The Support Ate it All

The host deliberately paused for a moment.

And once the atmosphere in the hall had reached its peak, he continued the explanation.

"Many of you here have probably experienced it yourselves. Near-perfect strategies! And there are eighteen of them in one set! The author is anonymous, but there's no need to worry. It has been officially verified by none other than Dragon Slayer Academy!"

It was something everyone had already heard through rumors, but hearing it directly from the host felt different.

"The strategy guide you see here is the first of two volumes! Now then, starting bid is 100,000 points!"

Perhaps due to the expected high final price, it started off at 100,000.

Even so, almost every student seated in the audience raised their signs.

The host began reading out the higher bids in order.

"200,000 points! 250,000! 300,000!"

Hong Yeon-hwa looked around the room wide-eyed, unable to hide her amazement at how the price kept climbing sky-high.

Come to think of it, she didn't know I was the one who wrote the strategy guide.

She might have a hunch since we've tackled a number of dungeons together, but still.

I'll tell her when the time is right.

Should I place a bid too?

If I stir the pot a little, it might drive the price even higher.

But just as I was about to raise my sign, a message popped up.

[Jegal So-so: Hey Young monarch]

[Jegal So-so: You're not seriously thinking of bidding, are you?]

[Jegal So-so: (Grumpy raccoon emoji)]

She had a sixth sense for this kind of thing and cut me off before I even made a move.

As expected from Jegal. Her intuition was scary sharp.

If we'd been in the same room, she definitely would've caught me.

But since we were only chatting by message, I played dumb.

[Kim Ho: Of course not]

[Kim Ho: (Chuckling martial arts hero emoji)]

[Jegal So-so: If you dare try something so shameless]

[Jegal So-so: I'll tell Qyu everything]

[Jegal So-so: And your cheeks will get pulled and stretched]

[Kim Ho: No need for that]

[Kim Ho: I do have a conscience, you know]

[Jegal So-so: I'm watching you]

[Jegal So-so: (Eyes glinting raccoon emoji)]

So I decided to just sit back and watch.

Maintaining a good relationship with the Swordsmanship Club would be more beneficial in the long run than earning a bit more points.

And soon enough, it became clear that I didn't even need to stir the pot.

"525,000!"

For the first time in the second half of the auction, the bidding had surpassed 500,000 points.

And many participants were still raising their signs.

"545,000 points!"

"555,000! 560,000!"

Most of the previous auction items were for personal upgrades, so no matter how great they were, spending hundreds of thousands of points on them would've been hard to justify.

But the strategy guide could be used by parties, expeditions, and even clubs. Its value was naturally much higher.

I thought it'd wrap up around 600,000, though.

"630,000 points!"

Contrary to my expectations, the bids were charging toward 700,000.

Should I chalk it up to different players leading to different outcomes?

Of course, even with its high utility, 700,000 points was still a heavy burden. So the number of active bidders noticeably declined.

Those still bidding were raising their signs after much hesitation, and only in small increments of 5,000 or 10,000.

"680,000!"

"685,000!"

"705,000!"

Only Jegal So-so and Jeong Chong-myeong were left bidding competitively.

The two exchanged relaxed smiles, aware of each other's presence.

But from my point of view, sparks were practically flying in the air.

Then, Jeong Chong-myeong's smile deepened, and he suddenly raised a "50,000" sign.

Given how high the bidding already was, that bold jump stunned the audience.

– Whoaaaa—!

"755,000!"

"……"

Jegal So-so was still wearing a soft smile, but her face twitched slightly.

With the pride of the Swordsmanship Club on the line, she couldn't respond with just a petty 5,000 or 10,000.

So she raised a "100,000" sign with forceful flair.

An even louder wave of awe swept through the crowd.

– Wooooow—!

"855,000!"

This time, it was Jeong Chong-myeong's face that twitched.

He had dealt a heavy blow only to receive an even heavier one in return.

I silently cheered both of them on.

Fi—ght! (clap) Fi—ght! (clap)

The more the two clubs clashed, the more points would land in my lap.

They had just driven the price up by 150,000 points over a single pride-fueled exchange.

Unfortunately, Jeong Chong-myeong seemed to have regained his senses and raised a modest "10,000" sign.

"865,000 points!"

Apparently, I wasn't the only one hoping for a pride battle. The crowd let out a disappointed boo.

– Boooo—

Jegal So-so flashed a victorious smile but didn't bid again right away.

Seems like she found her own earlier bid a bit too much, even if it was made in the heat of the moment.

She too followed up with a small 10,000-point bid.

"875,000!"

– Boooo—

More jeers from the audience.

Maybe they'd expected the Swordsmanship Club to keep up the bold moves.

But neither bidder seemed swayed by the crowd and continued trading bids in 10,000-point increments.

Eventually, Jeong Chong-myeong was the first to back down.

The host gave one last confirmation.

"905,000 points is the current highest bid."

"……"

"If there are no more bids, we'll close it here. Three, two, one… Sold! Congratulations!"

– Clap clap clap clap –

As applause and attention rained down on her, Jegal So-so calmly opened her fan.

But behind the fan, her fingers were clearly typing away.

I knew because I got a message from her.

[Jegal So-so: Secured one!]

