“The first auction price for this Book of Instant Summoning is one thousand gold!”

‘Isn’t that too much?’ Lilly thought to herself. She had already bought Fruit of Evil, so she didn't have a lot of money left with her.

“Two thousand gold has come out! The bidder is number 43!”

“Five thousand gold! The bidder is number 67!”

The bidding drew the attention of others in the room as it continued. A handful of onlookers joined in, believing that the item held significant value.

However, as the numbers climbed higher and higher, the cost of acquiring the Book of Instant Summon was becoming exorbitant, and one by one, the additional bidders reluctantly bowed out as the bid had reached a point beyond reason.

“Six thousand gold!”

Lilly grew increasingly worried as the numbers climbed to staggering heights.

Im Haeseong cast a glance at bidder 67 before refocusing on the stage. Bidder 67 had also been involved in the bidding for the Crimson Sorrowswords when Melton sought them, and now they were competing for the Book of Instant Summon—both crucial items for the heroes.

A sense of unease settled in. "Is it that guy again?" Haeseong wondered.

Seth had been a persistent nuisance ever since Haeseong was summoned into this world. On one occasion, Seth obstructed the mission, causing harm and subjecting Haeseong to public humiliation due to perceived incompetence.

As far as Haeseong knew, Seth had an inferior complex, so it was not surprising that Seth knew Haeseong was here and purposefully tried to get every auction item from Melton and Lilly to pick a fight with them.

Haeseong said to Lilly with a disinterested face, “I suggest you get it. The book will help speed up your experiments.”

If Lilly managed to get her hands on the item, she could produce the army of monsters she informed him about, which would undoubtedly aid him in quickly killing the Demon King. That was his main goal, so that he could return to his world as soon as possible.

Lilly nodded, and she felt her worries lessen at the thought of spending more of her money on the Book of Instant Summon.

“If there aren't any more…”

“Seven thousand gold!”

“Seven thousand five hundred gold from bidder number 67!”

“67 again? I feel like they are purposely targeting us.” Melton glared at the VIP room for bidder number 67. However, he couldn’t see their faces due to the dim lighting.

Haeseong was also frowning.

Lilly bit her lips and hesitated for a moment. ‘It’s for our own good; I can still ask the committee of the Society of Alchemists to get a larger budget. They’ll also benefit from my experiments.’

She gathered her resolve and then spoke her final, audacious price. “Ten thousand gold!”

The figure was staggering, a final bid that left the room in stunned silence. As the room hung in tense anticipation, without hesitation, someone also voiced their final bid.

“Fifteen thousand gold.”

“Impossible!” Lilly yelled in shock as she stood up from her seat.

‘Who would spend such a fortune on a measly book? There are better-summoning artifacts than the Book of Instant Summon. They could’ve gotten the Resurrection Tome or Flute of the Undead,’ she remarked, her gaze fixed on bidder number 67, although their appearance remained elusive.

Melton chuckled as he watched her astonished expression. “Told you. I think that bastard is purposefully trying to pick a fight with us.”

In the end, the gavel came down, and it was bidder number 67's final bid that won the Book of Instant Summon.

…

Seth felt a rush of satisfaction as he secured the Book of Instant Summon. ‘It’s expensive, but it’s useful for my revenge plan. The grudge had lasted too long, and if everything went well, I want to wrap it up tomorrow.’

Karles didn't object to the hefty price; he simply nodded in agreement. Having cared for Seth for ten years, he was the one who liked to make him succumb to vanity.

Elizabeth's sly smile faded, replaced by a confused expression. "What's so special about that thing? The Book of Instant Summon can only summon C- or below-rank monsters. With that much money, you could have invested in much better options."

"Didn't I mention I'm after revenge? I sought your help to find the perfect artifacts for that purpose," Seth replied.

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and a realization seemed to dawn on her. She chuckled lightly, leaning back on the couch. "Ah, I see now. You're planning to turn those Birds of a Feather into a feast for the monsters? I didn't realize you were this ruthless, Seth."

A typical person might have reacted with fear, but Elizabeth found amusement in Seth's intentions, leaving him to wonder if there were a few loose screws in her head. It became clearer why she was engaged to Seth.

The twins appeared somewhat perplexed, quietly absorbing their conversation.

Karles maintained his composure. "The marquess instructed me to provide you with whatever you need to overcome the emotional and physical trauma inflicted by those people."

“Since he said that, I won't hesitate to use his money then,” Seth replied, unapologetic about utilizing Marquess Gilliame's funds, considering he was his son. Free money was not something he would turn down.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

After securing their items and settling the payment, as they exited the auction house, their path was abruptly blocked by three individuals.

Haeseong remained dressed in his mask, a dark blue and silver vest, and black dress pants. Lilly Spencer, with her blonde hair falling to her shoulders and dark blue eyes, wore round glasses and a light green cloth under a brown robe. She also had a pleated cream skirt and dark brown shoes. Standing beside her was the robust and tall Melton Dwan, who donned a brown shirt and dark pants, concealing a shield larger than his body behind his back.

Seth raised an eyebrow and muttered, "I heard that this is a VIP exit."

Elizabeth's expression turned grim as she replied, "Yes, it is."

Melton sneered and said, "So, you're bidder number 67. You're just a bunch of spoiled brats, aren't you? I've always despised nobles; their wealth is often gained through the exploitation and mistreatment of ordinary people."

Before Seth could respond, Elizabeth retorted with a mocking smile, “Well, what brings the champions of justice here? Are you ogling the auction's spoils, or are you in need of something?”

"Are you insulting us? Just because you have money, do you think you're above everyone else? Do you know who we are?" Melton exclaimed, eyeing the box in Karles' hands, his expression souring.

