"An endorsement?"
Barbatos was momentarily bewildered.
Just yesterday, she'd been thinking that if she used the outfit of Barbatos from Genshin as her race uniform, she'd probably get slapped with a lawyer's warning letter or something from the game company.
But who would've thought that same company would actually send a contract, reach out to the shop that makes Uma Musume race outfits, and want her to be their brand ambassador?
This was just unbelievable!
A sudden sense of unreality washed over her.
She hadn't played Genshin in her previous life, and even now, she only knew a little about it—dabbled in some story bits, played very sparingly.
At most, she'd do some gacha pulls for her fans during her streams.
But she was still well aware of how massively popular Genshin was. Not only did it consistently rank at the top of mobile game charts in China, but even over in Japan, you'd often see Genshin posters plastered across subway stations.
That alone spoke volumes about its insane popularity.
Yet for such a wildly successful game to come looking for her endorsement? Did that even make sense?
Sure, she was pretty famous among active Uma Musume, and she was also a top-tier League streamer on China's little Bilibili site—but still, it felt surreal.
Perhaps sensing Barbatos's confusion, the middle-aged woman gestured politely.
"Shall we? Let's head inside and discuss the endorsement details properly."
"Alright."
Barbatos and Seiun Sky followed the woman past the public cosplay sales area and into a client reception room.
Compared to the outside, the interior had a distinctly different vibe—something that seemed to calm the mind and draw you in.
The woman guided the two to a seating area, then went to fetch the contract documents sent by the Genshin company, in passing bringing back two glasses of carrot juice.
For Uma Musume, carrot juice might not be their favorite drink, but it was certainly one of the most suitable.
When you didn't know someone's preferences, serving carrot juice was always a safe bet.
She set the glasses down in front of Barbatos and Seiun Sky, then handed over four copies of the contract.
The four copies represented two sets—the actual contract was only two pages long. The terms weren't overly complicated, with just seven or eight clauses outlining the main points.
Most of it focused on payment structure.
Once Barbatos decided to use the Genshin outfit as her race uniform, the company would pay her 5 million yen upfront. Then, for every race she won wearing it, she'd receive a minimum of 2 million yen.
The final payout would be adjusted based on the race's prestige and significance.
For example, the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies was considered the baseline. Only G1 races would count, and among those, the Youth Race tier had the lowest prestige.
If Barbatos won other G1 races, the reward would increase accordingly.
Especially for events like the Winter Dream Cup, or the Triple Crown races, the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho Double, the Mile Triple Crown, and so on—the winnings would stack.
Even maintaining a winning streak in G1 races would cause the payout to accumulate.
While 2 million yen wasn't a huge sum for Barbatos at this point, with repeated race wins, the total could become quite substantial.
It seemed the Genshin company was coming to the table with genuine sincerity.
That was Barbatos's take after reading the contract.
"But why would the Genshin company want me as their ambassador?"
"Is it because my presence has drawn more people to the game?"
"Most likely," the middle-aged woman said, taking a sip from her cup. "From what I understand, since you started competing, Genshin's popularity on our country's mobile game charts has climbed even higher."
"Also, according to the Genshin company, it seems your influence has boosted the game's heat back in China as well."
"From my perspective, this endorsement is a win-win situation."
"Of course, the final decision is yours."
"Alright, I'd like some time to think it over."
As she spoke, Barbatos glanced at Seiun Sky. Just from her expression, it was clear this was outside her wheelhouse too.
Seiun Sky was plenty sharp, no doubt—but this was territory she simply hadn't explored.
As for Barbatos herself, while she had life experience from her past world, she'd never done endorsement deals for game companies. She couldn't even tell if there were any hidden issues in the contract.
Even though this shop designed race outfits specifically for Tracen Academy and wouldn't likely screw her over…
She still pulled out her phone, snapped a photo of the contract, and sent it to her trainer, Minamizaka.
Minamizaka had considerable financial resources and likely a solid network. Even if he didn't understand it himself, he could ask around to verify whether the contract had any loopholes or if there was room to negotiate better terms.
"You're planning to sign the endorsement, aren't you?"
Seiun Sky's tone was more statement than question.
If she was already checking with Minamizaka, then Barbatos's mind was pretty much made up.
"Yeah, since it's just a race outfit anyway. Winning in it means extra cash—why turn down free money?"
That way, even if she retired from being an Uma Musume, didn't go pro in League of Legends, and stopped streaming, the money she'd make would be enough to live a comfortable, laid-back life.
Heck, she wouldn't even have to worry about her savings running out. If she earned enough, the interest from the bank alone would cover her.
Of course, that was just a thought. Slacking off completely? No way she'd let herself get that lazy.
A short while later, Minamizaka replied: "The contract looks fine."
"If you sign with the Genshin company, it's a pretty good opportunity. You can make the call on this one yourself."
That's what he said on LINE.
The compensation offered in the contract was quite reasonable. Sure, things like the Triple Crown, Spring-Autumn Double, or Mile Triple Crown seemed almost like empty promises for now—distant and intangible.
After all, how many Uma Musume in history had actually achieved the Triple Crown? How many had pulled off the Spring-Autumn Double?
But the rewards for regular G1 races were already decent. All Barbatos had to do was wear a race uniform themed around Genshin.
Barbatos: Got it.
After replying to Minamizaka, she went ahead and signed the contract without hesitation.
No point dragging things out. Besides, it was a chance to support and promote a mobile game from her homeland.
"Ms. Barbatos, you're very decisive. Now, let's discuss our matters."
The middle-aged woman looked over the signed contract.
Since the deal with the Genshin company was settled, it was time to talk about the race uniform. Even if they were using a Genshin-inspired design, they still had to pick one and tweak the details.
Like that Archon outfit—surely she couldn't run barefoot, right?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.