Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 497

A flying car descended in front of the Bluebird’s training camp on the athletic grounds of Lima City. Beom-seok stepped out, looked around, and walked to the front gate, where he spoke into the intercom.

“Hey. Can you open the door for a second?”

– No.

Beom-seok, looking bewildered, recognized the voice and sighed.

“Chief Lextor. Stop joking around and open it quickly.”

– Hehehe. How did you know?

“I know it when I hear your voice. What *don’t* I know?”

Soon, Lextor, wearing a coat, walked out of the guardhouse beyond the front gate, grinning.

“Yo, Beom-seok. Welcome. Come on in.”

As the lock was released, Beom-seok slowly opened the door and entered the training camp.

“Why did you come all the way out here instead of staying inside? It’s quite cold.”

“Hahaha. Just bored.”

“So you played such a corny prank?”

“Well, there were more, but you recognized me, so I stopped.”

Beom-seok shook his head. This wasn’t the time for such trivialities.

“Anyway, Chief. Have you thought about it?”

“About what?”

“I contacted you a few days ago and again today when I was coming here, didn’t I?”

“Ah~ that. Well, I don’t think this is a conversation we should be having here… Let’s go inside and talk.”

It was too cold to stand outside, so Beom-seok nodded.

“Yes, let’s do that. It seems like we’ll need a long conversation.”

“Right. Let’s go then.”

Lextor immediately put Beom-seok in a driverless electric car and headed to the office building.

The place he led him to was a reception room on the second floor. The interior was warm, the heating clearly turned on in advance. Beom-seok, seated, took a sip of the coffee brought by a staff member and began.

“So? Have you thought about it?”

“Well, your proposal is tricky. I’d like to grant your request, but it’s not easy. I have to consider the fans’ enthusiasm and manage the team’s performance.”

Beom-seok nodded, understanding. His proposal was to loan some of Bluebird’s key gladiators. Simulia and Silphine had both risen to W2 class [World Rank 2], making them vital to the team. Lending them, even for half a year, was a significant ask.

Moreover, God Knights and Bluebirds were derby teams [rival teams in the same region or league] with a tense relationship, regardless of internal realities. Sacrificing his own team to accommodate a rival was a major obstacle. The fans might not even allow it.

“I understand. But I wouldn’t make such a request if I wasn’t desperate. God Knights faces a huge obstacle in the championship race due to a lack of squad depth. Even if we wanted to recruit useful gladiators from other teams, their price tags are prohibitive.

Even if we could afford them, interference from other competing teams makes a successful recruitment questionable.”

“Well, I know your team’s situation. But isn’t that a difficulty all championship contenders face? You have to overcome it.”

“That’s why I’m here. Frankly, borrowing Simulia and Silphine would significantly improve our situation.”

God Knights’ biggest problem was their chronic lack of depth. They’d managed to rotate gladiators effectively until now, but the second half of the season would be different.

The gladiators would gradually tire, and World League teams would begin participating in the GA Cup [Gladiator Association Cup]. Even if Beom-seok decided to de-prioritize the GA Cup and League Cup, he couldn’t send out amateur gladiators, not with God Knights’ reputation as a World League contender. He’d have to send gladiators with at least reserve-level skills, leading to overall physical exhaustion and burdening the team.

“That’s true. But our team’s situation isn’t great either.”

“But Bluebirds is doing well in the Hilein Central League, isn’t it? You’re currently in 6th place, so relegation isn’t a problem, right?”

“Of course, but that’s the problem. We’re in 6th, but only 7 points behind 2nd place.

If we send key gladiators out now, when we still have a chance to advance to the promotion tournament, the fans’ backlash will be significant. They’ll see it as giving up on this year’s promotion.”

Beom-seok tapped the table, troubled. There was truth to that.

If their team gave up when they still had a chance, the fans’ disappointment would be immense. The Bluebirds’ team bulletin board would be flooded with angry messages, especially if it was to help a derby team.

“I understand, but please help us this once. I’ll give the Bluebirds team a great boost later.”

Lextor perked up, interested. He knew from experience how valuable Beom-seok’s help was. He wanted the elves under Lextor’s command, recruited through Beom-seok’s introduction.

“What kind of help are you talking about?”

“You know our team runs an elf school, right?”

“Yeah. Are there some useful kids there?”

“It’s not just a few, it’s almost all of them. We’re even causing the quality of other professional sports players to drop somewhat.”

Not only gladiators, but also baseball, soccer, and other professional sports players were mainly elves. There was fierce competition to recruit good prospects, and the elf school was crowded with scouts.

But Beom-seok was going around factories and picking out prospects, potentially shocking other sports industries.

“Oh? That’s quite a claim.”

“Yes. There are quite a few kids with high potential.”

“So what are you going to do with them?”

“I’ll pick out the useful ones and supply them to Bluebird cheaply. You’ll make a lot of money, and the team will develop rapidly.”

Lextor smiled faintly. This was why he stuck with Beom-seok. Sweet deals always seemed to fall into his lap.

“So, will our team be able to advance to the World League?”

“Of course. If they all grow well, they’ll be able to join at least the lower-ranked World League teams.”