Lilly intervened, blocking Melton with her arm and stepping forward. Urgency and desperation laced her voice as she explained, "We are heroes from the Drerean Kingdom. My name is Lilly Spencer. I’m from the Society of Alchemists, and this is Melton Dwan. As you know, we were summoned into your world to stop the Demon King, and the items you've taken are crucial to our mission and vital for saving the world. Can I ask what you need those items for?"

Confusion swept over Seth. ‘Is Lilly insinuating that I’m interfering with their mission? It's not like I remember that they were here in the first place. As far as I can recall, they are only side characters in "The Summoned Hero." Their roles were fleeting, with no significant contributions to slaying the Demon King or aiding the main protagonist. If the items are important to kill the Demon King, I wouldn’t have thought about touching them.’

Seth lowered the hood of their robe and said, "And what if I don't care about your troubles? It's not my concern to rectify your problems."

Melton sneered and cast a contemptuous gaze in their direction, saying, "I told you, Lilly. People like them always look down on others and won't hear what we have to say."

"Young master, shall I take care of them for you?" Karles offered, passing the box of their items on to the twins and then pulling on his gloved hands. As his young master always picked a fight with people, he knew that the situation would escalate.

‘No, hold on, Karles. Why are you so quick to resort to violence?’ Seth wondered.

Melton chuckled and grabbed the shield from behind his back, saying, "Heh. It's been a while since I've had a good vent. If beating you up gets me the Crimson Sorrow, why not?"

"I can't guarantee you'll pass through me easily," Karles warned, flexing while displaying small daggers between his fingers.

Growing anxious, Lilly shouted, "Wait, Melton!"

Suddenly, a cold, chilling sensation crept over their skin, penetrating their bones. It felt like a gust of cold winter wind suddenly hit them. Noel rubbed her arms, muttering about the cold. Leon instinctively hugged her, offering his body warmth. The eerie sensation brought the ongoing confrontation to a halt.

"It's the Nightwalkers," Elizabeth declared, rubbing her arms and gazing into the distance.

Seth followed her gaze and saw two specters with a blackish glow. Their presence prompted an immediate retreat from everyone in the market as they passed through, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

"They are the law enforcers of this place. While the laws might be questionable, if we're caught by them, we don't know the consequences or if we'll make it back in one piece. The Nightwalkers are feared even by the Royal Army," Elizabeth explained with a hushed voice.

Melton redirected his attention to them, but Haeseong intervened. "Let's settle this next time. We can't afford to offend the Nightwalkers."

Seth couldn't help but notice Im Haeseong, who had silently observed the evening's events. From a distance, his gaze remained fixed on the unfolding scene, his expression inscrutable.

"Why should I listen to you?" Melton retorted.

Before Melton could explode in anger, Lilly softened her voice, urging, "Let's go back. Unfortunately, we can't get the artifact and weapon we need, but there are certainly better options out there."

Although Melton scowled at them, he eventually relented, patiently listening to her as they left the place first.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seth sensed movement, but when he turned to look, there was nothing noteworthy. ‘Did Krytys follow us again? Before we departed, he had been observing us from the windowsill without making a move.’

…

The following morning, Seth devoted his time to training with Maer, refining his combat skills under her guidance. While she wasn't the most effective teacher, she did highlight areas where he needed improvement, even though her comments were not very clear or helpful. Their sparring sessions became a routine, and he could feel himself getting better.

Maer had her magenta hair tied back in a ponytail. Today, she was dressed in a white shirt tucked into black pants, paired with dark brown boots.

"You're improving well, young master," Maer remarked during one of their training sessions. "You managed to land a few hits on me before I beat you up."

"It's a good thing," Seth replied.

He leaned on one of the tree examined the muscles in his abdomen and couldn't help but feel disappointed. It remained completely flat. Despite several days of exercise, there were no signs of two, four, or six-packs.

‘I guess developing six-packs takes more time.’ Seth sighed.

Being a guard who specialized in swinging swords and close-range combat was difficult for him. He preferred to be a long-range fighter, and being able to use magic aided him in this. With magic, he could concentrate on becoming a mage.

Being a mage, on the other hand, meant that he was more vulnerable to danger, so basic self-defense skills were required to be learned.

"So," Maer said, putting her fist to her mouth and clearing her throat. "Do I get a raise for tutoring you, young master? I mean, I could use that extra money to treat myself."

“Go and ask Karles.”

She appeared depressed and laughed awkwardly. "Haha, I'm not sure if I have the confidence... How about you talk to him, young master? When he smiles, he's far scarier than you."

Seth was amused as he found out that he wasn't the only one feeling that way. “I’ll talk to him then.”

He ignored the look of happiness on her face and moved his gaze to the other side of the training ground.

One, with his signature black piece of cloth covering his face, was watching Noel and Leon engage in friendly brawls.

The Crimson Sorrow, when swung, had the power to ignite flames. The nearby grasses caught fire, prompting Jehan, the gardener, to deadpan, already prepared with a hose to douse the flames and prevent an immediate spread.

The training ground buzzed with activity as the children experimented with the techniques they had learned. Each clash of the swords echoed through the air, creating a lively and spirited atmosphere.

As he continued his training on the grounds, Karles approached him with purpose.

"Young master," he addressed him, "the adventurers I hired have already fully marked the monsters you requested. I've also gathered the necessary items and information for the upcoming quest. The Birds of a Feather group is planning to embark on the quest today."

Karles handed Seth a black book with gold-colored marks engraved on the cover.

“Good work.”

Finally, the day that he had waited for since his transmigration into this world had come.