Doggone Academy

Chapter 126 The Phantom of the Guardian Tree (5)

Sion was arguing with an old man who had laid out a mat to sit on.

Just a moments inattention and shes latched on to someone difficult. I can well imagine the tribulations her mentor must face.

Were out to enjoy ourselves, cant we just have a good time without making a scene? Theres no need to get worked up.

I quickly approached and intervened between the two.

Whats going on?

Sion, clenching her fist, just glowered at the old man without offering me any real explanation.

The elder, recognizing me as part of her group, chuckled in resignation and spoke up.

Lad, I gave her a light bit of advice based on her remarkable fortune, and she flew off the handle. Tsk, tsk.

What advice was that?

One doesnt expect much from a street fortune teller. Its a problem when people utter nonsense, but another when you pick up every word thrown your way and pocket it as if its yours.

He said that she would do better if she distanced herself from her master.

I turned to Sion.

Did you pay him to tell your fortune?

No, I dont believe in that sort of thing.

Then Well take our leave now. My apologies for the disturbance, elder.

I was ready to brush it off since no money had exchanged hands, but Sion persisted.

No, I want to know what basis he had for such ludicrous claims.

If you dont give me a straight answer, there will be consequences.

The old man stroked his beard with an incredulous laugh. His hair was sparse, like weeds on a barren field, and one of his eyes was white as if blind. His limbs were as thin as that of an ascetic monk on a hunger strike.

His appearance was undeniably that of a homeless man. Here, it looked like Sion was troubling someone less fortunate.

Slapping his palm against the mat, the elder spoke up.

Nay, you have to pay up for that! Thinking you can freeload fortune-telling from me, eh? What, am I supposed to starve?

Sure, its naturally upsetting to hear that distancing yourself from a Swordmaster mentor would lead to better outcomes But its a common sales tactic, isnt it? Why take the bait so easily?

Elder, how long have you been fortune-telling?

Ive made my living off this trade here in Rigveds square for thirty years. Im not like those con artists claiming to be prophets. I tell the bad fortunes as they are, without sugar-coating. So, I may not have made much money, but Ive earned a reputation. Ask the shop owners around here, theyll recognize me.

It feels like Im listening to a drunkard lamenting his life.

I see. Could you tell me on what you base your fortunes?

Constellations. Its always the constellations. I was once a priest at the Altar of Stars. Human fates are moved by the power of stars. Cards, bones, drawings, dice, all lies spun by swindlers.

Sion challenged his credentials.

Nonsense. Theres no such place as the Altar of Stars.

I myself had never heard of such a place. Sure, it might exist somewhere, but it didnt sound all that impressive.

But really, its a waste of energy to scrutinize the credentials of a street fortune teller.

How much do you charge to read a fortune?

Used to be one silver coin, but for today its a special price, just five copper coins.

Not even gold, and thats practically the price of three or four potatoesnot a bad deal.

I reached into my pocket, fumbling for money. Sion regarded this with disapproval.

Why would you invest money in nonsense?

Im curious. Whyd you say what you did?

Raised in luxury, so you dont know the value of money, I see.

Arent you curious too? Sit down.

No, Im not. I was just suspicious of how he knew about my master.

Naturally. Being an Eternia student, he probably took a stab in the dark.

I crouched before the old man, but Sion, too proud to relent, stood with her arms folded.

With no chance to hear a reading from Galliar, the Prophet of Earth who had stirred up Rigved with his astrology, my impromptu plan went bust, and I wasnt much bothered. Hearing from a skilled fortune teller isnt necessarily a good thingwhat if the news was bad? Theres nothing more unpleasant than that.

Theres a silver lining to shams. If the fortunes good, I can leave feeling cheerful. If its bad, just brush it off as a swindlers talk.

I put the five copper coins on the mat and added one more, saying to the man,

Could you tell us the story that my friend here is curious about? Please, only good stories, elder.

Ha! That friend of yours patient and smart, the total opposite of you found themselves a partner fiery and impatient.

I quickly corrected him.

Were not in that kind of relationship.

Sion gritted her teeth. Is the old coot doing this to get a rise out of her?

The unabashed confidence with which he spat out his wrong answer left me secretly amused.

Whether thats true or not, whats your friends birthday?

I glanced up at Sion.

Out of pride or caution, Sion refused to speak, standing firm.

The fortune teller lamented.

Tsk, how will you ever aspire to great things with such a closed heart?

Lets get this over with.

Reluctantly, she spoke up.

July 7th.

Is what it is.

Lets have a look-see. Mmm-hmm.

The fortune teller shifted a sizable glass jar from behind him, half-filled with water.

He scooped up a handful of pebbles etched with runes and tossed them into the jar.

Akra, Maha Subakum.

As he recited what seemed like a hastily made-up spell, a few of the sunken pebbles rose to the surface. Then, two stones stuck together at the center of the jar, spinning around on the waters surface.

Look here. Your friends master is a grand star. Grand stars exert a strong pull, attracting everything around them. Youre a little star, drawn into orbit around that force.

