Love Letter From The Future

The corridor of the temple was silent. The only people bustling about were the temple clergy and the families of patients. Otherwise, it was mostly people like me who had been discharged.

There was no reason for it to be particularly noisy. Friends or relatives who came to greet discharged patients might have caused a bit of a commotion, but fundamentally, the temple required silence.

It was typical to share a reunion once one left the temple, provided one had any common sense.

I had completed the discharge process; however, there was no one here to greet me.

It was because Celin had left.

Compared to the duel with Seria or the monster subjugation, my injuries were relatively minor. Therefore, I was supposed to undergo the discharge process today, and upon hearing that news, Celin had come to see me.

But as it ended so abruptly, it seemed a cold atmosphere would linger between Celin and me for a while.

Thinking of her made my head spin again. I scratched my head.

Celin had pleaded with me up until the end, as if she were aggrieved.

“I just talked behind her back a little. Everyone does that! I never said to bully her; I merely mentioned that she was a bit unlucky!”

“That might have been the trigger…”

“Then how many people do you think would get bullied at the academy every day?”

At Celin’s icy voice, I could only turn my head and clear my throat. Celin was still gnashing her teeth in anger.

Such was the reality of the world of women; gossiping was commonplace. This was something I couldn’t comprehend.

“If she was isolated because she had no friends, that’s her fault! She’s been like that for a long time, but who’s been so blatant in bullying her? Does it even make sense for low-ranking nobles to poke into the Yuridina Clan’s family matters?”

“…Then?”

“Of course, it must be a high-ranking noble behind it, you idiot!”

Celin seemed so frustrated that she was stamping her feet. Thus, it appeared that she wasn’t the main instigator.

Nevertheless, I could only let out a deep sigh. Even if there was a separate perpetrator, Celin’s actions could not be justified.

“…But it’s true that Seria’s image was damaged.”

At those words, Celin firmly shut her mouth. She turned her head away as if she didn’t want to respond.

“Even without that, she’s a kid who is already misunderstood and hated; do you really want to contribute to that?”

Hmph, Celin scoffed. However, given her crossed arms and averted gaze, it seemed she felt some regret.

But it wasn’t too late yet. It wasn’t as if I had brought up family matters, nor had I actively participated in bullying her.

She merely talked behind her back and tarnished Seria’s image. Though it was a significant wrongdoing, it wasn’t an unforgivable crime.

Considering Seria’s already lonely and sensitive nature, there was a good chance she would accept an honest apology if Celin opened her heart unexpectedly. She would also need friends her own age.

Imagining this beautiful future in my mind, I gently urged Celin.

“Celin, let’s apologize to Seria.”

Celin remained silent. She sharply turned her head.

But I knew. She was wavering. My tone softened further to avoid touching her pride.

“Seria is actually quite a nice girl. If you get closer now…”

“…Absolutely not. I refuse.”

A resolute, cold voice.

At the unexpected reaction, my voice trailed off. I couldn’t comprehend why Celin disliked Seria so much and stared at her with puzzled eyes.

Celin, trembling with rage, pointed accusingly at me as she approached.

“Would you, if you were my brother, become friends with a girl who shoots arrows at the game I’ve marked?!”

“…What?”

“Ugh, seriously!”

As Celin made an unexpected comparison, I shot her a dumbfounded look, and Celin burst out, brimming with annoyance.

Was that a unique analogy from the Haster Clan? Considering that the Haster Clan had roots as a famous hunting family, it seemed like a reasonable assumption.

Celin looked so furious that she tried to leave the hospital room. I attempted to call her back.

“Where do you think you’re going, Cel…”

“I don’t know, don’t follow me!”

Before I could finish, her fierce shout silenced me.

It seemed that Celin was quite angry. In such cases, the best strategy was to wait in silence until the anger subsided.

Celin slammed the door to the hospital room and left roughly, yet for some unknown reason, she peeked her head back in one last time.

She warned me once more.

“I told you not to follow me!”

“…? Sure, I wasn’t planning to.”

Since I had no intention of doing so in the first place, my response was immediate.

However, my reply seemed to infuriate Celin even more, and she shouted at me.

“…Get lost, you idiot!”

And with that, Celin left. I still couldn’t grasp why she was so angry at the end.

I only recalled Reto’s words. That a woman’s heart is like a well, and the things inside appear distorted.

So while I could vaguely infer the scenery inside, it wasn’t the actual state of reality, as Reto had told me.

In other words, it meant that a woman’s heart was impossible to understand.

I decided to give up on understanding Celin’s feelings and finished my lonely discharge process. As I walked out, I felt miserable.

My steps came to a halt in front of a certain hospital room.

This was the Intensive Care Room. The place where critically ill patients stayed, a place I had been in several times myself. Particularly recently.

And here was one of my friends who was hospitalized.

After a moment of hesitation, I eventually steeled myself and opened the door to the room. Gently opening the door, I saw a girl lying there with a pale complexion.

She was a girl with striking red hair. Her skin was so fair that it was hard to believe she came from humble origins, and her eyelids usually wore a kind and gentle curve.

But now, she was merely a corpse, clinging to the breath of life.

