Love Letter From The Future

It has been a few days since I trained with Ceria.

Of course, I didn’t achieve any significant results during that time. Ceria was still a swordsman with skills far superior to mine, and in a way, I found myself learning while watching her.

Being with her brought many changes to my routine.

Firstly, the amount of time dedicated to training increased dramatically. I was already investing more than three hours a day in self-training, but it was nothing compared to the volume of Ceria’s training.

Every dawn, we wielded swords together; during breaks, she would swing her sword, and in the evening, she continued to train.

I couldn’t participate in all that training, yet since I had decided to help, I felt a duty to give my all.

The words of a noble must be upheld. What a commoner says carries a different weight than that of a noble. That is how the rich and powerful thrive on the sacrifices of the common folk.

Of course, it would be laughable for someone like me, merely the second son of a rural baron, to bring up noble duties.

However, after a few days together, I could say that my understanding of Ceria was not completely lacking. I learned some new facts about her.

First, Ceria lacked understanding of human relationships. Though I had only speculated up until now, with each passing day, my confidence in this hypothesis grew.

For example, her reaction to my earlier compliment was telling.

Thinking back, it was doubtful that Ceria was actually ‘Sepia,’ and praising her appearance out of the blue could have been an inadvertent rudeness. So the next day, I offered her a plain apology.

However, Ceria merely tilted her head, as if she hadn’t even registered such comments in her mind.

“…No, it’s fine. It’s true, after all.”

“True?”

I couldn’t help but ask again at her unexpected reaction. Ceria responded matter-of-factly.

“Yes, it’s something I’ve heard many times since childhood. So, objectively, I thought I was pretty… Is that not the case?”

In that last moment, she cast a quick glance at me, seemingly losing confidence, which made it clear that she harbored no malice whatsoever.

In other words, she accepted the assertion of being ‘pretty’ not out of arrogance, but simply as an objective fact.

Yet, words always hide complex contexts and intentions. Typically, when one compliments someone’s appearance, there is an underlying intention to make the other person feel good.

Ceria was, essentially, unaware of even the basics of such social cues. It was then that I realized why she had earned the nickname “Yuridina’s Brat.”

She wasn’t ill-mannered; she simply lacked perception. As a result, her relationships had likely been a series of failures, and it was inevitable that she would start isolating herself from others at some point.

I contemplated discussing this point but eventually let out a heavy sigh, as if giving up.

After all, habits aren’t fixed overnight. Instead, I simply returned a response that was a pure evaluation of her value, as she desired.

“Yeah, you’re pretty. Anyone would say so.”

“R-Really?”

Ceria seemed relieved and exhaled a sigh of relief as she added that it was a good thing.

It wasn’t so much that she was scared of the possibility of being unattractive but more that she was reassured by confirming what she already knew.

With just the basics that Reto had given me, it seemed impossible to win Ceria’s heart. If I wasn’t even certain that she was ‘Sepia,’ I had no intention of getting too close to her.

Secondly, Ceria lacked the concept of ‘rest.’

On the first day of training with her, I tried to catch up to her level and followed her all day long. That’s when I came to that conclusion.

Ceria devoted most of her time to training, except during meals and lectures. While it was the ideal manifestation of a ‘genius at hard work,’ a significant improvement in skills doesn’t come from relentlessly pouring in hours.

Even the harsh training of my youth, which was the most arduous period of my life, was premised on adequate rest and nutrition. Without that, muscles could be damaged instead.

It was impossible that the daughter of the Yuridina Clan, one of the Empire’s noble families, wouldn’t know that. But my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked her.

“Ceria?”

“Yes, Senior Ian.”

As she took a sip from her water bottle, she turned her gaze towards me.

Her gray hair was damp with sweat. Even after all that sword training, she had a steady breath, and her mesmerizing aquamarine eyes blended to create a dreamy impression.

The forest at dawn was quiet, and the sunlight softly illuminated Ceria, revealing the jewels that the world had kept hidden.

She was indeed pretty. With that thought once more in mind, I posed a question to Ceria.

