Love Letter From The Future

Early in the morning, my eyes opened by themselves. It was because my body remembered the time I usually woke up.

Assuming I hadn’t overindulged the night before, I would have been preparing to wash my face and get ready to go out. The morning schedule primarily consisted of training and lectures, which was the routine for most students in the Swordsmanship Department.

The body is like a precision machine. Without appropriate lubrication every morning, it couldn’t respond in a timely manner when needed.

This was common sense. So while not many students wielded their swords from dawn, there were quite a few who loosened their bodies by swinging their swords a little before breakfast.

This wasn’t just the routine of academy students; it was a common lifestyle shared by most swordsmen.

Unfortunately, it had already been several days since I skipped my morning training.

It wasn’t by choice. To put it another way, I wanted to train. Resting for a day or two was fine, but if I couldn’t move my body for several days like this, I began to feel sluggish.

My body, which had always been light, had become heavy all of a sudden. It’s an unpleasant sensation, especially for a swordsman.

A swordsman should be like a sword in itself. There should be no excess in body or mind. Yet now, my body wasn’t maintaining its optimal condition.

I had an overwhelming desire to get up and return to my daily life immediately. However, I couldn’t do that because of the bandages wrapped tightly around my body.

Every time I saw those clean, soft cloths, I was reminded that I was still an injured person. They were white now, but the bandages I saw when I first opened my eyes were a mess.

The sight of blood and pus dried up. That gruesome scene was more engraved in my mind than the throbbing pain I felt.

When the priests poured their divine power, the speed of wound recovery increased. The bleeding usually stopped then, too. However, the fact that blood and pus continued to ooze out even after I regained consciousness meant that the degree of injury was severe.

I almost died, didn’t I? As that realization struck me, my spirit was instantly dampened.

It was the time to quietly focus on recovery. No matter how much I wanted to return to my daily life, it was meaningless if my body didn’t heal properly. Rushing would only result in more harm for me.

So every morning when I opened my eyes, I either stared blankly out the window or idly flipped through a few books that Reto had handed me.

The titles were, at a glance, boring books. “History of the Empire” or “Introduction to Social Theory,” who reads this kind of stuff? It felt like peeling off a layer of the questions I always had whenever I saw them in the library.

It was undoubtedly someone like Reto. Even though he knew I disliked theoretical books, he left me with this kind of reading material. No matter how I thought about it, it felt malicious.

Unable to bear the boredom, I had read about ten pages of “History of the Empire” when I eventually couldn’t hold back and slammed the book shut. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to sleep a little longer.

It was around that time that I sensed a crack in my mundane life. Suddenly, I felt a presence outside the door. Shortly after, with a creak, the door opened.

Could it be Reto or Celin? Or perhaps it was Professor Andrei from the Theology Department, who was in charge of my treatment. However, the visitor who soon revealed herself was none other than her.

A majestic light radiated from her gray hair. Dark blue eyes, embodying the essence of stars adorned in the night sky, entered my field of vision.

Her complexion was stiff. Someone might mistake it for an unpleasant expression, but I knew better. That was the expression that appeared whenever she was nervous.

As evidence, even after entering the hospital room, she hesitated for a while, unsure of what to do. It was the same as always.

Come to think of it, this must be her first time visiting a friend in the hospital. I welcomed her with a wry smile.

“Welcome, Ceria.”

“Yes, uh, hello. Have you been… um, doing well?”

She was still chewing her tongue, just like usual. Her face turned slightly red, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at how adorable she looked.

I gestured towards the chair next to my bed. Ceria cautiously sat down.

“You came at a good time, Ceria. I was getting bored anyway.”

Saying that, I picked up the book I had just closed and waved it. It was a signal for her to look at the cover.

“I asked for some reading material, and they left me with this kind of book, those terrible guys.”

“Ah, I see…”

Even though my voice was calm and nonchalant, Ceria seemed awkward in this natural conversation, trailing off at the end of her words. Her eyes were searching for guidance.

It meant she felt the situation was strange and tense. Her reaction was anticipated, so I decided to take the lead in the conversation.

“How have you been? I wanted to hear some news, but I haven’t seen your face for a while.”

While my tone carried a teasing note, Ceria’s response was quite dramatic. She immediately waved her hands and began to fumble.

