Love Letter From The Future

A silence lingered for a time. I couldn’t understand Ceria’s intentions.

Was she angry? I had dragged her into my personal struggle. After all, Ceria and Emma were nothing to each other.

Or perhaps it was just a simple question. If it were Ceria, that was entirely possible. She was indifferent to most things aside from swords, and even more clumsy when it came to human relationships.

With no clear answer, I hesitated, turning my gaze away for a moment. But eventually, what flowed from my lips was an honest emotion stripped of pretense.

“…I don’t know either.”

That remark, released with a sigh, was my true heart.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why I had become so obsessed with a letter from the future.

It could be a sense of duty, or perhaps a sense of responsibility. Yet no pure emotion existed among all my motivations. Maybe I had been ruled by such emotions since I heard of Emma’s collapse.

Guilt, and further, anger.

The only rite of atonement that could wash away my sense of guilt towards the one who harmed Emma.

It was a desire for revenge.

Of course, it was a foolish judgment. There was no guarantee that killing the monsters emerging from the forest would bring Emma back.

Perhaps if I offered a valuable sacrifice and called for a miracle from the god Arus, it might have been different. However, neither Emma, nor her father, nor I had that luxury.

I knew. It was nothing more than a meaningless emotion.

Yet how could I pretend not to know? Not stopping Emma, not protecting her, or at least, if I had articulated the contents of the letter a bit more firmly.

Then maybe I wouldn’t have felt as much. But still, the scene from that day was vivid in my mind.

The sight of the wailing villager; Emma’s father had screamed as if his last hope had been ripped away from him. That memory overlapped with the gentle smile Emma always wore.

To say it wasn’t painful would be a lie. No, the truth was, it still hurt. My heart throbbed, and the heavy guilt quietly pressed down on my insides.

I quietly bit my lip and took a sip from my water bottle. There was barely any water left in it.

“But it’s true that I came this far to look for the monsters. If they attack the students again, casualties could occur.”

“Is that why you chose me?”

Another question was thrown at me, as Ceria stared blankly.

That was likely the very question Ceria wanted to ask. It was bold, yet arrogant.

Ceria was a skilled swordsman. Thus, she would be a significant force when facing the monsters. She would be better than Celin, who was only at a similar level to me.

The word ‘friend’ was unfamiliar, and I doubted and reasoned further.

To her, who would one day rise to a high position, that was a virtue as well. But for today, it was a futile doubt.

I shook my head with a bitter smile. My plan didn’t assume combat.

“Of course not, I know my place. Right now, it’s dangerous to face the monsters with my skills. I don’t intend to put you in danger either.”

If that were the case, I would have explained my plan to Ceria in advance and asked for her understanding politely. No matter how skilled a swordsman, facing monsters was a life-and-death matter.

The opponents were monsters united in animosity towards humanity. Losing one’s life was a given if things went wrong.

But still, Ceria looked somewhat hesitant. She struggled to part her lips.

“…But just now, you said you didn’t know.”

“I want to kill the monsters.”

I said this as I rose to my feet. It was time to finish resting. As I dusted off my pants, the seeds that had been stuck to them scattered.

“But wanting to do something and what can be done are different. Someone like me needs to be good at distinguishing those, because I have to survive.”

Ceria still had an expression that showed she was not convinced by my answer. After closing her eyes for a moment in contemplation, she asked me.

“Is it because we’re friends?”

She didn’t ask ‘what,’ which made it relatively clear who she was referring to.

She must have meant Emma, and to explain why I was obsessed with the monsters in the forest, her existence was indispensable.

Ceria was searching for the reason of my feelings through her. Of course, my circumstances were a bit more complicated.

There was a love letter from the future, Emma was attacked just as it was written in that letter, and the next attack was scheduled to happen during today’s practice.

I didn’t want to regret again. I was tired of sitting blankly by the bedside of my injured friend.

I couldn’t explain the long story to Ceria. She might conclude that, like Reto or Celin, my mind had gone crazy after hearing my words.

So I simply asked her in return.

“What do you think?”

“…?”

Upon receiving the reversed question, Ceria stared at me in surprise, not uttering a word.

The look in her eyes asked what I meant, so I smiled faintly and asked her again.

“What do you think would happen if I were attacked by the monsters? And if I was seriously injured today or tomorrow?”

Ceria seemed to grasp the meaning of my words at that moment, and with an ‘Ah,’ she fell into thought.

