Shinka no Mi – Chapter 138

House of Divination

Done with my shift, I moved to the waiting room.

There I found Saria and Al taking a break as well.

「Ah, Seiichi! Good job out there~!」

「Yeah, you did great.」

I took off the mantle that I had on me and let a single sigh escape.

「Phew……………I’ll go die for a bit!」

「Hold on hold on hold on!」

As I said that and tried to jump out the window, Al stopped me with all of her power.

「Why’d you say something so outrageous with such a refreshing smile!?」

「Let me go, Al! It’s already hopeless… such a cringe line……. UGGAAAAHHH!!!! KILL MEEEEEE!!!!」

「Calm down, idiot! You’re not the only one bearing the shame here, me too! In fact, who can even kill you anyway!?」

「Good point!」

「Eh, you’re at that level!?」

Helen was wide-eyed as she heard the banter between me and Al.

DAMN IT AAAALLLLL! Even though I wanted to erase that shameful memory by ending my life! I didn’t think my body would hinder me in such a way….! Thank you very much for saving me all the time! But, can you just let me take the controls for a bit?

In fact, in the off-chance that I did die, how do I put it…. I feel like Heaven, Hell, and especially Netherworld-san would say 『Ah, please don’t come here』 to me and would just straight deny my death, leaving me to continue to live. Or rather, it is also the sad truth that I can no longer be surprised by that much. I-, I can still die from old age, right!? Please, I ask of you, as a single human!

Having calmed down a bit after Al held me back, I muttered wearily.

「Just who was it… the idiot who suggested doing a Cosplay Cafe…. I’ll kill him…」

「「「Seiichi」」」

「Gohuk!」

I punched my own face with all I had. Yeah, it was all my fault.

「Well, ain’t it fine. Umm… you were cool, you know…?」

「Yeah, yeah, you look so good, Seiichi!」

「Al…. Saria…」

And the two of them comforted the likes of me.

…Sure, there was no doubt that it was embarrassing as hell, but I was glad that the students that visited our cafe still smiled and enjoyed their time here.

It was also nice to see a new side, or rather, a new appearance of Saria and the girls…. At the end of the day, I was happy with the result.

After sighed for the second time, I put on a bitter smile.

「If you two said that to me, then I can’t say anything further…. thanks.」

「Yeah! Let’s do our best for the next shift!」

「Yosh, I’ll go die for a bit after all.」

Reminded that there were still works to do, I went to flee from the scene, only to be held down by Al and Saria.

◆◇◆

「Heeh…. The students sure do a lot of different programs, looking at them like this.」

「You’re right~. Ah, that looks delicious!」

After I somehow went through all my shifts, bearing unspeakable shame in the while, I was now looking around the school with Saria.

Al and the other girls were either looking around with different pairs or still not finished with their shifts.

I had never been able to properly enjoy a school festival during my middle school and high school on Earth, mostly because I was bullied, but once I looked around like this, I felt a festive energy different than ones at summer festivals and such.

The food the students sold was reasonably tasty.

Time to time, Saria and I stopped by a food stall to get some and continued our walk with food in hand, until we passed by a certain booth.

「House of Divination?」

「Heeh…. so they do fortune telling too.」

It was something for an Academy Festival after all, I wasn’t sure how serious they were with it. But, still, it sounded interesting. After all, I never had my fortune told back on Earth.

「While it is a special occasion anyway, let’s give it a try.」

「Yeah!」

The House of Divination that took one whole classroom for itself was dark inside, with the windows covered with black curtains and some violet light motes floating around.

「Aah, welcome to my House of Divination…. Please, take a seat.」

Prompted by a person dressed in a hooded robe so their face was unseen, Saria and I sat down in front of another person dressed in a robe more lavish than their peers.

There was a crystal sitting in front of that person, which I presume would be used for the divination.

「Thank you for coming. Now, what shall I divine for you? The affinity between you two? Your future? Or your essence?」

「Umm……」

It seemed like they could divine more than I expected, so I involuntarily fell into a thought.

Saria, then, raised her hand.

「Here! Then, please tell me the affinity between Seiichi and I!」

「Saria?」

「Ehehehe. I wonder how will it be? Ah, Seiichi, what will you have?」

Since Saria would have our affinity divined, I would give more thought into this.

「Hmm…. Then, the Essence? thing please.」

I understood what Affinity and Future meant to express, but I couldn’t put my finger on the Essence thingy, so I chose it.

「I understand…. I have received your order. If so, then I shall start with the missy and divine the affinity between you two….!」

Saying so, the lavish-robe person put both of their hands——not on the crystal, but on our heads.

「KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!!!」

「You’re not using the crystal!?」

「I’ve seen it!」

「And fast!?」

Ignoring my situational retort, the robed student opened their mouth in excitement.

「Your affinity is as high as can be! Or rather, I have never seen a pair with such a high affinity before! Your future together is stable and bright ahead! May you eternally explode, damn it!」

「That’s way too unreasonable!」

I can’t tell if you’re blessing us or cursing us with that!

However, being told that Saria and I had an excellent affinity was…. it makes me happy. No, it makes me super happy.

When I unconsciously shifted my gaze to Saria, she also looked at me, and showed a little smile shyly.

「Ehehe… we’re always going to be together, right!」

「…That’s right.」

No matter what happens, Saria and I will always be together.

Just by thinking that again made me glad to come here.

「Nn! Ahem, ahem! Can you please stop pulling your lovey dovey card here!?」

「Ah, I-, I’m sorry….」

I didn’t mean to be lovey-dovey, but… I understand, I’m reflecting on it.

「Well, fine enough…. Now, I shall look into the essence of the man.」

「P-, please do.」

The robed student this time didn’t even put their hand on my head, they just stared into my face. No, you really don’t use the crystal? It’s quite big, you know?

「I’ve seen it!」

「So you don’t use the crystal after all…」

「wait——HHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!?」

「Eh?」

The robed person that had been staring at my face made a startled expression then backed away with tremendous vigor.

「W-, what even are you!? You’re, like…. I don’t even know how to phrase it, you’re just absurd! It’s like every possibility in the name of 【Human】 is crammed inside a single vessel, and yet that vessel is deviating from the principle of this world…. Nay, not even that. You’re a single individual secluded from the other innumerable worlds and dimensions as an 【Individual】 of a  higher tier!? Aah, fuck! My vocab is too limited to explain! Or rather, who can even explain this!? What are you even expecting from some student’s booth for a freaking Academy Festival!?」

「F-, forgive me!?」

I didn’t know for sure, but I got scolded. No, really, I don’t know what happened.

Also, for someone who says it’s just something for the Academy Festival, aren’t you doing a surprisingly good divination?

「A-, at any rate! I can’t divine you any further! Or rather, nobody can! You at least need a True God……Hmmmm!? E-, even a True God can’t!?!? THEN WHAT THE HELL IS HE!!!!」

「「……」」

Looking at the hooded student grasping their head in frustration, Saria and I exchanged looks.

Staying here any further wouldn’t do anything good, so we paid for the divination and sneaked out together.