Su Hong slumped bored out of his mind in the lounge—not so much leaning on the sofa as sprawled across it, his body nearly sliding to the floor.

“Terrible…” he muttered with a frown.

He’d used his own Spirit Card just to fill a slot, only to be left languishing here without even a cup of water.

Sighing, he rubbed his temples. *Of course*—only one girl in the world was as gentle and thoughtful as Lia. Well… asleep Lia didn’t count.

Damn this auction. When will it end? I just want to go home and eat…

Just as Su Hong was about to doze off, *rap rap*—two polite knocks came at the door.

*So polite? They actually knocked?*

“Come in. Is the auction over? Return my Spirit Card. I’m leaving.”

But the person who entered wasn’t the staff who’d taken the card.

She wore a silver gown patterned with uneven white petals and black clasps. A slit ran up the right calf—thirty to forty centimeters high—giving it a distinct qipao flair.

Su Hong barely noticed the slit. That fabric… he knew it instantly. Back in prison, the warden had custom-made a robe from this very material. So comfortable. A shame to leave it behind.

“Hello. I am Favna, head of the merchants’ guild. Are you the…”

She trailed off. *Right—the bow-shaped Spirit Card didn’t even have a name.*

“Are you the Spirit Glyphsmith who crafted the beginner-level bow-shaped Spirit Card up for auction?”

Awkward phrasing, but Su Hong got it immediately.

*Guild boss?! Why’s she here personally? Did they catch me using my card just to fill a slot?!*

He straightened up sharply on the sofa. “That’s me. But auctioning it wasn’t my idea. Return my Spirit Card. I’m leaving.”

“?!”

Favna flinched. *No wonder he demanded it back—he never wanted it sold!*

*Oh no. It’s already sold. How do I explain this? He’s furious. How can I recruit him now?*

*That backstage manager! Using a card to fill a slot AND snatching a customer’s Spirit Card?! Whether he cooperates or not—this must be punished severely!*

Her stern face tightened with restrained anger. “I sincerely apologize, but the Spirit Card cannot be returned. My policy is zero tolerance for such acts. Please accept my apologies.”

*Can’t be returned? Confiscated?* Su Hong bristled. *“Zero tolerance” doesn’t apply to ME? You take my card and say “sorry”? Like hell!*

All silver and white, looking so ethereal… turns out her scheming nature was inversely proportional to her angelic appearance.

*Forget it. Keep the card. All guilds are the same. Sigh…*

“‘Accept my apologies?’” He scoffed. “Goodbye.”

He stood and strode toward the door.

Favna paled. *To lose such a talented Spirit Glyphsmith over a tiny mistake… Is the guild truly doomed? Losing to someone like Chris… to that unscrupulous guild…*

Head bowed in sorrow, she called out just before he left: “Wait! You haven’t taken your auction settlement gold.”

She knew he might dismiss the coins in anger—or mock her for it. But keeping them would prick her conscience.

Those words froze Su Hong mid-step.

“Gold? I thought you confiscated it. That card actually *sold*?”

Favna turned, utterly baffled. Hesitantly: “How could we confiscate it? A Spirit Card of that caliber was bound to sell! When I left backstage, bidding paused at 1,800. Final price will likely double… or triple.”

(・-・*)

Su Hong stood stunned. *Just a beginner-level experimental card… “that caliber”? And the price?!*

*If that’s “powerful,” what is the one I kept?!*

“Confirming— you mean the orange bow-shaped one? It’s… powerful?”

“Y-you’re joking, right…?” Favna stammered, uneasy. “Of course it’s powerful! Did you misunderstand something?”

“I’ve only handled a few Spirit Cards,” Su Hong admitted, rubbing his temples. He turned back, walked to the sofa, and sat. “Guess there was a misunderstanding. I thought you’d confiscate it. I’ll wait for the settlement.”

Favna stared, speechless. *He doesn’t know how powerful his own card is?! He genuinely had no idea?! How is this person even real?!*