Chapter 90
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Deborah's Sponsorship Offer
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After receiving Deborah's sudden proposal, Abel gave it a brief moment of thought before responding.
"May I hear the details first?"
"Of course. There's a quiet spot nearby perfect for talking. Shall we head there?"
"Yes."
She smiled at his acceptance and beckoned him to follow as she led the way.
Less than five minutes later, they stopped in front of a building near the arena.
"This is one of the buildings I use as an office."
"Ah, I see."
She hadn't been exaggerating when she said it was nearby.
'One of her offices, huh.'
Wealthy people really were on another level.
The area was known for its high property values, yet she was using one of these places as an office.
Abel followed her inside, thinking to himself.
Click-clack, click-clack.
The sound of her high heels echoed through the building.
As he watched her walk ahead, Abel mentally sorted through what he knew about her.
'A major tycoon. A woman who turned everything she touched into massive profits and rose to chaebol status at a young age.'
Deborah had been born into a merchant family, but it hadn't been a particularly large one.
The business only started growing in earnest after she got involved in its management.
From what was essentially a neighborhood shop, it ballooned into one of the Empire's top trading companies almost overnight.
'Though her specialty is still products related to Gigadeus Fragments.'
This invitation might have something to do with that.
He'd find out once he heard the details.
"This way."
She soon stopped midway down a hall and opened a door herself.
Beyond it lay an opulently decorated reception room.
Following her lead, Abel sat across from her at the table.
In the meantime, a woman who appeared to be a servant must have noticed their arrival, as she entered with tea and then left.
"It's tea made from leaves that only grow in the northern Pyrene Mountains. I hope it suits your taste."
"Just the aroma tells me it's excellent."
Abel replied with a faint smile.
He wasn't much of a tea connoisseur, but he could tell this was far better than anything he'd tried before.
'The stuff I had last time just smelled like grass.'
With that thought, he took a sip, and a subtle warmth spread alongside a fresh, vibrant fragrance.
Impressed inwardly, he set down his cup and cautiously broached the subject.
"May I ask what this invitation is about?"
"Yes. I have two main things to discuss."
Deborah set her teacup down lightly as she spoke.
"First, I'd like to officially sponsor you, Abel."
"I'm just a first-year cadet."
"You're being too modest. You topped the entrance exams at the Academy and have been scoring highly in most tests since, haven't you?"
"You're too kind."
Abel responded without much surprise.
He figured someone of her stature would have done her homework before even requesting this meeting.
But Deborah continued as if that wasn't the end of it.
"Even if I hadn't known those details, I'd have made the same offer. Your match was that impressive."
"I see. Thank you."
Abel gave an appropriate reply.
There was no need to take all the praise at face value. The key part about the 'sponsorship' hadn't come up yet.
Fortunately, Deborah got straight to the point.
"Here's a document outlining the sponsorship proposal."
She pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.
"Ah, yes."
Abel took it, asked permission, and read it over.
Once he'd finished, he offered a short impression.
"These are incredibly generous terms."
To summarize, the conditions were as follows.
Sponsorship period: 2 years.
Monetary support, plus goods from her trading company provided at cost up to a certain limit.
There were various additional clauses and restrictions, but those two were the core.
"We can extend the sponsorship period later via a new contract."
"Personally, I'm quite satisfied with these terms. But what exactly does this special clause mean...?"
Abel pointed to the condition at the very bottom of the document.
It was a single short sentence.
[Actively cooperate with a specific request from Deborah Trading Company.]
In Abel's eyes, this seemed to be the reason for the generous offer.
She wasn't running a charity, after all.
Sponsorship from a trading company differed fundamentally from patronage by a noble house.
'Typically, it involves using and promoting the company's products.'
In a way, it was similar to sponsorships for athletes.
The Empire was the world's leading nation in Gigant technology, and cadets from its elite training academy like this one wielded more influence than one might expect.
Still, considering he was only a first-year, these terms were almost too good.
"I'll explain that directly."
Deborah, as if expecting the question, launched right into it.
"What our company primarily handles are byproducts from Gigadeus and Gigadeus Fragments."
"I'm aware."
"Then you must know about the businesses that naturally arise from dealing in those goods?"
"Gigant manufacturing."
Deborah smiled at Abel's answer.
"Exactly. Gigant crafting. Especially for making 'cores,' byproducts from Gigadeus and their fragments are essential."
"So the request is related to that."
"Yes. We're currently developing a new core."
"A new core?"
Abel, who had been calmly conversing, asked in genuine surprise.
