The Sponsored Heroines Are Coming for Me

The weekend was approaching, with not much time left until the combat training practice.

The weekend was relatively relaxed.

Despite the rigorous classes and training at Lichten Academy, they ensured that there was time for rest. Of course, that was the intention, nothing more.

“You can divide your breaks into three parts.”

One day for the mind, one day for the body, and one day for the soul.

Ian had incorporated this tripartite routine into his life, and the weekend was a well-earned time for his training.

Having completed his morning training, Ian headed east towards the Academy.

“I wonder if it’s a good pick.”

A teahouse near the Lichten Academy alumni association. Ian, seated deep within the shop, gazed expectantly at the entrance.

Today was the promised day for him to receive the weapons he had requested from Silvia.

Ian, who lived near the academy’s northern gate, had chosen to meet near the eastern gate because there was a well-known teahouse in this setting.

“The tea here is excellent.”

Is this another reflection of Fanta X Aca’s setting? Or perhaps it’s because a single cup of tea costs 3 silver, which is equivalent to 30,000 won?

By the way, the area where this teahouse is located, near the Lichten Academy’s eastern gate, is home to various upscale shops, along with prominent individuals. It seems that the land value increased naturally due to the river that crosses the central part of the continent, resulting in high property prices and an abundance of high-end shops.

“Everything revolves around real estate, after all.”

The northern gate, where Ian’s accommodation was located, was close to the mountains, hosting combat-oriented guilds and cost-effective shops. On the other hand, the southern gate housed the city’s administrative offices and various institutions.

This is what happens when you immerse yourself in the game’s settings.

– Ting

With a clear chime, the teahouse’s door opened.

A man, dressed in a neat yet upscale suit, walked towards Ian while receiving guidance from a maid-dressed employee (which was common here).

He appeared to be in his mid-thirties and gave off a professional vibe with his sharp attire.

As he approached, he respectfully nodded his head.

“Hello. I’m Sebastian, on behalf of the Laurent family.”

“Ah, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Ian Blackangers. Please, have a seat here.”

Sebastian’s polite business introduction prompted Ian to draw upon the social skills he had honed during his unpaid internship in the sales department.

At first, Sebastian’s eyes showed a hint of surprise, which soon disappeared.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Sebastian placed a somewhat large bag on the table.

“This is the Lunar you requested.”

“Thank you for going through the trouble to bring it.”

“… Not at all.”

Sebastian briefly stared at Ian with an incredulous look before proceeding to open the bag.

A silvery radiance spilled out through the cracks, dazzling the eyes.

“This is the Lunar ore you requested.”

With a subtly friendlier tone, Sebastian provided an explanation.

“The quality is exceptional, with a distinct silver hue that glistens in a blue light when exposed to moonlight. It’s smooth, flexible, and easy to process. Additionally, it’s lightweight and highly durable. It boasts very high magical resistance, making it suitable for magic attacks and magic equipment. It is known to be influenced by the moon. We’ve extracted and processed it to the highest possible purity, at least 99.9999%. Essentially, it can be considered pure.”

Listening to the captivating description, one could easily imagine wanting to purchase it if in the buyer’s position.

“It’s a special-grade ore mined from the Lunar Mountain Range, as requested by Lady Silvia.”

Upon completing the explanation, Sebastian appeared to be a highly competent subordinate. He emphasized the value of the item he presented while enhancing Silvia’s reputation.

Having such a subordinate indicated that Silvia was managing things well.

‘The Laurent family.’

(TLN: I’m going to use family for both her and Emilia I think, both their family names are associated with Sangdan (상단), can either mean to ‘top’/’upper’ or ‘group of merchants’, “Chinese merchants organized an army to protect their markets, and that army is called 상단”)

Working with them didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.

Of course, that was one thing, but…

“Thank you.”

Ian retrieved the Lunar ore from the bag and inspected its condition.

As requested, it was a rectangular shape with a comfortable grip, suitable for an adult’s arm.

‘It’s so brilliant and bright, incredibly so.’

He extended his hand, and the mana within him immediately responded. This was genuinely pure and refined Lunar ore. With this level of mineral, handling the extraction and transformation would be no problem at all.

Considering the properties of Lunar ore, it should be capable of easily countering even mid-level hazard species. It would significantly reduce their magical damage, making it a suitable choice for magic equipment.

As he was grinning and appreciating it, Sebastian asked him carefully.

“Excuse me, but may I ask how you plan to process it?”

“Processing? No, I’ll use it as it is.”

“As it is? It looks almost no different from regular lumber…”

“A staff.”

“Pardon?”

Ian, to the bewildered Sebastian, spoke clearly.

“It’s not lumber; it’s a magic staff.”

◆

Sebastian, with a somewhat dazed expression, left the teahouse.

A stark contrast to his usual sharp and stoic demeanor, he was now wearing a different expression.

As he walked out, someone called him.

“Sebastian!”

The voice of someone he served.

Sebastian’s sharp gaze returned in an instant, stopping on a woman.

She leaned against the alley’s wall, wearing colorful oversized glasses and a wide-brimmed hat.

“Silvia.”

As Sebastian approached her, Silvia was taken aback.

“How did you recognize me? I’m in disguise.”

