Ch.BONUSOutside. Match Fixing

This is a viable business.

No, to be precise, it was a business that couldn’t fail.

‘Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I’ve been missing out.’

After watching a soccer match, Yonder muttered while clenching his fist.

He was a young man living in Wellington City, the second largest city in the Empire and the capital of the Wellesley duchy.

His occupation was a leather craftsman.

He worked in a factory that processed high-quality leather raw materials sent from the northern forests to produce various products. Being quite skilled, he had earned the position of team leader at a young age and received a decent salary.

Thanks to this, Yonder enjoyed a fairly comfortable standard of living.

He ate nutritious meals three times a day, took hot baths every other day, and could relieve stress by having a beer with colleagues on weekends. He even took extended vacations to travel about once a year.

However, human greed knows no bounds.

Lately, Yonder had been feeling dissatisfied.

‘If I keep living like this, I’ll be a factory worker my whole life.’

Would he have the title of foreman in about five years?

Becoming a foreman seemed achievable, but honestly, becoming a process manager or factory director seemed difficult. Those weren’t positions one could get with technical skills alone. Yonder had a slight—no, a significant—fondness for alcohol, which had left some blemishes on his attendance record.

Was there a way to escape the hamster wheel life of a skilled craftsman? This was the thought that had been dominating Yonder’s mind recently.

That’s when soccer caught his eye.

Soccer.

It was one of the leisure activities responsible for weekends in the Empire these days. It was also a field that King Erick, in his 21st year of reign, showed some interest in.

Players selected from factories, government offices, schools, and other organizations represented their institutions. Initially just a hobby activity, now there were players who treated it almost like a profession.

Though he had only recently taken an interest in soccer, the games themselves were fairly entertaining.

And betting money on wins, draws, or losses was even more fun.

Soccer lottery. It was a game where you could bet from a minimum of 10,000 to a maximum of 100,000 Lyra. Honestly, Yonder hadn’t had much luck, but occasionally when he hit the mark, it gave him a thrilling feeling.

Looking at it now, he thought that this soccer lottery might hold the path to the big break he’d been longing for.

What if he could manipulate the match results as he wished?

Thinking it through carefully, it didn’t seem that difficult.

Just one player. Specifically, recruiting just one defender seemed enough to manipulate the match results. It was because he could exploit the rules of soccer.

‘Penalty… if a foul is committed inside that area, it gives the opposing team an easy scoring opportunity. So if I persuade one defender to commit a foul, wouldn’t that work?’

From Yonder’s perspective, a single goal in soccer was extremely important. Sometimes matches ended without any goals at all.

In such a sport, if he could easily help a specific team score one goal? It seemed like it would have a decisive impact on the outcome.

Of course, a detailed plan would be needed to reduce risks, but he could establish the basic direction. Bribing a defender, intentional fouls, score manipulation. Then Yonder would just need to place his bets accordingly.

‘The betting limit of 100,000 is a bit restrictive. How can I make money with that? …No, there must be a way around that too. After all, it’s a system run by people.’

Yonder, marveling at his own idea, decided to take immediate action.

First, recruiting a defender to use for manipulation was the top priority.

The leather factory where Yonder worked also had a soccer team, but they were terrible. They lost most weekend matches and couldn’t even qualify for inter-territory competitions. There was no point in manipulating their games.

‘It doesn’t matter. I have other connections.’

His target for recruitment was the “Wellington Mining” soccer team, the strongest in the duchy. It was a team composed of miners, all with excellent strength and physique.

And among the defenders on that team, Yonder happened to have a friend. He’d heard this friend had quite a good standing within the team.

Good, let’s go for it.

First, he needed to break the ice. If he suddenly appeared and suggested a partnership, it would likely cause resistance. He should buy his friend a drink to gain favor, then look for an opportunity to propose the partnership.

Having finally found the opportunity of a lifetime… Yonder wanted to do it properly.

If things went according to Yonder’s wishes, he might be able to quit the leather factory soon. No more cutting his hands with leather knives or having his body permeated with the smell of leather. He could probably live comfortably just watching soccer.

It was a sweet future just to imagine.

With a spring in his step, Yonder left the soccer field. He was eager to meet his friend, the recruitment target, as soon as possible.

