hefty sum, even for a working professional in Japan. Because of this, most people prefer taking the subway or buses.
"The taxi fare is simply too high, and it's a huge burden for them. But with no other options, they had no choice but to take a taxi," Diego continued.
"In fact, everything that happened in the car was planned between the two of them. They didn't speak to you during the ride, and kept their eyes fixed on you deliberately, trying to intimidate you, to make you scared."
"You said they parked near a cemetery, but that was also intentional, to make you have wild thoughts and believe they weren't alive. When you looked up and they were gone, they were probably just hiding in the blind spot behind your car. Did you get out of the car and check?"
The driver shook his head, still confused. "No, I panicked after seeing the paper figures they left behind and immediately drove off. I didn't think to check the back."
"Exactly," Diego snapped his fingers, speaking with a confident tone. "What you encountered wasn't a ghost taxi, but two people who were trying to get a free ride."
"Carrying blank cards and paper figures... I suspect they're not doing this for the first time. They're likely repeat offenders."
This whole incident was, in essence, a scam where the perpetrators took advantage of the driver's carelessness and his belief in the supernatural, tricking him into giving them a free ride.
If the driver had gotten out to look when the two of them disappeared, rather than speeding off in panic, he could have recovered the fare.
"If your car has surveillance cameras, you could hand over the footage to the police. You might be able to track them down."
Upon hearing this, the driver froze for a few seconds, his face gradually turning red.
He was embarrassed.
He hadn't realized how easily he had fallen for such a simple trick!
"Damn it, those two tricked me... I've been worrying about this for so long and wasting all this time!" he exclaimed in frustration.
Though taxi fares were high, the driver didn't keep much of the money, as he worked for the company. Even if he had full fare-paying passengers every day, his income was about the same as a regular office worker in Japan.
Drivers had encountered passengers who didn't pay before, and in those cases, they just had to count it as bad luck and try to make up for it with other rides.
But this time, he had lost the equivalent of several days' earnings!
After a long pause, the driver hesitated and asked, "Diego-sama ... Does that mean there are no ghosts in this world? Are we just scaring ourselves?"
He had begun to doubt the existence of ghosts.
Although his thoughts matched Diego's, Diego's position was different, and naturally, he couldn't agree with him.
Diego shook his head, pretending to be serious. "No, ghosts do exist. They're more likely to appear at night than during the day, especially for someone like you, a driver who works late hours. It's easy to encounter ghosts. You're just lucky this time you didn't meet one. Maybe you've even picked up a ghost in the past."
"Think carefully... have you ever had a few days of illness after picking up a passenger?"
Wait, now that he thought about it, he had been sick a few times... Could those illnesses have been because he picked up the wrong passenger!?
The driver couldn't help but start feeling uneasy.
Who hasn't suddenly fallen ill before? Diego had intentionally linked "seeing ghosts" and "getting sick," two unrelated things, which had the driver frightened and confused.
"Diego-sama, what should I do? I don't want to pick up those invisible passengers!" he quickly asked for help.
After scaring him, Diego smiled and began to promote his store's products.
"You've come to the right place today. It's difficult for normal people to distinguish between the living and the dead, but I have a special protective charm that you can keep in your car. If it starts to glow, it means the passenger is a ghost. At that point, you should never let them in your car."
"The charm isn't expensive, only 20,000 yen..."
The driver didn't hesitate. "I'll buy it!"
If buying the charm could prevent him from running into ghosts, it was totally worth it!
Diego took a wooden plaque from inside the room, carved the letter "R" on it, and then added a star beside it.
After transferring some good fortune onto the plaque, he handed it over to the driver.
"Hang this plaque on your car's rear view mirror. If the star starts to glow, it means a ghost is approaching. You must not let that passenger in," Diego said, not changing his expression as he spoke.
It was just an ordinary wooden plaque with no batteries, so it would never glow.
