Chapter 40
Why Are You Here? (1)
『 Translator – Divinity 』
This damn female-oriented dating sim, created by that bastard of a little sister, had various sub-quests.
Trivial things like running errands, giving advice, and helping others.
And among them, the largest scale was the [Treasure Hunt] quest.
‘It was really long.’
According to the setting, the academy hid artifacts, jewels, and other treasures all over the place 20 years ago.
It was a chain quest to find them one by one, and you could find them by being given riddle-like hints and going to the corresponding places to trigger additional options.
The problem was… that there were well over 50 treasures, so if you weren’t careful, you often couldn’t find them all even by the time you reached the ending of the game.
‘I remember 32 of them.’
Even I couldn’t remember all the treasures, but I wrote down what I could remember in my notebook, just in case, so there was no worry of forgetting.
Now then, where should I use these treasures?
They were all money or artifacts, so should I equip them all or sell them?
‘No need.’
Except for jobs like Liu’s [Billionaire] and [Royalty], where the skill restrictions were lifted, job holders could have a maximum of two general skills.
Even I only had <My Little Fortune Teller’s Shop>, <Observe>, and the special case <Cleanliness>.
‘And there are no other treasures that are useful to me.’
Except for <Observe>, which I dug up beforehand, the rest were skills that weren’t very useful to me as a <Fortune Teller>.
So, excluding the artifacts, there were jewels and money left.
‘The money problem has been resolved long ago.’
As long as I had the reliable source of loans that was Liu Yan, there was no need to worry about money anymore.
Even if I found and sold them one by one, they would be worth some money, but there was a much more useful way to use them.
‘Let’s pass them off as fortune-telling.’
They might be useless to me, but artifacts with skills were difficult to obtain and expensive. Only a place like Romance Academy could scatter them around for students as a treasure hunt.
What if I pretended these were found through fortune-telling and told them the locations?
‘The treasure hunt craze hasn’t ended yet.’
Although it subsided a bit after classes started, there were still quite a few students who spent their free time searching for treasure.
The treasure hunt craze that unintentionally started because of me.
…This was an opportunity.
An opportunity to gain a reputation as a ‘treasure-hunting fortune teller’!
So I told Manderick the location of the <Tearful Half-Gloves>.
‘The <Tearful Half-Gloves> grant the <Tear-Jerking Growth> skill, but only to Martial Artists.’
And as the name suggests, the <Tear-Jerking Growth> skill increased the experience gained through training.
Although the increase wasn’t that significant, as the name ‘tear-jerking’ implied…
‘In the first place, feeling stagnant is also a misconception.’
The fact that he was currently at the bottom? It just meant that Manderick was weaker than the other Martial Artists at this point in time.
Rather, Manderick was a named character among the Martial Artists. He was someone who would shine in the midterms and final exams, becoming one of the strongest first-year Martial Artists.
Since I gave such a character an artifact that accelerated growth, he would naturally grow quickly.
‘And he would think it was thanks to me.’
If you obtained an artifact through fortune-telling and your growth accelerated afterward, you would normally think it was thanks to the fortune-telling and the artifact, not “Actually, I’m a genius, so I would have become this strong even without it.”
By properly utilizing that gap, I could easily gain a regular customer.
‘Manderick benefits from becoming stronger, and I benefit from gaining a regular.’
Isn’t this a win-win situation?
‘Just as planned.’
Hiding my inner thoughts, I smiled and looked at Manderick, who was still excited.
He was a bit surprised when he suddenly came to the fortune-telling shop, but since he had obtained the artifact, there was no problem.
“You’re truly amazing, teacher! How did you know there was an artifact like this in that place!?”
“I simply listened to Mr. Manderick’s concerns and did a fortune-telling to resolve them.”
“As expected of the best fortune teller…!”
Hmm, it seems like he just came to express his gratitude, but…
His reaction is a bit excessive? Is it because this is a female-oriented dating sim?
“If you are grateful, I would appreciate it if you could tell others about this fortune-telling shop.”
“Of course! If you ever need me, please call me anytime! I will repay this favor…!”
…His reaction is still over the top. Are you actually good at acting?
Anyway, if he spread the word, I would achieve my goal.
But there was a limit to how much Manderick could spread the word alone. Maybe ten people at most? I should find a few more artifacts for him.
Just as I was getting a bit tired of his excessive energy, Manderick, who had been bowing his head, suddenly looked up at me as if he had remembered something.
“Ah, come to think of it, I have something to convey.”
“…Yes?”
Something to convey? A letter or a message?
From Liu? Or maybe Rain or the princess sent it? But if it were them, there would be no reason to go through Manderick?
“Um, I’ll just tell you directly.”
“Yes, please do.”
“Uh… [Are you enjoying Romance Academy?]”
“…?”
Huh.
I’ve heard that annoying double expression… a lot.
“[I would be happiest if you’re doing well there. I had a hard time sending you, after all.]”
“…Huh?”
Wait.
This?
