I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 36

EP.36 Violence Increases Persuasiveness (1)

Though it hadn’t been revealed yet, Fran was an illegitimate child of a noble family. Her mother was abandoned by the noble before she even realized she was pregnant with Fran. It was never love, just a fling for the noble. When she found out she was pregnant, she fled to survive. The seed of a noble was precious, and not just anyone was allowed to carry it. If it was discovered she was pregnant, poison would surely be used.

‘Killing her would be the cleanest way to avoid any future trouble.’

Fran’s mother was smart despite being a commoner. That’s probably why she caught the noble’s attention. She seemed special despite being a commoner. Thus, Fran was born. Unfortunately, Fran was born with immense power.

‘She had an undeniably beautiful face and extraordinary abilities that marked her as noble.’

To make matters worse, she had a rare healing ability, highly valued even among awakened individuals. Even if she had been an ordinary awakened individual, it would have been a burden, but being born with healing abilities meant Fran’s mother had no choice but to give up protecting her daughter.

‘A commoner woman couldn’t handle a child like her.’

To protect Fran, her mother chose to confine her. Fran’s childhood was spent entirely locked up at home. She was scared into believing that someone would take her away if she went outside. However, Fran’s mother had to work around the clock to support them.

‘Not an uncommon situation for commoners.’

While her circumstances were unfortunate, how dangerous and difficult must it have been for a child to stay home alone? She must have been lonely and sad.

Then one day, unable to bear the loneliness, Fran sneaked out to find her mother. Naturally, Fran was too conspicuous. A child who was clearly not ordinary wandering the streets looking for her mother—people wouldn’t just ignore that.

‘She was reported immediately and separated from her mother.’

Her mother was imprisoned for the crime of kidnapping a noble’s child, and Fran was secretly moved to an orphanage for noble bastards.

‘She was too young to remember clearly.’

The head of the orphanage, unaware of Fran’s circumstances, casually told her that her mother had abandoned her when asked. Young Fran believed the orphanage head’s words. Having spent her early years locked up at home, she didn’t know how to interact with others and couldn’t adapt to life at the orphanage. No one taught her how to socialize kindly.

‘Eventually, she ran away from the orphanage…’

The church leader found Fran wandering the streets. Naturally, he took her in because he discovered she was an awakened individual. Unaware of these circumstances, Fran trusted and followed the church leader to the point of being willing to sacrifice her life for him.

‘That’s why she still naively believes in the person who stabbed her in the stomach.’

Fortunately, over time, her gratitude towards the church leader shifted to affection for the church itself. In the past, she would have chosen the church leader without hesitation, but now Fran’s affection for the church had grown enough for her to be torn between the church and the church leader.

“Do I really have to choose between the church leader and the church? Can’t I have both?”

“Do you really want both?”

Fran nodded vigorously in response.

“Yes.”

She spoke as if my permission would make it possible. It wasn’t surprising, given that she had relied on the church leader in this manner since childhood.

“Then dethrone the church leader. You become the church leader.”

“????”

Her eyes widened as if she had never considered it.

“People blinded by money and power won’t come to their senses until they lose it all.”

“The church leader…”

“Don’t forget that the church leader you cherish is still human. Remember, it’s the church leader who orders the women in the church to continue engaging in prostitution.”

Fran looked crestfallen.

“So, you should take the church leader’s place and stop the women in the church from doing such things. Give the church leader some honorary position and sideline him.”

“……”

“If both the church and the church leader are precious to you, isn’t that the best solution? You don’t want to see the church go astray, do you?”

Her ears perked up, indicating that she was being persuaded.

“The church leader won’t like stepping down…”

“If he stays in his position, the church won’t change. If you value both and don’t want to abandon either, you need to make some concessions.”

“It’s not like I can become the church leader just because I want to.”

Indeed, dethroning the church leader wouldn’t be easy. If he were that easily swayed, he wouldn’t have been able to run the church so successfully.

“Do you think I asked about your situation for no reason?”

“??”

“I said that because I can make that kind of investment.”

“Investment?”