“Th-that’s not it… I made a big mistake, and I was wondering if Senior Ian might be mad at me…”

As she spoke, Ceria’s demeanor grew increasingly downcast. It seemed the mistake she made last time had hurt her pride.

The weight of guilt must have been weighing on her. Emotional wounds always fester in solitude. With no one to confide in and lacking the courage to speak with me, Ceria had been agonizing in front of the temple all day.

Wondering if it was okay to come see me, fearing I might be angry.

She had just become my first friend. It was a fair reason for her to feel uneasy. Even now, she was keenly watching for any signs from me.

At her clumsy demeanor, I couldn’t help but chuckle again. Ceria, glancing at me with a sullen expression, looked like a soaked puppy.

With just a little attention, she should be able to see that I wasn’t angry, but due to her lack of social skills, it seemed she wasn’t completely certain.

So, to put her at ease, I offered simple words.

“I’m not angry, Ceria.”

Upon hearing my words, her expression brightened immediately. She replied back in excitement.

“R-really…! Aah… is that really true?!”

She bit her tongue again in the meantime, but having grown accustomed to it, I didn’t feel the need to point it out. Ceria still seemed a bit shy, lowering her head and blushing.

“It’s not like I have any reason to be angry. I was the one who decided to let you go first, and I was also the one who decided to fight. Your only fault was listening to me well.”

“Even so, if I had paid attention to Senior Ian’s advice…”

“Mistakes are something everyone makes.”

At my nonchalant voice, Ceria’s mouth snapped shut. I continued speaking, as if it were nothing.

“Everyone makes silly mistakes once in a while in life. It’s during those times that friends are needed. When someone does something foolish, we scold and argue, but we ultimately work it out together.”

Thus, it was important to have a few friends to rely on. There are times when one cannot solve everything alone in life.

For instance, I had friends named Reto and Celina. I was always grateful that they were by my side. Having someone with whom joy and sorrow could be shared made life all the more enriching.

I hoped Ceria would find friends like that too. It didn’t have to be me. I just thought it would be nice if she had someone to support her whenever she got anxious.

Right now, she seemed unstable. It felt like a reasonable expectation for a senior to have for a junior they cared about.

“You were just the one who made an accidental mistake last time, and next time it could just as easily be me. So don’t worry about it; it all turned out fine anyway.”

And to be frank, I had no reason to be upset. That day, I had gained quite a bit while fighting the monsters.

When you think about it, the 70 gold I received as a reward was merely pocket change for me.

On that day, while I was engaged in a life-and-death battle with the monsters, I had been able to grow as a swordsman.

Whether it was in using aura, utilizing my senses, or even in my movements, I had improved.

It felt like an intuition. I was convinced that from that day onwards, my level as a swordsman was different from what it had been before.

The details of it would need to be reassessed once I gripped a sword again, but even so, the amount of magical power flowing through my veins already proved my growth.

There couldn’t be a more splendid achievement a swordsman could gather than this.

Of course, it was still on a level that couldn’t compare to Ceria. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that that day’s battle had become a precious opportunity for me.

So, I had all the more reason to be grateful to Ceria, not a single reason to be angry with her. That was why my attitude towards Ceria could only be gentle.

However, not knowing these underlying circumstances, Ceria seemed quite impressed by my attitude.

She stared at me with a dazed expression for a moment, then shook her head and regained her composure.

And then, as if she had made a resolution, she pulled something out of her pocket and held it out to me. It was a pouch filled with gold coins.

“U-um, Senior Ian…”

“Don’t tell me this is for the ‘price,’ right?”

Before she could finish her sentence, I looked at Ceria with a doubtful gaze.

Startled by my preemptive move, she shook her head vigorously in denial.

“N-no! I asked Professor Derek and got a reward in advance. For the monster subjugation… I heard it’s better to receive any money you should get as soon as possible.”

If that’s the case, fine. I accepted the pouch silently and counted the approximate amount of gold coins inside.

The pouch was surprisingly heavy. Just by looking at it, it seemed to contain over 70 gold coins.

I sighed deeply and then returned the pouch to her.

“Ceria, this is too much gold.”

At my words, Ceria’s eyes widened in surprise. It seemed she hadn’t expected I would notice.

But why wouldn’t I? While the subjugation reward might be pocket change for her, to someone like me, the second son of a rural baron, it was a fortune. There was no way I wouldn’t know the amount.

“The reward is 70 gold, right?”

