Outside the capital city of Richter.
Near the Royal Library, there’s a corner that, despite being in a European-style town, boasts a distinctly Japanese aesthetic.
A unique gate made of intertwined red pillars, flanked by stone lion statues. Decaying stone steps and gravel spread across the ground. And behind it all, a black-haired girl in a mysterious white and red mixed traditional outfit smiles… Frankly, it’s just a shrine.
I sometimes wonder about the place of shrines in the religious landscape of this country, but there was a young man who visited such a place every day. His target was the fortune slips sold at the shrine, which held a mysterious power. Well, I can’t entirely deny that he was also drawn to the shrine maiden who handed out the fortunes, but officially, his objective was the fortune slips.
As he climbed the stone steps that day, the familiar shrine appeared before him. Even though the height difference was only slight, this space always seemed to be enveloped in a clear, pure atmosphere. Or perhaps, since the vicinity of this shrine had a weak HP and MP recovery effect, that feeling wasn’t entirely without basis.
“Ah, good morning!”
As he entertained these thoughts, the black-haired girl, who was sweeping the grounds, noticed him and called out. Honestly, no matter how much time passed, trash and dust never accumulated in the shrine grounds, so the sweeping was pointless. But that wasn’t the point. At her bright smile, which even felt pure, his cheeks naturally relaxed.
He once had a woman he had pledged to marry. They had parted due to a certain incident, but this cheerful shrine maiden bore a resemblance to his departed woman.
“Are you here for a fortune slip today too?”
The girl asked, and he nodded with a slightly nervous expression, taking out a Crystal filled with Elements. “Yes. Please give me a good one.”
“Heh, I wonder. That’s for the gods to decide,” the shrine maiden replied with a playful smile. Even though he knew this was one of her pre-programmed conversational patterns, he couldn’t help but feel his heart race.
“Then, please draw one.”
Whether she knew his inner thoughts or not, the shrine maiden offered him a cylindrical container filled with numbered slips for the fortunes with an innocent smile. He took it without hesitation.
The reason he visited this shrine daily was partly for the shrine maiden’s smile, but the other half was a genuine expectation of the fortune slips’ effects. The effects of the fortune slips weren’t that significant. Even the highest-ranking “Great Blessing” only provided a 20% bonus to the Elements obtained from Monsters for 24 hours. “Blessing” gave a 10% bonus, while “Curse” or “Great Curse” would negatively affect Element acquisition by 10% or 20% respectively.
So, is it purely a matter of luck whether you gain or lose? Not exactly. The fortune slips cost 100E each, and you could draw them as many times as you wanted. If a new effect appeared, the previous one would be overwritten. This meant that even if you drew a “Curse,” drawing a “Blessing” a few times afterwards would only apply the “Blessing” effect. 100E was not a burden for him at the moment, and the draw probabilities were reasonable. Besides the common “Great Blessing,” “Blessing,” “Curse,” and “Great Curse,” there were also quirky ones like “Minor Blessing,” “Small Blessing,” “Late Blessing,” “Worst Blessing,” “Greatest Blessing Ever,” and pun-based ones like “Lucky Fortune” and “Peach Blossom Curse.” However, with about 20 draws, costing 2000E, you could almost certainly draw a “Great Blessing.” In essence, as long as you didn’t mind the time and effort, the fortune slips here were a slightly advantageous event that guaranteed no loss.
In fact, upon hearing that the shrine’s mysterious power, the magical power that created the fortune slip effects, was generated by consuming Elements (which were also currency), he worried if their management was sustainable at such reasonable prices. When he directly asked about it, she replied, “Indeed, the more fortune slips we sell, the more we lose… Oh, but it’s okay! This is just between us, but we attract customers with the fortune slips and make a proper profit elsewhere! So, it’s no problem at all… Ah, this, please don’t tell anyone else!” And it was her flustered expression at that moment that captivated him and made him a regular at this shrine.
“—Then, I’ll draw.”
Having been a daily visitor, he was quite skilled. After shaking the container to produce a brisk rattling sound, he forcefully flicked his hand, making a wooden slip with a number written on it jump out.
“Huh…?”
The usual fortune slip, the usual action. But the number that emerged, unlike usual, made him frown.
“…Six hundred and sixty-six?”
He was sure the fortune slips only had two-digit numbers. He tilted his head slightly, but before he could, the shrine maiden moved.
“Number 666 is this one.”
She handed him the fortune slip, which felt the same as usual. Feeling a sense of foreboding, he slowly opened the paper and looked inside.
**666 – Fortune: Utterly Worst**
*Waiting person: Won’t come and will be blocked.
*Lost item: You’ll lose other things while looking for it.
