I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 218

Despite all that happened the day before, there was no commotion in the world that greeted the new morning.

The Emperor, who had simply been ‘unfortunately’ suffering from a chronic illness, passed away.

That was to be revealed to the citizens a month later under the pretext of avoiding chaos, so it was truly a regular morning for the world.

“……”

Kim Sung-il did not return to the academy. Now, as he was supposed to ascend to the throne, he had left a message saying they would meet again in due time and stayed behind in the Daehan Empire.

One hour had passed since Eun-ha and I boarded the special private jet back to Romance Academy.

It just so happened that today’s classes would start in the afternoon. I lay down at my base to melt away the fatigue amassed from moving around all night.

Without even taking off my clothes, I lay on the bed, but after briefly closing my eyes and reopening them, the sun was already hovering at noon.

Is this right? It feels like time has been erased…

Thanks to a solid sleep, my head was clear yet my eyes kept wanting to close again, confirming that this must be reality.

As tempting as it was to succumb to the desire for more sleep, I couldn’t skip the afternoon class given my absences were already on the edge.

‘I originally intended to be a model student and get good grades.’

Considering how I came in last at the Great Lake event and was constantly missing classes due to outside matters… I prided myself on being among the top in both theory and practice, yet my overall grades languished in the low-mid tier due to all those absences.

Naturally, the rewards or events I could have received for maintaining top grades all flew out the window.

Among those, there were even some that could improve a fortuneteller’s traits, so I had been trying my best.

But then, character events were more important anyway.

Since the improvement of traits was included in specific events rather than tied to particular artifacts, even if I asked Liu, Eun-ha, and Rain, I wouldn’t be able to get them.

Honestly… I didn’t harbor much regret. I just realized once again while dealing with The Emperor that despite my skills elsewhere, I was truly just an extra when it came to fighting.

In the end, it was merely a trifling delusion.

“Ugh.”

It’s far better to prepare for class than to indulge in such thoughts.

I got out of bed, took off my pajamas, and prepared to wash up…?

“………Huh?”

Huh? Pajamas?

Did I not just lie down in a suit?

“……..”

In that moment, I felt a shiver crawling all over me.

How could I not have noticed this?… Oh right, I can’t even realize I’m being followed.

Well, in any case.

Having a presence felt in a stronghold I assumed was empty…

Who would have thought such a thing could be frightening?

‘Let’s think calmly and carefully.’

This is Romance Academy, an airborne city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, not just anywhere.

Especially since the building I was using as my base, while on the outskirts of the airborne city, used the entire structure, meaning I had security measures in place. More specifically, Liu, Eun-ha, and Rain had set them up.

So, anyone who could have snuck into my stronghold past the security measures set by those three would be…

‘…Liu, Eun-ha, Rain?’

…It could be serious sabotage, but why does it have to be those three?

Ah, Eileen is also around. If she used <Holy Radiance>, she could easily get in… but would she really?

In reality, all this pondering was futile.

It’s just a matter of checking the place where I sensed the presence.

Since something like this happened, there might be a chance of another intrusion. It would be wise to confirm who the culprit was now and eliminate any future troubles.

‘Over there…’

Tap. Clatter. Sizzle.

The culprit seemed to believe I was sound asleep, or perhaps they were making noise without a care at all.

The basement stronghold isn’t that large. It’s not like I use the fortune teller’s shop on the first floor as a reception area for nothing.

A suitably sized living room, a roughly arranged kitchen, a storage area for miscellaneous items, and my sleeping bedroom.

And the sounds were coming from the living room and kitchen area.

‘What’s the goal? If it’s precious items, typically, you’d rummage through the storage or the fortune teller’s shop.’

Are those four really up to no good? Seriously?

Ignoring that strange unease, I pressed my ear against the bedroom door in my pajamas.

I didn’t have a single weapon on me, and even if I rushed in, I wouldn’t be a threat. But if it came down to it, I could flee to <My Own Little Fortune Teller Shop>.

So, right now—

“Who goes there! Show yourself!!”

—I went ahead and shouted!

They’d likely be caught off guard and show their face.

