I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 172

“Did I go a bit overboard?”

“Don’t think like that.”

Inside the “Romance Academy,” operated by the “Daehan Empire,” I welcomed a guest while lying in the best hospital room on the highest floor of a massive facility that could accommodate thousands of patients.

It was none other than the next Crown Prince, Kim Sung-il.

“Poisoned arrows and your parents’ mention, huh? That’s a bit much.”

“Still, we can cover it up if we want, right?”

“That’s true enough. Well, no need to worry too much.”

Kim Sung-il, with a slight smile, directed his sharp gaze toward me.

He wasn’t just any heir but the unmistakably next Emperor, having already defeated factions within the royal family, including his own father, the current emperor.

So, it was reassuring to hear such words from him.

“What were the test results?”

“Everything’s normal. But what’s visible is just a record, isn’t it? I slipped in a few suitable poisons and excessive bleeding.”

“Perfect.”

After all, the talk of poisoned arrows was just a lie; my health was perfectly fine.

Well, even if I was taken to another hospital and it turned out I wasn’t poisoned at all, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

‘After all, poisoned arrows aren’t everything.’

Since I mentioned my parents and threats, there was no escaping that conversation, even if I denied the poisoned arrows. Strictly speaking, they were merely bait to stir up public opinion more rapidly.

Thanks to coming to a hospital run by the “Daehan Empire,” I was able to cover it up effectively.

“…Was Kim Woo-sung a bother from the start?”

“Not particularly. After all, he is also royalty… and he holds a job, so if he formed a faction, it would have been beneficial to the royal family.”

“But why…?”

“No matter how much he forms a faction or how beneficial it may be, he just can’t manage it.”

Oh.

While it’s true I helped considerably in the fight against the Emperor, hearing it straight from him felt a bit embarrassing.

“Manage your expression. You look like you’re about to crumble from the pressure.”

“What about now?”

“That’s a usual smile, so it’s good for that…”

“So what am I supposed to do then?”

“Not much, really. It would have been a lot easier if you had just given me a heads-up before scheming.”

“Um……….”

I had nothing to say about that. It was an improvised plan thought up before the match started.

However, perhaps due to my past experiences, it seemed everyone sensed it even without a heads-up.

“What’s Liu doing?”

“Cutting off Kim Woo-sung’s funding. A few big corporations that were funneling money to him have probably stopped.”

“And Rain?”

“She said if the Warlock found any connections for Kim Woo-sung in Europe, she’d cut them off. She asked me to convey she couldn’t be of much help.”

“There’s no helping it, is there, since she’s part of the Daehan Empire.”

The Saint is probably troubled by Cloel, so that’s irrelevant, and the Hero usually doesn’t meddle in political matters. They know I won’t be someone Kim Woo-sung can easily handle.

In that sense, everyone who could act has already acted.

It’s not that Kim Sung-il thinks this is a small matter, or that he lacks trust in me.

“What about Eun-ha?”

“She’s acting in my stead. I can’t very well move myself.”

“Right.”

His main concern is issues within the royal family.

‘After all, Kim Woo-sung is still royalty, and Kim Sung-il is the Crown Prince.’

There shouldn’t be an issue with any actions taken. After all, a mere collateral royal like Kim Woo-sung tried to abduct and threaten Namgoong Min, who has direct support from Kim Sung-il.

If we want to put it in dramatic terms, it could be framed as a challenge to Kim Sung-il.

But there’s no real problem, and even out of courtesy, Kim Woo-sung’s faction would likely be wiped out completely. They say Kim Woo-sung’s mother was the Emperor’s concubine, so maybe her status would be taken away as well.

Kim Sung-il moving, as the future Emperor, held that significance.

‘It means he doesn’t plan to escalate this too much.’

So, he had Eun-ha act instead. In actuality, someone knowledgeable about inner royal factions would see little difference whether Kim Sung-il takes action or Kim Eun-ha does, but the public appearance matters.

The most the outcome might yield would likely only be punishment for Kim Woo-sung himself, along with some disciplinary measures for his faction.

When you bundle things together, it’s a challenge to Kim Sung-il, but when you make it small, it’s just the rampaging of collateral royalty.

I feel like if I asked him, Kim Sung-il would step in personally, but… I have no intention of asking, so it doesn’t matter.

“By the way, does Namgoong Min have any grudges against Kim Woo-sung? If he had just told me or Eun-ha, I could’ve dealt with it.”

