1. The First Letter (17)
There was silence for a while. I couldn’t understand Seria’s intentions.
Are you angry? It was like drawing her into my personal fight. Seria and Emma are not related.
Or maybe it was just a simple question. If it was Seria, the possibility was sufficient. She was indifferent to most things except for the sword, and was even more clumsy when it came to things related to human relations.
There was no clear answer, so I hesitated for a moment, averting my gaze. But in the end, what came out of my mouth was an honest feeling without any pretense.
“… … I do not know either.”
Those words that came out with a sigh, that was my true intention.
I honestly didn’t know. Why did I become so obsessed with letters from the future?
It could be a sense of duty or a sense of responsibility. However, pure emotion did not exist in all motives. Perhaps, from the moment I heard the news of Emma’s collapse, I hadn’t even known that I was dominated by those feelings.
Guilt, and even anger.
The only atonement ritual that can wash away my guilt toward the enemy who hurt Emma.
It was revenge.
Of course, it was a foolish decision. There was no guarantee that Emma would rise again even if she killed the monster that came out of the forest.
It would be unknown if he offered a valuable sacrifice and received a miracle from the god Arus. But neither Emma, nor her father, nor I could afford that.
I knew. It’s just that it’s a meaningless feeling.
But how can you pretend not to know? If only he had been a little more stern about not being able to stop Emma, not being able to protect her, or at least the contents of the letter.
If so, maybe it would have been less. But the scene of that day was still vivid in my mind.
The image of a crying countryman, Emma’s father screamed as if his last hope had been ripped off. That memory overlapped with the kind smile Emma always had.
It would be a lie if I said it wasn’t painful. No, even now, the truth is painful. My heart ached and a heavy feeling of guilt seemed to quietly press down on my lungs.
I quietly chewed my lips and took a sip of water from the canteen. There was only a little water left in the canteen.
“But it is true that we came all the way to find the Witchbeast. If we attack the students again, there could be casualties.”
“Is that why you chose me?”
Another question thrown while looking at me blankly.
It was probably the question Seria really wanted to ask. Confident, yet arrogant
Seria was a skilled swordsman. That’s why it would be a great power when dealing with the demons. At best, she would be better than Celine, who was on the same level as me.
Since the word ‘friend’ is unfamiliar, I doubt once more and derive a possibility.
That was also a virtue to her who would later rise to a high position. But today, it was a vain doubt.
I smiled bitterly and shook my head. My plan was not to assume a battle.
“It can’t be, I know the subject. It’s dangerous to deal with witch beasts with my skills right now. Of course, I have no intention of forcing you to take any risks.”
If that was the case, I would have explained my plan to Seria beforehand and politely asked for their understanding. No matter how skilled a swordsman is, dealing with a witch beast is a matter of risking one’s life.
The opponents were monsters united by hostility to humanity. It was only natural that he would lose his life if he twisted.
However, Seria was still a bit hesitant. She parted her lips with difficulty.
“… … But, I just didn’t know.”
“I want to kill the Witchbeast.”
I said that and got up. It was time to take a quick break. When I brushed off the hem of my pants with a thud, the seeds that were like cotton fluffed up.
“But what you want to do and what you can do are different. A guy like me has to distinguish between those things, because he has to survive.”
Seria’s face was still questionable despite my answer. She closed her eyes for a moment and pondered, then asked me.
“Is it because they are friends?”
I didn’t ask what. It seemed relatively clear who he was asking about.
As for Emma, her presence was indispensable to explain why I was obsessed with the beast in the forest.
Seria was looking for the cause of my feelings in her. Of course, my case was a bit more complicated.
What if there is a love letter from the future, Emma was attacked exactly as it was stated in the letter, and the next attack is scheduled for today’s practice?
I had no intention of regretting it again. I’m tired of sitting in a daze in front of a seriously injured friend’s hospital bed.
I couldn’t explain all of that long story to Seria. If she listened to me, she might conclude that I had lost my mind, just like Letona and Celine.
So, I just asked Seria.
“What do you think?”
“… … ?”
At the returned question, Seria stared at me without saying anything, as if she was a little surprised.
Her eyes asked what she meant, so I smiled and asked her again.
“How would you feel if I was attacked by a Witchbeast? And if you are seriously injured and are doing it today and tomorrow.”
It was only then that Seria realized what I meant, and with a voice of ah, she fell into agony.
She tilted her head this way and that way with her eyes closed. It was a cute side that I hadn’t shown until now. You’ve probably never been so deeply troubled in front of me.
