Love Letter From The Future

A day at the Academy was always the same.

Except for the weekends, there were parts of the schedule that were strictly enforced. In an academy where failing meant expulsion, there were no students who didn’t care about their grades.

Even I, despite being injured during a spar with Seraia last week, managed to attend all classes except for that one day. No matter how you handled sick leave, missing classes would inevitably have a negative effect on grades.

Thus, most academy students had their schedules aligned with the classes of that day.

For instance, if there were course mates taking the same class, they would finish the lecture and go for a meal together. Or, if there was free time until the next lecture, they would carry out their own training at a nearby training ground.

I was no exception. It had already been a week since sparring with Seraia, and my routine was gradually returning to normal.

My daily life was simple. I listened to lectures, hung out with Celin or Reto, and in the evening, I started my training to wrap up the day.

It was a predictable schedule, like a hamster wheel, but I liked that mundanity. To be honest, the events I experienced last week had caused such significant cracks in my day-to-day life.

Having lost a week’s worth of memories, the crazy things I did were still being talked about. I heard that the “Yuridina’s Rude Disturbance Incident” had become quite famous, overshadowed by other peculiar behaviors I had exhibited.

Suddenly going up to the Virgin Saint and staring at her without saying anything, or asking Celin if she thought about using weapons other than a sword.

I felt the need to personally apologize to the Virgin Saint later. The gentle saint seemed to have been so flustered that she asked me several times if something was wrong.

And I, without answering her question, turned and walked away, which I still couldn’t understand no matter how much I thought about it.

Why was I so rude and ill-mannered when I lost my memory?

At this rate, my advice to Seraia last week to “be more considerate” was becoming awkward. Every time I encountered those rumors, a sigh escaped my lips.

Today was no different. I walked along, contemplating when I should visit the Virgin Saint. Suddenly, I felt someone poke me in the side.

It was Celin. She smiled brightly with her amber-colored eyes, filled with delight.

“Hello, I-an Oppa!”

“……Yeah, hello.”

Upon hearing my voice laced with a sigh, Celin covered her mouth and giggled. It was as if she could tell what troubling thoughts were on my mind right away.

Our friendship had already lasted over ten years. Having interacted since we were eight, she could read my emotions just by looking at my face.

“You’re thinking about the time you lost your memory, right?”

I figured it was just a hunch, but I was right. It wasn’t the first time she had seen through my feelings, so I nodded without showing any surprise.

While it was rather unfortunate for me, it didn’t seem to be the case for Celin. Instead, she puffed out her chest and placed a hand on it, feeling pleased with herself.

With a soft thud, the sensation of her touch resonated audibly. I coughed awkwardly and averted my gaze.

“Why, I was pretty amazing, right? Did we get looked down upon during that time? Those high-ranking nobles calling us ‘riffraff’ and all…”

“Not everyone is like that, and besides, discrimination based on status is prohibited within the academy.”

“That’s just the words in the old school rules.”

Celin interrupted my principled response with a firm tone. I surveyed my surroundings. It wouldn’t do any good for such words to reach others’ ears.

Fortunately, the people around us didn’t seem to be paying much attention to Celin. Occasionally, I could hear whispers about me as they passed by, though.

After achieving a draw against Seraia last week, my notoriety had only grown.

What started as an accident turned into destiny. Furthermore, the second rumor carried more credibility than the first.

No matter how experienced a swordsman was, it was impossible for someone from the mid-lower ranks to overpower the top of their class. The disparity in talent was not something that could be explained away.

In comparison, the narrative of having caught the top student off guard and striking them down was so exemplary and beautiful.

Even the weak could topple the strong with sheer will. It became a parable filled with hope for the lower ranks and a note of caution for the upper ranks.

Along the way, it seemed that a few students who had previously looked down on me as a low noble were beginning to change their perceptions. What Celin wanted to say was likely along those lines.

“Do you know how many kids flaunted their well-off parents? They’d come up to me and say, ‘Hmm, you’d be fine as a concubine,’ ugh…”

“Name those guys. I’ll give them a smack.”

Celin shuddered as if disgusted, and a harsh word unintentionally slipped from my lips.

That kid had a knack for making one’s stomach twist with how they spoke. The urge to lash out at them was unavoidable.

Of course, I wasn’t foolish enough to go strike a noble.

Wait, since I already went after Yuridina’s rudeness, is it possible now?

As I fell into serious thought, Celin burst out laughing. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of pride as she looked at me.

“Hmm, still, it seems like you’re a bit annoyed that someone is flirting with me?”

It was a look that said, ‘Yes, you are still a man.’

