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Chapter 243

“Ah, this is Reinhart, a first-year student. He’s a superhuman with a very bright future.”

“Superhuman?”

“Yes, he has a serious vision for the future and has started something called the Magic Research Club.”

“Oh, and what are you researching?”

.

“Olivia, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Oh, hello. This is Reinhart, a first-year student...”

.

People, intrigued by the new controversy surrounding Olivia Lanche, wanted to at least exchange a few words with her, and Olivia took the opportunity to introduce me. She emphasized the importance of funding for the new Magic Research Club I had established.

The attendees from the four main organizations were noteworthy, but the others were no less significant.

They included high-ranking nobles from various fiefdoms, imperial nobles, and prominent figures from various organizations.

Olivia spoke with all of them and introduced me. However, as Olivia had predicted, the outcome wasn’t that great.

“Oh, that’s a meaningful endeavor. Good luck, Reinhart.”

“Then, might you consider sponsoring us...?”

“Ah, well... Actually, instead of that... Olivia, what are your plans after graduation?”

They were more interested in Olivia herself than in the Magic Research Club and wanted to recruit her.

Olivia Lanche, who had once been slated to join the Order of the Holy Knights, was like a celestial being. Now that she wasn’t joining the Order of the Holy Knights, she was a major free agent in the talent market.

As someone who rarely attended such events, Olivia’s mere presence noticeably altered the overall atmosphere.

The focus always shifted from the Magic Research Club to how they might recruit Olivia.

Once they realized that Olivia’s intention was not to secure a career for herself but to seek support for a club her junior had started, though, they promptly lost interest.

As expected, the reactions we got were similar.

The prospect of a prominent free agent was tempting, but the fact that she wanted to help a child create impractical inventions was not appealing.

Vice President Santriden of the Magic Association looked visibly embarrassed.

“Uh... well, it’s good to have big dreams. Good luck, Reinhart.”

He gave me a look of pity. It seemed meaningless to pepper him with phrases like “we have an unparalleled genius in our club.”

In the end, we wandered about like outcasts.

“It’s not working out, as expected,” Olivia said as she scratched her cheek, looking slightly embarrassed.

“It’s not that younger students aren’t allowed here; it’s just that there’s no reason for them to be,” I said.

“Yeah, that’s true...”

Something had hit me while I’d been wandering about.

The whole purpose of this meeting was to sponsor graduates or near-graduates. Understandably, sponsors preferred shorter sponsorship periods. It was more cost-effective to support students who were close to graduation than to fund a first-year student through six years of Royal Class education.

Hence, the optimal candidates for sponsorship were the fifth and sixth-year students. When it came to underclassmen, the sponsorship period would be too lengthy and therefore inefficient.

The sponsors aimed to create a connection under the guise of sponsorship, to scout for talent or request favors post-graduation.

Thus, the younger the student, the more lukewarm the response from sponsors would be.

I was a first-year student with the aim of inventing implausible things. That meant my graduation was far off, and my plans were uncertain. Therefore, there was no reason for anyone to sponsor me.

In essence, securing sponsorship was no different from attracting investments, and so it would be difficult to obtain any from this event.

Still, I hadn’t expected to be treated so coldly; thanks to Olivia’s presence, I at least managed to have a few conversations.

“Let’s keep trying our best.”

Even if most people lost interest, there was a chance that someone might take an interest, so I decided not to give up and kept moving.

Olivia and I approached Owen de Getmora, the Guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild and the one person who hadn’t shown any initial interest in us.

Instead of the potbellied middle-aged man I expected, he was someone who had aged gracefully, exuding a dignified presence even in the midst of the party.

He was standing in a quiet corner of the banquet hall, sipping champagne and silently observing the room.

He wasn’t talking to anyone, and he didn’t seem like a typical merchant.

“Hmm, it seems you are dreaming of a truly great invention.”

It was clear he didn’t think my research topic was worth discussing.

“By the way, I didn’t expect to meet you here, Mr. Reinhart.”

He seemed more interested in me than in the Magic Research Club itself, and I had a good idea why that might be. The opening of stores at each subway station—the Merchants’ Guild was a key investor in that project. Since that business was already in the process of being set up, he must have known about me and the Rotary Club.

There was already a connection between the Guildmaster and me, one that did not involve the Magic Research Club at all.

Olivia, who wasn’t aware of the details of this project, seemed puzzled as to why the Guildmaster was showing interest in me, but wisely refrained from making any comments that might spoil the mood.

The man’s eyes, somewhere between middle-aged and old, fixed on me.

He had no interest in Olivia; he wasn’t running a group that required combat strength.

“Reinhart, may I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

He seemed genuinely interested in me. Essentially, he was the only one interested in someone that everyone else at the event had ignored.

“Why do you think I’m here?”

“... Are you asking me to guess your reasons?”

“Yes,” he said as he looked at me.

It was an abrupt question.

What would be the meaning of answering it correctly?

