Chapter 99: Donation Event (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Donation Event (4)
The main event of the ship party begins.
Wealthy socialites in their finest attire and the beautifully packaged products—no, the heroes—gather in the massive hall.
Perhaps because Kwon Ye-jin and I hadn't left our room since she was nearly scammed by Cheongung, corporate representatives start swarming us the moment we enter.
With the auction about to start and no backroom deals made yet, they seem to be sweating bullets.
In the distance, I see one man watching us with a victor’s smirk.
So, it’s that guy?
Since it’s a Chinese company, I assume he’s Chinese.
After noting his decent looks, we quickly head toward Lee Ru-da.
As we approach her—a woman who radiates an untouchable aura just by standing still—the people who had been swarming us like a pack of beggars finally back off.
"It seems there was some trouble."
"Yes, there are a lot of scammers around," I reply with a grin.
Lee Ru-da stares at my face for a moment before turning her gaze back to the stage.
"It seems my help wasn't needed."
"You're busy enough as it is; I shouldn't bother you with every little thing."
"I know you're capable, but I wish you'd lean on me sometimes. I’m quite reliable in my own right."
"I know. You did save me from the New Human Alliance, after all."
"... ..."
What happened? Wasn't the conversation going well?
I feel a bit intimidated by the sudden silence and the way Lee Ru-da is staring at me. Is 'New Human Alliance' a forbidden topic or something?
Unsettled by her inexplicable reaction, I awkwardly turn my gaze away.
Oh, Park Su-jin made it out on time.
I thought she wouldn't be able to get out of bed, but she’s back out with her messy face fully made up again.
When our eyes meet, she points at me, then points at herself with a thumb and grins.
Does that mean my card is hers?
Unlike the corporate pigs, her straightforwardness in coming after my card without any backroom deals is almost refreshing. Well, her desires are of a different nature, though.
After a short wait, the MC comes out and begins revealing the cards, starting with the parties with the lowest expectations.
The heroes come out shyly, say their "please take care of me"s, sign their cards, and place them inside transparent cases.
Since it’s a standing party, the atmosphere isn't quite like a traditional auction house. People are freely enjoying food and drinks; those who want to bid simply raise a small picket. The first hero’s card is auctioned off for ten million won.
I don't know the market rates, so I can't tell if that's a good price or not.
As I watch while snacking on some fancy finger food, a woman approaches me.
"Hi, I'm Sunwoo Se-rin of the Sunwoo Clan."
"Hello. I believe I caused some trouble for you when I was kidnapped."
The Sunwoo Clan.
While not one of the Three Major Clans, they are one of the largest. More importantly, they have a very long history, having produced Awakened for over two hundred years. Though, to be fair, they mostly adopted Awakened into their many branch families.
And Sunwoo Se-rin’s hero name is Cheonlian.
When I recognize her, she looks me up and down with a somewhat suggestive gaze and smiles.
"Oh my, you know who I am. I'm honored that the most famous hero of the moment recognizes me."
"How could a hero not know Cheonlian?"
Did she just look at my crotch?
As I observe her—someone who seems surprisingly lighthearted despite her name—Lee Ru-da interjects in a stiff tone.
"A useless one has arrived."
"Oh? I wasn't that useless, was I? Right~?"
"Stop talking about that."
The sight of Sunwoo Se-rin clinging to her playfully while Lee Ru-da pushes her away actually looks quite natural. They both have impressive figures, too.
She started by greeting me, but now she’s stuck to Lee Ru-da, chatting away. What gives? Why did she even talk to me then?
Still, the way she occasionally glances at me makes me think there’s something more to it, though I can't be sure what.
"I am Eom Soo-hyun, leader of Greyhound! We will surpass Black Unicorn and become the best party in Korea!"
On stage, a green-haired woman grabs the mic and shouts boldly. She’s even pointing her finger directly at me.
"Ahahaha, she’s got spirit. Fist, what are you doing? 'The best in Korea'? Show her who’s really on top."
Sunwoo Se-rin grabs Lee Ru-da’s shoulder and laughs loudly.
