I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 115

Tap, tap.

The marble and gold-decorated corridor on the first floor of the Royal Palace.

While being treated with the utmost care by the servants, Rain looked around.

“…What’s that?”

“Yes, that is a statue the Emperor recently acquired. It is said to be an artifact over a thousand years old.”

“And that?”

“That is an ivory decoration given as a tribute from a certain tribe in Africa. Interestingly, the body of the elephant is made of ivory, while its tusks are diamond.”

“Hmmm….”

She pointed to each decoration scattered around the corridor and beyond the windows, asking questions.

Even though she had already identified over twenty pieces, the servants assigned to guide Rain continued to explain without the slightest hesitation.

It was a commendable work ethic that anyone would admire.

Yet.

‘This isn’t it.’

Rain wasn’t actually listening to the servants’ explanations.

She was just stalling for time and utilizing her <Superpower>.

While the servants were diligently explaining every detail to Rain, she nodded vaguely, pretending to listen and instead swept her surroundings with telekinesis.

Thanks to her recently advanced <Superpower>, it was a capable sensory ability.

Within the Royal Palace, where entry with artifacts was prohibited, this was a search unique to <Psychics> only.

‘Truly, it’s Namgoong Min.’

Instead of actually lifting objects with telekinesis, she focused solely on identifying their shapes.

Originally, she would never have imagined this, but it was thanks to Namgoong Min’s advice that if <Superpower> advanced, it could be utilized to perceive her surroundings in this manner.

A shift in perspective.

It wasn’t just a way of using telekinesis for offense but an innovative way for Rain to open her eyes.

For Namgoong Min, it was merely a spontaneous suggestion of techniques available when a player chose <Psychic>.

But for Rain, it was a groundbreaking idea.

‘Slowly, steadily.’

Beyond the corridor and the decorations.

She extended her telekinesis beyond the windows, beyond the walls, and down to below the corridor.

Though she was operating it more intricately than she originally did, she still couldn’t cover a vast range.

Nevertheless, she could manage about 10 meters in the vicinity.

‘There’s a space in this wall. Judging from the presence of a bed, it must be another room.’

‘Below here is a staircase. It looks like it leads to the basement.’

‘What’s this beyond the window…? A statue?’

Like a blind person feeling around an object.

She thoroughly scanned her surroundings with her <Superpower>.

Is this really the Royal Palace? There were complicated structures like secret passages or hidden doors found in various places… but it wasn’t much different from Arthur Mansion.

‘What Namgoong Min wished for was a place that looked unnatural to anyone.’

And preferably downwards—

“…?”

Suddenly, Rain stopped in her tracks.

At her abrupt action, the servants immediately bowed their heads.

“Lady Rain, is there something uncomfortable…?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. But what’s around here?”

“Pardon?”

“Like whose room it is or something. It’s not some kind of confidential matter, is it?”

“Nothing like that. But nearby… there is Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha’s private chamber.”

“Private chamber?”

“Yes. It’s just beyond that door.”

Following where the servant was looking, Rain turned her gaze to see an elegantly painted and decorated door.

At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary door, and indeed it was.

If there was a problem.

‘What’s this?’

Beyond that door.

The so-called private chamber of Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha—below it.

There was nothing.

Despite being on the first floor.

‘Other basements felt like they had stairs or ladders.’

Moreover, it wasn’t even that far away. Common sense dictates that basements are dug deep underground.

With her currently limited sensing range of only 10 meters, she could only ascertain that there was an empty space below, to a certain extent.

“Could I… go in?”

“I’m sorry. No matter how much of a Lady Rain you are, it’s impossible without Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha’s permission.”

“Yeah… that makes sense.”

As she approached the door, it became clearer.

Right below Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha’s private chamber.

In just a space of less than a meter deep below—

There were no stairs, no ladders, not even a single foothold…

‘A bottomless pit…?’

…there lay a deep, deep hole.

Was this what Namgoong Min meant by unnatural?

Feeling a pointless unease and ominousness, just as Rain was about to hastily walk away.

Creeeak.

“…Huh?”

“Lady Rain.”

The door opened, and Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha poked her head out.

Had she somehow come all the way here from the reception room?

There hadn’t been any encounters along the way?

“Lady Rain, could we… have a word?”

“…Inside the room, you mean?”

“Ah, you’ve heard that this is my private chamber? There’s no need to feel burdened.”

