Editing Mahou Sensou:Volume 2 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 7===
The art room was a place where normally hardly anyone came, but when Kurumi and Mui arrived, they encountered a long line. Apparently, the afternoon session had already started and the line went out from that room and even stretched down the corridor. Because the session was taking place in the cellar at the back of the room, Kurumi wanted to take a peek inside the art room, but she could only see the rest of the line of excited girls ending in front of a closed door. After standing in line for about half an hour, it was finally their turn. Mui allowed Kurumi to enter before her, so she was the first of the two to enter the gloomy cellar.

As soon as she opened the door, she was met with a heavy black curtain similar to that of a theater. Beyond that curtain, there was a rather narrow and dimly lit room where there were only two chairs placed on either side facing each other. In one of the chairs sat a woman who covered herself with a black cloak and concealed her face with a thin cloth and wore white gloves on her hands. She certainly looked like any fortune teller is supposed to look.

-What is it you wish to know? -asked the fortune teller in a soft voice.

Even without having heard her voice before, it was more than clear that it was a woman. For despite being covered with that black cloak, her slender body could easily be noticed and besides, the fingers of her hands placed on a deck of cards on the desk, were visibly slender. Kurumi then, sat stiffly on the chair in front of her. This was the first time she had ever seen a fortune teller and of course, she didn't believe in that sort of thing.

-Come on, miss, tell me what you are interested in knowing. -Asked the fortune teller once again.

-Eh... I.... eh.... of... e...a-love....

For Kurumi, it was quite a challenge to say something as embarrassing as "I want to know my luck in love" to a stranger. Her face became very red. However, it was not possible to see the fortune teller's expression through the cloth on her face and that was a relief. The fortune teller noticed the tension Kurumi was going through and whispered softly:

-It's okay. In that case, who do you want to know about?

-NA...Nanase Takeshi..." Kurumi stammered.

Kurumi was holding in her embarrassment as much as possible, but inwardly she started to think that if Takeshi saw her walking into a place like that, he would die of embarrassment.

"No one seems to be ashamed of this, so I can do it," Kurumi thought.

 "This strange woman who calls herself The Fortune Teller Witch, she's not going to think I'm obsessed or something. That would be terrible."

Her embarrassment was such that her tears were about to flow. As Kurumi shook her shoulders, the fortune teller spread the cards in an arc on the desk and asked:

-Nanase Takeshi... So that person is an unrequited love?

-Of course not! He's my boyfriend! -Kurumi exclaimed involuntarily.

Kurumi was shocked that she lied since she was fully aware that Takeshi was not really her boyfriend. However, the fortune teller started to do her job before she could correct that mistake. The little fortune-telling witch placed her hand on the pile of cards spread out and muttered something in a very low voice.

"Are you speaking English?"

I couldn't hear it very well, but it seemed to be some kind of incantation, because magic particles, blue in color, began to gush out of the fortune teller's hands and settle on the cards. After that, only three cards began to glow with a light blue light, and they fell out of the maso until they were positioned in front of Kurumi as if they had been dragged by threads.

-Put them back on the table, please. -The fortune teller indicated.

Kurumi did as the fortune teller asked, touched the cards that were still glowing, and returned them one by one to the table.

"The five of clubs, the two of hearts, and the king of diamonds."

Kurumi obviously didn't know what that meant. But when she looked up, she could see the fortune teller's red lips begin to move across the thin cloth illuminated by the dim light saying:

-Hardships are coming soon for you and for him.....

The fortune-teller spoke in a soft and calm voice,

-Difficulties? -whispered kurumi back.

The fortune teller continued undeterred:

-Beware of an infidelity that is seen on his part?

As soon as she heard that, Kurumi pushed back the chair and stood up quickly.

-An i-infidelity? From Takeshi? No way...

However, the fortune teller sounded completely convinced of what she was saying.

-The cards don't lie. -The fortune teller declared coldly.

Kurumi looked at the fortune teller and then at the cards. She remembered the 97% hit rate Mui mentioned and was completely stunned.

--It's a lie... -Murmured Kurumi taking a step back.

Then she took a breath and shouted loudly:

-You're lying!!!
She turned around and turned her back to The Fortune Teller Witch, opened the black curtain tightly and ran out of the art room in a hurry.

Mui, who was next in line to pass, heard Kurumi screaming inside. And, thankfully she was a bit far away, she was not hit with the door when Kurumi slammed it open and only saw her rushing past with a terrified expression. The truth is that if you don't think well about what you want to ask, that 97% success rate could turn out to be negative. For the little fortune-telling witch never told lies.

Mui didn't think about whatever Kurumi had asked. At that moment she was not interested. Now was her time and she had other things to worry about.

When she entered the place through the door Kurumi left open, she found herself face to face with the fortune teller. She was an unknown fortune teller. All Mui knew about her was that she had been performing for a couple of years during the magic festivals. Even with her face covered, it could be seen that she had more or less the appearance of a fourth or fifth year student. Or at least, someone older than her.

The magical festival was for students only and no one from outside the academy was allowed to participate. In short, that fortune teller was either a student or a teacher. Moreover, magical affinities based on divination were very rare.

"She can only be a user of Evasive Magic or Biological Magic, there is no more...", Mui mused.

"If it's Biological Magic, it would be harder to tell who it is."

Mui sat on the chair and looked straight at her. He couldn't see her face well because of the cloth she covered her face with. Mui continued to ponder:

"If she is a student, she can only be of some special class, but if she is a teacher..."

However, the woman's faint voice interrupted Mui's thoughts.

-What is it that you wish to know?

Muy blinked a couple of times as if she had come to her senses.

"Right, it doesn't matter who this person is."

The reason for that, was because when he first joined Wizard Breath, they were instructed that when meeting a mage one should always analyze and check the type of magical affinity their opponent belonged to.

"It's strange to do that on instinct, even if it's something that was instilled in me."

Mui sighed sadly, raised his face and replied:

-I want to find a familiar?

The little fortune-telling witch held out the bow-shaped cards and replied:

-Are you sure? I'm good at making love predictions, you know?

Mui smiled when she heard that and said:

-There will be time for love when the war is over. What I am interested in knowing now, is where my brother is and how I can find him. Just that...

Mui's sincere look full of hope, made the fortune teller's expression quiver slightly through the cloth giving the impression that she had laughed.

-All right, I'll tell you where your brother is. -The fortune teller replied.

The blue magic particles once again overflowed onto the cards. Mui watched attentively, but not before placing her hand on her pistol that she always carried holstered on her hip and stretched one leg out in front of her.