I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 161

After the preliminary round was over.

I had finished shaking hands with Gias Rotinel and returned to the waiting room to sit down.

Since I had asked for no one to be allowed in, I was able to relax in peace by myself.

“Ugh….”

…Still, my hands were throbbing.

As I looked at my trembling hands and feet, I couldn’t help but chuckle, even though it was unintentional.

However, I couldn’t bring myself to calm my shaking limbs.

More than that, my right eye ached terribly.

“Damn it.”

Was it because I had used it too much lately?

It felt like my <Observation> skill was being overloaded more and more.

“I can’t do without this….”

I had learned swordsmanship from Sasaki Ito, but in just a week, I couldn’t even properly master the basics.

So, I just practiced forming shapes as much as possible. I memorized the minimum of how to swing the sword to aim for specific targets.

Naturally, Sasaki Ito must have been confused by this. The guy who came to learn to wield a sword was learning stances instead of the fundamentals. He might have thought I was just being flashy.

But for me, it was the best strategy.

“…….”

<Observation>.

It was a skill obtained through a necklace I found in a treasure hunt while digging up a flowerbed.

It expands my right pupil, allowing me to see things that are usually invisible.

It was a crucial skill in the game, and I had worked hard to obtain it the moment I entered the Romance Academy. However.

‘Honestly, it was just that.’

It was a skill that was only good in the game; in this reality, it was just barely passable.

Despite that, it had been quite useful… Honestly, I felt like it would have been much better to acquire a different skill.

But it was too valuable to discard, so I kept using it.

Ever since that incident with Eun-ha, <Observation> had grown considerably.

‘Was it thanks to seeing <Desire to Kill> back then?’

Just like job skills, general skills also have room for growth. Although it was not my own <Fortune Teller's Shop>, <Observation> was indeed a skill that could develop.

The growth condition was to see as many different things as possible.

In addition to what I had used so far, I seemed to have fulfilled the growth condition by directly observing <Desire to Kill>, a skill possessing peculiar traits.

The evolved observation could capture more things, allowing me to see all the details of the world.

It was also thanks to this that I was able to deflect Gias Rotinel’s arrows.

With my pitifully weak swordsmanship, that was the limit of what I could manage despite all the <Observation>. In the past, I wouldn’t have even dared to try.

I could clearly assess where the deflected arrows were.

Because I saw well, I was able to execute a pretty precise throwing of the sword.

Because I could see, I was able to guide him to where the arrows rolled.

However, as a result, the side effects of <Observation> had become quite serious.

“Ugh….”

It wasn’t just that my eyes hurt. It felt as if someone was forcibly stretching my pupils.

While using it, I only shed tears of blood, but after deactivating it, the backlash was immense.

But I couldn’t hesitate to use it.

“From now on… nine more times.”

The number of preliminary rounds I had to endure over the next three days.

It was also the number of times I would have to bear this unfamiliar pain.

“…I’ll have to meet the kids later.”

No matter how much my <Observation> had grown, in the end, my swordsmanship was still necessary.

I felt like I would just have to swing my sword during the rest periods over the three days.

Setting aside my worries about being scolded by Liu, Eun-ha, Rain, and Eileen for now.

I donned a thick hood and braced myself.

Before swinging my sword.

There was something I had to do.

*

Amidst the despair of students shocked by the upset, Lucas watched a small number of ecstatic individuals and hurriedly moved with Kim Sung-il.

Rushing through the stadium filled with numerous wails and small cheers, he grabbed a student who was just about to enter the waiting room.

It wasn’t Namgoong Min.

“Gias Rotinel.”

“…Crown Prince Kim Sung-il, and… Lucas!?”

“We’ve met before, right?”

“I’m endlessly grateful to the Arthur Family for their continuous support!”

Despite having no ties to the Daehan Empire, to Rotinel, the Crown Prince was just a high-ranking individual, but for Lucas Arthur, he was both his lifeline and livelihood.

Since it was the Arthur family that had valued him as a supporter and <Painter>.

Rotinel had no choice but to be extremely respectful toward Lucas, who was likely to become the next head of the family.

However, what was important to Lucas wasn’t that.

“Gias Rotinel, answer my question honestly.”

“W-What is it?”

“Were you trying to make it to the finals?”

“…Huh?”

“No, did you give it your all in the preliminary round just now?”

Why was he asking this?

But Rotinel’s confusion was short-lived. Anyway, answering quickly was the only answer.

“Of course.”

“Is that so…?”

“Even though I’m a non-combat job, I still tried my best.”

“…Did anyone approach you before the match? Anyone at all.”

“Um… not really. Other than my friends, there wasn’t much….”

“……If so, what about the arrows right after the match? They seemed to be weakened.”

“That’s a bit rude to say. I guess because the opponent was a fortuneteller. To be honest, I was careless and underestimated. That’s why I lost, and that makes it all the more painful.”

Gias Rotinel wasn’t lying.

