Love Letter From The Future

Recently, Ceria’s days have been clearly marked by light and shadow.

There had never been a time in her life when the distinction between light and darkness was so pronounced. Until then, her routine had been shrouded in shadow throughout the day.

It was a dreary gray day. She swung her sword, had meals, attended lectures. Day by day, she endured the routine that was no different from the previous day, thinking only of the sword.

However, these days were different. It was because ‘light’ had gradually begun to emerge in her daily life.

Warmth, basking in the memories of that time, gradually seeped into her heart.

It was as if raindrops were soaking into a rock, an unnoticed change at first.

Yet, at some point, she began to look forward to the moments she spent with a certain man, like a tamed beast waiting for its companion.

Humans, too, were no different in their fundamental principles of behavior from beasts. They seek happiness and avoid pain. Ceria was no exception.

Recently, she found joy when with Ian, and otherwise was mostly unhappy.

Many people mocked and despised her. If it had ended at that, she would have considered herself fortunate, but the insults directed at her mother and the subtle bullying were steadily eroding her spirit.

No matter how much she tried to ignore the eyes of others, this was unavoidable. Ceria, who could never trust anyone from birth, still carried loneliness and a need for recognition in her heart as social animals do.

She thought she had grown accustomed to the jealousy-laden ostracism, but that was arrogant.

When a serious atmosphere emerged to mock and torment her, a level of condemnation and bullying began that she could never have imagined before. No matter how much she tried to overlook it, touching her family was considered a taboo, yet that was also broken.

They knew well how much those words would hurt her.

Before anyone could question that atmosphere, a multitude of students had already begun to entangle themselves within it. Humans were social animals, after all. With a collective action, justification was easily achieved.

Along with that, the reason Ceria had also begun to lose confidence in her abilities recently was evident.

Until then, Ceria had rarely experienced failure. Sure, she had to face painful defeats to her half-sister, whom she wanted to outshine, but in most other situations, her talent and effort always led to victory.

But how was she lately?

She had been defeated without landing a single blow on Senior Ian. In the following match, she had to relinquish her sword to Ian after being caught off-guard at the last moment.

Moreover, not long ago, when she failed to heed Ian’s advice, she made a fatal mistake. It was fortunate that Ian’s skills that day surpassed her imagination; otherwise, she would still be wrestling with guilt.

It was inevitable that her pride would be shattered. And in its place grew a sense of longing and respect for Ian.

Ian was not only kind, but his abilities were specialized for combat. When it came to actual fighting, he might have been more remarkable than her, who always made blunders.

Above all, Ian was the only ‘friend’ Ceria had.

Ceria was still in the process of discovering what ‘friendship’ truly meant, but it was evident that it brought light into her life.

She felt happiness when with Ian.

When he smiled at her without meaning to or worried about her pale complexion, her heart would race for no reason.

Even the lightest touch of their hands would make her face flush, and when she suddenly realized the distance between them, she would startle and fumble.

She had committed many indiscretions. Yet, Ian never blamed or scolded her.

He was the only one who smiled at her recently. That made Ceria feel that Ian was even more special.

Ceria praised her past self for having the courage to ask Ian for guidance. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have this relationship now.

What would have happened if she hadn’t? Just imagining that sent a chill down Ceria’s spine. There wouldn’t have been even a ray of sunshine in her life. She would have spent her days in despair amid countless people’s mockery and condemnation.

If only Ian was around, even those who ostracized and tormented her would have kept their mouths shut.

Whenever she stood by his side, Ceria felt as if she were in another country. It delighted her and thus made her like Ian even more.

‘Friendship’ was indeed such a thrilling and pleasant feeling. Ceria thought so, and at night, she would secretly recall Senior Ian, smiling softly.

However, where there is light, shadows are felt even more sharply in contrast.

Especially those who realized that her weakness lay in her mother’s story clung tightly to that issue.

“By the way, what’s the deal with that brat’s mom? What’s her background?”

“How would I know? If she’s a commoner, she might be a street prostitute or an ambitious maid trying to rise in status. Well, no noble family would take in someone like that.”

Regardless of which it was, both were futile dreams, and the mocking laughter rang out.

Ceria’s eyes instinctively sharpened at the excessive insults. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the group of boys.

They were sitting on a bench, snickering as Ceria passed by. They slurped their drinks from cups, as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”

“Ha, but still, a noble is a noble. An unworthy girl should be discarded like that.”

“But so what if her mother is a prostitute? Her father could be someone else entirely, right? She could be a woman who just sleeps around.”

“That’s the drawback of being a commoner.”

They waited for Ceria’s usual passage to the sword training ground. Recently, Ceria had been particularly sensitive, and she found it nearly impossible to endure the ongoing insults.

Clenching her hands tightly, her body trembling, Ceria moved towards them with a fierce expression.

In any case, she couldn’t resort to violence. Even though using violence might not lead to immediate expulsion, she was a noble daughter. If a commoner clashed with the noble lineage, there would surely be repercussions from her family.

