Love Letter From The Future

What is magic?

It was a question that could have many different answers depending on who you ask.

Scholars would say it is the primordial material that constitutes the world. Theologians would refer to it as the seed of power sown by the heavenly deity Arus at the dawn of time when the world was created, and mages would describe it as an infinite potentiality that holds the possibility of becoming all things through manipulation.

However, for swordsmen, the definition of magic was very simple.

Everything.

It was magic that interfered with physical strength, agility, the intensity and duration of an aura, and even the control of body and mind.

To add a bit more exaggeration, magic could truly be said to be everything to a swordsman. Every capability needed by a swordsman was linked to magic.

Of course, that didn’t mean magic was omnipotent.

No matter how much magic one possessed, it was useless if one didn’t know how to wield it properly. Moreover, the efficiency of magic varied dramatically depending on how one controlled it.

For example, think of pouring water into a container. Some might create a small stream to transfer the water without loss, while others might splash the water all at once to fill the container.

Both could achieve their goal. However, the efficiency of the former would undoubtedly be far superior.

The same went for magic. The efficiency of magic depended on how accurately one invested the precise amount needed in the necessary areas. Thus, swordsmen paid attention not only to the amount of magic but also to its control.

However, no matter how important control was, to use magic well, one first needed to have an adequate amount. This was an undeniable reality.

Therefore, swordsmen who were born with superior amounts of magic became objects of envy by nature. Even commoners with a significant amount of magic could marry into noble families, much like prized steeds.

Given that, it was natural for Tean to show me his pride. My amount of magic was below average.

To be more precise, I would fall into the upper ranks if taken as an average across the entire continent. But this was the Academy. Naturally, the standard for ‘average’ was different.

And even by the Academy’s standards, Tean had a considerable amount of magic. In terms of striking power and endurance, he held overwhelming advantages over me.

I was even feeling quite exhausted at this moment. Tean might have been aiming for this moment.

He was the one who took down seven of his buddies alone. If he defeated an opponent one-on-one, his dominance over the group would surely be strengthened.

He was undoubtedly clever. It was unfortunate news for me.

Thud, Tean’s massive body crashed down again. It was a straight line. Tean’s unique charging method, which did not sway left or right, unless concerning his target.

Through a few exchanges, I realized facing him head-on would be to my detriment.

Fortunately, Tean wasn’t particularly skilled in magic control. If I chose to confront him, I could endure a few blows. If my strike landed in a vital area, Tean, being human, would inevitably fall.

But in the end, it would only be a few hits. As time passed, it was evident that I, who was drained of magic, would grow increasingly exhausted and struggle more. In that case, it was better to evade rather than engage.

At least it was fortunate that he didn’t continue with the kind of strike that I first received from him.

Still lingering at the spot where I initially took Tean’s strike were the footprints concealed in the dust. A deeply indented trace.

It testified to the power behind Tean’s strikes. It was terrifying.

Tean’s sword came crashing down from above. Though it was still sheathed, given that frightening cutting power, allowing even a single hit would result in a critical strike.

My body twisted, anticipating that sword trajectory, narrowly avoiding the blow. Yet, it wasn’t over.

Tean, he wielded that massive sword like a fork. After a heavy downward slash, he immediately followed up with a horizontal cut without a hint of delay.

Naturally, I couldn’t evade that. I barely managed to lift my sword to dodge a fatal strike.

With a sound of thud, my body was flung into the sky. It felt similar to when I fought Ceria.

As I rolled on the ground, I thought about that. I could feel the grains of sand between my panting breaths. It was due to inhaling the dust.

Crazy bastard, I muttered a curse inwardly and quickly got my body up. However, instead of charging back at me immediately, Tean opted to whistle in admiration.

“Impressive, I-an. Your movements are truly extraordinary. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to hold on this well.”

“It’s not about holding on well. I’m thinking of landing a punch on your mouth later.”

At that, Tean chuckled. As if he’d heard something amusing.

