ALL NOVEL Chapter 18 - How This Fortune Teller Becomes Famous (6)
Chapter 18
How This Fortune Teller Becomes Famous (6)
『 Translator – Divinity 』
The correct answer, the correct answer.
Princess Kim Eun-ha frowned, feeling a shock that made her head spin.
What answer did he want? Did he want her to admit it herself?
…Frustratingly, she couldn’t deny that the initiative had already shifted to that Fortune Teller.
“It’s intentional.”
“Intentional… you say?”
“You wouldn’t say this card was drawn by chance.”
So she had no choice but to confront him head-on.
The
Naturally, this Fortune Teller’s intention must have been involved. Whether it was sleight of hand or actual fortune-telling, the result was clear.
Major Arcana number 8,
It was as if it was directly talking about the secret that bound her.
That’s why she had to act even stronger.
“What do you want?”
“……….”
“What do you want in exchange for keeping that answer, that secret you know, to yourself for the rest of your life?”
Kim Eun-ha boldly threw a blank check. At the unexpected response, even the Fortune Teller seemed a bit flustered, tilting his head with a questioning look on his smiling face.
She felt a sense of exhilaration at having landed a blow on his relaxed attitude, but more than that, it was a reaction stemming from her having taken a step back.
‘There’s no need to stir up trouble.’
She wasn’t a fool. This was an opportunity.
What if that Fortune Teller revealed the secret, the answer, to other countries or the media? Although they could somehow cover it up, it would cause a headache for a while and require significant concessions on a national level.
Naturally, she and the imperial family didn’t want that. If possible, it was much cheaper to just give him what he wanted and silence him.
“Money? I can give you trillions, not just billions.”
“Fame? The imperial family will support you. We’ll make you the most famous Fortune Teller in the world, not just in the Unified Korean Empire.”
“Women? I’ll bring you all sorts of beauties. If there’s a woman you can’t reach, I’ll help you reach her, and if you want to completely break her, I’ll cooperate.”
“So tell me.”
What do you want?
A sharp and dignified gaze was directed at the Fortune Teller. Although she was clearly in a subordinate position, she had somehow regained control of the conversation.
This Fortune Teller approached her with a secret, wanting something in return. And the princess had the power to give him anything he desired.
She was the princess of the Unified Korean Empire, someone who stood above others, not someone who begged for mercy from below.
Even when cornered, Kim Eun-ha would always be dignified.
Namgung Min’s smile deepened as he looked at her.
“There’s only one thing I want.”
“Tell me.”
“I want you to help me.”
“So, what exactly do you want me to help you with?”
No, before that, she had to contact the imperial family.
She had to quickly summon the
“What else? Didn’t I tell you earlier?”
“…Excuse me?”
“We have to break down the walls. That’s why I said I need Your Highness’s power.”
“……….”
—What, what is this?
Is he mocking me? Is he saying this level of deal isn’t enough? Is he threatening me to be more submissive?
…Or.
Is it really that? Not money, fame, women, or anything else.
Just that?
“…I don’t like jokes in this situation.”
“Oh, it’s my fault if you took it as a joke. Ahem, then let me say it again.”
Suddenly, Kim Eun-ha realized.
This Fortune Teller… from the moment they first met until now, he hadn’t shown any expression other than a smile.
When he gave a playful greeting. When he threatened her. When she offered him conditions. And even now, as he opened his mouth again.
All she could see was a smile.
‘…Then what’s the difference between that and being expressionless?’
For a very brief moment,
Kim Eun-ha felt… scared of this Fortune Teller.
“I need Your Highness’s power.”
The hand offered with a smile.
“Let’s break down the walls together with everyone and escape!”
That even brighter smile and seemingly energetic words.
“………….”
Because she couldn’t understand his intentions at all.
That’s why she…
***
Crash! Bang! Booom!!!
“Break through! Break through it somehow!”
“Magicians! Are the spells not ready yet?!”
“There’s too much debris here!”
“Somehow, break it downnn!!!”
‘Damn it.’
Liu Yan, while scattering all sorts of consumables from her pockets, hurriedly looked up at the sky.
The current time was 11:59. Less than 1 minute remained.
Only one wall remained. Through the cracks in the shaking and crumbling wall, the outside of the maze was visible.
“Damn it! Just hurry up and eat this!”
