Before long, the next day had arrived.
The spring sunshine was warm and gentle, streaming through the dormitory window and casting cozy patches of light across the wooden floor.
Linmu Fujimiya had an Alpenliebe original-flavor lollipop in his mouth, and wore the same lazy, still-half-asleep expression as ever.
With both hands, he carried the neatly packed bag of fortune-telling equipment from the day before, and ambled unhurriedly toward the plaza where the clubs were recruiting.
He wasn't setting up shop today because he was short on points. His account held a cool million, enough to keep him spending freely for a long time.
It was mainly to keep the "Divination Immortal" name going. A reputation was like rowing upstream: if you didn't move forward, you fell behind.
The crowds during the clubs' recruitment drive at the start of the school year made this the perfect time to keep building his following and strengthen his reputation.
If he took advantage of the buzz to make himself more visible, then even if he later only set up shop whenever he felt like it, working sporadically, he wouldn't have to worry about people who came seeking him out—and their points.
A steady trickle meant points he could earn while lounging around, making his laid-back life even more comfortable and worry-free.
He reached his usual spot from yesterday, a relatively quiet corner at the edge of the plaza—though it wouldn't stay quiet for long.
Lin Mu set down the bag without even having to bend much.
His fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly, and Psychokinesis sprang into action, like a pair of nimble, invisible hands.
There came a series of soft, orderly pops and clicks. The folding tent's frame sprang out, then swiftly unfolded and locked into place.
The little folding table opened smoothly, all four legs settling firmly on the ground.
The elegant velvet box holding the Tarot Cards and the Crystal Ball, along with its black velvet base, floated out of the bag on its own and landed precisely on the dark cloth covering the tabletop.
Even the small blackboard that read, "Tarot Card Reading—100,000 points per session; Crystal Ball Clairvoyance—150,000 points per session.
No bargaining. Pay first, then get your reading," floated up and stood steadily at the very front of the stall, where everyone passing by could see it at a glance.
The entire process was smooth and effortless. In just over ten seconds, a professional-looking and mysterious fortune-telling stall was ready, as if invisible servants had set it up for him.
Only then did Lin Mu slowly sit down on his little stool and settle into the most comfortable position, his legs resting casually as the lollipop stick in his mouth swayed gently with his breathing.
He still had that ultimate slacker look: if he could sit, he wouldn't stand; if he could lie down, he wouldn't sit.
However, the stall didn't stay quiet for long.
Yesterday's vivid example of Sato Yuta arriving with a long face and leaving beaming had already made an impression.
Then several second- and third-year students had come for readings and praised the startlingly accurate predictions, packed with precise details. His reputation had spread quickly, like ink dropped into clear water.
The first-years who had hesitated yesterday because of their limited points seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement today. With another day gone by, they were also more familiar with the campus and more confident about spending, so they gathered around one after another.
(So you know the cafeteria has free salad and you won't starve, but you still spend like emperors at the start of the month and eat dirt by the end?)
Quite a few students had also come all the way from the dormitories and teaching buildings after hearing about him, including plenty of upperclassmen.
In no time, the once-empty space in front of the stall was packed shoulder to shoulder, a churning sea of heads filled with constant chatter.
The buzz was even bigger than yesterday's. The stall had become one of the most eye-catching attractions at the Club Recruitment Plaza.
"It really is here! That white-haired fortune-teller!"
"I heard he's super accurate! He can even figure out what color the person you have a crush on likes!" (What kind of creepy stuff did that god-tier senior ask about?)
"Seriously? A hundred thousand points for one reading? That's so expensive..."
"There's a reason it costs so much! Yesterday, a senior from the Economics Department got a reading about her group assignment. He even got right who in the group would slack off and who'd end up arguing!" (What kind of weird gossip is this, bro?)
"Get in line! Stop pushing!"
Lin Mu leaned back on his little stool, paying no attention to the commotion around him as the lollipop rolled around in his mouth.
Naturally, he accepted anyone who came to do business, but his attitude remained unchanged. He followed the same standardized routine—draw cards or choose the Crystal Ball, interpret the reading, collect payment—and never wasted a word on small talk, let alone tried to sell anyone on it.
Every now and then, a wealthy third-year senior girl—perhaps troubled by love—would grit her teeth and choose the more expensive Crystal Ball clairvoyance.
Lin Mu accepted the payment all the same. He would stare at the Crystal Ball for a moment, putting on an act, then deliver a few "predictions" that were just as accurate. (What a rip-off! How's that any different from Tarot Cards? There is a difference, bro. This way you can keep your hands free.)
Using Psychokinesis, he subtly controlled the order of every Tarot Card drawn, ensuring the spread matched key glimpses of the customer's future that he'd picked up through precognition.
He then combined that with the customer's tiny shifts in expression and tone as they asked their question, as well as the surface-level anxiety or hopes he picked up through telepathy.
Just a few words were often enough to hit the mark, sometimes even bringing up details no one else knew and the customer hadn't mentioned themselves.
Everyone whose fortune he read looked shocked, then broke into expressions of astonishment and belief. Most left excitedly sharing their incredible experience with the people still waiting in line.
The name "Divination Immortal" spread through the club recruitment area and across every year group like wildfire.
Even students in the second and third years who had no interest in fortune-telling had heard about the amazing white-haired first-year from Class D.
Naturally, there were occasional doubters. Some thought the price was outrageous; others simply didn't believe in the supernatural.
Lin Mu couldn't even be bothered to raise an eyelid, much less waste his breath arguing.
The customers whose predictions had come true would clear his name for him. Some even shared "proof" of how closely the readings matched what had actually happened.
After a few times, the skepticism quickly died down, replaced by an even stronger curiosity and desire to give it a try.
The line in front of the stall grew longer and longer, winding like a snake.
Business was so booming that the club stalls nearby, which had been relying on performances and trial activities to draw a crowd, seemed deserted by comparison.
The people running those clubs could only watch Lin Mu's bustling stall with envy and sigh to themselves.
Lin Mu mechanically repeated the same routine, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the points balance steadily climbing on his terminal screen.
His expression remained blank, but in his mind he was calculating the day's "hours worked" and "hourly wage," figuring he could probably wrap up soon and go back to catch up on sleep.
Just as he was interpreting a Tarot Card reading for a nervous-looking third-year senior, who wanted to know whether she'd pass an important qualification exam,
a faint, unusual rustling arose from the edge of the crowd, different from the usual commotion in the line.
The noisy chatter seemed to be cut off by an invisible hand and quieted down. A subtle hush spread through the crowd like ripples.
Two figures walked slowly through the crowd, which parted automatically to let them through, and approached the stall.
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