Love Letter From The Future

It was rare for stillness to settle in the middle of the Academy.

This place had a floating population of at least several thousand. Even now, there were at least hundreds of people milling about, some of whom were staff members.

However, none of them seemed willing to intervene in the current situation. Instead, some professors even showed a glimmer of interest. That was the most fitting response in line with the spirit of the Academy.

The Academy was an educational institution, but it was also a training ground. As long as one didn’t blatantly violate the rules, the Academy would not intervene in conflicts between students.

In fact, the two factions currently at odds were represented by senior students—one from the Magic Department and the other from the Swordsmanship Department.

Elsi Rainelle from the Magic Department and Delphine Yuridina from the Swordsmanship Department.

Both were well-known figures who lacked nothing in terms of beauty that captivated many men, the prestige of their families, and the skills they possessed.

There was a perception that Senior Elsi was somewhat lacking compared to Senior Delphine. However, that was only because Senior Delphine was exceptionally remarkable, not because Senior Elsi was inadequate.

In some respects, Senior Elsi might have been better. That’s why they had been rivals for so long.

Just like now.

Senior Elsi glared at Senior Delphine with a frigid gaze. Those blue eyes were as cold as ice. Her lips were tightly shut, revealing an undercurrent of tension.

In contrast, Senior Delphine appeared utterly relaxed. Even facing the hostility reflected in Senior Elsi’s eyes, she remained unfazed, crossing her arms with a slight smile on her face. She looked like she might yawn at any moment.

It was truly a clash between two whales. The onlookers caught in between didn’t want to become like shrimps, holding their breath as they observed the unfolding situation.

Under normal circumstances, I should have been just one of those shrimps, but I couldn’t help but feel regret over my current predicament.

I was, after all, nothing less than the bait the two whales were fighting over.

Cold sweat trickled down my back. Although I outwardly pretended to be calm, feeling a few hits from Senior Elsi’s group was an increasingly tense thought.

What if this escalated into a battle of pride between the two great families?

I didn’t even want to imagine it. Moreover, under the current circumstances, both families had ample justification for vying for dominance.

Wasn’t it the case that the third son of the Rainelle Clan had hit me because he had involved a member of the Yuridina Clan?

The Yuridina Clan had enough reason to protect me. On the other hand, the Rainelle Clan couldn’t simply back down either; they had been openly humiliated by the second son of a country barony.

A proud nobleman wouldn’t simply let that slide.

When the Lady Virgin Saint stepped in for mediation, I thought it would all end well, but I never expected things to turn out like this.

I washed my face dry without a word. Although it signified my confusion, there was no one in the current situation who paid me any heed.

It was then that Senior Elsi, who had been glaring at Senior Delphine with a chilling gaze, finally spoke. A cold smile danced at the corners of her lips. Open mockery dripped from her dainty lips.

“Long time no see, Yuridina… It seems your meddling has grown rather extensive, interfering with our Rainelle Clan’s event.”

This was essentially a message to mind her own business and let her go.

However, if she was really intending to do that, Senior Delphine wouldn’t have thrown her notebook. She placed her finger on her lips and looked up at the sky as if in deep thought.

With a worried expression, she soon broke into a smile. It was a smile as beautiful as the sun, no matter when you saw it.

“……I don’t like that.”

The calm response made it seem as though Senior Elsi flinched. Her brows furrowed more ferociously, and her lips twitched.

I surmised that what she truly wanted to express was an insult. But she could hardly say that to the heir of one of the Empire’s five great noble houses.

Senior Elsi bit her lip, then began to sneer with a voice dripping with irritation.

“Oh, really? Do you secretly have a crush on this brat? If that’s the case, one night wouldn’t be too much to endure.”

The crowd of onlookers gasped at her borderline comment. Senior Elsi’s remark was problematic for two reasons.

First, it implied a sexual scandal involving the heir of the Yuridina Clan.