“Oh, that’s not it. He was just surprised at how prompt the Crown Prince’s response was.”

“Prompt?”

“Please inform the others. There’s no need to go as far as to kill him, just keep things under moderate pressure.”

Especially relay that to Liu. If she truly gets mad, she’s someone who could erase Kim Woo-sung entirely.

“…Don’t worry about that. Everyone’s already being careful.”

“Really?”

“Everyone has picked up on your usual tactics, so they should be moving with caution. It seems the Rich Tycoon is the most concerned about the situation; she requested to convey her message with a smile.”

“What did she say…?”

“‘If you pull something without telling me next time, I’ll break your legs and make you my pet dog, you damn fortuneteller.’“

“………….”

“I don’t want to see my talented fortuneteller friend end up living in a doghouse, so be careful.”

“……Yes.”

“So, what’s the reason for this incident? We all got together after the match and talked about it, but we didn’t really come up with anything.”

Well, that makes sense.

This was all a setup for when I became a ‘second-year student.’

“Just… I want to sway the academy’s public opinion a bit.”

“Public opinion?”

“Yes.”

“…I see.”

Kim Sung-il nodded as if finally understanding. He’s the person who’d best know what advantages can be gained from controlling public opinion.

However.

“How far are you willing to push this? To the point of incapacitation?”

“Not that far.”

While the decision for ‘royal-level punishment’ has been made for Kim Woo-sung involving penalties and faction reductions, that’s fundamentally a royal matter. Kim Woo-sung is a collateral royal and a second-year student at “Romance Academy.”

In other words, ‘punishment at the academy level’ is still pending.

‘And.’

As a very innocent victim, I’ll be able to conduct that academy-level punishment at my discretion.

I have connections with Charles Teddy Bear, and my established image plays a part in this too.

What Kim Sung-il inquired about was that very detail.

‘Are you going to make Kim Woo-sung incapacitated at the academy?’

If I want to do that, he’d have to endure the worst school life for the remaining third and fourth years. Or maybe he’d dropout before that?

Even so, I had no plans to push him that far.

‘Although it did annoy me a bit, I wasn’t harmed by it.’

However, there’s such a thing as karma. I’m not entirely sure if it exists, but I believe it does.

The reactions from second-year students I saw during the match were already extreme. Even if Kim Woo-sung is punished now, public opinion regarding the fortuneteller, that is, me, won’t be good at all.

He’s the one who tarnished my image, after all, so I’m only sacrificing him a bit as an offering.

‘Moreover, after sneaking a glance at Eun-ha at the last minute, he tried to toy with me, and that’s just infuriating.’

Kim Sung-il knows that well, which is why he’s inquiring what my limits are instead of blaming me for catching an innocent person.

“…What’s Kim Woo-sung doing right now?”

“He’s in a press conference.”

“Then let’s head there first.”

“Kim Woo-sung is quite a talented individual despite appearances; please show him some leniency.”

“Is the Crown Prince making a request of me?”

“You’re someone who deserves it.”

……This constant flattery is really embarrassing.

Maybe noticing my discomfort, Kim Sung-il smiled wide.

Even the finalists’ list and why everyone seems so serious about teasing me is beyond me…

*

Click, click, click!!!

“Kim Woo-sung, is it true that you used poisoned arrows?”

“It’s a misunderstanding. I only used <Magic Arrow>…”

“The hospital examination results indicate poison was detected; are you lying?”

“That’s speculation.”

“The recent research shows that it’s possible to conceal the arrow’s poison by coating it with <Magic Arrow>. Did you use that method?”

“I have nothing to say regarding that.”

“Mr. Kim Woo-sung! What about the mention of Namgoong Min’s parents?”

“What type of poison did you use?”

“Did you threaten your opponent to win the finals?”

…I’m exhausted.

During the hastily arranged press conference late in the evening, Kim Woo-sung secretly sighed while dealing with the avalanche of questions that poured in.

The finals had finished in under a minute, yet somehow, the Q&A session had already exceeded an hour.

Furthermore, Kim Woo-sung’s mind was a chaotic mess.

‘In the royal family, Kim Eun-ha is moving, and in the business sector, the Rich Tycoon is as well.’

Why? Why is Kim Eun-ha acting now?

She showed no reaction even when publicly mocking Namgoong Min at the match; why is she doing it now?

The Rich Tycoon’s response was also beyond imagination.

‘Buying up shares randomly? What the hell, is she a lunatic with money to burn?’

