Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Scout Negotiation
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‘Is it really Getrol?’
‘Yes, I saw it clearly with my own two eyes—he was boldly showing off even his epithet.’
‘This is big trouble. I was planning to sit on it a bit longer, but... if what you’re saying is true, you need to move right now.’
Deus.
He recalled the conversation he’d exchanged via comms with Risiner, the head of the Dokkaebi Guild.
The war was dragging on longer than expected.
With their simultaneous invasion operation having just failed, the alliance’s momentum was surging even higher.
The tide of the war had turned against them.
The alliance was riding that wave, coming at them full force.
And one of their weapons was rookies like Luke and the named players.
Just like they themselves had done in the early days, they were aggressively recruiting on a massive scale.
And in the midst of all that, Getrol, the White Tiger Guild Master, had revealed himself in Jermiro.
His intentions were as plain as day.
The Iron Mask Man they’d been keeping an eye on.
Recruiting him.
That’s why Deus had also requested a meeting with the Iron Mask Man from the viscount.
‘One of the rookies the Guild Master holds in high regard.’
And he felt the same way.
‘His skills in that video are the real deal.’
Now that things had come this far, there was no way he could let him slip away.
‘We’ve got plenty of ammo.’
The maximum limit Risiner had approved.
He could still offer that as a signing bonus.
All that was left was to fine-tune the conditions.
‘And since he agreed to our request to meet, he must have some interest in signing.’
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered coming to see them.
Gulp!
A tense silence hung in the air.
Within it, the Iron Mask Man slowly walked further inside.
“Let’s start by hearing your conditions.”
The negotiation had begun.
There were two scouts.
One recruitment target.
The format was simple.
They would take turns presenting their offers to the target.
That was it—but the catch was that the scouts had to keep competing with each other throughout the negotiation.
Until conditions satisfactory to the target emerged.
“......”
“......”
A strange silence.
Crossing gazes.
Deus from the Dokkaebi side spoke first.
“Mind if I go first?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Twitch!
His brow furrowed.
Casual speech right off the bat from a stranger.
And that relaxed attitude.
‘He’s got something to back it up?’
Such suspicions flickered through his mind, but he quickly dismissed them.
In the end, the guy was a total rookie when it came to recruitment.
And the bet they’d prepared this time wasn’t small either.
‘It’s a battle of who sways the target’s heart first.’
Deus was confident.
He hadn’t spent his scouting career slacking off.
So this time too, he’d boldly recruit the Iron Mask Man and crush that guy’s arrogance.
With that thought, Deus slowly opened his mouth.
“Nice to meet you, Iron Mask. I’m Deus, scout for the Dokkaebi Guild. The reason I sought you out this time is none other than...”
His pitch flowed smoothly.
“The Dokkaebi Guild holds you in very high regard. Your outstanding skills, exceptional judgment, tremendous potential, and the growth trajectory to become a top ranker...”
We don’t judge by appearances alone.
These are the reasons we want to recruit you.
This is how highly we value your abilities.
Deus laid it all out logically, strongly conveying their intent to recruit.
Next came the treatment and conditions.
“If you join the Dokkaebi Guild...”
He didn’t mix in any lies.
They’d be exposed soon enough anyway.
With contract item documents existing, throwing out reckless promises could backfire and cost everything.
This wasn’t a one- or two-day deal.
“And the signing bonus is...”
The most crucial part: the signing bonus.
He had plenty of loaded ammo, but he didn’t go for the max bet right away.
Of course, he couldn’t lowball it either.
That would just undervalue the target.
So, a bit above the reasonable midpoint.
“...That’s the basic contract outline for now. If there’s anything else you need or parts you don’t like, feel free to say so anytime. Oh, and the signing bonus is totally negotiable too. Please, speak freely.”
He wrapped up by leaving room for negotiation and adjustment.
Maximizing consideration for the target to leave a good first impression.
“I heard you loud and clear. I didn’t realize the Dokkaebi Guild thought so highly of me. Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
The reaction wasn’t bad.
No, it was better than expected.
Deus bowed his head and smirked faintly.
Great start.
All that was left was competing with Getrol from the Anti-Dokkaebi side and gradually refining the terms.
“But I can’t judge based on one side alone, so let’s hear what the scout from the other side has to say first.”
Right on cue, the turn went to the Anti-Dokkaebi Alliance.
Getrol.
‘No matter what the rookie says, it’ll just be the usual lines...’
That’s what Deus thought.
But then.
Getrol suddenly shot up from his seat.
And pointed at Deus with a confident grin.
“Double!”
“...?”
“I’ll give you double whatever that guy offers. That’s the Anti-Dokkaebi Alliance’s deal!”
“Wh-what...!”
“What do you say, Iron Mask?”
Getrol’s mouth stretched into a wide grin.
“...Hoo.”
Even the Iron Mask Man showed a hint of surprise.
‘Honestly, I’m not expecting much from you. You’ve never recruited anyone yourself, and you’re not exactly silver-tongued.’
Before coming to Jermiro.
Bencal had said this over comms.
‘But even you can handle this one super easily.’
‘What is it?’
‘Double.’
‘Double?’
