Love Letter From The Future

The Academy strives for equality. Regardless of status, only skill is favored, and those without it cannot escape failure.

No matter how high-ranking the noble, they could not be free from the standards imposed by the Academy. The number of high-ranking nobles expelled from the Academy since its founding proves this.

Hundreds at the very least, and even the five great nobles of the Empire, with their overwhelming confidence, were reduced to mere students upon enrolling at the Academy. The more prestigious their families, the more shame they felt if their children were expelled from the Academy, though it was rare for them to exert pressure on the institution.

The Academy was, in that regard, a trusted educational institution. It was widely recognized for its strict criteria, even by its own students.

However, if one were to ask whether the Academy was truly ‘equal,’ several students would tilt their heads in hesitation. Even an Academy could not ignore the eyes of power.

While the children of the Empire’s five great nobles might be one thing, when members of royalty or top officials from different countries enrolled, the Academy inevitably had to grant them certain privileges. It was to have excuses ready should anything happen to their well-being.

For instance, a first-year student in the Magic Department who had enrolled this year was an Imperial Princess. Though she was far down in the line of succession, she still carried the blood of a dragon. The Academy had to grant her a separate building.

And then there was the woman sitting directly across from me.

The warm sunlight reflected off her silver hair. Her clear, porcelain skin, delicate features, and the uniquely noticeable light pink eyes.

Though obscured by the priestly robes symbolizing the Department of Theology, it could not conceal the curves of her sensual figure. Her body bore a coexistence of divinity and sinfulness.

She was a Saintess. A virgin favored by the Heavenly Deity Arus, and the bearer of a glorious title passed on to only one woman in her time.

Of course, a new Saintess appeared about every thirty years, but until then, the influence of the name ‘Saintess’ on the Heavenly Deity Sect was immense. She was a figure that proved the existence of the Heavenly Deity Arus.

The Heavenly Deity shaped humans from their flesh. And when teaching humanity civilization and faith, the first disciple to inherit the title of ‘Pope’ was the one who had passed it down through generations.

However, this was merely a tradition based on human law. The next Pope was elected not by God, but by the cardinals of the Holy Kingdom.

On the other hand, the Saintess was a girl born with extraordinary divine power, someone who could not be chosen by humans at will. Therefore, there was symbolic significance in her being chosen by the Heavenly Deity, and the Holy Kingdom greatly treasured her existence.

In terms of treatment, she was above a cardinal but below an archbishop. As a figure belonging to the highest positions in the Holy Kingdom, it was natural that the Academy had no choice but to extend special privileges to her.

One of those privileges was the very place I was sitting. A small building attached to the temple, informally known as ‘The Sun’s Resting Place.’

Although it lacked extravagant decorations due to its external image, it emanated a neat and vintage atmosphere. The Saintess and the knights of the Holy Kingdom guarding her, along with servants, often stayed here.

However, this particular Saintess reportedly disliked special treatment and kept her escort and servants to a bare minimum. Even those would mainly provide security at night, with only her trusted escort, Yulen, guarding her during the day.

It seemed the rumor was true. Upon entering The Sun’s Resting Place and reaching the reception room on the second floor, I did not see a single shadow of a person.

In other words, it was a private meeting. To sit alone with a woman as beautiful and noble as the Saintess, and not in a treatment room either.

It was fortunate. I should have been happy about it.

If not for the attitude the Saintess was currently displaying.

“……So, you don’t remember anything at all?”

Her voice was icy. The low question was tinged with undeniable irritation. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, and her light pink eyes were filled with dissatisfaction.

It was far from the image of ‘gracious and kind’ that was often portrayed. This only deepened my feeling of bewilderment.

Is this really the Saintess?

The once warm gaze had long since begun to scan me sharply. A sigh escaped her lips.

Then, with a bang, her palm slammed onto the table. Unconsciously rising, she leaned forward and glared at me while growling.

“Does that even make sense?! I don’t know what your intentions are, but….”

I was already feeling cornered, and when I saw the Saintess’s anger, I instinctively crossed myself. Then I declared solemnly.

