Feeling the electric, buzzing atmosphere swirling around him, a surge of hidden, smug satisfaction coursed through Victor. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, betraying his internal glee. This was way too easy.
"Of course, there is a way..." he began, his voice smooth as silk.
He tilted his head slightly, catching the light in his eyes. "Yukinoshita Haruno, you wouldn't want your precious little sister to get hurt, now would you?"
The young man's eyebrows arched slightly, that calm, collected smile seemingly permanently etched onto his face. It was elegant, mysterious, the curve of his lips perfectly shaped, almost unnervingly so. It was the kind of smile that felt like it could rip through storm clouds, letting golden sunlight flood in – warm, self-assured, and utterly confident.
At first glance, it felt as if his mere presence sucked all the color and attention from the surroundings, focusing everything onto him.
Yukinoshita Haruno's heart gave a distinct jolting thud.
That effortless cultivation, that unshakable confidence, that natural aristocratic air that screamed 'I have everything under control, peasant'...
She pursed her lips, her gaze flickering, becoming even more certain of Victor's identity, or at least, his status.
Someone who exuded such refined elegance in every single movement, who spoke with such extraordinary grace and pinpoint accuracy about her deepest secrets... This wasn't some street-corner hack. This level of polish could only be cultivated through long, deep immersion in high society, or perhaps something... more.
A master. This man was definitely a master, a genuine article hiding amongst the fakes!
"Please, Master, help me. Save my sister," Haruno suddenly bowed her head, her posture shifting from guarded skepticism to respectful deference. Her tone was earnest, actively lowering her stance. "The reward will certainly not be small. Anything you ask."
She couldn't afford to gamble. Not when the stakes were this high. Whether the "bloody disaster" this mysterious 'Hagoromo Master' spoke of was real or just elaborate bullshit didn't matter. The potential victim was Yukino, her most beloved sister, the fragile doll she had felt compelled to protect since childhood...
Since this man could spew out details no one should know, things she barely admitted to herself, there was a terrifyingly high chance he actually did have a solution.
As for the reward? The price?
Their Yukinoshita family was practically royalty in Chiba Prefecture, the local powerhouse, the unofficial "Emperor Emeritus" presiding over six million residents. Money wasn't an object. If they were willing, what sum couldn't they afford?
Beside her, Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes were wide with bewilderment, completely lost as to what the hell her usually unflappable sister was imagining, or why she was suddenly kowtowing to this bizarre, robe-wearing stranger.
The surroundings were now packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Even the rival fortune-tellers in the park had abandoned their posts, watching Victor's performance with a potent cocktail of envy, jealousy, and grudging admiration, trying to learn his tricks. After Haruno's dramatic 180-degree shift in attitude, the remaining skeptics in the crowd sighed, shrugged, and became even more convinced of Victor's legitimacy. He'd just publicly mind-fucked one of the most powerful young women in Chiba into submission!
[Divine Authority Gems +0.15, Divine Authority Gems +0.23, Divine Authority Gems +0.09, Divine Authority Gems +0.11...]
The gems were practically raining down now. Fuck yes.
"Allow me to introduce myself properly first," Victor said, flashing another charming smile. He savored the visible emotional turmoil playing across the faces of the two beautiful sisters before him, and spoke freely, weaving a tapestry of bullshit based on his past life's obsessions.
"My name is Victor. I'm 22 years old. I currently reside in the area northeast of Fuyuki City – you know, the place where those unfortunate gas leaks happen so frequently? Tragic, really." He paused for effect. "I'm single, and quite keen on traveling. My friends... well, they tend to call me things like 'Grand Caster'."
He leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm quite skilled in the Five Great Magics, you see. Fortune-telling like this? It's merely one minor application of my abilities, I suppose. A parlor trick, really."
He waved a dismissive hand. "Miss Yukino's little problem? Honestly, it isn't a difficult one for me to resolve."
"Miss Haruno," he continued, his smile turning positively cheerful, "for the sake of us hitting it off so well, let's just say... 100,000 Yen will be fine~."