*Gambling: A miracle if you win.
*Wish: Unfulfilled in astonishing ways.
*Travel: You can peacefully depart to the sky.
*Health: You’ll die from a slight step.
*Illness: You’ll die from a slight bubble bath.
*Studies: The more you strive, the more you forget.
*Love: Know your limits.
*Marriage proposal: You’ll receive wonderful blessings, so you should definitely accept.
“…”
He was speechless at the sheer awfulness of its contents. He had been visiting for dozens of days, but he had never experienced such a terrible outcome. When he hurriedly checked his status screen to see what happened to his Element acquisition, “Utterly Worst Luck (Element Acquisition -80%, Worst Fortune Slip Luck)” had been added to his status effects.
“This is truly the worst…” he muttered. But the good thing about these fortune slips was that you could redraw them. Without hesitation, he handed 100E to the shrine maiden and redrew the fortune slip.
…However.
“Eh? …Six hundred, sixty, six?”
The number written on the slip he drew again was the same as before.
“On-once more!”
A nightmarish coincidence. But it was still fine as long as he could redraw. Believing that this time it would be a normal one, he reached into the container for numbered slips again. But no matter how many times he tried,
“Again, six hundred and sixty-six…”
Only the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip appeared. After drawing over ten times, he suddenly realized. “Could it be that ‘Worst Fortune Slip Luck’ they mentioned earlier…?” When he first saw it, he thought it was a meaningless phrase, jokingly referring to drawing the “Utterly Worst” fortune. But if it was something that would worsen his future fortune slip draws…
“Um…”
Just as despair began to set in, a helping hand was extended. The shrine maiden, with a concerned expression, gently took his hand and said encouragingly,
“How about tomorrow! Can’t you come back to redraw it tomorrow?”
“…Ah, right.”
Flustered, he had forgotten something important. The effects of the fortune slips lasted for 24 hours. If he didn’t frantically redraw them now, enduring it for one day would end the “Utterly Worst” state, and his Element acquisition and fortune slip draws would return to normal. For a moment, he considered resetting to avoid this hassle, but he had already verified that resetting wouldn’t change the outcome of the fortune slip. If he had to draw the “Utterly Worst” eventually, it was better to get it over with sooner.
“Thank you. Then, I’ll come back tomorrow at this time.”
“Yes! I’ll be waiting!”
He had almost wasted money and time uselessly. With a renewed sense of deep gratitude towards the innocently smiling shrine maiden, he left the shrine.
And the next day.
He was seen energetically climbing the stone steps towards the shrine. The adventure on the day he drew the “Utterly Worst” fortune had surprisingly gone smoothly. Indeed, the money he earned from monsters was significantly less than usual, but he could endure it thinking it was only for one day. After clearing two quests, he saved his game, stayed at an inn, and visited the shrine at the time he had drawn the fortune slip yesterday.
“Ah, good morning! Are you here for a fortune slip again today?”
Hearing her energetic voice respond, “Yes. Please give me a good one,” he returned his usual words. And then, “Heh, I wonder. That’s also a matter of the person’s luck,” he felt a slight oddness at her words, but drew the fortune slip for the time being—
“…Eh?”
He froze at the word “Six hundred and sixty-six” written on it.
(What is this…?)
He frantically checked the time. It was correct. It had been 24 hours since he last drew a fortune slip.
“O-once more!”
Even though he half-realized it was futile, his hand reached for the container. But the result was abysmal. It was like a replay of yesterday’s nightmare. No matter how many times he drew, no matter how many times he repeated the action, the container only spat out the number 666.
(This is strange. Even if the effect of the second draw onwards was due to “Utterly Worst Luck,” why did I draw the “Utterly Worst” on my first draw this morning? As of this morning, 24 hours had passed, and the “Utterly Worst Luck” effect should have worn off… No, could it be!?)
When he checked his status, the three words “Utterly Worst Luck” were still there. Moreover, upon closer inspection, there was no remaining duration, which was supposed to be present for all time-limited effects. The absence of this indication meant…
—Could this be a permanent effect?!
It was a complete oversight. He had assumed that since other fortune slip effects lasted 24 hours, the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip’s effect would also wear off in 24 hours. Furthermore, though not intentional, the shrine maiden’s words, “Can’t you come back to redraw it tomorrow?” reinforced this assumption.
(What do I do? What should I do?)
If it were before he saved his game yesterday, he could have dealt with it. He could have simply reset and never drawn a fortune slip again. But he had already saved his game the previous evening. The fact that he had drawn the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip could no longer be undone. He had no idea what to do. Would he have to continue his adventures with a permanent 80% reduction in Element acquisition? If so…
“—Um,”
But to his despair, a helping hand was extended once more. When he looked up, the shrine maiden was gently reaching out to him.
