Love Letter From The Future

5.5 Interlude: Gold and Silver(2)

There was still white snow on the ground.

It was a sign of a long blizzard.

The Demon Realm is a place of eternal winter.

The wind that blew from there scattered flakes of snow all over the north. Originally, the North was accustomed to sudden heavy snowfall, but the snow clouds that came up from the ground were a different story.

It was because of the heavy snowfall.

The north was as dry as it was cold. Heavy snow fell occasionally, but not often.

But the blizzard raged endlessly for weeks.

If I hadn’t defeated Leoric, the North would have been destroyed not by monsters, but by snow.

The remaining pine nut eyes were proof of that.

Snow piled up to ankle depth severely hindered walking.

This was because walking the same distance in the snow required several times the strength.

It was a situation where curses came out, but I didn’t even have the heart to complain.

It wasn’t just me.

So too was the series of groups walking in front.

A slender body, pointed ears, and even a beautiful appearance.

The identity of those who were once considered blessed by the gods were ‘elves’.

Enemies of mankind, savages driven to the north.

I was walking behind them.

“I’m glad you’re safe, human… No, did you say Ian?”

These were the first words spoken in the silent march.

His gaze was not directed at me, but his voice, filled with subtle warmth, showed concern for me.

The name of this out-of-the-way elf man was ‘Ruget’.

Since he was one of the elves I was especially close with in the Elf Village, I was able to talk to him with a much more comfortable mind.

“Call me whatever you feel comfortable with.”

“Anyway, aren’t ‘humans’ a little affectionate? You were the only human in the village.”

“You can think of it as a nickname, well. It feels like a human representative and I like it.”

As I and Ruggett chatted, I could feel the glances around me.

The elves in the village I hadn’t seen in a while clearly showed that they were having a hard time with me.

In the meantime, it seemed that he was finishing his adaptation to human society.

I wouldn’t have known that before.

How heavy is the name ‘Ian Percus’.

I was a rising hero of mankind and one of the rising swordsmen representing the Empire. In addition, the face of my personal network was also splendid.

Yurdina, one of the five noble families of the Empire, is on my side.

And behind me, the princess and the imperial family existed, and the saintess of the Holy Land also had a deep relationship with me.

The fact that I was only the second son of a viscount was no longer important.

I was already at the heart of Imperial power.

In the past, no matter how much I said it, I couldn’t realize it, but the elves would naturally realize it while living with humans in Yurdina Castle.

The fact that the expectations of mankind placed on my back are not common.

Actually I haven’t changed anything.

The bitter lines on my lips deepened.

Ruggett bit off a bitter smile along with me.

“I mean, I still don’t know.”

“What?”

“Accepting you into the village.”

I kept my mouth shut when I was suddenly summoned to the past.

If you look at it, was it like that?

It was also Ruggett who accepted me, who had fallen into the village alone with Avian at the time.

I asked again with a look of sadness for no reason.

“Do you regret it?”

“In a way.”

The more you step, the whiter your breath.

Everywhere I looked, the world was all white.

“Looking back now, I think you were too big for our town to embrace. We were elves who barely lived by boiling wood gruel. But since you came, so many things have changed. There were times when I almost died.”

“I’m sorry about that… … .”

“I am not blaming you.”

Isha, who was leading the way, gradually slowed down.

It meant that the destination was near.

Isha, who was always rough and full of vitality, was quiet today.

But no one inquired into the matter.

Because I didn’t hear it.

All old neighbors are such beings.

“To be honest, I was very surprised and confused at first. Why did weak elves like us end up in the middle of such a huge war… I wondered what it would have been like to live while eating wooden porridge, even if I was starving.”

I silently reflected on Ruggett’s words.

It wasn’t that his feelings were incomprehensible. Didn’t I too

One day I received a love letter from the future, and it all started.

Even after crossing the line and going through the pain of cutting flesh and bone, I couldn’t stop the obsessive questioning.

why am i doing this

No, why me?

Asked and asked, but there was no answer. There were many times when I was fed up with that fact and wanted to let go of everything.

Still, the road continues.

to where I have reached now.

The tomb made of snow and wood was indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. At first glance, it looked like a hill created by the natural accumulation of snow.

Only then did all the elves stop.

A faint moan escaped from Isha’s teeth, who had been silent. Then, on my knees, a few drops of tears fell to the ground.

The ground of snow and ice could not withstand the temperature.

One by one, the elves bend their knees. It was the Elf’s best courtesy towards the deceased.

The only ones standing upright here were me and Ruggett.

“… … Aren’t you resentful?”

It was a well-thought-out question.

From the moment I put the grave in front of me, my breath stopped. It feels like someone else has been sacrificed because of my greed.

The tears of the elves fall as rain.

Like the snowfield bathed in the warm rain, my heart was hollowed out.

I continued to complain like a frightened child.

“If it wasn’t for me, old Pope wouldn’t have died. You didn’t have to go through that hardship, and you were caught between humans and elves for no reason… … .”

“Thank you, human.”

However, Ruggett’s voice in response was harder than I imagined, so I kept my mouth shut again.

Chin, the elf’s hand rested on my shoulder.

