The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

“Long time no see, Princess Victoria.”

My emergency savior was Princess Victoria.

“It must not have been an easy decision, thank you for cooperating without hesitation.”

“…It’s not.”

Victoria twirled a lock of her hair to the side as she spoke.

“I heard it’s a matter related to you, Heavenly Sword, and the imperial family.”

“More precisely, it’s a matter where I might end up at odds with the imperial family.”

This needed to be made clear.

Victoria would have to face her own family—perhaps not permanently, but at least for a while.

If she had accepted without understanding the situation properly, then I’d be nothing more than a homewrecker. Like that airhead Choi Seol-Ah.

“That’s why I came in person.”

Victoria’s gaze shone with deep resolve.

“As a disciple of Heavenly Sword and as a member of the imperial family, I can’t just turn a blind eye.”

“……”

Maybe she was reminding me of myself at her age.

Ryozo must have read my thoughts, because she gave me a couple of taps on the elbow and whispered.

“They say kids mature fast nowadays… but she became an adult way too soon.”

Maturing early isn’t always a good thing.

In return, you lose a lot of the valuable things in adolescence. I knew that all too well—because I had been a victim of it.

I did my best not to show it and wiped a bitter smile from my lips.

There was a reason why, even as rivals, I couldn’t help being drawn to Princess Victoria.

That somber expression was exactly the same one I had in my adolescence in my past life.

***

With Victoria on our side, we could say we had completed all the groundwork that was in our hands.

From here on out, everything depended, ironically, on Pertinax X’s ability to handle the auction.

The outcome of this clash would depend on how many clients he could snatch from the competition.

I conveyed my intentions through Choi Seol-Ah, who stayed in constant contact with the tenth Pertinax to deliver the Daiso sashimis signed by me.

“Director, we need to draw customers in with a more aggressive move.”

“A-aggressive, you say…?”

“Yes. He’s doing very well so far, but he still hasn’t bitten the bait, don’t you see?”

“B-but, is it really necessary to go that far…?”

“My lord told me: there can’t be two suns in the sky. Even if it’s a black sun, there can only be one sun in the sky. That is my lord, the Heavenly Sword. That’s his doctrine.”

Ugh.

In the real estate room, where I was listening by radio, I felt Ryozo pinch my side.

‘Ryozo!’

She glanced at me sideways with an annoyed look and put her earpiece back in while muttering.

“If you could behave better, Secretary Kim wouldn’t have to say those things.”

What a great injustice.

But if I voiced my feelings out loud, she’d probably tear a chunk of flesh from my side. The pinching strength of an archer… unnecessary details.

“If those were the words of Heavenly Sword! Then I must also follow his banner…!”

“Very good! Then let’s steal all the clients and leave not even a fly in Kaiten auction house!”

“Yes!”

It was ironic. I had once bankrupted Pertinax, and now that same tenth Pertinax worshipped me like an idol.

“Want me to do a bit of digging?”

“……”

As always, Ryozo. She caught the fleeting doubt that crossed my eyes in an instant.

‘…Really, I can’t hide anything from her.’

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I nodded.

“I’m counting on you.”

“It’s not just your issue, Geom-Ma. No harm in being cautious.”

Ryozo hung the earpiece around her neck.

“I’ll have Vixbig review all the area’s security cameras.”

“……”

A comment made with all the authority of a veteran.

“What’s wrong?”

Ryozo grinned shamelessly as she asked back.

“I don’t know anything.”

I stood firm in denial.

“Seriously, I don’t know anything…”

“Wow, our Geom-Ma’s grown up a lot. Knows how to be careful, huh?”

This time, she gently pinched my cheek.

“You even know when to play dumb?”

At least within the familiar, I’ve always had a quick ability to tell friend from foe…

***

“Now! The Heavenly Sword’s collectible Daiso sashimi Mk.421 has just been sold for 700 million!”

Pertinax X, excited, was leading the auction with energy.

In just a few days, his appearance had radically changed—his once sunken cheeks now had some flesh, and his jawline gleamed with health.

Looking at him like this, he greatly resembled Pertinax IX in his prime.

Apparently, Pertinax’s customers thought the same. No one asked for it, but everyone started entering the hall wearing masks, trying to relive the nostalgia of old times.

“Welcome! What a dazzling night we have!”

The atmosphere in the auction house was, as it had been lately, bustling.

The hall was packed with people, so many that many customers had to stand in the back, raising their paddles from behind.

Thanks to Pertinax X’s mediation, I received special treatment—an honorary seat at the main table.

To be precise, it was Choi Seol-Ah who, using the Daiso sashimis as a pretext, managed to reserve several spots.

She had brought multiple seats, which is why I didn’t come alone but was accompanied by Ryozo and Abel.

Because tonight was D-day.

‘We can’t delay any longer.’

The more money accumulated in the vault, the more uneasy I became.

We didn’t start this to make money. I was here to save Chloe. And for that, I had poured in all my available people and all my knowledge.

When I conveyed my intent through my representative, Choi Seol-Ah, the Tenth looked rather uncomfortable.