“Misfortune is also a type of misfortune. If you wish, shall I perform a purification ritual for you?”
As she tilted her head, he saw her face as if she were a true deity at that moment.
(As I thought, the gods haven’t abandoned me!)
As if seeing a Buddha in hell, he gripped her soft hand with a desperation that felt like clinging on. He bowed his head deeply.
“Please!”
Then, she said with a smile so pure that one would think it belonged to an angel in this world:
“Thank you! Purification is 1 million E per session!!”
—At that moment, his angel transformed into a demon.
“…And that’s what happened,” I said as we walked towards the shrine. Mitsuki, walking beside me, twitched her cat ears in displeasure, and Maki wore a troubled expression. Currently, my companions are these two, Mitsuki and Maki. Layla and Serie remained to guard the Sphinx, and Sahzan was missing. Ringo and Ena tried to come along, but as we left the library, Ena dropped out with a mysterious message, “Nyu, nyuukanryō…” (a mumbled sound that might mean “entry fee” or “exhaustion”). Ringo dropped out on the way here for a shonen manga protagonist-esque reason: helping an old lady who had collapsed on the road. Mitsuki, one of the remaining precious companions, opened her mouth, her cat ears bristling with indignation.
“That’s completely unethical business practice, isn’t it? So, what happened to you… I mean, to him?”
“Well, me at the time… or rather, my acquaintance couldn’t possibly prepare 1 million E right away… apparently. He managed to scrape together the money over several weeks by earning quest rewards and selling items, and then he paid 1 million E for the purification… that’s what he said.”
I understand now. Lure them in with something cheap and effective, then swindle them out of a large sum once they trust you. It’s a classic scam. It was the lowest trick, using the “Greatest Blessing” fortune slip as bait and then the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip and purification ritual as a combo to extort money. A game called “Cat Ear Cat” should never offer purely beneficial events, yet I made such a blunder. As I lamented my youthful mistake, Maki peeked out from behind Mitsuki.
“Hey, more importantly… I’m curious about Soma having made a marriage promise!”
“Wh-what!?”
Her sudden words left me speechless.
“I-I said it’s about my acquaintance, not me.”
“Liar. You don’t have any acquaintances in your old world.”
“How much of a lonely character am I supposed to be? I have acquaintances!” I retorted indignantly, having said “acquaintance” specifically to avoid admitting I had friends. As I fumed, Mitsuki intervened to mediate.
“Putting that aside, how does that story relate to Riddle Quest?”
It was a forced topic change, but her question was valid. While casually appeasing Maki, who was pressing me, I answered Mitsuki.
“Ah. That 1 million E purification offer was a tragic incident that victimized many others besides me… or rather, him. However, ‘Cat Ear Cat’ players don’t just give up. He and the others came up with a way to utilize it.”
The “Utterly Worst” fortune slip possesses destructive power befitting its name. However, the probability of drawing it is extremely low. Specifically, only when the fortune slip random number is at its minimum can the number 666 slip, meaning the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip, appear.
“But once you enter the ‘Utterly Worst Luck’ state, no matter what, you’ll only draw the ‘Utterly Worst.’ …Why do you think that is?”
“That’s because the fortune slip’s content is determined by the fortune slip’s random number… Ah, you don’t mean…”
Mitsuki, though expressionless, managed to convey her horror by quivering her cat ears. I nodded clearly. “It’s probably exactly what you’re imagining. The moment the ‘Utterly Worst’ fortune slip was drawn, they manipulated the fortune slip’s random number to set all random numbers to their minimum value!” This is why ‘Cat Ear Cat’ is called a “game that manipulates random numbers” rather than a “game that can have its random numbers adjusted.” While many games allow for random number manipulation, a game with such an abysmal form of random number manipulation is rare, perhaps unique to ‘Cat Ear Cat.’ I haven’t actually analyzed it, so I don’t know for sure if the random numbers were genuinely changed or if they just altered the reference point. However, for players, it makes little difference. In this state, if you participate in events that use the fortune slip random number, you’re practically guaranteed to lose badly. This manipulation makes it difficult for players who draw the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip to earn money in gambling-related games like the Casino, making the 1 million E repayment even harder. But it also allows for certain possibilities. Riddle Quest, “Chiru Mono.” This quest, and only this quest, doesn’t pose a problem even when the random number is at its minimum. In fact, by fixing the random number, its difficulty is drastically reduced.
