episode_0451

Danya’s cuteness was adorable, but right now, it was more important to have a conversation with Ruya.

“Well… it seems like they’ve heard rumors about me at the academy. Before deciding whether to sponsor me or not, wouldn’t it be better to know my name first?”

“Oh! I’m Ruya, and my little sister is Danya.”

“Yeah. I’m Danya. And you?”

“I’m Suhani.”

We exchanged belated introductions.

In the meantime, I was thinking about how to convince the kids to accept sponsorship.

“Where did you hear that I’m sponsoring someone?”

How did kids who don’t attend the academy find out about the rumors?

“These days, if you don’t know the boss at the academy, you’re considered a fool.”

“…We found out a little late.”

Danya’s mumbled words were timidly added after Ruya’s response.

It seemed like they didn’t want to admit that they didn’t attend the academy.

“They must have gained the rumors using their abilities, right?”

Since they could secretly follow others, it was entirely possible for them to infiltrate the shadows of the academy.

“Sponsorship…”

While it might not be a bad idea to offer sponsorship right away, it seemed like their goal was to receive my sponsorship and then run away to avoid revealing that they didn’t attend the academy.

The unique equipment I gave them could potentially end up being sold to merchants to earn a living.

To prevent such a situation, it seemed necessary to educate the kids a little.

“Unfortunately, I won’t sponsor just anyone.”

“I know. You sponsor talented students.”

“We’re incredibly talented! We can show you.”

“Yes. Please give us a chance.”

Seeing Ruya looking so earnest made me feel guilty for what I was about to do.

Despite that, I ignored the stabbing pain of conscience and said, “But do you know specifically what I sponsor?”

“We heard that you support with equipment.”

Was the equipment the main purpose?

“Is that all you need to receive?”

“…Is that not enough? We haven’t heard of anything else.”

“Our sponsorship is a bit different from regular sponsorship.”

“How is it different?”

“We meticulously manage all aspects of the student we sponsor.”

“All aspects?”

Ruya and Danya looked puzzled, not understanding my explanation.

“That’s what I mean.”

Like managing a star celebrity, we take care of all the inconveniences necessary for their battles.

If they want to acquire an item, we reduce the time spent acquiring it through proxy auctions, and we prepare everything they need for vacation to manage their condition.

While we currently focus on improving their skills, we plan to expand the areas we support them in the future.

“…What if they have nowhere to eat or sleep?”

“We’ll provide a place for them to stay.”

“What do you get in return for sponsoring them?”

“I don’t get anything.”

“!!”

“Why not? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I do get something. Those students grow up and join the military. They fight for humanity as soldiers. That’s my reward.”

The money spent on supporting them was not a waste at all.

“You’re a weirdo, mister.”

As soon as Danya heard my words, she muttered.

Being treated as a weirdo was nothing new to me, so it didn’t come as a shock.

“I agree. I’m a weirdo. Anyway, that’s why I carefully choose the students I sponsor. It’s necessary to determine whether they will contribute to the future of humanity.”

“What do you mean by contributing to the future of humanity?”

Realizing that it was not an easy task to give so much to one sponsor, Ruya’s expression turned gloomy.

“Are we not enough?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t give an answer because I don’t know enough about you.”

“I’ll show you!”

Danya said to Ruya.

“Unni, bring that out.”

“Let it go. Let’s just give up.”

“Why give up without even trying!! I don’t like it. Quickly bring it out.”

Ruya let out a small sigh at Danya’s words and brought out the shadow.

A shadow about the size of a black panther appeared.

As if waiting, Danya infused strength into the shadow, and it began to move as if the black panther had come to life.

“How amazing.”

Seeing me marvel at the shadow, Danya proudly said.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“You can manipulate shadows.”

“Ruya Unni knows how to create using shadows. I can give free will to what Unni creates. With that, I can travel far and extract information.”

“Danya! Why are you saying that?”

“We deserve it too. We’re a team. We can do it!”

“Then what? We haven’t even entered the academy!”

As the argument between the two sisters escalated, a forbidden secret came out.

“What are you talking about? Not attending the academy. Awakening is mandatory education, right?”

“Oh!”

“You fool! You revealed the most important secret! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Mistaken Ruya tightly shut her mouth.

Danya, either angry or determined, teared up.

