Dynasty Awakening: Building My Own Football Empire-Chapter 278: Silent Assassin

CRASH

"What the fuck was that noise?"

The groundskeepers on the adjacent pitch heard the sound of glass shattering, causing a few of them to drop their rakes in fright.

THUD

Once again a sound echoed, this time the dull thud of a football hitting a brick wall, allowing them to finally pinpoint the source of the noise.

"Who is that maniac? And why is he throwing balls over Mrs. Higgins’ fence?"

CRASH

"W-What the hell..."

The sound was so loud that the academy players on the nearby pitch were having difficulty focusing on their passing drills. Since the majority of them were teenagers hoping to impress, seeing Michael Sterling’s fierce expression while launching what could be classed as a deadly projectile was enough to deter anyone from asking him to politely stop.

Even the few parents who had decided to watch from the car park were intimidated by the sight of the manager in a full suit, choosing to do their best to ignore it.

"Full time. Session over."

The morning tactical session ended once more without a breakthrough from the B-team, keeping the mood tense. Arthur Milton, the assistant manager, trudged out of the garden shed with some annoyance on his face, feeling humiliated by the fact he had to retrieve the balls from the angry neighbor’s hydrangeas.

Since he was the one who usually handled logistics, expectations for his bravery weren’t high. But something about Mrs. Higgins’ face when she threatened to call the council pissed him off.

"Arthur, how is the team’s morale?" Kenji Sato asked, walking into the garden, deciding whether or not it was time for a motivational speech (or a bonus).

In the midst of dusting soil off his suit, Arthur turned and replied confidently. "The boys still got plenty of fight left in them, Boss."

"Mmm good. Let’s not let them get any doubts, I’ll figure something else out for the press conference." Kenji said mysteriously, checking his Rolex.

Kenji’s eyes were focused on the man in the distance who had been throwing balls for the entire hour. He had noticed it from the beginning.

Each throw that Michael performed was timed perfectly with the imaginary movement of a goalkeeper. He was visualizing and adjusting it perfectly, despite being so far away from an actual pitch.

’Looks like he’s eager to get into the game himself.’ The billionaire thought, rubbing the stubble on his chin in contemplation.

"Just another 50 or so more and I’ll be done with my Game Changer calibration," Michael mumbled to himself.

He found it easier to throw when visualizing the opposition keeper, it helped him calibrate his mental training with the physical reality of his new ambidextrous skill.

Unaware of the misunderstanding his throwing practice had brought (mostly that he was having a breakdown), Michael continued to do the same with Arthur retrieving the balls from the bushes.

Despite throwing well over 100 balls this morning, Michael still persisted.

’There’s no way I’m letting Pep out-throw me on the touchline... Not today.’

Channeling his inner strength, the chaotic manager began his wind-up and sent the ball flying towards the open window of the shed.

SMASH

The ball hit the frame poorly and ricocheted straight towards the patio doors. Arthur didn’t even have to move from his spot and was able to duck to avoid the shards of glass.

"Safe."

"One window down! Nice work Boss."

’Yes! This is good.’

Michael was all smiles as he went back to the bucket of balls. He only needed to get a couple more perfect throws and they would be on the front foot tactically.

Luck seemed to be on their side as the next throw also landed perfectly in the bucket. He sent the ball flying straight up into the air and into the waiting arms of Arthur.

"Nice work Arthur!"

The imaginary dugout cheered in response to the play.

"2 perfect throws! One more and then it’s tactics time."

Even the birds on the fence were getting into it, eager to see if the window would survive.

There were only 2 people in the garden who seemed out of sorts, not matching the fervent atmosphere.

One was Sarah who had somehow managed to make her way back to the patio after barely surviving Mrs. Higgins’ verbal assault. Judging by how flushed her face was, she looked as if she had crawled through a hedge to escape.

The other was Kaito Tanaka, who currently had a pouting look on his face, peeking over the fence.

’Here I thought we would be able to chat about my new hamstrings... Stupid Boss.’

He wasn’t really upset, just a little disappointed. It was one thing if Michael was focused on the game, but he had left the training ground right after the session without so much as a word about the titanium upgrade.

