I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 159

Sasaki Ito is a swordsman.

His job was simply one he was born into, but being born into an ancient sword-fighting clan shaped his mindset as well.

The dojo had a long history, yet it was crumbling without a single disciple.

A strict father, determined to uphold tradition.

Then, as if a divine opportunity, two siblings were born as holders of the <Swordsman> job.

And…

“…May I ask one thing?”

“Feel free to ask.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course, I am absolutely sincere.”

Indeed.

Sasaki Ito nodded after hearing Namgoong Min’s affirmation.

The base of the Sasaki siblings was established on the outskirts of the Romance Academy.

Originally, it was a place used solely by Sasaki Ito, but thanks to Namgoong Min, he reconciled with his younger sister, Sasaki Kaede, and now they live together.

Although he was living without any lack, praised as Japan’s representative swordsman,
Sasaki Ito was striving to live as frugally as possible, avoiding extravagance.

Still, he spared no expense when it came to the training ground.

He looked around the training ground, made of high-quality hardwood and packed with various artifacts.
Without hesitation, he rose from his seated position and grasped the dagger.

“Then, stand up and take up your weapon.”

“Understood.”

“Even though you are a benefactor to Kaede and me… if you truly wish to learn the sword, I must be harsh.”

“I’m ready.”

“…If that’s the case.”

Sasaki Ito is a person filled with strong pride. The title of Japan’s top prospect and the time he spent continually striving shaped that personality.

However, he could only be polite to Namgoong Min. After all, he was a benefactor who helped him reconcile with his precious and always-worried younger sister.

Thus, Sasaki Ito was utterly sincere.

“First, here you go…!!”

“Ugh!?”

Wham!

Sasaki Ito swung the dagger with one hand, colliding it with the dagger held by Namgoong Min.

He was using only one hand while Namgoong Min was using both, yet the results were stark.

The dagger was immediately deflected, and Namgoong Min’s hands trembled from pain and shock.

‘The sword is… a tough road.’

Even Sasaki Ito, born with the <Swordsman> job and a combat-oriented profession, found the sword-fighting training difficult.

Fortunately, he was exceptionally talented among swordsmen, so he was able to grow without losing confidence during training.
But did he not feel that burden and the pressure of the clan when his younger sister left home at the age of fifteen?

Hence, Sasaki Ito certainly drew the line.

‘If you really want to learn the sword, this much is just a warm-up.’

It would hurt. After all, he swung with all his strength.

If it had hit the hand, the bones would have shattered, and if it had struck the waist, the force could easily break it.
No matter how it hit, it wouldn’t be surprising for a shock to cause bruising or minor fractures.

Especially since the opponent was a <Fortuneteller>, the weakest among the job holders.

He hated those who approached the sword with a paltry mindset, as he was endlessly sincere about the blade. However,
considering the opponent was his benefactor, Namgoong Min, with admirable leadership and charisma, he was considerate.

‘Fortunetellers are speakers, not sword-wielders.’

So, he had to let him realize the reality in the most polite way──

“Huh, this really hurts!”

“…Are you alright?”

“Of course. My hands are trembling, and I think one of my fingers might be broken. I want to scream right now.”

“Then why…?”

“Isn’t it part of the learning process?”

Sasaki Ito might not know,
but when Namgoong Min learned how to talk and deceive, it was an experience bordering on torture.
Having endured all the violence and abuse under that cultist fortuneteller, he grasped that learning the sword should be just as tough.

Calming his trembling hands, Namgoong Min brought forth a new dagger instead of the broken one, smiling as he faced Ito.
Though his body trembled, as if it was being honest about the pain,
the ‘smile’ deeply ingrained within him remained undisturbed and gentle.

“Next, please.”

“…I suppose I underestimated you.”

Indeed, who is the person in front of me?

The top student of the entrance exam.
The third place in the Survival exam.
The first-ever <Fortuneteller> enrolled at the Romance Academy,
and essentially the leader of the Special Class.

With a charisma capable of swaying hearts, it was unlikely he came to learn the sword with a light heart.

Hahaha!

For a moment, as Sasaki Ito laughed at his own foolishness,
he soon stopped and adopted a serious gaze.

“Then, I’ll go.”

“Please, as you wish…!”

Wham!!!

“…Quite impressive.”

“Kaede.”

“I know my brother is sincere, but did he really have to hit a benefactor this hard?”

“…It’s education.”

“It’s certainly tough education. Namgoong Min, are you okay?”

“Hehe… Yes, I’m fine.”

Though he responded with a smile, he looked anything but fine.
Having heard that his brother was training too late, Kaede brought bandages, towels, and water,
but his hands were a mess with bruises, drenched in sweat, and lying on the ground made it seem like he had broken legs or arms.

‘I know my brother has gone through such training, but…’

He’s a beginner who just picked up the sword and is not even a combat class.
Sasaki Kaede glared at her stubborn brother and pulled out a bandage-like artifact.

“Here, if you wrap it, you’ll heal up quickly.”

“Thank you. But it’s strange; Liu didn’t have such artifacts.”

“Actually, it’s not a good item. It’s a tool that forcibly draws out the natural healing power of the job holders… so side effects occur in other areas.”

“Side effects?”

“Hmm… If you wrap it around your hands, arms, or legs, it draws vitality from other areas, leading to hair loss, erectile dysfunction, and anemia.”

“…I’ll only use it this once.”

Looking at the bandages wrapped around his body with a complicated expression, Namgoong Min wiped his sweat with a towel.
It must hurt and make his head dizzy.
Yet, seeing the fortuneteller with an unwavering smile, Kaede let out a sigh.

“Brother.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Could you step outside for a moment?”

“What? …Alright.”

