Chapter 300

Fortune-telling?

Of all things.

Seonghyun, who could see ghosts, knew that most fortune-tellers were frauds.

Hadn't Yoo Mina experienced that herself when she was younger?

And yet, she was suggesting it.

Just as Seonghyun was about to protest, Ahn Yoojin nodded with a look of subtle anticipation.

"Hmm, fortune-telling? I don't believe in it, but it sounds like fun."

What in the world?

For Seonghyun, who had known Ahn Yoojin since their school days, this was quite a surprise.

The somewhat rigid and serious Ahn Yoojin thought fortune-telling would be fun.

He was still surprised by this unexpected turn when Ahn Yubin spoke up.

“Fortune-telling sounds fun. Is there a place nearby?”

Even Ahn Yubin expressed interest.

Seeing this, Seonghyun kept his mouth shut.

“…”

If he were to object now, the momentum was already against him.

He decided it was better not to spoil the mood and just go along with it.

Yoo Mina shot Seonghyun a grin, as if she had won.

‘She knew all along…’

Still, he couldn't just declare it all a sham in front of people who wanted to do it for fun.

“I'm fine with it too.”

Seonghyun finally agreed.

He was even less enthusiastic about it since he could see ghosts himself.

But he supposed doing it once or twice for fun wouldn't hurt.

He had heard that women particularly enjoyed this sort of thing, and seeing it firsthand was a new experience.

Besides, some men were into it too, going to get their saju read.

While Seonghyun was lost in thought, the women were already huddled together, making plans.

“So, do you know a place?”

“Not really, I'll have to look one up. There are lots of saju cafes and places like that these days.”

“I'll look too.”

“I’ll search as well.”

Yoo Mina, Ahn Yoojin, and Ahn Yubin all joined forces to find a place.

Feeling awkward just sitting there, Seonghyun also took out his phone and started searching.

However, he had absolutely no interest in this sort of thing.

Even when searching, he had no idea what he was looking at and just browsed aimlessly.

Just then.

“Found one!”

“Where? Where?”

“Oh? I was just looking at that one too.”

Yoo Mina exclaimed first.

As she turned her phone to show the other two.

Ahn Yubin also replied that she was looking at the same place.

The destination seemed to be set.

It was located a short distance from their current location.

“It's a famous place for spirit-channeling, they say?”

“The reviews say it’s incredibly accurate.”

“They said it was on TV, too.”

The three of them huddled together, and Seonghyun watched them, amused.

Not long after they found the place, everyone stood up.

“Then I’ll pay here.”

“The guild master in action, I see.”

“I have the corporate card anyway. It’s basically treating guild members.”

With that bit of professional banter, Ahn Yoojin paid and they left.

They walked at a leisurely pace to aid digestion, and soon they arrived.

It said there was no need for reservations, but they worried about a long wait.

“There are fewer people than I thought.”

“Right?”

“I thought it would be packed. What a relief.”

“Hmm.”

The three were pleased, but Seonghyun tilted his head, wondering if a place with few customers could really be that accurate.

But there was no need to spoil the mood by pointing that out.

They waited, chatting amongst themselves.

Before long, it was their turn, and they were allowed inside.

The room had the atmosphere of a neatly arranged shrine.

The scene was familiar to Seonghyun from his experiences visiting various places as a child.

The other three, however, looked a bit tense, as if spooked.

As they entered, a middle-aged woman with a sharp impression and heavy makeup looked at them and asked,

“Hmm, a group of four, is that right?”

The shrine-like atmosphere, combined with her husky voice, created a rather convincing scene.

Seonghyun thought so too.

Behind the middle-aged woman, he could see a faint shape.

It was a translucent, blue-green soul.

However…

‘There are so many.’

There were an incredible number of souls.

Of course, it was quite common for people to have spirits attached to them.

The cultists he had seen before were like that, and Kim Chaegon had a guardian spirit, didn't he?

It was a fairly common occurrence, but this woman had the most Seonghyun had ever seen.

For now, he decided to ignore them.

The spirits began to chatter noisily.

- Hooo!!!

- It is the child we have only heard of in tales!!!

- They said he could see us!!!

- I-It must be true!

- Hmph, first time seeing this in my life!

- Crazy old hag, is this still your life?

- Ah, my afterlife! First time seeing this!

Seonghyun naturally frowned at the chaotic noise.

Still, seeing so many souls gathered, he wondered if she was the real deal.

Just then.

“Hmmmm, the man… is a precious one.”

“??????”

The moment she said that, Seonghyun looked at the middle-aged woman in surprise.

She smiled knowingly, as if it was all to be expected.

Could she have recognized him?

No, that can't be.

Just as Seonghyun thought that, the middle-aged woman spoke carefully.

“Hoho, my spiritual powers may have waned these days, but I can still sense when the spirits are in an uproar.”

“...Hm.”

“...Wow...”

At her words, Seonghyun looked at the woman in considerable surprise, as did Yoo Mina.

Wondering if she was genuinely gifted, the two of them stared.

Ahn Yoojin and Ahn Yubin, not knowing the full story, could only look back and forth between the woman and Seonghyun, bewildered.

They didn’t know the details, but it was already starting to feel very authentic.

“Now, now, please sit.”

At the middle-aged fortune teller's words, everyone sat down as if mesmerized.

Seonghyun watched the fortune teller with a hint of suspicion and slowly took a seat.

Then, Yoo Mina asked bluntly, without hesitation.

“Can you see ghosts, then?”

It was so direct.

