The Sponsored Heroines Are Coming for Me

Lina was peeking out from the kitchen, eavesdropping on Danya and the man’s conversation.

And when Danya revealed that the man was the cult leader—

“H-Hiiik…!”

Elena, who was crouching beside her, let out a faint groan. Lina quickly put a finger to her lips, signaling for silence.

Although Elena immediately covered her mouth, her wide, round eyes revealed her shock. Lina imagined that her own expression probably wasn’t much different.

The leader of the Bloodstone Cult.

He hadn’t explicitly answered Danya’s question, but he hadn’t denied it either. That was enough confirmation.

Her lips trembled slightly.

A fear rose instinctively from within her.

That oppressive feeling she had the moment she first saw him—the sense that she couldn’t even look him straight in the eye. There had been no visible aura or pressure, yet standing before him felt like being prey before a predator. Now, she understood. That had been her instincts screaming the truth.

“Wh-why would someone like that be h-here, Sister…?”

Elena whispered, her voice barely above a mosquito’s buzz as she trembled.

Lina nodded slightly.

“…I don’t know either.”

She completely understood Elena’s fear.

“If he’s the leader of the Bloodstone Cult, he must be an absolute master, Sister.”

“That’s not even the biggest issue…”

The leader of the Bloodstone Cult.

Not just an absolute master, but someone with an unimaginable level of influence. Perhaps on par with the Emperor or the Pope—or even beyond that.

“Every second of his time is worth more than gold.”

So why was someone like him here?

Considering how secretive the Bloodstone Cult’s headquarters was rumored to be, he must have traveled a great distance.

Lina couldn’t begin to make sense of it.

‘…I can’t figure it out.’

This was the limit of what she could deduce.

She decided that she needed to organize her thoughts and ask Silvia about it later.

…That is, if the cult leader left peacefully without causing any incidents.

On the other hand, if he decided to act with ill intent right this moment—Lina had no idea how they could possibly stop him.

—Gulp.

She swallowed hard.

Not knowing his reason for coming here only made the situation feel more dangerous.

The only small relief was that his expression didn’t seem hostile.

At that moment—

“Sister.”

Elena held out a small note.

“This is something I received from Ian a while ago. He told me to take it out whenever I felt uneasy…”@@novelbin@@

Lina took the note and read it.

It warned that the higher-ups of the Bloodstone Cult were particularly fond of talented, promising children and that they should be cautious.

At first glance, it seemed like simple concern.

But given that the cult leader hadn’t taken his eyes off Danya even once—

“…”

An unexplainable sense of unease settled in Lina’s stomach.

—Gulp.

She clenched her fists tightly.

◆

“…You’re saying you want to take me with you, nyah?”

Danya narrowed her eyes and stared at the cult leader.

The cult leader gave a small nod.

“The Bloodstone Cult can help you bloom gloriously. You, too, must have a strong desire to ascend.”

As he spoke, he took a sip of his tea.

Though his face remained expressionless, he seemed quite pleased.

Danya shook her head.

“I appreciate the offer from someone of your stature, but I’ll have to decline, nyah.”

“Hoo… You have quite the nerve. To refuse my invitation.”

“People die one way or another, no matter how they live, nyah.”

Her gaze remained steady as she spoke.

Her posture was firm, though her tail was slightly stiff.

Her throat was dry, but she made every effort not to show it.

This was a survival tactic she had learned from Ian.

The stronger the opponent, the more confident and composed one must act.

Under the table, Danya clenched her fist once before meeting the cult leader’s gaze.

A faint smile appeared on the cult leader’s lips.

“That level of boldness is more than enough. There are few who can even meet my gaze… Even fewer who can eavesdrop, like your companions.”

A brief scuffling sound came from the kitchen behind them.

The cult leader paid it no mind and continued speaking.

“Ian, that child, has quite the eye for talent. He has gathered truly remarkable comrades.”

“…”

Danya found the way he scrutinized her deeply unsettling.

His expression seemed indifferent, but behind that look—beneath the surface—something monstrous slumbered.

Something deeper than mere desire, something that felt like it could consume everything.

An endless hunger.

Perhaps that was what had allowed this man to rise to his position as cult leader.

She got the sense that, for the sake of growth, this man would sacrifice anything without hesitation.

The cult leader smacked his lips slightly before speaking again.

“I believe in the truth of your talent. I could even grant you some direct teachings myself.”

Instead of agreeing, Danya diverted the conversation.

“What about Ian?”

At the mention of his name, the cult leader smiled as if simply recalling his face brought him joy.

“Ian, that child, is already no different from my disciple.”

“Disciple?”

“Yes. He has already begun learning the ways of our faith. He will become a great pillar of the Bloodstone Cult.”

Danya felt a mix of relief and shock.

Relief was the natural response.

‘So you’re alive, Ian…’

At the very least, it seemed the cult leader hadn’t absorbed Ian or taken him as some kind of sacrificial offering.

If the cult leader regarded Ian as a disciple, then his life and body were likely intact. That knowledge alone eased her mind considerably.