Should they run, I could use all my connections to catch them, and if they challenged me, I could escape to the dimensional space.

Now, let’s see them…

“……..”

“……..”

“…………Hero?”

“…….Wait a minute……..”

Bubbling away in an apron, Abel was casually stirring something in a pot as if it were no big deal.

…Wait, what?

“Hero? Why are you here?”

“Today… class… is canceled… I came to tell you…”

“Ah, thank you. But…”

“………Namgoong Min…”

“Yes.”

“Let’s keep things… cleaner…”

“…………Sure.”

The host of the stronghold, chided by an unexpected guest, retreated a bit.

With familiar ease, Abel began to tidy up the dust and trash in the living room, polishing it until it shone.

At the same time, he stirred the bubbling pot using the <Holy Sword> skill like a spatula, flipping the sizzling steak with the <Holy Sword> as well.

He only checked on the food occasionally, placing great emphasis on cleaning the living room until it sparkled.

‘Wait, can you really use the <Holy Sword> like that?’

I know the light sword created by the <Holy Sword> skill is basically a kind of lightsaber…

But is it alright to use it as a cooking tool?

Is it really acceptable…?

“Uh… thank you, Hero.”

“……It’s nothing really…”

“With cooking, cleaning, even my pajamas… even if it’s nothing to you, it’s a big deal for me.”

“……..?”

“Umm?”

“…..Pajamas… you say…?”

“Yes? Didn’t you change me into these?”

At that statement.

Abel, who had been engrossed in cleaning, gave a rarely seen look of disdain.

He started to move a little farther away from me.

“I’m… heterosexual…”

“Huh?”

“…Of course… I have no interest in… undressing… a sleeping man…”

Wait, huh?

…What??

*

Putting aside the terrifying tale regarding pajamas.

Now dressed in the formal suit I always wore instead of the pajamas, I mindlessly savored the steak that lay on the now tidy living room table.

“Why does it taste so good…?”

“…What do you… think of me…?”

“No, I mean, judging by appearances, you don’t seem like someone who knows how to cook or clean at all.”

“You too… I thought you could… keep things clean… just by looking…”

“Umm…”

Honestly, that’s not entirely wrong.

“I’ve just gotten used to it.”

“…Used…?”

“Whenever I left the stronghold for a while, it was always cleaned up by itself.”

“…………”

“I suppose it’s some kind of cleaning service? It was so convenient that I ended up living like this…”

In truth, as much as I acted like a fortuneteller outside, I also had it easy inside my stronghold.

Honestly, my room wasn’t kept tidy to begin with. It was more of a casually lived-in vibe.

Yet Abel had shifted to looking like he faced some abyssal horror, and soon enough, looked back at me with a sympathetic gaze.

…Why though?

“Really… you could end up… being carried away… while asleep… so be careful…”

“Come on, who would come in and kidnap me while I’m sleeping in my stronghold? That’s a crime, a crime.”

“…It could be… a wrapping……”

“Huh?”

“…I just remembered… some old Asian culture… book I saw in the past…”

“Ahh.”

Well, before the downfall of America, as the grandson of the president, I might have studied alongside Easterners like Liu, Kim Sung-il, and Eun-ha.

While slicing the tender steak, a thought crossed my mind.

“But why is the Hero here? I’m not saying it’s a burden or anything, but there could have been others present.”

“…………”

“Hero?”

“…I happened to hear… and came to tell you…”

Happened to hear? Huh, did some instructor catch him on the street?

The rumors say that I’m getting along well with the special class and all, so maybe Abel was just told to relay that news.

Ah, speaking of that…

“But Hero, what about the Holy Sword? Is the maintenance all finished?”

“……..”

Huh?

“Hero?”

“…I have… a request for you…”

“Isn’t it between you and me? Whatever it is, just say it.”

I’ve been concerned about the struggles from the Dream Within a Dream, so a request would be welcome.

Now, what’s it going to be? If it’s about being a perpetual single, I won’t have a way to help.

If it’s not about a simple hook-up—

“I just… want to take a short walk…”

“……?”

“…Could you accompany me… as a bit of conversation…?”

…Is what I just heard really Abel asking for conversation?