[Jegal So-so: (Dancing raccoon emoji)]

[Kim Ho: Thanks a bunch~]

[Kim Ho: (Deep-bow raccoon emoji)]

[Jegal So-so: We'll get Volume 2 as well]

[Jegal So-so: (Arrogant raccoon emoji)]

[Kim Ho: Go ShoSho noona, fighting!]

The stack of papers on display quickly disappeared, replaced by a similar bundle.

The host added a brief introduction.

"This is Strategy Guide, Volume 2! For those who missed out on Volume 1, this might be a great opportunity….and likely your last. We'll start the bidding at 100,000 points!"

Jegal So-so and Jeong Chong-myeong exchanged glances.

Then, as if they had come to some sort of agreement, they both raised the "100,000" sign at the same time.

100,000 here and another 100,000 there.

Now that they had a rough estimate, their plan was clear. That was to drive out the rest and settle it one-on-one.

– ……

– ……

Perhaps sensing this atmosphere, the other clubs backed off even faster than they had during the auction for Volume 1.

As a result—

"740,000 points!"

Reaching that number didn't even take the time it takes to sip a glass of water.

Only then did Jeong Chong-myeong and Jegal So-so begin to slow their pace, trading bids in smaller increments of 10,000, and 20,000.

All eyes darted back and forth between the two.

As if watching a ping-pong match.

"760,000!"

"780,000!"

"790,000!"

Once the bid crossed 800,000, Jegal So-so began to show signs of fatigue.

Well, I already bought one.

Her Swordsmanship Club had already spent 900,000 points.

Adding another 800,000-plus to that would naturally give anyone pause.

Especially with other items still to consider besides the strategy guide.

On the other hand, the White Magic Club had barely spent anything.

They claimed most of the magical items that came up earlier.

This difference in their respective positions became increasingly obvious in the speed of their bids.

And there was no way Jeong Chong-myeong, locked in this one-on-one, didn't notice it.

"880,000 points!"

Jegal So-so placed a bid of 880,000 after a long deliberation.

Her face, now slightly stiff, showed she was nearing her limit.

In contrast, Jeong Chong-myeong wore a confident smile at the corner of his lips.

Then he raised a sign marked '50,000.'

"930,000 points!"

– Wooooooah—!

The crowd erupted into cheers.

He'd boldly outbid the winning price of Volume 1 by a full 50,000 points. Of course it looked impressive.

Naturally, all eyes turned to Jegal So-so.

But far from making it a matter of pride, she didn't even seem to have the room to counter with an extra 5,000 points.

Jeong Chong-myeong had clearly noticed that too. That's why he'd landed the decisive blow.

Honestly, even a 20,000-point raise might've sealed the deal. But his calculation was clear: if spending a few extra points meant screwing over the Swordsmanship Club, it was worth it.

When Jegal So-so failed to respond, the host began the countdown.

"Three, two, one… Sold for 930,000 points!"

– Clap clap clap clap –

Jeong Chong-myeong and Jegal So-so then exchanged warm smiles, as if the fierce tension just moments ago had been a lie.

Even then, her hands were clearly still moving and messages came flying in.

[Jegal So-so: Ahhh!!!]

[Jegal So-so: He stole it!!!]

[Jegal So-so: (Angry raccoon emoji)]

[Jegal So-so: (Crash-and-burn raccoon emoji)]

If she's going full "crash-and-burn", she must really be frustrated.

And well, it wasn't just about missing out on a strategy guide, it also meant failing to prove the Swordsmanship Club's financial strength.

The ending had a subtle sting of humiliation to it, too.

I decided to offer some encouraging words.

[Kim Ho: It's not like there are only two volumes, right?]

[Kim Ho: Let's aim for the next one.]

It wasn't just an empty promise. For future volumes, I planned to prioritize negotiations with the two clubs that stayed in it until the end.

[Jegal So-so: I'll be counting on you, young monarch]

[Jegal So-so: (Tearful raccoon emoji)]

Still… we made a ton off this.

I had set my expectations low, figuring I could get maybe 500,000 per volume, but we hit nearly double that at 900,000 and 930,000.

I decided to share the good news with Dang Gyu-young.

[Kim Ho: Noona]

[Dang Gyu-young: What is it]

[Dang Gyu-young: Still at the auction?]

[Kim Ho: Yes]

[Kim Ho: The strategy guides just finished up]

[Dang Gyu-young: Yeah? How much?]

[Dang Gyu-young: (Curious fox emoji)]

[Dang Gyu-young: (Peeking fox emoji)]

[Kim Ho: Total of 1.83 million]

[Dang Gyu-young: What the heck?]

[Dang Gyu-young: (Startled fox emoji)]

[Kim Ho: We're rich now]

[Kim Ho: (Dancing fox emoji)]

[Dang Gyu-young: You're right, we're really rich]

[Dang Gyu-young: This is awesome]

[Dang Gyu-young: (Dancing fox emoji)]

The reason I said "we" is because I had promised to share a portion of the profits with Dang Gyu-young.

She'd helped distribute sample guides here and there, and the Thieves Club had played a major role in promoting them afterward.

Since the strategy guides sold for such high prices, her cut had grown accordingly.

And I've still got plenty left.

Originally, I had planned to give up on everything except the herb selection ticket. But now that we have a ton of extra funds, I might need to revise that plan.

Might as well grab a few more useful things.