I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 187

Cloel’s embrace was warm, yet I couldn’t remain in it forever.

“I’m fine now… Cloel.”

“How can that be? I heard the rumors about you losing your power, but to think you’d end up at the Tower of Proof?”

…Right, ‘Proof’ held such a high status.

The Pope, the three Cardinals, and Namgoong Min didn’t react much, but Proof was akin to a witch hunt.

Proving one’s innocence before God. It sounded sweet, but── how many would truly believe in that?

Especially since even Cloel, who had deep faith, reacted this way.

Ascending the Tower of Proof was practically tantamount to a disgrace.

“Didn’t you manage to do well?”

“That’s beside the point! At the very least, if you had told me… I wouldn’t have worried this much.”

In that moment, the Saint recalled yesterday’s events.

She had approached the orphanage where she and Eileen were living, the fateful night when she turned back.

Thus, the Saint could only offer a bitter smile and say, “I’m sorry.”

A late apology at that.

Caught off guard by the Saint’s bittersweet response, Cloel, trembling for a moment, then said softly, “You’ve… had a hard time, haven’t you?”

“………!”

All she could do was quietly embrace the Saint once more.

This hug was different from the previous one.

While the prior embrace stemmed from joy, surprise, and urgency, this one was born from genuine sorrow.

…Only possible because Cloel was Raphael’s ‘step-sister.’

And the Saint bit her lip to endure that sense of dissonance.

‘Cloel doesn’t see me, she sees Raphael.’

The Cloel who knew ‘Raphael Martina’ was forever stuck on her five-year-old brother…

“……It was because of the promise, wasn’t it?”

“………Did you remember?”

“Well, it was a casual promise, but… it was our first promise.”

The promise Cloel spoke of was the one made with the Saint, not the ‘real Raphael.’

While the real Raphael slept, having entrusted all of his duties to her, the Saint had stared up at the stars on that hill after finishing the day’s events.

──Oh? Raphael!

──……Cloel.

──What brings you here? I never see you at this time!

──Haha, you could say I have a lot to do?

──Hey, you’re just another orphan, who do you think you are, acting all superior? Are you the Saint or something?

Cloel reminisced about the days when she mistook him for an orphan.

──By the way, the Saint…

──……Do you know about the Saint?

──No? Not at all. Just that she’s around our age? She’s such a high-ranking person that I’ve never seen her. I hear she visits orphanages and slums… I wonder when she will come to our side?

──You’re quite the believer.

Likewise, the Saint recalled the day when she mistakenly thought she knew Cloel.

──A believer? …I’m not so sure.

──Why not?

──If the Saint comes to our orphanage, the donations will increase, and we’ll receive gifts. I like that!

──So you’re more interested in the donations that come with her rather than the Saint herself?

──I know. This is something our orphanage’s Sister would absolutely scold me for. Don’t worry, it’s a secret since it’s Raphael telling you.

──………I see.

──But if I ever get the chance to speak with the Saint… there’s something I want to tell her.

──What is it?

──Uh, it’s a bit embarrassing.

──What’s embarrassing? We’re just two orphans here, so there’s no need to be shy.

──Is that so? Well, then I’ll say it.

Why did I continue the conversation with Cloel?

Though I had shared the view of her as Raphael, until now, it was the real Raphael who had played and conversed with her, not me…

Knowing that, why did I?

──I want to ask the Saint for a favor.

──What kind of favor?

──…To eliminate the orphanage.

──………Excuse me?

──No, I’m not saying to tear down our home! Just… I want a world where orphans like us don’t exist. I want to ask you to make it so that no child has to suffer like we have… Did that make sense?

──………………

──Raphael?

──…No, it’s just that your words are surprisingly… impactful.

Those were not words that a mere seven-year-old child should utter.

The true Raphael, praised as the Saint, behaved like a four-year-old.

If I hadn’t inherited even a fragment of memories and knowledge from previous Saints, no one of our age could have comprehended such words.

If that child truly held those worries and thoughts…

What kind of life had Cloel lived?

──Raphael? Are you okay?

──…I promise.

──Huh?

──I will definitely, absolutely fulfill Cloel’s dream… I promise.

──Hehe, even if it’s just words, I appreciate it. Alright! It’s our promise!

──P-promise.

Would a day come when I would forget that promise?

It was about a year before I was expelled from the church on the pretext of a pilgrimage.

Even after facing the various ugly sides of humanity on that pilgrimage.

When I was deceived by a fortuneteller.

When the true Raphael’s persona faded away.

Even when I sought out God for the first time.

I never forgot that promise. I believed in it.

Would I forget?

“I also… haven’t forgotten. Forever.”

“Yes, I know… Raphael.”

So, the name you call out is painful.

The ‘Raphael’ you promised with is me, not my brother.

It’s the only memory I have with you.

Yet it feels like that is being overshadowed——

“I told you, didn’t I?… ‘The First Promise.'”

“……Huh?”

…The First Promise?

There are countless promises made between the real Raphael and Cloel. Let’s meet at so-and-so time, let’s do this next, let’s go there next, let’s play with this this time…

Just trivial promises reminiscent of childhood, but they were still all promises.

Yet to call it ‘the First Promise’…

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you see… I actually knew.”

“Huh?”

“That the Raphael I met as a child is not the same as the Raphael I know now.”

“………!!”

Thud.

I abruptly stood up, the chair toppled over with a loud noise.

But I didn’t hear it.

All kinds of doubts started flooding in.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s not that someone told me… or anything like that.”

“Then… how?”

