Most of the players were farmers, craftsmen, carpenters, blacksmiths, miners, and even barbers. They were already thrilled to play football occasionally, and earning one or two gold coins a month was enough to make them run enthusiastically all over the field.
The anticipated substantial revenue from football lotteries was more than enough to cover these players' meager wages.
However, Freyr had no intention of missing out on maximum profits... He even had Focker contact the largest fur merchant in a nearby city—a merchant who had long supplied the Russell family with various furs.
Freyr promised that in the future "football league," local city players would wear uniform clothing during matches... and each player's uniform would display the fur merchant's shop name!
Considering the current craze for the game and the fact that every match would pack the town square with onlookers... the popularity...
This fur merchant generously paid Freyr five gold coins for the naming rights for the upcoming year.
Thus, the official name for this city's team became "Russell Plains Emerald Town Old Cronell Fur Shop Football Team"!
Freyr sold the naming rights of the league's first team in Focker's presence. The next task for old Focker was to sell the naming rights for the twelve future league teams to the wealthy local merchants.
These various tasks combined... Focker began to look at the young master he had raised since childhood with near reverence!
Who said our young master was an idiot?
Have you ever seen an idiot who can earn hundreds of gold coins just by moving his lips?
Old Focker practically ran himself into the ground, traveling across the Russell Plains from north to south, east to west, covering almost a dozen towns and cities! Finally, twelve teams were established, and all the naming rights were sold.
As for the strange names like "XX Jewelry Shop Team" or "XX Weapons Store Team," Freyr couldn't care less... he was quite pleased with the dozens of gold coins Focker brought back. Twelve teams were sold for a total of fifty gold coins.
"This is just the first year, my dear Focker. Once our league becomes successful, you won't need to run around anymore. Merchants will come to you with chests full of gold coins! By then, even dozens of gold coins might not be enough to buy the naming rights for one team!" Freyr said, looking at his loyal servant who had been running around for a month, feeling quite touched, so he decided to reward this loyal servant a bit more.
"My dear Focker... would you be interested in becoming the first president of the Russell Plains Football Association?"
Thus, in addition to the titles of "Chief Manager" and "Football Lottery Center Director," Focker gained another title that sounded quite grand: President of the Football Association!
Although he couldn't fully grasp what this "President of the Football Association" meant, Focker was deeply moved by the young master's trust in him and readily accepted the position.
Freyr was in a great mood.
After all, the fifty gold coins Focker brought back were enough to temporarily solve his immediate financial troubles.
The football league hadn't started yet, and the football lottery profits were still a long way off. The fifty gold coins from naming rights were now Freyr's only liquid assets.
Damn Ryan... that guy had burned through dozens of gold coins with no progress to show.
With the gold coins Focker brought back, Freyr could breathe a sigh of relief. In his joy, Freyr decided to show the Football Association President his new invention.
In the area behind the castle where Freyr developed fireworks, Focker once again looked at his young master with reverence...
Though he still had no idea what his young master was tinkering with this time.
In front of them was what seemed to be a giant basket.
Yes, it was indeed a large basket, big enough to hold three to five people, with sides reaching waist-high, making it feel like sitting in an open carriage.
Above it... a massive spherical object made from dozens of cowhides sewn together floated gently above the basket!
Yes, a huge spherical object!
Below it, a furnace was fiercely heating the bottom of this balloon, warming the air inside.
The flames burned brightly; Freyr had used a bit of magic at this stage... it was a fire spell he had just learned. Ryan had developed an additive to further enhance the combustion effect of the powder.
"This is called a hot air balloon, my dear Focker," Freyr said, smiling broadly.
This was the result of his month's effort! Though he had ruined nearly fifty high-quality cowhides in the process... all of which were purchased at a very low price from the fur merchant who bought the first team's naming rights.
Ignoring Focker's bewildered gaze, Freyr briefly explained his new invention.
The former coachman, now the Chief Manager, Football Lottery Center Director, and President of the Football Association, Mr. Focker, felt dizzy. He looked at the young master and stammered, "Young master... you, you mean to say, this thing can fly? You mean 'fly'? I didn't hear wrong, did I?"
"You heard right, my dear Focker!" Freyr laughed. "So now, I bestow upon you an honor! Join me in experiencing the first flight! This is a historic moment! You will be the first human to fly without the aid of any magic or magical creatures!!"
What followed felt like a dream to old Focker!
Freyr slashed the ropes binding the basket, and the massive lift of the hot air balloon slowly lifted the basket, along with Freyr and Focker inside.