Hiss... Damn, this is big trouble.

After hearing Martina’s confident declaration to raise the price, the merchant uncle immediately turned his gaze to Olivia. His bushy beard trembled with excitement—clearly, her offer had far exceeded his expectations. But... well, a little higher wouldn’t hurt, right?

Feeling the bearded man’s expectant stare, the Bluehaired Loli lowered her head in embarrassment. Seeing her lack of confidence, Martina beside her let out a derisive snort.

“Already can’t match it? Tsk, if you’re this poor, I’d advise you to quit, senior. Some wealth has a threshold—you can’t earn it without the skill. Why push yourself when you lack the ability?”

Olivia clenched her fists silently at the provocation. Her worst fear had come true, yet no solution came to mind. She only had fifty thousand borrowed from Natasha, and her saved pocket money was scattered bits—no matter how she scraped together, she couldn’t surpass Martina’s seventy thousand...

Seeing Olivia unresponsive, Martina’s lips curled into a confident smirk. Victory felt certain. Her mind raced: *I completed the task so smoothly today... Master will surely pamper me.*

Meanwhile, the bearded merchant seemed ready to decide. He turned to Martina, about to call her to fetch the seeds from the room—suddenly! A shout shattered the silence.

“S-senior?! And Martina... why are you two together?”

A tall young man rushed anxiously through the inn entrance. Olivia and Martina instinctively looked up. The Hero strode forward, standing beside Olivia, his expression bewildered as he scanned the odd scene.

G-Gawain?

The Bluehaired Loli’s lips twitched. *No... how is he here?! Isn’t it a school day?*

She glanced at Martina, whose gaze flickered away.

*Hiss... the school’s awfully empty today.*

The merchant scratched his cheek, puzzled by this newcomer. Gawain, however, fixed a serious look on the blue-haired girl. “Senior... why aren’t you in class? And why are you with... Martina?”

“What I do is my own business—do I owe you a report? And don’t lump me with that bitch. I didn’t come with her. Running into her is bad luck—I wish you’d just drag her away.” Olivia frowned, muttering irritably. She even considered ordering Gawain to beat up his ex-girlfriend until Martina couldn’t afford to bid anymore. *After all, high-level business battles often boil down to simple physical solutions.*

Sadly, Martina wasn’t weak, and public brawls in the Imperial Capital meant jail time.

The red-haired knight, insulted by Olivia, raised an eyebrow. Seeing Gawain’s concern and the pouting Bluehaired Loli beside him, she snorted coldly.

“Heh. I saw it yesterday—you two really did hook up.”

“What nonsense?! And what’s it to you, you cheating slut?!” Olivia’s aggression flared, leaving Martina’s face flushed and breathless. After several heavy gasps, Martina gritted her teeth.

“Boring! Enough dodging—will you counter my seventy thousand or not? If you can’t, let me take the seeds and go. I can’t stand seeing that disgusting man beside you.”

Martina seemed to lose ground from the start, perhaps due to Mermel’s slapped face yesterday leaving a strong impression. Even with more money, she hesitated to retort fiercely. So she turned her blade on the weaker target—insulting Gawain.

*Anyway... that fool always indulges us three. A few insults won’t matter.*

But this time, her disdain ignited Gawain’s fury. He clenched his fists, shooting her a cold glare that made the knight flinch and look away.

The merchant, tired of the drama, cleared his throat. “Well, if Miss Olivia can’t offer more, I’ll sell the seeds to—”

“Wait!”

Gawain slammed his hand on the table, cutting him off. He turned to the blue-haired girl beside him, earnest. “Senior, you’re bidding against her? Short on funds? However much you need—I’ll lend it to you!”

“Hiss...”

Spotting a chance to raise the price, the merchant fell silent, watching Olivia. The Bluehaired Loli sucked in a sharp breath, ruffling her hair in frustration.

*What to do? I didn’t want to involve this Foolish Hero... but now I have to rely on him?*

*Tch... the problem is, he’s unreliable!*

She feared he’d dump his entire savings on the table, causing chaos. Standing up, she told the merchant, “Hold on!” then yanked Gawain’s sleeve, dragging the Foolish Hero to a corner outside the inn.

Facing the Hero—who towered forty-five centimeters over her—Olivia planted her hands on her hips. Though looking up, she forced a haughty senior’s demeanor, pouting before speaking in a tsundere tone.

“You idiot junior... what nonsense were you spouting back there? Lend me money? Where would you even get it?”

“I... senior, I have thirty thousand saved. If you need it, I’ll lend you all of it!” Gawain gazed down at her, sincere.

But instead of gratitude, Olivia’s lips twitched. She tiptoed—still too short—then jumped, grabbing his ear.

“Ahhh! So infuriating! Are you brainless? I know you—thirty thousand is your life savings! Give it all to me, and what will you eat? The northwesterly wind?!”