Ch.52Chapter 52. Fortune Tellers Don’t Know Their Own Future

Astrologer Irie Haven.

She, the last heir of the Haven clan who inherited the blood of the Destruction God, came to this empire to prevent the world’s destruction that he had foreseen.

And her purpose was something that couldn’t be confidently achieved even with the power to see the future.

Since even a foreseen future could change due to the whims of those who had reached the level of “Transcendent,” one shouldn’t consider the future fixed just because they’ve seen it once.

So checking her own future repeatedly was necessary to review the variables…

“Heu, heuuung~ Hyoseong-ssi~ Hyoseong-ssiiii~♥”

But why?

Despite experiencing many changes in the future since coming to this empire, why did this outcome alone consistently appear unchanged?

“Huhu, you were so shy at first, but now you’ve completely become a bitch.”

“Heuuung~ To think I didn’t know something this good until now~ I’ve missed out on half my life~~♥♥♥”

It was beyond embarrassing—it was sickening.

While it was disconcerting that she would become like this in the distant future, she never imagined that the man who had shown such an unaffected demeanor before her would become such a frivolous person.

“F-for now, don’t worry about it. Right now…”

Of course, the idea of them becoming involved only applied if nothing was done about it.

Since knowing the future meant it could be changed, there was still a possibility of altering the future at this point, before that time arrived.

“Yes, let’s calm down first and organize the situation a bit more.”

*Swoosh*

Irie waved her hand over the crystal ball, trying to organize everything that had happened so far.

Responding to her will, the first information that appeared was about a demon who was both a close associate of the Demon Lord and had served the Demon Lord’s army the longest.

‘The Mad Jester Mephisto… I never imagined the Destruction God would guide Hyoseong-ssi to her.’

Although it was difficult to grasp precisely since she hadn’t encountered her directly, if she had recognized the subject through prophecy, she could vaguely understand fundamental information such as origin and race.

And by reading the past of the woman who appeared in the prophecy, Irie could understand why the Destruction God had seen the possibility of his survival in her.

Someone who didn’t even have affection for her own kind might create a variable in the garrison area invaded by demons, potentially overcoming the situation.

‘But after Hyoseong-ssi survived as such a variable, why did Mephisto disappear from the future where he should have been entangled with him…? How come?’

It made no sense that one of the Four Heavenly Kings would submit to a mere otherworlder, but the fact that a once-determined future had changed again made Irie wary.

A changed future meant the intervention of a Transcendent, and their impulsive whims could act as variables that even prophets should be cautious of.

‘Someone of Mephisto’s caliber could certainly change the future on a whim… but what if another being intervened instead?’

She had witnessed such whims several times in recent days.

That’s why Irie couldn’t blindly confirm the future she had seen, and constantly checked what changes might occur in her future at every hour.

Ever since Mephisto disappeared, there had been no change—just the future where she alone shamelessly moved her hips under him…

“It feels so good, more, please do it harder~~~♥”

“Ugh… urgh.”

Irie involuntarily covered her face at the sight.

After taking a deep breath to calm herself, she turned her reddened face toward the crystal ball and ruminated on her frustration.

‘If I could properly understand the process, I might grasp why this result occurred, but coincidentally, it’s not easy to adjust and view the space between the present and the observed future.’

Foreseeing the future is like aiming at a target with a ball in hand.

You can simply throw with little force at a target right in front of you, or throw with full power at a target on the opposite wall, but to get the ball into a hole in between, you need to throw it in a parabolic arc.

Anyone who feels the need for precision and power control would understand that grasping the process in detail is more difficult than knowing the cause and effect.

‘Yes, the future is ultimately a destination and a result built from the foundation, so if we change the present that serves as the starting point, the future will also change significantly.’

So before worrying about the future, first think about and decide how to accept the present.

Recalling this teaching of her clan once more, Irie regained her mental focus and again channeled her power into the crystal ball.

She realized that the decisive moment for moving toward the future, which she had been mindful of all along, had approached right before her.

