Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 414

416

Exactly two days after Beomseok’s meeting with Chairman Lewis, sports media outlets worldwide ran headlines about the possibility of Devil Spirits entering court receivership and a significant number of key gladiators, including Irollita and Bormia, being put on the market. World League gladiator teams, already aware of the situation, remained calm and took a measured approach.

They were playing a waiting game, hoping to acquire the gladiators they wanted while saving on the astronomical trade funds usually required. With four S-class gladiators potentially available, there was a chance to cheaply acquire gladiators who had been sidelined in the competition.

The same was true for Gods Knights. Beomseok avoided hasty decisions and closely monitored market fluctuations.

Ring, ring.

Early dawn. A loud telephone rang in Beomseok’s bedroom. Buried amidst the naked bodies of elves, he groped for his electronic notebook, parting the soft skin and firm breasts of the women with his hands. Then, for appearances’ sake, he turned off the video camera and, with a very annoyed expression, activated the hologram screen.

“Who’s calling at this ungodly hour!”

The caller was none other than Vincent, the director of Chaplin Whisper. He wore a faint smile and addressed Beomseok.

– Oh, Beomseok. Did I wake you? I’m sorry about that.

Beomseok relaxed his frowning face and stared at the director. No matter how rude it was, he couldn’t keep up the act with the old man.

“Hmph. It’s Director Vincent. Yes, what can I do for you?”

– Ah, it’s nothing special. I just wanted to ask if you saw the breaking news that just came out. It’s about your team, and it’s quite serious. So, I called to see if you were okay.

Beomseok quickly pulled up more hologram screens. He entered ‘Gods Knights’ in the search bar and scanned the sports news articles. Soon, his face paled as he touched the hologram with trembling hands.

‘Gods Knights Decides to Sign Prisca. Currently in Secret Negotiations with Ancient Warriors Team.’

Beomseok couldn’t comprehend the absurd article. He believed there was a strong possibility that Gods Knights would sign her, but he hadn’t breathed a word about it to anyone. Yet now, the rumor mill was churning.

Beomseok grabbed his forehead and leaned back. If he got caught up in this, Gods Knights could sink into a swamp. Regulations imposed huge penalties if a professional gladiator team, operating as a private company, attempted to sign a gladiator through intentional media manipulation.

He quickly sat up and shouted.

“Which bastard is pulling this stunt!”

Seeing his agitation, Vincent subtly inquired.

– Surely you didn’t do this?

“Of course not! Gods Knights is the only team that will sign Prisca. If we wanted to, we could easily buy her without resorting to such tricks!”

– But couldn’t Ancient Warriors put Prisca on the World Walker Auction Market [a market where gladiators are auctioned off]?

“Of course, that’s also a possibility, but it’s unlikely. Prisca’s reputation has declined recently, so she might not fetch as much money as expected at auction. Moreover, the World Walker Auction Market opens at the end of this transfer market [the period when gladiators can be traded between teams]. Naturally, it’s difficult to predict the exact income, so it can’t be included in the budget plan, and if something goes wrong, we might not be able to use those funds during this transfer period.”

Vincent nodded with his arms crossed, as if convinced.

– Well, I suppose so. Since she’s going to lose value anyway, there’s no reason for you to step forward first. Then who is doing this?

Beomseok bit his lip. He had a rough idea of who it might be, but there were too many possibilities to pinpoint the culprit.

First, there was the Black Society. Since the organization itself was on the verge of collapse due to his actions, they couldn’t possibly harbor no ill feelings. They were more than capable of this. However, their resentment was too deep to resort to such minor tactics. They should have used more powerful means to attack him.

Second, it could be other competing teams vying for this S-class gladiator. Since there was a high probability that Prisca would end up in his hands, they might be trying to sabotage the deal.

Because of this article, Beomseok would have to refrain from trying to sign Prisca to prove his innocence, and she would end up going directly to the World Walker Auction Market. This could shock not only him but also Ancient Warriors.

Not only would they lack the funds to use during this transfer period, but Prisca would end up with an ordinary owner, giving other World League teams the opportunity to sign her.