Seeing as they are the third to last to appear, the party called Greyhound must be quite promising. In fact, I once considered scouting Eom Soo-hyun for Black Unicorn. I gave up immediately, though, because she was a party leader and belonged to a major clan.
She signs the back of her card with a flourish and displays it in its transparent case.
Whoa—is that her costume?
I’m stunned when I see the photo on the card.
A magical girl. That takes some serious guts.
A white base with green lines matching her hair color in a plaid pattern, and even a magic wand... Isn't she embarrassed?
It might be fine now, but what is she going to do when she’s in her 30s or 40s?
Watching the magical girl even perform a transformation sequence on stage with such gusto, I offer my silent condolences to her future self.
Magical Girl Eom Soo-hyun’s card was auctioned for 500 million won.
Whether there was a backroom deal or not, the price—nearly double that of her teammates—shows just how much is expected of her.
Next was a party called DOLLS.
The leader is a woman with a cold impression similar to Lee Ru-da’s. With long, brilliant white hair, she stands on stage and stares silently at me.
Me again?
"I am Baek Seo-yeon, leader of DOLLS."
And that was it.
The MC waited for her to say more, then scrambled to fill the silence in embarrassment. Well, at least she didn't say anything about Black Unicorn.
Her card was auctioned for 700 million won.
The prices are getting steeper, which feels strange.
Since Black Unicorn is next, I stand up from my seat.
"Good luck."
Anna cheers me on, clenching her hands near her chest. Aww, how sweet.
I catch Lee Yu-na’s anxious gaze, tell her not to worry, and head toward the stage.
The order is Yoon A-young first, then Kwon Ye-jin, and finally me.
"I am Yoon A-young of Square Garden. I am the Attacker for Black Unicorn."
After stating the obvious in a calm voice, Yoon A-young signs her card and steps back.
Since we didn't make any backroom deals, only people genuinely interested in the card come forward. In an Attacker-centric world, the crowd goes wild for the first Attacker of Black Unicorn, and the price skyrockets.
"950 million. Any further bids?"
"970 million. 980. 990. 1 billion! Any further bids?"
The competition narrows down to a few people at the end, and the price surges in increments of ten million.
"1.1 billion! 1.15 billion! 1.2 billion! Any further bids?"
Suddenly it’s jumping by 50 million at a time. Auctions are terrifying.
I whistle as I watch the stage, where the units of currency are ballooning.
"Master... will I be okay?"
"You'll be fine. What did I tell you?"
"Trust Master. And don't lose heart."
Kwon Ye-jin looks at me with sparkling eyes.
I pat her head, being careful not to ruin her styled hair, and then give her a light pat on the rear.
"Go up there. Show them exactly who they tried to scam."
"I will, Master."
Yoon A-young, whose card sold for 1.5 billion won, comes down with a dazed expression. She bumps fists with Kwon Ye-jin as they pass each other. She doesn't look nervous, but the sheer amount of money seems to have left her feeling a bit surreal.
"I didn't make any promises to anyone, so why was it so expensive?"
"I told you, not every hero does backroom deals. They just expect that much from you."
Yoon A-young smiles faintly at my words and rests her forehead against my chest. Then, startled, she lifts her head and brushes at my chest where her makeup rubbed off.
"Sorry, I don't usually wear makeup."
"It's fine. You look pretty, so it's worth it."
Yoon A-young smiles shyly at my compliment before turning her gaze back to the stage.
"What are you hiding?"
I told the party members to rest easy, but I never told them exactly what would happen. Yoon A-young’s girlish demeanor vanishes, replaced by a calm, searching gaze that demands the truth.
"You'll see."
I look toward the stage with a smile.
"I am Kwon Ye-jin, the Defender of Black Square!"
You idiot, it's Black Unicorn, not Black Square.
Kwon Ye-jin, clearly nervous on stage, lets a blunder slip. When the crowd laughs, she doesn't realize her mistake and just grins foolishly, thinking she’s getting a good reaction.