“It’s almost… time, isn’t it?”

The timing was today, about 30 minutes from now.

It would begin when he came to thank her, recognizing her tent as she was preparing to sleep rough after settling down here for the day.

In the process, she would learn about his worries, and then they would enter a pub to drink and talk about various things while consulting about his concerns.

At the end, she and he, both drunk, would stumble into an inn room, and then be swept away by the atmosphere.

“Irie-ssi, w-wait… T-this kind of thing should be done more carefully…”

“It’s okaaay~ I’ve seen this kind of thing a lot, so I can do it well~♡”

Pushing him down on the bed despite his hesitation, then kissing him, undressing him, and proceeding to the act.

Though she didn’t know the detailed process, there was no doubt that the relationship formed at this time would directly lead to her “corruption” in the distant future.

And that she herself, drunk, had initiated the entire process.

“…To think the cause was with me all along.”

How futile is that?

How that innocent young man changed in such a way, and how she, who had no connection to such things, transformed because of a single mishandled drinking session.

‘But in a way, it might be fortunate that it’s like this. At least I’ve confirmed that I didn’t abandon my mission and cause trouble.’

As Irie tried to make sense of the situation, she began to ponder the content of the imminent future.

‘So, what should I do now? The most certain thing would be to distance myself from Hyoseong-ssi, but…’

No, that would be too extreme a choice.

Although he was just a body called a Foreign Laborer with little to offer, there were already two Transcendents entangled with him, and for some reason, one of them had been observed as possibly submitting to him.

If that was the result, even without knowing the process, it meant he was born with an extraordinary fate.

Then, if not the hero she was looking for, he might still provide influence comparable to one.

‘Yes, so rather than distancing myself here, I should build at least some friendship to create opportunities to intervene in his circumstances…’

*CRACK!*

“…Huh?”

A sharp noise interrupted her just before reaching a conclusion.

Following that, as the entire screen distorted, bewilderment began to bloom on Irie’s face.

“W-what on earth is this…!”

Irie frantically channeled power into the crystal ball in confusion.

This meant something was wrong with her power to observe the future, but for some reason, no matter how much power she put in, the screen showed no signs of recovery.

This situation continued unchanged even after about 30 long minutes.

‘This is troubling. If I can’t properly communicate with Him when I don’t know what’s going to happen next…!’

Feeling urgent, Irie quickly left the tent with her crystal ball and headed out to the street.

Perhaps the movement of the stars had been disrupted, causing this issue, so she thought she should divine in a place with a better view of the sky.

“Irie-ssi!”

A familiar voice reached her at that moment.

Unable to ignore it, Irie stopped in her tracks and quickly turned toward the source of the sound.

What she saw was a man staring at her, breathing heavily as if he had been running through the streets.

“Hyo-Hyoseong-ssi…?”

She realized belatedly.

While she had been in confusion earlier, the time of the prophecy had already been moved forward.

“…Irie-ssi.”

But if nothing urgent was happening right now, she couldn’t just distance herself from him.

So for now, she would join him assuming the future she had seen, then go to the pub to talk and observe the situation.

Of course, she would drink juice instead of alcohol, and after taking him to an inn room when he passed out drunk, she would slip away alone.

“I have something I want to say.”

As she was making plans on how to handle the immediate situation.

Soon, he looked at her straight in the eyes and voiced the determination he had been rehearsing.

“Please have sex with me!!!”

“Yes, se… Excuse me?”

*Thud*

Her body froze, and she felt her mind going blank.

As she blinked her wide-open eyes, his face began to descend dramatically.

*THUD!!!*

A thunderous sound that couldn’t possibly be just knees hitting the ground.

Having created such an impact, he further pressed his head to the ground and shouted with all his might.

“Please have sex with me just once!!!!!!”

“WHAAAA!”

A gust of wind swept through the alley at that moment.

Along with it, the force that struck her face made Irie’s body stiffen as she was intimidated by the intensity.