Third, there was a possibility that Ancient Warriors, who would unexpectedly become the victim, was the culprit. It was a risky move, but they might be trying to resolve this situation by taking advantage of his predicament and selling Prisca at a high price.

Or, if they were planning to sell her at the World Walker Auction Market from the beginning, they might have poked him to see if they could get something out of it.

“Well, I don’t know either.”

Beomseok was extremely careful with his words. Director Vincent was also a competitor, and he might be trying to eliminate him.

– Hmm. Well, it’s a murky situation where you can’t even see what’s right in front of you, so it’s not easy to know who it is.

“Yes, that’s right.”

– But you know, I’m a little suspicious of Ancient Warriors.

He stared at Vincent with a meaningful gaze. Ancient Warriors was also on the list of suspects, but he thought they were the least likely. He didn’t understand why Director Vincent was mentioning them.

“What do you mean? What would Ancient Warriors gain from such absurd public opinion manipulation?”

– Do you know Herbert? He’s our team’s trade manager. Didn’t you meet him a few days ago regarding the Yosia deal?

“Yes, I know him. But why is he relevant?”

– Well, Herbert had a phone conversation with Ancient Warriors’ trade manager the other day.

“With Jade?”

– That’s right.

“But what does their call have to do with this?”

– Well, it seems Herbert made a big mistake at that time. He blamed himself for expressing concerns that your team had no debt and might become a strong competitor. I think that’s probably why.

Beomseok’s face turned grim. Then there was a high possibility that Ancient Warriors was the culprit.

For them, who needed to sign Irollita, it was necessary to deplete the funds of Gods Knights, a powerful competitor. A suitable method was to pass on Prisca, whom they had to sell anyway, at a high price.

Then Gods Knights, who signed her, would have less signing money, and Ancient Warriors would have significantly more.

“Why would that guy go to another team and say such things! Frankly speaking, even if Ancient Warriors has more money, Chaplin Whisper wouldn’t benefit from it!”

– That’s right. So, I scolded him severely. But what can I do? It’s already spilled milk. Herbert is inexperienced, so please understand.

Beomseok, who had been spewing anger, suddenly calmed down. He felt a strange chill down his spine at the part where Herbert and Jade had a conversation. These two teams were competitors, but they might have formed a close alliance for their mutual benefit.

‘What if giving our team’s information wasn’t a mistake but part of a deal…? There might be something here. I need to be careful.’

Beomseok decided to pretend not to know. He could ask Vincent, but if his prediction was correct, there was no way he would tell him. There was a high probability that Vincent was an accomplice. Rather than letting him know that he had noticed, it was better to remain silent.

He calmed his bubbling emotions and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Well, what can I do since it’s a mistake? I have to understand and move on.”

– I feel relieved that you say that. Thank you for your understanding.

“Anyway, tell Herbert not to make such mistakes in the future. No matter how inexperienced he is, it’s a great discourtesy to the trading team.”

– I will. I’ll tell him that. And as an apology for this, I’ll hand over Yosia for 300 million, as you said. Would that be comforting?

Beomseok nodded. Picking up Yosia for 300 million was practically free. It was better to accept even a small deal.

“Yes, I understand.”

– Then I’ll send Yosia through Herbert when your team calms down. Please finalize the negotiations then.

Beomseok glanced at him on the screen.

“What do you mean when it calms down?”

– Haha. Do you not know? It’s none other than Prisca. Do you think the media will stay still?

Beomseok, who roughly understood the meaning, frowned deeply. Prisca was a gladiator who had once reached the top. Now that Gods Knights was signing her, there was no way that major world media and local media would stay still. They were probably packing up their filming equipment and storming the training camp.

“Hmph. I guess so.”

– Then see you again when things calm down. Haha.

Vincent ended the call with a very happy expression. Thanks to this, Beomseok became even more suspicious of Chaplin Whisper and Ancient Warriors’ alliance.

Rebecca had previously said that Vincent’s most concerned team was Ancient Warriors, but later said that the most powerful rival team was none other than Gods Knights. He might be trying to isolate him in this transfer market.

