Chapter 1629 Qualifications [8]
What Rakon said was relatively standard in terms of sponsorship. He didn't want to invest too much into geniuses he'd just met, but he also wanted to give off a friendly impression in case they turned out to be more than they already were.
What he offered them was simple.
"Resources."
"I can give you access to resources that you can't imagine right now, and I can take you to training locations that will easily boost your strength. Plus, having a connection to the Scorch Clan and Ignis Clan could never be bad, right?"
There was a more detailed explanation, but he needed to hook them first. He was ready to give them what they needed to become great dragons even if they didn't win the heir wars.
"And all I ask for in return is your cooperation and hospitality when it's all over."
He wasn't giving them a free contract. At the end of it, they would owe him a favor that would probably outweigh the level of aid he provided them.
'That's how this always goes, right?'
Qinglong was captured into slavery against his will, but after he was purchased, he was given a similar deal.
He was told that he could work off his slavery and earn his freedom back as long as he promised his owner a favor in the future.
However, when he approached that man with the money, he was met with betrayal.
It was expected, but it was still a humiliating moment for the young Azure Dragon.
Deals like these were presented often in the world. Young geniuses were easy to scam.
Not all of them were nefarious, and Rakon definitely didn't seem like he had nefarious intentions, but he was not an individual entity.
'He's directly connecting this to his clan. When that favor comes, it won't be to him, it will be to them as a whole.'
And at that point, nobody could say what they'd be asked to do.
Rakon talked for several minutes before he was finished. As he looked to the two youths for their answers, August sighed.
"I'll have to decline your offer, but I do appreciate it," he said.
Unfortunately, neither his father nor his ancestor were any good at pleasantries, but he did his best to sound friendly.
"Can you tell me why?" Rakon asked, his brow raised.
August thought for a moment before answering.
"I think…I want to try and fight on my own. Maybe after I've established myself, we can talk about sponsorships again."
"I see…"
Rakon frowned for a second before fixing his expression.
"What about you, then?"
Rakon looked towards Melania, who was silent with her brows furrowed.
'It looks like she has a lot more to consider than I do.' August thought.
A woman had come to his side and subtly given him a cue to exit the room.
He immediately rejected it, so it was obvious that he'd never even considered the offer. If Melania was going to seriously entertain it, it was best for her to have a more comfortable environment with less prying eyes.
August didn't mind.
He followed the woman out of the room and down an elevator that connected to the suspended balcony. He was shown to a door on the opposite side of the building from where he entered and escorted off the premises.
'They're succinct.'
August was given all the necessary information about the elimination round on his way out, along with an emblem that he could use to identify himself when the time came.
'I have a week.'
In a few days, the qualification round would end. Only a few days after that, they'd be sent straight to the elimination round to duke it out for their final places.
'They're really rushing it.'
It wasn't just inside the facility. The entire process for admitting commoners into the heir wars was compressed into the least possible amount of time.
'It's probably because the heir wars should already be underway. Was there a delay of some kind?'
August shrugged. He didn't know anything, so there was no point in trying to guess.
'More importantly, I now have a week of free time.'
Barring the time he used for regular training, he could do whatever he wanted for the next seven days.
'And…Dad left me a lot of money.'
August's eyes shined.
'It wouldn't hurt, right…?'
After only recently entering society, August had been focused on doing what he had to do. That was mainly because he didn't have much time left to take the qualification test.
However, his father had been especially stern in telling him.
"Don't overwork yourself. If you want to explore and relax your mind, then do it without regrets."
It was a little ironic that Damien was being so serious when he was telling August to have fun, but it was just a reflection of his strong sentiment.
August looked into the city separated from him by a large green field.
'Then, let's not waste any time.'
There was too much to see and too little time.
So August wasn't going to let even a single second go wasted!
***
Without an ounce of overstatement, August spent the rest of the day eating.
Nobody could comprehend his voracious appetite. Damien managed to feed him solely because he had the power to create animals out of mana, but anyone else would've suffered immensely.
That was exactly the reason Damien gave August so much money.
He predicted this scenario.
August went to every food stall he saw, sat down at eight different restaurants, and practically drained several vendors of everything they had to offer in the span of 6 hours.
By the time night fell, August was in some random part of the city that he couldn't even find on a map.
As he glanced around, there were only slightly rundown buildings everywhere, most of which were houses.
'And…I'm lost.'
He had no idea where he was.
He followed his nose here because he smelled something delectable, expecting there to be a large restaurant in the vicinity.
But after an hour of searching, he realized that the smell was coming from someone's house, and at that point, he had to give up on his quest.
August scratched his head awkwardly.
'Well, I have to make my way back to the city so I can find somewhere to stay…'
Where was the city? He had no idea, but that was his goal.
August continued to walk around. He followed his nose and his eyes, searching for signs of more active areas.
He figured that the city would still be alive at this time of night, unlike where he was now.
However, he didn't end up finding what he wanted.
His path took him further outside of the city, and the houses around him became more and more decrepit.
Slumping down against a nearby wall, August sighed again.
'Now I'm foodless and homeless.'
The outside world was great, but he was also not equipped to deal with it yet.
'Life was definitely a lot easier when Dad was here.'
August didn't think about it when he was out and about, occupying himself with activity after activity, but now that he was alone and stuck with his thoughts, loneliness started to dawn on him.
'An entire week, huh…'
He didn't think he'd be able to take it as easily as he originally expected.
'I guess I'll just go train.'
He didn't want to sleep on the ground, but he didn't want to waste the night searching for the city. It would be easier in the daytime.
His best option was to just spend the night practicing. He could worry about his problems later.
But perhaps it was because he was a lucky person.
Just as he had that thought, he saw the shadow of a person in the distance.
'...is that?'
It was a familiar face.
'My savior…!'
August rushed over without hesitation.
They'd only met briefly, and they'd only met today…
…yet, right now, Melania Achen was his only hope of finding shelter.
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