I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 188

Today was different for Kim Woo-sung, a second-year student and an offshoot royal in the Romance Academy.

It was the day Namgoong Min was returning to the academy.

‘He came back sooner than I thought.’

Considering he might take longer to leave, it seemed things had gone well if he returned in just a week.

The news Kim Woo-sung heard was quite something.

<Saint> Raphael Martina’s ‘Proof.’

Honestly, for someone like Kim Woo-sung who didn’t attend church and had no acquaintances there, it made him wonder if it was that significant. But seeing the church’s reaction, he understood.

After all, all the academy students attending church had boycotted classes and spent the whole day praying, so it was impossible not to notice.

‘I survived what was essentially a witch trial.’

Of course, there was no news about Namgoong Min from there, but surely he didn’t sneak off to the church for nothing.

The Special Class instructor, Charles Teddy Bear, nodded, feeling slightly pitiful for this much absence being considered acceptable.

‘By the way, I heard the principal also left for the church.’

Didn’t they run into each other? It didn’t seem like the principal and Namgoong Min were on friendly terms.

Given the principal’s chosen beliefs, it was unlikely she would be close with Namgoong Min anyway.

Regardless, Kim Woo-sung was genuinely curious about why Namgoong Min had gone secretly to the church, what he did there for the ‘Proof’ to happen, and how it concluded.

Kim Woo-sung made a wise judgment.

“Are you not curious at all? About what happened at the church?”

“Not in the slightest, Namgoong Min.”

“Why?”

“Because my life is precious.”

“……That’s impressive.”

Ignorance is certainly a sin, but at the same time, it’s a brilliant escape mechanism.

Kim Woo-sung knew well that many things were far more dangerous to know than to be ignorant of.

And he had a personality that extremely avoided poisoned chalices, even if that goblet were said to be breathtakingly beautiful and valuable.

“It might be helpful information, you know?”

“If it were, you would have shared it.”

“I really like that about you.”

He only knew how to share knowledge, and would only listen to what was told to him.

It was an ideal strategy for a power dynamic that would last only until graduation, if not for keeping close acquaintances.

Kim Woo-sung noticed he had scored enough points with Namgoong Min and smiled to himself with satisfaction.

“In that sense, I’d like to ask you something.”

“Feel free to ask anything!”

Given the timing, it was probably related to tidying up the affairs from the church.

‘Remember, be a blind man with open eyes.’

Work must be swift and competent, yet one must not know too much.

Kim Woo-sung, who prided himself on his abilities, awaited Namgoong Min’s words while reflecting on this principle──

“How should I repay 270 trillion?”

“What the heck?”

*

After finishing his calculations rapidly, Kim Woo-sung felt like he was shoved out of the room as if he were being cut off.

Wandering aimlessly, I found myself with Liu, feeling crushed under a mountain of debt before even exchanging greetings.

270 trillion.

To be precise, 270.3 trillion, 198.246 billion, 934 million, 400 won.

“That’s what it is in the Daehan Empire currency.”

“……Liu.”

“Hey, what? Do you think I’d cheat you or something? A Rich Tycoon wouldn’t be mistaken about money! You owe this much.”

Truth be told, the debt itself had a sense of being self-inflicted.

I had borrowed countless sums from Liu because it had been incredibly convenient, and I had even reached that insane condition of owing over 1 trillion.

1 trillion, 1 trillion won?

In reality, I’d worked two jobs just to earn 350,000 won for police academy tuition.

How much is 1 trillion? 1,000,000,000,000 won? Why are there so many zeros?

‘That Cultist probably hasn’t saved up even 1 trillion in his lifetime.’

But even 1 trillion seemed manageable somehow, truly there had to be a way to repay it.

After all, I had predicted the election for Lily White Rose and received 30 billion as payment. There was at least a thread of possibility there.

But how much?

“270 trillion……?”

At this point, the number seemed ludicrously large, making it almost comical. No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t look like a sum that would exist in reality; it seemed fit for a web novel.

Yet that was my debt?

“How do I settle this…….”

“Well? You’re a strong fortuneteller and have decent abilities, so even if you repay 100 million a day, it would take about……”

“Two thousand years……?”

“No? Closer to two million seven hundred thousand years?”

Oh wow.

……At this point, it was apparent this amount was absolutely impossible to pay back normally! Wow!

“To be fair, 270 trillion includes whatever that Crown Princess and those wicked girls lent me, so if I’m just counting mine, it’s around 160 trillion? Just about 1 million years of work, I suppose.”

That’s at least a bit of good news, right? Thankfully, I’m not dealing with a single creditor!

When I kneel and beg, there would be at least three people willing to negotiate a bit!

