I Have Supported My Favorite Character for 10 Years

2. This month’s thank you letter?

***

After I came back from breakfast, there was a message from Patreon.

─ Patron [GeoyuloriJoah], thank you sincerely for your TOP-tier pledge! We are sending you a brief background setting for your chosen favorite characters, [Jena], [Azel]…..

I quickly scrolled down the long-stretched message and skimmed through it.

“Oh wow, that’s so cliché.”

Both of them were orphans, having faced hardship, etc.-

Well, there you have it. They just randomly spun the world view setting.

‘Damn. Did I just waste 400?’, just as I was contemplating canceling my pledge.

Ding─

Another message came in.

[This month’s thank you letter]

[Azel]

[Jena]

“This month’s thank you letter?”

***

Grrr─

Azel was terribly hungry. Yet, it was finally noon.

Meal distribution time.

As usual, a long line of people was forming in front of the church.

Vagrants, delinquents, countless people from the slums.

All of them were debilitated, their bodies frail.

A wooden building lined along their path.

The old architectural style seemed to be centuries old, traces of termite damage everywhere. It wouldn’t be surprising if it collapsed any moment.

A sight all too familiar for Azel. The only landscapes she knew were this and another quite different one.

Faraway – the high-tech skyscrapers of the affluent neighborhood.

Azel always blankly stared at these skyscrapers while waiting in the food line.

Who could be living there?

She never even wondered, ‘Why do I have to live in such a place?’ The lives in that distant place were of another world, utterly unrelated to her.

Would anyone give her an extra rice ball tonight before darkness falls?

Azel walked in a daze, following the person in front of her.

Then, a hand appeared before her.

It was a nun from the church.

“Azel, you’re here again today. Good for you. Oh my, you’ve scrapped your knee again?”

“Yes…”

She hasn’t even been running around much, yet it’s scraped again every day.

The nun worriedly commented, casting a healing and buffing spell on Azel that radiated a bright light.

She also handed over a rice ball, which was larger than Azel’s hand.

Despite being a slum, there were still considerations for children.

Not only the nuns, but the vagrants also prioritized Azel.

“Eat well, and be careful when you’re walking around, alright?”

Azel, who had grown up early due to her circumstances, nodded her head with a smile.

“Yes! Thank you.”

Azel took the rice ball with her small hands.

Her gratitude didn’t last long.

She stuffed the rice ball into her mouth as quickly as others. This could be her only meal today.

She should have been old enough to be in third grade in elementary school, but entering school requires quite a large sum of money.

For an orphan like her, even dreaming of going to school was beyond her reach. The school was somewhere in that city with the high-tech skyscrapers.

Looking further ahead, the [Vernon Academy], which everyone dreamed of attending when they became adults, was…

As she looked at the floating island next to the high-tech building, Azel shoved the last bit of her rice ball into her mouth.

“Shall we all go pray if we have finished eating?”

“Yes, Sister!”

Azel kept staring blankly at the floating island, then entered the church with a lady who was stroking her head.

“Today, thanks to God Vernon, we received our daily bread…”

As they entered the church and started to sing praises for their god, ‘God Vernon’,

Suddenly, the church bell rang

Dong–

Dong–

Not only the bell of their slum, but all over the city, the nation, the entire continent, the bells rang.

“Ooooo!”

“Oh, it’s the patron!”

“The patron must have arrived!”

‘Patron’.

According to the message from Vernon God, they were referred to as ‘beings descending from the heavens’.

A patron chooses a single ‘believer’.

Those believers chosen by such patrons receive their blessings. Every month, they receive a currency they call ‘Dollars,’ which is converted at a ratio of 1 to 2 million.

1 Dollar is 2 million credits. 2 million credits are enough for a person to live frugally for about two months.

That’s why when the bell like this rings, everyone is interested.

The opportunity to receive patronage was only given to minors before they became adults. Therefore, the attention of the church was only directed at a few people who were not yet adults.

“Please, dear patron, save us….”

“”Save us!””

Everyone prayed. Of course, among them, the perception that ‘there is no patron who sponsors the poor anyway’ was strong.

Indeed, there was a time when the bell rang every day without fail. But even then, hardly anyone was able to escape this slum.

Therefore, there was a saying that ‘even the patrons don’t like the poor.’

Azell thought the same way. She vaguely envied those who were ‘sponsored.’

All she could do was pray fervently.

‘Please let Aila get the patron’s choice. Otherwise, Delaineyni….’

Azell, clutching her small fern-like hands in prayer, sincerely hoped so. She was indeed envious of those who received the patron’s patronage.

However, her desire to receive sponsorship was less than her hope for the many people who had taken care of her. She truly hoped for each and every one of them to do well.

However, the patron did not choose either Aila or Delaineyni.

[Prophecy of Vernon God]

The patron has chosen [Azell].

“…What?”

Sacred light fell onto Azell’s head.

***

Meanwhile, in another part of the slums.

“Hello there! Do you have a spare coin to share?”

“I apologize! Or perhaps something to eat….”

Jenna had learned about the world too quickly at her young age. The Kingdom Vernon, a continent with an enormous wealth gap.

Some of the poor waited for the church’s aid near the slums.

On the other hand, there were also people like Jenna who ran around the border areas.

Usually, people outside slums do not look favorably upon the beggars.

To their eyes, the people of the slums were nothing more than ‘worthless incapables.’

However, they often showed a bit more generosity to ‘young children.’

“Here is some leftover bread. If you don’t mind, eat this.”

“Th-thank you! Thank you!”

