I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 111

Crack.

On the first floor of the stronghold, within the dimly lit fortune teller’s shop illuminated only by candlelight.

I stirred a cup of instant coffee mixed with hot water and distributed the mugs to the guests.

Liu, Rain, Saint.

They were the members who had visited the fortune teller’s shop almost every day since the first semester.

“Ah, I missed this coffee so much.”

“Given how cheap this is compared to what Liu usually drinks, I’m surprised.”

“What does price matter? You’re the one serving it.”

“…This coffee tastes good.”

“Hey, look who’s trying to change the subject.”

Avoiding the teasing gaze of Liu, who continued to poke fun at me today, I noticed Rain and Eileen, who were holding their cups with tense expressions.

What’s up with these two?

“Is it not to your taste?”

“N-no! It’s really good! Very delicious!”

“…Of course it’s good; it’s made with the effort of Namgoong Min.”

Instant coffee isn’t so bad, after all; they downed it in one go.

Rain was acting somewhat hastily, as if she was conscious of someone, while Eileen leisurely finished her hot coffee in one sip.

Thank goodness. I thought the coffee was bad again.

Just as I pondered whether I should get some expensive coffee, I took a sip from my own cup.

Mmm, it’s tasty. A flavor of nostalgia.

“It feels like it’s been ages since we gathered like this.”

“Yeah, it’s the first time since the second semester started.”

“Normally we would have been able to meet right after classes began, but someone ran away from Namgoong Min.”

“…Hey.”

As Liu shot an angry glare at Rain who was sitting upright with the poise of a noble, the Saint, who had been quietly observing, suddenly tilted her head.

“Namgoong… Min?”

“Hm?”

“Rain Arthur, when did you start calling him that?”

“…Oh, right. You wouldn’t know since you stayed in this city alone during break.”

Now that I think about it, the Saint wouldn’t know.

Originally, Rain only used honorifics for me in private, but after the Skill Thief event and the break, she started addressing me formally even in front of others.

Since the Skill Thief event was right before the break, it’s not surprising the Saint missed that.

…Come to think of it, the others didn’t seem to care much about Rain’s manner of speaking.

‘Excluding Rain, Liu, and Lucas, who know about the duel.’

The Saint and Hero usually don’t care much about such things, anyway.

The only ones left are the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, and they don’t look puzzled either.

Did they already talk behind my back without me knowing?

“In the past, I didn’t know, but Namgoong Min is someone who deserves to be addressed with honorifics.”

“…That’s a bit unpleasant. Referring to Namgoong Min in such a way feels irreverent.”

“Hah, since the first semester, it’s been irreverent, irreverent… you sure are persistent?”

But this should work in my favor.

I was slightly uncomfortable with Rain’s formal address.

“Rain?”

“Yes?”

“Can we just call each other casually?”

“…………Huh?”

Treating her like Lucas and going completely casual… is a bit much. After all, I confessed and got turned down… so…

…Still, it should be okay to change the title to something more informal, right?

Honestly, it’s been over half a year since we met, and still attaching ‘san’ after her name feels weird.

“U-um, then, how do we….”

“Rain.”

“………!!”

“You called me that even at the hotel during the break. No need to be overly formal; let’s at least keep the titles casual.”

“Y-yes…!!”

More than anything, I personally find it more comfortable to speak formally. Since I’ve always used formal speech since learning from that cultist bastard.

I got so used to it that I ended up getting scolded for using formal language with Jisoo too.

When I was alone with Rain, I acted like a strong person and used casual speech, but that’s not necessary anymore.

“N-Namgo… Min?”

“Yes, Rain.”

“………!!”

“Wow, you really are flustered. Is stuttering part of your character now?”

“………Please be quiet.”

Ah, this worked out well.

Since the Saint was already addressing her as Eileen, I might as well get Liu to…

“I’m fine.”

“……Liu?”

“Honestly being called Liu doesn’t make a big difference now, and I’m just used to being called Liu.”

“But….”

“…Hey, and more than that.”

Sigh.

With a faint smile, Liu gently stroked my hand.

I felt chills run down my spine and quickly pulled my hand away, while Liu chuckled at my reaction.

“Isn’t it too late to worry about changing titles?”

“………Um, sure.”

“I’m not one to be picky about titles, so just keep it as it is.”

“What did you say?”

“Isn’t that true?”

“Shut up.”

As usual, with Liu and Rain bickering beside me, I turned my gaze toward the Saint.

I couldn’t say it openly in front of Liu and Rain.

Now that the distinctions between ‘Saint’ and ‘Eileen’ are clear, should I divide them further when addressing them?

