Love Letter From The Future

Aviang lay unconscious, a faint groan escaping her lips.

She was sprawled across a sofa set up in a corner of Emma’s workshop. The sight of the woman, bound at the wrists and ankles with rope evoked a strange sense of pity.

She looked like a girl who had only just become an adult.

It wouldn’t be weird if a stranger were to immediately report me to the guards. After all, I had tightly bound a delicate young girl’s hands and feet.

I, of course, had my reasons.

First and foremost, she was not human—she was an Elf.

That meant she was both an enemy of humanity and a spy who had infiltrated the Academy. She was the one who the guards should apprehend, not me.

Moreover, she was a skilled combatant.

Had I been her opponent, it wouldn’t have been necessary to restrain her

No matter what she attempted, it would have been difficult for the Elf to slit my throat. Besides the clear gap in our abilities being proven thus far, the Elf’s primary expertise seemed to be in magic.

For a mage to confront a swordsman at close range was practically suicide.

However, the one currently inspecting the Elf’s condition was not me, but Emma.

Regardless of how many safety measures were in place, they still weren’t enough.

Emma was upright and kind-hearted. It wasn’t surprising that she felt sympathy for the Elf who deceived her.

But a moment’s carelessness could lead to a fatal mistake.

Since Emma was a non-combatant, wearily watching the Elf was all I could do.

It was possible that she might suddenly open her eyes and attack Emma.

Though, if that happened, the Elf wouldn’t meet a peaceful death either.

Somewhat anxious, I glanced at Emma’s expression.

Unlike me, whose hands were drenched in cold sweat, her eyes as she inspected the Elf were utterly serious. She rested her chin on her hand, lost in deep thought for quite some time.

It was a gaze only a researcher could have.

I had forgotten until now, but Emma was also a member of the Academy’s Alchemy Department. It was a fact I only realized it now..

It was then that Emma’s lips parted.

“The flow of her mana is unstable… Even the organs that should normally be stable are overly sensitive. It must be accompanied by considerable pain. It looks like the result of body modification.”

She spoke in a grave tone.

If someone as cautious as Emma said this much, then there was no room for doubt. Someone had modified the Elf’s body.

That’s where the abnormal regenerative ability must have originated from..

As soon as I heard the words ‘body modification,’ a certain someone suddenly came to mind.

A woman who took on the appearance of my younger sister while laughing wildly.

And the filthy little girl who formed the Corpse Giant’s core.

Mitram.

A Dark Priest and an expert on body modification.

She, who once was my archenemy, naturally crossed my mind.

Reflexively, a question slipped from my lips.

“……we can’t track the person who did the modifications, right?”

“For now, that’s right. It’s so twisted that I can’t quite grasp the principles, but there’s one thing…”

At that moment, a soft glow began to form in Emma’s hand.

Starting from near the Elf’s solar plexus, her slender hand glided over her chest and brushed past her throat, as if tracing them. Each time, the Elf’s body jerked violently in response.

Emma, who had been focusing near the Elf’s throat for some time, suddenly mustered all her strength and thrust her hand toward the Elf’s mouth.

Then, from the Elf’s lips, a bizarre scream erupted.

Kiiiiiiiiieeeek!

The Elf’s jaw dislocated and opened wide, revealing the  fleeting glimpse of a grotesque lump of flesh inside. It only lasted for a split second.

It fled out of sight immediately afterward.

Leaving behind an oddly familiar trace.

I instantly buried my face in my hands as an involuntary sigh escaped my lips

Despite the horrific sight, Emma didn’t show any sign of surprise.

Well, she had always been utterly serious whenever alchemy was involved.

Regularly handling all sorts of creepy materials, she had no reason to be frightened by a lump of flesh parasitizing an Elf’s body.

She merely declared in a low voice.

“…That’s the core of her mana. It’s fused too deeply with her body, so removing it right now is impossible.”

Hearing those words, I finally became certain.

There was  only one place in the entire continent that engaged in such perverse modifications.

“The Dark Order…”

I had a hunch, and sure enough, I was right.

The Dark Order had deep ties with the northern Elves.

No—more than just ties—they were clearly plotting some conspiracy through the elves. Otherwise, they wouldn’t go so far as to individually modify their bodies.

Hearing my sigh, Emma wore a worried expression.

Her eyes, silently gazing at me, were filled with deep concern. Seeing her repeatedly hesitating, I forced a smile and said,

“It’s okay, Emma. I’ll handle it.”

Normally, that should have been the end of the conversation.

Emma doesn’t belong in the world I inhabit.