*

A few hours later.

‘Huh, this guy. What an appetite.’

Sitting across from his friend “Callum” after a long time, Yonder let out a hollow laugh while staring at his friend.

A meal of herring steak and potato cheese bake, accompanied by wine.

The herring steak was made with fresh fish transported using cold magic rather than salt-preserved. Though Yonder was a skilled craftsman, it was a significant expense. His athletic friend was eating an enormous amount.

“Yonder, can I have another plate? Are you really paying for this? What’s the occasion?”

“Y-yeah.”

It stung his wallet, but there was no choice.

They hadn’t hung out together in almost a year. To restore their friendship and propose a partnership, he had to accept some expenses.

‘But I should start looking for an opportunity soon.’

As if sensing Yonder’s burning impatience, Callum brought up an interesting topic.

“Ah, we didn’t have a match against other teams today, but we had an internal scrimmage. In some ways, this is even more intense. It determines the starting lineup. If you lose out to other guys, you have to sit on the bench and just watch, and I hate that.”

“Right. Keeping your starting position is important.”

“I’m not bragging, but starters get pretty good treatment. We get the day off after matches, and if we win the regional tournament, the mayor even gives us prize money. …Where else could you find such a fortunate life? Hehe.”

Callum seemed satisfied with his life.

He actually did seem happy. He had some complaints about his position as a defender, but at least he thought it was better than just being a miner. He even said it made it easier to pick up women.

‘But it can’t be as good as the life I’m about to propose.’

They’d had enough to drink. It was time to get to the point.

“Um, Callum. By the way, what’s your reputation like within the team? Do you get scolded a lot by the coach or teammates if you concede a goal?”

“Well, it’s not just the defenders’ fault when we concede.”

“Then what about when you commit a foul in the penalty area while trying to be aggressive? Do you get excluded from the starting lineup then?”

“There are situations where you have to make a tackle no matter what, so not necessarily. But why are you asking about this stuff? What’s going on?”

Callum began to give him a suspicious look, along with advice to forget about it if he was thinking of starting soccer at this late stage.

‘I should make my proposal now.’

After pondering for a while, Yonder finally opened his mouth with a serious expression. He felt he was rushing a bit, but there was no time to waste.

“Want to start a business with me?”

“A business? I’m busy.”

“No, it’s related to your main activity, so you won’t waste any extra time. It’s not causing trouble for anyone, just a clever way to make money.”

“Tell me about it first.”

Yonder explained the general business plan.

Callum’s reaction was… fortunately not bad.

He occasionally nodded while making thoughtful sounds, and even chimed in with, “It would definitely work when playing against teams of similar strength.” He even expressed amazement at how Yonder had come up with such a good idea.

‘Good, he’s taking the bait. That’s enough.’

Confident that he had already crossed the major hurdle, Yonder continued talking.

As long as you maintain your starting position, this is a method we can use for years, if someone gives you suspicious looks, you can recruit another teammate to expand our allies, let’s make good money together-.

Yonder’s mind was already filled with visions of success.

Though he hadn’t achieved anything yet, just the imagination made him feel warm inside. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah… if it works, it would definitely make money.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Honestly, it’s not even hurting anyone. Are you in?”

Yonder urged his friend with an excited expression. He needed to get permission first before he could try anything. If they hurried, they might be able to enjoy the benefits starting from the next match.

But then Callum, this big eater, suddenly brought up something completely irrelevant.

“…There was a teammate named Sandy. He was our team’s ace until early this year. Though inconsistent, he was fast and good at physical confrontations.”

“Why are you suddenly… well, go on.”

“But he quit soccer now. No, soccer isn’t the issue—I’m not even sure if he’s still alive. He’s working in a sulfur mine. You might know, but that’s a labor camp for prisoners. They say it’s like hell.”

“……”

Why was his friend acting like this?

Something felt off.

Yonder unconsciously licked his lips while anxiously looking at his friend Callum. The lighthearted expression he had while devouring herring and wine was gone, replaced by a grim face.

“Yonder.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

“Why do you think that bastard was dragged to the sulfur mine?”

Bastard, what? Yonder couldn’t answer and just blinked his eyes.

He had no idea why his mouth was suddenly going dry.