I Have Supported My Favorite Character for 10 Years

13: Thank you for the long wait.

The reason why Jena, who was neither the official Academy student, nor a senior in high school, could become a lifeguard.

– Unprecedented, historically strongest dealer [Jena], a feature story!

– [Jena], with no exceptions, the Valedictorian for Dealers Academy, from Junior to Senior high school. ‘I worked hard, thinking about my sponsor.’

– Coming from a poor neighborhood? There’s a reason a sponsor came forward! Who is the Super Rookie of the Dealer world, Jena?

– Is Jena’s sponsor a ‘Top Tier’ sponsor? Rumor or fact?

She was an overwhelming existence in the dealer world.

Not only had she scored perfect on the dealer exam every single time at the Academy, but since her second year in high school, she had been dominantly demonstrating her prowess by victorious in adult competitions as well.

This is how, despite not being an official student at Benon Academy, she was able to become a safety officer due to her merits.

There was no room for doubt in her abilities.

That’s why even the seniors who were working with her and were official students at Benon Academy saw Jena in a favorable light.

“Jena, are you here?”

“Hello, Unnie!”

“Hey kiddo, when you raise your hand, do it gently. It scares me.”

“Heehee, stop being so timid, Unnie!”

Jena’s senior at the official Benon Academy, Aina.

She too had top scores within the dealer cordon in her second year. However, she was quite timid when it came to Jena.

It was because she had once lost to Jena in a past competition, leading to her elimination.

But that didn’t mean Aina held any resentment towards Jena. If it were a close win, it might have been different, but Jena’s level was at a point where one couldn’t even fathom being jealous.

Despite being older and technically her senior, she found herself admiring Jenna who was still a high schooler.

“It’s not acting weak, it’s PTSD. hahahahaha.”

“Whatever! Don’t joke around. You said you would give me some advice before I entered the academy. Don’t tell me you forgot?”

Jenna, seemingly not interested in such affairs, would always ask Aina about things pertaining to the ‘official academy’.

“If you keep raising your hand like that, you might forget because of your PTSD. hahahahaha!”

“C’mon, I got it. But I really have a question.”

“Yeah, ask anything.”

“On the entrance ceremony day, the sponsor makes an appearance, right?”

“Mhm.”

Aina too, was a student at the academy with sponsors.

So, Jenna asked her a lot about the sponsors.

“So, how do they appear? Do they suddenly just pop into sight out of nowhere?”

“hahahaha! No.”

Aina suddenly went from laughing to a scary expression. She raised both hands over her head, as if mimicking someone.

“All of a sudden, they appear behind you like this! Ahhhhh!”

She tried to scare Jenna.

“Ahhh! Big sister!”

Of course, Jenna’s reflexes were much quicker.

Splat—

“eeek! Gently… Oh god, I’m gonna die! I’m really gonna die!”

“That’s why I said stop joking around!”

“I got it, I got it, uh… Someone, someone please come save me! It hurts so much!”

“Stop pretending to be hurt, so how does the sponsor appear?”

Whether she was pretending to be hurt or not, Aina changed her painful expression instantly and spoke calmly.

“Well… they come out through a portal, of course. But at first, they look a bit lost. Wondering what place is this.”

Ah, so that’s how it is.

As Jenna nodded, listening, Aina continued the conversation.

“Sponsors refer to us as their ‘favorite character’, you know. Anyway, when Lord Vernon says to find their favorite character, the sponsors usually come looking.”

Frankly, Jenna raised her hand in interest.

“Then, I’m curious.”

As Jenna listened to Aina’s story she raised her hand again.

“Yeah. What? Also, lower your hand. You’re really terrifying.”

“What happens if a sponsor is sponsoring not only me but other people as well?”

It wasn’t very common for a sponsor to support several people, but it wasn’t impossible either.

Every year during the entrance ceremony, one or two such cases always appeared.

In particular, Jenna, having received sponsorship along with Azel, was bothered by this part.

“Well, they look for both. When I was entering, there was someone sponsoring seven people. But they only made contracts with three.”

Ah, so contracts can be made with several people.

Still-

“They sponsored seven people, but only made contracts with three?”

“Right. Among the terms used by our patrons, there’s one called ‘disillusionment.’ The other four said they had grown disillusioned.”

“Disillusionment? What’s that?”