“[Forget about this place and live happily there.] …That’s all.”
“…Those words.”
“Yes?”
“Those words, who did you hear them from?”
…Please.
Don’t say the name I know. Just let me think it was my embarrassing mistake.
“Uh, actually, I don’t know either.”
“Yes?”
“When I went to the basement of the transmission tower, I suddenly heard a voice behind me, and when I turned around… there was no one there, just a note with those words on it.”
“…Can you give me that note?”
“That, I’m sure I put it in my pocket, but it disappeared at some point… I’m sorry!”
“No. It’s alright…”
…Wait a minute.
Didn’t he say he heard a voice?
“Voice.”
“Yes?”
“You said you heard a voice. Was it… a woman’s voice?”
“Ah, yes. It was.”
…Damn it.
“…Thank you. Those were very important words to me.”
“Not at all! I will definitely repay this favor!”
“Well, it’s time for me to study fortune-telling…”
“Ah! I was being insensitive. I’ll come again next time!”
“Yes. Goodbye.”
After Manderick, who maintained his high tension until the end, left,
I…
“…Jisu.”
I thought of my little sister.
“Are you here too?”
…She said she ‘had a hard time sending’ me.
Come to think of it, how did I even get into the game?
“And…”
What was I doing before I came here?
Was I at school? At home? Walking down the street? Playing this crappy game?
Why couldn’t I remember?
“…As if.”
As if I was deliberately blocked from remembering.
It wasn’t something I heard directly from her, nor was it a note I received, just something I heard indirectly, yet…
Questions and memories about Namgung Jisu seemed to be overflowing.
But among all those questions, the one I was most curious about.
“Why did you…”
Give the note to someone else, not me?
It was ultimately a message for me, so why?
I held my head in my hands.
The thought of my little sister, which I had never thought about or doubted since entering <Romance Academy>.
I was too busy thinking about that.
“Mr. Namgung Min…”
“…Fortune Teller bastard.”
Even though I could hear someone’s voice and feel someone’s gaze,
I couldn’t care less and just kept dwelling on the same question.
That was my limit.
***
Manderick couldn’t believe his current situation.
Ever since he found those half-gloves yesterday, he felt like he was living in a dream.
“Haaah!”
Crash!!
“Manderick… 820 points.”
“Eight hundred, twenty points?”
“How did he get that score…?”
“Even during yesterday’s evaluation, he was amazing.”
Punching machine, which was part of today’s class.
After Eileen Teddybear set a record of 975 points, most of the Martial Artist students scored between 500 and 600 points, but…
Manderick, who was clearly at the bottom of the class just three days ago, scored 820 points, placing him third in the class.
“Hmm, student Manderick. That’s truly amazing. What incredible growth!”
“Thank you, Instructor!”
“The posture, the center, the power of your punches, they’re all flawless. Is that also… thanks to that artifact?”
“It’s been a great help.”
The artifact Manderick was wearing on both hands, <Tearful Half-Gloves>.
This artifact, found in the basement of the abandoned transmission tower thanks to Namgung Min’s fortune-telling, became Manderick’s possession with the academy’s official permission.
‘I finally have a skill…!’
Although a person could have up to two general skills, most job holders had difficulty filling those slots.
Except for extremely rare cases where they obtained a general skill by chance, skills were usually obtained through artifacts.
And those artifacts were so expensive that Manderick would be lucky to buy even one even if he saved his entire life.
‘This is that rumored treasure!’
Manderick had also heard about the treasure hunt commotion. But at that time, he dismissed it as nonsense and focused only on training.
“<Tearful Half-Gloves>… I finally understand that treasure hunt they said existed in the past. I don’t know about after graduating and becoming active, but at least while I’m at the academy, this is the best item.”
“Indeed!”
“Congratulations! There’s no problem as long as it’s an artifact distributed by the academy, not one brought in from outside. I look forward to your future!”
“Yes!”
“Alright, everyone take a 10-minute break until the next class!”
“”””Yes!””””
The skill embedded in these gloves was <Tear-Jerking Growth>, wasn’t it?
There couldn’t be a better artifact for him, whose skill growth had stagnated.
‘To find a hidden treasure, and on top of that, it’s an artifact perfect for me…!’
As expected, the Fortune Teller, the teacher, is amazing!
During the short break before the next class,
Thump!
As soon as Manderick returned to his seat, the students in the class flocked to him as if they had been waiting.
“Hey! Manderick! What’s with you?!”
“What happened? Even during yesterday’s evaluation!”
“How did you get that artifact!?”
“I’ll answer, so everyone be quiet.”
During yesterday’s first evaluation with the <Tearful Half-Gloves>,
Manderick jumped from the bottom of the class to the upper-middle rank.
Even that was tremendous growth, but to be in 3rd place today, even if it wasn’t a proper evaluation!
Even Manderick himself couldn’t understand it, let alone the other students.
More than that, the students who were worried about Manderick being depressed about being at the bottom were sincerely congratulating him on his growth and were curious.
