Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 443

445

Gods Knights easily secured a spot in the final 5th leg of the League Cup away game against Volcano Fires, the 8th-ranked team, with a dominant 3-win round score. However, the following week in the GA Cup 19th leg, they faced Chaplin Whisper, the top-ranked team, and were unfortunately eliminated in the quarterfinals. Despite the winter additions of Tiela and Yoshia to Gods Knights, they couldn’t overcome Chaplin Whisper, who had reinforced their roster with two additional S-class gladiators, on the road.

This defeat greatly disappointed Beomseok, who had secretly hoped to lift the GA Cup trophy.

The GA Cup and League Cup are generally considered less important than the league championship, leading teams vying for the top spot to sometimes neglect them. Chaplin Whisper, currently ranked first in the league with 29 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, is closely pursued by Real Heroes in second place, only 6 points behind, leaving them with no room for complacency.

Two losses could shatter Chairman Chaplin’s dream of winning the World League. Yet, in the GA Cup 19th leg, preceding their league 32nd leg match against Ancient Warriors, they fielded their full starting lineup and played with unwavering intensity. Naturally, this infuriated Beomseok.

In his view, they should have quietly sent out their second-string players and conceded the game.

“Geez, Director Vincent! How can you go all-out in this situation! Isn’t that excessive!”

After the GA Cup 19th leg match, Beomseok vented his frustration at a dinner with Director Vincent, arranged at Vincent’s request. The more he pondered it, the angrier he became.

Vincent responded by pouring wine into his glass and chuckling heartily.

“Hahaha! It’s a game, so you have to give it your all! The GA Cup isn’t some children’s plaything; you have to seize it if you can. Hehehe.”

“Even so, with the league championship on the line, do you really want to do that? You know very well that if you lose this weekend’s game, the point difference with Real Heroes, the second-place team, will shrink to just 3 points, right?”

Vincent smirked and tilted his glass. He acknowledged that Real Heroes’ momentum was indeed formidable.

After suffering 3 losses early in the season due to poor form and consecutive matches against strong teams, they had embarked on a winning streak and currently held second place in the league with 27 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses. Moreover, Real Heroes had arguably made the most impactful player acquisitions during the last winter transfer period.

They had recruited Hilde and Ilias, ranked 15th and 16th respectively in the world gladiator rankings, and Leia, ranked 30th. This bolstered their main force lineup, transforming them into a truly formidable team.

“Hehe, that’s right. Besides, we have to face Real Heroes in the last league game, so the pressure is significant.”

“No. Then you should have quietly sent out non-starters in today’s game, shouldn’t you?”

“But I didn’t think there was any need to do that. We can just win the next game.”

“Wow, Director. Don’t you know who our next opponent is?”

“I know. Isn’t it the Ancient Warriors team?”

“Don’t underestimate Ancient Warriors, okay? They’re no joke these days. Prisika is flying high since she came to her senses, and they have two more S-class gladiators. Plus, Levia, currently ranked 12th in the gladiator rankings, was an S-class gladiator until recently.”

Vincent calmly ate his side dishes and replied.

“They’re just a dying team. They’re just shining for a moment. Chairman Ibrahim believes that within the next 10 years, all of Ancient Warriors’ power will be transferred to a team called Queen Blades, and they’ll be relegated to a team that hovers around the bottom of the rankings.”

Beomseok had gleaned as much from his activity in the transfer market recently. One of the S-class gladiators that Ancient Warriors had newly recruited was a child named Irolita, on loan from Queen Blades. If Queen Blades became capable of advancing to the World League, Irolita would be recalled immediately.

“That’s true, but that’s not the case right now, is it? Oh, you’re so frustrating.”

“Hmm. That’s true too.”

Beomseok crossed his arms and pouted.

“Anyway, be prepared.”

“For what?”

“I’m a very honest person who always repays what I’ve suffered. Director, you don’t happen to have a league 35th leg game that is an away game against us, do you?”

“Of course, I know.”

“Anyway, I’ll do my best that day, so be prepared.”

Vincent looked at Beomseok with a slightly worried expression. Honestly, facing Gods Knights at Lima City Colosseum was a daunting prospect. Beomseok, known as the Terror of the Forest, and Tiela were a formidable duo. He even considered focusing on defense and settling for a draw.

