Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 182

184

“How many years have you been a pro?”

“He was active as a cyborg [a gladiator with extensive mechanical enhancements] until he was 34 and then retired. He played in the World League for 30 years.”

To have played in the World League for 30 years with a body as frail as his was truly amazing. Beomseok wanted to meet Remnant and witness his swordsmanship at least once.

“I see. Yes, I understand. Then, Director Vincent, let’s get down to business.”

Vincent, acknowledging, looked at Gelsomina and said,

“You said you desperately need your sister’s surgery money, right?”

“Yes. At least 15 million krang [fictional currency] or so.”

He rested his chin on his hand, carefully examining her, and then stated the contract terms in a solemn tone.

“Our Dragon Knights will give you an annual salary of 5 million krang and a signing bonus of 18 million krang for a 5-year contract.”

It could be said to be slightly more advantageous than the conditions Beomseok had offered, but it wasn’t enticing enough. Whether it was 17 million krang or 18 million krang, it was enough for her sister’s medical expenses.

“Ah. Yes.”

Seeing her lukewarm reaction, Vincent immediately added,

“I don’t know if you know, but we, the Dragon Knights, are a Central League team. Do you think upper league teams are objects of envy for no reason? It’s because gladiators who play in these upper league teams receive various significant benefits.”

“Benefits? What kind of benefits?”

“Basically, the quality of the league is different. In other words, you can face strong opponents, which is a great help in developing your inherent skills.”

Beomseok interjected from the side.

“Well, thanks to that, you often get sidelined and can’t even participate in matches. If that happens, you end up remaining as just another unknown gladiator and eventually become obsolete. This is especially severe for unknown rookie gladiators.”

Director Vincent glared at him with sharp eyes. It was true, but he was annoyed that Beomseok was mentioning it in this setting.

“Hmph~ And the Dragon Knights have plenty of financial resources, so it’s easy to increase your salary as you improve. In other words, we can give you a satisfactory salary, so the chances of you leaving a team you’ve adapted to for a long time and trying to make a name for yourself on a new team are reduced that much. I guarantee that the only time Miss Gelsomina will want to transfer in her gladiator career is when she wants to go to the World League.”

Then Rebecca immediately jumped in.

“Miss Gelsomina will probably have to spend a few years on the bench before she can adapt to the Dragon Knights team. The upper league isn’t an easy place to send out unproven gladiators. Unless things go exceptionally well, there’s a high probability that you’ll move from team to team every year and eventually settle in a lower league.”

Vincent looked at her and Beomseok with a bewildered expression. It seemed they had formed a tacit alliance to get rid of him. Otherwise, they couldn’t have come in like this at the same time as if they had made a promise.

Thinking that this wouldn’t do, he glared at Rebecca and said,

“Miss Rebecca, are you really going to do this?”

“What? Aren’t we teams competing for Miss Gelsomina’s recruitment? And it doesn’t seem like I’m saying anything untrue.”

Beomseok, who had been listening to their conversation from the side, unexpectedly responded in agreement with Vincent. It wasn’t with the intention of particularly helping him, but simply because it was time to slowly remove the Dragon Knights from the negotiation table.

“That’s right, but Rebecca, you shouldn’t do this to Director Vincent.”

“Why? Chaplin Whisper also has the right to refute.”

“But there’s a high probability that Director Vincent will move to your team next summer. What if your relationship sours when you end up on the same team later after making faces now? No matter how much of a chairman you are, the person who decides on the participating gladiators is Director Vincent.”

Vincent was greatly shocked by those words, and Rebecca wore a bitter smile. On the surface, it seemed like he was supporting the Dragon Knights, but it was a very decisive blow.

The director’s influence greatly affected most gladiator recruitment. The most important thing when recruiting a gladiator was whether they could become a force for the team, and the person who knew this best was the director. The problem was that just as humans all had different personalities, directors also needed different gladiators for tactical reasons. Therefore, there was a risk that a gladiator recruited by one director would become unnecessary to the next director, and the more unknown the gladiator, the more severe the degree. In other words, Gelsomina would have to face the difficult task of catching the eye of the newly arriving director in an unknown state.

Vincent, gritting his teeth, glared at Beomseok and said,

“You. When did I say I was going to Chaplin Whisper?”

“It’s not necessarily the case, but isn’t it true that you’ve leaned heavily in that direction? Well. It may not be, but it’s not like you’re going to stay with the Dragon Knights, are you?”

Vincent’s cheeks twitched, thinking that he had been caught in a clever trick. If he denied it here and then ended up leaving the team, it would be like deceiving Gelsomina.

Having no choice, he pleaded with Gelsomina.

“That’s true, but the Dragon Knights have state-of-the-art training facilities and a considerable number of talented coaches. This means that excellent conditions are in place to help you grow. And professionals speak with their skills. You have enough talent to succeed in this world.”