As the heir of a prestigious family, Senior Delphine valued her chastity highly. Such a scandal wouldn’t exist. However, Senior Elsi was mocking her as if to suggest that Senior Delphine would roll around with any man just because she liked him. It wouldn’t be unusual for the Yuridina Clan to be outraged.

And secondly, her statement was also an insult to the Percus Family.

No matter how high-ranking Senior Elsi was among the nobility, I too was a member of the Imperial nobility. It was neither proper to issue baseless criticism against a fellow subject who served the Emperor.

Her words made it sound as if I was the overnight lover of a noble lady.

The language of nobility carried as much responsibility as it did power. Senior Elsi wasn’t ignorant of that. Yet, the fact that she chose to step over the line meant only one thing.

She was attempting to provoke a clash. For both Delphine Yuridina and Ian Percus, who valued their honor as nobles, it was a clear challenge, the only interpretation possible.

It was ambiguous to initiate the fight first, so the intention to incite was apparent.

Despite receiving such insults, Senior Delphine seemed like someone who would not leave the matter to her family. As for me, being just the second son of a country baron, I figured I might as well ignore it.

So at that moment, I hesitated slightly.

Right now, Senior Elsi and her cronies were focusing all their attention on Senior Delphine. What if I struck Senior Elsi from behind?

“I see you’ve regained your confidence, Rainelle… Weren’t you the one who boldly attacked not long ago only to end up humiliated? Your sulky face then was quite the sight to see.”

“That was when we faced off one-on-one. The true essence of magic is revealed only when you have adequate support… So, shall we test it now?”

I could hear the sound of their psychological warfare. However, I had sunk into deep contemplation.

I would ambush Senior Elsi and take her down.

There was a possibility. Senior Elsi likely hadn’t grasped my exact abilities yet. Lupin had knocked me down that day, leaving me unconscious, so he wouldn’t have known the specifics of the battle situation.

Moreover, Senior Elsi and her group would never have expected that I would initiate an attack. They were composed of a group of senior students, some of whom were skilled mages. Logically, a third-year student wouldn’t have a chance against them.

But if I used a real sword, it would be a different story.

The difference between utilizing aura and not was stark. Even the greatest masters could meet their end by a blind sword strike; in a duel between aura users, even a momentary lapse in focus could lead to catastrophic consequences.

And I had already been subjected to the intolerable humiliation as a junior. A fight to uphold the honor of a noble was always fought with real swords.

My eyes, faced with a choice, quietly settled. Yet neither Senior Elsi nor Senior Delphine noticed my change.

“Oh, good. This should be fun… I didn’t expect to have to sort out the hierarchy as soon as I returned.”

“Sort out the hierarchy? Who’s going to sort who out? This uselessly glimmering little cat…!”

At the moment when the two women’s voices crossed over, the crowd around them started to move their hands toward their waists. It was a tense moment, ready to draw swords at any instant.

Senior Elsi was glaring at Senior Delphine with a fierce smile, while Senior Delphine was watching Senior Elsi with somewhat colder eyes.

Both of them had the gaze of a hunter. It wouldn’t have been surprising if a clash happened right then.

Attention from each faction was focused entirely on the opposing side. The spectators were likewise glued to the scene. Hundreds of onlookers murmured as they alternately glanced at Senior Elsi and Senior Delphine.

They were reacting as if they had never expected to witness a brawl in the middle of the Academy. A few professors who looked on started to show discontent.

It seemed they were unsure whether to intervene or let it continue.

If it was a battle for honor among nobles, it would be compliant with the Academy’s rules, so they should let it be. But if it was merely a physical confrontation, it was their duty to stop it.

Their deliberations didn’t last long.

Even before that, my new sword struck like a ray of light.

No matter how crazy it seemed, it was a decision made from necessity.

If there was no opportunity before, now that one had arisen, I couldn’t just let it go by.

That was my choice.

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