With her eyes closed, she tilted her head this way and that. It was a cute side she hadn’t shown until now. She probably hadn’t deeply contemplated anything in front of me before.

It was indeed a complex issue. After a long while of thinking, she said,

“…I think I would be a little angry.”

That answer made me feel gratified. As she opened her eyes again, her gaze was calm yet cold.

That look replaced her answer. I nodded as if I expected it and lightly tapped her shoulder as we walked.

“See, that’s exactly what we are, friends.”

“Friends….”

Ceria seemed to register this for the first time, her expression blank. The words ‘friends’ were repeated from her lips.

It was the first evidence she had gained of friendship. It might have been a new feeling for her.

Of course, she would soon become accustomed to it; she was an outstanding woman in both appearance and skill. If she develops some social skills, many would line up to be friends with her.

I watched Ceria’s figure for a moment, before turning my gaze to survey our surroundings.

The forest remained quiet. It was still midday, and not a single sound of the grasshoppers could be heard. It was a scene sufficient to cast doubt on the contents of the letter about the monsters attacking.

Would they really come?

I might have overreacted. After all, a letter from seven years in the future was no joke.

Emma’s case might simply have been a coincidence.

As the hunting festival approached, the number of monsters appearing in the forest would increase. It was possible that one of them had unlucky circumstances that led it to attack Emma.

Part of me secretly hoped that if that were the case.

I was just the second son of a rural noble. Neither my background nor my skills were remarkable. Tales of the world ending or my friend getting hurt because I hadn’t warned about the letter felt too heavy and painful for me.

However, another part of me was on high alert, waiting for the monster’s attack.

It was not a matter of logic, reason, or rationality. My animal instincts were telling me not to ignore that letter; that Emma’s collapse was a result of that.

Which of us was right would soon be revealed.

A rustle, an extremely faint sound.

It was a delicate vibration I could feel due to my heightened senses after losing my memory, coupled with the tension I was maintaining. But the moment I sensed that sound, my heart began to race wildly.

They were approaching. It was evident they had already noticed Ceria and me. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so stealthy.

Still mumbling the word ‘friend,’ I poked Ceria in the side, who had been smiling softly.

My finger sunk into her soft skin. Ceria looked startled and turned to stare at me, but when I touched my index finger to my lips, she quickly closed her mouth.

Her gaze grew serious. As she closed her eyes and spread her senses, her complexion darkened.

“Still, no clear signs yet… No, one? Two? Four?”

With each phrase, the number she reported was increasing. I felt a shiver at her words.

It wasn’t just one. They were monsters, and they were acting in a group.

They must have crafted a bold plan to ambush the academy students. They were in numbers, while today’s practice had students moving in pairs.

Even if they were distracted, Ceria was still Ceria. Even she had initially been confused about their existence, so most students participating in practice that day would likely not even notice the monsters.

There was no need to think about the conclusion of that.

It was a bloodbath. Perhaps Ceria had come to a similar conclusion as I did. She lowered her voice and reached for the sword at her waist.

“Ian, should we take the initiative?”

It was a very reasonable suggestion. The enemies had noticed our presence, but they were still unaware that we had detected them.

If a fight broke out, the one taking the initiative would be at a significant advantage. The forest was already an unfavorable battlefield. If there was anything that could tip the scales of victory, we had to do it.

Ceria had several experiences participating in monster hunts. Her judgment was accurate.

However, that was under the assumption that it was for the purpose of hunting monsters.

I shook my head.

“No, that’s unnecessary. There are too many of them. No matter how good you are, you might get hurt.”

Ceria, who had seemed ready to charge out at any moment, hesitated. Her expression showed confusion as she looked at me.

“But if not, then how…?”

“We have to run.”

It was a response without a hint of hesitation.

At that, Ceria looked at me, dumbfounded. The expression of disbelief was one that only someone hearing an option they had never considered could wear.

Yet to me, it was an extremely rational decision.

Why did we need to take risks unnecessarily? I immediately persuaded Ceria.

“I said there’s no need for me to take risks; we don’t have to tackle those monsters. We’re still distanced from them, so let’s run quickly and inform Professor Derek.”

And that would be it. After that, Professor Derek would step in, and the legendary monster hunter would undoubtedly showcase his skills as he took down the monsters.

The risk would be minimal, and the effect would be definite. There was no reason not to choose this option.

Ceria seemed to secretly agree with my proposal. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but then firmly shut it.

Yet with an expression still filled with uncertainty, she murmured.

“But…”

“Ceria, this isn’t the time to worry about pride.”