The usually stoic Abel Legión wanting company?

The person who tends to speak in short, clipped sentences?

‘Had he encountered some change in his mental state?’

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t understand. I just gazed at Abel’s expressionless face which looked the same as always.

As I popped the last piece of steak into my mouth, Abel immediately got up from the table.

“The sooner… the better…”

“Ah.”

“Let’s go… right away.”

Leaving the empty plate of steak behind, Abel moved to exit the stronghold.

Even though I didn’t really understand why he suddenly wanted to walk and have a conversation, I followed dutifully behind him.

‘Could it be a more serious matter than I think?’

Given the context of the recent events, I simply assumed he might seem more serious when these kinds of affairs came up.

But considering the proofs from the Room of Truth, taking down the Principal in the Dream Within a Dream, overcoming The Emperor’s scheme, none of these are simple occurrences.

Instead, experiencing these in succession might have led me to develop a level of complacency about my own safety.

I was beginning to see ordinary incidents as trifling matters.

‘Given Abel’s character, he probably would have communicated something significant directly at the stronghold, like his last travel.’

Abel Legión doesn’t beat around the bush. He doesn’t shy away either.

Due to his extreme lack of emotional and facial expression, his words are often short.

So if Abel asks for a stroll and conversation, it suggests something significant.

“………..”

“…………”

We had walked for about 20 minutes following Abel.

Avoiding people, we kept walking in that ambiguous space between the outskirts, the city, and the mountains, in total silence.

‘…Is this how it goes when one is company in conversation?’

I momentarily wondered if Abel didn’t understand the concept of conversation, but the seriousness of the matter felt diminished because of it.

Had it really been that serious, he would have mentioned it from the stronghold; if there had been lengthy explanations needed, those would have already started.

Perhaps it was just something embarrassing like the last time regarding eternal virginity.

As I was thinking along those lines, a small building appeared in the distance.

‘…A house? Here?’

This isn’t the city center or a residential area. If anything, it’s closer to the mountain.

My own stronghold is on the outskirts, but this location barely qualifies as such. The nearest neighborhood is quite a trek away.

Who would decide to build a house in such a place?

Even if it’s near a mountain, being an airborne city, land prices must be crazy.

And above all…

“……A log cabin?”

Up close, this house wasn’t even a proper building.

It looked just suitable for one person—a log cabin.

Just like something straight out of a storybook, a rustic log cabin you’d rarely see.

There were no finishing touches on the exterior, nor any decorations or interiors.

They simply stacked logs to form walls and casually constructed a roof.

It was evident. Someone had presumably built this house. But… who?

‘In this age of log cabins…’

While I was flabbergasted, Abel naturally opened the door, standing in front of the house, as if it were his own.

“……Come… in…”

“Yes? Wait, huh? You mean…?”

“……This is… my… home…”

No way, this is Abel’s stronghold?

The shock of that realization lasted mere moments as I followed Abel inside the log cabin.

“My goodness…”

The interior of the log cabin was even more rugged than it appeared from outside.

While it somewhat blocked the wind, the floor was uneven from the felled logs. Inside, there was a store-bought bed, a wardrobe, and a makeshift kitchen.

Nothing else… absolutely nothing.

Could a person even live in here?

The only thing that caught the eye was the <Holy Sword> hanging on the wall, shining in the sunlight streaming through the window.

Leaving me dumbfounded, Abel, gripping the sword tightly, stared intently at the blade.

“….The mission… is something that approaches… eventually… Until now… I ran away… saying the time wasn’t right…”

“……Hero?”

“Now, I cannot… neglect it… I can feel… the end is nearing…”

The voice of Abel held such a thick sense of nostalgia.

There, at the ripe age of twenty, Abel—weathered and worn—looked at me.

“……Thanks to you… Namgoong Min…”

“Did you just say… me?”

“…Don’t worry… I’m not blaming you… It was just… a wonderful… catalyst…”

Click.

From the trip spanning a day and night, the real <Holy Sword>—not just a skill—was drawn from the sheath by Abel.

With unwavering determination in his gaze, he declared.

“……I now… am…”

“…………”

Regardless of any opposition…

“I will go to die.”