"You are free to seek a second opinion, as long as I am the one administering your gioncore card creation," Mary offered, having figured me as a maximizer, who cannot choose until they have examined every possible option to ensure they are getting the absolute best.
Well, she wasn't wrong to assume that, as my hesitation did stem from my hope for more options so I could make an informed decision and end with the absolute best.
However, I realized then that gioncore cards were not something one shopped for. It was closer to a medical procedure, where you trusted the judgment of the doctor rather than weighing products on a shelf. And in that regard, Mary was exceptional.
Over the past day, I had come to understand that she was something of a rising star in the research world. Not just any junior researcher could have accomplished what she did with the launch of my G-book. I mean, the way she had gotten renowned researchers to discuss my G-books within their Grim Web communities made it all seem effortless. She was something else.
"No need for a second opinion, I trust you." I shook my head. I trusted Mary's expert recommendation. It was just that I was suffering from a severe case of maximizing. After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime decision, and there would be no going back.
Like me, Mary had a lot riding on my gioncore card creation. As she herself had said, this achievement would be recorded in the annals of history, because I was a grimlock chosen outside of Grimmyth. Her reputation and future were at stake. She could not afford to make a single mistake.
Yes, I knew my gioncore and future were at stake. Realizing that our interests were aligned, and that this was far more than just another assignment for her, was deeply reassuring.
I had also done my own research on gioncore card creation. For any grimlock, the two greatest obstacles were capital and access to the chosen grimmon's gioncore stems. Finding a grimmon whose gioncore was compatible with, or complementary to, one's grim cypher was no longer an issue, thanks to centuries of accumulated human records and research related to Grimmyth.
With my G-book sales, I had secured the necessary capital. And Mary had gone a step further, carefully identifying and recommending a grimmon whose gioncore was not only highly compatible with my grim cypher, but also complemented it, with gioncore stems that were readily available at the institute. She had effectively covered every possible base, yet remained humble enough to brush it off, claiming that our timing had simply been perfect.
I would be foolish to let my indecision cause me to miss the "perfect timing" she had brought me. Sometimes, you simply have to take a leap of faith.
"So, how much is it going to cost me?" I asked. After all, the Crowned Death was a legendary grimmon, and a Grimlock Crowned Death was rare even among its kind. Not to mention, extracting gioncore stems from one was a tedious and life-threatening task for a team of legendary grimlocks.
"Not much. Three hundred and fifty million G-coins," Mary replied nonchalantly. When she noticed the grim look on my face, she let out a sigh and added, "That's the discounted price."
I knew legendary gioncore stems would be expensive, but I hadn't expected a figure with that many digits. Still, since Mary had dared to recommend this option to me, I assumed she had already considered a way for me to afford it. So, I remained silent and waited for her explanation.
"Don't worry about the money. I've already discussed it with the institute's management," Mary said. "Based on your G-book sales projections, they believe that, with support from their channels, they can push your sales to two hundred million copies globally. They're willing to loan you the gioncore stems interest free to help you create your gioncore card, on the condition that all earnings from your G-book sales are first used to recover their loan and half of the donation you promised to the institute. As for taxes, you don't need to worry. Technically, you won't be earning anything."
As Mary laid out the management's arrangement on my behalf, I was reminded of a classic quote/meme from my Earth: if you owe the bank a hundred dollars, that's your problem. If you owe the bank a hundred million, that's the bank's problem.
"What if the book sales don't live up to their projections?" I asked because declaring bankruptcy was the worst thing one can do on this Earth unless you don't mind being turned into a card servent. "We should only stretch our legs as far as our blanket allows. If you know what I mean." I said this knowing that things do not always go exactly as planned. Crayon's parents' tragedy was a perfect reminder of that.
Mary smiled and replied with confidence, "I've already accounted for that. I made it clear that they're investing in the sales of your G-book, and like any investment, it carries its own risks. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, you won't be held liable for their losses. I made sure that the clause is clearly stated in the contract."
I was relieved that Mary had thought of everything and handled it so thoroughly. I also wasn't surprised by how accommodating the institute had been. After all, based on their projections, the twenty percent of my G-book's profits that I had promised to donate would exceed one hundred million G-coins. The more copies my G-book sold, the more they stood to gain. In that sense, they weren't simply helping me. They were helping themselves.
Fortunately for me, I had chosen the right person to represent me. I wasn't being shortchanged in this deal and didn't need to intervene personally. I could have pushed to reduce the donation percentage, but that would have been greedy and lacking in good faith. The institute was already offering me substantial support as it was.
"Great. Where do I sign?" I agreed, no longer hesitating, as the deal satisfied all my requirements.
"I'll convey your intent to them," Mary said. "If everything goes according to my calculations, we can begin your gioncore card creation as early as tomorrow morning. For now, just wait for the good news." She assured me, already preparing to handle the arrangements personally.