"Hahaha... Hahahaha."

Mr. Hector's laughter echoed throughout the room. He laughed freely like an antagonist, his laugh like that while fighting before.

"I never expected that you even wield two swords. Look... even my mithril swords are almost destroyed from fighting you."

Mr. Hector showed me his mithril swords, covered in scratches and cracks. Ironically, it was his swords that suffered damage despite his consecutive attacks.

"My swords would be completely destroyed if I continued the fight, and it would be detrimental to me if it persisted."

"That's not true. It was actually me who received the consecutive attacks."

I just happened to have a good sword and skills that helped me avoid defeat. Without those two factors, I would have lost from the start. Mr. Hector was a veteran warrior with a Rank B, possessing far more combat experience than me, who only relied on the abilities granted by the god.

"I admit that many of your movements still felt rigid, but despite that, you were able to hold your own in our fight. You still have a lot of potential for further development. I could sense it in our brief battle," Mr. Hector acknowledged.

"Well, thank you for the praise. But why didn't you just use a stronger sword from the beginning if your intention was to see my strength and test the limits of my sword? You could have won faster or even fought longer without abruptly stopping the battle with the excuse of a damaged sword," I questioned.

He already knew how powerful the sword I was using was. Wouldn't it seem careless for him to use an imbalanced sword, especially when he didn't fully understand the strength of the sword's wielder? In a fight to achieve victory, one should use their maximum strength and not underestimate the enemy's power.

"I value my precious swords more than a simulated victory like the one we had. I would actually be at a loss if I used my strongest sword and it ended up damaged like this," Mr. Hector replied, showing me his damaged mithril swords.

He approached the situation from the perspective of a calculating merchant rather than that of an ambitious adventurer determined to win.

"Just using mithril swords was enough to gauge the strength of your sword," he continued.

"I see..."

Indeed, from the beginning, Mr. Hector only wanted to see the strength of my sword. So there was no need to take the risk of sacrificing a sword of superior quality above mithril. In fact, I considered using the mithril sword to test the limits of my own sword to be somewhat wasteful, as mithril swords themselves held significant value. Mr. Hector was willing to sacrifice two high-quality mithril swords just to witness the limits of my sword's power.

"There's one important thing that I almost forgot, Vans. Who made your sword, or is it a type of inherited weapon?" Mr. Hector asked, his gaze sharp and focused on me.

I didn't have a good answer to respond to his question. It was impossible for me to say that I obtained both swords from a god who sent me to this world.

"Well, it's alright if you don't want to say. I guess sometimes people have their own secrets that can't be revealed," Mr. Hector said, even before I had a chance to answer.

"Vans, how about we make a contract?" he proposed.

"A contract? What do you mean?" I didn't understand what kind of contract Mr. Hector was referring to. There were various types of contracts I knew of, but at least I would listen first to the type of contract he would offer me. I could refuse if it would be detrimental to me.

"Before that, Vans, what is your adventurer rank?"

"I haven't registered as an adventurer yet. Maybe after this, I will go to the adventurer's guild."

"You haven't even registered as an adventurer yet?"

Mr. Hector was quite surprised to learn that I hadn't registered as an adventurer yet. I myself wasn't in a rush to become one. My purpose in joining the adventurers was merely to obtain an identification card. Besides, I still had plenty of money stored away. If I were to take on a job as an adventurer, it would probably be when my funds started running low.

"Well, that's alright. This contract can still be made even if you're not registered as an adventurer," Mr. Hector said.

"Then, what is the content of the contract?" I asked, seeking a more specific explanation. I wouldn't accept a contract without clear terms, and I would refuse any contract that would be detrimental to me.

"Since I failed to acquire your sword, at the very least, I'll acquire you yourself. In simple terms, my company will provide all your needs when you become an adventurer," he explained.

"And what does your company gain from making a contract with me?" I questioned. After all, the goal of a business partnership should be mutually beneficial.

"I will explain it one by one. Firstly, this contract will serve as a bond between my company and you," he replied.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Wait, I will refuse if this contract places me under your control," I interrupted Mr. Hector's explanation.

"It's not like that. Please wait until I finish explaining. This contract doesn't mean I will place you under my control. It's more like an investment. Many other companies offer similar contracts to talented adventurers or those with the potential to become great adventurers," he clarified.

"Alright, I understand. So, what's next?" I responded to Mr. Hector.

"When you have a contract with me under the name of the San-Holfier company, it means you are affiliated with my company. You won't be able to accept contracts from other companies once you've entered into a contract with mine. Similarly, other companies won't be able to offer you the same contract. As for the benefit to the company, they can exclusively obtain the services of an adventurer without going through the adventurer's guild as an intermediary," he explained.

"An exclusive contract, huh..." Livi murmured beside me.

"Well, it seems your companion understands more than you do," Mr. Hector remarked.

"She's my friend, not my companion," I quickly clarified, sensing potential danger.

"Ahem, well then, I'll continue. Typically, only a strong adventurer would receive this kind of contract. However, it's different in your case. I'm offering you this contract not just because of the strength of your sword, but also because of your potential to become a powerful adventurer. And you can also refuse any jobs assigned by the company if they don't suit you or become too burdensome," he elaborated.