‘Just call out double whatever the Dokkaebi side offers. No matter the conditions, promise double theirs.’
That was it.
A proposal even an inexperienced scout like Getrol could make easily.
Simply doubling the bet amount.
‘Wait, seriously? We can do that?’
‘Yeah, I’m personally covering the extra this time.’
‘H-hold on, bro. You’re going that far for some rookie?’
‘You really don’t get the Iron Mask Man’s value. Anyway, no backtalk—just do what I say.’
Honestly, he didn’t get it.
Bencal.
Why his own brother wanted the Iron Mask Man so badly.
He was just a rookie starting to make a name for himself.
‘What’s so great about a guy like that?’
But since it was Bencal’s order, he had no choice but to follow.
‘Anyway... I just have to call double, right?’
An extremely simple mission.
Something even a scouting newbie like him could do with ease.
Just offer double whatever the other side proposed.
“Hoo, you mean that seriously?”
Tempted by the offer, perhaps.
‘As expected!’
The Iron Mask Man was showing clear interest.
Exactly the reaction he’d hoped for.
“Of course!”
“This is unexpected. Calling double without a second thought.”
“Better than that Dokkaebi offer, right?”
“Hmm, in terms of money, definitely...”
The Iron Mask Man stroked his chin, pondering.
That sight made Deus from the Dokkaebi side panic instead.
“P-please wait a moment!”
This wouldn’t do.
Recognizing that, Deus quickly readjusted his offer.
Raising the bet amount to match the opponent’s response.
But.
“Double!”
Getrol unerringly called double again.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Deus glared at Getrol with incredulous eyes.
‘What kind of brute...!’
Scouting by brute-forcing with capital.
The sheer simplicity left him flustered.
But they had funds prepared too.
So Deus didn’t back down and kept raising his offer.
However.
“We can also raise the signing bonus...”
“Double!”
“Ugh, how about adding this on top...”
“Double down!”
“Then surely this much...”
“Double!”
“Grrrh, a bit higher...”
“Dooooubllllle—!”
No matter how much he raised the bet, the opponent wouldn’t budge.
He just smugly shouted double every time.
At that point, alarm bells rang in Deus’s head.
Budget overrun.
He couldn’t raise it any further.
To go higher, he’d need separate approval from Risiner.
But considering the Dokkaebi side’s finances right now, anything more was impossible.
And so.
Grinding his teeth, Deus confronted Getrol.
“Aren’t you throwing out numbers too recklessly? Promising double our conditions unconditionally—can you really take responsibility for that?”
“Oh, of course.”
As if he’d been waiting, Getrol pulled something from his inventory.
A rectangular blank contract sheet.
The item called Mana Oath, a contract document.
“We can sign right here, right now.”
Not a hint of hesitation.
The scroll in his hand was genuine too.
At that sight, Deus’s eyes trembled.
‘No way.’
The prolonged war.
Money draining away endlessly.
In the clash between Dokkaebi and Anti-Dokkaebi, both sides were financially unstable.
In other words, they had almost no financial leeway.
‘The funds for this recruitment were scraped together as it is...’
The opponent’s prepared bet far exceeded that.
An unforeseen situation.
Deus squeezed his eyes shut.
Then slowly turned to the Iron Mask Man.
“I’m really sorry, but would it be okay if I contact the Guild Master for a moment...”
“No, this is enough.”
“......”
In the end, his worst fear had come true.
The Iron Mask Man.
He’d declared the end of negotiations.
“I’ve heard both sides. I think that’s enough for the negotiation.”
Joy and sorrow crossed paths.
One smiled.
The other despaired.
The Iron Mask Man turned his head.
His gaze fell on the despairing Deus.
“I heard the Dokkaebi side’s proposal. Unfortunately, I don’t think we can work together. Sorry.”
“......It’s fine.”
That’s what he said, but it was anything but.
The Iron Mask Man, the current top rookie acknowledged by both Risiner and himself.
For him to go to the Anti-Dokkaebi Alliance—how could that be fine?
He wanted to hold onto him somehow, but there were no more conditions to offer.
‘Sorry, Guild Master.’
How was he supposed to report this?
Deus already felt darkness closing in.
“Haha, you’re a guy who gets it. Yeah, money talks in this world!”
On the other hand, the thrilled Getrol chuckled as he approached the Iron Mask Man and offered a handshake.
“Let’s do great together from now on. Iron Mask.”
“......”
“Huh?”
Something felt off.
No reaction from the Iron Mask Man.
He just sat there staring at the outstretched hand.
An utterly awkward situation.
Getrol grimaced awkwardly before withdrawing his hand.
“...Whatever. If you don’t want a handshake, no big deal. As long as the contract goes through, I’m good.”
He placed the contract on the table.
“Come on, sign it and let’s wrap this up. We’re all busy people, right?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean? We have to sign the contract...”
Slide.
The contract was pushed back.
“I never said I’d accept the alliance’s proposal.”
“Wh-what?”
“Looks like you didn’t get it.”
Getrol panicked.
At the same time, the Iron Mask Man stood and drove the nail in.
“I’m rejecting the Anti-Dokkaebi side as well.”