“…Eh?”

As her breathing stiffened and her vision trembled.

Still unable to grasp what was happening, she took a moment to recall what the man bowing his head before her had said.

‘Please have sex with me.’

Yes, that’s definitely what he said.

Not swept away by the atmosphere, but directly by his own will.

“W-what did you just say……”

‘Have sex with me!’

“S-se……..”

‘Sex!! SEEEEX!!!’

“E-eh, eh, eh?”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH!?!?!??!?”

A scream erupted as she belatedly understood everything.

But even though she understood it intellectually, Irie, unable to accept it emotionally, frantically waved her arms in bewilderment.

The current situation was beyond unexpected—it was something she couldn’t even have imagined unfolding before her.

“W-what are you saying! Hyoseong-ssi! S-suddenly, what is this……”

“It’s my life’s greatest wish!!”

So she thought she might be dreaming, but he only drove his head into the ground again, trying to emphasize his request.

And the powerful aura she felt could never be created by an illusion like a dream.

“Just once, once is enough. Please spend just one night with me!”

“Ah, uaah…!”

“Please, I beg you! Please!!!”

“Waa, waaaaa!!!”

Irie Haven clutched her face with both hands, not knowing what to do.

Yet the other’s head showed no sign of lifting from its place.

As if he wouldn’t move until she gave a proper answer, he kept his head bowed in that spot.

“N-no, no, no way! Clearly we’re supposed to go drinking together here, so why is Hyoseong-ssi directly saying such things…!”

Yes, the man she knew would never act like this.

Based on what she had felt after reading his past and gathering whatever information was available about him.

Having built up such trust in him, it wasn’t difficult for Irie to understand what state he had fallen into at this moment.

‘This ominous magical power I feel from Hyoseong-ssi right now… T-that’s it. He’s under the enchantment of a vampire!’

And not just any vampire.

A vampire of the so-called “True Ancestor” class, who boasts tremendous power and impulsive actions that even the Destruction God dares not predict, has appeared before him and intervened in his fate.

‘A declining dragon, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord’s army, and now a True Ancestor… Just how many Transcendents are you entangled with?!’

While feeling resentful toward him, Irie realized he wasn’t acting of his own volition and couldn’t blame him as she met his eyes as he slightly raised his head.

They were eyes showing resolute determination.

Clearly being manipulated by a vampire somewhere, and his face flushed red as if drunk.

“Irie-ssi. Please give me an answer.”

Yet the root of his current action.

As if to show that it was accompanied by his own heart.

“Can you, have a relationship with me?”

Yes, he wasn’t forcing her.

Even in his unsound state, he was considering her at this moment, leaving the choice to her.

‘Ah, n-no, but still… He’s not, normal.’

And Irie realized.

The reason the future became unclear at this moment was because the variable created by this True Ancestor-class vampire was targeting none other than herself.

Since the ways to change the future are the whims of Transcendents and the actions of those who know the future, the future would be determined by how she answered right now.

‘I should refuse…’

And the answer she should give was obvious.

Considering the mission she shouldered, forming relationships with others was something to be decided cautiously.

‘I should, refuse, but…’

Yet why couldn’t her mouth readily form the words?

Given that she had a mission, and now knowing that they had only formed a relationship because she was drunk.

It would be natural to distance herself for now and carefully maintain the relationship going forward.

*Thump, thump*

Why on earth?

Though he was someone she couldn’t forget since their first meeting.

Because she couldn’t forget him, she checked the future involving him at every moment, and even when not prophesying, she only imagined what kind of relationship they would lead—why couldn’t she easily refuse this absurd proposal from such a person?

“…Y-yes.”

Such confusion ultimately distorted even her judgment for deliberation.

And as her sense of self was lost, her lips gradually parted, and her inner thoughts faintly, precariously leaked out.

“I-I’m, inadequate… but… I’ll… do my best…”

Perhaps it was an answer that could only be uttered when unable to judge rationally.

An answer that might be called her true feelings.