In a huff, he decided to go look for Michael.

Leaving the bustling training complex, he walked over to the manager’s house (which was conveniently next door) and coincidently saw the man he was looking for throwing balls like a lunatic. His gaze was focused intently on the shed as he continued to sharpen his form.

Kaito’s face softened considerably.

’He must want to win so badly.’ He thought, inwardly forgiving him for ditching him earlier.

Meanwhile, Michael was busy counting down his remaining throws in his head, feeling his shoulder muscles begin to get heavy from fatigue.

Even though it had only been a few days since he began the 2nd part of the Impossible Fortress mission rewards, he could already feel the small increase in the strength of his left arm.

"Hey Boss. I finally tracked you down," Kaito said, feeling his stomach flutter a little (mostly from hunger).

Michael was so focused that he didn’t even hear his soft voice.

"Full time. Change!"

The imaginary players in Michael’s head began to head back to their respective dugouts.

"Ahem." Kaito cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward standing in the garden.

Michael turned around from the shed, finally noticing him. His eyes went wide since he wasn’t expecting Kaito to be alone and looking for him. He felt his heart skip a beat seeing how fit he looked with the S-Grade Elixir effect.

His beautiful, titanium-reinforced legs were standing strong, leaving Michael feeling almost out of breath with relief.

"Hey, sorry I was a little preoccupied with the window." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head and smiling awkwardly.

Despite vowing that he would treat Kaito as just a player, there was still a deep part of him that found it difficult. Perhaps it was the lower-league version of himself that kept rising to the surface, eroding at his rationality.

After all, he had the biggest managerial crush on this player in his previous life. Kaito was the one that got away.

"Why aren’t you resting those legs?" Michael asked, wiping sweat from his brow with a suit handkerchief.

"There’s no need, I already feel invincible." Kaito said simply, flexing his quad.

Michael rolled his eyes in response, "Maybe you should check out the glass on the floor?"

"Hmm?" Kaito seemed a little surprised at Michael’s words, yet he still went to the side of the patio and peeked in at the carnage.

It was currently a mess of shards and balls.

"Huh? You broke another one?" He asked.

"The wind changed direction in the 2nd throw and I’ve yet to get a decent arc since then." Michael explained, lying through his teeth.

"Did Arthur tell you to come get me?"

Kaito shook his head in response. "No, I just thought you might want to talk about the tactics for tomorrow."

Michael was thoughtful for a while, but he eventually nodded. "Thanks but I’ll just practice from here."

With that, Michael took up position and once again began his throwing. He still wanted to get his 500 in before they got on the bus today.

"Is that who I think it is?" Michael’s eyes narrowed, seeing a figure make his way up the garden path.

The man had an angular face and a suit that cost more than the shed, giving him a slight shark vibe. His eyes were sharp, matching with his sleek hairstyle and overall aesthetic.

"Jean-Pierre Dubois... I don’t remember inviting him to my garden." Michael mumbled, his intrigue slowly rising.

The agent walked forward, stepping over a broken flowerpot, making a crunching sound as he landed squarely in front of Michael.

Michael’s eyes widened in response.

"Now it’s become interesting." He said with a smile.

He waited for the first words and imagined himself in the negotiation room.

CRUNCH

Jean-Pierre stepped forward and let his voice rip through the air, creating an almighty offer.

"150 million. Cash."

Michael didn’t flinch. He picked up a ball. He wound up his left arm.

"Get off my lawn, Jean-Pierre."

WHOOSH

The ball flew past the agent’s ear, smashing into the shed door with a resounding thud.

Jean-Pierre blinked. He looked at the ball. He looked at Michael.

"You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Sterling."

"I drive a Misfit bargain," Michael grinned. "And the price is now 200 million. Plus a new greenhouse for Mrs. Higgins."

Kaito watched from the sidelines, his eyes wide.

’My Boss is crazy,’ he thought. ’But he’s my crazy.’

And in that moment, the bond between manager and player solidified into something unbreakable. Something that even 200 million pounds couldn’t buy.

"Right," Michael dusted off his hands. "Arthur! Get the jelly babies. We have a title to win."