“When the fortune slip random number is at its minimum, ‘Chiru Mono’ will always present the next problem number’s riddle. In other words, the problems that appear become fixed!” With the “Utterly Worst Luck” state, the riddle number only advances by one. After clearing problem number 1, problem number 2 appears, and after clearing that, problem number 3 appears, guaranteed. Based on this, here’s the new strategy.
**”Chiru Mono” Easy Strategy for Sahzan Too 2**
1. Before starting the quest, draw the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip.
2. Riddles for problem numbers 1 to 50 will appear in order. Solve them while looking at a wiki.
3. Clear!
Whether step 3 was necessary is debatable, but it’s simply that easy. Seriously, even Sahzan could do it. However, I can only guarantee correct answers for problems numbered 1 to 50. To use this strategy, one must first draw the “Utterly Worst” fortune slip before starting “Chiru Mono.” That’s why I struggled so much until now.
“The last problem that appeared. I remember it. That was problem number 6, the first incorrect answer problem you encounter in ‘Chiru Mono’ Strategy 2.” If I can find any problem number between 1 and 50, it’s a different story. From there, up to 50 problems, I can answer them correctly with certainty. Hearing this, Maki counted on her fingers and asked, “Uh, uhm, there are 20 problems left, and I found problem number 6, so… that means there are 43 more I can answer, right? Then, then, if Soma draws the ‘Utterly Worst’ luck now…”
“Ah! I’ll definitely be able to answer them all correctly until the end!!” I replied strongly to Maki, then dashed into the shrine, shouting,
“Excuse me, fortune slips, a lot! Until I get the ‘Utterly Worst’ one, at least!!” I shouted to the shrine maiden who had helped me in the past.
“Sorry, I’m late!”
“SOMA!!”
As I rushed to the deepest part of the library, Layla, her face beaming with smiles, pounced on me. Though her action, which held a familiar sense of déjà vu in a different way, brought back unpleasant memories, I managed to catch her.
“Sorry, it took longer than I expected.”
As I apologized, Layla shook her head within my arms.
…After that, I was worried at the shrine because no matter how many fortune slips I drew, the “Utterly Worst” one wouldn’t appear.
“Hey, Shrine Maiden. Does this really include the ‘Utterly Worst’ one? Honestly, it’s becoming a common problem lately. With gacha games, they say ‘includes Ultra Rare X,’ but there isn’t a single one at the store. Frankly, I think that’s fraud. What about these fortune slips? I don’t know how many slips are in this container, but I’ve definitely drawn more times than the number of slips. It’s statistically odd that it hasn’t appeared once. Are you perhaps rigging it? Huh? What do you think, Shrine Maiden? Huh?”
Around the time I started making this light complaint, with a bit of past payback mixed in, it finally appeared. After confirming it, we rushed back to the library, leaving the shrine maiden on the verge of tears, saying, “Time is precious! I’ll go around the back, you two just—” but Mitsuki grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, so we entered the library through the main entrance after paying the admission fee. Layla and the others must have been worried, but thanks to that, our preparations were perfect. I gently pulled Layla away and stood before the Sphinx.
“I worried you. But it’s okay now. Leave the rest to me.”
“Soma…. Mm-hmm!”
“Then, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Receiving eyes of trust from Layla and anticipation from Serie, I placed my hand over the input form. Displayed on the screen was a seemingly straightforward calculation problem: calculating the rendezvous point of Takashikun, who was sprinting around parallelogram ABCD, and Hanako-san, who was chasing him on a scooter. However, I knew this was no ordinary calculation problem.
“The answer is… ‘Hanako-san’!”
With a shout, I entered the five characters “Hanako-san.” From behind, I heard Maki’s voice exclaim, “Whaaat!?!” but I ignored it. I don’t know why the staff would put a person’s name as the answer to a question asking for a location. They didn’t write anything about it in their diaries, so I don’t know how they demonstrated such ESP to discover this answer. Nevertheless, I know this is the correct answer. A pleasant “ding” sound echoed. This left exactly 20 problems remaining. Among the upcoming problem numbers 7 to 27, there were only four incorrect answer problems. Moreover, I remembered all their answers. So my hand didn’t stop. There was no reason for it to stop. The 31st problem appeared. For the next three problems, numbers 7 to 9, they were normal problems, not incorrect answer ones. Indeed, I had seen this riddle, problem number 7. There was no reason to waste time on such things. Without hesitation, I reached for the input form—
“…Ah, a-”
My movement stopped just before touching the screen. And from then on, my finger wouldn’t move forward.
“Did… something happen…?”
Layla hesitantly asked me, who had frozen completely. I slowly turned around and solemnly answered her question.
“Ah, well… I seem to have completely forgotten the answer.”
The limits of memory!!