“B, but…”

Judging from the way Gelsomina was avoiding Vincent’s gaze, it was clear that her heart was cooling towards the Dragon Knights. Beomseok, realizing this, immediately dealt a fatal blow.

“Gelsomina. Just so you know, among the teams here, there isn’t a single team that doesn’t have training facilities as good as the Dragon Knights.”

Gelsomina looked at him and widened her eyes. She couldn’t believe that the Area League team, Gods Knights, and Chaplin Whisper had the same training facilities as the Central League team.

“R, really?”

“Of course. I poured 200 million krang into building the training ground around this time last year. And Chaplin Whisper is such a well-funded team that it was already well-equipped from the start.”

Rebecca said in agreement. She intended to completely remove the Dragon Knights from the conversation at this opportunity.

“Miss Gelsomina. I’m saying this because I think of you as a younger sister, but if you go there because of the name value, your life will become difficult. There’s no need to take a difficult path when you can have an easy and stable one. Besides, with your skills, you can be put into matches as a free-roam player from the upcoming season. This means you can gain plenty of experience through league matches.”

“I, I see.”

Gelsomina gave Vincent an awkward look. The fact that it was a Central League team was appealing, but she couldn’t risk her gladiator career on an uncertain future. She thought it would be better to steadily participate in league matches and gain experience, even if it took a roundabout route.

“I’m sorry. Director Vincent.”

Director Vincent, realizing that he had been rejected, sighed. He could continue to persuade her, but he thought he had put in a lot of effort by doing this much for a team that he was going to leave anyway. It was a shame, but it was time to end things here.

Vincent, who had decided to give up on the recruitment, looked at Rebecca.

“It seems the Dragon Knights will have to withdraw from the recruitment. Then let’s hear the conditions of Chaplin Whisper.”

Rebecca nodded and rested her chin on her clasped hands.

“Our Chaplin Whisper will give you an annual salary of 7 million krang and a signing bonus of 24 million krang for 5 years. How about it? Aren’t the conditions much better?”

For a moment, Gelsomina had a dumbfounded expression. The contract terms she had just presented were about 40% higher than the 5 million krang annual salary that Beomseok had offered, and the signing bonus was an additional 6 million krang. She wouldn’t be human if her heart didn’t waver.

Beomseok, noticing this, immediately shouted. Chaplin Whisper, with its abundant financial resources, would continue to push in, but he had set an additional limit of 2 million krang, so the difference would become insignificant at a certain point.

“Then we’ll give you an annual salary of 8 million krang and a signing bonus of 25 million krang for 5 years.”

“An annual salary of 10 million krang and a signing bonus of 30 million krang for 5 years.”

Beomseok’s eyebrows twitched at Rebecca’s offer, which came out immediately. He had expected it, but he was taken aback by how she immediately shouted it out without any hesitation. However, he couldn’t back down like this. He barely opened his mouth and renewed the negotiation offer.

“An annual salary of 10.5 million krang and a signing bonus of 26 million krang for 5 years.”

“An annual salary of 12.5 million krang and a signing bonus of 35 million krang for 5 years.”

Beomseok, thinking that he couldn’t go any further, financially gave up. He had reduced the 40% difference in annual salary to 20%, so he would have to compete with other options now. In fact, when you think about it, there was almost no chance that Gods Knights could beat Chaplin Whisper with money.

“Ahem. How about we stop this bidding war here?”

Rebecca, wearing a bitter smile, nodded.

“We don’t mind, but since Gods Knights wants it so much, let’s stop here.”

Beomseok, who had settled the salary issue, pulled his chair closer to Gelsomina and said,

“Gelsomina. First of all, I want you to know one thing here. Unlike the Chaplin Whisper team, our team is not financially abundant. The 10.5 million krang annual salary is the maximum sincerity we can offer.”

“Yes. I know.”

She answered without hesitation. In fact, it wasn’t easy for an ordinary Area League team to offer a rookie gladiator an annual salary of 10.5 million krang. The 26 million krang signing bonus alone was enough to buy a decent Wide League starting gladiator with a complete transfer.

“Okay, I’m glad you understand. Instead, I’ll compensate you in other ways for the difference in amount with Chaplin Whisper.”

“In what way?”

“I’ll provide you with a foundation to grow into a great gladiator. First, I’ll personally assign a physical coach named Elin to you.”

Rebecca, who had been listening to the words from the side, cast a shadow on her brow.

The most important thing for a gladiator entering the professional world for the first time was their own growth. If they steadily improved their skills and went to the upper league, they would receive a huge salary, so there was no need to be tied down by money in the early stages. Besides, she had desperately wanted to secure her younger sister’s medical expenses and could earn enough money to last a lifetime in her 5 years of professional life. For her, the assignment of a personal physical coach was something she couldn’t refuse.