“…I didn’t dislike you, but you can be quite unpleasant.”

“Um?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Older Brother.”

“……Eileen?”

“There’s no need to distinguish names. After all, both my sister and I are ‘Eileen.'”

Eileen, who whispered softly in my ear, smiled brightly.

Yeah, if she’s saying it this directly, there’s probably no need to separate them.

Just calling her Eileen seems right…

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hey, fortune teller. Don’t you think this is a bit too close? It doesn’t seem like something to do in front of the girl you got rejected by.”

“I agree. Namgoong… Min.”

“Aren’t you the one who should be quiet?”

“What did you just call me?”

“Calm down.”

While it’s common for Liu and Rain to bicker, it feels like it’s intensified lately.

Moreover, Liu and Eileen seem to have some strange tension going on.

I can’t possibly know all their relationships since they would meet different people outside of me.

I hope they at least get along.

If they fight, guys like me tend to get caught in the crossfire.

“…Hey, fortune teller. Isn’t Chuseok next week?”

“Chuseok?”

“Oh, Rain might not know. It’s a holiday celebrated in East Asia. The Academy will be closed for three days next week because of it too.”

“…I see.”

I can’t help but wonder how much the Daehan Empire is donating to the Romance Academy. It’s not an international academy like Christmas, which is celebrated worldwide, yet they shut down for a holiday only celebrated in East Asia.

But from a student’s perspective, that doesn’t matter.

A holiday is heaven!

“You’ll be going to the Daehan Empire then, right?”

“Well, I suppose so?”

I promised the Crown Prince, and I should probably face Kim Ha-neul and the Emperor’s face too.

While I’m at it, I might check out what my past was like before entering the Academy…

“…Could you not go?”

“Eileen?”

“………Please.”

As Eileen suddenly spoke after watching Liu bring up Chuseok, I briefly looked at her.

Her suggestion not to go to the Daehan Empire.

…It’s not just anybody saying this; it’s the Saint. There must be a reason behind it.

“Do you know something…?”

“……I can’t explain why. But… please.”

Hmm.

Even the Saint, who has given me complete trust until now, says it’s something she can’t explain.

Seeing her speak so seriously makes me feel like it’s not a personal reason.

“…Eileen, do you think it’s reasonable to ask someone not to go without any proper explanation?”

“……Unbeliever.”

“That’s right, I’m an unbeliever. I can’t trust what you say. To me, your words sound like you want me to stay at the Academy instead of going anywhere during the Chuseok holiday. Is that just a misunderstanding?”

“……….”

“Namgoong… did not return home during the break. It was all for us.”

…Was that so?

Once the break began, I was dragged to Liu’s mansion, and afterwards, I went straight to Europe due to Rain’s engagement issue.

But after the duel, I ended up staying in a resort that was really comfortable.

“Why does someone who says they’re going home for the holiday think you have any right to stop them?”

“………….”

“…Liu, don’t you have anything to say?”

“………Whatever. After all, the choice is in the hands of the fortune teller.”

“That’s true. Namgoong… Min.”

The vibe feels a bit awkward with Liu still not addressing me formally while Rain and Eileen looked at me.

It’s unusual for Liu to nod like she actually believes what I say, while Rain glances at Eileen with a look of disbelief, and the Saint silently bows her head.

Anyway, as Liu said, the choice is mine to make.

Should I go or should I stay?

……Honestly, the answer was obvious.

I should naturally──

*

Daehan Empire International Airport.

With the news that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess studying at the Romance Academy were returning for Chuseok, the airport was now bustling with excitement.

“Block that side! Don’t let them through!”

“Forget the red carpet; where’s the position of the royal limousine!?”

“How many companions do we have?”

“I heard the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and their classmates are coming.”

“Great, prepare gifts for them as well….”

On a normal day, the airport was filled with countless people coming and going. However, just for today, all flights and gates had come to a halt.

The rightful heirs of the royal family were returning along with esteemed guests.

That one fact alone filled the airport with a celebratory crowd rather than travelers.

People gathered to catch a glimpse of the Crown Prince and Princess, airport staff trying to manage the crowd, and royal officials planning their route, among others.

In this tangled mass of people, there were some individuals with somewhat peculiar-looking walkie-talkies.

Spectators, staff, royal officials, security personnel… people inserted in various roles.

They varied in gender, appearance, and age, but all of them had a common affiliation and communicated quietly with each other.

[No problems at the entrance.]

[No suspicious behavior from the spectators.]

[Good, how long until the plane arrives?]

[12 minutes left.]

