The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

Pertinax X was still unsure.

For him, it was too tempting a proposal not to accept on the spot, but when he thought about it calmly—what if that woman with the rabbit mask had tricked him?

What if she was following the old rules of the Pertinax Auction House, creating false intimacy first just to swindle him later?

…That worry turned out to be unfounded.

“You were suspecting me, weren’t you?”

That woman had a ghostly instinct. Choi Seol-Ah, even as a villain incapable of feeling emotions, was a master at reading them. Blame it on so much time being tormented by Kang Geom-Ma. For her, the slightest sign was like a stab.

“But, you know what, sir? Even if I tried to suck this auction house dry down to the bone, it would never yield as much as this.”

“……”

Pertinax X swallowed.

His eyes inevitably went to the steel briefcase Choi Seol-Ah had brought.

Inside there was money… or perhaps something far more valuable.

‘A Daiso sashimi knife personally used by the Heavenly Sword!’

It still had the 30% discount sticker, with the Heavenly Sword’s own scrawled signature written over it. Even the handwriting radiated power. No appraiser was needed—at a glance, it was unquestionably authentic.

The Daiso sashimis that Kang Geom-Ma used were usually disposable.

Normally he wielded them with his sword techniques, and they would then be reduced to dust by his aura. That was why they were surprisingly hard to obtain.

“…Are you really going to put all this up for auction in our house?”

“Yes, all of it. And if it sells, I’ll bring more.”

Gulp.

“And it’ll be an exclusive supply for our Pertinax house?”

“That’s right, only here.”

“J-just one question, if I may.”

“You can ask several, I don’t mind.”

“…You, rabbit princess, what is your relationship with the Heavenly Sword? What bond do you have with him to grant such a privilege…?”

She smirked.

As if it were a ridiculous question.

“Why even ask? Obviously, I’m his mistress.”

“H-his… mistress?!”

“Yes. Mistress. Of the Heavenly Sword.”

Choi Seol-Ah winked from behind the rabbit mask, playfully twirling her pinky.

***

Kang Geom-Ma’s plan hit the mark.

“Ladies and gentlemen~!”

The Pertinax auction house, which just days ago was handing out flyers on the street, was now packed with customers.

The bait product was authentic Daiso sashimis used by the Heavenly Sword.

Even if some people held personal grudges against him, that didn’t matter—a sashimi that had been in his hands was a treasure.

The old wooden floor creaked and cracked under the frenzied crowd, but no one paid attention to those details.

“Welcome, distinguished clients! Thank you for visiting the Pertinax auction house once again.”

“Hey, owner! This is authentic, right?!”

“But of course! We called the best appraiser in the region, and the result was…”

“The result?!”

“Obviously, they were all certified as genuine!”

“Uooooooh!”

Amid the cheers, Pertinax X spiced up his speech, bringing his lips closer to the microphone and lowering his voice as if whispering to a lover.

“This is an exclusive secret for the clients of this first night… Actually, these sashimis were secretly brought by none other than the Heavenly Sword’s lover.”

“Hey, old man! But that guy already has two wives, the archer and the swordswoman! How can a guy like that have a lover—he seems like he’d bleed blades instead of blood!”

Pertinax X wagged his finger like a pendulum.

“And just because there’s no goalie, does that mean no goals are scored?”

“Hahaha, that’s true!”

“The lover insisted on hiding her identity, but left us these sashimis saying they were a gift from Heavenly Sword, so she could have some pocket money.”

It was all a made-up story by Pertinax X.

But that’s how the human heart works—a simple piece of metal can be ignored, but if you add a story, suddenly everyone wants it. And if the protagonist was Heavenly Sword, nothing more needed to be said.

“We’ll start with an initial price of 50 million for each one! I’d like to set a higher price, but the provider asked that we not value the heart of the Heavenly Sword only in money.”

“100 million!”

“150 million!”

“200 million!”

The bids shot up in increments of 50 million, never less.

Pertinax X knew just how to cool down the atmosphere in time, so they wouldn’t sell out too quickly—he had the blood of an auctioneer in his veins, and even if he denied it, he was a born showman.

***

“Hooh.”

Kang Geom-Ma watched with his arms crossed and his lips pursed into a circle. His expression was as dry as ever.

Beside him, Choi Seol-Ah lowered her head in shame while he confronted her.

“Well, turns out he had a lover.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Why? Is it your problem, Seol-Ah?”

“…Treat me like always, call me Choi Seol-Ah or stray dog, like before, please, Master.”

“How could I treat you like that when we’re alone, Seol-Ah?”

His harsh gaze tore her apart inside. Feeling her soul wear thin, Choi Seol-Ah made a decision.

“T-this time I prefer a clean stabbing, so please have mercy…!”

“Really?”

J-just one…”

“Alright. Just one.”

…She was doomed.

As she desperately ruffled her hair on purpose, Kang Geom-Ma remarked,

“By the way, that 10th Pertinax… has a knack for sales. Yesterday this place was empty.”

“Yes, even better than the 9th.”

“To be honest, with the pained face he had, I didn’t have much confidence…”

But at this rate, everything would sell out soon.

