Love Letter From The Future

5. Bread and dagger (89)

Have you ever splashed paint on white drawing paper?

Fist against fist, bone against bone, muscle against muscle.

Each time they collided, the pure white snowy field was colored. The bloody bon dance performed at the risk of one’s life was rough and precise.

Pak, Leoric’s fist hit Ian’s cheek. As he staggered back, Leoric ran without letting go of the gap.

Before that, Ian’s kicks only exploded in his stomach.

Crying, watery mud dripped from Leoric’s mouth.

Ian ran and swung his fist. Leoric gritted his teeth and held on, then punched out again.

It was a bloody battle between two men without weapons.

It was a desperate battle that even made me feel pitiful. Leoric’s mind, which had already reached its limit, became hazy.

I wouldn’t be wrong

Leoric kept muttering those words to himself.

Already all his teeth had been pulled out and he was rolling on the ground. The jawbone was also weak, and moving the tongue only produced the sound of air escaping.

So he just muttered inwardly.

I am not wrong

The scenery of the past penetrated into my blurry brain. It was the scenery of one day.

He was alone and shivering in the northern cold. He tried to hold on, but the hunger that lasted for days was driving him to death.

Then I met an elf girl who had injured her ankle.

She too was destined to die. Cold and starvation were not the only threats to life in coniferous forests.

Witchbeasts who smelled the blood will come to visit.

Maybe that’s why, the elf girl held out the bread with a bright smile.

“I don’t know, but you can live, right?”

It was rough, crude bread.

Leoric was a war priest. Even the cheapest meal provided by the military camp was of better quality.

Even so, why did he eat bread so hastily?

Leoric thought it was fate.

I thought it was a great opportunity to clear the question of God that I always had in my heart.

God, didn’t you say you love peace and forgiveness?

But why do humans and elves have to repeat such brutal fights?

As a priest, he did not know, and like most scholars, he plunged deep into the problem in search of the truth.

After curing the elf girl, he wrapped her in front of the monsters until she was covered in blood.

That’s how Leoric was recognized by the elves.

What did you hear then?

I couldn’t remember.

The only thing that awakens his thoughts is the punch that sinks his nose.

“Leoric!”

Leoric gritted his teeth and twisted his body. The bones in his nose collapsed, and his breathing, which had been already fast, became more rough as it was filled with blood.

Nevertheless, he confronted him using his unique size, and Ian had to plant his feet firmly on the ground to avoid falling.

Leoric trampled on one of them with his left foot.

I couldn’t tell whether it was my left foot or my right foot, because I was so distracted.

I could only see Ian biting his teeth.

and headbutt.

Ian staggered away, and Leoric took a couple of steps back from the shock that pierced his skull.

A muffled voice came through the dimming mind.

“Ah, uncle! it’s okay? Boo, fire! Fire in the food warehouse… … !”

“I-I… You are already wrong.”

It was a muttered word with a melted tongue.

However, the girl did not give up on him even though she cried.

It’s my fault.

Leoric’s hair was messed up. After that day, when his face melted and his body was covered with hideous scars, Leoric opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time.

And saw.

The figure of an elf girl whose cheek was hollowed out and died.

Leoric wept bitterly through his burned vocal chords. I was just resentful of my situation, where I couldn’t even let go of sobs properly.

Even in the midst of that, the girl did her best to save Leoric.

Even to the point of starving for his own meal, he did everything in his power to seek food and hand it over to himself.

Leoric realized that and cried all night.

I cursed myself again.

Fool, I was thinking wrong.

The world was an extension of the dying and killing food chain. Forgiving someone was nothing more than the bullshit of those who are full.

Didn’t you realize while burning yourself?

I can’t forgive those who gave me this pain.

yeah i wasn’t wrong

The same was true of the woman who appeared like a ghost that day.

I swear it was the first beauty I had ever seen in my life. Even the saintess of the Holy Land, which is said to be the pinnacle of beauty, can be her opponent.

Noble black hair that doesn’t allow even a single point of light, crimson eyes that make it hard to guess what’s inside.

Her white skin was like looking at a snowfield that no one had stepped on, and her sharp nose and features seemed like she was born to charm everyone.

whether male or female.

She could seduce anyone if she put her mind to it.

So I was even more afraid.

The more I look into those eyes, the more I feel like I’m being pulled in.

The woman smiled softly.

“Do you want revenge?”

Yes, that was the trigger.

“You were just following the teachings of the heavenly gods. But why do I have to suffer like this? And why don’t those who hurt you blink an eye? Isn’t that unreasonable?”

