I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 39

EP.39 Violence Increases Persuasiveness (4)

– Rustle. –

“Ugh…”

A cold breeze seeped into the blanket. The church leader, who had been sleeping warmly and comfortably, did not appreciate the sudden chill against his skin.

‘Did I leave the door open?’

Half-asleep, he groggily opened his eyes and got up. He checked the window, but it was closed tightly, with no reason for the cold air to come in.

‘What is this?’

He instinctively felt that something was wrong. The church leader had survived many dangerous situations by instinctively sensing danger.

‘Is it today?’

As soon as he opened her eyes, he reached under his pillow and pulled out a knife.

– Srring. –

This knife had pierced Fran’s stomach and had taken quite a few lives before. Even an awakened individual wouldn’t survive if this knife struck their heart. It wasn’t just any ordinary knife, it was one he had secretly stolen from an awakened individual.

‘What are those guys doing that it’s so quiet?’

They had received a promise to escort Fran to the bedroom in exchange for protection. Naturally, it was infuriating to find out they hadn’t done their job properly.

“Fran. Where are you hiding? Don’t be scared, come out. Your father is waiting.”

He used the kindest voice he could muster. He knew well what Fran liked and what kind of attitude would make her let her guard down. He had used that knowledge to manipulate and exploit her. Although he had intended to wait until she grew up fully out of a misplaced sense of sympathy, this situation had become quite troublesome. However, he was confident that the Fran he knew couldn’t resist this voice.

As expected, Fran suddenly emerged from the darkness as if she had been waiting.

“Church leader.”

Since childhood, Fran had been dressed in white clothes to symbolize the cult’s image. Seeing her now in dark, gloomy black clothes made her seem like a stranger.

“Fran, what were you thinking, running away just because we had a fight? You have no idea how worried I was.”

First, he needed to confirm if this unfamiliar woman was indeed Fran.

‘There are awakened individuals who can change their appearance.’

Awakened individuals wield inexplicable powers. They are ‘weapons’ sent by the gods to combat monsters on Earth. Among them, there was one weapon he had been preparing for a long time, which he had luckily found as a child. He had raised this weapon with great care, thinking about how best to use it. Killing it with just this would be a waste. He intended to persuade Fran to restore their relationship to how it used to be.

‘She’s a good child, so if I persuade her well, she’ll be willing to sacrifice herself for the church.’

The knife was not only for self-defense but also to intimidate Fran. Having once been stabbed by this knife, Fran would fear him. While using violence to persuade the child was not to his liking, he had no choice given the circumstances.

“I’m sorry, did I worry you a lot?”

“Of course. And why are you dressed like that? My daughter looks better in white.”

People needed to recognize her as the saintess. He thought he needed to remind Fran of her duties.

“And don’t leave the church without permission again. Running away just because you were confined to your room shows you’ve developed bad habits. You know you should be punished if you’ve done something wrong, right?”

The gaslighting continued naturally. Fran was familiar with these words. She knew that punishment followed wrongdoing, having often been confined to her room as a child for causing trouble.

“Yes, that’s right. If I’ve done something wrong, I should be punished.”

“Since you’re old enough to attend the academy, it seems I’ve been too focused on taking care of others. My daughter still needs her father’s attention.”

“…..”

“I’ve learned a lot from this incident. I’ll take better care of you from now on, so don’t worry. I won’t let you feel lonely.”

She opened one arm, inviting Fran to embrace her. She couldn’t open both arms because she was holding the knife in the other hand. She still didn’t intend to stab her heart.

“You know what you need to do if you’ve done something wrong, right?”

“Yes, if I’ve done something wrong, I should kneel and confess my mistake to my father and accept my punishment.”

“That’s right. So, what are you waiting for? If you know, do it now.”

‘Kneel before me, clasp your hands, and beg for forgiveness.’

If she begged for forgiveness with tears, he was willing to wipe away this poor child’s tears. Fran, who usually followed instructions well, was strangely slow in her movements.

“Why is she being so disobedient… This is really troublesome.”

As he sighed in frustration, Fran spoke.

“Church leader, I think you are mistaken.”

“Huh?”

“The one who should be punished isn’t me.”

“What did you say?”

“The one who committed the wrong is you, church leader. So, naturally, the one who should be punished isn’t me, but you.”

Something was wrong.

“Church leader, you should quickly ask for forgiveness from your mother. Kneel and pray to her.”

Something was terribly wrong.

“You need to confess all your wrongdoings. Only then can you be punished and forgiven.”