But in this world, ghosts didn't exist, and the fact that the plaque didn't glow proved that all his passengers were normal.
For the driver, the plaque not glowing was the most reassuring thing. He wouldn't be fooled by any more ghost tricks from other passengers.
It was a win-win situation.
The driver gratefully accepted the plaque and pulled out his wallet. "Diego-sama, how much do I owe you?"
"Consultation is free, just pay for the charm, which is 20,000 yen."
"This can't be just a consultation, Diego-sama! You've helped me solve the trouble that's been bothering me, it's like you've exorcised the ghosts! How can I not pay you more?" The driver insisted, thinking he should give more.
"I only used my words, no extra fees needed," Diego smiled and waved his hand. "If you think it's not enough, just help me spread the word. If anyone else has a similar problem, you can tell them to come to me."
The driver's appreciation for Diego grew.
Now this was a true master—only taking what he deserved, unlike those frauds who used exorcism to deceive people!
Watching the driver leave with a smile, Diego imagined that if he had a system, it would certainly reward him for his kindness.
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His gaze turned to the two girls who had been listening the whole time.
Sakura's face showed a look of admiration, while Rin furrowed her brows, sizing Diego up with a scrutinizing gaze, as if she had gained a whole new understanding of him.
"I really didn't expect you to not scare him into believing in real ghosts and then charge him a huge fee for an exorcism..."
Diego put on a solemn expression, looking indignant. "What are you saying? I'm an exorcist! I only take action when someone truly encounters a ghost. If I charge for something I didn't even do, that would be fraud, wouldn't it?"
Diego wasn't someone who would deceive just anyone.
Supernatural events generally had two possibilities: either someone's imagination ran wild and scared themself, or it was just people playing tricks to scare others.
If it was the former, Diego would help exorcise the ghosts in their hearts, and once their mental state was healed, the "ghosts" would disappear.
But if it was a human trick, the people behind it would eventually be exposed.
Diego couldn't let his name get ruined by trying to profit off "exorcisms."
Even though he enjoyed his snacks, Diego knew where to draw the line.
The previous client's request had been perfectly resolved. Now, Diego had to deal with Sakura Matou and Rin Tohsaka.
Seeing Rin Tohsaka, Diego couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Yesterday, she was the one who stopped him and got him sent to the police station for questioning. And today, she immediately asked a sharp question, making it clear that she was still wary of him.
"Tohsaka-san, this is our second time meeting." Diego tried his best to put on a friendly smile. "Let me clarify in advance—yesterday was just a misunderstanding. I didn't commit any crimes. The police can vouch for that."
"I know. The police already explained it to me. They said you ran because you were putting up illegal flyers."
Rin Tohsaka crossed her arms, still scrutinizing Diego with a sharp gaze.
"But running just because of that? Did you commit other crimes the police don't know about? Did you run because you felt guilty?"
Diego remained calm. "You're overthinking it. I never break the law. The reason I ran is simple—I'm an exorcist. If the police arrested me, rumors might spread, which would hurt my business."
"If you're a real exorcist, why would you be afraid of false rumors?"
"In this day and age, reputation is everything. One stain on your record, and suddenly you're treated like a criminal. Even if I'm the real deal, a bad reputation would still be a huge problem for me."
Rin's questions were sharp, but Diego's answers were airtight, leaving no openings.
Sakura, worried that Rin's questions would offend Diego, quickly tugged on her arm. "Tohsaka, stop asking so many questions. Diego-san is a real exorcist! The bear charm he made for me has been protecting me!"
She was regretting bringing her here.
With Sakura stepping in to ease the tension, Diego naturally shifted the conversation toward her.
"Sakura, how are the items I gave you yesterday? Did they work?"
A gullible student like Sakura is easy to get along with, there's no need for honorifics.
"Diego-san, both the protective powder and the charm were amazing! I finally had a good night's sleep for the first time in ages!"
