Love Letter From The Future

My battered body yearned for rest.

My muscles were stiff like lead, a heavy weight pressing down on me. It had been a long time since my clothes were soaked with all manner of blood and water, whether it was mine or my opponent’s.

Among the bloodstains on my blouse now was the blood of a woman who had just fallen. Delphine Yuridina, the heir of the Yuridina Clan, one of the five great noble families of the Empire and the overlord of the Northern Region.

She sat slumped, staring at me blankly. Her expression revealed that she couldn’t make any sense of what had happened. Neither could I, for that matter.

A heavy stillness descended upon the clearing. However, it didn’t bother me. There was only one thought circling in my mind.

I must exact revenge. I will return Celin’s, Ceria’s, and Senior Elsi’s share to them.

To ensure Senior Delphine couldn’t resist, I threw my handaxe at her as she stumbled and stepped backward.

A sharp “plock” sounded, and blood splattered again. The handaxe had plunged cleanly and easily into her shoulder, splitting it almost in half. Between the axe blade, blood began to seep through the torn flesh and spread.

“Kyaaaagh?! Aaaaaaah!”

Unable to endure the sudden, unexpected pain, Senior Delphine screamed. This meant she could no longer use both shoulders. It signified that there was no way Senior Delphine could possibly pick up her sword again.

A sigh escaped my lips.

“It’s Celin’s share. And next…”

“I surrendered!”

Suddenly, a sharp cry erupted from Senior Delphine. Through gritted teeth, enduring the pain, her eyes revealed a mix of humiliation and anger, and fear.

Her gaze, which looked at something incomprehensible, was trembling slightly.

“Nobles don’t attack opponents who have no intention to resist! As a noble of the Empire, you should… gahhhhh?!”

But her defiance didn’t last long. I picked up her sword, which had fallen to the ground, and plunged it into her thigh.

The blade pierced through the flesh and reached what I estimated was the bone with a solid resistance. There was no need for it to go any further.

Despite biting her lips, Senior Delphine couldn’t suppress the moans that escaped her mouth. I drew the blade horizontally.

The flesh tore apart, and blood gushed out profusely. Senior Delphine, wanting to cradle her leg but unable to because of the damaged shoulder joint, couldn’t exert enough strength in her arms.

An anguished sound emanated from the lips of the highborn woman as she writhed. She glared at me, but my expression remained unchanged.

Breathing heavily, I only stared intently at my prey.

“That’s Senior Elsi’s share.”

After writhing and groaning on the ground for a while, Senior Delphine seemed to have her pride wounded. She somehow managed to get up despite wobbling on her feet. And just as she was about to speak.

“Lord Handaxe, reconsider the risk of… kaahk?!”

I removed the handaxe embedded in her shoulder and struck her temple with the blunt side of the axe.

With a satisfying “thud,” Senior Delphine’s body fell to the side. Her body twitched faintly. It seemed to have worked.

This was the reaction one would show when the frontal lobe is shaken. After observing her condition briefly, I quietly spoke.

“That’s my share. Lastly…”

“Keuh… eh… eh, hahahaha!”

Even though her head was ringing, making her feel like throwing up, Senior Delphine burst out laughing.

I stopped speaking and stared at Senior Delphine. Her bloodshot eyes glared at me with intense hatred. And in a voice filled with admiration.

While not concealing her hostility, she was marveling at my posture. To evaluate someone is the privilege of those who stand above others.

Senior Delphine had not yet fallen. In fact, despite her labored breathing, she even managed to twist the corner of her mouth upward.

“Beautiful, amazing… Excellent, Lord Handaxe. Is this the taste of defeat?”

“It’s something you’ve done too, isn’t it? How about it?”

“Sour, bitter…and disgustingly spicy.”

It must have been painful. It must have been frightening as well, for there was undeniable fear in Senior Delphine’s eyes when she looked at the handaxe in my hand.

Her trembling shoulders testified to her condition. The pain and fear must have been unbearable. This was the power of one-sided violence.

