I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 21

EP.21 The Saintess Knocks on the General Store’s Door (4)

“Don’t do it. What you’re doing is not for the church. You’re mistaken.”

‘I am working hard for the church.’

“I don’t want the church to be disturbed because of you.”

‘You said that what is wrong must be corrected. Why aren’t you trying to fix it now that you know it’s wrong?’

“Just stop it. Everyone is suffering because of you.”

‘Isn’t it more painful to be embraced by someone you don’t want?’

“You were curious why the other sisters dislike you. This is why. We are sacrificing ourselves for the church, while you attend the academy with the donations we bring in and don’t sacrifice yourself in preaching.”

“Haah.”

A deep sigh is released.

The pain that confuses her heart lingers in her ears.

It was impossible to live in the church as if nothing had happened after hearing such words.

Shocked and lost, Fran aimlessly went outside.

But the day was getting darker, and her pockets were empty.

The only option left was to enter the academy dormitory, but it was clear that her application would not be accepted due to the vacation period.

“Where should I go…”

It’s daunting.

Fran thought this must be how it feels to be abandoned by the church.

She was afraid and terrified.

She felt alone in this world and even thought she might as well die.

She was unbearably unhappy that her life at the academy was the result of someone else’s sacrifice.

“Why did someone like me, who is nothing, give advice?”

She understood why the sisters disliked her.

“I’m a fool and an idiot.”

Who would like someone like her?

It was natural for everyone to be disgusted.

She had never considered the problem that the sisters would struggle to live if they couldn’t collect donations.

Moreover, wasn’t she living off a significant amount of support from the church for her academy life?

Although the education at the academy was free, the materials, textbooks, and equipment used in the process all had to be paid for out of pocket.

Fran had naturally lived off the support provided by the church and had never seriously questioned it.

“I should have been concerned about that part earlier.”

she needs a way to earn money.

If the church had more money, the sisters wouldn’t need to preach in such a painful way, right?

‘I heard that illegal healing can make a lot of money…’

The abilities of students admitted to the academy should be used for the preservation of humanity.

Especially healing abilities are under special management to be used only for the sake of humanity.

But even under special management, there are always dark paths.

Fran was aware of brokers who would approach with large sums of money and arrange for the use of healing abilities.

There were more brokers approaching her than expected because of her exceptional abilities.

However, she had never been tempted by the brokers’ offers.

She believed that the power meant for the church and the world should not be used for personal gain.

‘I was the only one worrying about righteousness and morality, not knowing everyone else was sacrificing so much.’

Since childhood, she knew how meaningless the righteousness and morality judged by the world’s standards could be.

But after being taken in by the church, she learned about morals and what it means to be righteous.

That’s why she was so devoted to preaching.

Having learned so much from the church and feeling saved, she wanted others to experience the same salvation.

“What kind of salvation is this? Everything is a mess.”

She walked the streets aimlessly, not caring where she was headed.

In the dark alleys, even in an academy city, there were always bad people after the sun had set.

“Hey, miss. Aren’t you the cultist who used to preach in the square? I recognized your face right away. You could get into trouble wandering around here at night.”

Surprisingly, the delinquents wandering the back alleys knew who she was.

“Don’t you have anywhere to go? You’ve been circling around here.”

“…..”

She didn’t respond.

They weren’t looking for her answer in the first place.

“You look like you’re looking for a man, wanna come with us?”

“We’ve got a fantastic bed. Though your back might hurt afterward. Keke!”

The men made vulgar comments.

‘Did the sister feel like this? So desolate and dreadful?’

Promising donations, saying they looked like they needed help.

Pretending to offer comfort, pretending to provide salvation, then they would change their faces.

‘If you want to preach, you have to pay the price.’

That’s how the sisters quickly lost their innocence and fell.

‘I was the foolish one.’

She had no intention of resisting.

Compared to the pain the sisters had suffered, this was nothing.

She thought she needed to experience their pain to stand before the sisters and empathize with them.

The men, seeing her not running away but standing still, approached her with an inexplicable certainty.

“See, you’re wandering around looking for a man, aren’t you? I knew I was scared for nothing.”

“I told you. Even if she attends the academy, she has no backing. Who would want to be the patron of someone from a cult?”

“Or maybe she’s into that kind of play? Maybe her master wants to see her get torn up by other men.”

“Oh, that makes sense. The nobles and their tastes, keke!”

“Thanks to that, even people like us get to taste such delicacies.”

“Look at that smooth skin.”

– Gulp! –

The men swallowed their saliva as they approached closer.

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt fear towards people, except when she was very young, but at this moment, everything was as frightening and powerless as if she had returned to her childhood.

“Don’t you need a master to take good care of you? I think I could take you home and raise you.”

“Hey, I found her first! And if you steal a noble’s property, you’re in big trouble. Let’s just use her and send her on her way.”

“Fuck, you want to just let her go?

“Calm down!! Everyone’s too excited.”

“Look at those breasts, it’s insane. How can anyone hold back? I can’t, I’m out.”

