I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 50

EP.50 The Frontlines with Grim Rumors (3)

“Of course, before that.”

I pointed at each of them, one by one. There were things each of them needed to do to become friends.

“Fran, don’t force your preaching on people who don’t want it.”

“…….”

“Shine, don’t hold any prejudice against her just because she’s a member of a church, and avoid making negative comments about the church.”

“…….”

The fact that Shine had come to me for advice meant she was seriously concerned about Fran. If this opportunity could ease her worries, there was no reason to refuse.

“What do you think?”

Fran probably didn’t want to continue being isolated at the academy. Shine, too, felt uneasy about ignoring Fran, who was in the healing field. Their interests aligned, so there was no reason to avoid this.

And what I could do for them was to create an opportunity for them to connect.

“…I’m okay with it.”

Finally, after organizing her thoughts, Shine nodded. If the issues that had been bothering her were resolved, there was no reason to hesitate any longer. I was pleased with Shine’s straightforward attitude.

Meanwhile, Fran, who had been watching Shine’s reaction, brightened up when she agreed. Although she didn’t have the courage to initiate, she wasn’t the type to refuse an extended hand.

“I’m okay with it too.”

After both of them answered, they seemed to become suddenly shy. It wasn’t like I was setting them up on a blind date, but they couldn’t make eye contact properly.

“…….”

“…….”

A suffocating silence—.

If I left them alone like this, their courageous answers might become meaningless. Of course, they would get used to it over time.

“Don’t you have anything to say to each other?”

When I prompted them, the more outgoing of the two, Shine, spoke up.

“I’m sorry.”

The first thing she said was an apology.

“Huh??”

Fran seemed confused about why she was apologizing.

“To be honest, I found it hard to approach you because I heard you were in a church. I shouldn’t have let the rumors affect me.”

“…It’s okay. I’m used to it. I’ll try not to make you uncomfortable from now on.”

The only reason Shine felt uneasy about Fran was because of the ‘church.’ Hearing her say she would be mindful of that made Shine’s face brighten. It would be a great insult to keep hesitating when she was trying so hard.

“Wow, you’re kinder than I thought. If it were me, my pride would’ve been hurt, and I would’ve refused.”

“No, it’s my fault. I was stubborn even though I knew many people disliked it. I shouldn’t have done that. I think I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry.”

If Fran hadn’t known about the church leader’s crimes, she wouldn’t have listened to me. She would have believed the church was always right and made spreading its teachings her main goal.

‘That’s why her relationships were in such bad shape despite being in the healing field.’

But Fran had changed. She had readily agreed with Shine’s point that forcing something on others was wrong.

‘She’s definitely changed. Things must have ended well with the church leader.’

Fran now understood that even the church could be wrong.

Fran was no longer just a regular church member; she was now the leader who had to guide her followers. As a saintess who would influence many, it was crucial for her to grow properly. Although her group was currently viewed as a church, the situation would change once Fran began to make her mark on the battlefield.

‘No one will be able to mock it as a cult anymore.’

By then, the group would transform into a congregation dedicated to serving the saintess. It would become a church of the saintess, by the saintess, and for the saintess.

‘By that time, I’ll be able to reap the benefits of the holy relic handsomely.’

Knowing this future, I had no hesitation in introducing Fran to Shine. I hoped that the two people I had invested in would create a greater synergy together. The kids who bullied Fran now would regret it deeply in the future. They had missed the chance to gain the favor of the saintess.

For now, Shine and Fran were simply enjoying the pure joy of making a new friend, unaware of how today’s events would shape their futures.

“But I’m really, really curious about something. Can I ask?”

“What are you curious about?”

“How do you know Mister?”

“Oh…! Now that you mention it, I’m curious too. How do you know Mister, Shine? You two seem very close.”

“Oh, come on! We’re super close!”

Shine boasted cheerfully about her relationship with me.

“Am I close with you? Since when?”

“Oh, seriously! This Mister may seem gruff, but he’s actually quite playful. You have to take what he says with a grain of salt.”

“Yes, I know that very well.”

“Oh? You know too?”

At that moment, a peculiar atmosphere developed between Shine and Fran.

“Yes. Actually, it’s because I’m going to be Mister’s wife.”

“Hey, hey!”

What on earth was she talking about? I had clearly said that the talk about making her my wife was all a joke.

“What?! What did you say?? Wife??”

Shine’s horrified expression contrasted sharply with Fran’s shy, embarrassed smile.

“Yes, wife. Although, Mister will have to wait for me for quite a while.”