Sakura looked at Diego with admiration. To her, he was a powerful spiritual expert, and as long as she paid him, solving paranormal problems was a piece of cake.
"That's good to hear." Diego nodded in satisfaction.
Looks like the melatonin and massage he gave her worked—though he had no idea that the charm, which he thought was just a placebo, had actually been the most effective part.
"By the way, about your home..."
Diego was about to ask about the two spirits haunting Sakura's house and whether she needed an exorcism, but she quickly interrupted him.
"Diego, everything at home is fine! No problems at all!" she said, frantically blinking at him.
Diego immediately understood.
So... she doesn't want her former sister to know about her troubles.
It was human nature to hide bad news, not wanting to burden others with their problems.
Diego respected that.
"As long as your home is fine, that's good. Anyway, let's get to the point—what brings you both here today?"
"Well... Tohsaka saw my bear charm and wanted to buy one just like it."
Sakura revealed the reason for their visit.
Diego looked at Rin Tohsaka and smiled. "Of course, no problem. Tohsaka-san, you want a charm, right? What animal do you like? I can make one for you on the spot."
"I like rabbits. How much does it cost?"
Diego thought for a moment and decided to give her a discount.
"Sakura bought both a charm and the protective powder, plus she got a free massage session, all for 20,000 yen. Since you're her friend, I'll give you a special price—just 10,000 yen."
Rin's first reaction wasn't to the price but to one particular word.
"Wait, did you say massage?" Her gaze immediately sharpened. "You didn't... take advantage of Sakura, did you?"
"No, he just massaged my shoulders!" Sakura quickly clarified.
Diego also explained, "That's right, just a shoulder massage. If you want, I can let you try it for free..."
"No way!"
Rin rejected him without hesitation.
She didn't trust Diego yet, so there was no way she'd let him put his hands on her.
Diego shrugged, unfazed. "Suit yourself. But 10,000 yen is already my lowest offer. Do you want to buy the charm or not?"
"The price is too high. Can you go lower?" she asked.
"I can. How much were you thinking?"
"2,000 yen."
"..."
Diego fell silent for a moment.
Bargaining was one thing, but this was daylight robbery.
She might as well just say, "I'm a student, can you give it to me for free? Oh, and throw in a 10,000 yen cash bonus while you're at it."
"2,000 yen is too low," Diego said tactfully. "Each charm is made from high-quality peachwood and imbued with my spiritual energy. It will protect you from evil spirits. I think it's worth the price. If you don't believe me, ask Sakura."
"Yeah! I think the charm is totally worth it!" Sakura nodded eagerly.
But Rin wasn't convinced.
"You say it's 'imbued with spiritual energy,' but I have no way of verifying that. How do I know you actually did anything? Besides, other stores sell charms for way less than you do!"
Damn, a customer who actually cares about price...
Diego was well aware that his prices were steep. For the same amount of money, someone could buy five or even ten similar charms elsewhere. Even selling them for 2,000 yen would still be profitable.
However, since he marketed them as "spiritually blessed" protective charms, selling them too cheaply would make people doubt their authenticity.
"If you think it's too expensive, then feel free to buy from another store. I can't lower the price any further."
Thinking long-term, Diego decided to let this sale go.
"…In that case, I'll think about it. For now, I'll be leaving."
Rin had already expected Diego to refuse her lowball offer, so she didn't argue. She simply got up to leave.
In truth, she had never planned on buying the charm in the first place.
Her real goal today had been to expose Diego as a fraud in front of Sakura. But his responses had been flawless—she couldn't find any weak points.
Diego wasn't too surprised that the deal with Rin didn't go through.
High school students didn't have a stable income, and their monthly allowance was limited. To them, a charm costing 10,000 yen was indeed expensive.
Most of Diego's customers were adults. It was rare to find middle schoolers like Sakura who were willing to spend big on a protective charm.
Putting the matter behind him, Diego sat in front of his computer, focusing on his current job—exorcising ghostly photos.