However, there was no way that Chaplin Whisper couldn’t provide that much.

“Gelsomina. Our Chaplin Whisper will also assign you a dedicated physical coach, so keep that in mind.”

Beomseok smiled and added an explanation.

“However, Elin has outstanding leadership skills, having served as a coach for the Avon Regional Team until last year. She will probably be very helpful to you.”

Gelsomina’s eyes widened. If she was a former national team coach, it meant she was a recognized leader to some extent. She couldn’t believe that they would readily provide such a coach personally.

“R, really?”

“Of course. If you go to our Gods Knights team website, you can see Elin’s history, so check it out later.”

At this point, Rebecca became impatient. Even if it was a dedicated coach, she was inferior in rank if the opponent was a national team coach. At this rate, Gelsomina could go to Guts Knights.

“Wait. We’ll assign an additional dedicated swordsmanship coach here.”

Beomseok snorted and said.

“Gelsomina. Your swordsmanship is already at a high level. The only swordsmanship coaches who can teach you are your master, Mr. Remnant, or me. If you learn from an incompetent swordsmanship coach, it will hinder your growth.”

Rebecca’s face turned white as it wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t easy to find a coach who could teach her swordsmanship, which was already at a high level. So Rebecca decided to change her mind with other conditions.

“Gelsomina. I go back home every vacation and receive coaching from a legendary elf gladiator named Amelie. Let’s train together then. It will be very helpful.”

Beomseok frowned at the name of Amelie. She was a legend in the gladiator world. She couldn’t help but be an object of envy for Gelsomina, who had just entered the professional gladiator world.

However, if you think about it carefully, there was something to refute.

“Gelsomina. Amelie was certainly a great gladiator. But her specialty weapon is the whip. It’s not very meaningful for you to learn, who has mastered swordsmanship. Rather, it would be better to go to your teacher every vacation and study. He is the strongest swordsman of all time, recognized by Director Vincent, and he is also the mentor who has raised you to your current level.”

Rebecca glared at him and quickly offered the next condition.

“Okay. Then I’ll teach you the swordsmanship I showed you during the test earlier. It will be quite helpful in your gladiator career.”

Gelsomina had conflicting eyes as if she was interested. She had a lot of trouble with that swordsmanship during the sparring with Rebecca. Even though she had blocked it perfectly, the sword tip that dug into her body as if it were alive was really difficult.

However, Beomseok was not going to let this situation go.

“It’s a trick swordsmanship that you don’t even need to learn. In fact, you were defeated because you didn’t understand the sword path [the underlying principles and philosophy of swordsmanship]. If you had the data, you wouldn’t have lost so absurdly. And if you only supplement the physical aspects, your swordsmanship is better than Rebecca’s.”

Rebecca, angry at being ignored, blushed and jumped up from her seat.

“Beomseok! Are you saying that my swordsmanship is worse than Gelsomina’s!”

“That’s right, when you only look at swordsmanship. You can’t say that swordsmanship that relies on tools is proper swordsmanship.”

“But! In the world of professionals, it’s enough to win!”

“But! You lost to me in Osaha. I know very well that your swordsmanship doesn’t work for me because I have the data. If the data is grasped, your swordsmanship is difficult, but it’s not impossible to attack. Shall we discuss here how to break it down?”

Rebecca bit her lip tightly as if she had nothing to say. She knew very well that her swordsmanship didn’t work for him because of her defeat in Osaha.

Beomseok, seeing this, decided to take advantage of this momentum and take out the hidden card he had kept hidden in order to get to the contract.

“Gelsomina. As a senior, I want you, a junior, to go on a successful path as a gladiator. And if Gods Knights gets in the way of that path, I’m willing to send you to another team at any time.”

“W, what does that mean?”

“Decide whether you want to stay with our team or leave exactly 3 years from now. If you want to leave, I’ll transfer you to another team without receiving a single penny.”

Rebecca, who had been waiting to refute those words, lowered her head. A transfer without a price tag was an option clause that no professional team could dare to offer. Giving a gladiator who had been raised with all their heart to another team without receiving a single penny was almost like free service. No matter how much money Chaplin Whisper had, they couldn’t throw a huge salary at a rookie gladiator who could leave whenever they wanted.

However, Beomseok’s intention in offering these conditions was very simple. If he coaxed her well for 3 years and made her his lover, there would be no reason to leave.

“Yes. I understand. I’ll go to Gods Knights.”

In the end, Gelsomina took out her stamp because of his unconventional proposal. She didn’t particularly intend to leave after 3 years, but she mistakenly thought that Beomseok cherished her, a junior, very much because of this condition.

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

I don’t know if it’s because it’s the end of the year, but I’m quite busy. There are so many places calling me from here and there. ㅠㅠ. So I couldn’t write today either. ㅠㅠ. My precious reserves. OTL;;;;

Everyone have a good day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.