I couldn’t help but smile at her naivety. I wasn’t the type to give her the answer she wanted just like that.

“No? I’m just worried that one of the Emperor’s loyal noble families might end up in shambles… Aaaah!”

Celin immediately retaliated against my teasing. Her foot stomped on mine, and I had no choice but to scream and hop around on one foot.

With a frosty glare, Celin looked at me and then crossed her arms with a huff. What was it that displeased her so much?

Even having known her for over ten years, I still couldn’t grasp a girl’s heart.

As I looked at Celin with a pleading expression, she seemed to realize it was time to return to the main topic.

“Anyway, what I wanted to say is… thanks to I-an Oppa’s accomplishments, even those high-ranking nobles can’t treat me carelessly anymore. Because there’s a chance you might go crazy and beat them into a pulp.”

“No matter what, I wouldn’t do something crazy like that again…”

Feeling the lingering pain, I sighed at my response.

However, I had realized painfully over the past week that I had no control over how rumors spread. In my voice, there was a hint of resignation.

After all, no matter what I said, people would remember me as the crazy guy who beat up a prominent noble from the Empire’s northern region.

Perhaps feeling a sense of pride in that, Celin gave me a sly smile and nestled closer to my arm.

A warm sensation washed over me. I thought to myself that Celin had indeed grown up as that thought crossed my mind.

“What if I go around saying I am I-an Oppa’s girl? Then, really no one would dare touch me.”

“Then, you’ll be ruining your own chances at marriage?”

“Well, then I-an Oppa can take responsibility, right?”

At her cheeky words, I momentarily shifted my gaze to Celin. Her amber eyes sparkled with mischief, and a strange smile lingered at the corners of her mouth.

A joke, indeed.

I clicked my tongue and playfully tapped her forehead. Celin let out an adorable squeak while placing her hands on her head and distancing herself from me.

“Ow!”

“Since you’re pretty, enjoy life, okay? With looks like yours, there are plenty of noble families who would want you as a bride.”

At my words, Celin’s expression crumpled. She then suddenly shouted.

“D-Don’t think I’m someone who chooses a marriage partner based on conditions!”

“Everyone says that when they’re young, but marriage is reality.”

As I clicked my tongue and spoke, annoyance flickered in Celin’s eyes. But much of what I said was the truth.

Nobles carry the weight of their family’s destiny from the moment they are born. Even if they don’t inherit the family name, they must sacrifice their lives for their family’s prestige and success.

The same went for marriage. Celin would want to marry someone she loved like the protagonists in romance novels, but when it came time to choose a match, she would have to think about her family’s future.

Thus, I couldn’t possibly hinder a woman’s path to marriage that would bring her a bright future. That bitter reality made a frown form on my face.

Celin still seemed to be grumbling, unable to accept it.

“Hmph, as long as they’re a noble family, that’s what counts. As long as they’re a noble family…”

What on earth was she thinking? However, I decided not to impose the unpleasant reality on Celin. It would be silly to push such a thing any further.

Just then, as I was thinking of a way to lightly soothe her, I noticed someone walking towards us from the opposite direction.

His messy brown curls and green eyes, which couldn’t hide his fatigue as if he had stayed up all night, made his figure all too familiar. He was one part of the “three lower nobles of the Empire” alongside me and Celin.

Reto Ainstan was approaching, looking a bit haggard.

“Reto!”

Feeling delighted, I waved. However, Celin glanced at Reto and made an even more displeased expression, even pretending to gag.

Though they were cousins and had a good relationship, having grown up like siblings, Celin was particularly cold toward Reto.

Of course, Reto was no pushover either. He greeted me warmly but frowned immediately upon seeing Celin.

“Wow, who do we have here? Isn’t this the hero of the mid-lower ranks who’s been stirring things up at the academy! And… a not-so-pretty girl.”

“Who are you calling ugly? You look like a potato!”

“Is this dumb girl for real…?”

Though taken aback by Celin’s retort, Reto seemed to get frustrated, and Celin merely stuck out her tongue and hid behind me.

Reto seemed to contemplate grabbing her by the hair, but he soon slumped, lacking the strength to do so.

This was a characteristic of magic department students. When assignments or research dragged on, they would lose energy rapidly—especially someone like Reto, who enjoyed drinking and partying.

I watched him with a mix of pity and curiosity, then decided to ask about something he mentioned.

“What’s this talk about ‘hero of the mid-lower ranks’?”

“What do you think? It’s a title for you. The kids who were getting mediocre treatment suddenly realize, ‘Maybe this guy is someone special?’ because of you.”

A snicker escaped my lips. What nonsense was this?