A middle-aged man who had been dozing in a chair that doubled as a bed woke up abruptly at the sound of my entrance.

And upon seeing me, he was startled and immediately tried to prostrate himself on the ground.

“Oh dear, young master…”

“No, no, please don’t do that, Father.”

It was an already familiar address. I naturally stopped him and looked down silently at the face of the girl lying on the bed.

Her name, the girl soundly sleeping there, was Emma.

A third-year student from the Alchemy Department, and the burly man standing guard by her side was her father.

How such a beautiful daughter could come from a father looking like a mountain man was still a mystery.

I engaged in small talk with Emma’s father. Various topics came up.

How kind-hearted Emma had been, how much her friends loved her, and what had been happening at the academy recently.

With every word spoken, tears welled in Emma’s father’s eyes. He must have been proud of his daughter while also pained by her not being able to come to her senses.

Carefully, I inquired about Emma’s condition.

“How is Emma doing these days…?”

“They say she isn’t in danger of dying.”

That was a relief, but the man’s voice was heavy and somber.

From that statement, I could instantly guess Emma’s state.

While she wasn’t in immediate danger, there had been no improvement.

In a state where it was uncertain when she might regain consciousness, it felt akin to a death sentence.

No matter how thoroughly the academy took responsibility for the incident that occurred while attending, it wouldn’t be feasible to leave a hospital bed vacant indefinitely.

In a few years at most, the academy would request Emma to vacate her room.

At that point, Emma would no longer be able to sustain her life. Her father, a mere herbalist, could never afford the treatment costs required for intensive care at the temple.

A prolonged death — that might be the extent of it. I felt my tongue drying up.

Emma’s father smiled a sad smile.

“If only I had a little more ability…”

“It’s not your fault, Father.”

As his voice began to quiver with emotion, I could only return the predictable words of comfort.

When a few exchanges had passed, Emma’s father suddenly bowed his head to me as if recalling something.

“Speaking of which, I heard that you dealt with the monster that attacked Emma…”

I was taken aback by his gratitude and hastily waved my hands. After all, I shared some responsibility for the incident in which Emma was attacked. It wasn’t something to be grateful for.

It was merely an act of self-justification on my part. A perplexed voice escaped my lips.

“No, no. It was just that it attacked me…”

It spat out the bloodied remnants of Emma’s clothes.

“…I couldn’t bear it,” I was about to say, but I kept my mouth shut.

Friends could joke around with such conversations. It was how those who lived with the burden of death coped. Someday, Reto, Celin, and even I might meet death.

That’s why we even share tragedies with laughter and stories, almost as if it were trivial, but that was a common courtesy meant only for those ready to face death.

Emma’s father was a herbalist. It was bound to be impossible to share stories that would remind him of the situation in which Emma was attacked.

Thus, I had no choice but to leave a brief excuse.

“…I only fought back because it attacked me. It just ended up that way; I wasn’t actively seeking revenge. There’s nothing to thank me for.”

Despite that, Emma’s father kept his head bowed. He continued expressing his gratitude, saying multiple times that he was thankful.

“Nevertheless, it’s true that this inadequate son of mine has received a favor. Oh dear, I feel like I should give you something…”

“It’s fine. Once again, I assure you, there’s nothing to thank me for.”

After several appeals on my part, Emma’s father finally relented some minutes later.

He sighed and let out his voice, heavy with oppression.

“You truly are mature for your age.”

I wore a bitter smile at those words. Mature? I still felt like nothing but a child.

Nevertheless, regardless of how I felt, he continued to lay out his assessment of me. His voice dripped with melancholy and nostalgia.

“Emma was always like that too. From a young age, when problems arose, she would try to solve them all on her own. And she wouldn’t expect any compensation, acting as if it were the most natural thing.”

“…I see.”

Looking back, Emma indeed seemed like that kind of person.

Whenever she would ask for a helping hand, even with a few admonitions, she would ultimately provide assistance.

When she did so, she truly appeared to be grown-up. Unlike me, unable to properly comfort the father of a friend who might lose their child.

Yet the man’s next words sent a chill through me.

“Don’t live like that, young master.”

“…What?”

Startled, I turned from my gaze directed down. There stood the humble man, looking at me earnestly.

His eyes were filled with sincerity.

“You mustn’t live like that. When you face difficulties, share them, and confide your secrets with trustworthy friends. Only then, only then, if something happens…”

Once again, moisture returned to the humble man’s voice. His head drooped heavily. Tears began to fall. Now, it was silent weeping.

“The people around you won’t be as miserable…”

Ironically, that advice held a certain relevance to my current situation.

So I couldn’t respond carelessly. It wouldn’t be polite to counter kind advice with empty words.

Nonetheless, I pondered for a long time. After a lengthy silence, my response came out short and earnest.

“…I will take it to heart.”

Today, the few papers tucked in my pocket felt heavy.

They were love letters from the future. Those letters posed my greatest concern and dilemma at this very moment, and I found myself chewing my lips in anguish.

The issue at hand was singular: to protect the future inscribed in this letter and prevent any further loss of life.

To do that, I would need at least one comrade with whom to share secrets.

*

And the next day, I found that my problems had multiplied.

Seria had become a bit strange.

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