Anyway, I’ve already been turned down by Liu; two remain!

“I will do whatever it takes……absolutely……….”

“Hey, you Fortuneteller punk. Can you really repay this? The calculations were based on you earning 100 million a day, right? Two million seven hundred thousand years is no joke.”

“Liu, let’s not…….”

“No joke is a joke, but this isn’t some amount you can just make back easily, you know that?”

“Yes……I do know……”

“Right? Then……come here.”

“What?”

“Hey! I’ll wipe 1 trillion off your debt, so come here!”

“Sure!”

I moved just 3 meters and wiped off 1 trillion! But isn’t that way more than my entire fortune? Anyway!

Now 269 trillion remains!

“Wow, I’m here!”

“Good, now hug me.”

“……What?”

“Hey Namgoong, you don’t want to repay me? Hurry up and hold me tight. The fee is deducted in real time!”

“No!”

In a rush, I opened my arms, taking Liu into my grasp. She was light since she’s small.

Liu snug in my embrace was unexpectedly warm and soft, what the heck.

“Liu, how long until this…….”

“1 trillion every ten minutes.”

“I’ll do nothing but hold on for life!”

“Damn, you’re good at sweet-talking.”

That day, I repaid an extra 3 trillion……

*

The day I returned to the academy from the church.

The location had changed, but the Saint was sitting across from Eileen.

“First, I want to express my gratitude.”

“……Do you not think it’s a bit late?”

“I have no excuse for that, but I’m thankful regardless. Without Eileen……I mean, without the Saint, I wouldn’t have been able to prove myself.”

The Saint’s gratitude was natural. Without Eileen’s, the Saint’s help, he would still be unable to be called <Saint>.

But his thanks carried more than just that meaning.

“Well, I don’t really care. Since it was what Namgoong Min asked for, it was something I had to do, and it’s the same for the church’s power struggles.”

“……I will pay as much attention as possible.”

What were the reasons Cardinal Skoll and Cardinal Cassandra backed the Saint?

It was crucial that they rallied behind him to descend from the Tower of Proof, aiming to get close to the Saint and become her political power.

<Saint> and <Saintess> cannot coexist. One must stand above the other, leading naturally to power struggles within the church.

Could it be because the Saint and Saintess have from the beginning refused to coexist? In the church’s long history, power struggles had never changed.

But this time was different.

Eileen Teddy Bear was the first Saintess in history to successfully achieve ‘coexistence.’

“By the way, do you think having jurisdiction over Inquisitors is enough?”

“Why? You used to handle that role, right?”

“That’s exactly why I’m saying it. Inquisitors are undoubtedly powerful beings, but they are an even greater multitude of fanatics. They hold no political or monetary power beyond their might.”

That’s precisely why it was a place the Saint accepted for himself.

Inquisitors are the church’s power that surpasses paladins, yet they possess almost no other elements besides force. Granting political or economic powers to a force is nearly suicidal.

It was a good position for the Saint who was trying to maneuver against the Pope while taking advantage of every opportunity.

But could that be true for Eileen as well?

“That’s exactly it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Political power? As long as it’s not superior to the Crown Princess of the Daehan Empire or the influential of Arthur, it’s unnecessary. And as for money, it cannot surpass a Rich Tycoon.”

“………Could it be?”

“The might possessed by a collective. That’s surely the power of Namgoong Min, and it will be an element I can present.”

……Suddenly, the Saint shivered.

The Crown Princess, Psychic, Rich Tycoon, and Saintess all vying for Namgoong Min’s attention is no longer a secret.

Yet it’s ultimately nothing but a matter of men and women.

The Crown Princess seeks the Daehan Empire, the Psychic seeks the Arthur Family, the Rich Tycoon seeks overwhelming money, and the Saintess wants the church to intervene.

All to claim Namgoong Min for themselves.

If exaggerated for effect── it’s tantamount to an actual World War.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course! I’ve been watching closely; other non-believers are providing Namgoong Min with various material help while I’m being left out, which can’t be helped, but……that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t contribute.”

Contribute……is that it?

The Saint recalled the team battle event that took place at the very start of the second semester and involuntarily grimaced.

Was that all part of her contribution?

“But the Inquisitors aren’t a private organization. Even if the Pope or I permit it, Eileen can’t wield them freely.”

“Is it because they are ultimately fanatics?”

“They are those who follow their faith.”

“Interesting comment. The Saint and Saintess themselves don’t believe in the deity presented in the scriptures they follow, right? Am I wrong?”

“……That’s true.”

“But it’s fine.”

The hearts of fanatics are, after all, well understood by fanatics.

“If you can’t handle this much, you’re not fit to be Namgoong Min’s Saintess.”

“……If you say so.”

