Greg had always been avoiding her before, but now he was being so direct, which surprised Catherine slightly.
However, she truly hadn't detected any fluctuations of deception from Greg, meaning her gamble had paid off: Greg indeed knew about the existence of the Screech magic conduit.
Subsequently, the curvature of the flawless professional smile on her face deepened slightly, and her tone grew even more sincere:
"Very well. In that case, I'll speak directly as well."
Leaning slightly forward, her hands remained clasped on the desk as her gaze locked onto Greg. She spoke clearly:
"I hope you will keep everything you saw in the deep area confidential, along with any information related to that item, and refrain from mentioning it to anyone."
She paused, presenting the offer she had prepared in advance:
"In return, I am willing to pay you the compensation written here."
As she spoke, she gently rotated the scratch paper covered in calculations one hundred and eighty degrees and slid it in front of Greg. With her slender, fair fingertip, she tapped a number in the bottom right corner that she had deliberately circled.
Greg's gaze followed her finger down.
Then, his eyes widened uncontrollably.
"O-One thousand gold coins?!"
What did one thousand gold coins even mean?
It was enough for an ordinary family of three to live a wealthy and respectable life in the royal capital for decades!
For Greg, who currently relied entirely on scraping together a living in the dungeon, it was a massive fortune that could instantly resolve all his financial pressure!
To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie.
Greg felt his heart skip a few beats.
Catherine wasn't surprised by Greg's reaction; it was entirely within her expectations.
She gave a light nod, adding in a steady voice:
"To be precise, it's one thousand gold coins in cash, plus... five percent of the future net profit shares of the Screech project."
Five percent of the shares!
The number might not sound huge, but Greg knew full well what the Screech-series magic conduits represented in the original story.
It was a revolution that would sweep across the entire continent's magical item market, yielding astronomical profits!
The long-term value of these five percent shares would far exceed that one thousand gold coins in cash!
In truth, these five percent shares hadn't originally been part of Catherine's plan.
It was a future investment she had added on the spot after considering that a high-ranking official at the academy might be backing Greg.
She wanted to use these five percent shares not only to buy his silence, but also to tie him—and whoever might be backing him—to the Screech project's war wagon, binding their interests together.
That way, the five percent shares would fully realize their true value.
"These conditions... are indeed remarkably good. Generous enough that they're hard to refuse." Greg nodded.
Especially for a fallen noble like him, it was an almost irresistible temptation.
Catherine's azure eyes watched him quietly, waiting for him to nod in agreement so she could produce the magic contract she had prepared.
However, Greg's next words caused the flawless smile on Catherine's face to freeze for a brief moment.
"However, I refuse." Greg shook his head, his tone calm and clear.
Perhaps anyone who didn't understand Catherine's character would have long since accepted her terms by now.
But Greg understood Catherine's true nature. He knew the only reason she was offering such lavish terms was because she would undoubtedly find a way to extract even greater profits from him in the future.
That was how the future Business Empress Catherine operated, and precisely why Greg had always wanted to avoid getting involved with her.
Catherine: "...?"
For the first time, a clear expression of shock and confusion appeared in those azure eyes, which were usually so calm and wise.
She had anticipated that Greg might bargain for more cash or a larger share.
But the one thing she hadn't expected was for him to refuse so decisively...?
Why?
These terms should have been impossible for him to refuse right now...
Or... was he planning to demand an exorbitant price right off the bat?
Catherine's mind raced. The professional smile vanished from her face, replaced by the calm, calculating gaze of a merchant.
She began reassessing Greg's intentions, considering her subsequent negotiation strategy.
Seeming to sense Catherine's doubt and vigilance, Greg waved his hand, adding casually:
"Don't misunderstand, Miss Catherine. I'm not trying to demand an outrageous price or ask for more. I don't have the stomach or the courage to swallow something beyond my means."
He paused, looking at Catherine as he spoke his true thoughts:
"I can sign a secrecy contract with you to guarantee that I won't leak any information about Screech. But I hope... to change the terms of the exchange."
"Change the terms?" Catherine frowned slightly, her confusion deepening.
He doesn't want gold coins, and he doesn't want shares. What could he possibly want?
"Yes." Greg nodded, voicing the request that left Catherine even more bewildered:
"I hope you can provide whatever help you reasonably can to a freshman named Victoria Cecil whenever she needs it. It doesn't have to be much, nor is it unlimited—just giving her a hand when she hits a rough patch or has a reasonable request. For instance, an emergency loan, a discounted transaction, or introducing her to a reliable quest channel... things like that."
Greg emphasized:
"Trust me, this won't cost you much money. She isn't greedy, and she's extremely capable. The odds are high that she'll return something of equal value to you soon enough, so this is really more like an angel investment."
Catherine: "...?"
She froze completely.
Her azure eyes widened slightly, filled with unbridled bewilderment and disbelief.
She even blinked sub-consciously, questioning whether she had misheard or misunderstood Greg's intention.
What... was he talking about?
He turned down a package of cash and shares that could easily be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of gold coins...
...just to exchange it for a promise to a freshman?
And that freshman... wasn't she the commoner girl he had a conflict with during the placement exam?
As far as I know, they haven't had any close interaction since the placement exam, so why is he doing this?
Catherine's brain rapidly searched through all information regarding Greg and Victoria, trying to find a logical connection, but found nothing.
This was entirely outside any model of interest exchange she knew, and beyond the realm of her understanding of human nature.
Unconditionally transferring massive profits that rightfully belonged to him to someone he wasn't even close with—someone he even had friction with?
What was this? Selflessness? Devotion? Or atonement?
For the first time in a negotiation, Catherine felt things spiraling out of her control.
Greg's request was so abnormal, so unreasonable, that for a moment, she was genuinely at a loss for how to respond.
Rate on N.U.
