The Fortune Teller Behind the Election
Two weeks had passed since the survival exam ended. The things that had been destroyed during the test were already repaired, and most of the students had shaken off the lingering aftereffects of the ordeal and returned to their daily routines. That was when a strange rumor began to circulate.
“Hey… have you heard?”
“The fortune-telling shop? Of course I have. They say it tells you anything you want to know, right?”
A fortune-telling shop that could predict anything, and whose predictions always came true. The story that started with a few red-haired, burly, and blonde students gradually began to spread throughout the academy.
It was run by the second-place entrance examinee who had also taken third place in the survival exam. To students who rarely saw him outside of the special class that shared the same lectures every day, he couldn’t help but seem like a mysterious and capable fortune teller.
The rumor that had been spreading quietly finally caught fire thanks to one particular person.
“Yo, Sasaki.”
“Mm.”
“Is it true you went to that rumored fortune-telling shop?”
“…Yeah. My little sister recommended it.”
“How was it? You moved together with Namgung Min during the entrance ceremony, didn’t you?”
“I can’t go into detail, but… his skill is the real deal.”
“For real?”
“Yeah. He managed to change even that little sister’s heart, after all.”
“………Huh?”
The statement came from Sasaki Ito, the student representing Japan and the strongest first-year Swordsman. There had been quite a few students claiming the fortune teller was skilled before, but Sasaki Ito’s words carried a completely different weight. After all, he was one of the academy’s most famous figures.
And so, the great fortune-telling boom began at the academy!
…Or so one might think.
“So, are you going?”
“Are you crazy? The price you have to pay matches the skill, and it’s insane. They say the fee is an equivalent exchange, right?”
“Tsk, yeah. How much would the fee be for someone with Namgung Min’s level of skill?”
It wasn’t just the rumor that “Namgung Min is incredibly skilled” that spread. The rumor that “the fee you have to pay matches that skill is also enormous” spread right alongside it. Since fortune-telling and its fee were an equivalent exchange, the prevailing opinion was that the better the fortune-telling, the higher the price had to be.
Not every student came from the upper class. Most students, even after hearing about the fortune-telling shop, couldn’t help but hesitate to visit.
But.
“Still… I’m going to go.”
“What?! Where would you get the money?”
“With the scholarship I just received, I should be able to hear at least one word. I’m going to try begging somehow.”
“Why on earth…”
“My future feels so uncertain. I want to hear any kind of advice. When you think of it that way, it doesn’t seem that expensive, does it?”
It wasn’t as if Namgung Min’s fortune-telling shop was completely untouchable. There were those who could afford the fee. Those who wanted a reading even if they had to pay it. Those facing important decisions who wanted advice. Their reasons varied.
Simple curiosity, an anxious future, unrequited love, major choices, worries about academics. Slowly but surely, Namgung Min’s fortune-telling shop was becoming the last bastion for the academy’s students.
“Hey, I heard you’ve got some worries.”
“…Yeah.”
“You were even thinking about dropping out, right?”
“That’s true…”
“If that’s the case, why don’t you just go to the fortune-telling shop?”
“I want to, but I don’t have the money. You know that.”
“What are friends for? I’ll lend you the money. Go on, you idiot.”
“You…!”
They say it’s a place that will answer any secret in the world. They say it’s where the most skilled fortune teller in the world resides. They say it’s a place that gives advice to solve any worry. They say, however, that it demands a price equal to its competence. So be careful, they say. Visit with caution. After all, asking a fortune teller about your future and secrets always comes with a cost.
…Or so the rumors say.
“…That’s what they’re saying.”
“How on earth did it come to this…”
“Isn’t it all good in the end? I heard your actual fee income has increased quite a bit.”
“That’s true, but…”
I let out a sigh and took a sip of my mixed coffee. It was my favorite flavor, yet right now it tasted strangely bitter. The visitor sitting across from me, however, wore a smile the entire time.
“You seem to have quite the troublesome situation on your hands, fellow sinner.”
“Please stop using that embarrassing title already.”
“Are we not comrades who bear the same punishment? Would you prefer I call you brother instead?”
“Do you want to get stuck between the desk and the wall again?”
“Oh dear, that would be rather inconvenient. I’ll refrain.”
The Saint, Raphael Martina. The man who had once swung a mace at me as an enemy was now sitting here as an ally, smiling.
“By the way, is it really okay for a Saint to visit a fortune-telling shop? The church won’t look kindly on it.”
“On the contrary, the church is the one who sent me. They told me to get a reading as a way to pass the time.”
“…Is that really allowed?”
“Not everyone in the church follows God’s will. I am well aware that I am an extremist who worships the Bible, so please don’t worry.”
“That’s… quite something.”
A fanatic who knows he’s extreme. Weren’t people like this actually the scariest kind? I let out a dry laugh, downed the rest of my mixed coffee in one go, and set the cup down.
“So, what’s your business here?”
“…There has been a reaction from Sister Luina.”