"What about the evaluation of my skill improvement if I collaborate with your company? Isn't the assessment of an adventurer's value or rank under the jurisdiction of the Adventure Guild?" I inquired.

"Don't worry, in that case, the company will report to the adventurer's guild about every mission you complete for them," Mr. Hector assured me.

This means I just have to accept it. It seems that contracts like this have been professionally arranged between the guild and the company.

"And with a contract like this, the company doesn't need to bother submitting missions or requests to the adventurer's guild. The company can simply call upon adventurers who have already established a partnership with them," he explained.

"So, what do you think? Are you accepting it?" he asked.

As I listened to his explanation, it didn't seem like there was anything suspicious about the contract's terms. There didn't appear to be any potential harm to me.

"Isn't this also like an endorsement?" I questioned.

"Endorsements? What's that?" Mr. Hector seemed unfamiliar with the term.

"Ah... it's probably like advertising. It means that I would become a promotional medium for your company when I become a great adventurer because I am also affiliated with your company," I clarified.

"Well, that's another benefit the company gains. It's also another reason why I recruit strong and potential adventurers because I want to strengthen my company. And there are other companies that make me cautious and worried, like Ponzi Company," Mr. Hector elaborated.

"Ponzi Company???" I asked Mr. Hector.

It seemed to be a business competition between companies, and I vaguely remembered the name "Ponzi" from Edvans' memories.

"Yes, they also recruit many adventurers, and sometimes they use those adventurers for illegal activities... well, that's beyond the scope of our discussion. So, can you accept the contract?" he inquired.

"Alright, I will accept the contract, but can I add one condition?" I proposed.

"A condition? What is it?" he asked.

"Can I include Livi in this contract as well?" I requested. Earlier, Livi mentioned that she was a poor Rank F adventurer, and this could help improve her situation if she could be included in this contract.

"W-Wait, Vans, are you crazy? It's impossible... it's impossible for a Rank F like me to get an exclusive adventurer contract from a company," Livi objected, speaking loudly to me. This was the first time I had seen her speak so forcefully to me.

"Well, it should be fine, right? Even I, who was not registered as an adventurer, was able to get this contract," I replied.

"That's different. It's because you're strong and recognized," Livi retorted, raising her voice once again.

"Rank F, huh..." Mr. Hector said, stroking his chin.

"Look... even Mr. Hector seems hesitant. You're making strange demands, Vans," Livi commented to me.

"Alright, it's fine. I'll consider her a member of your party," Mr. Hector agreed.

"Eh... why did it end up like this?" Livi exclaimed, holding her head.

"See? As I said, there won't be any problems," I assured her.

I was confident that Mr. Hector wouldn't reject my condition. It would be more disadvantageous for him to refuse just because I included Livi's name. I knew my own value in this contract.

Finally, I signed the Exclusive Employment Contract with Holfier Company, and Mr. Hector called over the male servant who had led me to this room earlier. The servant handed me and Livi a white card, apparently a membership card or some kind of company affiliation card for Holfier Company.

"This... card," Livi muttered, looking at the card in her hand with a grim expression.

"Livi, do you know about this card?" I asked her.

"There are four types of Holfier Company membership cards, starting from the lowest, Iron Black, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The platinum color is usually reserved for chosen adventurers, typically high-ranking adventurers or high-ranking nobles. For someone like me to receive this card... it's too excessive," Livi explained, still burdened by holding the card. It should have been advantageous for her, but she seemed overwhelmed by it.

"You can use the card for transactions at all Holfier Company stores, and you will be exempt from fees. Additionally, there's an added balance of around one hundred thousand cryptos in the card that you can use outside of Holfier Company stores. It's like a credit card provided by Holfier Company to someone who has a special partnership with them. Not all platinum cards have a balance of one hundred thousand crypto. It's a special provision from the company for selected individuals. Consider it as a monthly payment from the company. Your two cards have the same balance. The cards can only be used at Holfier Company and at stores that have a partnership with Holfier Company. The balance will be replenished every month, and you cannot withdraw or convert the balance into cash. The company will block the card if suspicious or excessive transactions are detected," Mr. Hector explained in great detail, and I gladly accepted it.

After finishing all my business, I returned to the inn with Livi. As an additional benefit, all my purchases at Holfier Company stores today were exempt from charges. I also received some additional items like potions, a dagger, and a new outfit, and of course, I obtained two high-quality sword sheaths.

"Hey, Livi, there's no need to feel burdened like that," I reassured her.

"What... Why does everything end up like this?" Livi sighed, feeling overwhelmed.

By the way, besides receiving the same card as me, Livi also received two used mithril swords that had been previously used by Mr. Hector.

"Hey, Livi, smile. It doesn't mean I did something bad to you, right?" I tried to lighten the mood for Livi.

"What do you mean... This is the worst thing that has happened in my life. You have to take responsibility," Livi spoke loudly to me, unlike before when she always spoke softly.

"Damn, with this situation, I can't separate from you," Livi grumbled throughout the journey.

I couldn't respond to Livi's complaints, but it seemed like she would be like this for the next few days.