“Lord, what if we only use the Daiso sashimis to raise funds? A thousand pieces would be enough.”

“Idiot.”

“I-i-idiot?”

“People go crazy over these cheap knives because they’re a limited edition. But with each auction, their value drops. That’s why they’re just bait.”

“…Ah!”

“Leaving people with that feeling of regret is the best. It means the plan is working.”

“Lord, now I do have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you suddenly get so smart?”

“……”

They left the noisy hall behind and watched from a distance.

The first day ended successfully with three Daiso sashimis sold, each for an average of 1 billion. A massive income.

The second day was even better. Word spread, and people flocked like rats. On the third, fourth, and fifth days, the frenzy only grew.

Crowds blocked entire streets. By the third day, Choi Seol-Ah and Kang Geom-Ma couldn’t even get near the auction.

A whole week passed like that.

“…L-lord?”

Choi Seol-Ah looked back and forth between the commission cash bundle and Kang Geom-Ma.

“Aren’t we actually getting rich?”

“……”

He didn’t respond.

Suddenly, emptiness hit him. In his past life, no matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t make more than 500 a month after taxes.

‘They say what matters is getting famous…’

Now his name was worth thousands of times more than any effort.

Squeezing the absurd feeling wrapping around him, he decided it was time to move on to the original plan.

“…That’s enough. Call the others.”

***

Building across from the Pertinax auction house.

The woman with the monocle placed her finger on the blinds of the double window. She peeked out through the slit, while one of her subordinates behind her gave a report.

“Ma’am, we only had twenty clients today.”

“……”

“At this rate, we’ll be ruined! We haven’t even reached break-even on the investment…!”

“Shut up.”

Clack. The blind closed, plunging the room into dimness.

Only the woman’s monocle gleamed with a threatening glint.

She spoke.

“Does worrying make money come in?”

“No, no, of course not.”

“Pertinax house is thriving because they secured good products. Getting auction items is part of an auctioneer’s skill. We’ve spent a week proving we lack that skill.”

“I know. But still… until recently, Pertinax X was just a kid in a mascot costume! How the hell did he get Daiso sashimis signed by Heavenly Sword…?”

Even the subordinate gulped while speaking—it was a coveted product, collector and fan merchandise alike.

“Did you investigate how he got them?”

“Rumor has it a masked woman in a bunny costume brought them. Among the clients, they call her Princess Bunny. They say she’s Heavenly Sword’s lover and she’s the one delivering the items.”

“Track that woman’s identity. Whatever it is, bring me any info the moment something shows up.”

“Understood.”

The woman clasped her hands and began snapping her thumbs, deep in thought.

“If this continues, the very existence of our auction house is at risk. Looks like we’ll have to use our trump card sooner than planned.”

“You mean the item we received from Number One?”

The woman nodded silently.

“And the new guards we recruited?”

“They’re formidable. No idea where so many came from at once. At first, we were suspicious, but in a week they erased all doubts. If we hesitate any longer, they might leave, so we’ve decided to trust them.”

“Understood.”

She peeked through the blinds again, watching the Pertinax house.

The owner of Kaiten auction house muttered softly.

“Let’s see how far you go, Pertinax X.”

Thus, the fuse of an auction war was lit.

***

“Kyarararara!”

Choi Seol-Ah swam on a mattress of bills, showered by an endless rain of money.

She was happy. The smell of money never got old, no matter how much she breathed it in.

“Ehehehe.”

“Do you like it?”

“Of course I do, lord!”

Choi Seol-Ah turned her head sharply, but I looked at her with a frown.

‘Her eyes are gone.’

In her pupils gleamed two ₩ symbols. The classic greedy glow of a money addict.

I could only sigh.

I threw over my shoulders the Heavenly Sword coat Abel had given me.

Choi Seol-Ah barely poked her head out of the “plunge pool” of yellow bills.

“Where are you going, lord?”

“They’ll make their move soon too. It’s time to execute the real plan.”

“Now!?”

I glared at her.

“We’re not doing this to get rich. It’s to save Chloe.”

“…Sorry.”

“I’m the one who made you this way, who am I to blame? Anyway, pack up all the money and come out. The others are here.”

“The others?”

My academy companions.

With Seol-Ah ready, we headed to the same hidden office.

I repeated the same password as last time, and the undercover agents, who were in the middle of an Alkkagi game, escorted us to the inner room.

They were waiting for us.

“Geom-Ma.”

“Ryozo.”

“I missed you.”

She wrapped her arms around me and hugged tightly.

Haha, me too.

The words caught in my throat—she was squeezing me so hard I could barely breathe.

“…I really missed you.”

“R-Ryozo…!”

“And now there are even rumors you’ve got a lover.”

I’m going to die.

With great effort, I managed to push her off, coughing until I lost my voice.

“A-anyway…”

My eyes turned to the hooded woman.

“I see you brought our player safely.”

“Yes. It took effort, but we’re grateful.”

The “player” took off her hood.

Golden hair, like it had been dusted with gold powder, cascaded down in waves.