“Since you’ve been wielding a sword all day since yesterday, don’t you have any rest time? Otherwise, your muscles won’t have time to recover, and the effectiveness will decrease.”

Ceria tilted her head again. She wore an expression that clearly didn’t understand the intent behind my question; I had seen that look a few times since I started training with her.

Ceria, tapping her lips with her finger, said in a tone of confusion, “But can’t you just take a healing potion?”

I had no choice but to stifle a laugh at her response.

Yes, if there’s no bread, then have cake. A ‘healing potion’ was something that could instantly heal wounds; it could be considered like an extra life.

Given its potent effect, I could only imagine the cost. It was a luxury item that even a commoner wouldn’t possess, and most nobles would only carry a bottle for emergencies.

Yet Ceria spoke as if she took one every day for the purpose of training more.

I had heard such rumors before. They said that some wild young nobles would often drink healing potions while training.

However, seeing the reality of such rumors with my own eyes was a first. After all, no matter how many healing potions one drinks, it cannot relieve mental fatigue.

Humans aren’t machines. Both the body and mind need rest. Intense training every day would lead to mental exhaustion as well as physical.

This is why the culture of clubs within the academy thrived; hobbies help in recovering the exhausted mind and body from studying and training.

Therefore, training while drinking healing potions isn’t simply a matter of whether you can afford the cost; it’s about whether you can withstand the murderous training volume.

She truly was a formidable woman. I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

“Don’t you get bored just swinging the sword every day?”

Ceria tilted her head again and asked me in return.

“Could that really happen?”

“For example, there are many things to do besides training. You could drink with friends, join a club, or even read a book…”

As I continued speaking, Ceria scratched her cheek awkwardly. She cautiously replied.

“I’ve only ever known swords since childhood…”

I clicked my tongue inwardly. I didn’t know Ceria’s detailed upbringing, but it seemed clear that she hadn’t walked a path similar to others.

Ceria was a daughter of a concubine. I could imagine how she must have been treated in the esteemed Yuridina clan.

So that was why she grew up knowing only swords.

At her age, she should also be experiencing the sweet tastes of life, not just the bitter ones. After all, she had just passed her twenties. There was still a long life ahead, and her path seemed to be only the sword.

Of course, some people found happiness in such a life. The fervor she had for her sword was genuine.

But a life that had choices presented to it was clearly different from one that didn’t. I felt a bittersweet sensation about that.

I did not feel pity. Every human carries their own set of issues.

Perhaps Ceria had similar feelings towards me. To a genius, those without talent were merely objects of pity or scorn.

Nonetheless, as a senior, I could offer some advice to a junior.

“Let’s go to the city next time.”

“Are we going to hunt monsters?”

I had no choice but to click my tongue at Ceria’s words.

The academy housed tens of thousands of personnel. More than half of the students were nobles, and among commoners, there were many whose parents were wealthy merchants.

Naturally, the academy grounds itself could not meet such an immense demand. Thus, there existed a shopping district known as the ‘city’ on the outskirts of the academy.

Its scale was considerable. As the academy poured money into the economy, merchants from various countries flocked there. Adding to that, the academy is located centrally on the continent and has a warp gate, making it convenient for transportation.

You could say a city was built around the academy. For young adults in their twenties heading to the city, the goal was usually one.

To have fun, that was the general thought. However, to Ceria, it seemed she interpreted it as an invitation to “hunt monsters.”

The city had not only shopping districts but also a warp gate. Occasionally, some students from the academy would find time to take on monster-hunting requests for the sake of real-world experience.

As I was speechless in disbelief, Ceria took my silence as implicit agreement. She nodded her head enthusiastically, her gaze shining with realization.

“I thought my growth was stagnating due to just the recent training. Before entering the academy, I used to go monster hunting, but lower-year students are forbidden from that… However, if I’m with Senior Ian, we might be able to get permission.”

With Ceria enthusiastically drawing her own conclusions, I had no idea how to respond, so I placed my hand on my forehead.

