I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 15

“So, what are you going to do with me and this girl?”

“…Mr. Liu. Can’t you even remember my name and you’re throwing a fit? How pathetic.”

“Shut up. The girl who couldn’t even remember the fortuneteller’s name is the one getting snappy?”

“…You’re quite the amusing provocateur, aren’t you? Namgoong Min… don’t believe what he says, it’s all lies… right.”

“Haha, don’t mind me and just keep talking. We have to wait anyway.”

“Wait?”

“How long do we have to wait…?”

“You’ll probably have to sit here for quite a while. After all, it’s not like we’re the ones making the moves…”

“The impatient one always ends up coming closer.”

*

“This is insane…”

<Swordsman> job holder, Sasaki Ito muttered.

Although he didn’t take the specialized exam since it wasn’t a special class, he still had confidence in his skills, having passed the test ranked 7th in the whole academy.

Having lived in the mountains since childhood, he confidently plunged into this complicated maze.

“How the hell am I supposed to get out of this…?!”

What greeted him at the start was an endless showcase of buildings.

The narrow paths and aerial walkways everywhere left him confused about which way to go, and at any moment, the route he thought was clear turned blocked, and no matter how much he ran, only buildings appeared, with nothing new in sight.

“I’m sure we started just after 8 o’clock…”

The academy had the courtesy to place a giant digital clock in the sky, displaying the time.

The current time was 10:41.

With the time limit until noon, less than two hours remained.

“Ugh, somehow! I have to find that exit!”

Panic surged as he ran and ran. Despite being a job holder with a body surpassing that of a regular person, the bodily profession of <Swordsman> allowed him to run at a speed comparable to an ordinary car without any exaggeration.

And yet, the scenery that unfolded remained unchanged.

Buildings. Buildings. Buildings. Small buildings. Buildings. Buildings. Some bigger buildings. Passages. Bridges. Buildings. Buildings. Buildings.

Only seeing the same-colored, same-shaped buildings relentlessly.

“Damn, damn…!”

Buildings. Buildings. Buildings. Buildings.

“Where is it…! Where is it?!”

Buildings. Buildings. Buildings. Buildings. Passages. Buildings.

“Freaking academy! Freaking entrance ceremony!”

Bridges. Buildings. Buildings. Buildings. Buildings.

“Huff… huff…”

…How much have I run?

At some point, Sasaki found himself leaning against a nearby building, panting.

The surrounding scenery was still the same. Damn buildings, obnoxious buildings, cursed passages.

What time is it?

“…Hah, hah.”

10:45.

He had only run for a mere 4 minutes.

It was exhausting, tiring.

“….”

But above all, what tormented Sasaki was something else.

Catching his breath, he looked back at the direction he had come from.

There it was.

“…Damn it.”

The auditorium came into view.

Despite having spent over 2 hours wandering, the entrance where he first dashed out still greeted him.

As if to say he couldn’t escape. As if destined to end up back at the start.

Sasaki stared at the entrance for a while before lowering his head.

“Cleaning… 8 hours a day… for a month.”

When he first heard it, he only thought about how it was even possible. He didn’t even practice swordsmanship for 8 hours a day, so why were they making him clean for 8 hours?

“Should I just… do it?”

At this point, it didn’t seem to matter anymore.

His pride in representing Japan at the Romance Academy, the thrill of being accepted as 7th, the confidence of easily breaking through this maze—all shattered within just 2 hours.

“…Let’s go back.”

Running any further wouldn’t lead to an exit.

Could it be that no one could escape? Did the academy set it up so everyone would fail?

Yeah, there’s no way they would seriously make us clean for 8 hours, right? It must be a joke…

With his head hung low, Sasaki weakly turned back.

Despite having run so far, it took less than 10 seconds to return to the entrance.

“…Not many here.”

Was that the only disappointment he felt? The area around the auditorium was sparse, with a few students despondently walking about.

Had the rest already made it out of the maze? Was he the only one left behind?

Sasaki walked towards the auditorium without bothering to hide his feelings of emptiness. He just wanted to sit and rest in a chair.

“…?”

But then.

“How long do we have to wait?!”

“It’s almost time!”

“There’s not much left, so don’t get too excited!”

“What do you mean by that…?!”

The inside of the auditorium was chaotic.

He hadn’t noticed at first, but there were far more students in the auditorium chattering loudly than those lurking outside.

“What’s with all these people…?”

What on earth is happening? Have they called the students back?

While Sasaki was bewildered by the situation, he heard.

“…Hey? Isn’t that Sasaki? The one who ranked 7th on the entrance exam!”

“Yeah! I took the exam with him; I’m sure of it!”

“Great, get him!”

“Grab him! Catch him!”

“W-What!?”

A small group of students who recognized him suddenly rushed in to grab his arms and legs!

In a scene that felt half like a horror movie, Sasaki instinctively almost drew his sword from his waist, but before he could even unsheathe it, he was swept away by the crowd and roughly dragged somewhere.

“Wha-wha-wha-what’s going on?! Let go of me!”

“Shut it! We need you to start!”

“Hurry and take him to Namgoong Min!”

“They said we only need him!”

“Me, Namgoong Min?!”

That fortuneteller?

Without even a moment to ponder the name that abruptly popped up, Sasaki was forcefully brought to the center of the auditorium right after being thrown in.

Seeing those around him still dazed, four figures came into view.

“You…?”

“We’ve been waiting for you, Sasaki Ito.”

