Love Letter From The Future

On the day of the Hunting Festival, the Academy is filled with the excitement of the festival all day long.

From dawn, students who planned to set up stalls moved busily. The ingredients brought in from various places for this day were already raising the atmosphere.

In just a few hours, those vibrant ingredients would emit appetizing aromas.

The same goes for the area in front of the forest, which is at the center of the Hunting Festival. Although the results wouldn’t be known until evening, strangely, the area in front of the Southern Forest was bustling on the day of the festival. There was hardly any space to stand.

The first crowd to arrive was made up of those who came to cheer for someone they knew. Then the stalls responsible for their meals arrived one after another, followed by faculty members and students interested in the Hunting Festival gathering one by one.

While the actual results would come out much later, standing in front of the forest sometimes presented unexpected spectacles.

There were groups that exited halfway due to injuries, and some who came out carrying big game, deciding they couldn’t catch more despite spending more time.

Of course, no matter what, the time of waiting was bound to be dull. That’s why the Academy’s student council set up a separate stage.

It was to provide a little visual entertainment for those waiting for the outcome of the Hunting Festival. Clubs that had practiced relentlessly for the festival were also given a chance to showcase their skills in front of everyone.

The spectators gathering in the clearing in front of the Southern Forest weren’t just students.

Academy professors, high-ranking officials from various countries, and occasionally even the Emperor of the Empire came to observe this Hunting Festival. They were hoping to catch sight of promising talents.

The rules of the Hunting Festival are simple. ‘Monster Hunting,’ and the group that hunts the strongest monster wins. This straightforward competitive format is, in turn, the best way to showcase that group’s true abilities.

The density of aura, the amount of magic power, and the number of rings surrounding the heart. All of these could serve as indicators of strength, but if they couldn’t be properly utilized in actual combat, they were meaningless.

In the end, to verify someone’s capabilities, they had to go through real combat. And this Hunting Festival was one of the few chances for students at the Academy to participate on a large scale in real combat.

Perhaps that is why the participants in the Hunting Festival never ceased to be numerous. Despite the risk of possible death, every year, hundreds of participants flock to the festival like moths to a flame.

Monsters do not discriminate by social status. Only skill mattered in this Hunting Festival. Because of this, commoners often participated to make an impression on high-ranking officials from various nations.

It was such an important festival. Countless spectators came to watch, and notable figures from different countries gathered, while for some, it was a festival that could determine their future.

Today, I stood on that fierce stage of competition. My goal was victory, and I had to defeat all the hundreds of participants who sought fame.

It was something I could hardly have imagined until recently. A love letter from the future that arrived one day had brought me to this position.

It was amusing. How could a single piece of mail change my life so drastically in such a short time?

If I won the Hunting Festival, it was guaranteed that I would catch the eye of the highest-ranking officials from various nations. The quality of offers I would receive after graduation would change as well.

No, I didn’t even need to worry about the future. According to the letter, the future me would become a hero who saved the world.

Even I found it funny, and a laugh escaped my lips. To be honest, I had only participated in the Hunting Festival because of that love letter, but I still couldn’t truly grasp that idea.

The only problem I faced now was one.

I would make sure no one would collapse in front of my eyes again, like Emma had. That was my only wish and goal at this moment.

Among those who were laughing and chatting now, and among those who checked their armor with tense faces, there might be a victim. I wanted to prevent that.

In front of Emma’s hospital room, and in front of the middle-aged man who was merely an herbalist, I had bitten my lips against the walls countless times.

Memories laced with guilt and regret were enough after just one time. However, I was prepared for the fact that the process wouldn’t be easy.

The woman standing in front of me was proof of that. Her golden hair and blood-red eyes presented a striking contrast on her pure white skin.

Delphine Yuridina, the rightful heir of the Yuridina Clan.

As soon as she appeared, Ceria’s body stiffened. The emotion glimpsed in her eyes was certainly fear. Eyes of a herbivore meeting an adversary they should not oppose.

Elsi, who had been daze, shifted her gaze slightly and immediately jumped up like a cat whose fur had been ruffled upon seeing Senior Delphine. Her face was filled with hostility.

After all, Senior Elsi thought that all the humiliation she had suffered last time was Delphine’s fault, so it was only natural.

It was indeed my fault, but sometimes human psychology leads to such convenient conclusions. She would have to lower her tail before just seeing a handaxe, so instead of targeting me, she decided to easily target Senior Delphine.

I also had a connection with Senior Delphine. Whether it was a fateful connection or a cursed one, among our group of four, only Selin had no direct ties with her.

Even Selin was glaring at Senior Delphine with drowsy eyes. Her discontented gaze seemed to be concerned about the rumors that had circulated between Delphine and me.

It was hostility that surpassed mere neglect. However, Senior Delphine had no reason to care about such trivialities. With a smile, she crossed her arms.

“I put some effort into that ambush, but you dodged it, huh?”

“…It wasn’t sincere anyway.”

If it had been, she wouldn’t have used a dagger. Senior Delphine’s true power came when she wielded a sword.

The moment her blade shimmered with a golden hue, the surrounding area was said to glow with that heat. Naturally, even a mere graze would be a critical wound, and merely having a sword clash against another would cause that high-temperature blade to sear the skin.

It was simple yet strong. That was the nature of the aura she had awakened. However, the longer she used it, ordinary swords would melt and she would have to use special ones, but for Delphine, the heir of the Yuridina Clan, that was not a problem.