If I left them alone, the sisters seemed like they would run away, so I decided to intervene quickly.

“Is this a situation where you need adult help? Was that why you asked for sponsorship?”

“…….”

“…….”

“Since you’re confirmed as Awakened, I don’t think it’s a lie. If you’re Awakened, everyone has the right to go to the academy for education. Why didn’t you go to the academy? If there’s something difficult, you should tell me. That way, I can help you.”

Ruya and Danya’s eyes met.

I hope they don’t make the worst decision to run away.

I hadn’t decided yet whether it was better to forcibly keep the kids in place or let them run away.

“We can’t go.”

“Anyone can enter if they awaken.”

“There’s no record of us being born.”

“We don’t have citizenship, so we can’t even enter the academy.”

“If you declare yourself as an Awakened, you’ll get citizenship.”

“!!”

“!!”

Ruya and Danya probably never received education.

Just becoming Awakened could grant them status, but they probably didn’t know that information as they struggled to survive on the streets.

“So, can we also enter the academy?”

“We don’t have money.”

“In your case, you can receive support.”

“We didn’t know. We should have looked into it more closely from the beginning….”

“But sir, can you attend classes without knowing how to read? It’s a place for smart people. If we go, we’ll just be ridiculed.”

You don’t even know how to read?

Upon hearing Danya’s concern, I was momentarily speechless.

How would I teach kids who grew up on the streets to read?

It was short-sighted to think that just enrolling them in the academy would solve everything.

“Then let’s do this, kids.”

I quickly finished organizing my thoughts and said to Ruya and Danya.

“You guys stay here and get basic education from me until next year.”

Even if they enrolled immediately, if they couldn’t live well, it wouldn’t be bad to postpone it for a year.

At the very least, shouldn’t the kids know how to read and write?

“Here with us?”

Danya was taken aback as if she had never considered it.

Ruya’s reaction was similar.

“Do you have a place to stay?”

“We have a small shelter.”

“You’ll keep staying there? Can I go check if it’s a place where people can live? I’m just worried if it’s suitable for living.”

There was no way the place where the kids stayed was good.

I was determined to take control of the situation.

First, fill your stomach with warm food, ask Negi to help wash the kids, and let them sleep deeply in a warm and soft bed. At least 8 hours? 10 hours? They probably haven’t had a good rest due to living on the streets. After letting them sleep comfortably, feed them again, make sure the kids are healthy, and start their education.

Thinking about the things to do in the future, I made a plan.

While I was making a plan, Danya and Ruya were communicating carefully with their eyes.

Perhaps because they were twins, they could communicate without words, just with their eyes.

And finally, after their communication as twins ended, Ruya looked at me.

※ ※ ※

– That eccentric man can be trusted. He’s very wealthy. He won’t sell us off.

– Don’t trust adults. They’ve always been dangerous. They pretend to be kind and then threaten us later. He might do the same.

– That bad adult wasn’t a noble. He wasn’t as wealthy as that eccentric man.

-……

– Unnie, you’re too cautious! The eccentric man didn’t do anything wrong. He treated us well.

– But still….

– Now we can’t be powerless like before. We’re strong!

– Right. We’re strong.

Thanks to the persuasive efforts, Unnie gathered her courage.

“What should we do here in return?”

“Eat well, sleep well, learn well.”

“What?”

“You asked for sponsorship earlier, right? I’ll accept that.”

“!!”

Out of the blue?!

“You said you wouldn’t accept it earlier. Why are you changing your mind all of a sudden?”

“I’m fine with it!”

I blurted out that I was fine with it, fearing that the eccentric man might change his mind for no reason.

‘Actually, Unnie is fine with it too!’

If we receive that sponsorship, we can attend the academy too.

Unnie has always envied the kids who go to the academy.

If she had known there was such an easy way, she would have done it sooner.

Although we now know the way, we still needed the eccentric man’s help because we couldn’t enter the academy without knowing how to read.

‘He said he would take care of everything if we receive sponsorship, so we don’t have to steal anymore.’

Unnie and I couldn’t be seen as pickpockets on the surface.

After awakening our abilities, we used shadows to steal what we needed to survive.

Although it was done to survive, I knew stealing was wrong, so I felt good knowing I didn’t have to do it anymore.