A Perilous Festival (5)
"Welcome, you two who get along so well. I welcome you to my shop."
The voice was androgynous, sounding like it could belong to either a man or a woman. The interior of the shop was filled with violet smoke, the lighting dim, and the face beneath the robe cast in deep shadow, making it difficult to see clearly. The appearance was highly suspicious, yet at the same time carried a certain air of mystery—enough to overwhelm an unsuspecting customer who had wandered in by chance.
Fiore asked, "If this is a shop… what exactly do you sell?"
The mouth visible beneath the robe's shadow curved into a faint smile. "You can look back upon yourself, learn your fate, and obtain a small clue toward seizing the future you desire."
The words sounded vague, but in simple terms, it meant telling fortunes.
"Well, let's give it a try first. This is part of the festival's fun too, isn't it?"
I grabbed Fiore, who seemed slightly wary, and took a seat. "I'll go first."
"Understood. Then, what would you like to know?"
"I'd like to hear everything I can, if possible."
At my answer, the fortune teller laughed as if amused. "Understood. In that case, let me check a few things. Please wait a moment."
Watching the fortune teller clasp hands over the crystal ball and close their eyes in concentration, Fiore whispered, "Brother, is this really the shop we were looking for? Somehow, it feels a little…"
Suspicious, she probably meant. Though one could argue there was no need to be so wary when dealing with the miracle of magic. In truth, the magic of Planetarium, especially ranked magic, was overwhelmingly physical in nature. Creating flames, shooting arrows, blocking enemy attacks with shields—most spells were premised on destruction or combat. Even as one advanced from low-tier to mid-tier to high-tier, only the power and range changed; the fundamental structure remained largely the same.
Curses or future sight were found only in specialized magic passed down as secrets within certain families or clans, and even those were mostly fraudulent. Since superstition was human instinct, self-proclaimed prophets and fortune tellers appeared regularly, but the general consensus among intellectuals was that none of them were genuine.
Fiore's skepticism was understandable. But this was a good chance to teach her, little sister. Sometimes, the real thing does exist.
"—You were born under the fate of greed. You possess much wealth and continue to multiply it. If you desire something, you will seize it, and if you cannot, you will destroy it instead. Much blood will flow in the process, yet knowing it is sin, you do not stop. You are beloved by endless riches and can create followers who crave that sweet honey, but you will never obtain true bonds."
That was the life of the original Greedy Libertine.
"But you have rejected the path given to you. The wealth you would have held has diminished, and the blood that should have overflowed and soaked the floor has remained only within the cup. The burden on your back is lighter, and you may pass through side paths you could never have reached before, or leap over obstacles. Even if it was calculation, you extended your hand, and those bonds will come full circle to aid you."
And the choices I had made. Then, next—
"Someday, the mansion of those who have had their names taken will invite you. Since you possess much, you may show them kindness as well. However, know this: whether you return what was originally theirs or build something new, there is only one choice you can make. If you desire more than that, the calamity of the mansion itself will descend upon you."
After declaring this in a solemn tone, the fortune teller smiled faintly. "That is all. I hope it was of some help."
I nodded, carefully committing the contents of the third paragraph to memory. "Yes, it was helpful. You're quite skilled."
"Haha, I'm glad to hear that. Many customers become angry, you see."
Among the seven special stars, there is one called Hwanye. Those blessed by this star see what others cannot see, hear what others cannot hear, and sometimes even glimpse the past or future. Not frauds or charlatans, but true prophets. And the fortune teller before me was one of those exceedingly rare genuine ones.
Gender unknown, age unknown, nationality unknown. A special NPC who could only be encountered under extremely limited conditions among Planetarium's many events… calling them that felt disrespectful to the person before me. Due to the restriction that they could not be found unless the party consisted of two or fewer members, their existence remained hidden for months after the game's release until a player posted a guide. Even I was seeing them in person for the first time.
After all, how often would one go out of their way to split up when they finally had a proper party? The fortune teller provided information about the template the player had chosen and how well the current player aligned with it, and finally offered hints about events the player would encounter. Since the content was delivered quite directly without excessive twisting, it was highly useful information…
The mansion of those who had their names taken was new to me. Was it simply an event I didn't know about, or something that didn't exist in the original work? Additionally, if one asked for a reading on a companion rather than the player themselves, they would reveal various stories that couldn't be known from background settings alone, or provide hints about important strengthening events. Compared to Ligret, who only needed equipment, or the princess, who grew stronger simply by supplementing her mana-related stats, Fiore's strengthening methods were vague, so I needed to obtain some hints this time—
"Well then, next is the young lady's turn. Shall I tell you various things just like I did for this gentleman?"
