Prophecy Fulfilled
I stared at the giant tent in front of me.
Bright banners, flashy decorations.
And most notably... a huge sign at the entrance.
Moon Garden of Luna, the Great Oracle of Lavista.
Uncover Your Destiny Today!
Uh... isn't that sign a little too on the nose?
Aren't prophecies supposed to be... I don't know, mysterious and cryptic?
No, this kind of thing needs bold marketing if you want word of mouth to spread.
Just like the loan shark said, dragging things out won't solve anything.
And waiting for her to strike it rich at the casino? Not an option for sane people.
If Luna is going to get her life together, she needs to experience earning money the honest way.
All the preparations are done.
Now there's only one thing left to worry about.
Luna, just... checking, but...
You can actually see the future, right?
How dare you question me like that!
I'm not bragging, but even my master couldn't keep up with my prophetic skills.
This isn't training. It's raw, transcendent talent!
You've never really witnessed my miraculous gifts firsthand, have you?
I did once. And I caught a cold because of it...
Th-that day doesn't count!
The sky was overcast and the humidity was all wrong!
Are prophecies seriously affected by humidity?
Whatever!
I may not like using my divine powers for something as crude as making money...
But since we've already set the stage, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give you a taste of the real deal.
Bring them all in!
Today, I shall pull back the veil and reveal the other side of fate!
And with that dramatic declaration, her very first customer stepped inside.
Next!
Uh, h-hi... I was wondering if you could tell me about my love life?
I'm planning to move soon. Could you tell me a good day for it?
I have a few business ideas. Could you check if they'll succeed?
Much to my surprise... Luna's prophecies—I mean, her fortunes—were a massive hit.
Unlike her usual roundabout way of talking, she kept her answers sharp and to the point.
She even nailed details the clients hadn't mentioned.
It was like watching a speed chess master in action.
If it's about that redhead next door, forget it. No chance.
Wha—how did you know that?!
Your daughter's got asthma, right?
Don't bother. Cancel the move. That neighborhood's basically a bedbug colony.
Th-that's...! That realtor tricked me!
Nope. Zero business luck. Scrap them all.
You've got more money than sense. Why bother with something so tedious?
Ex-excuse me?! You clearly know nothing about business!
I mean, sure, there's no guarantee any of it's actually true.
But with how confidently she delivered it all, most people just nodded and walked away impressed.
Even the skeptics couldn't bring themselves to argue.
And as her reputation climbed, so did the mountain of coins in her tip jar.
Honestly, I couldn't help but be impressed.
...
Was I the only one struck with this strange feeling?
Something about Luna's fortunes felt a little... off.
Next!
All done. No more visitors for the day.
Yeah?
*Sigh...* That was exhausting.
Still, you really crushed it.
Haha. So, you do admit my prophetic powers now, huh?
If you want to apologize, I'll accept it.
As an inheritor of the Moon Staff, I must show magnanimity after all.
Just for today, I let Luna gloat.
She earned it, honestly.
Many of your fortunes today were unsettling. But Some may have avoided misfortune.
...
It just felt a little strange, that's all. Not bad, anyway.
Maybe those people avoided some serious misfortune thanks to Luna.
Hmm... I doubt it.
Huh? What do you mean?
I meant what I said.
What I see is the future.
Not a possibility, but the actual future. Set in stone.
It doesn't change just because I said something.
I don't really get it...
Haha. First time's always confusing.
Want to see for yourself?
Taking my hand, Luna pulled me along and headed somewhere.
The redhead next door? Yeah... got rejected.
I mean, I heard what she said, but... I still wanted to try, you know?
I really thought a lot about it, but I'm moving.
The deal's already halfway done. Sold the old place, down payment's made... Too much to lose if I back out now.
You think that kind of amateur prophecy could kill my ambition?!
I've got Plan C, D, and E ready to launch.
Huh...?!
See that?
This is why it's no fun...
That's what seeing the future's all about.
B-but isn't that a bit too hasty to say?
It must be that people simply didn't believe Luna's words.
I'm pretty sure they all had their reasons.
You can't say the future can't change just from that.
Oh? Is that what you think?
Okay, how about this.
You want to know why I never tried making money honestly until now?
I mean... because you're addicted to gambling?
Th-that's a fact I can't deny!
But... it's because it's all pointless anyway.
What do you mean?
Toot!
Just as I tried to talk about it, a loud whistle pierced the air. And the town guards came rushing over.
Town Guard here. We received a report and...
Oh, it's you, Journey Captain?!
Annah...? What are you doing here?
Like I said, we got a report.
Would you happen to be running an unregistered stall in the central plaza?
Unregistered stall?
Right.
Now that I thought about it, we never actually got permission to set up that tent.
But I mean... does that even need a permit?
There were tons of other stalls out there.
I really want to say it doesn't matter if it's you Captain... but...
Everyone else went through the paperwork. It'd be kind of hard to justify special treatment, even for you.
So... what now?
Hmm, let's see. Since there's no priors, the Observation Council will probably just issue a warning.
But sadly! We will have to confiscate your proceeds!
H-How much...?
Well...
Obviously... all of them?
And just like that, today's earnings... confiscated. Every last coin.
Of course, they also took the tent and every single prop we set up in the plaza.
...I told you, didn't I?
It's all pointless.
THAT. IS. WHY—
The only thing that truly matters in life...
is a pair of dice you can't predict!
So how about it, Captain? Care to try a casino together?
I'll teach you the baby-level games first...
...No.
Hmm?
Maybe fate does exist. Maybe it is hard to change.
But... a world where our efforts mean nothing...
That's not a world I'm willing to accept.
I'll prove it!
Huh...?!
Even if you say it's all pointless...
We just slipped up this time.
I'm sure that a future where Luna earns her reward through honest work exists.
It's waiting for us, just beyond the horizon.