“B-but…”

Ceria’s voice trailed off as she lowered her head, fumbling. I patiently waited for her to speak.

“…You saved my life.”

Hmm, I swallowed my breath and stared at Ceria. It was a whisper-like sound, but I could clearly hear it. Her voice trembled slightly.

From the blunt Ceria, it was a tone of voice that didn’t seem real, one that conveyed a deep sense of yearning.

“So, I wanted to offer something in return. I don’t think my life is cheap.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t accept it even more.”

I sighed and stated that firmly. And before Ceria could argue, I forcibly placed the pouch back into her hand.

The moment our hands touched, Ceria flinched and shivered. Her gaze went blank again.

She seemed to be a bit dazed today; I wondered if she was okay. However, I decided not to dwell too much on that point.

As I held the pouch in her hands, I wrapped my hands around hers. I was concerned she might drop it.

Ceria’s hands were soft and warm, far from what one would expect from someone who had trained as a swordsman her whole life.

“Your life isn’t cheap, right?”

“…Y-yes.”

Ceria nodded as if enchanted by my words. It was a strangely submissive reaction. Her face was gradually turning red.

It seemed she felt embarrassed to have her hand held. However, if I released her hand, she might unwarrantedly leave the pouch with me, so I decided to maintain this grip for a little longer.

“So, it’s not something that can be converted into money. A person’s life can’t be weighed against anything else… You are much more precious than you think, so cherish yourself.”

“C-cherish….”

With a reddened face, Ceria repeated my words. Was she really listening? I had my doubts, but given Ceria’s demeanor, which showed no signs of rebellion, I let go of her hand.

As soon as I did, Ceria let out a soft “ah.” But that was only for a moment, as she suddenly bowed her head deeply, as if she had snapped back to reality.

I wondered what made her so embarrassed, as her face was as red as could be, especially because her skin was so transparent.

She momentarily avoided eye contact, maintaining silence before suddenly standing up.

“W-well, I’ll take my leave now…”

“Are you leaving already?”

Just having exchanged a bit of conversation, it felt disappointing to hear she was already planning to leave. I had no choice but to ask that question, knowing I would be stuck alone with my boredom again. However, Ceria’s attitude was rather firm.

“Yes… W-well, my morning training isn’t finished yet…”

I expressed my disappointment, but since that was her intention, there was nothing I could do. After all, she must have her own schedule.

Just as I was about to say goodbye to her, that was when it happened.

“Ian! Good morning… Ah.”

With a lively voice, a girl with black hair suddenly popped into view beyond the door. Celin, a lovely girl with caramel-colored eyes, was beaming with a smile.

She greeted me as she entered, but as soon as she spotted Ceria, her expression froze.

Ceria was just as startled. Maybe because of Celin’s sudden appearance, she flinched and stiffened.

A moment of silence ensued. Celin stared at Ceria silently, while Ceria fumbled, avoiding Celin’s gaze. It was an undeniably awkward situation for Ceria.

Should I step in? As that thought crossed my mind, Ceria seemed to muster her courage and tried to say something.

“I-I owe you a huge favor…”

However, before she could finish that sentence.

With a swift motion, Celin brushed past Ceria without acknowledging her presence.

It was an attitude that seemed to reject even recognizing Ceria’s existence, an incredibly rude reaction that left me wide-eyed.

Ceria immediately looked crushed. Although others might not have noticed, I could tell: Ceria was hurt inside by what had just transpired.

Yet, Celin didn’t care about how Ceria felt. She merely smiled brightly and greeted me as if nothing had happened.

“Hello, Ian! How was last night?”

I frowned slightly. Naturally, my reaction to such a greeting was not good. Even if it was her first time meeting Ceria, there was no way I’d be comfortable with the blatant disregard for my acquaintance.

Thus, my voice naturally took on a scolding tone directed at Celin.

“Celin, you can’t just…”

“Alright! Forget about that rude girl; how about you? Were you kept awake thinking about me last night, our Ian?”

However, Celin continued, undeterred, playfully poking me with her finger, acting as if nothing had happened.

An unspoken pressure telling me not to ask more.

In the end, I sighed and reluctantly played along with her antics, but at that moment, I sensed something was off.

The subtle power struggle between Celin and Ceria. In fact, it might be an even more serious issue than that.

I remembered what Reto had told me a while back.

“The world of women is far murkier than you think.”

Those words lingered in my mind.

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