“Th-thank you! Miss Liu Yan!”
“Shut up and just run after you eat!”
The question of why she was being so proactive had long since vanished from her mind.
This was a deal, and she had agreed to cooperate with Namgung Min in exchange for hearing his secret.
‘That’s all!’
What did it mean to her if all the students desperately worked towards one goal?
This couldn’t succeed anyway. Even that Fortune Teller said so…
“Everyone, fall back! The magic is ready…!”
“It’s Mr. Lucas’s order! Everyone, get away from the wall!”
“Everyone, fall backkk!!!”
Lucas, leading the Magicians, squeezed out his mana and completed the spell despite his trembling hands. The Magicians behind him weren’t much different.
Dozens of magic circles appeared in the air in an instant.
And dozens of spells, proportional to the number of magic circles, poured down.
Crash!! Boom!!!
“Everyone, get out of the way!!”
“M-Miss Rain…!”
Rain Arthur, who had stopped the debris from the collapsing wall in mid-air with her telekinesis, threw them back at the wall.
She quickly moved with teleportation, used telepathy to make the students fall back, and hurled all sorts of things with her telekinesis.
As Liu was absentmindedly thinking that maybe this girl, who was an all-rounder, was the real protagonist here,
“Everyone, charge! Even if you get hit by those fragments, you’ll only faint for a while!”
“F-follow Sasaki! Those with physical jobs, throw your bodies at it! Non-combat jobs, throw rocks!!”
“1 minute! 1 minute left!! We can’t stop here!!”
Students with swords, students with hammers, students with bare fists, even students without combat jobs.
They all charged towards the wall.
“We will!! Escapeeee!!!”
“…Indeed.”
Wait, what did I just say? Liu, startled, covered her mouth.
Did I just empathize with them? Those guys? Without any suspicion?
Liu stared blankly ahead.
That Fortune Teller had said it would be difficult to reach the end, but…
…Little by little, the last wall was crumbling.
“Did we do it?!”
“Who was the bastard who just said that?!”
“Did it collapse?!”
“That’s not what I meant by rephrasing!”
“Please just break!!!”
“It’s so damn sturdy!”
But the last wall was still there.
Despite being bombarded with all sorts of magic, physical attacks, weapons, and impacts, despite being cracked and crumbling in places, it wouldn’t break.
“Da…mn it!”
The Magician, who had joined to monitor the Fortune Teller but was now pouring out magic in earnest, fell to his knees.
“Gasp… gasp…”
The Esper, who had overexerted herself to the point where she couldn’t squeeze out any more job skills, was gasping for breath.
“…Damn it.”
“Ah, seriously!”
“It… won’t break…”
The Swordsman and the others, battered and bruised from the debris and fragments, collapsed.
“…………”
And the Billionaire, who was watching the whole scene alone,
“…Where is he?”
Unconsciously, she clenched her fists in frustration.
Thinking of a certain Fortune Teller who ran off somewhere and didn’t return.
“Did he run away?!”
She knew deep down that he wasn’t that kind of person. But he wasn’t here right now, was he?
Liu poured out her resentment. She started to doubt the Fortune Teller.
Just like how despair felt greater after tasting hope,
She, who had briefly escaped the mental illness of suspicion, was once again consumed by it. More intensely, more deeply–
“That damn Fortune Teller bastard! He was planning this from the beginning, he gathered everyone with this intention!”
“Gathered everyone, what?”
“Abandon everyone and… run away…”
“Who? Me?”
—Just before she could lose herself, a Fortune Teller stopped her.
“Huh… ah?”
“I’m back, Miss Liu. We don’t have much time, so I’ll explain later!”
With that usual smile, Namgung Min passed by her.
And Liu could only watch Namgung Min’s retreating figure.
“Everyone! You’ve all worked so hard, we were able to come this far thanks to you!”
“N-Namgung Min!?”
“It’s the Fortune Teller! The Fortune Teller is back!”
“Hey! You started this, so come up with something! There’s not even 20 seconds left, let alone 1 minute!”
“Haha, don’t worry. I brought the solution!”
…Solution?
The moment the students heard Namgung Min’s voice and unconsciously muttered that strange name,
A shadow leaped over Namgung Min, who was reaching out towards the wall.
“Go! Princess Punch! Princess Punch!”