“All, you… … .”

“Shh.”

She was as seductive as the night, and as foreboding as a woman.

A seductive smile appeared on her lips.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that I didn’t have enough power… Then, how about we make a deal?”

“What, a deal?”

“Yes, I will give you strength. The power to change this unreasonable world… Instead, you also have to pay the price. Only then can a transaction be established.”

That day, Leoric accepted the offer.

However, no matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t remember what the ‘price’ was.

what did i give

Then, with a snap, the elbow plunged into his stomach.

Leoric’s pupils shook wildly. It was because it was a blow that was completely unexpected unlike before.

I couldn’t even see the foreshadowing.

Even though he was unfamiliar with box fighting, Leoric’s body still had the power he gained from the ‘transaction’. His dynamic vision was not at a level that could be classified as a criminal.

Still, I didn’t notice.

how the hell

Before he could even ask that question, a series of fists hit his chin and temple. Leoric howled and waved his hands wildly.

Until the very end, Ian stepped back, kicking him in the stomach.

Now it was Leoric’s obvious inferiority.

Spitting up mud again, Leoric thought as his vision blurred.

yeah i wasn’t wrong

“Look! It’s a pain to live! Does any of you claim that life is not hell? We must have mercy on those who cannot bear this hell!”

yes i am

“You shouldn’t be looting too conspicuously. Our purpose is to imprint the fact that we are not easy opponents. Even if there are sacrifices along the way… It is unavoidable.”

I.

“Oh, poor Betty. Unfortunately, it is impossible to overcome the pain alone. But I will offer a little help. so as not to get sick… To make this hellish life at least a little calmer.”

And, scream.

Leoric couldn’t control the uncontrollable fire in his chest. I didn’t even know what the meaning of the cry that burns prayers and vocal chords and vomits out of the mouth in the past.

He just ran, fist after fist.

After that, the bodies of the two men moved away from each other, stuck to each other, and then collapsed repeatedly.

Leoric’s breathing became more and more rapid.

He couldn’t remember the name of the elf girl, the precious child he thought of as his daughter.

why the hell

He buried the girl in his heart. I made a memorial in one corner of my memory and lived with a mind of remembrance every day.

Didn’t he always keep two things in his arms to honor the girl?

One bread, one dagger.

The bread was to remember the kindness the girl had given him.

The dagger was to not hesitate like that day.

Even so, why can’t I remember the name.

Leoric’s brain was tangled like a ball of thread rolling across the ground.

Yes, it was all this guy’s fault.

Ian Percus.

After he came out, the plan went awry. In the past, we lost the strength bestowed by the Lord and suffered from unnecessary anguish.

Leoric let out a roar of hate.

“I-an… Percus!!!”

The two men’s fists hit each other in the face.

At that perfect intersection, the two new models stumbled and fell apart at the same time. Dark blood appeared in Leoric’s eyes.

It was the same with Ian.

There was nowhere else to retreat. The two had to fight here, whether they lived or died.

It was after the two of them had already become so miserable that it was impossible to say which one was better.

On the colorfully bruised and broken face, even the drops of blood that left their traces on the snowy field.

Neither of them opened their mouths.

However, the two instinctively came to an unspoken agreement.

End with the next blow.

It was time to reveal the number of secrets that had been hidden until now.

My mind was hazy. In fact, standing on the ground with both feet was the point of use.

But Leoric never fell.

His defeat meant he was wrong.

The world that takes away life and life has always been like this. History is always written under the logic of the victor, and the loser is banished and remains as a villain.

Leoric did not want to meet such a miserable end.

He wanted to engrave the name of the elf girl who had saved him into history.

So that no one forgets!

As Leoric stumbled, Ian’s body kicked off the ground and was shot.

As if they had made a promise, their hands clasped each other’s arms.

it’s dagger

Leoric gritted his teeth and thought. Perhaps Ian felt the same way.

What were they hiding in their arms?

A secret identity that can take the life of an opponent with a single blow.

Through his bewildered mind, Leoric felt something gripping his hand.

There was no room for hesitation.

The arms of the two men stretched out to each other.

Push, and the blood soaked the ground.

Unlike before, it was fatal bleeding. Non-single, continuous, massive bleeding.

Leoric finally came to his senses.

The whole world seemed to be shrinking around him and Ian. Apparently he is standing on the ground, it feels like looking down at the crossed arms from the sky.

A dagger pierced Leoric’s body. As you can tell just by looking at the golden handle, it was of high quality.