Knowing this well, Jenna roamed around the outskirts of the city where the middle and upper class lived, begging for food or coins.

Even today, when she received some bread to eat.

Boom—

“Argh…!”

Suddenly, she was kicked in the stomach.

It was Sara, who was two years older than she was.

“Jena, who told you that you could beg here?”

This is my area, she had declared.

Some audacious children formed a gang, exploiting the fact that the middle class and the rich were somewhat lenient towards the ‘minors’ of the slums.

They established their own territory and ruthlessly assaulted any other children that infringed upon their area.

“Ugh, but then what do I eat today…?”

“That’s why I’m telling you to join our gang. We’ll take care of your share, right?”

Sara’s words were nonsense. Even if Jena were to join the gang and get lucky to get ten pieces of bread, she would still have to give five to Sara, the leader. On top of that, she would have to distribute some to the others under Sara.

Once she had shared with them, she’d be lucky to have one piece of bread left from the original five.

“That’s what you said last time, but you took away all the bread…”

At Jena’s objection, Sara chuckled.

The same age group, elementary school. But the two-year gap was significant to them.

Sara was taller than Jena by a head’s height. She approached Jena menacingly and said,

“If you don’t want to follow our rules, just eat rice balls at the church then. If you don’t like it, get lost!”

She pushed Jena’s shoulders.

This time, Jena didn’t fall easily; she regained her balance fast.

“No! Why do you get to decide that? Don’t hit me!”

She yelled those words and immediately turned to escape.

For now, she could dodge Sara’s gaze and come back later to beg for bread.

“What? This brat! Talking back to me?!”

Sara chased after Jena.

Jena roamed through the boundaries of the area, maneuvering her body agilely. Even though she was two years younger, Jena was decidedly faster than Sara.

“Ha… ha…!”

When she had managed to lose Sara’s sight to catch her breath-

“Oh, isn’t that Jena?”

Two little boys who were known as Sara’s lackeys appeared.

“Ha, huff… Hello.”

Jena greeted them awkwardly, but the two boys, who seemed to have already caught on, spoke up.

“Why are you panting so hard?”

“…It obviously looks like she got a beating from Sara and ran away.”

“That it does. Shall we catch her in advance? Sara might give us an extra piece of bread.”

It wasn’t the first time Jena had tried to escape from Sara’s grip. The two, well aware of this fact, began to encircle her.

“What… what are you talking about? I didn’t do anything!”

Jena tried to argue, but it was pointless. Half-eaten bread had sprung out of her hoody pocket.

“Oh, look here. She was hiding bread!”

“Seems like she begged for bread without getting Sara’s permission?”

There were no options. Even if she got beaten, she had to eat a bit more before the beating.

In desperation, Jena crammed the bread into her mouth.

“Uwaaah…!”

Two goons had her mouth open ready to lay into her.

Then, a bell rang from the sky.

Ding-Ding─

“Just when we almost got it all, why now…!”

“After the prayer, you’re done, Jenna.”

When the bell signalling the arrival of a Patron spread, they had no choice. If they acted irresponsibly during the bell, they could incur the wrath of the deity ‘Beon-God’.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and kneeled down.

They closed their eyes and took a posture of prayer.

Then, the prophecy of Beon-God fell.

[A Prophecy of Beon-God]

The Patron has chosen [Azel].

Someone unknown by the name of Azel was chosen.

‘Well, that figures.’ Jenna had not thought she would be selected, but she was secretly hoping.

─ Maybe, this time, I will be.

At that thought.

The two goons grinned, fists clenched, ready to pounce as soon as Beon-God’s prophecy ended.

Jenna, aware of their intention, prepared to run.

However, Beon-God’s prophecy didn’t end.

Ding-Ding─

The bell rang once more.

The two goons, shocked, flinched as if about to move, then quickly composed themselves to return to their prayer posture.

Again, they closed their eyes.

However.

They had no choice but to open their eyes again.

[A Prophecy of Beon-God]

The Patron As Chosen [Jenna].

As a sacred light shone brightly over Jenna’s head, who was right in front of them.

“Woah….”

At that moment, even the two goons couldn’t help but marvel.

Jenna couldn’t believe it. She’d thought vaguely about having a Patron of her own, but she’d never really considered the possibility.

“At, at last…!”

Now she could eat without having to beg every day. Overwhelmed with this emotion, Jenna teared up.

The moment of awe didn’t last long. The two goons regained their senses.

“Hmph, you shouldn’t be so happy. Just because a Patron chose you doesn’t mean you suddenly become all-powerful?”

“That’s right. You’re probably just a 5th tier Patron.”

The lowest, 5th tier Patrons. Most Patrons were of this 5th tier.

They provide $1 per month, or 2 million credits. Of course, it’s enough money to leave the slums.

You could rent a small room somewhere in the fringe area. That should also cover sufficient food expenses.

However, it didn’t mean her situation would drastically change.

Having received the sponsorship credits, the little ones born from the impoverished village were let loose, part of which was gnawed away by the adult gang of Sara.

Even so, there was no occasion when Vernon God became enraged.

It was merely a sponsorship to the extent of ‘at least they won’t starve to death right now.’

That was a 5-tier sponsorship.

However.

[Vernon God’s Premonition]

─ You there. Keep your hands off.

For some reason, this time it seemed a bit different.

[Vernon God’s Premonition]

─ Our sponsor this time is a TOP tier.

─ A first, ever.

The credits began to increase on Jenna and Azel’s identity cards.

Beep-beep.

4,000,000,000 crdt