In the end, what came out of my mouth was the simplest statement.

“…Well, though it’s not monster hunting, we can go to the city at least once.”

I wondered if perhaps she was unaware of going with friends, so I thought I might have to guide her around the city’s various spots.

And lastly, Ceria surprisingly seemed impatient.

Her rigorous training seemed to stem from that impatience. There was an obsessive fear that if she didn’t swing her sword immediately, she might fall behind.

No matter how many healing potions she drank, intense training would carry the risk of more severe injuries. It was only natural that one day Ceria would twist her ankle.

“Ah, ugh?!”

As I was swinging my sword next to Ceria, I immediately turned my head upon hearing her frail groan.

There she was, sitting on the ground, clutching her ankle. It didn’t take long for me to grasp the situation.

There was no swordsman unfamiliar with injury. I hurried over to her.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, just my ankle for a moment… urgh…”

It seemed like it was twisted badly. I could feel heat emanating from around her ankle. While it hadn’t swollen yet, it was clear that it soon would.

It was a sprain. I took out a healing salve from my bag.

“W-Wait, I’ll be fine! If I take a healing potion, this kind of wound isn’t… ugh?!”

I didn’t need to hear her say anything further. As I gently applied the ointment to her ankle, she let out a cute scream at the cold sensation.

It was strangely enjoyable to hear such a sound coming from her usually cold demeanor. I intentionally rubbed her ankle gently as if massaging it.

“Ugh, ah…!”

Her whimpers of pain mixed with a hint of pleasure made me release her ankle only then, noticing tears welling up in her eyes.

No matter how accustomed to injuries one was, if something hurt, a little tear would naturally form. Given that I pressed against the injured area, it was understandable.

There was a hint of light resentment in Ceria’s eyes. But what could she do? I was the senior here.

I smiled gently and said to her, “No need to exaggerate, and why do you even mention a healing potion? No matter how good a healing potion is, it’s not omnipotent.”

Ceria made a slightly sulky expression at my words but didn’t argue back. Because I was entirely correct.

The light tone that formerly marked my voice was gradually shifting to a reproachful tone.

“You know that no healing potion can relieve accumulated fatigue in your joints. That’s why you need to adjust your training intensity. Why are you so impatient?”

While saying that, I took out a clean piece of cloth that I had been keeping in my pocket. I had carried it during training just in case, not expecting it to come in handy like this.

I picked up a little stick lying around to use as a splint. Even until that point, Ceria was only letting out soft groans, but soon she turned her gaze away from mine.

“There’s someone I want to beat.”

“Is it a fourth-year?”

The hunting festival this year was her last chance.

It was a short clue, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t infer. At my indifferent question, Ceria silently nodded.

A sigh escaped my mouth involuntarily. I felt somewhat frustrated.

“Ceria, the academy isn’t the end of your life. The world exists outside the academy. There will be plenty of opportunities to compete even after graduation; is there really a need to be this impatient?”

“I’ll go further than that.”

Now, it was my turn to be silent. As I was securing the splint around her ankle, I directed my gaze toward her.

Ceria was avoiding my eyes, staring down at the ground. However, reflected in her eyes were despair and defeat.

She bit her lip, filled with strong conviction.

“As time goes on, that person will go much further. Much more so than I could ever compare.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

“Because she will soon be a Yuridina.”

I once again chose silence. Ceria’s expression looked complicated. Just look at that dark, shadowed face.

It was certainly a face that no one had seen. Everyone has a face like that hidden in them. So I, once again, lowered my head and wrapped a bandage around her ankle.

She must have felt a bitter sting, yet Ceria didn’t emit even the slightest whimper. Instead, I could hear her head drooping heavily.

“Only at the academy can both the rightful bloodline and a child of a commoner be evaluated without prejudice. Senior Ian.”

The world exists outside the academy.

I repeatedly mulled over the words I had carelessly thrown at Ceria.

And I tightened the bandage even more. That was all I could do for her at this moment.

To Ceria, the world was such a cruel place.

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