But you have the fate to become as grand as your master. Tiny stars maintain balance due to their weak gravitation, but when two grand stars come close, the celestial order falls apart, and theyre bound to collide. Whatll happen then? Everything smashed to pieces, leaving nothing but dust and smoke. Thats the main reason you need to leave your masters side.

Had Sion mentioned her Swordmaster first? The fortune sounded plausible enough.

Sion denied the reading.

I dont believe it.

Even if not now, the time will come when you must.

She still looked dubious. I could understand that. If someone told me I had to leave Silveryn, Id be terribly upset.

Sion is the renowned top student in all of Eternia, so the fortune could be spun from rumors. You cant blindly trust it. Take it for amusements sake and leave it at that.

The old man didnt stop there; he started marketing to me.

Ah, shouldnt you have a reading too? If one of a couple comes and only one gets a reading, the luck shifts to just one side.

Were not a couple. And Im fine, thank you.

I stood up, dusting myself off.

Oh, come on. Have a reading, will you?

He extended three fingers in a showy gesture.

You, Ill read for three coins. Its practically on the house.

Im quite content with life as it is.

But then he raised his voice suddenly, reaching out to grab me.

Hey! No, forget two, forget one! Ill just do it for free. Sit down, quickly!

You dont need to bother.

Im the one whos curious, sit down, Ill just do it for free.

Why is he doing this all of a sudden? Offering a free reading out of nowhereits too suspicious.

Maybe its understandable for Sion due to her fame, but why me?

I quickly checked if my mask was in place by feeling my face. Being masked, theres no connection to Silveryn.

Perhaps its another sales tactic. Pretending to be duped, I took a seat again.

Your birthday, if you please.

Is that necessary?

Its helpful to know.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

December 1st.

Lets see

The fortune teller lifted all the pebbles out of the jar, cleared the water, waited for it to settle, and threw the stones in again.

They sank like any ordinary pebbles, lifelessly hitting the bottom.

Strange. Somethings off. Are you sure thats your real birthday? Youre trying to trick me, arent you?

You didnt recite the spell.

The spell doesnt matter, you brat! Daring to test me like this!

The truth is, its August 4th.

Well then, let me have a look

Once more he cast the stones, but like before, they lifelessly sank to the bottom.

Oh, dear

He didnt scold me for lying. Instead, the street soothsayer astutely touched on the truth.

Thats not it either. You were an orphan, werent you?

Suddenly, my heart felt as if weighted down.

I fell silent for a moment.

Without countering, I maintained my silence, and Sion, standing beside me, widened her eyes in surprise, as if asking if that was true.

Why wouldnt I have a birthday? Anyone born upon this earth has one. However, orphans with no knowledge of their parents would have no way of knowing theirs.

Even if they knew, how could orphans celebrate the day their life began?

Thus, for those of us raised at the Acates Temple, birthdays did not exist. It was the same for me. I erased it from my mind, never celebrated it.

We only gathered together on the day we were baptized, offering prayers to the goddess Acates. That was our birthday.

I didnt expect the soothsayer to hit on the mark. Had I invented a birthday, hed have provided a suitably tailored response.

His tone shifted in an instant from that of a belligerent drunkard to a solemn high priest.

Its alright not to know your birthday. Instead, you must cast the stones yourself.

He fished the pebbles from the jar and handed them to me. They felt surprisingly heavy, like chunks of iron.

Do I throw them into the jar?

Give it a try.

I tossed the stones into the jar.

Unlike before, the stones did not sink but floated in the water, each at a fixed point as if forming constellations.

The old mans brow furrowed deeply.

Sion, previously standing upright, sank into a crouch beside me, her curiosity piqued.

Gazing silently at the jar, he finally spoke.

I cannot see your fate.

Do you need to know my birthday?

It doesnt matter. I just cant see it. Some parts of the divine will cant be understood by humans.

Then what does this mean?

What could it mean with the stones floating aimlessly in the jar?

The old man looked down into the jar with a vacant gaze. His eyes werent fixed on the stones but rather seemed to be watching something invisible.

This represents your past. The constellations of the living foretell the future, while those of the dead recount the past. Youre much like someone whos passed away.

.

The wrinkles on his forehead deepened. He was silent for a while before speaking up.

There is painful history in your life. Youve lost something precious, as vital as life itself. Therefore

I dont need to listen.

I reached into the jar to disturb the floating pebbles. Yet the elder continued unabated.

You live in the past. Your heart is filled with rage at not being able to protect anything.

Enough. I dont want to hear this.

No, you really must listen to this.

My hand moved toward my wooden sword, prepared to silence him by force if needed.

Before I could draw my weapon, Sion grabbed my arm, halting me. She sensed my dangerous mood. I looked into her eyes, widened as if reflecting the full moon.

Sion was the one calming me down, a reversal since I had come to soothe her.

The old man resumed.

Youll keep fighting. If only to grasp at mirages, to protect the ghosts of the past. It is your curse and your beacon. A lone guide flaming brightly in the emptiness of your fate.

The surroundings fell eerily silent. Actually, the square was bustling, but I couldnt perceive any of it as noise.

My mind was in a vacuum.