In the Daehan Empire, one cannot refuse a Crown Princess’s invitation.

Though Rain wasn’t particularly fond of the Princess, she certainly wouldn’t go so far as to refuse a conversation.

However.

“…Alright, I understand.”

Is this what it feels like to walk on a plank set over a cliff?

Knowing that there’s an incomprehensibly deep hole beneath her private chamber.

After a brief hesitation, Rain moved her feet into the private chamber.

Creeeak.

Thud.

The door closed.

*

“This neighborhood…”

Outside the capital of the Daehan Empire, Seoul.

Despite showing signs of development likened to a city that never sleeps, as befits the world’s strongest nation, it still clearly harbored dark corners.

On the outskirts of Seoul, particularly near a mountain abandoned for various reasons, lay a slum, which resembled a trash heap.

“That, Rich Tycoon?”

“Huh?”

“If I’ve bothered you, I’m so sorry! But this place ahead is notorious. If you’re looking for sightseeing, I’d recommend somewhere else…”

“Ha…”

“Rich Tycoon?”

“Get this punk out of my way now.”

“Yes.”

One of the public officials escorting Liu from the Royal Palace hurriedly stepped in front of Liu, but was only caught by the bulky figures in suits.

Liu, glancing at one of her guard members instead of the scrawny official, opened her mouth.

“And you guys? Do you think the same?”

“We are just protecting the paths the distinguished guest takes.”

“Ha, you guys are actually somewhat likable.”

There were no doubts; they were just dumb muscle with no wit.

Having donned all the artifacts she had returned when entering the Royal Palace, Liu was now at a stage where facing a hero or a princess directly would pose no issue.

Naturally, there was no way she could take a lackadaisical approach toward your dull-witted <Fighter> guards.

With clothes hanging like electrical wires and the silence of the slum being suffocatingly still, she moved toward the quiet, poor district.

“Hey, does anyone know about that beggar’s hideout?”

“…I’m from that place.”

“Oh, so you made it big. Any specifics I should know?”

“Not much different from slums elsewhere, but there’s a considerable hostility towards outsiders. Since it’s so close to Seoul…”

“Sounds like they’re constantly compared and feel inadequate? Given that, you managed to land a job at the Royal Palace?”

“Luck was on my side.”

“You’re quite self-aware. Anyway, anything else?”

“In addition, it seems people with ruined lives or failed professions are gradually flowing into the slum, growing in scale. They’re careful not to upset the royal family’s mood by expanding too much, so they’ve been surrounding the mountain, and I’ve heard the leader is a Romance Academy graduate.”

“A senior of yours? How amusing.”

As they got closer to the slum, run-down shacks came into view, with a subtle stench beginning to waft.

Of course, Liu remained unaffected due to the activation of her purification and cleanliness artifacts.

However, the guards accompanying her were either tense or frowning.

Just as much as the slums were wary of outsiders, so too were outsiders contemptuous of the slums.

The guard who was from this place maintained a calm expression.

‘This guy must be a pariah.’

No doubt due to his background, he must be in a position others like him would avoid.

Given the way the others treated him, Liu could make a rough estimate.

Of course, Liu wouldn’t concern herself with such matters, so she turned her focus back, casually placing her hands in her pockets and walking on.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the slum.

“…Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“Liu, behind me…”

“Shut it, idiot. Hey, you beggar! Why did you call out? If it’s some nonsense, I’ll twist your mouth and separate your head from your body.”

The beggar, dressed in rags, flinched at Liu’s crude insults.

Perhaps he mistook her for a naïve girl simply wandering into the slums due to her small stature.

Having been momentarily stunned by Liu’s calm demeanor, he finally continued speaking.

“…Even so, if you go in—”

“Ah, well. If I go in just like that, all the beggars will target me. Who knows what unsavory characters might ambush me? With this level of escort, it’d be more of a loss to go in. If I don’t want to end up kidnapped and crying, I’d suggest you turn back now?”

“…Yes.”

“Shut it, you punk. A beggar without a dime has the nerve to advise me? If you’re a beggar, then just ask for a penny and bow your head or you’ll just be a comic relief!”

“………”

“Well, this works out perfectly. There’s a place I need to find in that beggar’s hideout; lead me there.”

“…Why would I—”

Clink.

“…Ha, you want me to guide you through that hellhole for just this? Look, I’m barely scraping by over here….”

Clink. Clink.

“…Huh?”

Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.

“………”

Bang!

