Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary - Chapter 362

Chapter 362: Chapter 362 Everyone Has a Price
“How did you even know about my ship being a modified cargo vessel? I never divulged that to the public.”

Avery had certainly stated that he was having a carrier ship built for his growing mercenary team and that he would be looking for new recruits to join him in the near future, but he never stated any particulars about the craft.

The details of the construction should have only been known internally within Storren Corp. and even few should have been aware that the custom vessel was being made for Avery.

“I have my ways.” Cerise said, not giving Avery a clear answer.

He felt frustrated that his private information had been so easily obtained by her, but there was nothing he could really do about it. No doubt if she truly wanted to investigate him, she could find out everything about him, perhaps even things that Avery did not know himself.

“Fine, let’s just say that my team and I meet your criteria. My carrier vessel is still under construction and is going to take several more months to complete. Also, I need to gather up enough people for a crew and have everyone get accustomed to their new environment. Those things are going to take a lot of time, and what you’re asking us to do isn’t a simple job. It’s too risky an endeavor.”

Cerise nodded her head, agreeing that Avery’s concerns were all valid.

If at any point they got caught during their infiltration, there was a good chance that his entire team would be killed.

Of course, mercenary work always came with danger, and typically the more hazardous the job, the better it paid.

“I understand that I’m asking for a lot, and I don’t expect you to get started the moment that you’ve got your carrier ship. There will be plenty for me to set up on my end before I would need you anyway. This is going to be a long-term operation. I just figured that I would bring the proposal to you now since we’re able to meet face to face.”

Avery understood where Cerise was coming from, it certainly was able to make a deal when speaking in person. Plus, she had just saved his team from an attack by corrupt officers and helped to smooth out the aftermath.

Naturally, this left a favorable impression, and Avery was inclined to assist her, but what she wanted him to do was a bit too harrowing for his taste.

The types of requests that he was most interested in were fighting priates, hunting space monsters, or guarding merchant vessels.

These were typical requests for mercenaries, and recently Avery felt like he was being dragged into things outside of the normal mercenary purview and into fields that only a few specialists usually dabbled in.

“I truly am grateful for what you’ve done for me and my team, but I don’t think I can accept your offer. Undercover work isn’t our specialty, and the dangers this time are too great. I’m flattered you brought this to me; however, I’ll have to decline.” Avery said, putting what he thought was an end to this matter.

“Hm, that’s unfortunate. Very much so. I’m not sure where I’ll be able to find someone as well suited for this mission as you. I was even willing to pay you this much per day.”

Cerise then slid her tablet over to Avery that had a very enticing eight-digit number on it.

Avery’s eyes bulged when he saw the amount that Cerise would be offering to pay him.

It was far more than he was expecting, and something he could hardly believe she would be able to get past the Alliance Police’s accounting department. After all, over just a few days, that amount would have been enough to buy an entirely new warship.

“Are you serious?! Fifteen million Krenin a day!”

“Yes, this is an important matter, and you’re uniquely capable of handling it thanks to that modified cargo ship you had commissioned. It would likely cost the Alliance Police far more to build such a craft ourselves and then crew it, so I believe that this is a fair payment for your services. Ah, and of course there’s the possibility for bonuses depending on what you accomplish. You’ll find that I’m quite generous with the mercenaries that I hire.” Cerise said, flashing Avery a seemingly sincere smile.

Nevertheless, he felt an ominous chill down his spine.

If Cerise was willing to pay him this much, that meant she was expecting results worth the price. No doubt that he would be worked hard, and the threats would be extensive.

‘This wouldn’t be a short mission though. It could easily last several months. In that time, we could make more money than we ever have before. Even if I account for everyone’s share, the profits will still be enormous.’

Avery could not deny that he felt tempted, but a nagging feeling in the back of his head was telling him not to get involved in this.

He had already seen what lengths the Odium Syndicate was willing to go just to kill a single individual that had betrayed them. No doubt that if they figured out he was a spy working for Cerise, their response would be a hundred times more volatile.

“No, I still have to refuse. I have to prioritize the safety of my team. Especially considering what just happened, I don’t want to risk any more losses.” Avery said, fighting the temptation of the money presented to him.

“That a shame. I can’t fault you though.”

Cerise exaggeratedly sighed and pulled the tablet back.

Yet, she almost immediately pushed it back in front of Avery after changing the displayed figure.

Now it displayed eighteen million, a far from insignificant increase and a truly mindboggling amount of money to earn every single day without question.

“I’ll also throw in a couple of other perks. A hundred million Krenin upfront in lieu of payment for the first five days. And once the operation is completed, no matter the outcome, I’ll recommend to the Mercenary Association that you should be promoted to a six star mercenary. Someone with as many ships under their command and soon to own a carrier comparable to a battleship is beyond being a five star. Honestly, that’s basically rank fraud.” Cerise said, trying to flatter Avery and appeal to his ego.

With this much being offered to him, it was difficult for Avery to sort out his thoughts.

On one hand was the immense danger of the mission, and on the other were the amazing rewards that anyone would jump at.

“This is a lot to be offering us when you’ve never really worked with us before. You aren’t planning on using us as sacrificial pawns, are you?”

Having been sitting by quietly all of this time, Jasmine spoke up since she had a unique perspective on how the Alliance Police worked.

It was a normal practice to hire mercenaries to supplement gaps in manpower, but while there were not too many officers that operated this way, there were some that used mercenaries as easily expendable pieces.

“No, I’d never even consider something like that. I’ve worked with a number of mercenaries during my time with the Alliance Police and I know how valuable their trust is. I may be called the greatest hero of the Alliance, but there have been times when even I’ve been backed into a corner I couldn’t get out of on my own. It was the mercenaries that I’d hired that have saved me from a number of deadly situations. I understand well how important it is to work honestly with them.” Cerise said, not attempting to hide anything.

Momentarily, Avery glanced over towards Kasandra, and she affirmed that what Cerise was saying was the truth.

There was something else Avery noticed in her eyes, and it was the excited gleam of a major payday.

‘If this was a cartoon, she’d have giant Krenin signs bulging out of her eyes.’ Avery thought, wearing an amused expression.

He then looked towards Ezra and Olivvia who were present as well, but they did not show any signs of being averse to the job Cerise was offering them. The money was great, and the undeniable boost to their reputation if they succeeded was bound to bring in many more high paying jobs in the future.

“With these terms, I can’t really continue to refuse. I’ll accept so long as it’s part of the contract that we won’t be called in until at least six months after I receive my carrier ship. That’s the minimum amount of time that we’ll probably need to get acclimated to it.”

“Sure, that is reasonable. I’ll have the full details written up within the next couple of days. All you’ll need to do is sign and then everything will be done. Of course, you’ll receive the one hundred million Krenin advance immediately.” Cerise said, looking pleased that the negations had ended favorably for her.