I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 147

“What’s that existence, huh….”

The Mediator’s half-respectful smile made Kim Eun-ha quietly reflect on her earlier words.

But it wasn’t a question.

It was obvious anger.

“Mediator.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You must know that my husband is Namgoong Min.”

Clash.

The teacup cracked, and a sinister atmosphere began to rise.

The servants and guards standing behind felt cold sweat trickling down their backs.

Yet, they didn’t forget to prepare for battle.

Not because it was Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha, but to target the Mediator the moment orders were given.

Having won the faction struggle against the Emperor and Crown Prince with the help of the Crown Princess and The Oppressor, the Crown Princess had become a clear power player in the royal court.

No matter how much they claimed to be the head of the legal department and one of the three judges, they were still someone they could dispose of without a second thought.

Especially since everyone knew the feelings Kim Eun-ha held for Namgoong Min, the atmosphere in the reception room grew heated.

Kim Eun-ha, who was awakening her <Desire to Kill>, and the dozens of people exhibiting hostility.

Despite receiving all those stares, the Mediator’s smile remained unbroken.

“Are you daring to sow discord between a married couple?”

“I’m sorry, but Princess, I believe your husband doesn’t seem to realize he’s married to you.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t… matter?”

“If Min accepts it, then that’s that, and if he refuses, I can just ask again.”

“…Until he accepts?”

“Even if it means I grow old and die.”

“That’s quite a tale of pure love.”

“Then let me ask you.”

A monster with red eyes, materialized from <Desire to Kill>, rose up behind Kim Eun-ha.

With a blood-red crown atop its head, the creature with chilling eyes reached out its hand.

Towards the Mediator’s neck.

“Do you really think I would be curious about what kind of existence Namgoong Min is?”

“…”

“Since you’ve served as a royal court advisor for so long, I’ll give you one last chance.”

“…What is it?”

“Just keep quiet and go back. That will conclude your role.”

“…I shall follow your words.”

*

32,589,612.

That was the number of Gates last confirmed by the U.S. government twenty years ago.

“If there are that many Gates, then the monsters…”

“…Usually… there are…over a thousand per Gate.”

Insane.

That means there could be at least 30 billion monsters, and it’s not just regular Gates in America.

There must be many more of those colossal Gates that block out sunlight.

The number of monsters inside them would be unimaginable.

There’s a reason why the once superpower, America, fell.

“So, are we in danger too? There are tens of Gates visible.”

“It should be… fine…”

“Really?”

“The Gates in this city… we’ve already dealt with them…”

“I see.”

So at least this city is a safe zone.

Though I had heard the Hero’s words, the mere sight of the Gates still made me feel tense.

Luckily, with the artifacts Liu gave me, I wouldn’t die from a surprise attack, but there’s always that “what if.”

“Is our destination within this city?”

“…Right…”

“To be precise, where is it?”

“City hall… headquarters…”

“City hall?”

What could be in the city hall of this ghost city, or rather, this Gate city?

That city hall might not be what I expect.

Anyway, not knowing where this place was, I had no choice but to follow closely behind the Hero as if I were familiar with it.

It certainly seemed like a great city where millions had once lived.

But now, it was dominated solely by ominous Gates.

After following the Hero for a while.

As soon as I spotted a building that clearly looked like a city hall in the distance, the Hero came to a stop.

“Hero?”

“…In front…”

“In front? I only see a Gate.”

“About 1 kilometer… ahead… there’s a presence….”

“…!”

A presence.

Naturally, I didn’t know a thing about it, but the Hero’s instincts could not be wrong.

The Hero, gripping the greatsword’s hilt with eyes narrowed as if to keep watch, warned me of the presence in this city.

As I stealthily followed the Hero behind an abandoned car, I whispered.

“Is it a monster?”

“…It’s… not….”

“Then…?”

“Human….”

Human?

In this city abandoned for more than 20 years?

“Is that a common occurrence?”

“…It can’t be….”

“Then we have three possibilities.”

“…Three…?”

“First, a civilian somehow survived the Gate incident and has been alive until now.”

“….”

The Hero’s silence was an answer.

Even if the Gates had discharged all the monsters and weren’t dangerous, the issue would be food for 20 years.

“The ecosystem around the Gates has been wiped out.”

I had heard that a single Gate could obliterate a whole mountain due to the ceaseless flow of monsters and plants from beyond.

With so many Gates in this city, it likely meant all living things in the vicinity had perished.

Despite it being a ghost city, not even a rat or insect was in sight.

“The only way would be to retrieve food from inside the Gates.”

People venturing beyond the Gates rarely brought extra supplies.

In the Otherworld beyond the Gates, known edible plants and animals are a rare find.

They wouldn’t last even 20 days, let alone 20 years.

“Second, they are also outsiders like us.”

“That’s… not possible….”

“I think so too. Everyone entering America needs prior permission, and only we can enter this city.”

This city by the Pacific Ocean wasn’t the only route into ruined America; there were many.

However, all were strictly managed, requiring official approval.

While the Hero could pass through as a representative of America, I had heard no reports of anyone present in this city.

So, the last possibility remained.

“Third, they’re thieves.”

“…Thieves….”

“Though they need permission to use official routes… if they entered illegally, it would be different.”

I had heard during theory lessons.

There were those secretly stealing remaining military supplies and various resources within America.

“What’s their number like?”

“…I’m not sure… but… about twenty….”

“How troublesome.”

Most of those committing such thefts were job holders, I had heard.

Monsters and Gates were everywhere in America, and the odds of ordinary people surviving were abysmally low.

Why would high-ranking job holders stoop to this?