“Don’t call me that…!”
The wall that the Magician, the Esper, the Billionaire, and hundreds of students couldn’t break.
Towards that still sturdy wall, a fist was swung.
And the moment that delicate and slender arm collided with the wall.
Booooooooooooom!!!
“I-it’s… breaking?”
“The w-wall! The wall is breaking!!”
“Who is that! Who is that?!”
“…Didn’t the Fortune Teller say ‘Princess Punch’?”
“…The Princess? You mean Princess Kim Eun-ha?”
The wall, which had been unyielding no matter what they did, was blown away like a cracker.
Having experienced firsthand how sturdy that damn wall was, the sight was even more surreal.
In a way, you could say it was anticlimactic.
But what the students felt was completely different.
“I-it’s broken!!!!”
“It’s gone! It flew away like paper!!”
“Princess Punch! Princess Punch! Princess Punch!”
“Her Highness the Princess is a god!”
Because the last wall was that sturdy, enduring all sorts of attacks,
The students’ despair only grew.
It was only natural for them to be enthusiastic about the princess, who had blown away all those negative emotions with a single blow, in such a refreshing manner.
“There’s no time to celebrate! Everyone, let’s get out of here!!”
“Th-that’s right! We don’t have time!”
“Everyone, run! Squeeze out the last of your stamina!!”
“Those who still have energy, let’s take those who can’t move with us!!”
“Magicians, take care of the Magicians too!”
However, it was too early to feel joy. At Namgung Min’s words, the students came to their senses and hurriedly started moving.
These were students who had worked together for a whole hour, facing the common enemy of the walls. There were many who didn’t just leave on their own, but also took those who had collapsed or were exhausted with them.
Had some kind of camaraderie formed?
Lucas was led away by the hands of other Magicians, and the collapsed Rain was carried away by the students in her faction.
And Liu,
“…Did you bring the princess?”
“Exactly. Who could be better than Her Highness in this situation?”
“Ha, haha. Normally, no one would even think of that, you bastard. Bringing the princess to break down walls? You crazy bastard…”
Liu, who had been laughing hollowly at Namgung Min’s confident words, looked at him with suspicious eyes.
“What did you do?”
“Yes?”
“The Princess Kim Eun-ha I know would never help with something like this out of goodwill. She’s someone who firmly believes in give and take.”
“………….”
“You must have paid a price, right? What is it?”
“Ahem, no comment on that…”
Right, she knew this Fortune Teller would say that. There’s no way he would tell her so easily.
But.
Having been played by that smile several times, she wanted to make that smile falter at least once, no matter what.
“I’ll help you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“The price you paid to the princess, I’ll pay it.”
Liu, who nonchalantly dusted off the dirt on her clothes as if it were nothing, looked up at Namgung Min.
No matter how much it was, it was pocket change to Liu. If she didn’t want to pay, she would hide it and deceive him like she did with the fortune-telling fee last time, but if she decided to pay, even if it was hundreds of billions, trillions, or even tens of trillions, she would just pay it.
It wasn’t a big expense compared to her total assets anyway, and it was an amount she could earn back just by playing the stock market for a bit.
If she could deal a blow to Namgung Min’s smug smile with that, it was a definite win.
That’s why she said that, and…
“Uh, hmm.”
For the first time, Liu Yan saw Namgung Min’s flustered expression.
“Why? Are you flustered because I’m not the type to say something like this?”
“Ah, n-no. That’s…”
“But what are you going to do about it? I’m doing as I please, what can you do?”
“R-really? No way…”
Namgung Min was a top suspect. Both his competence and personality were enough to threaten Liu Yan herself.
So this was also an intentional approach.
She couldn’t leave it to other suspicious people. The information she gathered herself was the most reliable.
…And, Liu Yan finally felt like she understood Namgung Min a little.
Not the sentences on the report from the background check,
But the ‘real’ Namgung Min.
“You… are surprisingly weak to this kind of thing, huh?”
“N-no, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. I can see your eyes darting around, you bastard. Why, should I erase the debt you have to pay back this time too?”
“Why are you doing this to me?!”
Liu Yan smiled brightly.
It was a sly smile she had seen somewhere before.
———-
TL/N: Happy New Year everyone~ May this new year bring you health, happiness, and success in all you do!
1extra chapter today- Have fun reading!