“If so, let’s accept defeat like a man. A man from the Southern Kingdoms takes responsibility for the outcome of a fair fight.”

The audacity of a guy who only bullies from behind to talk about fairness. I bit my teeth, but I felt Tean had confidence in himself.

That’s how the Academy was. While talent can be gauged by human imagination to some extent, for a select few labeled as ‘geniuses,’ even that becomes impossible.

Such was truly a talent bestowed by the gods.

The Academy is where the continent’s talents gather. Those shining amidst the crowd had skills that were on a different level from the middle or lower ranks that fought amongst themselves.

For example, isn’t Ceria one of them?

When she draws her sword with the intent to smash an opponent, both Tean and I would struggle to last long. Otherwise, the chances of both of us losing our lives would be high, so we couldn’t allow that.

Tean was fully aware of his level. So, he was cleverly spreading subtle digs at her, while urging others along.

Did he deserve to pry into Ceria’s painful memories?

No one had that right. Especially not a guy like Tean.

What should I do?

Just a single strike would suffice. If I could land a counter, that would be enough. However, there was no time to ponder.

Tean was coming at me once more.

I tried to move and evade, but perhaps due to the impact I had received, my muscles creaked and wouldn’t obey. In the end, I raised my sword again to block.

Thud, thud, thud—consecutive strikes landed, and a stifled scream escaped my lips. Tean finally drew his sword horizontally.

Like a ball struck by a bat, my body bounced away.

Rolling on the ground, gasping for air and choking on dirt.

It was a sorry sight. I felt a bit of regret.

I reacted too emotionally. At first, my head was boiling with rage, and I couldn’t think at all, but now, I realized that I was stuck on how to deal with the aftermath.

I couldn’t use my arms. I needed to get up, but Tean wasn’t rushing in. He was merely walking slowly towards me.

“Back then.”

Gasping for breath, I staggered to rise. My questioning gaze turned to Tean.

He was still watching my movements intently, perhaps not letting his guard down.

“What did you do?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The day I initially battled that bastard.”

I wanted to answer, I don’t know, but filling my lungs with air was the priority. I glared at Tean in silence.

Tean tightened his grip on his great sword again as he approached me.

“It was an attack that couldn’t be avoided… yet somehow you dodged it. It was as if the space itself distorted.”

Crazy bastard, if that were possible, I’d be the top student at the Academy.

Manipulating time and space was among the highest forms of magic. Naturally, someone like me, an ordinary swordsman, couldn’t do that.

That was a level permitted only to a select few superhumans known as ‘masters,’ who could distort the laws of the world based on their mind.

However, evade.

That thought somehow got lodged deeply in my mind. A ticklish feeling as if something would come to me.

And ‘foot,’ ‘foot.’

My eyes fixed on a particular spot in the dusty clearing. In the next moment, Tean’s sword swung again.

I rolled with all my might. A thud echoed from the spot I had just vacated. Tean shouted.

“You’ll get tired quickly at this rate… I-an!”

“Shut up!”

I responded and took flight once more. Tean drew his sword in a straightforward manner, appearing to consider nothing else.

Yes, I could finally sense some ease in Tean’s voice. So, I rolled on the ground, staggered to my feet, and created some distance from him.

Tean looked at me with a relaxed expression. He also realized that I had reached my limit.

Panting heavily, my breath now made even wielding my sword cumbersome. I placed my sword back at my waist.

That meant I had decided to focus on evasion. Tean seemed to find that rather amusing.

“Are you planning to try and replicate that dodge from before? Sure, sure… I’ll enjoy the show. Okay?!”

And without even considering a counterattack, Tean rushed at me. A straightforward leap, his sturdy legs hit the ground first.

And then, it happened. His posture wobbled.

A crack sound resonated as his ankle twisted. Oh? Tean looked down at his feet.

Covered in dust, it was hard to see, but there lay an indented mark.

The footprint from when I first received Tean’s strike.

