Love Letter From The Future

It was that night when Celin came to visit.

After having passed out in the dormitory all day, it seemed she had rushed over upon hearing that I had awakened. Her clothes were a bit disheveled.

I instinctively glanced at her fair neck that peeked out, but I quickly cleared my throat and averted my eyes.

To me, she was like a little sister. I shouldn’t harbor any ill thoughts, as doing so would surely disappoint both Reto and Celin.

However, whether she was aware of my feelings or not, Celin began to sob when she saw me sitting up. Tears were already pooling in her eyes.

She then dashed towards me and practically threw herself into my arms. Caught off guard, I ended up holding her petite frame.

I nearly let out a gasp, but managed to hold it in.

Celin’s physical abilities surpassed mine. It was only natural, given her greater mana reserves. With her rushing full force into my embrace, my already aching body felt even more strained.

But looking at Celin, burying her face into my chest as she sniffled, I couldn’t bring myself to blame her.

I merely patted the back of her head, comforting her until her sobs subsided.

“Ugh, I-Ian oppa. Hooon….”

“Yeah, yeah. You were really scared… I’m fine.”

Celin was quite the drama queen as well. At the Academy, there was generally no need to worry about injuries. A high-ranking priest dispatched from the Holy Kingdom always stood by at the temple on campus, and there was even a Lady Virgin Saint among the third-year students.

As long as timely treatment was administered, even considerable injuries could leave no aftereffects. Just as I had come in with numerous wounds and regained consciousness without any significant lingering issues.

However, I could understand Celin’s feelings to some extent.

If my last memory was accurate, she was the first to find me.

If she had followed my traces, she must have seen the numerous corpses of wolves scattered in the clearing. The bloody scene — it was clear that a desperate struggle had taken place there.

And, crucially, she had witnessed my battered body.

My duel with Seria was a joke in comparison. The fight with that monster at the end was a deadly battle. There were no concessions, no rules.

Blood splattered, bones shattered. Muscles tore, and despite feeling as if I would collapse at any moment, I could not stop fighting.

It was evident how I must have looked after such a battle.

Celin must have seen that horrific scene. Given the bond we shared after spending so much time together, it was surprising that she would not be shocked.

However, compared to Reto, her reaction seemed a bit excessive, but I decided to brush it off.

She had a vivid personality but was also sensitive. The shock could indeed have been significant.

It took quite some time for her sobs to subside. Only after her tears had drenched my front did she slowly lift her head.

Her tear-brimmed, hazel eyes and the delicate, smooth skin of someone who had walked the path of a swordsman for a lifetime were almost unbelievable. As her alluring lips moved, a fragrance I hadn’t noticed before tickled my nose.

I remembered it. It was that scent I had complimented her on before. Even though she had rushed out in such a hurry, that fragrance remained unchanged.

My heart thumped oddly. Celin was indeed a lovely woman. It made sense, but I desperately tried to shake off the feelings of desire that clung to my chest.

Celin whispered, pathetically, “I-Ian oppa… I was so worried.”

With a hint of resentment in her voice. If such a beautiful childhood friend could worry about me, it wasn’t the worst thing.

I wiped the tears gathered at her eyes in silence, and then chuckled softly.

“Am I someone who can just die?”

“Yes, you would die.”

That was true; I was instantly left speechless. Celin pouted at me.

“Why do you always choose such dangerous things? Even if that girl dies, you should just be safe!”

“How can I think that way? We are all loyal subjects of His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Not that kind of theoretical discussion!”

With nothing to say, I hastily threw out some empty words, which seemed to only infuriate Celin more.

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. Her lips poked out in displeasure.

But even then, the remnants of her tears made her look only cute. I felt her deep affection for me.

“…You are the most precious to me, Ian oppa.”

Muttering her feelings, Celin confessed. It seemed she, too, was feeling a bit shy, as her cheeks were slightly flushed.

My heart raced with a thump. I had no idea why Celin looked so beautiful today. This shouldn’t be happening.

But whether she realized my conflicted feelings or not, she carefully met my gaze. Her clear eyes were reminiscent of transparent anxieties.

“Everything else has no meaning. It’s always been like this since we were kids.”

With a pleading gaze, she held onto my hand that was wiping away her tears. Her voice sank into a deeper, more melancholic tone.

“So I want you to value yourself too, Ian oppa.”

Her heartfelt, trembling voice rendered me incapable of responding carelessly as I merely looked at her.

There were only the two of us in the sickroom. The treatment room was restricted to outsiders. In other words, in this moment, it was just Celin and me.

Two young adults of appropriate age were alone in a confined space. And it was night — a time when reason dulled and emotions flourished.

A tingling sensation spread through my chest. Celin seemed to feel the same, as she called to me in a strangely seductive voice.

“Ian oppa…”

Her sweet breath was gradually approaching. Very slowly, enough to go unnoticed.

This shouldn’t be happening. I thought to myself, not knowing what was about to unfold. But my body, honest in its desires, remained unmoved.

In that moment, as her breath was about to overlap with mine.

“…Oh dear.”

“Huh, huh?!”

At the sound of a shocked male voice, Celin’s body jolted as if electrocuted. She uttered a strange sound and pulled away from my embrace, her eyes darting around in panic.

The source of the voice leaned awkwardly against the entrance of the room, watching the scene between Celin and me. His expression was distinctly unimpressed.

Reto Ainstan, who was like an older brother to Celin and one of my closest friends.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“Well, what were we doing? Just two friends about to make a move with my little sister, and I thought I should at least let it be known that I’m watching.”

“N-no…”

As Reto took pleasure in teasing Celin, her eyes began to spin in confusion. Her hands flailed as if she wanted to deny it.