Why hadn’t he noticed it sooner?

“It was you who taught me to do so, church leader. You know that, right?”

The look in Fran’s eyes was different from before.

====

***

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“Church leader, why are you being so stubborn?”

It pained me to see the church leader being so obstinate. Refusing to acknowledge one’s wrongdoing was also a sin. When I was young, I had to endure the punishments given by the church leader for a long time because of this.

“If you continue like this, the punishment you deserve will only increase.”

“Get out!! Get out of my church! I should never have picked up something like you. Who knew you were such a crazy girl? Get out now!!”

“Even if you say such harsh words, I don’t believe you mean them. You taught me that it’s because of the wounds in your heart.”

The church leader had already committed a grave sin. The punishment required to atone for that sin would be significant, and it pained me to see her continue to accumulate more karma.

“Murder is a grave sin… No matter how much of an awakened individual I am, I would have died if the knife had struck my heart. I don’t want to make you a murderer.”

If the senior hadn’t been guarding me, it could have been disastrous. If the church leader had become a murderer because of me…

The burden on my heart would have been incredibly heavy.

How terrible would it be? The punishment required to atone for that sin would have been harsh. The church leader, who had once punished me, spoke.

“Crazy girl.”

“I truly respect and love you, church leader. That’s why I’m giving you this punishment.”

Even though he had fallen, I couldn’t hide my love for him. That’s why I wanted to follow his teachings. It was a painful decision, but I resolved to punish the church leader myself because of this.

“Aaah!! Let go of me!!”

“Oh dear, if you struggle like that, you’ll only get hurt. We can’t have you injuring your precious self, church leader.”

Fortunately, the attempted murder was thwarted. Thanks to the senior.

“Thank you, senior. Because you stopped it, the severity of the punishment the church leader has to receive is much less.”

“Haha, this is the least I could do.”

“Crazy girl, why don’t you stop pretending and be honest? You just wanted to push me out and take over the church! Ungrateful wretch! Ptooey!”

I had felt the same way. I hated and resented the church leader who punished me. I couldn’t understand why he made me suffer if he loved me. Now that our roles were reversed, I could finally empathize with the church leader’s feelings.

“I think this is how you must have felt when you taught me.”

“Where are you taking me? Where are you dragging me to? What happened to the nobles in the church? Did you kill them? Did you kill the nobles?”

“They are receiving the punishment they deserve for their sins. The senior’s acquaintances helped. They are truly devout and kind people.”

The church leader must have felt a lot of pain when she punished me. But seeing her not repent for her wrongdoings, she couldn’t avoid giving punishment. Simply showering love without correction wouldn’t lead to a proper relationship.

“This is also your teaching, church leader. Haven’t I grown a lot?”

I had grown enough to show the church leader his own teachings.

“This is the place.”

The senior carried the church leader himself. The church leader struggled too violently for me to carry him.

“Where is this place? I didn’t know there was such a place in the church leader’s office.”

“I used to be punished here when I was a child. It’s a shameful period that I now don’t understand.”

“You were punished here as a child? In such a dreadful place…”

It was a desolate space with no proper lighting and a fishy, nauseating smell. Once inside, there was no way out unless someone rescued you from the outside. It was understandable why the senior was shocked upon checking the surroundings. This place was still a nightmarish punishment room for me.

“If it weren’t for the church leader’s teachings, I would have died as a pickpocket in the alley. Dark alleys are tough places for a child to survive.”

“Oh…!”

“The church leader saved me from there, but at that time, I wasn’t mature enough to repay the kindness. I was like a wild animal, and the church leader taught me everything step by step. I also learned that one must be punished when they do wrong.”

The person who knows this place best is the church leader. He didn’t struggle for no reason when Fran guided him here. Just as I hated and dreaded this place, the church leader must hate it too. But given the numerous sins he had committed, there was no other choice.

“I thought this was the only place where the church leader, who doesn’t repent or seek forgiveness, should be punished.”

“Hearing about the old days makes me grind my teeth, but now I think there’s no more suitable place than this. Where else could we make the church leader atone for his sins?”

The senior smiled broadly, seemingly satisfied. When I opened the inner door, the senior threw the church leader onto the floor.

“Aaah!”

It was a prison that had once prevented her from going outside recklessly. Even awakened individuals couldn’t resist inside. It was originally a prison for awakened individuals, so it was only natural.

“I’m glad the senior likes it too.”

Seeing the senior actively support my decision made me smile bashfully. Just as I had, the church leader would be reborn as a new person here. I was already looking forward to that day.