“How can I say it… Even as a kid, sometimes your speech would completely change. When you were informal or formal, my suspicions began from when that happened.”

“………….”

“I didn’t pay much attention back then. But… on the day you suddenly disappeared, you were on your pilgrimage. It wasn’t until you returned that I learned you were the Saint, Raphael.”

“…I apologize for hiding it.”

“What is there to apologize for? You had to hide it, of course. Only, when you returned, you spoke formally… always.”

The difference in speech.

That was a blind spot I had never considered.

Those high-ranking clergy members who understood the nuances of speech would have known about the Saint’s secret, and ordinary believers would have only ever heard the formal speech.

The real Raphael spoke informally, while the Saint spoke formally.

Among those who remained oblivious to the truth, Cloel was likely the only one who could meet them both.

“In the beginning, I was very confused and I avoided you. It felt like the little step-brother I knew had vanished.”

“………….”

“But as I grew a bit older, I came to understand. You are… the Raphael I shared that promise with. And you are struggling for that promise.”

It was then that I began studying theology to become a Sister.

Just to help him a little, just a tiny bit.

“Do you know? Though I only saw the informal Raphael for a year, I’ve seen you speaking formally for over ten years.”

“……….”

“I knew you were avoiding me. I knew you felt burdened by me. But I didn’t want to leave your side.”

“………….”

“I’m sorry it took so long to confess. But I lacked the courage. And only today… did I finally gather that courage.”

“…Cloel.”

“For me, you are the real one.”

The answer.

Did not come…

For some reason, my throat felt tight.

For some reason… tears flowed.

“Hey, Raphael. Can you tell me your name? Your real name.”

“………My name, you mean.”

“Yes. Please tell me.”

Name. Name. My name.

That was already decided.

“Raphael… Martina.”

“……Is that really your name?”

“………It’s the name of my younger brother, the first name I was ever given, and the first name given to me by my brother. That’s… enough.”

“Yes… I see.”

Cloel briefly closed her eyes.

Then,

“Goodbye, Raphael Martina. My… brother.”

“………Cloel, sister.”

“Yes. Call me that.”

Ah. So that was what Eileen meant.

‘Yes, I don’t believe in God but…’

It’s because I believe in that day’s promise.

That was my faith, my trust, and my belief.

…There was no sound in the reception room for a while.

Just that someone continued to let the tears they had been holding back flow.

*

“……It seems it ended well.”

“But you already saw everything through <Romance Academy>, didn’t you? Truly, it’s Namgoong Min for you!”

“………Well…”

Being forced to play that game due to my sister’s insistence, I had never seen the story of Raphael Martina and Cloel Martina.

It was completely new to me, and thus it was so unsettling.

[Character Event: <Doubt and Fanaticism> – Raphael Martina

The blessed Saint, Raphael Martina, is a fanatic who believes in God.

But what is God?

An all-powerful being that can accomplish anything? Or merely a refuge that provides comfort?

Even those who share the same faith have different perspectives, so how can one casually define the deity the Saint believes in?

A believer in God. At the same time, a heretic who doubts God.

Raphael Martina has confessed the contradictions he has been grappling with to you.

How shall his fate unfold?

Event Goal: To assist Raphael Martina in his choice (this is the final goal!)

Remaining Time: Until he descends from the Tower of Proof.
Achievement Rewards: Will differ based on Raphael Martina’s choice.]

[With your assistance, Raphael Martina has made his choice.]

[Raphael Martina denies God!]

[The Doubt Route is cleared! Rewards are provided according to the results of your choices!]

[The rewards for clearing the Doubt Route have unlocked the possibility of a ‘Hidden Ending’!]

[You have been provided with ‘the Key to the Developer’s Room’!]

“……It seems we wrapped up nicely.”

The Key to the Developer’s Room.

The room I so desperately searched for in the first semester, and the place where I suspected that Jisoo would be.

Even after searching high and low, I had effectively given up, but it turns out it was a location accessible via the hidden ending.

‘With this key… can I visit the Developer’s Room?’

And there, I would meet Jisoo.

And conclude the ending──

“Namgoong Min…?”

“Eileen?”

“Are you… leaving?”

Ah.

In that moment, I forgot about <Eye for Reading Hearts>.

Eileen, who had worn such a determined expression, suddenly grasped the hem of my clothing with a face that looked like it could crumble at any moment.

‘You’re leaving, right?’

Clearly, when I first arrived in this world, it hadn’t been an issue.

My immediate survival was a priority, and the events in front of me were urgent.

But having resolved character events, built relationships, exposed the shadowy behind-the-scenes, and reunited with Jisoo…

After all that, I came to this point.

To a ‘Hidden Ending’ I had never seen before.

‘I…’

I naturally thought I should leave.

No matter how miserable and dreadful life had been in my original world, Jisoo was there.

But she also existed in this world. And apparently, you had to see the ending to meet her.

‘I… what do I want?’

Whether to stay in this world or to leave.

…I was still confused.

“……First, I intend to repay all my debts in this world.”

“Repay them?”

“The emotional debts I’ve incurred, and monetary debts, all of them…?”

Uh, wait a minute.

Now that I think about it, I owe Liu 1 trillion, and now it’s 2 trillion ‘dollars’ I’ve accrued, right?

I might have even signed a body waiver?

“Uh……..”

“……Namgoong Min.”

“E-eileen?”

“Um, would you… maybe want to borrow some money… or something from me?”

“Eileen…!?”

Should I start by repaying the debts…?

2621 trillion won?

Seriously?

…How much does a kidney go for these days?