Love Letter From The Future

3. Dragon’s Eye, Human Mind (36)

Kang, sparks flew in the air.

The two sword strikes collided and flowed along each other’s blades as if sliding. And the series of consecutive strikes, like flowing water, scattered sharp shockwaves again.

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Just a few seconds, I couldn’t even guess how many swords were drawn in that short amount of time.

Only the sound of the condensed air exploding made my vision dizzy. The blade roamed the gap like a buoy.

At first, I reacted swiftly to every blow.

However, the sword managed to catch up shortly after, and in the past, he had to leave after allowing a kick to the pit of the stomach.

My body staggered backwards with a suffocating moan.

I almost collapsed, but I gritted my teeth and endured it. It was after I got tired of falling and falling.

The other person seemed to like that. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

He was a middle-aged man with an impressive red beard on a rugged body.

In his hand was a greatsword that seemed too heavy to hold. I even felt a sense of intimidation in the way he wielded the huge metal block freely as if he were handling an iron skewer.

This man’s name was Derek, a legendary beast hunter and former professor at the academy’s swordsmanship department.

During that time, I thought my skills had improved a lot, but Professor Derek was still a tough opponent.

It was only natural that he was a person who had hunted countless monsters in remote areas for decades. In the meantime, you must have accumulated a lot of practical experience that is incomparable to me.

Of course, I didn’t think that I could easily win. But I never thought I would even bite my teeth. I couldn’t help but feel bitter.

After patting my stomach a few times to calm my breathing, I let out a deep sigh. It was blatantly disappointing.

Professor Derek only snorted at this.

“Ian, no matter how many times you crossed the line of fire, it is still too early to face me. I can admit my swordsmanship and improvisation, but the cohesion of my aura is too low.”

“… … Going beyond that is not an area of effort, but of talent, isn’t it? If you can become an expert just because you want to, then half of the academy is already an expert.”

I couldn’t help but feel sad, and a grumble flowed out of my mouth. Even so, Professor Derek just shook his head.

Professor Hagiya Derek was a swordsman who had reached the stage of maturity among sword experts. If you talk about your talent in front of him, not even the seed will be eaten.

He was a man who had not even received professional swordsmanship training and reached the level that everyone dreams of. Not to mention that talent.

If he hadn’t had that kind of talent in the first place, the life of a monster hunter was not easy enough that he would have died long ago.

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Just being here alive was proof of Professor Derek’s talent. Didn’t he even become a professor at the academy as a commoner?

Perhaps because of his outstanding talent, Professor Derek didn’t seem to agree with me.

“It’s easy to blame talent, Ian. It must be all the more so since you lack the absolute amount of magical power… But what it takes to become an expert is not talent, but imagery.”

My gaze went blankly to Professor Derek. It was a stooped posture due to a blow to the stomach. He looked at my doubtful eyes and smiled bitterly.

“Just for now, look. Your swordsmanship and practical experience have already surpassed any expert. But what do you think is the reason why only Aurors are not developing?”

“… … Is it lack of magic power?”

My assertion, spoken a second time, was likewise denied again.

Professor Derek shook his head once more.

“It’s because the image hasn’t been sorted out yet. An aura is the embodiment of an image, and the harder your image, the stronger it becomes. But lately, you can feel the cracks in your aura.”

When I heard that, my mouth fell shut.

There was a point where the image was not arranged, as soon as I heard it, it got stuck like a stone beak.

These days, there were many times when I felt like I wasn’t me.

Every time that happened, my memory was jumbled, the skills I had never learned suddenly increased, and when I suddenly woke up, my surroundings were covered in blood.

Perhaps the confusion was affecting the aura.

After I lowered my eyes in silence for a while, Professor Derek nodded as if he knew that.

He came slowly and patted my shoulder.

It was such a big hand that I could have applied only a little force, but I could feel the pain. Naturally, my brows furrowed, and Professor Derek burst out laughing.

“Don’t overcomplicate it, Ian. You’re still shaking, but you’re already at the threshold of an expert… You just need to remember one thing.”

My eyes went back to Professor Derek. He gave me advice in a serious tone.

“One thought!”

At that one word, I hesitated for a moment, but then I had no choice but to ask in a questioning voice.

“What is it?”

“When you fight, everything becomes blurred, forgotten, hazy… From that gap in the unconscious, there is a will that pops out of nowhere, as if tearing through a curtain.”

A mischievous smile appeared on Professor Derek’s face as he said that. It was like a father giving his son his first errand.

“Look carefully, you can do it.”

After the cheering words, Professor Derek trudged on. As if nothing had happened, he waved his hand a couple of times to say goodbye.

It was then that I opened my mouth, standing with my back to Professor Derek for a moment.

“… … Professor Derek.”

I could feel Professor Derek’s eyes glancing at me. That sharp gaze testified that the wild nature had not yet disappeared from him.

Naturally, my eyes also turned to the back.