“Hmm. Can’t you be a little lenient?”

“I might have been if you had lost today’s game, but otherwise, I can’t help it. I’ll definitely aim for more than a draw, so keep that in mind.”

“Oh? So you would have been lenient if we had given up today’s game? Then that would be match-fixing, wouldn’t it?”

“What match-fixing are you talking about! The game after the league 35th leg is the GA Cup final. Naturally, I want to preserve the stamina of my main players, right? But since we lost today, there’s no need for that.”

Vincent scratched his head and then nodded. Gods Knights, currently ranked 4th in the league with 71 points, had no choice but to prioritize the GA Cup over the league to secure at least one trophy.

Chaplin Whisper, leading the league with 88 points, was a staggering 17 points ahead, making a league title for Gods Knights an unrealistic dream.

“Well, that’s true. But you also have a home game against Real Heroes left, don’t you? If you put all your effort into that, it would reduce the burden on us, wouldn’t it?”

Beomseok raised his eyebrows and said.

“But you know that we have 3 games left against Real Heroes this year, right? The League Cup 5th leg and the league game. Moreover, 2 of these games are back-to-back with a 3-day interval. It’s the 5th leg away game that will determine the League Cup championship and the season 37th leg game.”

Vincent frowned and shook his head, looking troubled. Beomseok’s words implied that he would sacrifice the season 37th leg game for the League Cup championship.

“Then this has become uninteresting, hasn’t it?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Anyway, keep in mind that the dream of winning the league this year may disappear.”

“Well. Maybe so. But our Chaplin Whisper is not such an easy team to beat. Even if your team, Ancient Warriors, and Real Heroes have games left and we’re only 6 points ahead, we won’t be deprived of the championship. Frankly, even if the situation unfolds as you predict, if we defeat Real Heroes in the last league game, the championship cup will remain ours.”

“Tsk. You’re good at talking. Is a gladiator match just arithmetic? So that the answer always comes out as you want it to.”

“That’s what I want to say. If your team, Ancient Heroes, and Real Heroes all played each other, what kind of score do you think our Chaplin Whisper would achieve?”

At that question, Beomseok pretended not to hear. In such a scenario, Chaplin Whisper would likely achieve the highest score, reflecting their superior strength.

“Well. If you say so, I have nothing to say.”

“Of course, you have nothing to say. We’re currently 6 points ahead in a similar situation. If we lose the championship from here? Then I’ll have to resign as director. Because it would mean I’m an incompetent director.”

Beomseok, unable to refute, smacked his lips and looked at Director Vincent with an awkward expression.

“Tch. Okay. Well. Let’s say that’s true. Usually, championship-winning teams only send second-string players to the GA Cup, and then send their main players when they advance to the finals and lift the championship cup, right?”

“Well. Everyone usually does it that way.”

“But why are you sending your main players from the quarterfinals and knocking us out?”

“Because the team we faced in the quarterfinals was your team. If we don’t send out our main players, we’ll lose.”

Beomseok exhaled in frustration.

“Then you can just lose, can’t you?”

“I don’t want to lose, so I can’t help it.”

Beomseok cast a sidelong glance at him.

“Don’t tell me. You have a stubborn streak where you don’t want to lose to our Gods Knights, do you?”

“There’s no such thing. Even if it wasn’t you but another World League championship-winning team that came up, I would have done the same thing. I really wanted to lift the GA Cup this time.”

“Why?”

“I lifted the League Cup last year, and if I lift the GA Cup and the league championship cup at the same time this year, I’ll achieve a grand slam. Then I can say that I’ve enjoyed all the glory I can enjoy as a director.”

“So?”

“Then I have to live doing what I want to do.”

Beomseok, sensing something unusual in those words, quietly stared at Vincent.

“What do you mean?”

“Actually, my contract with Chaplin Whisper expires in the summer of the season after next. And I’m not planning to extend it.”

Beomseok, his eyes wide open, slightly lifted his butt from the chair. Although there was still some time left, he couldn’t help but be surprised that Vincent was leaving Chaplin Whisper.

“Why?”

