I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 109

“That’s incredibly persistent.”

“Let’s find the gods and offer them a sacrifice!”

“Die…!!”

I barely shook off the Saint and the Hero, who were rushing at me with eyes wild with madness, and caught my breath.

Still… if they had truly chased me with all their might, I would have definitely been caught. I wonder if they’re holding back a bit to be considerate of me, who hasn’t fully recovered from my injuries?

But then again, they were genuinely swinging their weapons with conviction.

So they’re just letting me go for the moment, but if I get caught, it’s game over?

Those terrifying brutes.

“Thanks to you, I’m alive, Crown Prince.”

“…”

“Crown Prince?”

There was no answer. He seemed as good as dead.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince got hit by something and went flying, so I hastily used my shield to protect myself.

Hmm… one, two, three… let’s not count.

…He’s not really dead, is he?

“…Let’s not pray for his soul…”

“Oh, so you’re alive after all.”

Cough cough! “Of course I’m alive. Did you wish for my death or something?”

“Of course not.”

“…Haha, what an amusing fortuneteller you are.”

I stepped back a bit from the Crown Prince, who was gritting his teeth despite saying it was amusing.

Once he seemed to have calmed his emotions, he let out a deep sigh and leaned against the wall more comfortably.

“Right… I couldn’t speak earlier due to a strange hallucination, but I have something to tell you.”

…Strange hallucination?

You’re not talking about Liu clinging to me, are you?

“If it’s important to convey?”

“It’s about the forces behind your abduction.”

Wasn’t it Wang Fei?

Given how serious the Crown Prince seemed, this appeared to be quite a significant matter.

“First of all, I’m sorry.”

“…Crown Prince?”

“I’m a Crown Prince, and yet I warned you about the danger… but I only learned you were abducted on the very day it happened. I have no words to say. I truly apologize.”

Well, I understand the reason for the apology. After all, I’m just a mere <Fortuneteller>; it’s all about being cautious, and it’s the Crown Prince’s role to keep an eye on Kim Ha-neul and Wang Fei directly.

Besides, since I almost died, I can see why he feels a sense of responsibility.

“No, Crown Prince.”

“…?”

“Who would ever think that Wang Fei would sneak into the third-year exam venue dressed as an instructor to target me…?”

That’s just absurd.

If I could predict something like that, then I’d be a prophet who sees the future.

The smarter someone is, the easier it is to predict; the more foolish, the harder it is to foresee—seems like that’s the case here.

Of course, it’s my fault for getting caught in the first place…

“Even so, if you had really died… I don’t even want to think about the aftermath.”

“…”

“Remember that your life is worth more than you think. I… don’t want to lose a valuable friend, especially not one as powerful as a fortuneteller.”

…That’s a bit touching.

If a future Emperor considers me a friend, wouldn’t that mean I’m living quite a successful life?

Since Kim Sung-il will become Emperor in his fourth year, maybe I could enjoy some nice treatment when I go to the Daehan Empire then?

The only downside is that by then, I’d be at the point of nearly seeing the end of my journey.

“Anyway, if you accepted my apology, could we return to the main topic?”

“Anytime.”

“Good. First, the one behind your abduction is Wang Fei, and the people involved are Kim Ha-neul and the Emperor…”

“…Just like you mentioned last time.”

“Right, the goal was to secure Wang Fei, but he had already perished. I don’t know if it was due to excessive bleeding or if Kim Ha-neul did something, but it’s unfortunate.”

Wang Fei is dead, huh.

From the perspective of someone who was abducted, I think it’s a fitting end, but still, it’s a bit sad that he actually died.

If he had been alive, I could’ve squeezed some info out of him.

“And there’s something… suspicious about this.”

“…?”

Suspicious?

What could there possibly be?

“Do you know about the <Anti-Artifact>?”

“I heard about it later, but isn’t it one of the five treasures of the royal family? It’s an artifact that almost completely repels monitoring, eavesdropping, and tracking from the outside.”

“That’s correct, it was used in this incident as well.”

The <Anti-Artifact>…

It was the crystal orb where I was abducted, and its capabilities were extraordinary.

According to Liu, they had to melt down artifacts worth several hundred billion to barely break through…

‘…Wait, do I need to pay that back?’

No, several hundred billion is a bit too much…

“To get straight to the point, Kim Ha-neul tampered with the <Anti-Artifact>.”

“Tampering, you say?”

“She forcibly integrated eavesdropping and surveillance functions that weren’t originally there. Because of that, the performance deteriorated, which allowed a Rich Tycoon to breach it. Normally, you’d need at least tens of billions, if not hundreds of billions, to barely break through something like that.”

That… was weakened?