“When we were young, they liked us and decided to sponsor us, but then as we grew up, they didn’t like us anymore. Or it could be that we didn’t quite turn out to be what our patrons had in mind, or their feelings changed when they looked at someone else who was with us…”

Upon hearing Aina’s words, Zena started to worry.

She subconsciously reached for her chest.

“Zena, you, wouldn’t you have nothing to worry about?”

From Aina’s perspective, Zena had nothing to worry about. The patrons were not just considering appearances. Academic scores were a factor too.

Looks, grades, personality.

In every aspect, Zena was perfect.

If I were a patron, I’d have signed you without a hesitation period-

But Zena didn’t hear what Aina was mumbling.

Zena was thinking about her physique.

‘I’m sure I wasn’t this big when I was younger.’

Would Joah Oppa not be disgusted by such large breasts?

“… You’re worrying about your breasts?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s…I was just wondering if Oppa would like someone who looks like me.”

“Oh my? Are you kidding me?”

Even while working, she had been confessed to countless times.

“Each Patron has their own preferences. I’ve been sponsored since I was very young.”

My Patron might prefer younger girls.

Aina, who had been making a ‘What the heck?’ face at Zena’s worried mumbling, suddenly looked startled.

“You…wait a minute, you call your Patron ‘Oppa’?”

“Huh? Yes.”

Aina stared at Zena in astonishment for a moment and then immediately bowed.

“Oh god! Miss Zena! I’ll be counting on you from now!”

“Aargh, why are you like this again!”

Aina was quick to put two and two together.

You call your Patron Oppa, which means your Patron has allowed it.

In other words, ‘Zena and her Patron have a close relationship.’

“You and your Patron aren’t…you know?”

“No, what are you saying! We…haven’t even met yet….”

Just because a Patron descends, it doesn’t mean you become ‘lovers’ with their favorite character.

The basic relationship is between patron and follower.

Patrons provide the power to enter labyrinths that followers cannot. They also help the followers they’ve contracted with to grow. Generally, that’s all the relationship involves.

Even though they’re going to meet their ‘favorite character,’ the number of cases that go beyond that is scantier than you might think.

Patrons are trying to ascend back to the heavens. Saying things like, ‘My family is up there!’ or ‘The other world I was thinking of wasn’t like this!’

Even if they do stay, they usually stay as ‘unaffiliated patrons’ who are in safe positions.

Many other circumstances exist.

But even considering all that, there have been quite a few cases where Patrons and followers date and get married.

Abandoning the option of ‘returning to the original world’.

In that case, a believer becomes a ‘clergy’, a superior class to nobility.

Considering such a case, Aina had bowed to Jena.

Although Aina was also a patron, her relationship with the patron was strictly professional.

“Oh dear, at least accept the bow for now!”

“Ouch! Sister, it’s embarrassing, stand up and stop!”

***

~One month ago.

[Vernon Academy CG board]

“The detail is certainly crazy.”

I’m sick of hearing it, but it’s fascinating that this game, which has been in development for 10 years, doesn’t feel outdated compared to recently released works.

[Vernon Academy!] is a game made entirely of details. Not just important areas in the academy, but also places like CCTV rooms and material warehouse rooms, which aren’t even of interest, are produced realistically.

Moreover, all electronic devices within the worldview, which usually would be dashed off, are detailed.

[Computer Screen 1]

“Wow, even a community has been designed. Look at the detail.”

[The functionality of this computer is exactly the same as real-world computers and all features have been implemented.]

As unbelievable as it sounds….

There are videos below on how to actually use it. It’s no different than a real computer.

“Crazy, it’s crazy.”

While admiring it, I immediately entered a window to send a message to Jena and Azel.

I also need to send this month’s reply.

Tap-tap-tap─

First of all, I diligently wrote 300 characters with different contents to Jena and Azel.

Filled with greetings, concerns, and as always, the message ‘Don’t trust anyone!’ at the end.

After that, I opened each of their windows and pressed the [Transfer] button.

Then.

[This function cannot be used.]

“…What?”

[This function cannot be used.]

Pressing it several more times yielded the same result.

Soon a new popup window appeared.

[The banner has been updated. It is reloading.]

Refreshing it, an updated banner soon appeared.

Then.

– New Game: Vernon Academy!

COMING SOON

XXXX Year XX Month XX Day, 8 AM Release

Thank you for your long patience.