“No... you messing with me?!”

The moment he heard the name House Norflin, Krezor first went pale with shock, then flew into a rage.

It wasn't like he'd never heard of Lei Norflin.

Once the golden child of heaven. Now a discarded relic of the meta.

He'd been completely shut down by the Royal Capital's currently popular anti-magic counter card, Counter Spell. Rumor had it anyone could step on him now.

But the guy across from him didn't look like that at all!

“So you dared to fake a noble identity. Looks like you're no noble at all.”

“That's right.”

Simon was a little surprised.

This young master's brain worked pretty fast, huh?

After figuring out Simon's identity, Krezor's anger gained a trace of arrogance.

“A mere commoner dares toy with me?!”

Simon spread his hands. “Commoner, noble... is status really that important?”

Halfway through speaking, he pulled out the white handkerchief from his chest again and smiled with confidence.

“Let's make this simple.”

Smack!

“My apologies. I didn't wear gloves today, but you should get what I mean.”

“If you're unhappy, then duel me.”

The white handkerchief fell to the floor, neither too hard nor too lightly.

But to Krezor, it felt like the ultimate humiliation.

He laughed from sheer fury. “A mere commoner... thinks he's worthy of challenging a noble like me?”

“Fine. Then I'll show you the gulf between commoner and noble!”

“What are you all doing? If you want to duel, do it outside the auction hall. The auction's about to begin!”

At the critical moment, a staff member in charge of order stepped in and stopped the conflict.

He'd noticed them a long time ago. He just hadn't paid it much mind at first.

But when he saw things escalate all the way to a handkerchief throw, his scalp went numb. He didn't dare delay and stopped them on the spot, regardless of who they were.

“Looks like we'll have to set another time,” Simon said, sounding a little regretful.

“After the auction ends, we'll settle this outside the auction hall.”

Seeing that the duel couldn't happen now, Krezor had no mood to stay. After leaving the time and place, he turned and left at once.

After Krezor left, Tidelys clenched her little fists.

“Manager, that was amazing just now!”

“I wanted to smack his hand away too. Didn't expect you to react even faster than me.”

Simon fell silent when he heard that.

I stepped in because I was afraid you'd break his arm.

“But why did it somehow turn into you dueling someone again at the end...?”

Simon shrugged. “Couldn't be helped. I was worried he'd keep pestering us, so I just pissed him off and drove him away.”

In truth, even the staff member coming over to interrupt their duel had been part of Simon's plan.

Otherwise, this piece of chewing gum really would've stuck to them.

After the farce ended, the three continued looking for their seats.

On the way, Simon leaned slightly toward Viana and asked, “Who was that?”

“Viscount Krezor. He once came to my house to propose to my father, and my father threw him out. After that, he tried coming to The Academy to bother me. Didn't expect to run into him here.”

Viana also felt pretty unlucky.

Simon sighed helplessly. “A beauty brings disaster, huh.”

“What, don't you like beauties who bring disaster too, my knight?”

As she spoke, Viana glanced at Tidelys.

Seeing that her best friend wasn't paying attention, she quickly blew a breath against Simon's ear.

“You...!”

The roots of Simon's ears turned red instantly.

Like a thief, he hurriedly glanced at Tidelys. Only after seeing she didn't seem to notice did he let out a breath.

“Your body is very honest, my knight.”

“Take that as part of your reward for dueling for me. As for the rest... look forward to tonight.”

After hearing that, Simon couldn't help recalling last night again.

Damn it, why is this veteran flirt so absurdly good at teasing people?!

Damn it, I really want to blow on Manager's ear too!

Tidelys had been secretly watching the two beside her the whole time.

When she saw Viana blow into Simon's ear, Tidelys got so anxious she wanted to bite Simon's ear herself.

Nana is getting more and more out of control!

After this, I have to have a proper, honest talk with her!

...

“Everyone!”

The auction hall fell silent in an instant. Simon and the other two, already seated, also turned their eyes toward the item stage.

“Welcome to this auction. Giantgold Trading sincerely welcomes your arrival.”

Standing on the stage was a pretty young female auctioneer. She was holding a small wooden hammer as she introduced the event.

“This auction has a total of fifty-six items. I won't waste words, so I'll now officially announce the start of this auction!”

“The first item is the A-rank card Supreme Verdict, crafted by Master Reynolds. Starting bid, one hundred thirty thousand gold coins...”

“The first item is already an A-rank card?”

Simon was a little surprised.

And not just him. Soft gasps rose from some of the seats as well.

Even B-rank cards were rare on the market. Seeing an A-rank card right at the start really was beyond everyone's expectations.

Even Viana looked surprised. “Sometimes high-level Cardmakers sell a few cards for cash, but most of the time they still barter item for item.”

The starting price of this item was clearly low. Simon watched its bid shoot upward at high speed, until the hammer finally fell at one million one hundred eighty thousand gold coins.

Simon was jealous.

He could print cards for a whole year and still not see that much money.

Tidelys was dizzy too. “Th-this-this is way too crazy.”

Thankfully, the prices of the following items dropped back down a lot. Most were in the hundred-thousand to two-hundred-thousand range, and some were only fifty or sixty thousand.

It wasn't just cards and card materials. Some artworks from this world were also included in the auction.

Simon listened quietly and didn't bid even once.

Until—

“Next, item number forty: the B-rank material, High-Grade Ghoul Skull.”

Simon's eyes lit up.

Necromancy material!

“Ordinary B-rank materials cannot make it onto our stage. As for why this item is here, I believe I don't need to explain. Starting bid, thirty thousand gold coins.”

The auction hall fell into silence.

Compared to the earlier excitement, this time there wasn't even a single person raising a paddle.

Tidelys asked curiously, “Why is nobody bidding?”

Simon stared at the skull with its absurdly oversized jaw.

“Because necromancy materials are restricted goods!”

That was also why it had made it onto the stage.

Viana added, “To curb the activities of the Demonology Sect, the Luminous Order not only banned the circulation of necromancy materials, but directly controlled their production too.”

“In other words, buying this item might offend the Luminous Order!”

Right then, a voice rang out from a corner of the auction hall.

“Fifty thousand!”

Someone had taken the lead.

Too bad. Simon wanted this material too.

The moment he saw it, he'd already decided what B-rank card he would use for his breakthrough.

And this B-rank card just happened to be perfect for breaking the Luminous Order's monopoly over the narrative.

“Sixty thousand!” Simon raised his paddle.

“Seventy thousand!”

This time, it wasn't the first bidder. It was someone else entirely.

When Simon looked toward the one who raised the paddle, he couldn't hold it in anymore.

“Krezor?”

Krezor turned his head and looked at Simon with a provocative gaze.

Simon returned a look as if he were staring at an idiot.

Sure. So you're really raising the stakes with your life on the line.

Simon was certain that anyone who joined the bidding would be watched by the Luminous Order.

He was already prepared to go head-on with the Luminous Order.

Hopefully this young master wouldn't regret it when the Luminous Order came knocking.

“Eighty thousand!”

The first man's voice rang out again.

At this moment, the man in the black robe was holding up his paddle with a pained expression.

“Are those two insane?”

Who's the Luminous Order's sworn enemy here, exactly?!