I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 23

“I did it…! I really did it!”

Huff. Huff.

Sister Ruin sprinted towards the church. Though her breath was caught in her throat, she pushed her legs onward without pausing to rest.

As passersby looked at the rushing nun with puzzled expressions, questioning why she was acting this way, she didn’t stop.

In truth, there was no problem in walking slowly, but Ruin had no desire to move at such a leisurely pace.

“Saint! It’s really a Saint!”

That little girl named Eileen, the one the Saint frequently visited. The moment she could confirm it was just a fleeting second, but there was no way she could have misseen it.

It’s a Saint. A Saint has appeared.

A Saint who would confront that Saint!

“Haha! Hahaha!!”

Looking back, it was quite a long time.

Ever since her father was excommunicated because of that damned Saint, Ruin’s life had plummeted into poverty.

The once-frequent luxurious meats and banquets had been replaced with cheap pork belly that she wouldn’t even eat if offered.

The spacious, plush mansion had turned into a cramped little house.

Even the allowance she used to receive every month had dropped to merely a few hundred thousand won.

She couldn’t stand such a deprived life, and though she resented her father, he desperately wished for rehabilitation.

He even mobilized all his connections to make his daughter a nun, placing her beside the Saint.

“Honestly, I thought there was no chance at all…!!”

To gather information to bring that Saint down?

Initially, Ruin was motivated, but the Saint’s lifestyle was enough to exhaust even her.

Abstinence. Moderation. Diligence.

The Saint’s life was hardly recognizable as human. Praying for six hours every day, and regulating everything from food to sleep with military precision – could that really be called human?

Most importantly, the Saint was diligent as an Inquisition.

At least one heretic was executed daily. Even in the direst of circumstances, the Saint would personally end a life every day.

Ruin had given up after half a year. There was no such thing as privacy, so she had no idea what information to gather.

She was merely living day by day as a nun.

“I got lucky! Really lucky!”

After meeting that little brat, the daughter of Charles Teddy Bear, hope blossomed.

Other clergy avoided the Saint’s face in awe, but only Ruin, eager to gather any information, noticed her reaction.

───The Saint, immediately after examining that little brat, seemed flustered.

Though it was only for a moment, it was enough for Ruin to notice.

Even after saying she didn’t know following the examination, the Saint decided to enroll in Romance Academy just a few days later.

It could have been mere coincidence, but Ruin placed all her chances on that possibility. She was sure that little girl held something the Saint wanted to hide.

As a result, using everything she had built up in her life as a nun, she managed to be dispatched to the church of Romance Academy.

And finally, here she was today.

“A Saint! Just thinking about hidden relatives or love would make more sense than a Saint!”

She was rewarded. Rewarded!

For every moment she endured poverty, for every nun task she did reluctantly, and for every boring prayer she dozed through, she was repaid!

Ruin kept running. She dashed to the church as quickly as possible to contact her father, taking the shortcut.

The narrow, dark alleyway, which she would normally avoid, looked like a highway at this moment.

“I can finally go back to the way things were!”

Thud.

………Thud.

*

“Uh, Namgoong Min?”

“Just call me Namgoong; someone might overhear.”

“Hii! How am I supposed to…!”

“Call me.”

“…Yes, yes. Namgoong…”

Isn’t it hard to keep calling me ‘sir’ every time?

Honestly, I feel embarrassed every time I hear it. I’m scared someone might overhear.

“But why?”

“Ah, well… even so, isn’t tailing the Saint a bit much?”

“Don’t worry. It’s using your superpower, so it isn’t exactly following, just spying.”

“That’s still problematic…”

Is it really not?

Sipping drinks at the café, I glanced at Rain, who was fidgeting.

Why is this dude, who often spies to exploit Liu’s weaknesses, acting all anxious now?

“……….”

“Oh, I understand…”

Of course, Rain’s timid resistance would be easily suppressed with just a serious glance.

Knowing her background, it feels a bit guilty to exploit her weakness for my own advantage.