Her face had been red for a while. I felt embarrassed myself and cleared my throat while averting my gaze.

I got caught up in the atmosphere for a moment. Celin and I were not in that kind of relationship, but it had nearly reached a crisis.

After a deep sigh, Reto came over and lightly slapped Celin on the head with the book he was holding.

“Ouch!”

“Do that kind of stuff only after properly confessing, okay? I’ve told you time and time again, romantic relationships without a proper progression don’t last.”

“…B-but.”

Celin murmured, sinking her head as if feeling wronged. Despite having a valid point, she had to shut her mouth when Reto shot her a disapproving look.

Next was me. Reto clicked his tongue.

“You too… You can act like this in the mood? Do you seriously intend to take responsibility for Celin? Or do you think she’s that easy?”

“N-no. Both Celin and I weren’t intending that! We were just happy to see each other after a long time…”

I tried to explain but found myself dropping my gaze.

Reto was Celin’s brother. Essentially, he was someone I should fear the most if I did something wrong with her. There was nothing I could say.

Even so, my feelings were becoming increasingly complicated.

What was this? While I had been alone with Celin many times before, there had never been such a strange atmosphere between us.

I had always made sure to avoid such situations. Yet now, it felt as if those circumstances were somehow natural.

Ever since I had lost my memory last time, my life had become riddled with mysteries. I had no idea why I had changed so drastically.

But I resolved to be more vigilant from now on.

Celin, with her looks alone, could easily secure a marriage to a prominent noble family. I could not stand in the way of my childhood friend’s pursuit of that path.

Reto seemed to believe his scolding had done enough, as he relaxed and spoke to me with a languid expression.

“Hey, Ian. Speaking of which, you owe me a drink.”

“…Why?”

“Apparently, you’ll get a bounty of 70 gold for the monster we caught last time.”

Immediately, my eyes widened in shock.

70 gold was an amount sufficient for a common family of four to live comfortably for over five years. It was undoubtedly a fortune. This meant the monster I had slain held considerable value.

However, before I could react with astonishment, someone suddenly interrupted between Reto and me. Unsurprisingly, it was Celin.

“Se-seventy gold?!”

Her eyes sparkled. Though she was a noble too, like many country nobles, she wasn’t living a life of abundance. Especially after paying the expensive Academy tuition, only a meager amount was usually left for “maintenance costs.”

That much would exceed the average living standards of a commoner. But for me, Reto, and Celin, 70 gold was no small fortune.

Celin, seeming to forget about the earlier incident, was already excitedly raising her finger as she began to make rash plans.

“Let’s go to the monster specialty restaurant in the city! I heard their drake meat is really delicious…”

“Hey, how could you choose such an unappetizing place? No, we should go to a tavern. There’s a new place that Uncle Ben opened, and I heard their drinks are really good.”

“No, why not! The monster meat is delicious!”

Not caring at all about my feelings, Reto and Celin were already discussing where to spend the 70 gold. It was so typical of them.

I couldn’t help but smile as I said, “Hey, I put my life on the line to earn that money. What are you two planning?”

“Technically, it should be said that you ‘threw away’ your life to earn that money.”

As Reto clicked his tongue, I felt a surge of irritation.

No way, to say I threw my life away? Was it acceptable to belittle that brutal struggle?

I began to fervently explain, just like always when the three of us were together.

“Hey, you have no idea about the situation back then… I was trying to get through it, alright? But that bastard spat out the cloth he was holding in his mouth. And it was a piece of Emma’s clothing, can you believe that? Was I supposed to just stand there?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Yep, pretty sure~”

However, the response to my retelling was astonishedly nonchalant.

What disloyal friends they were, yet, without realizing, a smile crept onto my face.

It was just another ordinary day. Until Reto’s words interrupted the flow.

“Anyway, that big monster, they say it’s a blessing that it wasn’t fully grown. They said if it had a little more time, it would have been a named level monster. It was supposed to be captured during the Hunting Festival! If that was the case, victory would have been guaranteed.”

“Forget it, anyway, monsters of that size won’t be in the forest anymore… I prefer that Ian oppa stays safe.”

With a bitter smile, those words sent a shock through my brain.

Right, monsters of that level shouldn’t exist in the forest anymore.

The Hunting Festival was just a little over a year away. There was no way a stronger monster would emerge in that time. If there were, many students would die or be injured at this year’s Hunting Festival.

A monster strong enough to be given a name after all.

Monsters commonly referred to as “named” were unparalleled in strength and intelligence compared to other monsters. They truly deserved to be called “humanity’s nemesis.”

Naturally, such monsters were rare. Because they appeared infrequently, the very assumption that one could be born in the forest in just a year was ridiculous.

But what was now flickering through my mind was one of the lines in the letter.

“I wonder how you knew the monster’s weakness was its horn?”

My smile slowly faded.

“…Its horn.”

As I muttered blankly, Reto and Celin turned their puzzled gazes towards me.

“I’m talking about the horns. Did any pieces of horn come out from the wolf monster’s corpse?”

“What kind of nonsense is that? You fought it, remember? There were no horns, nor anything resembling a horn… Hey, hey, are you alright? You look pale.”

I heard Reto and Celin’s worried voices. But in that moment, I felt as if I was isolated in a floating world.

Thoughts rushed through. I replayed that harrowing battle in my mind. That adversary had been so strong. Was there now an even stronger monster lurking in the forest?

My gaze drifted beyond the temple’s walls. Towards the south of the Academy, to the eerily silent forest.

There, a monster was waiting.

To bloom the most beautiful blood flowers in the festival that took place every year among humans.

I still had a duty left to fulfill.

*

And the next day, Seria came to visit.

---