She certainly had plenty of money for that. The true terror of wealth manifests when combined with another power.

“You’ll see my true sincerity soon enough, so is there a need to show it beforehand? By the way, it’s been a while since that day, Lord Handaxe. I’ve missed you a lot, as the old saying goes… ‘Always in my thoughts.’”

At her subtle voice, Selin’s eyebrows twitched. She looked displeased, and Ceria felt the same.

Her gaze had settled into an unnerving calmness. Rather, it was as if it had settled so much that her eyes had become murky.

I was breaking out in a cold sweat not knowing what Senior Delphine’s intentions were. A nervous smile slipped through my lips.

“…I have been trying a bit too hard to avoid you.”

“Why would you need to do that, after witnessing such a splendid display?”

That was an accusatory remark. I had no choice but to briefly shut my mouth at that statement. The crimson hue that had once radiated from Senior Delphine’s eyes had now vanished.

No matter how much one tries, the experience of exposing one’s body to a member of the opposite sex must be humiliating. On that day, she had even dealt with me in a way that I hadn’t been able to recover from.

Of course, I couldn’t help but feel wronged. It had been nothing more than an accident. I hadn’t intentionally stripped her, and I still vividly recalled that she had even encouraged me to look at her like a work of art.

However, it was still a time when the sense of chastity was applied even more stringently to women. No matter what excuses I made, since I had seen the naked body of a woman, I was bound to be the one held guilty.

The world was unreasonable. I cleared my throat and shifted the topic.

“So, did you come to find me on purpose? Am I supposed to be prepared to pay a price?”

“No, while of course I came to see Lord Handaxe… there are some familiar faces in your group, right? I thought I’d come over to say hello.”

As she spoke, Senior Delphine’s eyes scanned over Ceria and Senior Elsi in turn. The moment the shadows disappeared from Ceria’s eyes, she seemed to regain her sense of self and took a slight shudder.

And she immediately lowered her head. As if she had become a sinner, Ceria’s eyelashes trembled.

A sound of acknowledgment escaped Senior Delphine’s lips, as if she intended to greet Ceria in that moment.

“…You’re just as usual, I see.”

Whether that was warm encouragement or an indication to do as she always failed to do today, those listening would not know. Only those of us who caught a fleeting glimpse into her true intention—Ceria and I—would.

It was clearly the latter. Ceria could not even dare to meet Delphine’s gaze, only gnawing on her lips.

With that, Delphine finally turned away with a satisfied expression. I urgently called out to her.

“Senior Delphine, you dropped your dagger…”

“It’s a prize for blocking my ambush, Lord Handaxe.”

I was squatting down to pick up the dagger that had fallen to the ground when I swallowed a laugh, as if bewildered by her words.

Still calling me ‘Lord Handaxe’, I wondered if she actually knew my name. I wanted to respond with some other name, but I couldn’t think of too many. At most, just her pure white body.

I could hardly call her ‘Rosy Lady.’ I clicked my tongue as I examined the dagger.

It looked expensive. Since she offered it, there was no reason to refuse; I thought so as I tucked the dagger into my pocket.

She was such a breezy person. She came without any warning, and she left without a hint too. However, the aftershock was unmistakable.

Ceria was gnawing her lips in frustration, Senior Elsi was trembling with rage, and Selin was definitely feeling displeased.

It wasn’t bad. Nothing could be a better motivator than animosity.

Now, I just had to steady my heart and head to the training ground to hunt. Just as I thought to regain the atmosphere, suddenly, a shadow fell in front of me. When I turned my head, three men and women had approached me.

Among them, a brawny, muscular man stood closely beside me.

He had dark skin and no hair. It looked like he was bald. Managing hair during battles isn’t an easy task, so some people chose to shave their heads. Until now, I had felt no emotions towards the man before me.

However, when I unexpectedly noticed that he was holding an axe in each hand, my eyes widened in question for the first time. I looked up at the man with a questioning gaze.

The towering man, nearly 2 meters tall, continued to remain silent. As I wore a perplexed expression, Senior Elsi hurriedly approached me.

“Delphine’s lackey… looks like he formed a group.”

“…Who is this person?”

“Olmar! ‘Double Axes’ Olmar. He’s quite famous in the Swordsmanship Department for being a mercenary with extensive field experience.”

Why say he’s in the Swordsmanship Department when he wields axes? That thought briefly crossed my mind, but I decided to let it be.

After all, all melee weapons were covered in the Swordsmanship Department. Even if his main weapon was an axe, it wasn’t unusual. The only peculiar thing was that he was holding two handaxes instead of a battle axe.

He’s a guy that Senior Delphine brought along. He must obviously be skilled. I stared at him for a moment, but when he still didn’t respond, I had to quietly ask Senior Elsi.

“By the way, what is this Olmar here for…?”

At that moment, suddenly, Olmar lifted both handaxes into the air.

As I gazed blankly at the handaxes, unable to decipher his intentions, Olmar skillfully switched the handaxes from hand to hand. He tossed them back and forth.

It was a kind of trick or talent. I stood there, dumbfounded by what he was doing, when Senior Elsi whispered to me.

“It seems he feels competitive toward you…?”

Apparently, the overlapping title of ‘axe’ had somewhat aggravated him, Senior Elsi added.

What was I supposed to do about that, I seriously pondered for a moment.

Should I just swing my handaxe at him?

The moment my hand suddenly grabbed the handaxe like lightning.

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