“Hehe. That’s thrilling. Our Bluebird becoming a World League team…”

Lextor looked satisfied. World League: a stage for only twenty teams out of over ten thousand worldwide. He was thrilled to imagine Bluebird as a contender. But he was more interested in other things than gladiators.

“Are you interested at all?”

“I am, but I’m still worried. Our Bluebird team was created for promotion anyway, so the higher-ups are extremely reluctant to cause trouble. If there’s a problem, I might be in trouble.”

“So you’re saying it’s not possible?”

Lextor waved his hand. He’d received too much help to pretend not to know. He wanted to help, even if problems arose.

“No. That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then?”

Lextor smiled bitterly and leaned closer.

“Just create a backer that I can confidently brag to the higher-ups about.”

“What? What are you talking about? A backer?”

“Hey, why are you acting like you don’t know?”

“D-Do you want a bribe for the higher-ups?”

Lextor waved his hand. That wasn’t his intention. The backer was for himself.

“No. It’s more complicated.”

“What is it?”

“If there’s a problem this time and the higher-ups say something, I’m going to take all the responsibility and step down. Frankly, does it make sense for me to be in the police organization right now? I should have left a long time ago. I couldn’t because I was fighting the Black Society, but now that they’re gone, there’s no need to stay. I need to find my life now.”

Beom-seok had a rough idea. Lextor was a soccer fanatic. He was the head of a gladiator team while tied to the police, but he dreamed of becoming the chairman of a soccer team. Now that he had capital and had learned sports organization management by running Bluebird for seven years, it was time to pursue his dream.

“Then…? Could it be a professional soccer team?”

“Hahaha. That’s right. Shouldn’t I find my own job now? And I haven’t been able to get body modification surgery because I didn’t have time. I’m going to become the Oh Beom-seok of the soccer world! Hahahaha!”

He seemed to have built up some skills in early morning soccer, but dreaming of becoming the second Oh Beom-seok was ambitious. But dreaming doesn’t cost money.

“Hehe. Chief Lextor, are you going to play yourself?”

“Of course. Why else would I get body modification surgery?”

“So you’re asking for help in organizing a professional soccer team?”

“Yes. Pick out some useful kids. I’ll buy them for a generous amount of money… How about it?”

Beom-seok nodded without hesitation. He was planning to greatly expand the elf market anyway, in preparation for the future. The number of promising prospects would increase rapidly, so he could allocate some of them.

“Let’s do that. But when are you planning to start?”

“Hmm. I could start next season, but it would be better the season after next, since I have to buy training camp sites and install facilities.”

“Then, I’ll specially select five of the kids who came from the elf factory this year and train their physical strength. Would that be okay?”

“What level of kids?”

“I’ll have to see, but I’ll select them as kids who can grow into at least World Leaguers.”

Lextor smiled with satisfaction. That was more than satisfactory.

“Hahaha. Thank you. And I wish you could also give me basic soccer training… Of course, I’ll pick and send the coach. How about it?”

Beom-seok thought for a moment. He was only planning to make the recruited elves gladiators, but expanding into other sports fields seemed beneficial.

If Lextor advanced into the professional soccer world, the changes happening in the gladiator world would be transmitted, widening the market. It wasn’t bad to prepare for this in advance.

“Let’s do that. I’ll specially build a practice soccer field, so just send the coach.”

“Oh? Really? Hahaha. Thank you.”

Beom-seok clapped his hands and ended the conversation. The reason he came to Bluebird wasn’t to fulfill Lextor’s dream.

“Let’s stop talking about this. How are you going to handle the loan?”

“First, as promised, I’ll lend you Simulia and Silphine, and I’ll also send you Sheryl. How about it? Is it okay?”

Beom-seok glanced at him, worried. Sheryl was the best ace beyond the core of the Bluebird team. She mainly played in the midfield, but she was good at handling both swords and shields, and her calm personality made her suitable for the rear. Loaning her out would be a great help, but the fan criticism Lextor would receive would be even greater.

“Are you okay? The fans’ complaints won’t be easy?”

“Well, I have to create a definite excuse to get fired while I’m at it. I’ll be in trouble if the fans *don’t* protest.”

“Well, that’s true… Sigh, I understand. Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Lextor stared at him quietly.

“Then how about the rent?”

“We’ll bear all of their salaries for 6 months, and we’ll pay an additional 30 million krang [currency unit].”

“Well, that’s not bad. But take out the payment of 30 million krang. Why would we give and take such money between us? Let’s all live well together…”

Beom-seok nodded. No matter how small the money, it was better to save if he could. He was going to give Lextor a lot of profit anyway, so he thought of it as compensation.

“Hehe. If you want me to, I have to listen. Then I’ll gratefully borrow them.”

“Okay. Let’s sign later. First, let’s go grab a drink since it’s been a while. I don’t even remember how long it’s been since I had a drink with you.”

“Hahaha. Yes, let’s go.”

Beom-seok got up, satisfied. It was only a loan, but this trade was welcome rain. If Simulia, Silphine, and Sheryl came in, God Knights would have 33 usable squads, a great help in the tiring second half of the season.

Still, he was short of gladiator resources. League Cup, GA Cup, and League matches meant God Knights had an enormous number of matches to play. He expected great difficulties due to squad problems in the second half of the season.

============================ Author’s words ============================

Have a nice day, everyone. I’ll see you again tomorrow.