Is it a gift to a lover for self-defense?

A trivial knowledge flashed through Leoric, who was once a priest. It didn’t make any sense anyway.

Leoric looked at the tip of his outstretched arm, aiming for Ian’s heart.

It was bread.

It’s not a dagger, it’s always worn in honor of an elf girl.

Bread and dagger were crossing.

Crying, black blood poured from Leoric’s mouth. Even for a while, the blood he vomited soon turned red.

Leoric trembled for a moment before falling to the ground.

death is coming

Maybe thanks to that, Leoric’s broken jawbone was moving on its own.

“I, I… Did I lose?”

“yes.”

Leoric giggled at that low reply.

Yeah, you lost in the end.

I wasn’t even angry anymore. Even the chill that pierced his whole body did not bring pain to his body.

Rather, it was reassuring.

Because you don’t have to fight anymore. Because you don’t have to be sick.

However, there is one thing that bothers me.

“Oh, will Ariella be sad?”

It was an accidental name.

Leoric couldn’t even remember the name. Perhaps Ian feels the same way.

But Ian remained silent.

I just dazedly touched my chest, where the blunt end of the bread had run past.

“I always carried bread in memory of him… That, but because of that, he lost in the final battle. Cool!”

Dew formed around Leoric’s eyes.

He realized that after a long time indeed.

Were there tears in him too?

I couldn’t remember. Because on the day the food storage was burned, I thought his tear glands were also burned.

“I have no face to see Ariella… … .”

“You will like it.”

However, at the words Ian uttered, Leoric held on to his clouded mind for the last time.

“Isn’t that the priest Ariella considered her father? Whether human or elf, caring for the sick… The one who healed the girl who injured her ankle even when she fell alone in the coniferous forest due to the attack of the elves.”

He would also be out of breath.

Kneeling down, Ian continued his reasoning with muffled breathing.

“He must have been a good man who didn’t pay a dagger for a dagger. No, I’ve lived my whole life without knowing what a dagger is… That’s why he was a man who could melt even the elves who had daggers in their hearts all their lives.”

Leoric kept his mouth shut.

There was no more mud left. His body had returned to the days of the weak priest.

Inhale and exhale.

A few memories flashed through his clouded mind.

Suddenly, voices pierced his brain.

“Sister Ariella, elves seem to be very reasonable and scary. Bread to bread, dagger to dagger… If it wasn’t for the sister, I’d probably have been barred from the doorstep. hahahaha!”

A single tear ran down Leoric’s cheek.

Right.

“Heh, I find it more interesting to hear what the man says than to talk about things like that. Who was he? A person called Cheonshinnim said it!”

“Yeah, that would have been boring… … .”

This was my ‘price’.

“That’s even cooler and more amazing! If you pay back a dagger for a dagger, then what? The person who received the dagger will live with the dagger in their heart, right? So there is no end! You have to fight forever!”

“Sure, it is, but… … .”

“That’s why I like you!”

This bright smile, the child’s happiness.

Even in the midst of starvation, the dazzling laughter bloomed.

“Can I be like that if I live according to that uncle’s words? Who does not repay dagger for dagger, but with bread!”

Memories that were so precious.

why did i forget I squeezed my eyelids that were gradually closing, and hot tears poured down uncontrollably.

Leoric cried and said.

“Ah, I see. I did… … .”

The value of life did not lie in being full and wealthy.

Even in a tough life, there were moments like this that shine.

“In the end, I’m glad it worked out. I have committed so many sins… … .”

Swallowing back his tears, Leoric squeezed out his last strength and spoke.

“Please tell me I am sorry.”

To whom, Ian didn’t even ask the question he was supposed to follow.

Instead, he kept silent.

In order to protect the end of the old enemy who has been in confrontation for so long.

“Also, you have to be careful.”

Gradually Leoric’s breathing died down.

A man who was once a priest of the Celestial Church, a cult leader, and now a mere bloody human.

It was his last request.

“Patriarch Eindel, he is dangerous… … .”

Leoric’s heart stopped beating completely.

Ian, who was on his knees, finally relaxed and sat down.

He, too, was clouded.

I couldn’t even remember how beaten I was. I just collapsed backwards, looking at the sky and having one impression.

It’s clear.

The sun was shining in the northern part of the blizzard.

As if announcing the end of a bloody battle.

**

Pak, the old man’s body staggered back.

And a sharp sword that aimed at the uvula.

Delphine, growling low, said to her father.

“That’s it.”

The two decisive battles were coming to an end.