"Like the shield that protected King Arthur, Prydwen will protect all of you from Errors and monsters. Please keep watching us."
Perhaps thanks to that, her nerves seem to have settled. She looks magnificent standing there, bathed in the stage lights.
While people raise their pickets to participate in the auction, the Chinese man in the center of the hall just watches leisurely.
When the card price hits around 400 million, the Chinese man raises his picket with a nasty smirk, holding up three fingers.
Three fingers means he’s not following the MC’s increments but is naming his own bid. It’s a tactic often used to crush the competition by jumping the price significantly rather than haggling over small amounts.
"1 billion."
"... ... Yes, 1 billion! The price has jumped to 1 billion in an instant! Any further bids?"
With the jump from 400 million to 1 billion, the crowd murmurs, and people hesitate to bid. No one seems willing to compete with the Chinese guy who just made such a definitive show of force. Judging that he must have plenty of cash left after such a bold move, no more hands go up.
Kwon Ye-jin scowls as she looks at the arrogant bastard wearing a victorious smile. From her expression, I can tell she’s barely holding back the urge to jump off the stage and deck him.
"If there are no further bids, I will close the auction at 1 billion. 3. 2... Ah! We have another triple!"
The MC speaks while looking at a foreign woman in the corner, drawing everyone's attention.
The woman with grey eyes, holding up three fingers, lowers her hand and speaks in a smooth voice.
"2 billion."
"... ..."
The crowd erupts at the price she named.
The Chinese man stares at her blankly before frantically raising his picket.
"2.5 billion."
"3 billion."
"... ..."
The moment the Chinese man speaks, the woman immediately raises it to 3 billion.
"3 billion! An incredible price! Has a Defender ever fetched such a price before? Oh, it’s 3.1 billion now. 3.1 billion!"
As the MC eggs them on, the Chinese man hesitantly raised his picket. However, he didn't hold up any fingers, so the MC only raised the bid by 100 million.
Anyone could see the winner and loser had been decided.
The grey-eyed woman raises three fingers and her picket once more.
"4 billion."
"Yes! 4 billion! What an astounding price! Any further bids?"
The MC asks the crowd, but his eyes are fixed on the Chinese man. Everyone else’s eyes are on him too. Under the weight of that silent pressure, he turns his head away.
The MC bangs the gavel, announcing the sale, and invites the winner to the stage.
The woman in the sexy dress gives a dazed Kwon Ye-jin a light hug, then takes the mic and stands beside her.
"I am Scarlet Portman, CEO of Poltsmith. It is an honor to have the opportunity to support the heroes who protect us from monsters and work for world peace."
As she begins to speak, more and more people start looking at me, standing by the side of the stage.
First was the Vice President of H&K, who had claimed he would release a Jeong Yeon-woo Edition, and next was that Chinese prick from Cheongung or whatever.
Why would Poltsmith, H&K’s rival and a fellow firearms company, buy Kwon Ye-jin’s card?
A few quick-witted individuals are also staring at me.
"What kind of deal did you make?"
"I told you I was going to change my guns. I happened to find something suitable."
I shrug nonchalantly at Yoon A-young’s question.
For the record, Scarlet hadn't even planned on coming to the ship party. Because I was using H&K pistols, Poltsmith had misunderstood our relationship, sent only one executive, and completely lost interest.
But when I met that executive and talked to them, I was put in touch with her immediately. Good grief, she even showed the passion of flying straight to Korea on her private jet.
Scarlet, who arrived barely thirty minutes before the auction started, readily accepted my proposal after we spoke.
It wasn't even a big trade.
I simply told her about Kwon Ye-jin’s situation and said just one thing.
"Are Poltsmith pistols any good?"
At my question, the clever woman flashed a charming smile.
"They are incomparably better than H&K’s slingshots."
The conversation ended with her promising to send over some samples later, and then she joined the auction.
Still, 4 billion won... she might have spent a bit too much.
But seeing the H&K Vice President biting his lip and glaring at Scarlet as if he wanted to kill her, and the Chinese guy trembling with rage, I feel pretty good.