With words like that, it would be rude not to take the advice given.

Taking a brief sigh, the Saint steeled herself, fixing her gaze on Eileen.

“There will be quite a commotion at the church for a while.”

“……That would make sense. I heard that aside from that Cardinal called Karleya, everyone else has resigned?”

“She’s only an interim Cardinal, but being famous, she was appointed without objection. Besides, two Cardinal positions opened up as well.”

“Under normal circumstances, it would have raised eyebrows?”

“Those who would object to the appointment of Cardinal Karleya are currently too busy coveting the other Cardinal positions to stay silent.”

Eventually, Skoll and Cassandra stepped down from their Cardinal posts. It wasn’t under pressure from the Saint but rather a voluntary resignation.

It was a judgment made right after Eileen had stated that she had no interest in power struggles, aside from the Inquisitors.

“Probably another will appear as a Cardinal beneath the surface. They figured it would be hard to stay in those positions.”

“Then that works for me, doesn’t it?”

“That’s not how it goes. They will surely be a nuisance to the church for a long while……but.”

Even if the problems of Skoll and Cassandra remain, it doesn’t change the fact that the Saint successfully proved himself.

“……When the second semester concludes, I will return to the church.”

“You’re talking about dropping out, right?”

“To fulfill the promise I made with Cloel, that’s necessary. If I don’t go to the church myself, I won’t be able to reform it.”

“Have you informed Namgoong Min?”

“……Yes.”

“Then that’s fine……What about this?”

Click.

The Saint placed a silver key on the table before Eileen and smiled.

“It’s the key to my room’s safe. I’ve gathered all the important documents while working as the Director of Inquisition, so it will be useful.”

“Hah, you’re asking me to enter your room?”

“Now it’s your room too.”

“……What?”

“I plan to drop out by the end of the semester but will not be able to leave the church in that time. I probably won’t be at the academy very often……please take care of the Romance Academy’s church.”

“………….”

“It’s decent land, so it’s also expensive real estate. Use it well.”

“………It feels weird hearing you talk about real estate and money.”

“Maybe I’ve awakened a sense of economic awareness, as someone once said.”

“Geez……Fine.”

There’s no downside to accepting it. Like the Saint, Eileen also began realizing the importance of money.

With the key in her grasp, Eileen shot a discontented look at the Saint.

“Hah……I never thought I’d say something like this.”

“What……?”

“Thank you. For your hard work.”

“………….”

“And for taking care of Eileen until I met Namgoong Min……wait a moment. Eileen!”

“Eileen?”

The soul shifts.

Not as proficient as a Saint, but with <Eye for Reading Hearts>, Raphael noticed.

Not the well-expressed mature soul, but a rather faint and small yet undeniably solid soul emerged.

“……I plan to speak for myself. Can I call you Raphael? ‘Older Brother’ is reserved only for Namgoong Min.”

“It’s all fine by me.”

“Um, at first, I thought Raphael was trying to kill me. So I hid and was quite displeased, but after observing, I realized he’s not someone who would do that.”

“………….”

“Thank you, Raphael.”

“……No, thank you.”

Beep-beep.

It was time to slowly head back to the church.

Having shown my face at the academy and explained the situation to the Vice Principal, there was no more to be done.

If you really want to nitpick, it’s that I haven’t met everyone from the Special Class.

“…It shouldn’t be a problem.”

In truth, they weren’t that close anyway.

With a bitter smile, the Saint stood up and turned to look back at Eileen, who remained seated.

“I have one last thing to tell you.”

“I told you to rest, Eileen……so what is it?”

“The Principal and the Pope.”

“………….”

“The Principal, who went out for church duties, isn’t at the church. And keep a close eye on the Pope since he’s been unusually quiet.”

“……That old charlatan just laughed.”

“If the Pope was truly that kind of person, I wouldn’t have been cautious. He’s a utilitarian, but at the same time, he’s a madman. His eagerness to comply with your Inquisition request and being overly quiet during the Proof means there’s definitely something going on.”

The Principal and the Pope.

I’m not sure if there’s a connection between them, but one thing is certain; both are suspicious.

“So……please take good care of Namgoong Min.”

Eileen recognized that those words weren’t just meddlesome concern.

After a moment of hesitation, she replied.

“Don’t worry too much.”

“……Do you know something?”

“Even without your request, I’ll look after Namgoong Min very closely, so just go.”

“Ha-ha……Understood.”

With that, the Saint left the room, thinking of Cloel waiting at the church.

With that, the Saintess also rose from her seat, gazing out the window towards the Pacific Ocean, where the church lay beyond.

Without any parting words or sentiments directed at each other,

That was the farewell between the Saint and the Saintess.