‘He’s a nice old man, but he’s like a knife in these matters, so it’s entirely possible. Maybe the director’s goal is us. Hmph. By the way, how do I deal with the reporters in the future? They’ll be camping out for days and bothering me. No, maybe this is also a trick? To make me distracted and unable to focus on this transfer market.’

Beomseok, who had been thinking all sorts of things, got up from his seat, took a light shower, and changed into neat clothes. It was better to dress neatly since he had to stand in front of the camera for official business. Then, he left the dormitory building, saw the dawn starlight, and frowned.

Today was a cloudy day with thick clouds. There was no hope for a clear sky. The lights that looked like stars were clearly the reporters flocking in.

“Mr. Oh Beomseok! Is the article about signing Prisca true!”

“Please tell us. Is Prisca really coming to Gods Knights!”

Beomseok was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions and flashes. Trapped in the jostling of reporters who were pushing forward, he couldn’t even move his body properly. Despite today being the coldest day of this winter, the Gods Knights training camp was burning hot with the heat of the coverage.

Beomseok barely managed to regain his composure and shouted to everyone.

“The Prisca signing is completely unfounded nonsense. We have no intention of signing her.”

Despite his denial, the reporters continued to bombard him with questions as if they didn’t believe him.

“Prisca has been experiencing mental problems recently, so it’s likely that she’ll go to Gods Knights, isn’t it? She’ll be able to perform at her best if she comes here.”

“That’s not true. Frankly, there’s also the option of going to the World Walker Auction Market, isn’t there? There’s no reason for Ancient Warriors to sell her to us.”

Then a red-haired reporter in his 30s stepped forward and said.

“But Ancient Warriors is in desperate need of funds to sign the S-class gladiators currently on the market. Isn’t it natural that they would prefer Gods Knights over the World Walker Auction Market, which only opens at the end of this transfer market?”

“That’s just unfounded speculation. If Ancient Warriors has enough signing money, there’s no reason for them to sell her to us. They could sell her to the World Walker Auction Market and then re-sign her with the owner’s contract. They don’t have to sell her to us, who can’t re-sign her.”

It was a convincing statement, but the red-haired reporter looked at him with even more suspicion.

“Of course, but isn’t the scenario you just mentioned also just a prediction? And given the Gods Knights team’s operating style, they can’t express positivity about gladiator signings to the media, so there’s a high possibility that they’re hiding it. Are you perhaps denying it to us like this while secretly engaging in close negotiations behind the scenes?”

“That’s not true at all. To be honest, I have not met or spoken with any Ancient Warriors team officials during this winter transfer market. I can promise you that for sure.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Then please state here and now that Gods Knights will not sign Prisca this winter. Then I’ll believe you.”

At those words, Beomseok became speechless. Although what he had said so far was true without any falsehood, he could not promise that he would not sign Prisca. Anyway, Prisca was the S-class gladiator that Gods Knights could sign most easily.

He looked at his watch and shouted to the reporters, thinking it was a good idea. The current time was 7:30 a.m. It was time for breakfast.

“Okay, okay. Let’s end this interview here and hold another press conference later. We’re all doing this to make a living, so we need to eat. See you later.”

After saying this, Beomseok hurriedly ran towards the dormitory. The reporters chased after him, saying that food wasn’t the issue now, but it was no use. There was no way that ordinary people could catch up with a modified human running away.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

I’m reading a book that arrived today. I bought a book recommended by someone working in a professional field to broaden my common sense, and I’m shocked right now.

It’s just a theoretical book about the laws of nature and changes in public consciousness, so it doesn’t contain any ‘literature,’ but the graphs in it seem to be closely related to the basic writing patterns. I’m so flustered right now that I feel a chill down my spine. I feel like I’ve glimpsed the mysteries of the convergence of all things in Buddhism. It may just be my delusion, but I should try to research and analyze it and incorporate it into my writing.

Even if it goes wrong, it’ll be worth it. Hahaha.

Then everyone have a good day, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.