In an instant, a pile of jewels stacked in front of the beggar.

The pile of gems glimmered brilliantly, even amidst the darkness of the slum, as the beggar gulped down his saliva.

“Guide me.”

“Y-yes! Understood!”

The beggar’s attitude flipped 180 degrees as he bent down repeatedly.

Seeing him cautiously gathering the jewels with greedy eyes, one of the guards approached Liu.

“Lady Liu.”

“Don’t you all have anything to say?”

“Never trust that beggar. It’s likely that….”

“Likely to betray and run away? And along the way, he’ll take us to the leader who thinks of himself as our boss? In his eyes, I probably look like a fool, huh?”

“…If you know that, then why—”

“Shut it, you worthless punk. Why would I need to explain that to you? If we’re supposed to guard and earn money, then just shut up and do your job.”

“…Understood.”

After exchanging a few words, they acted as if they were so grand, thinking they were Namgoong Min or something.

As Liu shot a glare at him, covered in cold sweat, the guard returned to his spot.

Honestly, Liu found all of these guards useless. They just accompanied her from the palace for appearances.

Now, equipped with all her artifacts, she could easily overpower any of these guards.

‘Explaining the rules of the slums to me? How ridiculous.’

She was the one who had been born in a slum in China and managed to escape it all alone.

To be frank, even though it was a slum, thanks to the unique security of the Daehan Empire, it was a place devoid of any triads or gangs, so she felt no tension whatsoever.

Just a casual exploration of a slum.

Naturally, the reason Liu handed over the pile of jewels was because she knew well the ecosystem of the slum beggars.

“Ha, heh. This way. If you keep going straight, you’ll find some houses.”

“All around here are houses, though?”

“Ahahaha! Your sense of humor is impressive!”

It wasn’t humor.

As Liu walked with a bored expression following the beggar’s guidance, she turned to see several eyes upon them from every direction.

Between shacks, on rooftops, through windows, down alleyways, etc.

People were watching, staring, licking their lips, all around.

Anyone would have shivered or felt disgusted by such a slimy gaze, yet.

To be honest, it was amusing.

She hadn’t felt a gaze like that since becoming a Rich Tycoon, to the point it intrigued her.

After walking for some time, the beggar who was desperately rubbing his hands together for favor was ignored by Liu, who suddenly came to a stop.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Uh, yes? Miss, we still need to go a bit further….”

“Cut the crap. You were planning to ambush me around here, right? It’s obvious from the surroundings.”

“W-What are you talking about…?”

“Oh right, none of you are Namgoong Min, so there’s no way you’d understand what I mean. Losers in life, pathetic beggar scum.”

“…You keep rambling on with those stupid comments.”

The beggar glared at her as his expression darkened, dissatisfied with Liu’s relentless insults.

In the meantime, he had whistled, carefully and clandestinely taking the glimmering jewels.

“It’s a signal!”

“Ambush!”

“Guards, go in groups!”

“That girl is mine!”

“She’s a woman!!!”

Was the whistle really the signal?

From various places already marked by Liu, beggars and vagrants came rushing out.

With rusty knives, axes, chairs, slingshots, all sorts of weapons.

The crazy number was enough to make even the guards pale, likely reaching over a hundred.

“Cough! Before your ransom reaches your father, I’ll make sure to enjoy you myself! I’m curious to see what you’ll say after I shove something into that mouth of yours that’s been so terribly disrespectful!”

“…Some cheap talk, but it gets worse. I can’t believe a fortuneteller came from this place.”

“Lady Liu! Please hide!”

“They’re coming! So many of those bastards…!”

“What kind of dumb nonsense is that? Stop making a fuss and just keep your heads down.”

“…Yes?”

“Honestly, I couldn’t care less if you all die or not.”

Creeeak.

As the gang of greedy and lascivious vagrants charged in.

Liu remained unfazed, her expression blank as she turned a ring on her right hand.

The artifact, <Memory of Yesterday>.

An artifact that can ‘remember’ something.

There is no limit to that memory. Sceneries, dialogues, characters, events, etc. All sorts of things can be remembered and realized in video or audio forms.

However, the limitation is the period of 24 hours, meaning it can only remember events up until yesterday.

And that memory includes.

‘Impact’ as well.

“Here, enjoy your Crown Princess’s fist.”

—Don’t get beaten to death.

With those words, Liu concluded.

Like a fist that crushed automobiles and even biological families.

She slammed down into the slum.