He'd assumed she meant something like new armor or weapons using those byproducts.
The reason was simple.
'Deborah Trading Company hasn't developed a new core in the game.'
New cores did appear in the game eventually.
They were even classified as first-generation, second-generation, and so on.
Deborah's next words were equally shocking.
"Yes. In fact, the development itself is nearly complete."
She was referring to what would be called a 'second-generation' core.
But in the game, it was developed by Jewel Trading Company, an entirely different entity.
And that happened a year from now.
"There's just one problem."
"A problem?"
"Yes. We can't find a rider who can properly handle the core we've developed."
Abel furrowed his brow at her words.
"What do you mean by 'properly handle'?"
"Hmm. Simply put, everyone who's tried has serious difficulties raising their sync rate."
She gave a wry smile as she said it.
"Even though all our test subjects were seasoned veterans."
"To reiterate, I'm just an inexperienced first-year cadet."
"True. And also someone with tremendous sync rate potential, right?"
Only then did Abel realize why she'd singled him out.
"You prioritized high sync rate over experience."
"Yes. Our analysis of the test results showed that those with even slightly higher sync rates lasted longer."
Deborah grew serious as she addressed him.
"Even if you refuse the request, the sponsorship itself will proceed. The terms would just be a bit different."
"Is the experiment dangerous?"
"I can't say there's zero risk. But not a single participant has suffered any serious injuries so far."
To prove she wasn't just saying that, she pulled another sheet of paper from her pocket.
"Everything I've said is stipulated in this contract, which has magical enforcement and imperial certification."
Abel nodded as he looked it over.
He couldn't trust a merchant's words 100 percent, but a contract like this was reliable.
Scamming with something like this would be suicidal, even with two lives.
"Also, depending on the results, we're willing to provide the new core for free and support Gigant modifications accordingly."
Deborah pointed to the bottom of the contract as she spoke.
The promise was clearly written there.
After reading the contract thoroughly, Abel said,
"These terms are hard to refuse."
"Since it's an important experiment, we couldn't offer anything less than our best. So... what do you say?"
Abel pondered for a moment before replying.
"I'll do it."
* * *
The academy's carriage depot was bustling with people for the first time in ages.
The crowd consisted of first-year cadets, and Abel was among them.
He pointed to the line of carriages and said,
"We're splitting into three carriages, right?"
Hena answered.
"Yeah. It's a long trip, so it's better to travel comfortably."
"Then it's me and Daniel in one, Hena and May in another, and..."
Abel turned to look at the two remaining members standing awkwardly.
"Iolin and Darin together. That work?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Sure."
Iolin aside, Darin looked extremely pale, but Abel averted his gaze.
No helping it. That's how the groups shook out.
The original plan for Hena's villa had been five people, including Darin.
They'd asked Iolin too, but hadn't expected her to come.
Surprisingly, she'd accepted Abel's invitation readily.
'Good chance to get to know her.'
Thinking positively, Abel looked at Hena.
"Alright then. Let's ride!"
At her declaration, everyone boarded.
As soon as Abel and Daniel climbed into their carriage, they let out exclamations.
"Wow, this carriage is nice."
"Yeah, the seats are super plush."
Not all carriages were created equal.
The ones Abel usually rode were decent, but Hena's were exceptionally comfortable.
"I could ride this for days without my butt hurting."
"Right? I want one like this someday."
"Yeah."
As they chatted idly, the carriage began to move slowly.
Abel opened the window and peered outside.
The academy grounds slid by peacefully.
'So serene.'
It was a tranquil scene that made him forget the hectic days of late.
With his gaze fixed outside, Abel reflected.
First, the tournament prizes had been sent to Vulcanus's workshop as planned.
Same with the materials he'd bought separately from Iolin.
They needed further processing anyway, so he'd have to wait a bit before entrusting the full commission.
What weighed on his mind right now was something else.
'It was right after returning from the villa, wasn't it?'
The day they got back from the villa.
That's when Abel was scheduled to participate in Deborah's 'experiment.'
It was the most convenient date considering future plans.
He'd wondered at the time if he'd decided too hastily, but now he was glad he had.
'There are risks, but the payoff could be huge.'
A second-generation core was in a league of its own compared to first-gen.
Its output could be dramatically superior depending on how it was used.
'And she said there wouldn't be any major dangers anyway.'
He wasn't taking Deborah's word blindly.
He was trusting the contract.
With that settled in his mind, Abel closed his eyes.
The breeze from the window felt delightfully cool.