Even with the magical abilities he had used without being noticed earlier, and with the Crown Prince’s keen perception of people, it was clear that Rotinel was speaking only the truth.

What that implied was perfectly clear.

“Yes… it was an impressive match, Rotinel.”

“Thank you! My opponent, Namgoong Min, was even more excellent—he’s Lucas’s classmate after all.”

“I’ll let him know.”

Rotinel, who greeted Kim Sung-il with a level of politeness that made it hard to believe they were both first-year students, entered the waiting room. From the sounds of several voices, it seemed he was talking with friends.

But Lucas was only thinking about one thing.

“Gias Rotinel is not bribed.”

That meant there was no possibility of match-fixing.

Namgoong Min’s victory was a complete triumph achieved solely through his own abilities.

From the middle of the match, Lucas had noticed that Rotinel was doing his utmost, that he was desperate, which led to his thoughts.

In that case.

“What exactly is match-fixing…?”

“…Hmm, Lucas.”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”

“Look at this.”

“What is it…?”

It was the pamphlet for the交流会 that he had grabbed on the way to the stadium.

On the part the Crown Prince unfolded, there were the names of those participating in the martial arts competition and the matchups listed.

“What are you referring to?”

“Here, follow Namgoong Min’s matchups all the way through.”

“……?”

As per the Crown Prince’s instruction, Lucas looked at Namgoong Min’s bracket in Group C, and his eyebrows twitched.

There seem to be… quite a few non-combat jobs.

Given that they included those who excelled in written tests, it was expected that many non-combat jobs would participate, but especially so in Group C.

But was this not a result of random selection? It would be impossible to perfectly distribute them…

‘Random…?’

That would usually be the case, but.

In that instant, something struck Lucas’s mind.

“Could it be…?”

“Under ordinary circumstances, viewing the bracket wouldn’t reveal much. I mean, it’s a lineup of 512 participants. But if you become aware of potential manipulation… and then look again at Namgoong Min’s bracket.”

The first match of Group C, Namgoong Min vs. Gias Rotinel.

A fight between non-combat jobs.

The second match, Namgoong Min vs. Yeonhee.

Also a non-combat job.

The third match, Namgoong Min vs. Wong Yeol-ki.

This too… was a non-combat job.

Not just that.

The first three days of the martial arts competition, which would take place over a week, were entirely preliminary rounds. There would be over ten matches here.

And all of those ten matches.

Would be against non-combat jobs.

“This is… unbelievable.”

“Not only that. Look at the other participants in Group C… no, look at the entire matchup list.”

Logically speaking, even if a non-combat job was matched against non-combat jobs in ten straight matches, it would be noticeable.

But it wasn’t only Namgoong Min.

“There are also… in Groups A, B, E, and F…?”

“There are two or more students in Group C just like Namgoong Min. Do you know what that means?”

“Haha… Liu.”

They say to hide a tree, let the forest conceal it.

To hide Namgoong Min’s matchups, the overall matchup list of the martial arts competition was bizarrely arranged.

However, it’s clear no suspicions would be raised about this fact.

Because it was non-combat jobs that benefited from this.

In the martial arts competition, it was glaringly obvious that the combat jobs have overwhelming advantages, and they indeed do. Non-combat jobs slip through to the preliminary rounds, and even if they make it to the finals, they all lose in the first matches.

If Namgoong Min were a combat job, and had faced non-combat jobs in all ten matches, the controversy surrounding favoritism or fraudulent practices would erupt immediately.

But since Namgoong Min was a non-combat job too.

It didn’t matter how the matchups were arranged; he was just a non-combat job who wouldn’t even make it to the finals.

So, it was possible to conceal it.

And because it was possible to manipulate.

“Then, what they attempted to manipulate was…”

“The entire matchup list of the Academy.”

Just as he was about to shout that it was absurd, a sudden question arose in his mind.

Really… is it impossible?

‘Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha, Liu, Rain, Saint, Hero.’

The Daehan Empire, Rich Tycoon, Arthur Family, Church, America.

Just combining the shares of the Romance Academy held by the Daehan Empire, Arthur Family, and Church would far exceed 70%.

If such entities collaborated, what couldn’t they achieve?

“For the Academy, there wouldn’t be anything that could be caught on.”

And even if someone suspected it, the only one who benefited would be Namgoong Min.

“…But it’s the Special Class. Even that could raise suspicions…”

“Is that so? We consider Namgoong Min a friend, but would outsiders feel the same?”

“…….”

“To fellow Academy students, it might not matter, but outside the Academy, Namgoong Min is just a non-combat fortuneteller who doesn’t know his place.”

Would such a fortuneteller cause the entire special class to wield power for him?

It would merely be seen as a cheap conspiracy.

As Lucas realized the entirety of this matter, he let out a small laugh.

“…Yo, nosy Lucas.”

“…Liu.”

“What do you think?”

Although the subject of her question was omitted, Lucas understood well, so he answered.

“Did you believe in him?”

