Sponsorship [2]
Chae Eun–woo had a grasp on Vanitas's financial matters.
Vanitas Astrea had invested heavily in commoner businesses—ventures he deemed profitable.
For how he managed to even convince them to sell their stakes, one can only imagine.
'Persuasion.'
To the commoners, a Viscount Family suddenly appearing at their doorsteps must have felt like both a blessing and a curse.
Blessing, because who wouldn't want the financial backing of a noble?
Curse, because it came with strings attached.
Vanitas likely used his status to its fullest extent, leveraging both fear and allure.
The contractual terms itself was all he needed to come up with this conjecture.
Chae Eun-woo read through the terms, noting the subtle but undeniable signs of manipulation.
Hidden clauses were buried in the fine print.
Clauses that granted Vanitas control over operations.
Clauses that gave him the authority to veto decisions.
Clauses that allowed him to dissolve partnerships at his discretion.
'Ruthless,'
But it wasn't just the contracts that were predatory.
It was the execution.
Vanitas had a knack for targeting businesses that were on the cusp of success but lacked the resources to push further.
Thanks to this, however, Chae Eun-woo found himself starting off with a considerable accumulation of wealth.
[320,677,449 Rend.]
Since the developers were South Korean, a single Rend was equivalent to a single Korean won.
Not so creative.
"Professor?"
"Ah?"
Vanitas broke out of his thoughts, noticing the sinister grin creeping up on his features.
'....I'm doing it again.'
Every day, it felt like a piece of Chae Eun-woo was slipping away.
Karina, standing beside his desk, tilted her head slightly. Her eyes flickered between him and the paper he was holding.
"About this student's answer. Isn't it… incorrect? Or, at the very least, not related to the topic?" Karina asked.
"Not just incorrect. It's completely off–topic."
"Do you know what he's writing about?" Karina asked, tilting her head as she pointed to the scribbles on the paper.
Vanitas furrowed his brows, scanning the lines.
"...."
His expression froze.
[∎Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down….]
He set the paper down slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Forget it. Mark it as zero."
Karina immediately complied, writing a neat zero in the corner of the paper.
She glanced at Vanitas, who was now staring at the ceiling with an unreadable expression.
"...."
As Vanitas continued checking his own set of papers, his brows raised at a certain student's paper.
[∎Ezra Kaelus]
Ezra's answer was phenomenal.
Vanitas leaned back in his chair, scanning the details written messily. Ezra's penmanship was questionable.
But regardless of that, each spell listed was not only accurate but also came with thorough explanations for their ranks and classifications.
Vanitas's lips curled slightly, impressed despite himself.
Vanitas set the paper aside, his gaze sharpening.
"Ezra Kaelus…."
Karina, who was sorting through the remaining papers, noticed his tone.
"Another problem, Professor?" she asked.
"No," Vanitas replied. "Quite the opposite."
He tapped the paper lightly against the desk.
"...."
Vanitas paused, the memory clicking into place.
He now understood why Ezra didn't have a textbook.
How could he forget? It was a minor detail buried in the early stages of the game.
Without hesitation, Vanitas pulled out a cheque.
He wrote it swiftly.
"Karina," he called, setting the cheque down on the desk.
"Yes, Professor?"
Vanitas slid the cheque toward her without looking up. "Take this to the administration office. Submit it anonymously."
Karina blinked, picking up the cheque. Her eyes widened as she read the amount.
"Ah? This is—"
"Just do it. And make sure they know it's for Ezra Kaelus."
Karina didn't press further.
She nodded, tucking the cheque into her folder. "I'll handle it right away."
As she left the room, Vanitas leaned back in his chair.
Ezra Kaelus.
The one closest to a player.
A worthy investment.
***
To– Tok—!
A sudden knock on the door broke Ezra out of his study session.
Ezra ruffled his hair, irritated. Who the hell could it be?
He had no lectures until 3:30 P.M. and, more importantly, he had no friends.
"Probably someone looking for my roommate," Ezra pushed himself off the bed and approached the door.
He opened the door. Standing there was a staff member in official University attire.
"Ezra Kaelus?"
Ezra blinked. "Yeah?"
"You're needed at the administration office. Immediately."
"Administration office? Why?"
Cold sweat beaded from his forehead. It was only the second day, and the administration had already called for him.
The staff member didn't elaborate.
"It's important. Please follow me."
Ezra sighed and followed the staff.
The walk to the administration building was quiet, with the staff member saying nothing beyond their initial interaction.
'Did I mess up already?'
'No…. I haven't done anything. At least, nothing too concerning!'
When they arrived, the staff member gestured toward the main office.
"Inside. They'll explain."
Ezra nodded, stepping into the office.
A clerk behind the desk greeted him with a polite smile. "Ah, Mr. Kaelus. Thank you for coming."
"Yes? What's this about? Did I do something? I don't think I've crossed someone enough for them to complain—"
"No, nothing of the sort."
"....Okay."
The clerk handed him a sealed envelope.
"This is for you. It was submitted anonymously but specified for your use."
Ezra hesitated before taking the envelope.
Riiip—
He broke the seal and pulled out the contents
A cheque.
His eyes widened as he stared at the amount.
"500,000 Rend?"
The words slipped out before he could stop himself.
He stared at the cheque like it might combust in his hands.
Immediately his first thoughts were, "Is this a prank?"
The clerk shook their head. "It's been verified and cleared. No mistakes."
Ezra blinked, clutching the cheque tightly. "You're telling me someone just gave me 500,000 Rend? For free?"