Running away was a disgraceful act for a swordsman, regardless of the era or region. But what could be done? One couldn’t exchange pride for life. This was common sense too.

Ceria easily couldn’t shake off her hesitation. But the moment she met my firm gaze, she had no choice but to nod, as if resigning herself to the idea.

No one must be hurt. That was the only wish I had at that moment.

“…I understand.”

Though still with a lingering expression of reluctance, Ceria seemed to have decided to go along with me.

In the distance, I felt the presence of the monsters drawing closer. Ceria and I began to advance quietly.

The monsters hadn’t detected our movement for a while. But at some point, they must have judged that we were too far apart and started their pursuit in earnest.

However, we had already widened the gap. No matter how fast the monsters were, the size of the forest was limited. If we kept running like this, Professor Derek would notice soon.

In the meantime, Ceria and I merely had to serve as bait to ensure the monsters wouldn’t ambush other students. That would fulfill my plan.

An event where no one got hurt, one that could later serve as a story to share over drinks.

That was how it should have been.

“Ah, no…!”

If only Ceria, who was running beside me, hadn’t suddenly halted, letting out a quiet moan.

She grabbed her ankle. That spot felt familiar. I immediately recalled the scene I had seen just days prior.

When Ceria had twisted her ankle and couldn’t even move properly.

My heart went cold.

No matter how much the healing potion could treat pain, joint fatigue would not fully dissipate. I had warned her about the dangers of that, yet she continued to push herself with reckless training.

In a moment, frustration surged within me, but more importantly, Ceria’s condition took precedence. I rushed to her with urgent eyes.

Ceria was groaning as she sat down, the pain visibly evident on her face.

“Ceria, are you okay?”

“Go ahead… first, go ahead, Ian.”

I was momentarily taken aback by those words. What was she saying?

The implication of going ahead meant she could no longer keep up. The will to not be a burden.

Yet the problem was, if her injury rendered her unable to run, she would lose her mobility in a fight as well.

There was no need to explain how detrimental unnatural movement could be. To face multiple monsters in such a state?

It was impossible. That was akin to inviting death. I raised my voice in exasperation.

“Are you crazy? If you can’t use your legs…”

“It’s my fault.”

Ceria’s response to me was overly calm. So I fell silent.

She had an expression of resigned defeat. Nevertheless, her hand was feeling for the hilt of the sword at her waist, as if to refuse to perish easily.

“I must take responsibility. I have some pride, Ian.”

She was technically right.

I had warned her that overusing healing potions could strain her ankle joints. However, it was Ceria who had disregarded that and continued her reckless training.

She was already a swordswoman. Naturally, she had to take responsibility for her actions. Though that was true, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her.

No, was it truly her responsibility?

If I thought about it, wasn’t it I who had involved her?

A chill ran down my spine. The images of Emma and her father flashed before my eyes. Regret and guilt.

And a desire for revenge.

Like a flame igniting, the fire of emotion consumed the memories muddied by regret. I was desperate. I had taken up the sword to ensure I wouldn’t regret again.

My eyes quietly focused ahead.

I could feel it. They were drawing closer.

There was no time left.

“Ceria, can you walk?”

“If I have a splint, somehow… So don’t worry too much about…”

“Go first.”

My subdued voice halted Ceria’s words. She frowned slightly as if she had misheard.

“…What?”

“I said go first, I’ll stay behind as bait.”

But I was already prepared. My voice held no wavering. I merely steadied my breath, pondering the presence of the approaching monsters from afar.

For if we had to fight, we needed to take the initiative. It would be my first fight where my life was on the line. Even so, my heart felt strangely calm.

It was inexplicable. Ever since I received that letter, everything had turned upside down.

Who had I been during the time I lost my memory? Why had my senses become sharper? And why was my heart so peaceful even before a life-and-death battle?

Leaving behind all those unsolvable questions, I quietly turned my head to look at Ceria.

She was waiting for my answer, completely adorned with pain from her ankle. I decided to remember that blank expression.

“Friends don’t say such things to each other.”

With those final words, I began to run straight ahead. The monsters were drawing close. I needed to secure an advantageous position.

I could hear Ceria calling for me from behind, but I ignored her. She would soon realize that the best option was to escape and inform Professor Derek of the situation.

Before the fight with the monsters, I felt around in my pocket.

I could sense it. The solid touch of the potion bottle.

Once again, I recalled Emma. And the sight of her father collapsing, pale as he crumbled to the ground.

The monsters were coming.

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