As a veteran FGO player, casually fabricating an identity steeped in Type-Moon lore felt disturbingly natural. It sounded impressive as hell, even if ninety-nine percent of the people here wouldn't understand a single reference. Grand Caster? Five Magics? Fuyuki City? Perfect, unverifiable mystic bullshit.
The reason he dared to confidently claim he could solve Yukino's "bloody disaster" was because he'd already consulted the [Void]. A quick check revealed it only required 0.55 Divine Authority Gems to enchant a simple item, imbue it with a minor luck buff, and effectively offset whatever negative karmic bullshit was heading Yukino's way.
Using easily obtained Divine Authority Gem fragments, harvested from bamboozled anime characters, to exchange for the cold, hard Japanese Yen he desperately needed for food, clothing, and shelter?
Fucking cost-effective! Genius, even!
Then, under the expectant, almost breathless gaze of the surrounding crowd, Victor's lips curved slightly upwards in a relaxed, confident arc. He casually reached his fair, elegant right hand into the deep pocket of his ridiculously expensive robe... and immediately pulled out a beautiful, glittering ruby necklace.
This was actually a cheap piece of costume jewelry he'd bought online back in his old world, specifically for the purpose of trying to pick up girls at conventions. Its appearance, therefore, was naturally designed to be eye-catching and impressive-looking, despite its negligible actual value.
[Ding! Carrier 'Ordinary Ruby Necklace' confirmed. Building Mythological Element — "Favor of the Goddess of Fortune". Grants the wearer Luck +2. Estimated cost: 0.55 Divine Authority Gems fragments...]
Confirm.
[Ding! Mythological Element successfully built!]
...
"A ruby necklace?" Among the onlookers, a striking girl dressed head-to-toe in a black gothic lolita outfit couldn't help but voice her skepticism aloud. "Can something like this really resolve Miss Yukino's bloody disaster?"
Miss Gokou Ruri, aka "Kuroneko," was a seasoned, terminal case of chuunibyou. Her knowledge of supernatural lore, occult practices, and fictional magic systems from various countries (mostly anime and light novels) was encyclopedic. She was also, ironically, a regular customer of the park's various charlatans, often seeking readings and fortune-telling, mostly for the aesthetic and the thrill. This was precisely why she felt Victor, despite his impressive cold reading skills, wasn't entirely reliable when it came to actual magical solutions.
In all the folklore, the legends, the damn light novels she'd devoured, protagonists facing misfortune or curses always met enlightened masters who bestowed powerful, traditional artifacts. High monks gave blessed Buddhist relics, wise Taoists offered potent talismans inscribed with ancient characters, devout missionaries provided silver crucifixes consecrated with holy water...
She had never heard of anyone warding off a "bloody disaster" by giving the victim a fucking gemstone necklace! It sounded less like ancient magic and more like something you'd see on a shady late-night shopping channel.
Was this just another new, flashy type of scam targeting the rich and desperate?
The young man, Victor, merely smiled casually at her interruption, seemingly unfazed, and held the ruby necklace out towards Haruno.
"Mr. Victor, this is...?" Haruno looked at the necklace, initially with some confusion. It looked nice, sure, but... how was this supposed to help? Then, her pupils suddenly contracted violently, her face flooding with utter shock.
Under the bright afternoon sunlight filtering through the park trees, a vibrant, almost blindingly bright red light suddenly pulsed from within the ruby.
Gurgle, gurgle...
Like water reaching a rolling boil, countless tiny, incandescent bubbles suddenly appeared inside the gemstone, swirling and churning frantically. The intense red light emanating from the ruby became even more dazzling, forcing several onlookers to shield their eyes.
This impossible scene startled everyone. Men and women, young and old, believers and skeptics alike, all watched with bated breath, tension hanging thick in the air.
After a few moments that stretched into an eternity, the tiny bubbles became incredibly dense, coating the entire surface of the ruby.
Then, Victor's fair, unblemished hand suddenly released the ruby necklace. But instead of falling, supported by the impossible buoyancy of the churning internal bubbles, the dazzling red gemstone floated serenely in mid-air. People were left utterly dumbfounded, staring slack-jawed in shock at the undeniable miracle unfolding before their very eyes.