“Of course, I did.”

──He’s my boyfriend and future husband.

Naturally.

I believed he would win.

“Why? Surely….”

“That’s right. I tested it myself, and I overwhelmingly won.”

“Then….”

“Hey, Lucas.”

“Huh?”

“Have you noticed what kind of fortuneteller you’ve seen so far?”

“……….”

“Weak, of course, weak. But… does that mean he’ll lose? Don’t you think?”

“…….”

I seemed to understand… what she meant.

Namgoong Min, Lucas Arthur’s friend.

He was an incredibly skilled fortuneteller and, no matter the penalties, he was the boy who had defeated his father.

He had put forth effort for an entire week.

Although Namgoong Min was still the weakest among the Special Class.

Was he still that weak overall in the Academy?

“Haha… is he being bought off by the Academy?”

“Well, honestly, it was difficult. If it weren’t for Eileen, it would have been harder.”

“…Could it be Instructor Charles too?”

“Wouldn’t that be the case?”

Even if it was already a strict lineup, the addition of a veteran instructor who was well-known in the Academy would make manipulation certainly possible.

As Lucas sighed and took another look at the pamphlet.

…If.

If Namgoong Min were to win all of the remaining nine matches.

“It’s really….”

“He could make it to the finals.”

Surely, many words would follow. They’d say the matchup luck was seriously good, it was pure luck, after all, he’s just a non-combat job, etc.

But.

It wouldn’t be possible to deny that Namgoong Min could enter the finals.

’Is this what they call support from behind the scenes?’

While Lucas was lost in such meaningless thoughts, he suddenly took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

It was a vote for the winner’s betting ticket that bore the name ‘Namgoong Min.’

Regardless of everything, Lucas had bought it because he wished for Namgoong Min to win.

“Now he’s not the underdog anymore. Could Namgoong Min rise as a dark horse?”

“…Well, I don’t think so.”

“Huh?”

Having just defeated the relatively strong Gias Rotinel among non-combat jobs, given that his next opponents are also non-combat jobs, it seems likely that Namgoong Min would be the favorite.

Lucas, looking at Liu, who seemed puzzled by it all, glanced over at Kim Sung-il’s voice.

“Lucas, look over there.”

“Huh? In that direction, at the stadium…?”

Oh?

“Everyone! Are you really going to entrust your entire fortune to Namgoong Min, who was the first to get eliminated at the Great Lake?!”

“B-but Namgoong just defeated Rotinel!”

“If Rotinel hadn’t slipped on his own arrow, it would have been Rotinel’s victory! In reality, Rotinel’s arrows completely overwhelmed Namgoong Min, didn’t they?!”

“Did it? He dodged quite well, I thought…?”

“Absolutely not! You mean to tell me that the weakest among jobs, a fortuneteller, led Rotinel to slip on his own arrow while fighting?!”

“………He might’ve just been lucky.”

“Right! This time, the underdog Namgoong Min has won. But will such luck continue? You there!”

“Me?”

“You’re a classmate of the next opponent of Namgoong Min, Yeonhee, right? What do you think about her, the actress who is <Actress>?!”

“Uh, um… usually, she does play martial arts roles. She’s pretty good with the sword too. Her boyfriend is <Swordsman> so….”

“Did you hear that? The sword skills of Yeonhee are comparable to those of a <Swordsman>!”

“Eh? How does that even work──”

“One side is a fortuneteller who got ‘lucky’! The other side is a female student who is a <Actress> with skills comparable to a <Swordsman>! Who will you bet on!!”

“W-wait! But isn’t Namgoong also capable of winning?”

“Are you crazy? This time it’s pure luck! Yeonhee will without a doubt win! She’s the overwhelming favorite!”

“If I place my bet on Yeonhee, my money gets doubled!”

“No, with a favorite like that, the payout isn’t even that high──”

“Then, you want to lose?”

“…That’s not it. Yeonhee! Yeonhee! Yeonhee!!”

“””Yeonhee! Yeonhee! Yeonhee!”””

“That’s right! The favorite we so long for is student Yeonhee! Underdogs, are you dreaming? The odds for an underdog are only the underdog level! It’s the act of a madman to place a bet on a possibility that’s lower than 1%!”

“Wait a second. The kid in the hood looks pretty similar to Namgoong Min…?”

“Everyone! I’m going to place my entire fortune on student Yeonhee right now! Everyone to the betting house!!!”

“””To the betting house!!!”””

While Lucas watched as the hooded boy skillfully incited the students in the stadium and disappeared amidst the crowd, he turned to Liu and Kim Sung-il with an expression that couldn’t be described.

“………Why?”

“Are you really asking? People only raise the odds of the underdogs if they rally behind them.”

“It seems like he intends to make a quick buck this time.”

No matter how well he learned to fight, in the end, he is still definitely a manipulator and a fortuneteller.

Lucas sighed and walked out of the stadium.

It was time to bet everything on the underdog.