“…It took quite a while.”
It had already been over a month since I had clashed with the Saint over Aileen’s issue and fed false information to Sister Luina to observe her reaction. No matter how far the church headquarters was from this floating city, it was still strange that it had taken this long for any response to arrive. The Saint seemed to share the same thought and nodded.
“It appears there is a somewhat secretive line that takes time. If they used the church’s regular communication network, I would inevitably find out.”
“What was the reaction like?”
“A success. You could say they’ve taken the bait.”
Nice! I cheered inwardly. The Saint’s church overthrow was the one event I had never played through. My game knowledge was of absolutely no help in resolving it. I had started cautiously, but it seemed things had gone according to plan.
“‘I am losing my qualifications as a Saint’… Fortunately, it seems Sister Luina and those behind her believe those words. My acting must have played a big part.”
“Please continue the act, Saint. Keep it up until they make their move.”
“Of course.”
The information Raphael Martina and I had leaked to Sister Luina was that he was losing his qualifications as a Saint. To those who had been ruined because of the Saint, it was the best possible news. If they could prove it was true, they could bring him down in one fell swoop. For that purpose, the Saint continued his performance both at the church and the academy.
Just like during the survival exam.
No matter how much he clashed with the Hero, the Saint wasn’t an opponent who could be defeated so easily. Even if he was pushed back in pure strength, he was the kind of person who could keep getting back up like a cockroach. The fact that such a Saint had been so pathetically eliminated by the Hero was also part of the act.
I need to make them believe it gradually.
The ultimate goal was to have those behind Sister Luina bring religious charges against the Saint. Once they accused him of losing his qualifications as a Saint, he would drop the act and reveal his true Saint form. That would be game over. He would seize the initiative under the pretext of purging the heretics who had doubted the Saint and sweep away the entire church in one go. That was the gist of the plan.
Still… I don’t really have anything to do.
Even though the plan sounded grand, there was nothing for me to do. All I had done was decide on the false information to feed Sister Luina in the beginning. After that, the acting to show he was losing power, inducing the religious trial, and even purifying the church after the trial were all tasks for the Saint and his close associates. All I did was meet with the Saint periodically, listen to the progress, and offer a word or two.
Shouldn’t I be doing something? My conscience pricked at me a little, but I figured I could worry about that when the time came. I left everything to my future self and simply leaned back comfortably in my chair. After all, that wasn’t the real problem right now.
“Anyway, there’s no way to stop the rumors at this point, is there?”
“You should give up, fellow sinner.”
“Please just shut your mouth.”
Thinking about the rumors made my head throb. I had clearly only asked Hwang Jin-woo, Sasaki Kaede, and that Kaite person to promote the fortune-telling shop to their friends. How on earth had it turned into this?
“…Yesterday, I received ten million won as a fee.”
“Oh, ten million won in a single day of business is incredible, isn’t it?”
“That’s the minimum per person.”
“………How many people came?”
“Ten.”
One hundred million won. That was the money I had received just for talking briefly with ten people. The fortune-telling shop I had originally envisioned was a place where various characters would visit when they had worries and get entangled in their character events. But now it had completely changed.
What am I supposed to say if they ask about their parents’ business…
What was worse was that not only characters I knew, but completely unknown characters I had never seen in the game were showing up. If it was a minor worry, I could somehow manage with Observation like I had with Hwang Jin-woo, but if they asked about something like their parents’ business, I had nothing to say. And since they were bringing ten million won as a fee, I couldn’t just brush it off vaguely.
So I resolved personal issues using game knowledge and Observation, while for things like business or stocks, I simply said I couldn’t see the future and returned the fee. Even then, some people left behind twenty or fifty million won each, which was how it added up to one hundred million.
“Well, since it is your fortune-telling, fellow sinner, I acknowledge the skill. That much is only natural.”
“………….”
Still, I couldn’t avoid it forever. I already knew the answer to this problem. I turned my gaze away from the Saint and glanced to the side. At the status window floating in the air.
1 hour 32 minutes remaining until Job Quest appears!
What the hell is that warning about?
The status window that had suddenly appeared this morning was foreshadowing an upcoming job quest. Just like the previous quest Life-or-Death Duel, clearing it would probably strengthen my job skill. If that was the case, it might solve my current problem.
In the end, all I can do is cheat and scam my way through.
Predicting the future with game knowledge and gathering information with Observation. It was obvious that continuing like this would cause all sorts of difficulties in running the fortune-telling shop going forward. So even though I really didn’t want to… I had no choice but to use my job skill Fortune Telling. No, Great Fortune Telling.
As I fell into thought for a moment, the Saint, who had finished his mixed coffee, stood up.
“Fellow sinner, I shall take my leave now.”
“…Ah. Saint, I wish you luck in the days ahead.”
“You as well, fellow sinner.”