"Hmm, that's fine. More importantly, can you also read things like romance luck?"
"Of course."
Huh? Excuse me??
Whether I was flustered or not, the two of them proceeded with their conversation smoothly. "However, since the content is rather sensitive, it would be better to have fewer ears listening."
"That's what they say, Brother. Could you wait outside first? I'll be right out."
"No, I mean, why go that far? You just told my reading out loud, so why is this one different?"
At my protest, Fiore replied, "Oh, then since we're doing this anyway, why don't you ask them to read your romance luck too so we can compare? It might be quite entertaining for the others to hear."
"I'll wait outside. Take your time, little sister."
Not wanting to become the number one topic in the fools' gossip network, I quickly escaped the shop. It felt like I had failed at event partner selection.
Watching Chrome leave the shop with a displeased expression, the fortune teller spoke to Fiore with amusement. "You have a good older brother. Two of them, even."
"…You can tell that much?"
Fiore spoke to the fortune teller, half-skeptical yet intrigued. "Then, may I hear the reading?"
"Haha, of course. Please wait a moment."
The fortune teller closed their eyes as if concentrating, then opened their mouth. "The person the young lady is concerned about has several strands of deep fate. One is like cold steel—seemingly dry at first glance, but in truth harder than anything. One is like a blazing flame—unstable, yet when it spreads widely, its heat is incredibly intense. And one is…"
Stopping there, the fortune teller brought a hand to their mouth. "Hmm, this is troublesome. I can tell that a meeting is scheduled, but I cannot discern what kind of relationship it will be."
"I can guess about the first two, but having to worry about someone I haven't even met yet—Brother really does have deep karma. But it feels like I haven't heard the last one yet?"
At Fiore's question, the fortune teller raised their head. Eyes hidden behind the robe's shadow and violet smoke gazed at Fiore. "Hmm, must you hear it?"
"Is it something I shouldn't hear?"
"It's not that. Well, I merely answer as asked."
The fortune teller shrugged, then spoke a single phrase. "Two serpents biting each other's tails."
"……."
"Originally, you were never a combination that could live together so harmoniously. The blood he scatters would have soaked your surroundings, and you, who gained power from that resentment, would have become his adversary and slit his throat with the dagger in your hand."
The smile vanished from Fiore's lips.
"—You were born under the fate of conspiracy. Having lost everything, been robbed of everything, and fallen to the deepest depths, you gained enlightenment there. Casting aside your name, casting aside your past, what you newly obtained was a distorted mask. You mock love, wield love, and torment someone by toying with their heart. A twisted saint who denies and insults faith while simultaneously clinging to god."
The fortune teller continued. "But you have already lost your qualifications. To you who have not lost, to you who are affluent, fate has already lost interest. The power you were originally meant to possess has passed to another 'lost one.' That person will cry out for salvation and attempt to make the stars in the sky their own."
Before the silent Fiore, the final paragraph unfolded.
"Rational one. Wise one. You must choose. Conviction, pride, desire, or something that is none of these. Whether to join the foolish heroes who step into peril for their own reasons, or to distance yourself. If you join them, ruin awaits you. If you distance yourself, ruin will turn away from you."
When the fortune teller's words ended with "That is all," silence filled the shop. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. Just as the fortune teller was about to speak, Fiore spoke first. "Good information. It was helpful."
Her voice trembled. Fear? Anger? Resentment? Raising their head to observe the emotions held by the customer before them, the fortune teller felt surprise—a rare occurrence for them. Fiore was holding back laughter. As if it was amusing, fascinating, and she couldn't help it.
"I shouldn't keep Brother waiting too long, so I'll be going now. Thanks to you, it was enjoyable."
By the time the fortune teller tried to confirm the true meaning of that emotion, she had already returned to her usual bright smile. Fiore turned her back and left. The fortune teller chuckled softly. "—It was enjoyable for me as well."
The second day of the festival drew to a close.