Saying I’ll help fix her weakness is just using her.

So, even if it’s just for my own comfort, I wanted to give her something.

“Is meeting me burdensome?”

“Uh, yes?”

“With all that formal politeness, naturally, you’d want to avoid me. I was forced to come find you this time.”

“……….”

“So if there’s receiving, there should be giving too.”

“…Huh?”

Even with my words striking at her honest feelings, she simply bowed her head. Before a ‘stronger,’ she couldn’t say or do anything carelessly—an innate habit.

As a sort of rebellion, she acted even more harshly towards the weaker, gathering all sorts of hate as a ‘villain.’

Now that the matter with the Saint and Eileen was urgent, once this is over, Rain’s issues come next.

For that reason, I need to give her the best I can.

“I’ll read your fortune.”

“Fortune… what do you mean?”

“Yeah, for example….”

That ‘best’ might be something Rain Arthur genuinely wants to know.

“…Like the whereabouts of your mother.”

“………!!!”

Clang!

In that instant, Rain shot up from her chair.

Since she acted so wary before a powerful individual, her reaction to her mother’s topic must be a true red line.

“…That remark.”

“……….”

“Can you take responsibility… for that?”

The head of the Arthur family, the root of Rain’s current situation, her father.

And Lucas Arthur wouldn’t dare bring up Rain’s mother either.

Even as someone trapped in the shell called strong-weak-weak-strong, there’s bound to be a catalyst to break free.

…Furniture, chairs, and teacups floated in the air around me.

Rain’s superpower surged, naturally targeting me.

If I misstep in my response, regardless of her perceiving me as strong, she’d charge at me without fear.

“That remark wasn’t a joke; I’m serious—”

“Of course.”

“—You can be held responsible for it… right?”

But through my general skill <Observation>, I could see it.

Rain was trembling slightly. It meant her strong-weak-weak-strong couldn’t permit this action.

She saw me as strong and was still scared.

Knowing that, I could remain unfazed by the visible threat Rain posed.

As forks and knives continually aimed at my throat, I maintained the composure befitting a strong person.

“Rain Arthur, haven’t you taken my fortune multiple times already?”

“……….”

“During the entrance exam’s Q&A with Liu, the entrance ceremony speech, and even the maze escape. I assumed you’d have some level of trust in my fortune-telling.”

“That’s….”

Hey, you’re seriously considering this, right? Why are those forks and knives still poking at my throat?

If this continues, I might actually bleed out! Agh, chairs and teacups are subtly creeping closer too? Can’t you decide quickly before they whack my head?

“…I understand.”

Clang!

“Yeah, you thought it through well.”

The forks and knives that had surrounded me returned to their original places, and those which were poking my neck dropped uselessly to the floor.

Wow, that was close! Just a bit deeper and I would’ve had blood gushing out. I almost blew my cover as the strong guy.

But I absolutely can’t show it. I must act as if I didn’t care about it from the start.

…My hands were still shaking, so I decided to stop drinking.

“Once this is over, you’ll read my fortune… right?”

“Of course.”

Thinking about it, I had to tell Liu the secret too.

I should mention it to him the next time we meet. Forgetting it accidentally could lead to unpredictable situations.

As someone with the title <Rich Tycoon>, she could impose disadvantages on those who backed out of deals.

With Liu and Rain’s deal firmly etched in my mind, I glanced at Rain.

“What… have I done…”

The self-loathing expression from earlier, which threatened to engulf me.

Considering I ignored her strong-weak-weak-strong dynamic, was the recoil stronger?

To lift her mood, I decided to speak.

“So, what’s the Saint’s current whereabouts?”

“Ah… yes. So, about that house you mentioned… right now…”

Rain didn’t know the house I mentioned was Charles Teddy Bear’s. There was no need to inform her.

Still, the time to move was approaching. The Saint had to still be inside the house.

“…Not here?”

“What?”

“Huh? Wait a moment. Just a moment ago, they were inside…?”

Not here? That’s impossible.