Sasaki Ito, slightly sulking at Kaede’s gesture, exited the training ground and closed the door.
Only after confirming her brother had moved away did Kaede turn to face Namgoong Min.

“Um… about…”

“Sasaki Kaede?”

“Uh… I need to ask something.”

She ought to ask, but as there was no one else to consult with except this trustworthy fortuneteller, she should seize the chance now.
After hesitating for a moment, Kaede clenched her teeth as if making up her mind.

“I have something I’d like to consult about!”

“Are you talking about Hwang Jin-woo?”

“Eh? N-No!”

Wha-what? How does he know that?
After becoming involved with Namgoong Min during the first semester while playing the delinquent, she eventually entered into a romantic relationship with Hwang Jin-woo, who was selected as a scholarship student during the break.
She kept it a secret, worried her brother would try to kill Hwang Jin-woo if he found out.
Did she get caught?

“How did you know…?”

“What’s my job?”

“A-uh… a fortuneteller…”

Come to think of it, it’s understandable.
Anything related to Namgoong Min was common knowledge, as others naturally understood that he knew everything.
This was the impression held not only by her but by most first-year students who were aware of the fortuneteller Namgoong Min.
Especially among the fighters who, thanks to him, acquired artifacts one by one, their trust in him soared to the heavens.

Anyway,
“While that is a concern, what I want to consult about is…”

“It must be about Kite Blackwood.”

“…Yes.”

Kite Blackwood.
A friend with whom Sasaki Kaede had grown close while hanging out with Hwang Jin-woo.
He was talkative, but he was kind and was now no longer around.

He had been expelled.

“I don’t know the details, but I heard he went to Europe during the break and got into some trouble, leading to his expulsion.”

“…That seems to be roughly accurate.”

“Neither Jin-woo nor I are knowledgeable about Europe. But as someone who has been close to him for half a year, I want to know the truth!”

“…I see.”

Initially, Kaede had suspected that he faced an unjust incident.
Yet even when asking the instructors, they couldn’t provide detailed answers, only confirming that it was indeed Kite Blackwood’s mistake.
Thus, she wanted to hear from Namgoong Min.
The most well-connected fortuneteller she knew and someone who seemed to know everything.

“But how would I know about Kite Blackwood’s situation?”

“…Because you’re a talented fortuneteller…”

“Haha, this is quite something.”

Laughing at Kaede’s unyielding persistence, Namgoong Min soon opened his mouth.
He shared the stories about Kite Blackwood, the White Rose Family, the Arthur Family,
and Rain Arthur,
topics which exceeded anything Kaede could have imagined.

“…This is the truth.”

“…What?”

“Sasaki Kaede?”

“Why… why are you telling me all this…?”

It’s a foolish question.
She had asked it herself, wondering why he’d respond.
But the truth Namgoong Min shared was so devastating that it inadvertently slipped from her lips.
No matter how politically or diplomatically inexperienced Sasaki Kaede was,
she could grasp that if this information were to spread,
it might shake Europe to its core.

“…For now, Kite Blackwood and a few elders of the White Rose Family have become sacrifices to cover this up,
but if this becomes public opinion, the situation will escalate far beyond that.”

“… .”

“The only ones who know the details about this matter are myself, Arthur, and Liu,
ah, and now Sasaki Kaede has joined the list.”

“…Why me…?”

“After all, you came to me.”

“… .”

“Regardless of Kite Blackwood’s fate, it’s only natural for someone who sought out this fortuneteller to be told the truth.”

The weight of the truth seemed to crush Sasaki Kaede.
She had no intention of sharing the awful truth she learned today with anyone, nor did she plan to record it.
It was simply that she now had a dangerous secret she could never share until death.
That was just how her personality was.

And,
looking into the eyes of Namgoong Min, who conveyed the truth,
“…Namgoong Min, in fact…”

“Kite Blackwood must have left something behind.”

“Uh, how did you know…?”

“It’s a fortuneteller’s job.”

“…Yes, there was one letter he left behind.”

With a swift motion, Kaede pulled out a white letter from her bosom and handed it to Namgoong Min after a brief moment of contemplation.

“Later, he told me to give it to someone trustworthy and not from the Arthur Family…”

“To someone trustworthy and not from Arthur…”

“I don’t know the details. But…”

Reflecting on it now.
Kite had a resolute expression when handing her the letter, perhaps realizing he might not see her or Hwang Jin-woo again, regardless of whether he succeeded or failed.
While she had received the letter back then without understanding the situation,
if it’s someone she could trust and not from the Arthur Family…
‘It has to be Jin-woo and… Namgoong Min.’
Perhaps Kite believed the letter would end up in Jin-woo’s hands.
Why he decided to have it delivered through her remains a mystery,
but in the end, he likely expected Jin-woo to receive the letter.

But Kaede didn’t want to give the letter to Jin-woo.
More precisely, she had just decided.
‘I was going to consult Namgoong Min and then give it to Jin-woo.’
Now that she knew the truth of Kite Blackwood,
by giving this letter to Jin-woo, she’d likely be dragging him into that dangerous truth.
Thus, the only choice left was clear.

“…I will graciously accept this letter.”

“Y-Yes…!”

That’s right, let’s cleanly forget it and live on.
Kite was certainly a good friend, but she couldn’t keep reminiscing about him.
She had done all she could for him, and now that she knew the truth, she should be satisfied.
‘Jin-woo still misses Kite…
But since I’m his girlfriend, creating more memories together will settle things.’

With Jin-woo──
“…”
As Kaede tried to gather her thoughts,
the fortuneteller silently put the letter back into his possession.
Slowly, the wounds were beginning to heal.

*

And then,
the day of the交流会 arrived.