Supposedly one of the five treasures of the royal family.

Where on earth do you even acquire something like that in the first place?

“Kim Ha-neul can’t just arbitrarily modify such treasures, so it must have been the Emperor’s orders.”

“…Did the Emperor really permit the modification of the treasure? Is it possible to return a modified artifact to its original state once altered?”

“Of course, it’s impossible. That’s the problem.”

Only after hearing that did I understand what the Crown Prince found suspicious.

“That’s a massive investment.”

“Exactly, this incident is officially just a skirmish. Ultimately, what the Emperor is after is me, and threatening the Rich Tycoon is merely part of the preparation. Yet, why use a royal treasure for such a thing?”

“Especially if it had been modified….”

“It could be seen as something that was plotted from the beginning. Furthermore, they haven’t even retrieved the <Anti-Artifact>; it’s still in my possession.”

Although I was abducted and the scale of the situation had grown, the fundamental goal this time is to threaten the Rich Tycoon, who is associated with the Crown Prince.

It’s similar to how Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha was threatened with assassination before, to intimidate the Rich Tycoon into not siding with the Crown Prince, while also sending a warning: ‘You could be putting your loved ones in danger because of your actions.’

Meanwhile, Wang Fei, who harbors a personal grudge against the Rich Tycoon, was used to ensure that the Rich Tyon’s anger wouldn’t be directed towards the royal family—who are the true actors behind the scenes.

I knew this because the Crown Prince told me; otherwise, I’d have thought Wang Fei was just absurdly trying to climb up to take personal vengeance against Liu.

Yet this is ultimately something that could go either way.

‘If, by chance, Liu ends up dead at Wang Fei’s hands, that’d be a catastrophe, and I couldn’t control that same lunatic, who independently kidnapped me.’

In the end, Kim Ha-neul’s side accomplished its objective, but it could have easily spiraled out of control.

Yet they throw in royal treasures into such a flimsy plan?

Of course, there must be something unsettling about this.

“…The eavesdropper recording was already destroyed. It’s as if modifying the artifact was their goal from the start. But I’m confused. What’s the point of recording? If there hadn’t been a variable like your abduction, why would the surveillance feature even be necessary?”

“If I hadn’t been abducted…”

“Then it would have probably ended with Wang Fei ambushing the Rich Tycoon. There would have been no reason to use the <Anti-Artifact>. That’s why it’s even more perplexing.”

The reason they could use the <Anti-Artifact> to elude tracking was that I had been abducted, and since there was the need to use it, they could utilize the surveillance function.

In other words, if I hadn’t been kidnapped, all of that would have been rendered useless.

‘But Wang Fei abducting me was that lunatic’s sudden action.’

So what does that imply? Does it mean Wang Fei knew I would be abducted?

But Wang Fei initially wasn’t targeting me at all, was she?

‘The encounter between that lunatic and me was pure coincidence.’

That coincidence arose because I mistook Wang Fei for an instructor.

An abduction that started by chance, and an artifact predicated on that abduction.

This is…

“…Could it be, is it true?”

“Pardon?”

“There’s been a rumor circulating since childhood about the royal family. It is said that… the Emperor can see the future.”

F-Future?

The Emperor I know is just a competent but cold-hearted individual.

There’s no nonsensical setting like having the ability to see the future.

“…Is that true?”

“Surely, it’s just a rumor. The Emperor often made decisions that were incomprehensible, but later, they all turned out to be spot on, leading to the rumor that he must see the future.”

“…”

“Above all, if he could indeed see the future, he wouldn’t go through all this trouble just to bring someone like me under control.”

…Is that so?

Could it be merely a rumor to elevate the Emperor’s capabilities?

With how much has changed during Rain’s character event, I can’t shake the anxiety.

But what the Crown Prince said makes sense. If he really could see the future, he wouldn’t take on a plan that could potentially backfire in threatening Liu, a mere piece on the board…

‘…But wait, hold on.’

Is it truly just a mere piece?

If they’ve gone through the trouble of risking so much and launched a plan that could backfire, with the royal treasure involved…

Surely there was a compelling reason behind all this.

‘What did they gain from this incident?’

My injuries, Liu’s wariness.

‘What did they lose?’

The piece called Wang Fei, the <Anti-Artifact>, the revelation that the royal family is involved, and not to mention the Crown Prince’s wrath.

Though they fulfilled their goal, they lost far too much.

But if there was something they gained, despite all that?

‘…Could it be me?’

I might sound overly self-important, but it’s a compelling hypothesis.

In the end, I was the one kidnapped, and it was my death they recorded using the <Anti-Artifact>.