“We always ran away and lived. For hundreds of years… As a result, whatever the truth was, my eyes were wide open only for survival. Leoric had penetrated our weak side. We ran away repeatedly for a long time, and in the end we even forgot why we had to live.”

Rugette’s hand tapped my shoulder a couple of times and grabbed my collar. And he started walking ahead.

right in front of the tomb.

Unexpectedly, I stood next to him, guided by Ruggett’s hand.

“Old Man Pope must have been the same. I blame myself endlessly, and then I can’t stand it, so I pass the blame on… But in the end, you risked your life for the person you hated so much.”

“I, so… … .”

“It can’t be helped.”

I chose silence again at one word that was thrown out like a sigh.

Ruggett quietly knelt down and spoke to me.

“I have no idea what to do. this world is like that Fate sometimes flows with cruelty and pride, and people like us can’t help but get caught up in it.”

I tried to refute what he said, but then I shut my mouth.

Unexpectedly, the memories of a certain man passed through my mind.

The life story of an unfortunate man whose laughter and emotions were worn out as he gradually lost his precious people.

He probably didn’t want to be a hero either.

“At that time, there are not many paths we can choose. There are only two… Will you fight or run away?”

Rugget held the wooden stick that had been placed in front of the tomb in his hand.

and handed it over to me

I hesitated for a moment, unable to guess the intention, but in the end I had no choice but to accept the wooden stick.

It was because Ruggett’s expression was so serious.

“Humans, we don’t run away anymore.”

It was then that Isha, who was shedding silent tears, waved her hands.

A warm wind seemed to wrap around the wooden stick, and soon a faint ember was drawn from the tip.

“I won’t look away from my brothers and sisters who are dying of starvation while eating wooden porridge. I will not forsake the reason we have to live just because we have to live.”

Every time Ruggett spoke, the fire at the end of the tree grew stronger.

And soon, a fire, and a flame that burns as a flame.

Instinctively, I realized that this was the final stage of the funeral.

Elves love and value nature.

That is why we try to understand even death as part of nature. I had heard of their burial custom of not even leaving a grave.

I chewed my lips carefully and thought about whether this role would suit me.

Of course, that time wasn’t long.

My eyes closed tight, and a burning branch was moved near the grave. Then the hills made of snow began to collapse helplessly.

During the ritual, which lasted several minutes, Ruggett confided in me of his decision.

“… … Not just us, but all of our people.”

Guessing his intention at once, I smiled faintly.

It was an unexpectedly grand dream.

There were still many elves left in the coniferous forest. It was because the mass of flesh reduced its size and spat out a large amount of the elves it ate.

They must be going through a very confusing time.

Ruggett would become the focal point and stand tall as the representative of the elves.

Only then will the previous conflicts and sacrifices not be repeated.

Of course, the process was not going to be smooth.

It was a terribly narrow and steep road to choose from the crossroads of destiny that happened to be swept away.

But I didn’t bother to test his resolve.

didn’t you already say I won’t run away anymore.

So I only had one question to ask.

“Is that possible?”

“No, to be honest, I’m not sure… Wouldn’t it be okay if you helped me?”

I inadvertently burst into laughter at the answer that was truly Ruggett-like.

In the meantime, all of Pope’s burial mounds had melted away. His soul will now wait to be reborn as another life in the bosom of nature without wandering the nine heavens.

I sent old Pope away, and I organized the memories I had with him one by one in my heart.

He eventually changed the fate of the elves.

“I promise you one thing instead. Whenever you ask us for a favor, whatever it is, we will definitely do it once.”

No, maybe even the fate of mankind.

Old man Pope is gone, but his legacy will be remembered forever.

That’s how I dreamed of a world where conflicts disappeared.

**

The meeting between the two sisters in the home office seemed peaceful.

It was a repetition of the process of exchanging regards, listening to what needs to be reported, and giving instructions.

It was one question that caused a crack in that daily life.

“… … sister.”

Delphine, who was reviewing the report in a relaxed manner, turned to Seria.

There was no hostility or wariness in those bloody eyes. Seria was so upset about that fact that she clenched her fists tightly.

Until your fingernails dig into your palms.

Seria asked in a cold voice.

“Last night, who were you with in the bedroom?”

Then Delphine’s composure also cracked for the first time.

He narrowed his brows for a moment, then looked down as if he was in trouble, until he smiled confidently again.

It was only a moment of excitement, but it couldn’t fool Seria’s eyes.

Because it was an opponent that I wanted to win at least once in my life.

Delphine asked with a faint laugh.

“Why, are you already worried about Yurdina’s heir? But don’t worry too much. I’m still young…”

“Was it senior Ian?”

and static.

Seria couldn’t listen to Delphine’s heinous words any longer. It was inevitable that the voices leaking out of the mouth would become ferocious.

It was in the form of a question, but the conviction in the tone was firm. It wasn’t Delphine who wouldn’t notice this.

So the gold woman couldn’t open her mouth for a long time.

How many times do you open and close your lips?

The choice of the woman who kept silent while avoiding her gaze was as follows.

“……then?”

Yurdina never avoids a match.

Delphine’s bloody eyes lit up with sparks.