Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 14

“Well then, from now on! We will begin the <Slave> Class Auction!!!”

 

‘They are truly out of their minds.’

 

—The order of the <Slave> class auction will proceed randomly, regardless of the previous performance stages.

—Among the 50 <Slave> class trainees, a maximum of 28 will survive. Each <Nobility> class trainee can recruit up to 4 members for their team.

—As this is closely related to your future missions, please use your coins wisely!

 

‘This is ridiculous.’

 

“Now, the first item is—yes! Trainee No. 149, Jung Pilhan! Please step forward.”

 

“……”

 

“Ah. Unfortunately, no one has placed a bid for Trainee No. 149, Jung Pilhan. But do not be too disappointed. Items with failed bids will be put up for a separate ‘failed bid auction’ after the main auction is over.”

 

“……”

 

“If the <Nobility> class trainees have completely exhausted their coins by then, they’ll be allowed to choose from the unsold trainees based on their rankings in the competition mission. For now, would you please return to your place, Trainee Jung Pilhan?”

 

Although he looked hurt by not being chosen, trainee No. 149 also let out a huge sigh of relief. He probably figured that even if he wasn’t chosen now, he might have a chance to survive in the later competition between the unsold trainees.

 

Of course….

 

‘I don’t think it’ll be that easy.’

 

Only twenty-eight people were going to survive, so unless you made a truly memorable impression, there was no guarantee of being selected. Naturally, a few trainees who had clearly stood out would be sold without much trouble.

 

The auction order would definitely be important too. The seven chosen Nobles weren’t in any hurry to open their wallets. The slave class had been fairly mediocre across the board to begin with, and they’d just watched those disappointing live performances with their own eyes, so they were bound to be cautious about how they spent their coins.

 

There were probably other factors at play too—whether someone belonged to the same agency, personal friendships, future growth potential, or whether they fit the kind of stage they envisioned.

 

“Now, the second item is Trainee No. 19! Please step forward!”

 

“I… I can work really hard! Please take care of me!”

 

Naturally, some trainees had begun squeezing in little appeals wherever they could. It wasn’t strange. In fact, No. 149, who just let his turn pass without doing anything, felt stupid in comparison.

 

For trainees desperate to survive, debut, or at the very least make themselves known, dignity and pride no longer mattered; they were just praying for a Noble to buy them.

 

I had felt the same way back then. I thought about resistance and escape, but if you weren’t sold, you were usually used up as a war slave or discarded immediately. It wasn’t because slaves had no value. It felt more like throwing away food that didn’t sell. Once you stepped onto that auction stage, you found yourself praying to be sold.

 

Of course, if I had known I’d be sold to a mad dark mage, I would have rather bitten my tongue and died…. Anyway, I fully understood what the trainees were feeling right now.

 

As I slowly looked around, the surroundings somehow felt strangely familiar.

 

‘Seriously… was this really planned by a guy who returned from another world? Is the PD… a returnee too?’

 

The environment was so similar. Even the situation felt identical. In the other world, the ones buying and selling slaves were all nobles. The slave market where I’d been was exactly the same.

 

Granted, it was a cheap market frequented by low-ranking nobles with no inheritance rights and apprentice mages who barely qualified as nobility, but no matter how hard you looked, you couldn’t find a single commoner there. Even the way the slaves were deliberately prevented from properly seeing the buyers purchasing them was remarkably similar.

 

The difference, if I had to find one, was the lack of shouting fueled by madness and greed, but I could guarantee the psychological pressure was the same. A sense of unidentifiable shame and fear.

 

Of course, comparing that situation to this one was absurd, but these kids were desperate in their own way. The fundamental desire to survive was the same.

 

Sure enough, as the auction continued, the Slaves’ appeals grew more extravagant. Introducing themselves had become the bare minimum, and some guys even started doing bizarre things. Of course, some stayed silent, perhaps feeling like they were selling their pride.

 

It was a relief this was Earth; usually, the ones who acted proud like that ended up being sold to the most vicious masters.

 

And then….

 

“Yes! Next is the tenth item! A participant who gathered much attention. It’s the ‘Bursting-with-Juice’ Vitamin, Trainee Lee Unha!”

 

Then, it was my turn. The broadcasting people said the order was random, but no matter how I looked at it, bringing Lee Unha out at this timing was purely intentional. Since the Nobles were keeping their coins locked tight, they threw out a salable item to change the direction of the auction. Sure enough, the screen showed the Nobles adjusting their posture.

 

I looked straight into the camera and bowed.

 

“H—hello! Orange-pop! Vitamin Lee Unha! Please take care of me!”

 

As soon as I finished my greeting, I saw the seven Nobles on the screen quietly raising their hands.

 

‘Yeah. I expected I’d be sold.’

 

It was a safe bet. I wasn’t overestimating myself. Lee Unha was an item that had to be sold. Maybe things would’ve been different if I were competing against the commoner class, but against other Slaves, Lee Unha was a must-buy.

 

‘I’m guaranteed to pull my own weight at the very least. Besides, you guys can ride the wave of my view count too, and there’s no downside to getting on my good side.’

 

“Yes. It seems there are many <Nobility> class trainees aiming for Trainee Lee Unha. The heat is intense! Hahahaha!”

 

‘Look at the host getting excited.’

 

“At this rate, we have to see Trainee Lee Unha’s special talent, don’t we?”