Seonghyun looked at Yoo Mina in shock, and so did Ahn Yoojin and Ahn Yubin.

It could have been a very rude question, but the fortune teller just laughed heartily and replied.

“No one in this world can see spirits directly. One can only feel them.”

“Huh!?”

“Anyone who claims to see spirits with their own eyes is likely a fraud.”

Hearing this, both Seonghyun and Yoo Mina looked at the fortune teller, quite surprised.

As if to confirm whether this person was genuine, Yoo Mina glanced at Seonghyun.

Seonghyun gave a slight nod, as if to concede the point.

Ahn Yoojin and Ahn Yubin could only swallow hard.

Welcoming their reactions, the fortune teller muttered,

“No wonder I had so few customers today. It was a sign that a distinguished guest would arrive.”

“Wow… then we’d like to have our fortunes told…”

“Hmmmm, if that is the case, I will start in order, from this side.”

The first person chosen by the fortune teller was Ahn Yoojin, the one who had said she didn't believe in such things but thought it would be fun.

“M-me?! Ah, I understand.”

The fortune teller fixed her eyes on Ahn Yoojin.

“Hmmm.”

At the sound she made while staring, Ahn Yoojin shivered a little, as if frightened.

At that moment, Seonghyun could see it.

The spirits behind the fortune teller were laughing, chattering, and dancing.

- We get to read again. Let us see, let us see.

- We should help her.

- Heh heh, yes, we should.

- Even if our strength has waned, we can still help this much.

As they laughed and danced, a very faint trace of the energy that appeared when Seonghyun absorbed the memories and experiences of spirits drifted.

It flowed ever so slightly into the fortune teller.

Receiving that willfully sent energy, the fortune teller’s eyes flashed.

She looked at Ahn Yoojin.

“From what I see, your fate gives you little rest. Young lady, you have not been able to rest lately, and you came out today for the first time in a while, did you not?”

“Y-yes.”

“I see a position above many people. You are the type who does not trust others and does everything yourself. At that rate, you will collapse from overwork. Trust those around you and delegate. Your fortune with people is good. But your temperament will push you to overwork. Trust people, and things will go well.”

“Ah.”

She had been taking everything on alone because she had no one capable enough to trust.

The way the fortune teller pierced that point made Ahn Yoojin nod as if mesmerized.

The fortune teller then turned her head and fixed her eyes on Yoo Mina, who sat beside Yoojin.

Yoo Mina found it fascinating and smiled.

“I see a life born of the sword and lived by the sword. Your aura is tremendous. But I do not see a man.”

“Pardon?”

A sudden blunt strike.

Flustered, she asked again.

“Your aura is too sharp, so there is no man. Unless you are introduced by a noble person near you, there is no man in your fate. You are someone great who accomplishes big things, but that one point is a flaw.”

Yoo Mina’s expression crumpled.

Everything else sounded fine, but no man?

To say she would only find one through an introduction by a benefactor.

Still, sensing something uncanny in the reading, she nodded.

“You cannot soften your aura, so it is quicker to find a benefactor and receive an introduction.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Then the fortune teller snapped her gaze to the end of the row, at Ahn Yubin.

Tilting her head as if puzzled, she murmured,

“My, my. There is no one more ladylike than you, yet why do I see you shedding your clothes in your fate? What is more, it is when you bare yourself that your aura fully unfolds. How curious.”

“E-excuse me!?”

At the mention of undressing, Ahn Yubin jolted.

In truth, due to the nature of her class as a primal barbarian, the less she covered her body, the stronger she became.

The thought that this was truly uncanny rose in her mind, and her face flushed bright red.

“Hmmm. You seem to be supporting a man from behind, and you are doing well. That man will be a great blessing and a great benefactor to you. You should hold on tight.”

"Y-you want me to hold on tight?"

"Yes, it would be good to stay close, both professionally and personally. Besides, you'll have a lot of flies buzzing around, but just focus on that man."

"...Y-yes."

The atmosphere turned strange at those words.

Yoo Mina and Ahn Yoojin looked at Seonghyun with peculiar smiles.

Seonghyun, feeling a little embarrassed, cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

"..."

Ahn Yubin, blushing with embarrassment, ducked her head.

Finally, the fortune teller looked at Seonghyun.

As she tried to read him, the energy still lingered.

"The... the... precious one is..."

She struggled, looking quite troubled.

It was a stark contrast to the informal tone she had been using.

As the energy quickly faded, she managed to speak with difficulty.

"Ah... you are not yet... fully utilizing your abilities... Phew. This is as much as I can say. But you must have gotten the gist of it."

She spoke very politely and with great effort.

At her words, Seonghyun had a sudden realization.

"Ah."

He remembered what happened with the Sword Saint.

The time he couldn't obtain memories from a living soul.

As he recalled it, the fortune teller nodded as if to confirm.

It felt strange, but when Seonghyun nodded in understanding, she said,

"It is difficult to tell you how to utilize it further."

"I'll figure it out myself."

Ahn Yoojin and Ahn Yubin tilted their heads, confused by their conversation.

But Yoo Mina was rubbing her arms, which were covered in goosebumps.

This woman must be the real deal.

After everyone had their fortunes told.

"I'm exhausted, so I must stop here for today."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Thank you!"

"Wow, you're really amazing!"

"I'll... I'll come again."

As the four of them said their goodbyes, the fortune teller nodded and saw them off.

Watching them leave, the fortune teller, who seemed to have goosebumps herself, rubbed her arms and muttered,

"Wow, I've never seen anyone with such a powerful soul."