The Support Ate it All

Go Hyeon-woo, as always, was holed up in the training center while the rest of us moved to a quiet place for communication.

While I was manipulating the crystal ball, Seo Ye-in lightly tapped the back of my hand and said,

"Let me call my dad."

"You want to go first?"

"Mhmm."

"Go ahead."

Whoever we contacted, we'd end up using the Hye-seong Group card anyway.

In fact, going through Father Seo might be even more effective.

So I handed the crystal ball to Seo Ye-in, and after a few beeps, a messy workshop came into view.

– Hey, kid. Long time no see. You too, young monarch.

"Godfather."

– So, what's the occasion?

"Where's Dad?"

At that, the Underworld Dragon King glanced sideways, and Father Seo gave a silent wave with an expressionless face.

Between them was a mini game board.

It looked like they were in the middle of a match.

The Underworld Dragon King added a bit of context.

– He's in special training to beat the young monarch.

– Next round, I win.

Father Seo responded in a flat tone.

Despite appearances, it seemed both father and daughter were the quietly hardworking type.

In that case, I had a duty to fulfill as a stagnant water.

Which meant trampling him without mercy when we met again.

Because the stagnant water's code was to kick away the newbie ladder.

Whether they knew my inner thoughts or not, the Seo father and daughter exchanged words with blank expressions.

"Dad."

– Daughter.

"Mom?"

– Trip.

I didn't get to see her even during summer break, so she must still be on her trip.

Seo Ye-in seemed to be clearly used to this and just gave a slight nod.

Her father asked,

– Heard there's a tournament?

"Mhmm. Are you coming, Dad?"

– Too far. Home is best.

He was so firm about it that it was almost disappointing.

But Seo Ye-in nodded in agreement.

"…Home is best."

Then, without a word, she rested her chin on my shoulder, like she was saying this is her home now.

I couldn't tell when the Kim Ho Pillow turned into the Kim Ho Home, but this didn't feel like the time to argue about it.

The Underworld Dragon King turned to me and asked,

– A tournament, huh? Your reason for calling probably has something to do with that, doesn't it?

"Yes, it does."

I explained that the tournament's main rule was the [Fixed Zone] and that the same rule would apply to practical assessments going forward.

I also mentioned that in today's match, Seo Ye-in had lost by decision to a promising archer.

The Underworld Dragon King looked at Seo Ye-in.

– A close loss, huh? Even with all that talent, you've just taken your first steps. So it's natural you'd still fall short.

"Defensive skill. Ultimate technique."

– From what I can tell, you should shore up your defense a bit. You never know what'll happen. But as for an ultimatetechnique, didn't you already learn a pretty solid one?

Come to think of it, I had heard that toward the end of summer break, the Underworld Dragon King and Ahn Jeong-mi had taken turns training Seo Ye-in.

So I assumed she'd picked up a few things beyond just hardship training and mentoring.

But since she hadn't mentioned anything until now, this was news to me.

"You had something like that?"

"Mhmm."

"Then why didn't you use it?"

You could've shut up that rabid chihuahua with it.

Seo Ye-in answered like it was obvious.

"Too powerful."

"It's too strong to use on Cha Hyeon-joo?"

"Correct."

"How strong are we talking?"

"Deletes bad words."

"It deletes them?"

"Super ultimate move."

A move strong enough to "delete" someone. So powerful it earns the prefix super.

At this point, even I was starting to get curious.

"Wanna head to the training room later? Give me a sneak peek of that super ultimate move."

I mean, it's just a scarecrow. We could delete that, right?

But Seo Ye-in shook her head again.

"Later."

"And when is 'later' exactly?"

"A cool moment."

"Got it. Style is a serious matter."

She didn't want to use it in the training room and lose the flair. It had to come out at the perfect, dramatic moment.

Since we partied up often, I'd eventually need to know about it, but it wasn't urgent for now.

So I decided not to press her and just wait.

The Underworld Dragon King spoke up.

– Honestly, we'd love to come over there ourselves, but it's just not possible.

"I understand."

Upgrading existing gear was also one way to improve your specs.

The problem was, to do that, we'd either have to send the equipment to the Hye-seong Group or have Father Seo come over here. But there's no way Ye-in would stay away from Kim Ho-Kim Ho Pot for long, and her father has made it very clear that home is where he draws the line.

Another option was for the Underworld Dragon King to pass on some skills. But that was highly unlikely.

He was an S-rank dragon, after all. Even coming near Dungeon Island would cause an uproar.

Not to mention, he also had a duty to stay near the Meteor Dragon as its guardian.

– It might be better to consult with Team Leader Ahn.

"Yes, understood."

So after exchanging a few more words, we ended the call and reached out to Ahn Jeong-mi as originally planned.

Soon, the crystal ball showed a neatly organized office, and Ahn Jeong-mi gave a polite bow.

– Young miss, Kim Ho-nim.

"It's been a while."

– What brings you to me today?

In response to her question, I repeated the explanation I had just given.

Something about the tournament, the fixed zone, and how she narrowly lost in a long-range artillery match.

"—So I thought this would be a good chance to improve her defense."

– Understood. Do you have any skills in mind you'd recommend?

She was leaving the judgment to me.