"That's correct. You're free to use it as needed."
"Do you know who sent it?"
The clerk shook their head again. "As I mentioned, it was submitted anonymously."
"...."
Soon after, Ezra stepped outside the administration office in a daze.
"I'm not dreaming, am I?"
500,000 Rend.
Ezra pinched himself, only to groan in pain soon after.
500,000 Rend.
Ezra glanced at the cheque once more, realizing the absurd amount, a commoner like him, normally could only dream of.
500,000 Rend.
The numbers kept repeating in his mind.
His chest tightened.
Who?
What kind of psycho would do this?
Who could even afford to!?
He was a commoner, a nobody who'd managed to rank first in the ESAT exams by what he believed was pure luck.
The nobles didn't hesitate to make their thoughts known.
Murmurs, stares, disdain.
Mistake.
They didn't say it out loud, but Ezra could see it in their eyes.
His success wasn't real to them.
He didn't belong.
His legs felt weak as he stumbled back to his dorm room, collapsing onto the bed.
The cheque crinkled in his hand, and he stared at it again.
500,000 Rend.
The amount felt incomprehensible.
It wasn't just money.
It was hope.
His shoulders sagged as he thought about his grandmother.
Her hands were always rough, with cracks from years of hard work.
Her body was already frail from laboring far past her limits.
She worked tirelessly to ensure he could live, eat, and study.
Even with the scholarship covering tuition, the monthly allowances she scraped together were barely enough.
And he had done nothing for her.
Nothing to lighten her burden.
Until now.
Ezra clutched the cheque tighter, his fingers trembling.
This would change everything.
His grandmother wouldn't have to work night and day anymore.
She could rest.
She could live.
"Huu…."
A lump formed in his throat, his chest aching with every breath.
His mind felt hollow.
Ezra curled forward, clutching the cheque to his chest.
All the weight, the exhaustion, the guilt—made his heart grow heavy.
He was thankful.
Thankful his grandmother could finally breathe without the constant weight of financial burdens.
Thankful for the opportunity, even in the face of the aristocrats' disdain and opposition.
And thankful for a kindness that felt almost too unreal to believe.
Minutes passed.
The emotions within him subsided, leaving behind a calm that felt comforting for the first time in ages.
Ezra leaned back against the wall with a faint smile spreading across his features.
The cheque rested on his lap, its edges crumpled from his grip.
He didn't know who had given him this chance.
But in that moment, he made a promise.
To his grandmother.
To himself.
And to whoever had believed in him enough to give him this chance.
***
A week later.
An auction was held in Anemoi, a city not far from the capital.
Vanitas, who had reserved an exclusive invitation, arrived at the grand hall, accompanied by his butler, Evan.
Not long after, the attendants approached, bowing deeply before escorting them to the VIP seating area.
There was a VVIP section, but it was reserved strictly for Marquess and Duke households.
Vanitas didn't mind.
He preferred to observe from a slightly less conspicuous position.
Once seated, an attendant handed him the auction catalog.
Vanitas flipped through it casually, his eyes scanning the listings.
"Oh?"
His gaze paused on a seemingly insignificant item.
A small, unassuming crystal shard labeled as Ethereal Fragment.
Its description was vague, marked as a rare item with hidden properties. Most probably, for marketing purposes.
Vanitas's smirk widened.
'They don't know what they're holding.'
In the game, the Ethereal Fragment was nearly worthless. But not until the mid-point of the storyline, when it became a vital component for crafting a Sovereign-tier staff.
Vanitas tapped the listing lightly.
'I'll take this for a bargain.'
He continued flipping through the catalog.
Another entry caught his attention.
An enchanted ring labeled Crimson Band.
Vanitas activated his spectacles discreetly.
———「Crimson Band」———
◆ Enchantment: Lesser Fire Resistance
◆ Effect: Mana Amplification when exposed to volcanic environments. ————————————
'A future gem.'
In the game, the ring became highly sought after for its synergy with magma-based spells.
Its value would skyrocket once its hidden properties were revealed.
Vanitas's gaze drifted to the next item.
A Silverleaf Grimoire, listed as a low-grade spellbook containing rudimentary healing spells.
He adjusted his glasses again.
———「Silverleaf Grimoire」———
◆ Tier: Advanced
◆ Effect: Accelerates mana recovery over extended use.
————————————
Vanitas chuckled quietly.
'These fools don't know what they have.'
Evan leaned in slightly. "My Lord, is everything satisfactory?"
Vanitas nodded, setting the catalog aside.
"Better than satisfactory."
Flick—
The lights dimmed, signaling the start of the auction.
Vanitas leaned forward with anticipation.
As a player, collecting these artifacts were what made the game exciting.
The first item, a simple set of enchanted daggers, was brought to the stage.
Bidding began, but Vanitas paid it no mind.
He was waiting for the real prizes.
When the Ethereal Fragment appeared, Vanitas's lips curled into a smile.
No one in the room seemed particularly interested.
The bidding started low. It felt almost insulting for something of its future value.
"Do I hear 100,000 Rend?" the auctioneer called.
Silence.
Vanitas raised his paddle.
"100,000."
The auctioneer nodded, relief washing over him. "100,000 Rend. Any higher?"
Another raised their paddle.
Then another, then another.
Until eventually, it was sold for 230,000 Rend.
"Going once. Going twice. Sold for 230,000 Rend!"
Vanitas leaned back, winning the bid as satisfaction washed over him.
He knew the game well.
And this was only the beginning.