It was such a difficult problem. Seria was lost in thought for a long time,
“… … A little bit angry.”
I left an answer that made me happy. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were calm and cold.
Those eyes took the place of the answer. As if I knew it, I patted her on the shoulder as I walked.
“Yes, that means we are friends.”
“Between friends… … .”
Seria gave a blank look as if she realized it only then. The word ‘between friends’ was repeated over and over again in her mouth.
It was the first proof that she was a friend. Feelings could be new.
Of course, you’ll get used to it in the future, because she was an outstanding woman regardless of her appearance, abilities, or background. As long as she developed social skills, people who wanted to be friends with her would line up.
I watched Seria like that for a while, then slightly turned my eyes and looked around.
The forest was still silent. It was still midday, so I couldn’t even hear the cries of grasshoppers. It was a sight enough to cast doubt on the content of the letter that the monster was attacking.
Are the raids really coming?
Maybe I overreacted too much. Even so, a letter from seven years in the future is a joke.
Emma’s case might have been nothing more than a mere coincidence.
As the hunting festival approaches, the number of monsters appearing in the forest increases. The possibility that one of them had bad luck attacked Emma could not be ruled out.
Rather, there was a cowardly side of me that was hoping for that.
I was at best the second son of a country viscount. The background and skills were different. Talking about the end of the world and how my friend got hurt because I didn’t tell her the contents of the letter in advance was so heavy and painful.
But one more thing, I was waiting for the monster’s attack with my senses on edge.
It was not the realm of logic, rationality, or reason. Animal intuition was speaking to me. You shouldn’t ignore the letter, and that’s why Emma collapsed like that.
It soon became clear which of the two was right.
A very small sign of rustling.
It was a subtle echo that I could feel because I was on high alert, in addition to the heightened senses after losing my memory. But the moment I sensed that sound, my heart started beating like crazy.
are aiming It was a movement that was visible because he had already noticed the existence of Seria and me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to walk so holding my breath.
Still muttering the word ‘friend’, I stabbed Seria’s side, who was smiling lightly.
Cook, my fingers dug into her soft skin. Seria looked at me in amazement, but as soon as I put my index finger on my philtrum, I immediately shut up.
Her eyes deepened. With her eyes closed, her face, which had spread a feeling of excitement, grew darker and darker.
“So far, there are no indications… no, one? two? four?”
As her voice continued word after word, the number she put into her mouth increased. I felt goosebumps when I heard those words.
Not one. It’s a monster, but it was acting as a group.
So, he must have made a big plan to attack the academy students. There are several of them, and in today’s exercise, students move in pairs.
No matter how preoccupied, Seria was Seria. Even she was confused about its existence at first, so most of the students participating in today’s practice wouldn’t even notice the demon’s existence.
I didn’t even have to think about what the ending would be.
bloodshed Seria must have made the same decision as me, lowering her voice and moving her hand with the sword at her waist.
“Senior Ian, shall we go first?”
It was a very reasonable proposal. The enemies were aware of our presence, but not realizing that we had noticed them.
In the case of a fight, the one who attacked first had an unconditional advantage. Even without that, the forest was an unfavorable battlefield. I had to do anything to tip the pendulum of victory or defeat even a little.
Seria had a record of participating in the subjugation of monsters several times. Her judgment was correct.
However, under the premise that the goal is to subdue the monsters.
I shook my head.
“No, you don’t have to. The number of enemies is too many. Even you can get hurt.”
Seria, who was about to run away at any moment, hesitated. Her puzzled gaze turned to me.
“But then how… … .”
“It should bounce.”
It was an answer without the slightest hesitation.
So, Seria looked at me with an even more stupid gaze. It was an absurd expression that only those who heard the options they hadn’t even considered.
However, it was a very rational decision for me.
Where is the need to take risks? I immediately convinced Seria.
“I told you there is no need to take risks, there is no reason why we should deal with those witches. We are still far from the Witchbeast, so we can run quickly and inform Professor Derek.”
Then it’s over. After that, Professor Derek will step in, and the legendary beast hunter will show off his true skills and slash the beasts’ necks.
The risk was low, and the effect was certain. There was no reason not to choose these options.
Seria seemed to think that my proposal was right in her heart. She pursed her lips as if to retort, but then closed them tightly.
I just mumbled with my eyes that couldn’t completely get rid of the hesitation.
“However… … .”
“Seria, this is not the time to take care of your pride.”
Running away was a disgraceful thing for a swordsman regardless of age or region. But what can I do? I couldn’t trade my pride for my life. This was also common sense.