Since [Feather Step] was something she learned on my recommendation and had been putting to good use, she was clearly saying she trusted me again.

But my answer was a little different from what she'd probably expected.

"I'd like you to get a blank skillbook."

– Are you saying you'll be crafting one yourself?

"That's the plan."

I had a few skills and traits in mind that Seo Ye-in could learn, but it seemed better to just create a custom skill from scratch.

Skill crafting might be a headache for others, but for me, it was nothing.

After thinking for a moment, Ahn Jeong-mi spoke.

– The blank skillbook itself is rare, but we should be able to obtain one. However, I would like to ask for one thing in return.

"Go ahead."

– Before the young miss learns the skill, I'd like to review the effects in advance. It's not that I doubt your abilities, Kim Ho-nim, but within the Future Strategy Office, there's a high chance of opposing opinions.

The rarity and value of a blank skillbook weren't much of an issue.

Who would dare say it's a waste when it's the chairman's granddaughter learning it?

The real issue lies in the special nature of "creating a new skill".

Can we really entrust a blank skillbook to some random outsider?

Aren't we being careless with such a rare item?

Should we really let the young miss learn a newly crafted skill just like that?

What if the skill has negative effects?

For reasons like these, even those within the group who usually support Ahn Jeong-mi's faction might voice some concerns.

I nodded calmly.

"I understand. Since this is the first time, it's better to proceed with some level of transparency."

– Thank you for your cooperation.

From my point of view, there was nothing to lose by disclosing the skill effects.

It wasn't a skill I'd be using anyway, and from Seo Ye-in's perspective, it was only a small part of her overall build.

"I think it's best I just tell you now."

That way, they'd have plenty of time to hold their meetings and debate.

As I read out the skill effects, a glint of interest appeared in Ahn Jeong-mi's eyes.

– …By any chance, is that why you recommended Feather Step?

"You caught on. The synergy's pretty solid, right?"

– If you craft it exactly as described, I don't think there will be any major objections. I'll look into it right away.

No matter how rare a blank skillbook might be, with the power of Hye-seong Group, I figured they could get one within a week.

Maybe even in just a few days, if things went smoothly.

Ahn Jeong-mi asked again.

– Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?

"Just one more thing. The auction is this weekend."

– Since you're a first-year, I imagine you're a bit short on points.

"Yes. I have my own ways of securing them, but she doesn't."

– May I ask how many points the young miss currently has?

"I believe it's 110,000."

– And you, Kim Ho-nim…?

Just as I was about to answer, Seo Ye-in quietly joined the conversation.

"He's super rich."

– ..…?

"He said he'd lend me some."

– ..…!

Cold sweat formed on Ahn Jeong-mi's forehead.

No matter how much we're just talking about points, it wouldn't look good if word got out that the Hye-seong Group's young miss was borrowing them.

In that case, nine times out of ten, the backlash would reach Ahn Jeong-mi as well.

So she spoke gently but with a hint of urgency.

– Young miss, we'll contribute a bit more to your points. Please refrain from borrowing from Kim Ho-nim.

"…Okay."

Seo Ye-in gave a casual nod as if it were nothing.

On the other hand, Ahn Jeong-mi looked visibly relieved to have gotten through an unexpected crisis.

Being a butler really was a high-stress job.

I quietly reaffirmed to myself that I'd never submit a résumé to the Hye-seong Group.

At the same time, Ahn Jeong-mi turned to me with a request.

– Even with support from the scholarship students, the young miss's points probably won't be plentiful.

No matter how favored she was as a Hye-seong daughter, it wasn't like they could just say, "Hand over all your points!"

That would interfere with their school life.

They'd likely scrape together bits and pieces from here and there, which would probably amount to somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 points.

Still, when added to the 110,000 points already in Seo Ye-in's hands, that should be enough to win at least one decent item.

On the flip side, it also meant there was a risk of spending too freely or wasting it on the wrong item.

Naturally, that was what Ahn Jeong-mi was concerned about.

– Since this will be the young miss's first auction, please guide her so she can spend wisely, Kim Ho-nim.

"Yes, you can count on me."

– I'm always grateful.

With a polite bow of her head, Ahn Jeong-mi ended the call.

"……"

Seo Ye-in seemed to stay lost in thought for a while after that.

Then she tilted her head slightly and asked me,

"What's going to be at the auction?"

"Not sure. I'm curious too. Let's find out."

Since the auction was happening this weekend, the item list should've been finalized by now.

And I knew just the right person to ask about that kind of thing.

[Kim Ho: (Surprised fox emoji)]

[Kim Ho: What are you up to]

[Dang Gyu-young: (Surprised fox emoji)]

[Dang Gyu-young: Just resting]

[Dang Gyu-young: Are you calling me out again?]

[Kim Ho: Just for a bit]

[Dang Gyu-young: (Grumbling fox emoji)]

[Dang Gyu-young: I'll be there soon]

Before long, Dang Gyu-young showed up.

She pouted and grumbled.

"You can't just summon people whenever you feel like it. Is this how you treat me?"

But then she paused mid-sentence and stopped short as she spotted Seo Ye-in, who was lying down next to me.

Maybe sensing her presence, Seo Ye-in slowly lifted her eyelids.

Their eyes met in midair.