It felt like a test from someone I had just met.

Guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild, Owen de Getmora... He was qualitatively different from the guildmaster of the Thieves’ Guild. Although the Merchants’ Guild did engage in various illegal businesses, it was ultimately a legitimate group.

Unlike the Thieves’ Guild, which was a target for extermination, he headed a group that operated in the open. Hence, he could be invited to a place filled with VIPs.

He probably had no shortage of money when compared to any other group.

“To give you a hint, I have no intention of scouting anyone or sponsoring anyone.”

It seemed like he was testing my insight. Passing this test didn’t necessarily mean he would sponsor me.

Maybe he just wanted to see what kind of person his key business partner was.

However, the fact that he was engaging with me without dismissing me outright due to my age showed he was at least open to conversation.

He had no interest in scouting or sponsorship... If his attitude were known to those who had organized this gathering, it could get him kicked out altogether.

So why was he there in the first place?

If he was there just because he wanted to be there, there would be no need for such a question. It had to be something that could be deduced.

‘Let’s consider the outcome. The Guildmaster’s role is ultimately to make money. Attending this sponsorship gathering itself must be financially beneficial in some way.’

When I thought about it, the question wasn’t that difficult.

This place was full of significant figures gathered in one spot.

“It’s a prime location for gauging the geopolitical landscape of the continent,” I said.

“Can you elaborate a bit more?”

“You can also identify the needs of the various powers, and consequently, determine what they lack.”

Prominent groups and representatives from various fiefdoms were all gathered there, and they were seeking to recruit talented individuals, which revealed their needs and deficiencies.

For example, the knights came to look to bolster their forces by seeking out strong recruits.

The students that each group invested would reflect their deficiencies, and from there, one could deduce the strengths and weaknesses of each group.

By listening in on the various conversations, it was possible to understand what the representatives of these groups wanted, making it possible to gauge the strength, needs, and financial status of these groups.

Owen de Getmora was a merchant. He prepared goods to satisfy people’s needs and desires.

He smiled at my concise answer.

“Excellent.”

“It was just a rough guess. I don’t know how the Merchants’ Guild will leverage the information gathered here.”

While Owen praised me, Olivia stood with her mouth slightly agape, staring at me.

‘Why is she so impressed by something like this?’

“Then let’s move on to the next topic.”

“By the next topic you mean...?”

“I had no intention of sponsoring anyone, but I didn’t expect you to be here, Mr. Reinhart,” he said as he looked at me. “I find myself obligated to sponsor you, Mr. Reinhart. And it has to be now, and not when you are an upperclassman. Can you deduce why?”

It wasn’t just about wanting to sponsor me; he felt an obligation to sponsor me. Sponsors here preferred to fund upperclassmen.

But the Merchants’ Guild Master believed he needed to support me as an underclassman.

However, this, too, wasn’t a difficult puzzle.

“You are looking to leverage my value, not post-graduation, but while I’m still a student at the Temple.”

“Even more excellent,” Owen said with a satisfied smile, and took a sip of his champagne.

Owen de Getmora had to be aware that the magic train shop business was proceeding with the backing of the imperial family.

He wanted to tap into the relationship between me and the imperial family.

He wasn’t interested in Reinhart. He wanted to have a connection with a classmate of the First Prince and First Princess.

Therefore, my value was not about what I could do for him post-graduation. I was valuable only while I was enrolled in the Temple, as this sponsorship would create a connection to the imperial family.

Though he didn’t know the details behind it, I had somehow managed to secure an exclusive business license from the imperial family.

“How much do you need, Mr. Reinhart?”

He was making a direct offer. He was asking for the price tag on my name.

Asking for too much would seem ludicrous, but asking for too little would make me appear weak.

Negotiating with a middle-aged man I’d just met today—I wasn’t skilled at this. But I had to do it.

We were indirectly bartering for a relationship with the imperial family. Mentioning it outright would be treasonous.

We were dealing with something that had intangible value.

“Well, I don’t think that’s for me to decide.”

Though he’d asked for a price, I deflected the question, shifting the onus back on him.

I couldn’t set a price on the relationship with the imperial family. So, I was basically telling him to name his price—that is, what he thought a connection with the imperial family was worth.

Owen de Getmora let out a hearty laugh.

“I must say, you’ve got me there.”

Olivia appeared clueless about the conversation unfolding between the Guildmaster and me.

“I will ensure a suitable amount is sent to you within a reasonable time frame, through appropriate channels,” he said.

He was a merchant, and thus, he never explicitly stated the amount he would offer.

However, if the amount turned out to be insultingly low, the Merchants’ Guild would lose face.

An agreement for an intangible return... I had secured something without giving anything concrete in return.

However, it was somewhat frightening since there would eventually come a time when I had to repay them with something, and at the moment, I had no idea what that might be.

While I could consider evading them when the time came, these were merchants I was dealing with, and merchants would find a way to collect what they were owed.