“I swear to the Heavenly Deity, it’s the truth.”

“Should you invoke the Lord in vain, you will face divine punishment, Brother I-an?”

“But it’s the truth.”

I could hear the sound of her grinding teeth. Although she glared at me fiercely, seeing my wronged expression did not seem to convince her at all.

With a sigh that seemed to express she had given up, she slumped down onto her seat.

Perhaps because her head was throbbing, she pressed her fingers hard against her temples.

“……So, this is how it’s going to be, huh? I understand, Brother I-an.”

It was true. I looked at the Saintess with an aggrieved expression, but she simply snorted in response. As if dissatisfied, yet her gaze softened, she turned away from my gaze.

It was an impressive shift in demeanor. Just moments ago, she had been spewing words stained with rage and hatred, and now she appeared slightly intimidated. The sensation I felt from her gaze was a faint hint of fear.

After a while of silence, the Saintess shook her head weakly. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers.

With a swish, a piece of paper flew toward her. Was it magic? It was an ability impossible with divine power. Perhaps she was using an artifact.

The Saintess looked at me hesitantly and then, as if she had made a decision, pushed the paper toward me.

The paper glided smoothly to a stop right in front of me. It was a fine display of control.

When I looked at the Saintess in surprise, she spoke irritably.

“Well, if it’s confidential, what can be done? Isn’t this just to act as if the incident didn’t happen and to present the information you prepared? Ha, seriously. How impressive is this organization….”

‘Confidential’ and ‘organization’ were terms I had no connection with at all.

For a moment, this doubt passed through my mind, but my curiosity about the document was greater. I picked it up and slowly examined its contents.

There were several marked locations on the map, and the names of the facilities located there were written down. It appeared to indicate the eastern part of the continent, and judging by the names of the facilities, they were likely orphanages.

It was information that was utterly useless to me. Yet at that moment, I felt the contents of a letter flash through my mind.

‘Orphanage,’ yes. I had been told that the place I was going for my field practice was an orphanage.

“As requested, it’s a list of orphanages suffering from financial difficulties while receiving support from the Holy Kingdom. Most of them are overwhelmed with too many orphans to care for.”

Reading through the document carefully, my gaze deepened. Though I could not ascertain the exact circumstances, it was clear this was a clue to unraveling the contents of the second letter.

In that case, it was best to take it with me. I neatly folded the document in half and tucked it into my pocket.

“Thank you, Saintess.”

As usual, I expressed my gratitude, but her response was chilling. She looked at me with an incredulous expression and soon could not hold back her question.

“……But where do you intend to use that information?”

“I don’t know.”

As if she had anticipated my answer, the Saintess shook her head. I had merely spoken the truth, but since it could easily be misinterpreted, I chose not to elaborate.

Whether this was all she needed to say, the Saintess waved her hand dismissively. It was a somewhat rude gesture. However, my head had become too complicated to protest.

What on earth had happened while I had lost my memory? The Saintess’s furious attitude, the contents of the second letter, all seemed inexplicable, causing my head to throb.

Just before turning to leave, though, I couldn’t help but ask the question that had been bothering me most.

“By the way, Saintess.”

The Saintess’s light pink eyes widened slightly at my words. Prompted by her gaze urging me to get to the point, I directly asked her.

“……Is that your true self?”

There was a long silence before an answer came. The Saintess kept her mouth shut, briefly avoiding my gaze, before finally letting out a deep sigh.

Then she looked at me with eyes filled with disdain.

“Brother I-an, everyone has various facets to themselves… How could a kind and gentle orphan girl survive in the terrifying political arena of the Holy Kingdom?”

“If that’s the case, does it mean your usual demeanor is just a façade…….”

“No, no. That’s also a part of me. It’s just that the way I should present myself changes depending on the person. And as for you, Brother I-an.”

A benevolent smile curled at the corners of the Saintess’s lips. It was the expression of the Saintess I knew. Yet the light pink eyes gazing at me were only cold.

“I’ve simply decided that this is how I should treat you. I’ve been overly nice for no reason until now.”