Still, Senior Delphine didn’t forget to maintain the appearance of dignity, even if it was a pretense. Whether she really felt that way or not, Senior Delphine’s demeanor was as proud and confident as always.

It was befitting her, an admirable woman. Her tenacity and perseverance for victory, and the beliefs that justified them, were compelling.

I was impressed and, at the same time, deeply disturbed.

My gaze shifted slightly to the side, a look of deep thought.

“But, can you bear it?”

Senior Delphine’s trembling voice tickled my ear. Despite her labored breathing, this woman was doing her utmost not to stutter, likely in an effort to preserve her pride.

My pupils, which had briefly turned sideways, returned to Senior Delphine. She maintained an unwavering demeanor. Her voice was filled with pure curiosity, free of any threat or intimidation.

“Nobles don’t touch those who surrender. And I am the legitimate successor of the Yuridina Clan. Yet your actions right now…”

“Does surrender change anything?”

At my calm voice, Senior Delphine had to close her mouth again. Her perplexed gaze was directed at me. My gaze, looking down at her, was as calm as my voice.

“Struggling for life and hunted, Celin was struck on the shoulder by an axe, Ceria, who hadn’t done anything wrong, had to roll on the ground after being hit in a vital spot, and Senior Elsi’s ankle was caught by the ice. We were fortunate there was no statue curse…”

“That’s something that can happen anytime, in order to declare victory…”

“Didn’t you lose, Senior Delphine?”

The words I uttered were cold. I tapped the back of my palm with the handle of the handaxe.

“Then you must pay the price, because you didn’t achieve victory.”

“Hmhm,” Senior Delphine emitted a faint laugh. My shadow filled her bloodshot eyes. She smiled enigmatically.

“I understand your frustration. I get it. But, there’s a code of conduct in noble society. And I am the rightful successor of the Yuridina Clan…”

“So what?”

It was a voice devoid of any fluctuation. Thus, for a while, Senior Delphine couldn’t say anything. She remained frozen with her smiling expression. Only after a long moment did she finally, with a puzzled expression, look up at me.

It was the kind of expression that indigenous people might have had when encountering an adventurer who had just arrived on a new continent for the first time.

“Seems like there’s a misconception… this place isn’t a noble society, it’s a forest. A place where monsters roam, and where no one would think it strange if anyone were to die. Especially if they were facing a monster with a notable reputation.”

Staring blankly, her crimson eyes glanced upward to look at me. I said nothing as I took another step toward her.

There was no change in my expression. My voice was utterly plain, and there was no emotion detectable in the steps I made.

As if just going about my duty, like an executioner, I approached her. The look in Senior Delphine’s eyes began to waver.

“What… kind of nonsense…?”

There was no reply. Tapping my palm a few times with the handaxe, I stood close to her. Senior Delphine’s voice became urgent.

“The Empire has capable investigators! How could they fail to analyze the death of a successor of the Yuridina Clan…?”

“With plenty of monsters around, I’m curious how much they’d salivate over a chunk of meat.”

Without a word, I raised the handaxe high. Delphine’s body trembled violently, eyes dropped. It was a reflexive action; after all, everyone reacts similarly when facing death.

Especially a death one couldn’t imagine.

Senior Delphine’s eyes were clouded with internal conflict—whether to accept death with dignity or try to persuade me otherwise.

Which choice she opted for wouldn’t have mattered. My overworked arm muscles tensed for the final act, and I only wanted to hurry up and be done with it.

It was then.

“Just… wait!”

Senior Delphine screamed, both her body and eyes trembling. Her eyes were intensely shaken.

I paused slightly and then showed a look of annoyance. I wanted to press my temple with the hand not holding the axe but stopped since my left arm was in chaos and hadn’t worked properly for a long time.

I looked down at Senior Delphine with a tired gaze. Anticipating that my thoughts might change, she quickly spoke.

“I-I’m… sorry.”

Mulling over her disgrace, Senior Delphine muttered, almost to herself.

It was the sound of the proud golden lion of the North collapsing.

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