Naturally, their competence must be lacking, or they had dirty backgrounds.

“What will we do? They seem to be heading towards the city hall.”

“…Do you… have thoughts…?”

“Are you asking me? Hmm… it’s not like I don’t have any.”

Honestly, if I put my mind to it, even twenty crummy job holders are not a problem at all.

Of course, I mean not including me, but the Hero.

However, if he’s asking for my thoughts… it means he wants to avoid bloodshed as much as possible.

“Force would be the most straightforward.”

“…We can’t have… blood… in front of the city hall….”

“Fine, I’ll understand. Then just follow my lead, and when I give the signal, wield your greatsword a bit.”

“…? No blood….”

“There shouldn’t be any blood, so don’t worry.”

*

“Why does this kind of job always fall on me, ugh.”

They’re here to rob, yet they’re acting all pitiful.

In the makeshift tent set up on the deserted roadside.

Inside, a boy sorting stolen goods grumbled under his breath.

If he hadn’t been caught pickpocketing a week ago, losing all his money and ending up in this dump wouldn’t have happened.

By now, the thieves in front of the city hall were probably distributing goods, but did they even know about his troubles?

“I’m the youngest, and that’s all? Just try not distributing properly.”

This was America. We’re talking about America.

The homeland of my long-deceased parents, a place that a sane person wouldn’t dare venture into.

The self-proclaimed thief leader shouted that they were absolutely safe, yet it looked pathetic for him to push others forward whenever they passed by a Gate.

I mean, it’s a place where monsters could pop out at any moment.

“Ugh, done.”

I found guns, bullets, various jewels, and outdated dollars scattered all around the city.

It wasn’t a fortune worth risking my life over, but to be honest, it was significantly more than I’d made for the labor involved.

Despite the Gates’ ominous presence, nothing had really happened.

Yet, even being here multiple times, all the other thieves kept repeating to be cautious.

Every now and then, monsters supposedly popped out of Gates located in remote corners of the city.

To the boy who had spent the last ten days in the safest, almost boring search, this sounded hardly credible.

Should I say it out loud, I would get beaten, so I complied quietly.

Nonetheless, it was nice that there were plenty of empty buildings, allowing him to spend time alone if he wanted.

As long as he showed up at the designated time, he could do whatever he wanted during free time.

“Youngest, have you finished organizing everything?”

“Y-yes! Captain!”

“Alright. You’ll be living alone again today, right?”

“…Isn’t that my freedom?”

“If only you looked decent, you’d have been taken long ago. Because you’re ugly, you can live alone.”

“Ah, understood.”

“Tsk, anyway. This is your share.”

Clink.

“…Is this real?”

“Why? Is it too much?”

“I found several jewels; how can you just settle it with one ring!!”

“Oh? You dare raise your voice to me when I generously share my fortune? Careful, or I’ll teach you a lesson!”

“Just hit me! If you’re feeling bad, at least throw me some jewels—cough!?”

“You little brat.”

As the boy gasped for air, clutching his injured stomach.

The rugged man known as the captain made a face of disgust.

“Oh, you’re just sickeningly ugly. Not even worth hitting.”

“Cough, cough….”

“Since you’re being such a nuisance, I’ll take this jewel too. Ignoring a person’s goodwill…?”

“Cough…?”

As the man looked down at the boy with contempt, he began to falter.

And, as if he could not believe what was happening.

As if he were suddenly frightened, he took a step back.

In the boy’s panicked gaze, he was bewildered by the sight behind him.

“…Huh?”

A hand.

A hand that looked not much different from either the boy’s or the man’s.

But that alone would be understandable.

If that hand was stretching out from beyond the Gate, the narrative would indeed change.

“Oh, oh…?”

The hand began to move. Each finger wiggled in different directions, twisting and fidgeting, while feeling uncomfortably like something was imitating a human hand.

The hand slowly stretched out beyond the Gate.

“Could it be…!”

The man staggered back while the boy froze in disbelief at what he was witnessing.

As the hand kept squirming closer to the frightened boy, it suddenly straightened like a blade, fingers pressed together.

Then it swung in the air.

Though neither the man nor the boy could comprehend such actions.

Ka-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!!!!

With a terrifying sound, the building behind them was sliced apart.

The moment the boy realized that the hand was no human’s, and fear wiped the color from the man’s face as he screamed.

“M-M-Monster!!!!”

Monster.

A term for all sorts of creatures that emerge from beyond the Gate.

Though he had simply been a porter, the man had participated in several Gate hunts.

Monsters were, quite simply, beasts.

No matter how skilled they were as job holders, they could easily be killed.

Especially if such a seemingly trivial gesture could crumble a building.

There was no way they stood a chance.

“Damn!! Save me!!!”

“C-C-Captain! Take me with you!!!”

“Get away, damn it! Scram!!”

Thud. Thud. Thud!

The boy, trying to escape as he grabbed the man’s ankle, was kicked down.

Reaching feebly towards the fleeing man, it was too late.

The man was already running without looking back.

“Ah….”

Had he kicked somewhere unfortunate earlier, the boy’s vision blurred from the blood flowing down.

As consciousness faded away, suddenly,

Something cold tapped the nape of his neck.

“Oh… oh….”

The cold thing crept around his neck.

And soon,

It grasped the boy’s throat.

“Ggh….”

From his throat, a chill of death washed over him.

Drenched in fear of death, he wet his pants.

As the boy slowly succumbed to fear, the last thing he saw was.

“Well, well? What an unexpected face.”

“…Crack.”

That ominous laugh, almost human, belonging to the owner of the hand.