Was this magic? An elaborate illusion? Some kind of bizarre, localized psychic phenomenon? Or... was this guy actually wielding superpowers?!
Whatever it was, people were deeply, irrevocably captivated by the floating ruby necklace.
The thumb-sized ruby transformed before their eyes, shifting from a pretty but inert stone into something vivid, dazzling, and pulsating with otherworldly light. At that moment, the countless tiny bubbles clinging to its surface began to burst, releasing fine strands of shimmering, red mist that rose upwards, seemingly coalescing into some kind of intricate pattern above the floating gem.
Just then, some idiot in the crowd tried to squeeze forward for a closer look, jostling others and inadvertently shifting the angle of the sunlight hitting the spectacle.
In that instant. Whoosh!
A wisp of cloud-like mist materialized, swirling rapidly. Then, ethereal ocean currents surged into existence, churning and swirling in the air directly above the floating ruby.
Holy fucking SHIT!!
"It must be a hallucination! I'm seeing things!" Gokou Ruri gasped, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, then snapping them open again.
It was still there. The floating ruby. The swirling mist-ocean.
Not a hallucination?! Impossible!
Just then, the red light within the ruby pulsed strongly, and the gemstone itself slowly began to rotate clockwise in mid-air.
Simultaneously, a lifelike, almost holographic image solidified within the swirling currents, appearing before everyone in stunning detail.
Within the ethereal ocean, a magnificent and impossibly grand ship appeared, sails billowing with unseen wind. It was being carried forward, or perhaps pulled, by countless tiny figures – men and women, young and old, resembling ants from this perspective. They represented all sentient beings, struggling to navigate the treacherous sea of suffering in the mundane world.
And standing proudly on the deck of this metaphysical giant ship, leaning casually against the main sail...
A breathtakingly beautiful goddess appeared. Her hands hung loosely at her sides, her eyes closed as if lost in deep contemplation or serene slumber.
Who is it?!
Who could that possibly be!
Everyone's hearts pounded with a mixture of awe, excitement, and a primal sort of fear.
In the next instant, as if sensing their collective gaze, the beautiful goddess opened her eyes. They shone with an ancient wisdom and a gentle amusement. And then, she suddenly revealed a captivating, soul-stirring smile.
"Ah!!"
A girl in the crowd instinctively let out a sharp cry of pure astonishment. Everyone around widened their eyes, utterly transfixed.
Snap—.
Just like that, the image shattered like fragile glass. The swirling ocean currents dissipated. The strands of magnificent red light retracted, drilling back into the ruby necklace in an instant.
The divine item concealed its power once more, becoming dull and lusterless, just an ordinary (if pretty) gemstone again.
Without the impossible buoyancy of the internal bubbles, the now-ordinary ruby necklace immediately fell from mid-air.
Haruno jolted as if shocked by electricity, her reflexes kicking in. She lunged forward, snatching the necklace out of the air just before it hit the ground. Only then did she let out a shaky sigh of relief, clutching the warm gemstone tightly in her hand.
This thing... whatever it was, whatever he was... it could very well be priceless! A genuine artifact!
Thank him! She had to sincerely, profusely thank Mr. Victor!
Haruno's mind raced with gratitude and lingering shock. But then she noticed the dozens of eyes around her, pressing closer, their gazes fixed not on her, but on the necklace clutched tightly in her hand, filled with a dangerous mixture of fascination, awe, and naked greed. This instantly startled Haruno out of her stupor. With frantic haste, she shoved the necklace deep into the pocket of her skirt, hiding it from view.
After securing the treasure, the young lady finally let out another shaky breath, her heart still pounding.
If this peerless, miracle-working treasure were stolen right after she received it, she would have nowhere to cry. She'd probably have to hunt the thief down herself.
The surrounding bystanders looked profoundly regretful, like children who'd had their favorite toy snatched away.
Damn it, why couldn't he let us look a little longer?! That goddess was hot!
If we looked longer, would it explode or something?! What a tease!