If Liu hadn’t spent several hundred billion searching for me, I might have ended up tortured or dead at Wang Fei’s hands.

And if that was what they truly desired?

To kill me and ensure the recording was taken?

‘…This is still just speculation.’

Liu might have been the actual target, or all of this could be overanalyzed and Wang Fei just underestimated the situation.

But still, the suspicion didn’t fade.

‘Kim Ha-neul, or rather the Emperor behind her, wants my death.’

They wish for the demise of a simple <Fortuneteller>, no less.

‘The Emperor, huh.’

“…Crown Prince, isn’t Chuseok coming up soon?”

“Hmm? Right.”

“At that time, could I accompany you to the royal family?”

“…”

My sudden suggestion caught the Crown Prince off guard for a moment, but soon he seemed to regain his composure and nodded his head.

“That’s actually what I was hoping for. I’ve wanted to apologize to you and didn’t know how to say it because it could be dangerous.”

“I’m just a fortuneteller, after all.”

“Haha! Don’t joke, you’re the most capable person among those I know.”

“…Thank you.”

“Ah, but is it really alright to stay here like this?”

“Pardon?”

“There are two furious individuals charging in from the back.”

“……”

What the hell.

“Look…there they are…!”

“Death to the Fortuneteller!!”

“Crown Prince!”

“Yeah, it’s best to run!”

Seriously, how long are you guys going to chase after us?

Quit being jealous and go find yourselves a girlfriend, you pathetic singles!!!

*

“…”

“…Saint?”

“…Ah, sorry. I just saw an amusing scene for a moment.”

In the central area of the Romance Academy, the stronghold of Liu.

In that place filled with paperwork and extravagant goods, Liu was surprisingly accommodating a guest.

Considering that those who came here were either Liu’s subordinates or Namgoong Min, it was a remarkable event.

However, the guest, the Saint, didn’t seem particularly enthralled.

“By the way, this coffee has a nice aroma.”

“Panama Geisha La Esmeralda—just an average cup of coffee.”

“…As far as I know, that should be one of the most expensive beans in the world.”

“Even so, it’s pocket change.”

Slurp.

As Liu sipped on the hastily made coffee from the top-class beans, he looked at the Saint with a somewhat tilted posture.

His expression mixed with discontent and discomfort.

“So why are you here? I thanked you the last time.”

“I didn’t particularly want to come to a disbeliever’s base… but I have a favor to ask.”

“…A favor?”

The Saint’s request.

No matter how much the blonde in front of me tries to hide being a Saint, Liu well knows the power of <Holy Radiance>, and she could handle most of what she needed herself.

Yet for her to seek the assistance of a Rich Tycoon…

“Is it a money issue?”

“I wouldn’t borrow from a loan shark like you even if I was low on funds. It’s about Namgoong Min.”

“…What is it?”

“Namgoong Min is probably heading to the Daehan Empire during the upcoming Chuseok holiday.”

“Oh, that’s indeed coming up soon.”

Chuseok is one of the biggest holidays in both China and the Daehan Empire.

Since the academy would also be on break then, it wouldn’t be an issue for him to return to the Daehan Empire.

“I’ll cut to the chase. Please stop Namgoong Min from going to the Daehan Empire.”

“…Why?”

“The reason is… I’m not sure myself. But it has to be done.”

“…Ha.”

Liu let out a genuine scoff as if he found it truly ridiculous.

Did she think that because I’m begging her to spare Namgoong Min, she’d take me seriously?

What an incredibly arrogant Saint she was.

“Hey, my trust is limited to one particular fortuneteller, alright? I’m truly grateful for what you did for Namgoong Min, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to trust you.”

“…”

“Let’s be real; I have my doubts. Strangely enough, I find it endlessly amusing to remain suspicious of people like you.”

With a crooked smile, Liu stared down at the still expressionless Saint.

After a moment of heavy silence hung between them, the Saint, finishing her coffee, stood up.

“…Whether you choose to trust me or not is your choice. But rest assured, I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure Namgoong Min does not go to the Daehan Empire.”

“What do you expect me to do about that?”

“I still find you untrustworthy and resentful. The very thought that Namgoong Min could have nearly returned because of someone like you angers me.”

“…”

“But you and I both want what’s best for Namgoong Min, so I’m saying this.”

“…”

“Remember this, Liu Yan.”

──If you ever harm Namgoong Min again.

────I will kill you.

With that, the Saint walked out.

Left alone in that place, Liu stared at the coffee she hadn’t finished yet and muttered.

“…Whatever.”

If you ever harmed Namgoong Min again, I’d likely end up taking my own life before she could carry out her threat.

With that thought, Liu quietly closed her eyes, fondling the dagger hidden beneath the table.