Kim Woo-sung’s funding comes from a few conglomerates under the auspices of the “Daehan Empire.” While that’s not the sole source of his funds, it holds the largest share.

The problem is, the Rich Tycoon is making aggressive moves towards those very conglomerates.

Buying stocks at several times their market value and approaching influential figures within the companies.

Just an hour had hardly passed since the match ended, yet the Rich Tycoon had acted with a speed that was nothing short of lightning.

It was just moments ago that I heard from an associate that conglomerates well aware of the Rich Ty Tycoon’s notorious reputation had cut ties with Kim Woo-sung.

‘Damn…!’

Now that Kim Eun-ha is in motion, punishment is a certainty, and the faction would need to shrink. A misstep could even bring trouble to his mother.

Above all, with the largest funding sources disappearing, strength to maintain the faction would dwindle as well.

The only option left is──

“Hey, reporter! That’s a harsh claim! Didn’t Mr. Kim Woo-sung say he didn’t use poison!”

“There are hospital examination results, though.”

“How do you know that those are fabricated? Why the hell would someone use poison against a fortuneteller like him in the first place?”

“That’s not my concern. The clear fact is that Mr. Kim Woo-sung used poison. In the finals, no less.”

“And that’s utter nonsense!!”

──Are only the second-year students outside the press conference yelling at the top of their lungs?

They’re clearly on his side, but if they just act tough like that, it’s better not to assist.

Let alone, those second-year students are few in number.

‘The hell…!’

Since Kim Woo-sung has only just dominated this year’s class, there aren’t many who would follow his extreme actions, which seemed to have crossed a line.

Roughly one-third of the second year would represent that.

If there’s a silver lining, it means they’re a solid ally who’ll support Kim Woo-sung at any time, but the downside is that the remaining majority have turned away from him.

‘Damn, damn!’

At this point, it’s impossible to clear up misunderstandings at this press conference. It’s not about finding the truth; it’s a fierce political battle.

Thus, Kim Woo-sung was answering as briefly as possible while attempting to divert the topic.

He needed to buy time.

As much time as possible.

“Is that…?”

“Hey! What face do you have showing up here! Cut the act!”

“What a way to speak to a patient!”

“How did you even make it here like that…?”

“That guy is just lying!”

“……?”

Suddenly, the atmosphere outside the press conference room grew chaotic.

Familiar voices and shouts from second-year students filled the air, and as the door opened, there was Lucas Arthur, rolling in a wheelchair.

“The Warlock…?”

If you say <Warlock> Lucas Arthur, it’s someone Kim Woo-sung knows very well.

But why on earth is he in a wheelchair…

“……….”

In that moment, Kim Woo-sung found himself at a loss for words. The same went for the journalists who had been eagerly firing questions.

The wheelchair that Lucas Arthur rolled in.

It contained Namgoong Min, who was sitting there pale and dressed in patient’s clothes.

“I, Namgoong Min…?”

“The one directly involved is here?”

“Hey, hurry and take a photo──”

“I can’t allow that.”

With the Job Skill <Master of Magic>, Lucas silently dismantled every camera in the room without anyone realizing.

Lucas Arthur, from the Arthur family that virtually dominates all of Europe, and the head of the Arthur family, who is the next in line.

Even after his fierce warning, no one moved. Especially the European journalists, who were now looking down, avoiding eye contact in fear.

In a situation where only the shouting outside could be heard, the Namgoong Min, who was on an IV drip, finally opened his mouth.

“Just… I want to be alone with Mr. Kim Woo-sung for a bit.”

The victim requesting a private audience with his assailant.

Normally, it wouldn’t be allowed even if he desired it, but with Lucas glaring behind Namgoong Min, that situation was different.

Quickly, the reporters scrambled out of the conference room, with Lucas creating a soundproof space using <Master of Magic> following behind them.

Only Kim Woo-sung and Namgoong Min remained in the spacious conference room.

“………….”

“…………….”

How long has it been since the two faced each other?

Kim Woo-sung, who had been standing on the podium, stepped down to meet the pale Namgoong Min sitting in the wheelchair.

And looking down at the frail Namgoong Min, who seemed unable to lift a finger, he exclaimed.

Thud!

“I was inattentive. Please forgive me!!”

Without a moment of hesitation, he slammed his forehead onto the ground, kneeling.

It was truly an astonishingly swift maneuver.

……Even Namgoong Min was momentarily left speechless.