Insult her mother? They wouldn’t even care. Her father, the head of the family, wouldn’t have lost his cold voice even in the face of an illness.

“Forget about that woman, Ceria. She’s no longer in your life.”

However, Ceria’s boiling insides insisted she had to say at least a word. Anger boiling to her head, she strode directly towards them.

Oh, they emitted a small gasp of surprise at her unexpected approach. She should have realized it then.

So furious was Ceria that she lost her balance as the ground she stood on suddenly sank. Her body wavered slightly. However, she was an excellent swordsman; it wouldn’t be easy for her to fall over.

The ground she had stepped on sank again before she could use it to regain her balance.

She stumbled onto the ground. It was the Dig spell. A very basic spell she would have easily evaded under normal circumstances by jumping or avoiding it. Even in her current predicament, she hadn’t completely lost her stance.

She could rebound from the ground, charging at her opponents. Under those circumstances, that group wouldn’t have been a match for her. However, this wasn’t a battle.

It was merely insidious bullying. A cruel prank intended to humiliate her.

Even an Academy Student couldn’t use magic immediately without incantation in that way. It was evident that this was a prank prepared over several days.

That malice left a deeper scar on Ceria’s heart. As she rose, she glared at them, seething.

They merely chuckled, as if they were delighted to see her in such a state. As one of them passed Ceria, they mockingly stumbled awkwardly.

“Oops!”

The fruit juice he held fell perfectly onto Ceria’s head. Ceria shivered, feeling the sticky sensation.

As he hurriedly picked up the cup that had fallen to the ground, he touched Ceria’s shoulder as if to say sorry. Of course, this was an act that lacked sincerity.

“Sorry, sorry. I fell too! The ground is a bit rough here, you know.”

A flicker of malice lingered in Ceria’s eyes.

She could pull that hand that just brushed her shoulder and throw him off or thrust her elbow into his stomach. He would be rolling on the ground, barely able to breathe.

However, he was of noble birth.

His words and his appearance all clearly indicated it. He likely wasn’t even from a quaint territory. The unique arrogance he possessed was characteristic only of high-ranking nobles, at least of count rank or above.

While Ceria came from a prominent family too, she was still a noble daughter. Nonetheless, had she the significance and justification, she could destroy him, but not now.

After all, he had apologized and pretended it was an accident. The insults directed at her didn’t precisely mention her.

That made it even more infuriating. It meant the bullying was meticulously calculated. The fact that someone put forth that much effort and thought to cause her pain brought an unbearable sense of humiliation.

In the end, Ceria averted her gaze without saying a word. Her body trembled. Though she grit her teeth, it felt as if tears might spill from her eyes.

As if expecting that reaction, the students surrounding the noble boy let out scoffs of laughter as they began to leave.

Ceria stood still for a moment, lost in thought. Her life without Senior Ian was this miserable.

She turned to head toward a nearby building. She had to wipe off the drink that had stained her hair, and her uniform had become uncomfortably sticky, so she thought she might have to return to her dorm after all.

However, Ceria soon had to stop in her tracks. From a distance, she saw a familiar shadow. As if he too had spotted Ceria, he approached with a delighted expression before freezing in place.

“Ceria! On your way to the sword training ground…?”

Ceria’s mind went blank.

Of all people, it had to be the one she least wanted to be seen by.

She had always wanted to show only her pretty and good side, so why?

She bit her lip and desperately tried to avoid the gaze of the man approaching her. Her face flushed with shame.

It was Senior Ian. His face was gradually hardening.

“…My mother was kicked out when I was young.”

It was a clearing in the forest. I was wiping away the drink that splattered on her hair with a piece of cloth I had carried as a bandage, making our way to the clearing while avoiding the gazes of onlookers.

Ceria seemed particularly dejected today. She had curled up on a flat rock tucked away in a corner of the clearing.

With my back to her, I silently listened to her words.

“I didn’t even know why it had to be that way. I was just a six-year-old brat, and even when my mother cried and begged, my father didn’t bat an eye.”

To a child of that age, a mother was more than just a parent.

It could be said she was the whole world. Someone who embraces and loves you.

Ceria lost such a presence. It must have been shocking. I couldn’t fathom that feeling, so instead of clumsily attempting to empathize, I maintained my silence.

Her words continued, her voice a pitiful sound that didn’t suit her at all.

“When my mother called my name, holding on till the end, my father called the knights. They stomped on her and beat her until her body was a mess. Yet, she still reached out toward me… that scene…”

“It must have hurt.”

Ceria trailed off, unable to continue. So I spoke softly to finish what she wanted to say.

Her voice trembled. It was a voice steeped in painful memories.

“My mother… she left like that… After that, I couldn’t get any news about her. My father just told me to forget her, but that night, my sister came to me and said…”

If it was ‘sister,’ there was only one person I could guess.

The heir of the Yuridina Clan, the Sun of the North.