My path has long been stained with blood and corpses. I didn’t want to bring Emma along on that cold, dark road.

Because I wanted to protect her.

But Emma seemed a bit different today.

After hesitating for a long while, she suddenly asked me,

“You’re leaving again…?”

“Probably. But don’t worry… I’ll be back soon.”

It was reassurance I offered hoping that Emma would feel even a little at ease.

Even so, she wordlessly lowered her head. Seeing the shadows cast over her face didn’t make me feel any better.

I took a step toward her.

She helplessly stood there, as if she might collapse into my arms with just a gentle pull. I unconsciously reached out a hand but then stopped myself.

It was unnecessary meddling.

Letting out a long sigh, I turned away.

As for the Elf, I just needed to put her back in the sack.

It was about time to go see Senior Neris.

There was a limit to the information I could gather on my own.

If it wasn’t for Emma’s soft murmur at that moment, I would have left right then.

“…I heard that you almost died.”

As she said that, my steps abruptly halted.

My perplexed gaze turned to Emma. Regardless, she continued her confession in a somber tone.

“It was because of my potion, right? Since I know the side effects better than anyone, the Saintess contacted me. At first, she tried to hide it… but I thought I was qualified to hear at least that much.”

Why did the word ‘qualified’ stick so painfully in my heart?

No, deep down, I knew the reason why.

Under the guise of protecting her, I had been giving Emma ‘special treatment’. And depending on the perspective, it could even seem like discrimination.

Favor and disregard were two sides of the same coin.

One cannot exist without the other.

“At first, my mind went blank. Then I could barely breathe… When I came to, I found myself uncontrollably sobbing without even realizing. For a long time, uh-huh, no, for days…”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“…Emma.”

I called her name with a heavy heart.

But she didn’t return her usually bright and cheerful response. She simply declared with a lonely expression,

“Ian, I’m scared of you.”

A single sentence that pierced my heart.

“I’m scared that you might die and I’m scared of a world without you… I wasn’t like this before I met you, isn’t it strange?”

Her trembling voice was mixed with sobs.

Before I knew it, Emma’s emerald eyes were glistening with tears. I wanted to offer some words of comfort, but couldn’t bring myself to speak.

“But what’s scariest and hardest for me is that you might die and there’s nothing I can do about it. Well, it’s only natural; I’m just a commoner girl who only knows how to make potions…”

“…Emma.”

I couldn’t hold back any longer and opened my mouth.

I didn’t know what to say. I just instinctively wanted to stop Emma from belittling herself.

Gently, I grasped her hand.

“I’ve already owe you my life several times. Why do you only have thoughts like that? You’ve done more than enough for me…”

“…I know.”

Forcing down her quivering voice, Emma hastily wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

“I knew you’d say that… Thank you.”

She must have known.

Being quick-witted and exceptionally smart, Emma never upset others and was so considerate that she voiced her own opinions.

Even now, it was the same.

Even though she had yet to come to terms with it, Emma was quickly trying to compose herself so I wouldn’t be troubled. That pained me deeply.

But despite that, there was nothing I could do.

The Dark Order was lurking in the north. If they were even collaborating with the Elves, I had to assume the danger was even greater.

I couldn’t take Emma to such a dangerous place.

I was concerned about the harsh, dry climate of the North, and I also had to consider the pride of the Yurdina family, one of the Empire’s five prestigious families.

Even lower nobles might not be properly treated there, let alone commoners.

Bringing along Emma, who harbored insecurities about her own status wouldn’t lead to anything good.

All these reasons swirled in my mind.

Just one of them was enough to justify not bringing her along. I steeled myself and looked at her.

It was then.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Emma gave me a sorrowful smile.

“I’ll wait for you again… Please come back safely, okay?”

The moment I faced that forlorn expression.

“…Let’s go.”

My mind went blank, and that’s what I blurted out.

It was Emma who looked bewildered.

Her eyes, which had been ready to quietly see me off, widened slightly.

“H-Huh?”

“Let’s go together, Emma. I’ll protect you no matter what…”

Even as I made such a bold promise, I was conflicted about whether this was the right thing to do.

But no matter how much I agonized over it, my answer would always be the same. From the moment I saw Emma’s tearful smile, it was as if I had already fallen into a trap.

We had already reached the conclusion. All that remained was the resolve to see it through.

So I had to steel myself internally.

Alright, let’s do this.

Because it’s what Emma wanted.

Though Emma herself was just blinking in confusion, not quite understanding what was happening.

And so, a new companion was added to our journey toward the North.

***It was only a few hours had passed that the Elf regained consciousness.