“I can give you the power to make them desperate to have you as their leader.”

I knew well what the position of the church leader meant in a church. They trusted and believed in him more deeply than their own parents. But then again,

‘Can he compare to a miraculous saintess who can heal in an instant?’

Fran’s unique equipment, the ‘Sacred Relic,’ significantly boosted her basic abilities when worn. Her healing power would become immense, and her divine power would increase substantially. People who fall into churchs often carry heavy burdens, and some might have joined because they or their loved ones were suffering from incurable diseases.

‘To such people, our madwoman would be nothing short of a savior.’

While it’s illegal to use such abilities on commoners, Fran would likely disregard such rules. The risk of getting caught and extending her military service?

‘While others might be horrified, it wouldn’t matter to her. She values the church more than herself and would do anything for it.’

Moreover, the chances of the church’s activities being reported were low.

“So, will you do as I say, or will you keep trusting the church leader and risk getting stabbed again?”

If she continued to do nothing, the next time the knife might be aimed at her heart instead of her stomach.

“No matter how powerful an awakened individual is, a knife to the heart means death. Honestly, your stomach wound hurt a lot, didn’t it? No matter how well the church leader treated you, trying to kill you is crossing the line, isn’t it?”

“…..”

“If the church leader were in his right mind, he’d be happy to see you lead the church well, not resentful.”

Fran’s eyes wavered, indicating she was almost convinced.

“Aren’t you curious about what kind of investment I’m talking about?”

“…What are you going to invest in me?”

Something that will drive you crazy.

“Can’t you even guess?”

“You’re not joking, right? You’re serious?”

Fran looked at me with suspicion. She trusted the church leader even after he stabbed her in the stomach, but she doubted me.

“Do you think I’ll be joking after you see this?”

I told her to wait for a moment and went downstairs. I took my time as if I was fetching something from the storage, then brought the sacred relic back upstairs. I expected Fran to react just as Shine and Rebecca had when they saw it.

I was prepared, but…

“Oh… my goodness…”

Fran immediately dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she began to pray. She mumbled so quickly that it was hard to understand her. To someone who didn’t know its value, the relic I held would look like an ordinary pendant. It was a small, intricately carved necklace of a goddess. Despite its seemingly substantial weight, it was incredibly light, and the goddess statue was exquisitely detailed.

‘It has a sad, yet benevolent aura. A peculiar pendant.’

If Fran wore this, her abilities would be greatly enhanced. After finishing her prayer, Fran looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.

“Mister, that’s a sacred relic, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“And you’re really going to give it to me?”

Her cheeks flushed with excitement. The expression on her face was exactly like the one Shine and Rebecca had shown. I held the pendant in front of her and gently swung it like a hypnotist.

Her eyes followed the swaying pendant in the air.

“I told you, this is an investment.”

“Yes… an investment…!”

Her eyes grew increasingly dazed as she stared at the pendant.

“When you take over the church and become the leader.”

“When I become the leader…”

“You’ll also become my wife.”

“Become your wife… huh?”

The reason I found their church so distasteful was because I didn’t like the church leader. But if Fran became the leader, there would be no problem with me coming and going from the church. Of course, the wife comment was just a joke. I said I would invest, but there wasn’t much I could expect to get from her. And if I said I would give it to her for free, she probably wouldn’t accept it… or would she?

“Ah..! Hic! H-how…!”

She trembled, clearly taking my words very seriously and falling into deep contemplation.

“No, I was joking. Just promise to treat me for free if I ever get sick.”

“I-I can do that! Even though I’m not much, if I ever get discharged, I’ll become your wife!”

“I meant to treat me if I get old and sick.”

“Of course, I should! It’s not illegal to use abilities on family members!”

What? Did I really hypnotize her with this?

The girl who was so adamant about refusing now knelt immediately upon seeing the unique equipment.

‘Is it really okay to get a wife this way?’

I spoke to Fran, who seemed half out of her mind.

“I don’t plan to be celibate for ten years.”

“It’s okay if you meet someone else! I don’t mind not being the main wife!”

My head throbbed. She was driving me crazy.