“I don’t even know how I ended up like this…”

“Still, ever since you lost your memory, your senses have sharpened, right? Your magical energy has increased, and your blood flow’s improved… Hmmm… I’d like to study this.”

Reto sounded as if he found my condition interesting, but when he noticed my obvious dislike for it, he soon withdrew his interest.

Instead, he smiled as if pleased with himself. It was always a charming smile. It’s a pity it usually appeared when he had something to pry into or ask for.

With curiosity lighting up his voice, Reto asked, as if gaining some energy from the power of curiosity.

“By the way, is that true?”

“……What is?”

At my innocent questioning, Reto approached me, giving my shoulder a friendly poke. Then he continued speaking.

“I heard that Yuridina’s rude little girl is trailing behind you.”

“……What?”

The answer dripped from behind me. The small head of Celin, who had been hiding in my shadow, popped out.

Her face had hardened. Her amber eyes glinted with a chilling light.

“Why is that rude girl doing that? Doesn’t she remember how badly I beat her up last time? So rude…”

“There must be some reason, right? Like, maybe she’s fallen for I-an.”

Celin, who had been quietly simmering, seemed to flare up at Reto’s subtle suggestion, showing signs of wanting to confront Seraia immediately. My hand instinctively held her arm to prevent that.

“Stop it, it doesn’t matter if she’s not harming me.”

“Of course it does! Just thinking about what happened last week makes my teeth clench!”

Celin’s animosity toward Seraia seemed to stem from the duel last week. Of course, she’d never forget that I had mercilessly beaten Seraia beforehand, but human brains have a tendency to interpret memory conveniently.

In her mind, the fact that I had nearly beaten Seraia to death might have already been erased. Only the moments of violence I had suffered at her hands remained.

If this continued, a confrontation between Celin and Seraia appeared inevitable. And no matter how much Celin had pride as a noble, Seraia was a high noble from the Yuridina family, and it was painfully apparent how that encounter would end.

Last time, she pretended not to know when I provoked Yuridina, such a spineless woman. Though I appreciated that aspect of her, still.

I stole a glance at the growling Celin before once more turning my gaze toward the gray hair that peeked out from behind the line of trees.

It seemed I had long neglected this issue. It had already been a week, so I thought it was best to have a talk.

I loosened my grip on Celin’s arm, placing my hand firmly on her shoulder.

“Wait here, I’ll talk to her for a moment.”

“……You, I-an Oppa?”

Celin looked less than satisfied, but since it was me, the involved party speaking up, she had no reply and calmed her previously heated atmosphere.

Reto seemed to take pleasure in the amusing sight before him, eyeing me with eager anticipation. He made a suggestion.

“Who knows? Maybe she’s following you around because she likes you. If she confesses, just accept it. She’s pretty, comes from a good family, and has abilities. Where can you find a better match? Aaaah! Celin, no!”

Of course, his advice was quelled by sudden and fitting retribution.

I steadied my racing heart, took a deep breath, and moved forward.

To be honest, I had no idea why Seraia Yuridina was following me.

In love? After being beaten with a wooden sword and trembling in fear last week? There’s no way that was it.

Thus, my imagination began to spread in various directions. Some of them included ominous speculations.

For instance, revenge.

I couldn’t help but feel tense. Seraia seemed to sense my approaching presence and flinched, her hair swaying, yet she did not shy away.

Instead, she even leaned forward slightly to confirm that I was indeed approaching. As I stood in front of the tree, Seraia fidgeted before walking out from behind it.

“Seraia, do you have something to say to me?”

Instead of answering, Seraia lowered her head. A blush colored her soft, creamy skin.

Was she still scared of me? Just at that moment when I reminisced about the bitter memories, Seraia mustered the courage to raise her head.

And with eyes filled with determination, she began to speak, fumbling over her words.

“Uh, um… um, so….”

Struggling to continue her sentence, she suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and bowed deeply. It was a polite request.

“C-Can I ask for your guidance… uh, please?!”

She bit her tongue yet again, but at least this was a passable request.

There was no hint of arrogance pretending to be a high noble, and compared to last time, her posture had softened considerably. Asking for guidance as a junior to her senior was a respectable approach.

Seeing her attitude upgraded from “Yuridina’s rudeness” to “junior” in just one week made me feel a sense of satisfaction as I nodded.

Then I spoke.

“No.”

“W-What then, well, please… okay?”

Her expression fell, clearly caught off guard by my unexpected response. The look of disbelief in her warm gaze turned blank, while I, smiling at her baffled appearance, reinforced my refusal.

“No.”

In an instant, Seraia became frozen like a statue.

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