He had received this request earlier in the day.
The client had gone on a mountain trip with friends over the weekend and taken many pictures. But while organizing them today, he noticed strange white shadows in some photos, and in one, there was even a blurry ghostly face.
The more he looked at them, the more frightened he became, fearing that he had captured something supernatural. So, he sought out Diego to help exorcise the photos.
After receiving a professional massage to rid himself of a "possessing spirit," the client was told to return the next day for the photo issue.
Looking at the eerie shadows and ghostly face reflected in the glass, Diego wasn't scared at all. In fact, he even yawned.
The photos had been taken at night, and the client had used a flashlight for lighting.
This wasn't a ghost—it was just light scattering.
Light scattering happens when light hits a rough surface and reflects in multiple directions.
Leather clothing, walls, and tabletops could all cause this effect. The flashlight's reflection blurred and appeared semi-transparent on the glass, forming what seemed to be a ghostly face.
As for the unclear white shadow? That was just mist in the mountains reflecting the camera's flash.
There was nothing supernatural about these photos—they could all be explained with simple science.
Cameras were intricate tools capable of capturing all sorts of images. Sometimes, just adjusting certain settings could produce what people believed were ghost photos.
Diego recalled an episode from Close to Science.
A surveillance camera had repeatedly captured "flying rods" at night—long, alien-like streaks moving quickly across the frame. The objects appeared and disappeared instantly, and passersby seemed unaware of them.
Their speed was astonishing. Based on the footage, these "mystery objects" traveled 5 kilometers in 3/25th of a second, meaning they had a speed of 14,400 km/h—almost like a UFO!
The show spent multiple episodes investigating, only to discover... it was just a camera setting error. The "flying rods" were actually moths leaving multiple blurred images in a single frame.
Since then, Diego had stopped believing in ghost photos.
If optical devices could really capture ghosts, and ghosts were everywhere, why were so few ghost photos actually taken?
Of course, that was logic from his previous life. In this life... he had yet to encounter something that defied common sense.
Since these weren't real ghost photos, Diego's "exorcism" method was simple—Photoshop.
If even beautiful girls needed filters and edits before posting their pictures, why couldn't he do the same to "exorcise" ghost photos?
Using Photoshop, Diego quickly processed the images.
He edited a total of five photos. Combined with the fee for the massage exorcism, the client owed him 30,000 yen.
Not a huge amount, but every bit counted. After all, exorcism requests weren't something he received every day.
Just as Diego finished today's job and was about to head downstairs for a coffee, the office phone rang.
"Hello, Almighty Exorcist Office. Do you need an exorcism or a fortune-telling?"
"Dieg-sama, do you remember me? I'm Yuri Kimura. You helped exorcise my house before."
The caller was Yuri Kimura, a former client.
"Kimura-san, of course, I remember. What's the occasion today? Is your house haunted again?"
"Not at all! Ever since you exorcised it, our home has been completely peaceful—no supernatural incidents at all," Kimura explained. "Actually, it's my company that needs an exorcism, and you were the first person I thought of."
Diego immediately perked up.
An exorcism job—meaning fieldwork!
"Is this an on-site job? Just so you know, I charge extra for outcalls..."
"150,000 yen... is that okay?" Kimura hesitated. "To be honest, it's a bit low for this kind of request, which is probably why we haven't been able to find an exorcist willing to take it..."
150,000 yen was already more than Diego had expected. His enthusiasm skyrocketed.
"Let's not worry about the price just yet. Can you tell me the details first? If it's inconvenient over the phone, I can come and discuss it in person."
"Here's the situation—I work for a real estate company, and we own an abandoned office building that's been vacant for years. The location is great, but because of ghost rumors, no one wants to rent it.
"Our management thinks it's a waste to let it sit empty, so they want to hire an exorcist. I immediately thought of you. If you're available, we'd like to get this done as soon as possible..."