Love Letter From The Future - Ch. 307
Thus, I silently listened to Seria’s story.
I could guess why she had been reluctant to speak until now.
‘You’re just a burden because you’re not skilled enough.’
That’s what she had been told by ‘me’ from the future and, despite her best efforts to overturn that evaluation, she ultimately failed.
It was a story she couldn’t help but hesitate to reveal.
Because doing so would mean admitting to that judgement herself.
That must have been deeply distressing and difficult for her. I deeply empathised with Seria’s feelings.
There was a time when I, too, was nothing more than an average student.
Self-deprecation and self-torment were all too familiar processes for me as well.
So, I didn’t hastily offer words of comfort to Seria.
At a time like this, a single careless word could leave a deep scar on her heart.
I needed to choose my words as carefully as possible.
However, one question suddenly came to my mind, so I asked her.
“…Then what about Celine?”
“Ah, Miss Haster.”
At that, as if troubled, Seria gave a bitter smile.
Her head drooped deeply once again.
“She went through a lot because of me. Because I was so stubborn, even Miss Haster ended up getting on that person’s bad side… She didn’t get beaten like I did, but he made her train non-stop all day.
“Training?”
“He made her wield a strange weapon instead of a sword. What was it… a battle axe?”
A Battle axe?
It wasn’t a weapon typically suited for a slender woman. It was an equipment that even a muscular giant would barely manage to lift with both hands.
Given the differences in physical constitution, it was naturally even more difficult for a woman to handle. One had to reach at least the level where they could use aura.
This is where the issue arises.
Being able to use aura indicates a certain level of mastery over a weapon has already been achieved.
Even by the academy’s standards, one would have been handling such a weapon for over ten years.
And abandoning a weapon one grew familiar with made little sense. Moreover, the battle axe’s weight made training with it especially taxing.
That’s why it was rare to find women who could handle a battle axe.
As far as I knew, there wasn’t a single one in the academy.
Perhaps because of that, Seria looked visibly apologetic toward Celine.
She called it ‘training’ but, in reality, it must have been closer to ‘torture.’ No matter how much mana one had, transitioning to a two-handed weapon involved an extremely grueling process.
From building the basic physical strength to learning how to grip and swing the weapon.
The battle axe was vastly different from a sword.
Starting from scratch would have caused immense mental strain as well.
Only then did I understand why Celine had flinched and stiffened upon seeing me.
Though perhaps not to Seria’s extent, it seemed she, too, had been undergoing rigorous training.
In the end I crossed my arms and fell into deep thought.
The ‘me’ from the future never acts without reason.
If he had assaulted Seria and trained Celine, there must have been a significant reason for it.
At the present, there was only one most plausible possibility.
That the enemy we were about to face was just that dangerous and formidable.
So much so that neither Celine, nor even Seria, who had reached the level of an Expert, would be of any help.
That’s why I couldn’t help but struggle with this internal conflict.
In my heart, I wanted to encourage Seria and tell her she was welcome to follow me as much as she wished.
Self-depreciation was something that burrows into the mind like a worm gnawing at fruit.
If it could help her shake off that painful feeling, I was more than willing to bring Seria along.
But if it was a matter of life and death, that was a different story.
No matter how emotionally taxing it was for her, it was still better than losing her life.
It was a judgement made by a cold-hearted person who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed—a decision likely more accurate than one made by someone like me, who was always swayed by emotions.
After agonising over it for a while, I cautiously opened my mouth.
“……Seria, do you really need to come along?”
At my words, she immediately became sullen.
Seeing her like that made my own heart ache.
But there was no helping it.
Were Seria to lose her life, no tragedy would be greater. I might never be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life.
That was something I wished to avoid at all costs.
Seria was a precious junior to me.
I didn’t want to lose her in such a senseless way.
I continued to persuade her in a soothing manner.
“As you know, risking your life isn’t something to take lightly… There will be other chances. Honestly, I don’t even know where I need to go yet, so you could spend that time training instead…”
“…Why is it only I that can’t go?”