[Okay. Have we confirmed the appearance of the targets? We’ll lure them to the prepared vehicle as naturally as possible.]

[Yes.]

These individuals only moved under the Emperor’s direct orders.

They followed only the Emperor’s command, and regardless of who their opponent was, they would act without hesitation.

Though part of the royal family, their names weren’t on any official list.

With a singular mission.

To kill one of the esteemed guests arriving with the Crown Prince, the <Fortune Teller>.

[How many reserves do we have?]

[We’ve secured the restrooms near the gate where the Crown Prince will arrive.]

[We’ve bribed the driver of the car in case he rides in the same vehicle as the Crown Prince. We’ll convince the target to get into another vehicle as naturally as possible.]

[We have agents infiltrated among the spectators. If given a chance, they’ll use a tranquilizer dart.]

[We’ve stationed special forces nearby to detain any potential suspects in case of unexpected situations.]

[Alright. We’ll block all possible outcomes.]

If it was merely to kill him, doing so the moment they arrived at the airport would have been easy. But this time, it had to be done underground in the Royal Palace as a condition.

If given too much time, it could lead to exposure, so when the subjects arrive at the airport, they would be lured into the prearranged vehicle, or if they use the restroom, they would be abducted there.

Or by using agents among spectators to put them to sleep with darts.

With no need to consider the aftermath, they had become ruthless in their methods.

Even if the Crown Prince voiced complaints during this operation, it wouldn’t matter. They were hunting dogs who only obeyed the Emperor.

And then…

[The Crown Prince has arrived.]

[……Everyone, keep your wits about you. Failure is not an option!]

As the Crown Prince and Crown Princess arrived along with their designated flight.

One by one, the passengers started to emerge from the gate.

“Wooooo!!! Crown Prince!!”

“Crown Prince Kim Sung-il, you’ve returned for Chuseok, please say a word!”

“Step back! You there! Get back!”

“Haha, thank you for the warm welcome.”

The Crown Prince.

“Older Brother, I told you to return quietly.”

“I know the crowd is overwhelming but just bear with it a little longer. Isn’t this how a future Emperor should act?”

“Sigh….”

The Crown Princess.

“This is the Daehan Empire. I’ve heard of it, but this is my first time here.”

“When we met as children, we only met in Europe. When I think about it now, it’s quite ridiculous.”

“…? Was there a specific reason?”

“It was all the Emperor’s command. It seems he insisted we must meet only in Europe.”

“You must believe in this Arthur, right?”

“By the way………are you alright?”

“………I’m fine now.”

<Warlock> Lucas Arthur.

“…………There are a lot of people.”

“Of course, there are. Isn’t it similar to you when you return to the U.S., Abel?”

“That’s true, but….”

“Now that you’re here, let’s enjoy the sightseeing. I hear that there’s a lot to see and eat during Chuseok.”

“………Yeah….”

<Hero> Abel Legion and <Saint> Raphael Martina.

“Ha….”

“I understand your feelings, but can you please stop sighing?”

“Haah….”

“Do you want to hit me?”

“Haahhh….”

“This girl.”

And then there’s <Rich Tycoon> Liu Yan and <Psychic> Rain Arthur.

Even excluding the Crown Prince and Princess, every single one of them is a globally recognized celebrity.

The realization that they all were in the same class hit me with a wave of disbelief.

Just as I smiled wryly, the Captain shifted his focus to those following behind.

Royal attendants, Arthur’s aides, Tycoon’s subordinates, priests serving the Saint…

As they recognized the familiar faces of most of these individuals in their memories.

“………?”

It’s done.

That’s it.

With the last appearing priest of the Saint, nobody else emerged from the gate.

[…Is anyone confirming the target?]

[None.]

[None.]

[No one here.]

[No one.]

[Could they have slipped away unnoticed?]

[We’ve already checked all the nearby CCTV and detection artifacts. If they could escape, it wouldn’t possibly be the <Fortune Teller>.]

[……Could they be hiding in the airplane?]

[Checked with the pilot. No one remains on the plane. Checked with life detection artifacts.]

[What if they disguised themselves?]

[How many detection artifacts do we have on hand? Besides, aren’t you the <Tracker>?]

[………Are you saying…?]

…Could it be that the Emperor was mistaken?

Is it possible they never even arrived?

*

The answer was simple.

“Ah.”

“Refreshing.”

“That’s right. Eileen, by the way, is going to the Daehan Empire really dangerous?”

“…Yes.”

“Well, then, that makes things easy!”

With a glass of refreshing iced coffee in hand, I clink glasses with Eileen.

What? Going to the Daehan Empire is dangerous?

Then I’ll just go later!