It was shallow. Nevertheless, there was a clear elevation difference compared to the surroundings. And when a massive body like Tean moved, it generated corresponding momentum.

Just a little bit of wobbling would be good enough. That alone could bring him down.

Yet, Tean was no easy opponent. Even in the pain of his twisted ankle, he gritted his teeth and attempted to drive down his sword. In doing so, he was trying to regain his balance.

So, didn’t he abandon his sword then?

My body barely ducked just in time to escape Tean’s sword strike. The bloodshot eyes of Tean grazed past me, reflecting that he wouldn’t allow this to end.

It was a splendid intuition. My handaxe shot out from my waist like lightning.

Thud. The crisp sound of impact rang out as my handaxe slammed into Tean’s jaw.

His already faltering stance crumbled further. Added to the weight of his body and the momentum of his charge, my handaxe rattled Tean’s brain.

Even so, Tean tried to endure. It was monstrous resilience. He stood firmly on both feet. At that moment, I threw myself at him with all my might.

Tean finally rolled on the ground. His brain had shaken, and as he tumbled on the earth, he must have been completely dazed.

However, I had rolled far too many times and was accustomed to it already. The moment Tean looked up, breathing heavily, with a bewildered gaze towards me.

I was already poised with my handaxe, ready to strike down upon Tean’s face.

Thud, thud, thud, thud. One after another, my handaxe cracked against Tean’s face, with blood spurting out each time.

Though it wasn’t sharpened, the handaxe, being short, swung with a speed incomparable to that of a sword. This was also why I had abandoned my sword as a means to counterattack against Tean.

No matter how great a swordsman was, Tean still lacked experience. It was inevitable that he wouldn’t know how to respond to weaponry other than swords.

My handaxe struck Tean’s head multiple times, causing him to turn his head repeatedly in an effort to regain consciousness. But it was not possible.

With a crack.

The tip of the handaxe struck deeply into his temple. That was the end.

Had Tean’s resilience been any less, he might have met his end right there. However, the resilience enhanced by magic was beyond imagination, so he would probably withstand it.

Tean’s head dropped, having lost consciousness. His face was already covered in numerous bruises.

Tomorrow will be entertaining to see, I thought as I rose to my feet. Fatigue washed over me.

I swayed and tilted my body. I wanted to collapse right there. But I couldn’t do that.

As I attempted to hang my handaxe back on my belt, I heard someone shouting.

“I, I am Lupin, the proud third son of the Rianella Duchy of the Empire!”

I cast a glance over my shoulder. There, a noble-looking man who had regained his senses was pointing at me with a quivering hand.

He pretended to be tough, but I felt it. His eyes were filled with fear. He hadn’t even properly cleaned the blood he had splattered while striking Tean.

With bloodstains still marking his hair and face, it was only natural for a noble brat to be terrified.

“Dare you touch me?! If you kneel and beg for mercy right now…”

“Hey.”

The man who introduced himself as ‘Lupin’ flinched at my quiet call and looked at me with fearful eyes.

His pupils trembled as he met my gaze. Instead of answering, I threw the handaxe.

Whack! It narrowly zipped past Lupin’s head and embedded itself in the ground. Lupin yelped and hastily scampered away.

It was a throw nearing acrobatics. I didn’t even know when I had acquired such skill, but it didn’t matter at this moment.

I was tired and wanted to go home. So I trudged past Lupin.

And I retrieved the handaxe stuck in the ground. Lupin now wore a pained expression.

“Is that how the third son of the Duchy speaks when he wants to get beaten these days?”

“Hah, hah…”

Lupin merely gasped for breath. Soon, he looked like he might cry. I leaned in and whispered in his ear one last time.

“There won’t be a next time. Understand today? I’m a madman.”

Lupin nodded vigorously. I patted his shoulder and straightened up from the bent position I had taken to whisper in his ear.

In the clearing, only seven moaning bodies and one man trembling in fear remained.

It continued like that until someone discovered the scene.

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