“As the instructor said, my growth is thanks to this artifact.”
“Crazy…!!”
“If it’s a growth-related artifact, isn’t it super expensive? How did you buy it?”
“Idiot! You can’t use it inside the academy even if you bought it! So of course…!”
“Treasure hunt, right!? How did you find it?!”
“Of course I didn’t find it alone! I got help!”
The students, who were as energetic as Manderick, added their comments one by one.
As it was common with combat jobs, especially <Martial Artists>, who used their bodies the most intensely, were mostly proactive students in many ways.
Various answers poured out in response to Manderick’s words.
“As expected of Manderick! You’re so lucky!”
“Hey! If you had money, you should have paid back the money you borrowed from me first!”
“Manderick has money now? I knew it! It’s a party today!”
“Manderick’s treating us!”
“Manderick! Manderick! Manderick!”
“Absolutely not, you guys!”
Everyone was friendly with each other, without any outsiders or loners that usually appeared in classes.
Normally, it would be difficult for even Martial Artists with their simple personalities to become this close, but…
It was possible because of the experience in the entrance ceremony maze, the experience of cooperating as one and breaking down the common enemy (the maze walls).
No matter how poor their communication skills were, no matter how difficult it was to get close to someone,
If they brought up what happened during the entrance ceremony, anyone could have a friendly conversation!
“I didn’t buy information with money or anything, I went to a celebrity in our academy!”
“…A celebrity? Don’t tell me it’s the Billionaire?”
“Or royalty? The Saint? The Esper?”
“They’re all in the special class?”
“Of course the celebrities are in the special class.”
“It is the special class. There’s one person you haven’t mentioned yet.”
“…The Fortune Teller.”
At the answer that came from somewhere,
the students made an “ah” expression.
Other celebrities, the students in the special class, were a bit distant because they were from the top of society—
“Namgung Min!”
“You went to see Namgung Min?”
—But the Fortune Teller, Namgung Min, was a different story.
He was the protagonist of the entrance ceremony!
“That’s right. Didn’t Eileen say so? That fortune-telling shop Namgung Min opened, that he found this artifact through fortune-telling!”
“Is that… even possible?”
“Finding treasure through fortune-telling?”
“I also had my fortune told, and I was with Manderick when he found it, so it’s true!”
“Even Leila? That’s already two people.”
Leila dispelled the disbelief in Manderick’s words.
“Oh, I’ve heard of it. It was Namgung Min who first found the treasure.”
“Was that true!?”
The rumors circulating in the academy combined to increase their curiosity about Namgung Min’s fortune-telling.
Murmur murmur.
Although Eileen, the center of the class, had already talked about the fortune-telling shop, most of the students just took it as a joke.
They acknowledged Namgung Min’s leadership, but many felt burdened by the act of going to have their fortune told or considered it meaningless.
But today, a beneficiary of the fortune-telling, Manderick, appeared.
And on top of that, if it was an artifact, a treasure from the treasure hunt that was trending among students—
“I want to go! Where’s the fortune-telling shop!?”
“Shouldn’t we ask Eileen? Where did she go?”
“She left early after the punching machine test. She said she was going to see the Saint for treatment?”
“Then Manderick! You guide us!”
“Haha, don’t worry. I’ll take you all!”
“”””Waaaaaaaaah!!!””””
—Naturally, anyone would want to try it at least once.
Namgung Min was confident in his plan, but there were two things he overlooked.
“Everyone, let’s go! Follow me!”
“Let’s follow Manderick!”
“He’s a god! He’s a god!”
Firstly, that Manderick, who happened to find the artifact, was a student in the <Martial Artist> class, who were easily swayed by the atmosphere.
“Huh? Suzuka, aren’t you coming?”
“I don’t believe in fortune-telling or anything. I’ll just rest here.”
“What are you talking about! Guys! Grab Suzuka!”
“Huh, what!? Hey! You guys!”
“If we’re going, we’re going together! Let’s all go!!”
“Hey!!!”
Secondly, that the class happened to be one where everyone was close due to the experience in the entrance ceremony maze.
Just Manderick’s class alone had 50 students.
It was a number far exceeding Namgung Min’s expectation of ten people at most.
“Let’s tell the other classes too!”
“If we’re going to monopolize the artifacts, it should be us <Martial Artists>!”
“Hey! Everyone listen! Namgung Min’s treasure-hunting fortune-telling is super accurate!”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yeah? Should we try it?”
And the number was increasing in real time.
There were 4 <Martial Artist> classes in total, and considering that each class had about 50 students,
Without any exaggeration, almost 200 Martial Artists were flocking to the fortune-telling shop…!
“…Uh.”
And Leila, who was staying in her seat while watching her classmates going wild,
“The class… isn’t over yet?”
Since she had already had her fortune told, she, along with the other students who had their fortunes told, could maintain their composure.
“You guys!!! Where are you all going!!!!”
Naturally, they were all caught.