Seria couldn’t shake off the hesitation easily. But the moment I met my strong-willed eyes, she couldn’t help but nod.
No one should have been hurt. That was the only wish I had right now.
“… … All right.”
Although she was still shy, Seria seemed to have decided to follow me for now.
From far away, I felt the signs of the witch beasts approaching more and more. Seria and I started to run without killing the presence.
The magic beasts didn’t notice our movements for a while. However, at what point did they judge that the distance between them and us was too wide, and they started pursuing them in earnest.
However, we had already widened the distance with the Witchbeasts. No matter how fast the magic beasts were, the size of the forest was limited. If you keep running like this, Professor Derek will notice soon.
In the meantime, it was enough for me and Seria to act as decoys to prevent the Witchbeasts from attacking other students. With that, my plan is complete.
An incident in which no one gets hurt, worthy of being served as a side dish later.
It should have been.
“Ah, black… … !”
If Seria, who was running alongside me, hadn’t stopped with a light moan.
She grabbed her ankle. That part was somehow familiar. I immediately remembered what I had seen a few days ago.
Seria sprained her ankle and couldn’t even move properly.
My heart went cold.
No matter how much healing potion you treat, joint fatigue cannot be fully resolved. So dangerous, I’ve said many times.
Swear words almost came out in an instant, but Seria’s condition took precedence. I ran to her with urgent eyes.
Seria was groaning as she sat down. The pain he couldn’t hide was clearly visible on his face.
“Seria, are you okay?”
“First, big… Go first, senior Ian.”
When I heard that, I was stunned for a moment. what are you talking about now
When I said go ahead, I meant I couldn’t go any further. Willingness not to become a burden.
However, the problem was that if the injury was so severe that he could not run, he would have to give up mobility even in battle.
I didn’t even have to explain how unnatural movement was to my disadvantage. In that state, you’re dealing with not just one but several monsters?
It was impossible. It didn’t sound like dying. I cried out in tears.
“it’s crazy? No matter how much you can’t use your legs… … .”
“Because it is my fault.”
Seria’s answer back to me was overly calm. So I shut up.
Her eyes looked like she had given up. Even so, her hand fumbled with the handle of the sword at her waist as if she would not die easily.
“I have to take responsibility. You have that much shame, senior Ian.”
It sounded otherwise.
I warned you that using a healing potion would strain your ankle joints. However, it was Seria who ignored this and repeated unreasonable training.
She was already a swordsman. Of course, he had to take responsibility for what he had done. That’s right, I couldn’t leave her at all.
No, is it really her responsibility?
After all, wasn’t it me who drew her in?
Mogol became soft. Emma and her father passed before my eyes. regret and guilt.
and vengeance.
Like a spark of fire, the flames of emotion engulfed the remorse-stained memories. I was desperate Didn’t he come out with a sword, saying he would not regret it again?
My eyes quietly stared straight ahead.
It was felt. was gradually approaching.
There was no time now.
“Seria, can you walk?”
“If you put on a splint, somehow… So don’t worry too much… … .”
“Go first.”
At my subdued voice, Seria was speechless. As if she had heard it wrong, she asked, frowning slightly.
“… … yes?”
“Go first, I’ll be the bait.”
But I’ve already made up my mind. There was no shaking in my voice. I just caught my breath and guessed the existence of the monsters approaching from afar.
Seria, who had been staring blankly at me for a moment, immediately shook her head. It meant you couldn’t. Her voice became urgent.
“It can’t be. It’s my fault! I will take responsibility… … .”
“Seria.”
I stood up and walked, facing the direction of the Witchbeasts approaching.
If you had to fight, you had to go first. It was the first time he had risked his life to fight. Still, my heart was strangely still.
It was unknown. Ever since I received that letter, everything has been a mess.
Who the hell was I while I lost my memory, why my senses were sharper, and why my heart was so calm before a life-or-death battle.
Leaving behind all those unanswerable questions, I slightly turned my head to look at Seria.
She was waiting for my answer, losing even the pain in her ankle. I decided to remember that blank expression forever.
“Normally friends don’t talk like that.”
With that said, I started running forward. The demons were approaching. I had to preoccupy the right position.
I heard Seria calling me from behind, but I ignored it. She would soon realize that it would be best to run away and inform Professor Derek of the situation.
Before fighting the monsters, I fumbled in my arms.
It was felt. The unique firm texture of the potion bottle.
I thought of Emma again. And her father, who had collapsed with a pale complexion.
The demons were approaching.