It was the moment when my eyes met the middle-aged swordsman in midair.

“Can I still help you? I am in the middle of a conflict with the imperial family.”

“Hmph, I said something… … .”

Despite my careful questioning, Professor Derek just swallowed a dumbfounded laugh.

“Tsk,” he said, clicking his tongue.

“I was born as a commoner and are teaching even the nobility, so what’s the point of that? Even nobles can splash water on the imperial family.”

It was absurd.

If you understand the physiology of an aristocratic society even a little, you shouldn’t have said that. He could have been arrested for blaspheming the imperial family.

Such a dangerous statement.

But when it came out of Professor Derek’s mouth, it felt like a nonsensical story, so I swallowed a laugh.

It was the advice of a teacher who had crossed countless dead ends.

I decided to carve the word ‘one thought’ into my heart, calming my trembling hands with the reverberation of the shock.

My eyes, gripping the handle of the sword, turned toward the setting dusk.

A lot has happened in the meantime.

Delphine seniors and Elsie seniors were entrusted with guarding the procession, and non-combatants, including the saintess and Emma, were advised not to participate in the homecoming ceremony.

Of course, I also asked Professor Derek, whom I met today, to pay special attention to boundaries. A skilled person like a professor would be able to save countless sacrifices.

All those roads are connected, and in the end, it is a road corner that touches and diverges.

‘Homecoming Festival’ was now tomorrow.

**

On the day of the homecoming festival, the princess was waiting for someone nervously.

Her steps, idling back and forth, seemed unsteady to anyone. It was to the point that a few passers-by paid attention to the transformation of Shien, who was always overflowing with leisure.

However, even today, the princess couldn’t care about other people’s eyes.

The preparations are over.

It was over when I set fire to the fuse. There was still time for the Yurdina family’s army to arrive, but even before then, the plan to destroy the Percus territory could be set in motion.

First of all, it was enough to tie the money line from the top of Ria Percus.

The reason why the upper end was able to endure even though numerous customers have notified contract termination so far is because of the cash assets it has secured.

However, if the upper level’s ability to repay debt is doubted, conventional creditors could arbitrarily apply for emergency repayment. Originally, it was done under the strict supervision of the imperial family, but it didn’t matter.

Isn’t Shien a member of the imperial family?

It was a fatal blow to the Percus Territory, where exchanges with neighboring territories had begun to cease.

Soon, supplies in the territory would run out, and support from the imperial family in case of such a situation would not arrive.

Not only that, but there were also several strategies prepared for the Ainstern and Hastur estates. It’s a perfect plan without leaks.

Even so, there was only one reason why Shien was nervous like now.

irreversible

Once started, it took a lot of time and effort to undo the damage. Even more so, the label of a top business whose ability to repay debt was unclear was fatal in offsetting.

It might take decades, if not years, to turn that distrust back into trust.

And the meaning of causing irreversible damage to someone meant that it would soon become an irreversible relationship with someone.

Actually, Shien was scared.

As a child, she had to endure the fear and contempt of everyone alone. It left an indelible scar deep inside her psyche.

That’s why I’ve been trying my best to make sure that no one hates her.

It was because he knew better than anyone how painful even one person’s hostility could be.

But if Shien made a decision today, at least one person in the world would hate her for the rest of his life.

It was so scary.

Especially when he thought of the golden eyes staring at her with an axe, Shien felt numb. To turn such a terrifying human into an enemy even if he had to turn it into an enemy.

But it was better to be feared than belittled.

It was the conclusion Shien realized after overcoming countless hatreds. A prime example of this is Ian Perkus.

There were many who were against him, but no one actually touched him.

Because Ian Percus was a terrifying being.

The princess also did the same.

However, no matter how many times he repeated his resolve, the hesitation did not disappear, and he was waiting for a man.

It wasn’t just Shien who was nervous.

Irene, who was forcibly accompanied by the princess, also seemed hesitant. Although the escort was strengthened after Ian’s threat last time, Irene was depressed because she had suffered so many things.

At least, only a few knights of the royal guard newly dispatched from the imperial family seemed unconcerned. Other than that, only the head maid, who could be called a non-combatant, remained calm.

The man who had worn out the two women’s children like this showed up as soon as morning came.

An invisible pocket was visible at the waist. Judging by the thickness of the inside, it seemed to be a pouch containing a potion. And to the sharpened blade of the hatchet.

It was a sign that all preparations had been completed. I didn’t know what the hell was the reason to put so much effort into the procession of the homecoming festival.

Shien felt a vague suspicion for a moment, but more than that, he felt a great sense of relief that he had finally met the man.

She inadvertently called out the man’s name.

“Ian Percus!”

The man, who had been walking without a word, suddenly stopped moving.

His golden eyes glanced at the princess. Every time she saw those burning eyes, the princess felt nervous, but she couldn’t stand it any longer.

She strode and stood close to the man.

It was the moment when the eyes of the two men met.