— Mmm. Just when the tide is in our favor and it’s time to row… well, understood.

Even his way of speaking had changed.

The taste of money changes people, after all.

“It’s so crowded…”

Abel clicked her tongue. She looked uncomfortable, pressing against me from the left.

The auction items were now ordinary pieces, yet the atmosphere was strange to her. The situation with masked people bidding made her nervous.

I took her hand to calm her.

“Don’t worry. This might all be over today—this whole culture.”

“Huh?”

Abel turned to look at me.

Through her wolf mask, her eyes blinked innocently. She reminded me of Sköll and Hati.

I only gave her a soft smile, and then from my right came another pressure.

It was Ryozo, in a white cat mask, clinging to my right arm.

“This is going to get interesting.”

“……”

I tried to ignore them and focus on the auction, when—

“Excuse me, coming through.”

A bit of commotion arose up front. A woman was making her way through the rows to reach her seat.

The seating arrangement was like a cinema, all in straight rows.

The woman in a fox mask came to sit right in front of me, in one of the honorary seats that had remained empty.

Meanwhile, the auction led by the Tenth reached its climax.

Even though they had been auctioning off the same item for days, the customers raised their paddles like they had been trained to do it.

“Eight hundred million!”

“Eight hundred twenty million!”

“Eight hundred forty million offered…!!”

The price record kept climbing.

A simple Daiso sashimi with my scribbled signature had already hit 800 million.

It felt like an outrageous scam.

But there was no room for remorse.

‘This ends now.’

At that moment, the curtains behind the podium parted to the sides, as if a noble lady were lifting her skirts in greeting.

Between them stood a tall woman in a rabbit mask—Choi Seol-Ah.

Since this was the final night, the Tenth had prepared a special event.

…My rumored “lover,” Choi Seol-Ah, would appear on stage in person.

With the mic in hand, she pretended a melancholic air and began to speak.

“Good evening, everyone. I am the lover of the Heavenly Sword—I never imagined that something I began to honor my absent beloved would attract so many people here…”

The nonsense continued.

I could only endure the reproachful glares being thrown at me from both sides.

“Ha. How ridiculous.”

A low laugh escaped from the seats ahead.

It was the fox-masked woman, who crossed her legs and spoke with an air of superiority.

“Just one of the many concubines of the Heavenly Sword, and yet acting like the only one—how repugnant.”

…Hey. I’m not that kind of man.

Meanwhile, Choi Seol-Ah continued her speech as if giving a rally:

“But, as I already told the Tenth, I didn’t do this to make money! That’s why, although we could have put out more items, we decided to stop exactly at 444 units for this Pertinax auction house…”

“What a pity.”

That was already more than enough to have made a fortune.

“But what truly breaks my heart is that my love for my lord has been corrupted.”

Pertinax X tilted his head, confused.

“What does that mean…?”

“I’ve been a regular customer of this Pertinax house for a long time. And this house, ladies and gentlemen, for generations, has dealt in the forbidden.”

The Tenth, bewildered, tried to interject:

“Y-yes, and that’s why I’ve been fighting to fix that mistake in my generation!”

“Yes. That was the intention at first, I’m sure.”

Choi Seol-Ah stepped forward.

At that moment, the woman in front of me flinched. She seemed ready to stand up, but I decided to let her be.

Choi Seol-Ah continued.

“This auction house used to deal in forbidden items. But now, thanks to my lord, we can show you radiant items like these.”

She raised a Daiso sashimi, with a solemn gesture reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty.

“And yet, the Tenth has used my lord’s grace…!”

She pointed at him.

“To launder money, blinded by greed!”

“……!!”

Pertinax X took a few steps back.

“W-what are you… saying…!”

“You thought I wouldn’t notice? It was just too strange. In an auction, when the same item is repeated, the price drops—even for luxury goods. Exceptions can happen, but 444 consecutive record-breaking sales is too artificial.”

Choi Seol-Ah recited word for word what I had instructed her.

“So we investigated the money flow.”

That’s where Ryozo really sweated.

Auctions are usually conducted in cash—nearly impossible to trace.

But in the end, she did it, tracing the serial numbers on the tags binding the stacks of bills.

And then Abel and Ryozo came into action.

The empress of high society, Abel, compiled a list of nobles who had recently made excessive luxury purchases.

That list was handed—on flammable paper—to Speedweapon within the Association.

And Speedweapon organized an elite task force based on that.

Boom…!

That moment, they made their entrance.

“We’re from the Hero Association!”

Speedweapon raised the paper high, as if declaring, “Secret Inspection!”

“Everyone present here is under immediate arrest on suspicion of laundering illicit funds!”

“Th-the Association…!”

Pertinax X was stunned.

And then his gaze turned toward me.

No—more precisely, toward the woman sitting in front of me.

Just as she tried to stand up, I whispered softly.

“Stay still.”

And pressed the edge of a sashimi blade to her delicate neck.

“Would you prefer an arrest warrant on paper… or in steel?”

At the sound of my murmur, the woman froze.

That chill in the air.

It had been a long time since I returned to being the true Kang Geom-Ma.