A glow that couldn’t be concealed by mere makeup was present.

Sebastian, who had swallowed his words, bowed and greeted her.

“I inquired about the intended use, as you asked.”

“What did he say?”

“…He said he’s going to use it as a staff.”

“A staff? He’s going to walk around with that? How much does it cost?”

“No, he meant a magic staff.”

“A magic staff?”

“Yes, in that manner.”

Whoosh.

Sebastian demonstrated using the magic staff.

“Magic staffs have to be made of wood… No. This is common sense even a newborn knows, so Ian would know it too.”

“…That’s correct.”

“… But what he got was just a block made of Lunar.”

“…That’s correct.”

An awkward silence followed, then Silvia sighed.

“Well, he’s an eccentric individual. You’ll understand later. Was there anything else?”

Sebastian thought of Ian as he left the teahouse.

He was different from his profile.

According to the information that Laurent family had, he was the b*stard hair of the fallen noble family Blackangers, and to such an extent that his younger sister took over as the head of the family.

So, Sebastian expected him to be light-hearted and a freeloader, at best.

However, the Ian he met in person was different.

Nobles, even if fallen, tend to be haughty and look down on others. In fact, the more they’ve fallen, the worse it often gets.

Ian was different.

He was exceptionally polite, more so than most older individuals.

It wasn’t out of pitifulness.

‘Grace and dignity.’

Because I felt the unique leisure that comes from someone who has lived long enough.

It had the kind of scent that can only be felt by those who have experienced enough in society – like veterans of some upper class.

But this was just a personal perspective.

Could Sebastian trust his own eyes?

“I have nothing specific to report.”

He thought he might investigate further when the opportunity arose, all for the sake of Lady Silvia.

◆

“Except for magic staffs, no weapons are allowed inside.”

Eastern campus of the Academy.

3rd Magic Training Ground.

Ian, using his acquired social skills and eloquence, managed to convince the training ground manager that this was indeed a magical staff.

In two days, there would be combat training.

The monsters they would be facing are formidable enough, but the Bloodstone Cult will likely intervene and literally open the gates of Hell.

It was crucial to get accustomed to the use of this new weapon as much as possible.

‘Originally, I thought I’d only get to use it in a real battle.’

Thanks to Silvia’s quick procurement, he had gained some extra time.

[3rd Magic Training Ground]

This place, the 3rd Magic Training Ground, allowed one to experience various types of mana attacks.

From basic elements such as lightning, fire, water, earth, and ice to special attributes like light and darkness.

You could test and train how well you dodged or defended against sphere-like mana attacks.

“Where should we test the Lunar?”

Squeak.

He chose a training room and propped the magic staff, or rather the wood-like Lunar, on his shoulder.

If his assumption was correct, the monsters they would face in the combat training exercises were undoubtedly—

“… Ian Blackangers.”

A cold voice that seems to cut off my thoughts in one fell swoop.

Ian turned his head toward the voice.

Endless icy blue hair.

She had sharp eyes that look like they could cut a person down.

Sharon Pierce.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you for a while, but you’re still the worst.”

Her words carried a chilling coldness with each one.

If Sharon were to attack right now, could he defend against it?

His palms started to sweat.

Luckily, she wasn’t holding a sword.

“Let’s meet after the combat training exercises.”

Whoosh.

She turned around and left without another word.

“Why is Sharon here?”

This training ground was distant from the Knight Department.

He had come here to have some peace.

This was complicated.

Sharon Pierce was a formidable heroine when judged solely on her abilities. The only reason she wasn’t classified in the ‘Aether’ class was because her power awakening had been a little late.

“Tsk.”

Since they’d already crossed paths, there was no point in paying more attention to her. In fact, his suspicion was now shifting more towards Lina.

For now, let’s get back to training.

It seemed like their focus was on the combat training exercises over there as well.

◆

— Taa!

He successfully blocked the last Dark Magic-type attack.

“Hoo.”

Ian took a deep breath.

Ian took a deep breath, and soon the result of facing 1000 mana attacks appeared in his mind as if it were a hologram.

———

Balls destroyed: 134

Balls blocked: 766

Balls dodged: 2

Defense rate: 80%

———

“Not bad.”

Next, the rankings came to his mind.

Upon seeing the destroyed balls category, Ian let out an amused laugh.

1st place: Sharon Pierce [587 attacks]

2nd place: Karina [281 attacks]

…

Of course, Ian’s lack of metal sharpening meant that he destroyed fewer balls, but Sharon’s lead over the second-place finisher was overwhelming.

“Well, I won this, I guess.”

Following that, the rankings for blocked balls:

1. Ian Blackangers [766 attacks]
2. Emmanuel Yesire [598 attacks]

He confidently secured the 1st place.

While it wasn’t an exact reflection of his abilities, it was still satisfying.

Ian released the Lunar that was wrapped around his body.

It quickly returned to its original shape.

Ian affectionately looked down at the massive staff.

“My…ah, what was it called?”

He muttered nonsense and slapped himself on the cheek.

“It’s a great magic staff.”

With this, his preparations for the combat training exercises were complete.

Snick-

A small smile tugged at the corners of Ian’s mouth.

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