The only one smiling while sitting in a chair was Namgoong Min.

Standing beside him were Rain Arthur with a stunned expression and Liu Yan wearing a disdainful face. Behind them was Lucas Arthur, looking as if he couldn’t make sense of the situation.

Sasaki’s eyes widened at the sight of the four renowned figures—students who were supposed to be unfathomably famous.

“Special Class?”

“What’s special class? We’re just classmates. I’m the fortuneteller, Namgoong Min. You saw me during the entrance ceremony, right?”

“Y-Yeah. I saw you. Your divination was fascinating and pretty accurate.”

“Thanks for the compliment. Anyway, now that Sasaki has arrived, we can start.”

“What?”

Although he was just smiling, why did it feel so ominous?

Sasaki gazed at Namgoong Min, who stood up from his seat and looked around.

“Could everyone please be quiet?”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“Hey, be quiet! I said be quiet!”

“Everyone, let’s keep it down!”

“……..”

“……..”

“……..”

“Good.”

With just a simple word from Namgoong Min, the entire auditorium fell silent in an instant.

The student who ranked second in the entrance exam, the special class, the academy’s first fortuneteller. Today was the first day of the entrance ceremony, but there were countless epithets associated with Namgoong Min. He had shown he had the ability to earn those titles just moments before.

But isn’t he still just a student? He’s not one of the <Royalty> or <Negotiator> whose jobs grant them charisma or eloquence. In the end, he’s still just one of them.

His words held power.

Somehow, they carry an inexplicable charm.

“Could you clear a path?”

Thud, thud, thud, thud…

With a gentle nudge from Namgoong Min, the students began to move.

In a brief moment, a path opened up between Namgoong Min and the front door.

He then slowly began to walk forward.

“What do you think, everyone?”

Walking down the path created solely for him.

“Isn’t it unreasonable?”

Thud.

“This exam is localized. Among the jobs that wield magic, the ones with <Battle Wizard> or <Special Wizard> must have exited long ago, and the same goes for those with the <Explorer> job.”

He continued speaking with a smile.

“Of course, not every exam can be fair. We have dozens of jobs among us, and there’s no way for every job holder to take a fair exam in every test.”

Gradually lowering his voice.

“But don’t you think this one has gone too far? It’s already 11 o’clock. We only have one hour left, and after that hour passes, we have to clean for 8 hours daily for a month.”

His voice began to raise, mixed with gestures, slowly building his emotions.

…Listening to him quietly was infuriating.

I’ve run so hard. I’ve done my utmost best.

Just because of a different job, those guys don’t have to clean while I do?

That’s unfair. This is completely unfair!

“So.”

“But what can we do about it?”

“……..”

So… what should we do?

What can we do to escape this place?

What method will ensure my efforts are rewarded?

“Alone, each of us is powerless. This maze is vast, and a single person is but a small dot in comparison.”

The sweet words of Namgoong Min reached Sasaki’s ears.

Not just Sasaki, but everyone in the auditorium.

Namgoong Min whispered.

“But what if we all came together? What if we became a group that could shatter this maze, rather than just a dot in it?”

He was suggesting an action he wouldn’t normally consider.

He urged them to break the mold.

“Of course, it might seem daunting. Break through a maze? How can we destroy those buildings? Is it even okay to demolish them? What will happen to the academy if we do?”

He continuously empathized with them.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already received the instructor’s approval. Just follow me, follow my guidance.”

He encouraged them to move together.

“Are you still hesitating? Are you wondering whether it’s right to trust a mere dot?”

“……..”

“……..”

“……..”

“Your worries are entirely valid. But, there are already two who believe in me and are willing to act with me: the <Psychic> and <Rich Tycoon>.”

“………!”

Rain Arthur, the <Psychic>, and Liu Yan, the <Rich Tycoon>.

They were world-renowned figures even before entering the Romance Academy.

Namgoong Min rode on their fame.

“If you can’t trust me or my fortune, how about trusting them?”

“……..”

“Now, let me ask you all.”

“……..”

“Who among you is willing to come with me?”

“………Me.”

Setting down his despair and disillusion, with eyes filled with confidence and anger.

Sasaki Ito raised his head high.

“Me too!”

Someone from one side of the auditorium raised their hand.

“I’ll follow too!”

Another voice yelled from the opposite side.

As one person’s declaration encouraged others.

“Me, me too!”

“I want to go as well!”

“Dang it, if I’m stuck here, I’ll definitely fail; I’d rather try something!”

“Namgoong Min! I trust your divination!”

“I’ve got to believe in the <Psychic> and <Rich Tycoon> too; it’s obvious we should trust!”

“Let’s go!”

Waaaaah───

The auditorium erupted in cheers. The students’ cheers and frenzy resonated.

In the midst of all that excitement, Namgoong Min turned back with a smile.

“What do you think, Rain, Liu?”

“……..”

“……Hah.”

“I told you, didn’t I?”

“Namgoong Min! Namgoong Min! Namgoong Min!”

“I’m counting on you!”

“The fortune is divine!”

“Just, wait and see.”

As Namgoong Min waved his hand, everyone followed that hand’s lead.

As Namgoong Min walked, they all walked behind him.

Suddenly regarded as the representative of these students, Namgoong Min pulled out a tarot card from the air.

“Well then, shall we go?”

He casually shuffled the cards and drew one.

“First, that wall in front of us.”

With a casual toss,

“That’s a harmful wall. So──”

──Let’s smash it.

With that same smile he always wore.