“Damn it! If another guy catches her, you’ll lose her.”

“Let’s take her and enjoy slowly. Don’t rush and lose her to someone else.”

The men continued their disgusting conversation, swallowing their saliva.

The men who had approached her were about to touch her body.

– Clutch! –

The thought of those repulsive hands touching her made her feel like she was falling off a cliff.

But she endured it.

The sisters must have endured this unpleasant situation time and again.

Remembering that, she couldn’t bring herself to escape.

This too must have been a tragedy that all the sisters had experienced, and she had to take responsibility for it.

– Thwack! –

“Argh!”

– Thwack! –

“Cough!”

Suddenly, screams were heard.

Someone had appeared from behind her and was knocking the men down.

Startled, she looked up to see a familiar face.

“Ah, mister?”

The person who had taken down the unpleasant men was none other than the general store owner.

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“Wait a second. No, keep your eyes closed.”

Since she had never been out for practical training, she wouldn’t be accustomed to blood.

I covered Fran’s eyes with her own hands and then proceeded to sever the unconscious men’s wrists.

My skills from my mercenary days hadn’t rusted yet.

“Gurgle!”

“Ugh!”

Though they were unconscious, the pain of their wrists being cut seemed to wake them, as they tried to scream.

I punched each of their faces to knock them out again.

‘Extras should get lost if they lose.’

I kicked the limp bodies away, not wanting the child to see blood, then picked her up and started walking down the alley.

It would be more troublesome if she saw the blood and screamed or panicked.

It was better to carry her, even though it was harder, than to deal with that.

“…Where are you taking me?”

Fortunately, Fran, who seemed to have no interest in what happened to the two men, asked in a deeply subdued voice.

Her hunched body indicated she was terrified.

I wasn’t sure if she was scared of me or the situation itself.

“Why did you let yourself be taken by those commoners?”

“I wasn’t taken. I followed them.”

“You know what happens if you’re taken by those guys.”

“…I know.”

Despite being able to run away, Fran didn’t move.

What could that mean?

She couldn’t meet my gaze because she felt guilty about something.

She’s probably afraid that I’ll realize what she was about to do.

“So, you were going to preach with your body too?”

“…Is that not allowed?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it if you want to do it. Who am I to stop you?”

“But aren’t you stopping me right now?”

“If you’re going to preach with your body, you might as well do it with me. Why waste your body on those useless guys?”

“…Are you saying you would take me in?”

Only if I were crazy would I do such a thing.

At least not right now.

If she wants to be taken in by me, she’ll have to grow up a bit more.

“Think about it. To preach me, your body isn’t quite enough.”

“Then please take me in quickly.”

“Do you like exposure play?”

“What?”

“Shut up and be quiet. You’re heavy.”

“!!”

She struggled to walk on her own after hearing my words, causing a bit of a commotion.

I firmly held onto her without letting go and carried her all the way to the general store.

‘It was a close call, but did I succeed in rescuing her?’

Everything was unfolding just as I had seen in the scenario.

There were some changes due to the reality patch, but the main storyline seemed unchanged.

Thanks to that, I was able to prevent Fran from being harmed as the scenario had dictated.

‘I wonder how the scenario will change now.’

In the game, unless it was a branching point, there was no way to interfere and change the scenario.

But now that it’s become reality, I can intervene in any scenario I want to change.

‘It was supposed to be the moment Fran turned dark, but it looks like I’ve prevented it.’

Fran, taken by the men, would have eventually snapped due to their revulsion and killed them by exploding their heads.

It’s fortunate she didn’t suffer their vile acts, but the shock of having killed someone would have caused Fran to truly start her descent into darkness.

But I rescued her before she could kill anyone.

‘The scenario has been derailed from the start.’

It’s okay if the scenario for this character gets a little twisted.

She had such a miserable scenario that it felt good to completely mess it up.

Sending cheers to my past self who struggled to break the scenario, I immediately put her down as soon as we entered the general store.

“It’s the general store.”

“Got anywhere else to go besides here?”

“No. I like it here.”

“Come in.”

She enters the general store more readily than expected.

Despite being rescued from the men, she didn’t seem to have fully regained her composure.

“Going to take a shower?”

Even though I rescued her before anything happened, she must be feeling psychologically dirty.

“Is it better to take a shower?”

“Why are you asking me? If you feel dirty, you take a shower.”

“…I’ll take a shower.”

Suddenly, I realized that the current situation might lead to misunderstandings.

‘Did it sound like I was telling her to take a shower before having sex?’

Given what I had said earlier, she might have misunderstood.

But considering her state, I decided to leave any misunderstandings unaddressed.

‘If I say no, she might go looking for another man.’

Her mental state is fractured, who knows what she might do.

Moreover, she doesn’t know her own future.

That she would eventually be unable to bear being violated by men and commit murder.

‘After she showers, I’ll need to feed her. Kids tend to sleep better once they’re fed and bathed.’

Not knowing what she likes, I decided to simply add another bowl to what I usually eat.