I had no choice but to exit the room with a bitter feeling.

Determining the true nature of the situation was the priority. The Saintess clearly seemed unwilling to share her recent experiences with me, so the only person left to ask was one.

The ever-loyal escort knight who always stood by the Saintess’s side.

Yulen.

It was just as I was stepping out of The Sun’s Resting Place.

A silver line shot through the air.

Its target was my throat; I instinctively raised my sword to deflect it. However, startled by the ambush and the force behind the thrust, I couldn’t completely alter its trajectory.

The sound of two blades clashing echoed as they scraped against each other. A blue flame erupted. Nevertheless, the projectile managed to graze my cheek.

It was a shallow wound. Only after a while did blood begin to seep out.

Yet, had my response been even a moment slower, I might have sustained a fatal injury. Thanks to my enhanced physical abilities derived from the ‘dragon’s blood,’ I was fortunate, but had it been a month ago, I would have died without even understanding how.

My bewildered gaze turned toward the man holding the sword. He had thin, green hair tied back and wore an androgynous face.

It was Yulen. He inspected me for a moment with sharp eyes, then relaxed his grip on the sword as if he had let off steam. Then he spoke.

“……What’s going on? You’ve gotten weaker again, haven’t you?”

Taking a step back, he muttered this. All I could do was give a hollow laugh.

My incredulous gaze met his. Nevertheless, Yulen merely smiled shamelessly and extended a hand.

“Welcome back, I-an. I’ve heard about the circumstances. You’ve lost your memory, right?”

“……Were you guarding the door?”

“Of course. I’m the escort knight. Naturally, I heard everything you and the Saintess discussed.”

Then, Yulen clapped his palms together and offered me his congratulations. He seemed to have wanted a handshake, but upon seeing my lack of reaction, he opted for a backup plan.

“You can feel proud. Only a handful of people across the continent get to see that fierce face of the Saintess.”

“I’m not particularly thrilled about it….”

Whether I should be angry for being ambushed or relax due to Yulen’s friendly attitude, I was at a loss.

I hesitated for only a moment. After all, I couldn’t exactly cry and wail just because a swordsman had grazed my cheek. Rather, I needed to make a sensible choice.

Grumbling, I put my sword back in its sheath and asked Yulen.

“So, do you believe I lost my memory?”

“I have no choice but to believe it; I just confirmed it, remember? Your skills.”

He shrugged and crossed his arms. His head nodded, as if it had reached a conclusion.

Before long, Yulen’s reasoning followed.

“At first, your gaze was so different that I was uncertain. But if you’ve lost your memory, it all makes sense. You must have been possessed by someone for a short while. The only question remains; no matter how much one inhabits another’s body, it’s difficult to replicate their skills….”

He stroked his chin, pondering. It seemed he had plenty more related deductions to share. However, what mattered to me was not about possession.

I felt the need to interrupt him.

“Different gaze?”

“Hmm? Oh, that… Back then, you had such fatigued eyes that it left an impression.”

‘Fatigued eyes,’ the term echoed in my mind as I recalled hearing something similar not long ago.

Before I received the first letter, during the week when I lost my memory. It was the same testimony.

If that was the case, it meant this phenomenon was closely related to the letter that had come from the future. Yulen, no matter how hard he thought, would never be able to arrive at such a conclusion.

The very notion of receiving letters from the future was itself abnormal. That moment, I felt another reason to disregard Yulen’s deduction.

I decided to tackle a more pressing question.

“Yulen, I have a favor to ask.”

His head tilted slightly, and he looked at me with curious eyes, urging me to speak.

“Do you happen to know what I did while I lost my memory?”

At my question, Yulen briefly averted his gaze. He seemed to be in deep thought. Then, he loosened his arms and asked me seriously.

“……First off, do you remember the time you put a sword through my shoulder?”

No, not at all.

Sweat began to run down my back. I bit my lip, desperately holding in the urge to wipe the perspiration accumulating on my forehead, and thought to myself.

It seemed that while I lost my memory, I must have done something outrageous again.

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