It had barely been three minutes since I confirmed the Saint entered and that particular nun left.

There’s no way she could have come out in that short span.

“Can you find out where they are now?”

“Uh, so… um… Ah!”

With urgency, as Rain activated her superpower, she suddenly looked up as if she’d discovered something.

But somehow, I couldn’t shake off an ominous feeling.

“Near the alleyway, by the church. It’s dark but… Huh? It seems like they’re with that nun from earlier…?”

“Damn it.”

Thud.

“Uh, Namgoong…?”

“Let’s go, Rain.”

What did I miss?

Even after pondering, I couldn’t figure it out. After all, it was bad luck from the start due to this idiot’s <Fortuneteller> job!

Maybe predicting everything based only on experience from the game was an unrealistic expectation.

But I hadn’t just sat idly either.

“Rain, contact me about what I mentioned.”

“To the church? But I can only enter as a guest….”

“That’s enough.”

Only someone like her, the daughter of the Arthur family, could enter the church where the Saint resided as a guest.

Even looking perplexed, Rain pulled out her phone, and I hurriedly quickened my pace.

<The Saint>, Raphael Martina.

Though I hadn’t experienced that hidden event my younger sister mentioned, I can’t say I know you fully. She claimed that there’s a twist regarding the Saint in that hidden ending but, frankly, I wasn’t curious at all.

However, I knew what you were trying to do now.

“Let’s hurry!”

“Ah, yes!”

Thud.

Bursting from the café, we raced toward the church.

Fortunately, I was already in a café close to the church, but my destructive physical aptitude wouldn’t allow me to cover even that short distance easily.

Grinding my whole body to the limit, I ran, but due to my sudden burst of movement, I was out of breath and gasping within a minute.

“Namgoong Min…?”

Showing this weak side in front of Rain scared me more than what the Saint would do.

My legs wobbled, my mouth felt sugary, yet I kept running nonstop until I reached the church.

“…Huff, huff. I’m counting on you.”

“………I understand.”

Though Rain’s suspicious gaze was on me, my focus solely lay on the church.

More specifically, on the basement beneath it.

“I’m Rain Arthur, as mentioned.”

“Ah, welcome! But who is beside you…?”

“Th-that’s… the servant. Didn’t I contact you beforehand?”

“Ah, I checked. The Saint is currently out, and Father Robert will be welcoming guests──”

Apologies to the nun’s kind guidance, but there’s no time.

“──Excuse me, may I use the restroom briefly?”

“Of course. The restroom is right down the hall on your immediate right.”

“Thank you. Rain, I shall follow shortly.”

“Okay, I got it… um.”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart raced wildly. No matter how slowly I breathed, my heart was still pounding.

Leaving Rain’s questioning gaze behind, I walked down the hallway.

The right hallway, turning the corner leads to the restroom… the third room up ahead.

Standing before it, I turned the doorknob.

“<Observation>.”

A surge of intense pain flared in my right eye. It felt like a pressing need to widen my eye painfully.

But the cost of pain was sweet.

‘…I see.’

To the naked eye, it merely appeared as a simple door and doorknob, yet its essence resembled the dial of a safe.

Three turns to the right, two to the left, four times pushing in, two turns to the right, and finally, a short pause then three to the left.

Click.

With a soft sound, the door began to creak open. But what lay beyond wasn’t someone’s room or a prayer chamber.

‘…Stairs.’

Dark, damp, and heavy air led down.

There was only a moment of hesitation.

Clop. Clop.

Closing the door behind me, I descended into the dimly lit stairs below.

The staircase… wasn’t very long.

There was no door at the end, and it laid bare the church’s basement.

The church basement. The torture chamber reserved only for the Saint and Inquisition.

Since this church’s Inquisition consists solely of the Saint, it was effectively his exclusive chamber.

“…Ah, sinner comrade.”

Clutching a mace dripping with blood, he had the other bleeding nun bound to a chair.

The Saint was smiling.

“…Yes, Saint.”

So, I too.

Managed, somehow, to smile.