The fourth-year student at the academy whom Ceria desperately wanted to defeat in the Hunting Festival.

“…What did she say?”

“Be careful.”

With that, Ceria spat out a glass shard lodged in her heart like a moan. Tears mingled in her voice as she spoke.

“She said, if you can’t prove your worth, it’ll turn out like that. I’m sure she meant it sincerely. It might have been her kind of advice. But at that time, that phrase felt so terrifying…”

She fell silent as if her throat had tightened. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform. It seemed she was on the verge of tears.

Today, Ceria looked fragile. This must be the side of her she had been hiding. The strong, noble exterior concealing a weak core.

Yet, Ceria still managed to offer a faint smile. My gaze, which had been turned away, drifted toward Ceria.

“So, when I hear my mother insulted, I get angry. But now, it’s alright. Because Senior Ian is here…”

It felt like a lump had lodged in my heart at that simple sentence, rendering me momentarily speechless.

A person who has no issues doesn’t cry. They don’t choke up. They don’t wipe away tears with their sleeves while trying to fight their emotions.

Neither do they put on a brave front or force a smile. So how could she say she was alright?

A plethora of questions swirled in my mind, but ultimately only one word managed to escape my lips.

“…You’re not okay.”

Ceria looked a bit flustered, her eyes still glistening with moisture. Then, she offered me a weak smile.

“I’m really fine, Senior Ian. After all, I…”

“Not you.”

My words interrupted Ceria’s ensuing comment. Her bewildered gaze turned toward me. Seeing the tear streaks remaining on her face, I felt an overwhelming surge of emotion.

My hand fidgeted with the sword hanging at my waist. Could I really hold back?

The answer was clear.

Rough heat scraped my throat as the words spilled out.

“I said I’m not okay.”

With that sentence, my body shot forward. It was before Ceria could even respond. My eyes sank deep into the moment.

As I exited the forest and stepped onto the academy grounds, there were many pedestrians. I hurriedly grabbed anyone I could and inquired about someone’s whereabouts.

I had to find Tean from the Southern Kingdom.

He stood out so much that it wouldn’t be difficult to find out where he was. Passersby looked at me with bewildered expressions before readily revealing what they knew when they sensed my urgency.

He was behind one of the lecture buildings, idling with his gang in a secluded clearing.

Next to him sat a noble-looking man. He didn’t seem to be from the Southern Kingdom; he was likely someone hanging around with Tean.

“So that brat couldn’t even dodge a basic spell and fell…but it must have been quite a spectacle, right? Naturally, they must have spilled juice all over!”

“Of course! It must have been a bath water that commoners couldn’t even dream of!”

Hearing their laughter, I steadied my breath. I then strode over to them. Tean’s group, combined with the noble-looking man’s crew, numbered about seven.

It was a smaller group than usual, but understandably so, given that each had their own schedules. It was a relief for me.

At my sudden appearance, the group that had been snickering focused on me in an instant. Tean had a perplexed expression but soon laughed and rose.

He gave me a playful elbow nudge in the shoulder, the Southern Kingdom-style greeting.

“What brings the rising hero of the Academy here?”

“Ceria.”

Tean swallowed as he subtly averted his gaze. He couldn’t have been unaware of her name since it was the name of the person he bullied.

“From now on, don’t touch Ceria.”

“Well, that’s not a tough request between us….”

Tean dragged out the end of his sentence as if he were contemplating. His gaze swept across his friends. They watched our conversation with intrigue.

Especially, the man who had tripped Ceria with the Dig spell displayed a more blatant interest. He stood up slowly and approached me and Tean.

Tean cautiously glanced at his friends, then looked back at me with a slight smile.

“…But, you can’t just say that without any reward, can you?”

My brow furrowed slightly. It was then that the noble-looking man took over the conversation from Tean. He spoke with a sly smile.

“Well, if you’re a noble, you know how this goes, don’t you? There’s always something that must be exchanged for a request…”

I remained silent for a moment before asserting in a low voice.

“You will not touch Ceria from now on.”

At my confident words, the noble-looking man’s face brightened. He appeared delighted and began to chuckle.

“Just what kind of great price are you bringing… Huh?!!”

With a sharp crack, my fist collided with the man’s face. The sound of a drum echoed as his facial structure caved in momentarily.

Blood sprayed, and pieces of his bright white teeth glimmered as they caught the sunlight and scattered. It was a clean and unhesitant blow.

Tean, along with the person directly hit, couldn’t even react. Tean’s bewildered gaze was locked onto me, while the noble-looking man rolled on the ground with a ruined face.

The sound of crashing echoed as the man tumbled over and over. It was a dramatic sense of impact. The power of my punch, driven down like a bolt of lightning, was beyond what a mage-like him could withstand.

Everyone’s eyes, confused about the situation, turned toward me. Their expressions held only a faint trace of doubt.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but smile, much like Tean and the noble-looking man did before.

“If you don’t want to be hit by me, then you should do as I say.”

It was a statement heralding another battle’s beginning.

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