“Honestly, Chaplin Whisper is a great team, but it’s a really boring team for me. I didn’t realize it when I was with Dragon Knights, but being able to bring in any gladiator I wanted just by reaching out my hand is surprisingly annoying. Also, winning with great gladiators doesn’t feel like I won with my own hands; it doesn’t feel like it suits me. In the past, I enjoyed finding and training promising players to develop the team cheaply, but there’s none of that here. So I can’t find fun except for the championship cup.”

Beomseok narrowed his brows and said.

“You know that if other directors besides me heard those words, they would have flipped this table right away, right? The team gives you money to recruit gladiators well. They give you the highest director’s salary. You can easily lift the championship cup. And they don’t easily replace the director’s position. Really, what director would refuse such a position?”

“Hmph. That’s right. But that’s their situation, not mine. I feel nostalgic for the old days. So I’m going to go back one more time. I’ve already earned enough money to spend anyway. And there’s not much time left to finish my director’s life. Now I have to live doing what I want to do. Chaplin Whisper’s gladiators all come in a completed state, so there’s not much I can teach them. So they just look like gladiators under my command, not like disciples. I don’t like that.”

Beomseok sighed deeply and sat down. In fact, he could relate to Director Vincent’s words.

He also felt a slight loss of enjoyment while abandoning the promising player policy recently, and he was a little disappointed. The feeling of a gladiator bought at a cheap price growing up and performing well was truly exhilarating.

Director Vincent was in a similar category to him in this regard. He could feel disillusioned with his current life. The fact that he was at Chaplin Whisper meant he wasn’t using his full potential.

“Well, that’s true. Then why don’t you talk to the team and ask them to implement a promising player policy? It doesn’t cost that much money anyway, does it?”

“Well. That would be fine. Chaplin Whisper isn’t a team that can’t listen to a director’s minor requests. But if I raise them in that way, how many do you think I can put in the game? Most of them will likely be pushed out of the competition with the existing strong gladiators and sold to other teams, right? I’m not going to implement a promising player policy just to see that happen.”

“Well, that’s true. They’ll continue to recruit talented gladiators in the future, so there won’t be a place for promising players.”

“That’s right. Besides, Chaplin Whisper continues to insist on a gladiator team in the form of a corporation. Actually, I feel sorry when I see the drooping elf gladiators next to me. I couldn’t help it in the past, but since your team has been so successful, gladiator teams with the character of private companies are springing up like mushrooms after rain, right? And large sports conglomerates are also trying to change while enduring bone-cutting pain. A team like Queen Blades is exactly that. I want to finish my last director’s life in such a team.”

Beomseok, with his arms crossed, slowly nodded his head. Director Vincent disliked gladiator teams with the character of corporations to the extent that he could be called an elf enthusiast. Naturally, he had reason to think that way.

“Well. Then I can’t help it. So you’re only going to be a director for this season and next season and then go to another team?”

“That’s right. So I’m trying to lift all the championship cups this season. If I push it to next season, I might taste failure.”

“Really? Then do you have a place to go?”

“No, not yet. But if I take a break and look for it, something will come up. If it has the character of a private company, I’m even thinking of taking on an amateur league team. No, honestly, that seems better in the sense of starting anew.”

Then Beomseok didn’t need to worry about Vincent. If he was thinking of going to an amateur league team, it meant that he wouldn’t care about the salary. There were so many teams that would take him. Probably the moment this fact is known, the chairmen of small gladiator teams around the world will pack their bags and come to find him.

Beomseok, who smiled brightly, poured wine into his glass and raised it high.

“Then I can’t help but raise a glass for Director Vincent’s new challenge. Let’s toast.”

“Hehe. I’m happy. Let’s toast.”

Beomseok, who clashed his glass so strongly that the wine splashed, took a shot. Although he was a competitor, he was impressed by Director Vincent’s challenging spirit to start anew at an old age. And on the one hand, he felt good too.

Because an unexpected opportunity for perfect revenge had come. He was going to show Vincent the bitter taste of money when he gathered promising players from the lower league teams.

============================ Work Review ============================

Ah. It was really sunny late summer weather. The sun is still hot, but it’s not that hot. If this goes on, autumn will come, and when winter comes, it will be next year again. Time really flies. Hahaha.

Then everyone have a nice day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.