‘…But a disciple?’

That part was shocking.

Danya knew very well—

Ian had always given off the impression that he despised the Bloodstone Cult.

Anyone could see that Ian firmly regarded the cult as an enemy.

And yet, here was the cult leader, referring to Ian as his disciple—

Did that mean Ian had joined the Bloodstone Cult?

There had to be some kind of hidden reason behind it.

‘He’s probably waiting for the right moment, nyah…’

He was undoubtedly under the cult leader’s watchful eye.

Escaping from that situation would be next to impossible on his own.

Which meant that, eventually, Ian would need help from the outside to escape.

“What’s weighing on your mind so much?”

“How strong are you, cult leader?”

“Do you intend to defeat me?”

“That would be impossible, nyah.”

“Then?”

“Still, I want to have the strength to protect something, nyah.”

“Are you seeking my teachings?”

“I’d rather hear some advice from a senior who has gone before me, nyah.”

Another one of Ian’s lessons on dealing with powerful figures—

Feigning a request for guidance while subtly offering praise.

Standing firm while lowering oneself slightly, naturally elevating the other person.

Essentially, a dignified form of flattery.

It seemed to work on the cult leader as well.

A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.

“You have mastered Flora.”

“That’s right, nyah.”

“A rare element. And for a beastkin to wield that magic makes it even rarer. Typically, beastkin are too sensitive to mana to use magic. Yet, you’ve overcome that limitation.” 𝐑ΆꞐỌβƐș

“That’s right, nyah.”

“Overcoming one’s weaknesses is a prerequisite for true greatness. You have done well.”

“Thank you, nyah.”

“Flora is life itself. You must focus on that aspect.”

The cult leader continued.

“Life is tied to the earth. Life emerges from the land and returns to it. That cycle is what we call reincarnation. That is why you are so compatible with Ian. In such cases, even mere physical union can serve as training. Our faith encourages such practices.”

Danya quietly nodded.

It was true that after spending nights with Ian, her growth had become practically unstoppable.

Of course, she had done it because it made her happy, but it had indeed produced incredible side benefits.

“Join our faith. You would easily rank within the top five. In doing so, you and Ian could lead the Bloodstone Cult together. Soon, the continent will be beneath our feet. And when that happens, it shall belong to you both.”

The cult leader spoke not with arrogance or exaggeration, but in a calm, matter-of-fact tone—

As if stating an undeniable truth.

“…That’s not going to happen, meow. Ian is already my master.”

Danya bowed her head.

Even though he was an enemy, it was proper etiquette toward someone who had given her guidance.

“I see.”

The cult leader rose from his seat and glanced around.

Lina and Elena, who had been peeking out from the kitchen, flinched before hurriedly lowering their heads.

“Th-Thank you for your teachings.”

“If you continue to devote yourselves, you will achieve good results.”

“…Thank you.”

As the cult leader stepped outside, the others could only stare blankly after him.

◆

“Shall we eliminate them all? The preparations are complete.”

Outside the former magic cave, a man emerged from the shadows of a nearby building and spoke to the cult leader.

“No, there is no need.”

“They could become a threat. They might track you, cult leader.”

“A war will break out soon enough.”

“Understood.”

The man bowed his head.

There was no point in questioning the cult leader’s decision further—it would be rude.

Then, the cult leader spoke.

“Besides, wouldn’t their awakening be more profound if their comrades simply vanished before their eyes?”

◆

“I-I thought I was going to die…”

Elena, who had been staring vacantly at the door the cult leader had just walked out of, collapsed into a seat and muttered.

Though Lina and Danya remained standing, their expressions weren’t much different.

No one could bring themselves to speak.

Then, Elena mumbled again.

“Shouldn’t we follow him? We might be able to track down Brother Ian’s location…”

Danya and Lina shook their heads in unison.

“He’d notice, nyah.”

“He’d catch us for sure.”

Both of them instinctively understood.

The only reason the cult leader had spared them today was likely because he was in a relatively good mood.

If they provoked him any further, there was no way it would end well.

“Death doesn’t matter, meow. But if we die, we won’t be able to rescue Ian.”

At Danya’s words, Lina nodded.

“At least now we know who we’re dealing with.”

“Yeah. I memorized his scent, nyah.”

The cult leader’s presence.

A rare and valuable clue.

Even so, unease continued to gnaw at them.

That overwhelming confidence—

Was it arrogance, or something worse?

‘…A Demon God.’

Danya suddenly recalled an old legend passed down in her tribe’s sacred land.

Good and Evil.

In each domain, there existed the possibility for a human to ascend—to become something beyond human.

And at that moment, she finally understood the source of the fear she had felt toward the cult leader.

Distance.

He wore the form of a human, yet the sense of separation from humanity was undeniable.

“…”

Just as the weight of that realization was beginning to settle in, Elena suddenly mumbled.

“But… did the cult leader walk here?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, he didn’t have a carriage or anything. Did he walk all the way home? Is it close?”

It was such an absurd question—so Elena-like—that Danya and Lina couldn’t help but blink in momentary confusion.