“Mister… I’m so disappointed. Are you really that kind of person?! Pervert!!”

“No!! And why do you believe such nonsense so easily?”

“It’s something a lecherous old man might say.”

“No, it’s not! Hey, I told you it was a joke, didn’t I? I said it would be enough if you could heal me when I’m old and in pain.”

“You’ve shown me an immeasurable kindness, how could I repay that with something so small?”

It was more than enough. After all, it was the healing of a saintess. She had the miraculous power to make the lame walk and the blind see.

“But since Mister says it’s troublesome, I’ll keep it a secret for now. If possible, I’d like Shine to be the witness to our promise.”

“Me? A witness? That sounds really important, even though I don’t know what it means.”

“It means you’ll certify that the two of us have promised our future together.”

“So… you’re really planning to marry Mister?”

“Of course. There will never be another man in my life other than Mister.”

“That’s a huge commitment.”

Why was a young girl with a bright future so eager to tie herself to me? I knew well that the chances of this promise being kept were slim, considering it would take ten years for her to return to me.

‘Fran won’t still be an academy student in ten years.’

The difference in our statuses in ten years would be a barrier between us. Knowing this, I didn’t need to take her words too seriously and get flustered….

‘She’s not someone who thinks in a conventional way.’

After all, it was a promise made by a saintess.

She was someone who wouldn’t easily give up once she decided to do something.

‘I can’t just stay idle like this.’

A sense of crisis washed over me. At this rate, I might really end up waiting for her for ten years, living a solitary life.

‘Of course, it would be a shame to let her go….’

In ten years, she would become an even more beautiful and mature woman.

Chasing away such a woman with my own hands would be a sin.

Fran was someone who wouldn’t end up with another man if it wasn’t me.

But her desire to marry me was out of gratitude, not love.

The chances of her words becoming reality were very slim, and it was more likely to fizzle out over time.

So, there was only one solution I could think of.

“Stop talking nonsense and both of you get out. I can’t run my business because of you two.”

I had to chase them out to prevent any further conversation on the matter.

“What! Get out? But there are no other customers anyway!”

When I tried to kick them out, Shine protested, saying there were no other customers.

“If you’re dissatisfied, you can become the owner here. Now get out!”

I forcibly dragged the two outside and slammed the door of the general store shut.

Even though only two people had left, a serene silence settled in the store.

“Phew, this is how my general store should be.”

Silence is golden. Golden!

In the satisfying quiet, my ears, which had been buzzing, found peace.

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes.

The lazy afternoon spent leisurely.

This was the precious, irreplaceable happy rest time that I cherished the most.

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***

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[Reporting in. The anonymous benefactor has expressed a desire to remain unidentified until the end, and fortunately, that request has been accepted. However, they have conveyed that if the benefactor ever changes their mind, they can be awarded a medal, so please contact them.]

Knowing the future, the arrangements I had made in advance had a significant impact on the battlefield, leading the state to inquire if I would accept a medal. However, I had no intention of receiving anything in return for that deed.

Although it was a pity to miss out on the medal, revealing my identity would be problematic for me.

How could a mere commoner possess such a large stockpile of supplies?

How did I know in advance about the monster wave and prepare for it?

The state would have many questions for me.

The problem was that I had no answers for their questions.

‘What would I say? That I knew the future and prepared accordingly?’

Moreover, I couldn’t properly explain the source of the supplies.

Given the quantity I had, it could lead to some wild misunderstandings.

‘And if the person holding all that isn’t a noble but a commoner?’

It would be suspicious to anyone, making them want to investigate what kind of person I really was.

To avoid that situation, I hid under the veil of anonymity.

And with this contact, I planned to cut off all communication with these people entirely.

I couldn’t risk getting caught by the state after a few more exchanges.

It was a troublesome matter, but one that required caution.

“The main scenario has changed, so I wonder how much the next content will change.”

The monster wave had not yet been fully dealt with.

In the original scenario, the students were conscripted to fight against the monster wave.

But here, we succeeded in stopping the monster wave before it could trample the city.

Also, the damage wasn’t so uncontrollable that we needed to conscript academy students.

‘In time, they’ll have no choice but to conscript the students.’

In the original scenario, the monster wave was a natural disaster that left humanity with immense scars. The existing military forces wouldn’t be able to stop it.

Exceptional talents were needed, and the academy had such talents enrolled.

‘So now, what I need to do is….’

With the grace period I had gained, I needed to summon as many SSRs as possible and train them, just as I had been doing. This way, they could go out to the battlefield and make a significant impact.