 

‘Wait….’

 

“Ah, unfortunately, they say we must proceed with the auction quickly due to time constraints.”

 

“Ha… hahaha….”

 

“Our Trainee Lee Unha looks very disappointed. Well then, let’s begin the bidding in earnest! <Nobility> class trainees who wish to bid on Trainee Lee Unha of the <Slave> class—please bid now!”

 

“I’m in your hands!”

 

“Yes! Trainee Joo Wooyoung of the <Nobility> class has bid 100 coins for Trainee Lee Unha.”

 

Seeing Joo Wooyoung press the bid button immediately made me clench my fists.

 

‘Right. I knew Joo Wooyoung would pick me.’

 

It would be strange if he didn’t. Lee Unha’s buzz was one thing, but Joo Wooyoung likely felt a strong need to take me along. How could he leave Lee Unha—someone he suspected of being a demon or an Awakener—alone?

 

I wasn’t sure if he needed me as a teammate, but he definitely wanted to keep me close and watch me. The fact that he immediately threw down 100 coins right from the start was proof enough. Of course, since he had 1,300 coins, 100 might seem like nothing, but the fact that he didn’t test the waters and went straight for 100 felt like a declaration of his intent to win this race.

 

Joo Wooyoung had absolutely no intention of letting anyone take Lee Unha away.

 

‘Yeah. I believed in you. I believed in you!’

 

And then.

 

“Yes! Trainee Jegal Hwi of the <Nobility> class has bid 120 coins for Trainee Lee Unha.”

 

‘Right. 100 is too cheap, isn’t it?’

 

“Yes! Trainee … of the <Nobility> class has bid 150 coins!”

 

“Next! Trainee … of the <Nobility> class has bid 200 coins!”

 

“The auction is heating up! Trainee Jegal Hwi has bid 250 coins!”

 

‘Huh?’

 

“He’s not backing down! Trainee Joo Wooyoung has bid 270 coins!”

 

‘Wait… hang on.’

 

“Incredible!! Trainee … of the <Nobility> class has bid 350 coins!”

 

‘Isn’t it going up too high?’

 

“Hahahaha! Trainee Jegal Hwi has bid 400 coins!”

 

‘Are these guys out of their minds?’

 

“Trainee Joo Wooyoung has bid 420 coins!!”

 

‘Wait… what is this madness…?’

 

The bidding war had become so absurdly intense that it was making my head spin.The entire situation had escalated beyond anything I could comprehend. To my shock, I saw it already pass 600 coins. At this point, it almost felt less like an auction and more like a battle of pride, with no one showing the slightest intention of giving up.

 

Did the view count of the participant introduction video really cause this much of a stir? Did they want to be with Lee Unha to benefit from the trickle-down effect?

 

“Trainee Joo Wooyoung has bid 720 coins!!”

 

But this was not a good situation. Because….

 

‘What the hell are they planning to do with the rest of the auction?

 

He looked ready to exhaust all his coins on Lee Unha. If he spent all 1,300 coins on me, it would be a total disaster. He’d have to take the remaining three teammates from the failed bid pool, which meant he would inevitably end up with some trap cards no matter how carefully he chose.

 

I didn’t know how he’d handle the public’s perception, either. It wouldn’t be strange if conspiracy theories about Joo Wooyoung and Lee Unha being in cahoots started spreading. I didn’t know what the next mission would be, but even for Joo Wooyoung… it was uncertain if he could navigate it with a team of three beasts and thugs.

 

The other Nobles, sensing this, had already given up on the race, but the 1st and 2nd place rankers continued to follow Joo Wooyoung’s bids.

 

This was likely….

 

‘They’re trying to sabotage him.’

 

They had figured out that Joo Wooyoung was dead set on getting Lee Unha, so they were deliberately forcing him to keep spending more and more of his coins.

 

“Trainee Jegal Hwi has bid—wait for it—1,000 coins!! He bid 1,000 coins for Trainee Lee Unha!!!”

 

‘Cut it out, you son of a b*tch. Seriously.’

 

“He can’t lose! Trainee … has bid 1,100 coins!”

 

‘And what’s your problem?’

 

It was a game of chicken if I ever saw one. If Joo Wooyoung gave up on Lee Unha, those guys would be the ones stuck with the “bomb.”

 

But in the end, Joo Wooyoung….

 

“Yes! Trainee Joo Wooyoung has used all 1,300 of his coins to bid on Trainee Lee Unha!”

 

He eventually poured every single coin into me.

 

“Are there—are there any more bids!”

 

“Ha… hahaha….”

 

“Are there any other <Nobility> class trainees who wish to bid on Trainee Lee Unha… no one?”

 

“……”

 

“If there are no further bids, Trainee Lee Unha will be assigned to Trainee Joo Wooyoung’s team. Are there truly no more bids!”

 

‘Stop asking. I’m just going to be sold to Joo Wooyoung.’

 

“3.”

 

‘Hah….’

 

“2!”

 

‘Ah….’

 

“Whew….”

 

“Yes! Trainee Lee Unha of the <Slave> class has been assigned to Trainee Joo Wooyoung’s team! Congratulations to both of you!”

 

I could say with absolute certainty that this was nothing worth congratulating. I tried to stay optimistic, but exactly one day after the auction ended, I was certain once again that this was not a celebration.