Love Letter From The Future

The academy is called ‘the forge of humanity.’

It gathers talented individuals and nurtures them into excellent human resources. These individuals often grow to become influential figures in their respective countries, advancing civilization and eventually becoming the pillars of humanity’s future.

However, the process of discerning the genuine gems from the rest can be somewhat cruel.

Every year, students are evaluated based on their grades, and those who fall below a certain ranking are subjected to ‘retention’ and sent back home. As a result, there are significantly fewer upperclassmen than lowerclassmen at the academy.

On the other hand, they receive focused support due to their reduced numbers.

The place I moved to was also one of the privileges granted only to upperclassmen. In the Magic Department or the Alchemy Department, upperclassmen are assigned ‘workshops’ within the buildings of their respective departments, which vary in facilities and size depending on their grades.

This place is Senior Elsi’s workshop.

Despite the controversies surrounding her actions, Senior Elsi was consistently ranked among the top students. Additionally, her family’s wealth ensured that the level of the workshop was quite high.

There was even a place set aside for receiving guests, after all.

As I quietly sipped the tea, I inhaled the fragrant aroma. Sitting across from me was a cute girl wearing a pointed hat, and beside her was a boy radiating intense suspicion.

There was no need to call out their names anymore.

The owner of the workshop and my fiancée slowly parted her lips.

“So, you mean you need me, the one from another future? For that to happen, I need to lose consciousness.”

“I heard you’ve been researching ways to save victims of vampires in the future.”

Adding to Senior Elsi’s summary, I carefully chose my words.

“Although I haven’t discovered the answer, at least the results of years of research should still be fresh in my mind. If I continue the research with my teacher…”

“Why?”

Just a single word.

A short yet fundamental question was thrown at me. Senior Elsi sipped her tea across from me, casting a gaze that seemed to seek to understand my thoughts.

“Why are you so worried about those ‘victims’?”

“Well, they’re innocent civilians…”

“So what? You come rushing in to find me with your whole body wrapped in bandages?”

Senior Elsi’s eyes gradually narrowed.

It was a blatant attempt to pry into my heart. Once upon a time, she would have been too afraid to even meet my gaze and would have trembled.

Is this the power of time?

However, since I had my own concerns, my gaze subtly shifted to the side.

There, Lupin sat glaring at me with fiery eyes. He looked like a cat with its fur standing on end.

My older sister is a puppy, and my younger brother is a cat.

While I was caught up in useless thoughts, Lupin’s anger continued to build.

“How could you do that! Are you saying you’d hit our sister over those useless humans?!”

“There are dozens of lives. If we can save them, we should.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! It’s still just another girl!”

That struck home.

My mouth, which was about to argue back, was shut tight. Naturally, Lupin’s anger flared even more, and the boy’s palm slapped the desk.

Clap, clap.

It was somewhat regrettable that it didn’t sound like a ‘bang’ since he still lacked strength.

Nonetheless, Lupin was very angry.

“Hey! You said you’re engaged to our sister! Then you should live happily together, huh? Then cross the line a little and have two daughters and two sons, right?!”

“First of all, thanks for the blessing…”

“It’s not a blessing?! This is part of my grand plan… No, more importantly, what’s wrong? Why are you involving our sister with another girl?!”

Lupin was now rolling his eyes and trying to pounce at me.

The argument itself was a very reasonable point, so I had no words to counter.

A groan escaped my lips. The truth was, there was a reason I was so concerned.

Lady Lupeisia.

She was a woman with whom I had formed a connection ever since the incident where Emma was bullied. Of course, we hadn’t shared a deep friendship, but the problem was Emma.

Lady Lupeisia is one of Emma’s close friends.

I’d heard that a high-ranking noble, who originally looked down on commoners, had taken to associating with Emma for some reason. Good-hearted Emma must be losing sleep over the hardships faced by her friend.

The reason I had urgently sought out Senior Elsi was not unrelated to this.

“This isn’t going to work… Fight me one-on-one like a man!”

“No, you’d die…”

“Are you scared and saying something ridiculous?!”

Lupin was gradually losing his reason. Even back then, he wasn’t my match, but now, having reached high expert status, he thinks he can take me on?

Just one hit could be fatal.

Just as I was finding myself in a dilemma.

“…Fine, we’ll do it.”

Senior Elsi uttered a single line as she sipped her tea.

With that, Lupin’s eyes, which had been blazing with misguided zeal, widened. I was equally taken aback.

As both pairs of eyes turned to her, Senior Elsi calmly continued her reasoning.

“Regardless, we need to save them. Moreover, if it’s ‘a girl’… it shouldn’t be someone I don’t know. I’ve heard there’s a lady from the commoners who’s close to you, right?”

‘Commoner girl.’

There was only one candidate that such blatant terminology could point to.

In fact, she was the correct answer.

I tilted my tea cup in silence. The slightest hint of guilt made my gaze drop a little.

“Hmm, well… it’s fine. Accepting a concubine is also part of a wife’s role.”

“No, sister, what nonsense are you saying… Love is war, you know? Which husband would neglect his legal wife to save a concubine… aaagh!”

Lupin, unable to calm his anger, continued to protest, but that was easily resolved by Senior Elsi’s decisive magic.

Lupin’s muscles collapsed helplessly, perhaps unable to get up for a while.

I glanced at the man who would become my brother-in-law with pity.

Reborn stronger in the next life, please.

Nevertheless, Senior Elsi continued, her expression smug.

“Most importantly, I owe a debt to that commoner girl. It’s more of an ‘alliance,’ if you will…”

“An alliance?”