…The guy does have some tact. The moment he saw I was deep in thought, he got up right away. But with that same tact, he had ditched class last time, hadn’t he? And with that same tact, he had ignored me while I was being tortured on the rack, right? Thinking about it was making me angry again. When we take the exam at the Great Lake in ten days, you’d better prepare to get teabagged one more time.
“………No one’s coming.”
An hour and a half after the Saint left. No one had shown up. That made sense. It was almost midnight, so everyone would either be sleeping or resting in preparation for tomorrow’s classes. The fortune-telling shop should obviously be closed, so no one would come here. If it weren’t for that status window, I would have closed up long ago and gone back to my base to watch TV.
But it was a job quest, so I couldn’t ignore it…
20 seconds remaining until Job Quest begins!
…Ah, time’s almost up. But why does it have to start at midnight like this? It’s not like the survival exam.
“Five… four… three…”
I unconsciously began counting down along with the status window. I wanted to see just how important this──
BANG!!!
“──Is Namgung Min here?!”
“………Yes?”
Midnight. A time when anyone with common sense wouldn’t come to a fortune-telling shop. Nevertheless, a group burst through the door.
“…President, slamming the door open like that is rude.”
“As expected of our beautiful senior.”
“As expected of the President! I am impressed by this one’s spirit!”
“Hahaha! A truly knightly entrance!”
“……….”
Three faces I saw often while playing the game, plus one helmet. The group consisting of three men and one suit of armor was unmistakably the student council. Led by the student council president and chivalry-obsessed madwoman Lily White-Rose. Above all, the fact that they had come to the fortune-telling shop at midnight, an action completely devoid of common sense, made it certain. In the game, the student council had always been a group with a few screws loose!
“Junior Namgung Min! This is the first time we’ve met since I saw you on the mountain. Have you been living like a knight in the meantime?”
“Ah… yes.”
“A knight does not drag out his words! Junior, be sure to remember that!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Yep, it was definitely Lily White-Rose. Seeing her in private like this, she was even worse than I thought.
“So, what brings you here?”
“If a knight has come to a fortune-telling shop, there is only one thing to do! To have one’s fortune told!”
“As expected of the President, such a knightly declaration!”
“Hahaha!”
And the blond male student next to Lily who was pouring out all sorts of flattery… was he the secretary? I couldn’t remember his name.
“Beautiful senior, even at this late hour, your appearance shines brilliantly!”
“I am currently wearing a helmet, though.”
“Even so, it cannot hide your beauty, senior.”
“Haha, is that so! How knightly indeed!”
The male student acting so sickeningly flattering that it made me want to vomit was probably the treasurer. I couldn’t remember his name either.
“President, the junior looks confused.”
“Mm, since this junior still lacks knightly virtue, I, the Knight of Knights, must show him the chivalry of yielding!”
“…Yes.”
The Latin-descended male student letting out a sigh and adjusting his glasses was the vice president, Samuel Lipson. I remembered him from the game as the one who always suffered. Seeing him in person, it’s really something.
A chivalry-obsessed madwoman, a flattering subordinate, a sleazy subordinate, and a sensible subordinate. These four were the infamous student council from the game. Only Lily and Samuel actually appeared properly, though.
“Junior Namgung Min! This Lily White-Rose shall speak in a knightly manner!”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Are you aware that the student council president election is in one week?!”
“I am aware.”
The student council president election. It was the event where Lily White-Rose and the student council first appeared. Although it took place right before the major event that was the exam at the Great Lake, it left quite an impression for various reasons. But why was she bringing it up now?
“We would like you to help us there!”
“Yes, help… Wait, what?”
Huh?
“I have heard the rumors about you, junior. Among the fortune tellers who lack knightly virtue, you are said to be the one closest to true chivalry and the most skilled!”
“………….”
“So I ask of you, please tell my fortune on whether I can be re-elected as student council president!!”
“…President.”
Are you people the kind of politicians who visit a shaman during a presidential election? …Well, I guess that fits. Anyway, I couldn’t accept this. It was beyond my abilities, and since Lily White-Rose would succeed in her re-election anyway, there was no need to get involved with this crazy student council…
Job Exclusive Quest: Wow!! Namgung Min! Wow!!! Shadow Power Broker!
The student council president Lily White-Rose and her student council have requested your help! She may be a bit crazy in the head, but she is quite competent! Her re-election will surely bring peaceful days to Romance Academy! Become the shadow power broker of the student council and ensure her successful re-election as president!
📍 Objective: Successfully re-elect Lily White-Rose as student council president
⏳ Duration: Until the end of the student council president election
🎁 Reward: Enhancement of job skill Great Fortune Telling, provision of a Fortune Teller-exclusive artifact
…I needed to get involved. Yeah.
I decided to welcome the student council with a joyful heart.
“Please help us!! This is the fee!!!”
Clunk.
“I have heard the rumors about you, junior! I also heard that one must pay a fee equal to the skill! It is but a small amount, but we have prepared it from the student council budget!”
“It’s thirty billion won.”
“Please take a seat, honored guests.”
Yes, I very much needed to get involved.