At Seria’s retort, I momentarily fell silent.
Because I couldn’t grasp the intent of her question.
My eyes, filled with confusion, gazed at Seria.
Of course, it wasn’t just Seria whom I wasn’t taking along.
Even Celine was about to be excluded from the list, and anyone else lacking in skill wouldn’t be permitted to join. It was a natural course of action, since we had to face a dangerous enemy.
Seria surely knew this.
Yet she voiced a complaint.
That meant there was still something I didn’t know yet.
And the words Seria uttered next confirmed my suspicion without fail.
“He went to see Her Highness, the Princess separately and asked her to accompany him…”
‘Her Highness, the Princess?’
Hearing that title, I felt my thoughts tangle for a moment.
Could she possibly be talking about that crybaby, that clueless brat?
No matter how much of a top student she was in the Magic Department, a first-year was still a first-year. Objectively, when compared to Seria, her skills were even somewhat lacking.
So I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
“Her Highness the Princess? Did Her Highness Iris transfer here without me knowing…?”
“I mean Her Highness Cien.”
Her words pierced my ears as I was shaking my head.
At that clear assertion, I had no choice but to close my mouth.
My gaze, filled with disbelief, turned toward Seria.
Then she emphasised to me once more.
“That guy, he asked Her Highness Cien to accompany him.”
It seemed I needed to hear the details.
**
That day, too, the man had an extremely weary look in his eyes.
Even his gait carried a subtle sense of menace—a sharp impression, as if approaching him would result in getting cut.
Naturally, no one dared to.
Even without this, the man’s notorious reputation was unparalleled within the academy. After all, he was someone who had once struck even a princess with a hatchet.
In fact, it was rare to find anyone at the academy who didn’t pay attention to his mood.
After all, avoiding a mad dog was the best course of action.
Moreover, no one had any desire to mess with someone who looked visibly fed up.
Only murmurs speculating about his destination could be heard.
Regardless of that, the man simply continued walking.
As if the gazes of the crowd meant nothing to him.
As the man continued walking without pause, he stopped when his eyes met those of a young girl.
The pure white cloak indicated her year.
A first-year student—a newcomer who had just entered the academy.
She was a beauty with striking dark blue hair, reminiscent of the night sky. Having just reached adulthood, she still retained a youthful charm, but with time, her beauty would surely shine even more.
At least, the man already knew that future.
Because the girl’s true identity was the Empire’s Fifth Princess, a woman he had once served under as his direct superior.
Of course, that was a future that hadn’t arrived in this place yet.
And it was also an event that shouldn’t happen.
As the man was sorting out the lingering traces of emotions as fleeting as fragments, the princess, sensing his presence, suddenly jumped in surprise and expressed her delight.
“…Ah, Aaht! Sir Ian!”
Her way of addressing him was the same now as it was then.
Even if the past changed, it seemed there was at least one thing that remained the same, the man thought with a bitter smile inwardly.
Though, this wasn’t his world anyway.
The princess approached the man with quick, small steps.
“Perfect timing! I was just practising!”
Honestly, the man wasn’t particularly interested in whatever the princess was practising.
After all, those he had loved were already gone.
The people remaining here were entirely different individuals. At least, the man firmly believed so.
So his plan was to convey his main point and just leave.
If only it weren’t for what the princess did next.
“……Graaaarrr!”
She let out a single word, imitating claws with her cute little hands.
No, could that even be called a word?
It sounded more like the cry of a beast.
The man couldn’t understand her intent and remained silent for a moment.
As his calm golden eyes turned toward the girl, the princess blushed and scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Ehehe… Father Emperor told me that dragons don’t roar ‘Raaawr!’ So, to become Sir Ian’s pet dragon, I’ve been practising a new roar!”
Even after hearing those words, the man remained silent for a while.
He simply parted his lips, then closed them again.
Letting out a light sigh, he thought inwardly.
Should I just beat myself?