“Of course, it’s only natural for a concubine to serve her legal wife. I’m generous enough to overlook this.”

It seemed that after securing her engagement to me, Senior Elsi had become rather complacent. At the very least, it felt like she was convinced she was leading in our relationship.

I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she were to find out I also had a wife and shared a bond with Emma.

I was indeed curious, but right now, I was the one who felt uneasy. I decided to wait patiently, clearing my throat.

“I’m now ‘engaged.’ Yes, ‘engagement’… heh.”

In a way, it felt like as long as Senior Elsi was happy, that was enough.

Thus, after reaching a suitable agreement with the grinning Senior Elsi, I decided to try and summon the ‘Senior Elsi’ from the future. Although in the last moment, Senior Elsi had trembled, unable to overcome her fear.

I teared up as I knocked her out.

Ultimately, the plan was a success. Although I had some worries, the ‘Senior Elsi’ from the future unexpectedly appeared without resistance. It seemed the influence of the broken ‘boundary’ created by the vampire’s barrier still lingered.

The real headache was something else.

“…I can’t do it.”

The first words of ‘Senior Elsi,’ who appeared with a sulky expression.

I was about to lose my temper and persuade her, but before I could, the girl’s palm blocked my path.

A signal to calm down.

As I hesitated, Senior Elsi laid out her reasons without hindrance.

“Hey, even though the vampires are gone, do you think separating a soul from the body is easy? No matter how frail that old hag is, even staying up for weeks would not be enough. Do I even have that much time left?”

“But, the civilians…”

“We took down the vampire, but only a few dozen died, and the ones who were injured is pure luck. Let’s think rationally here.”

As she gracefully tilted her tea cup, Senior Elsi’s resolution seemed firm. It wouldn’t be easy to persuade her otherwise.

In that case, I had only one bargaining chip to play.

“…Your execution.”

She flinched.

The bait I tossed elicited an immediate reaction from her. Despite trying to act cool, there was no hiding her growing desperation.

And then, an extra push came.

“Shouldn’t you see her face at least once? If you’re willing to cooperate, I’ll do my best to…”

“Hey, you… bad bastard!”

The reply she gave to my continuing persuasion was quite different.

Along with her curse, a tea cup flew through the air.

I quickly turned my head to dodge the incoming cup. The splatter of tea that landed on the ground gave a pitiful cry.

“Are you messing with the girl’s feelings again?! You promised to introduce me last time!”

“Well, you met her in reality, didn’t you?”

“Th-that’s! Yes, that’s…!”

And then silence.

As painful memories flashed across her mind, Senior Elsi visibly deflated. The shoulders of the despondent woman drooped naturally.

Stealing glances at me, her lips trembled as she did so again, before…

Finally, the girl who had given up her pretense let out her concealed honesty.

“What if I’m ignored again?”

That was the true fear within the woman.

Having loved for the first time, having died for that first love, and even after coming back in time, still searching for the first love.

A girl’s relentless pure love was here.

And so I was even more convinced.

“I’ll talk to you… What I said back then probably wasn’t all sincere.”

She would grant me my wish.

“How can you be so sure…?”

And, I would also grant her wish.

“To be honest, that person is still ‘me.’”

That was the rightful conclusion to this story.

As the sweltering heat faded, harvest time draws near.

Autumn was the season of reaping the rewards after hardship.

*

The negotiations concluded smoothly.

The ‘Senior Elsi’ from the future decided to stay by the side of the Great Witch for a while to focus on her research. While it was unclear how long ‘Senior Elsi’ would remain in this time frame, there was nothing else to do but give it my best shot.

What remained was merely to pray to the gods.

As I walked with a somewhat lighter heart, I suddenly heard.

“Lady Luciana is looking for you.”

Upon receiving the unexpected message from a priest, I could only make a flustered expression.

“No, well… I was supposed to stay in the Holy Kingdom for a while…”

“I heard she decided to urgently head to the academy for some reason.”

As the priest’s gaze subtly scanned my entire body, it was clear that my figure, wrapped in bandages, looked like that of a sick person.

The suspicious look in his eyes spoke volumes.

‘Is it because of you?’

I felt a drop of sweat trickle down my back.

“Regardless, it seems she is quite angry. It might be an overstep to advise, but during such times, it’s better to go and calm her heart.”

“But I don’t have the luxury to prepare myself…”

“Lady Luciana has already gone to your brother’s room.”

Upon receiving the shocking news, I had no choice but to leap from my spot.

It was indeed something nonsensical.

“Is that permitted? Isn’t a saint supposed to keep their purity intact…?!”

However, the priest’s gaze remained cold.

His face seemed to say, “What nonsense are you talking?” Instinctively grasping the implications, I turned my gaze away.

You know.

The awkward atmosphere almost made me cough awkwardly.

“Well then, this concludes my message. However… please relay to Lady Luciana.”

As the priest left, he unnecessarily revealed how he had figured out the relationship between me and the saint.

“Please do not leave too many ‘stigmata’ tonight.”

‘Kiss marks.’

Instantly grasping the situation, my palm covered my face in embarrassment. After parting from the priest, I found myself walking to the door.

Hesitating, my hand reached for the door handle. What on earth should I say when we meet?

There was no need to hesitate.

Before I could even pull the handle, the door swung open on its own.

And there stood…

My wife, wearing a feigned angry expression.

“It’s been a while, I-an.”

Exuding a breathlessly sweet scent.

Summer was fading, and it was now evening.

Night had not yet arrived.

I could only manage a nervous smile and force out a line.

“…Hello, dear.”

It was my turn to receive a reprimand.

Besides that, well…

There would be many things to deal with.

It was autumn.

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