Love Letter From The Future

At this time, just as the Sun began to rise, the temperature would reach its lowest point of the day. This was true even in the peak of summer when the Sun scorched the earth.

In fact, the deeper into summer it got, the more distinct the scent of dawn became.

It was a season dominated by sunlight and heavy rains.

The brief respite from the stifling air made this time of day particularly meaningful.

That was why I woke up early every morning during summer.

A well-trained body is forged through consistent training.

Therefore, without exception, training had to continue every single day.

Neither summer nor winter was an exception.

But before being a swordsman, I was human.

After all, it wasn’t as if I could entirely avoid swinging my sword. So, it was better to train when it was at least a bit cooler.

Even now, in the late summer, the midday Sun still sizzled as if it might scorch my skin.

Although I had grown strong enough to withstand heat or cold, I still maintained my routine that began at dawn.

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I still felt a sense of aversion to training under the scorching Sun.

And so, my days continued in the same repetitive cycle.

After finishing my early morning training and having breakfast, I would go about the rest of my day.

It was a schedule not much different from last year.

The only difference was that a new routine had been added.

Right after completing my training, I would head straight to the forest beside the dormitory.

I didn’t know why.

It was just that whenever I became aware of it, my steps were already leading me there.

Once I sensed the familiar presence, I would hold my breath and hide myself in the bushes.

This became my new routine.

In the clearing, the Rinella siblings were engrossed in their peculiar training from early morning.

It was hard to grasp their intentions at first.

Why on earth were they suddenly practising apologies?

Especially Senior Elsie of all people.

As everyone at the Academy knew, she had a very strong sense of pride.

It wasn’t easy for someone with that temperament to willingly bow their head to others.

This was even proven by her several failed attempts.

Yet, Senior Elsie didn’t give up. Instead, she continued her training every morning for several days.

The reason for this soon became clear.

“Sister, are you really planning to apologise? To those insignificant commoners…”

“They won’t even dare to make a sound if we bullied them, right?”

Hmph, Senior Elsie snorted dismissively and retorted.

Lupine, realising that he struck a chord, had to tightly shut his mouth.

His expression still showed lingering discontent.

It was clear he was struggling to accept why his beloved and respected sister had to apologise to those lowly commoners.

Still, his love for his sister was genuine.

It’s just that his personality wasn’t exactly admirable to match.

Senior Elsie, too, seemed to secretly agree with Lupine’s opinion, judging by the haughty look in her eyes.

Crossing her arms, she half-opened one eye and spoke in a coy voice.

“…But what can I do? The Master doesn’t like it.”

“Well, you know. Honestly, wasn’t that just an excuse…?”

“Regardless.”

Senior Elsie swiftly dismissed Lupine’s reasonable assumption.

As she slowly uncrossed her arms, a determined tone escaped her lips.

“If it’s just an excuse, then I’ll get rid of them all… If I eliminate all the excuses, eventually, he’ll have no choice but to give a proper answer, right?”

Lupine remained silent, perhaps impressed by Senior Elsie’s resolve.

After a long pause, Lupine cautiously asked,

“But what if he seriously rejects you…?”

“…Hey! Are you seriously going to keep spouting such unlucky things?!”

At Senior Elsie’s sharp outburst, Lupine quickly lowered his head.

It was just another common squabble between the siblings.

Amidst that heartwarming exchange, I couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

Every word spoken by Senior Elsie felt like it was piercing my heart.

Lupine’s guess had been correct.

In truth, I had only thrown out a feeble excuse because I didn’t know how to respond to Senior Elsie.

As a result, my heart grew more troubled by the day and my true feelings became even harder to understand.

Did I actually want to accept Senior Elsie’s confession?

Or was I simply finding a convenient excuse because I wanted to reject her?

I agonised over it again and again, but no clear answer emerged.

There was at least one comforting fact.

The Rinella siblings’ absurd morning training seemed to have finally come to an end.

When I went to the forest clearing, their presence was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps they had given up after realising it was futile.

Only then was I able to walk around the Academy with a somewhat lighter heart.

At least, that was the case until a certain rumour reached my ears.

“Hey, did you hear about that?”

I was on my way back after finishing training, heading to refill my canteen.

The faint sound of two students chatting on the benches lined along both sides of Central Avenue reached my ears.

As the end of the vacation approached, the Academy was gradually becoming more crowded.

I had been focusing on my recovery, but now I was thinking about catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while.

For instance, Emma.

I’d heard that Emma had recently run out of living expenses and temporarily left to sell potions.

She had been getting by on mushrooms for some time, but it seemed she reached her limit.

To sell her potions at a fair price, she would have to go to the Alchemist Guild. And since there wasn’t a branch of the guild at the Academy, it was likely that Emma had taken a warp gate to leave.

That meant she would be away from the Academy for at least a few days.

But with the new semester about to start, Emma should be back soon.

It was while I was waiting for news of her return that I heard it.

“You know, that ‘Loli Gangster’ Elsie Rinella… I heard she’s been going around apologising to people lately?”

My steps came to an abrupt halt.

I silently stood there for a moment, then turned my gaze.

There, I saw a female student with an expression similar to mine.

She voiced my thoughts as she asked,

“…Isn’t that just a baseless rumour?”

“No, that’s what I thought too, but there have already been several witnesses.”

My throat suddenly felt parched.

But no matter how much I tilted my canteen, only a few drops of water came out. I smacked my lips, but the thirst wouldn’t go away.

The conversation between the female students continued.

“Well, isn’t it hilarious? Just imagine Senior Rinella bowing her head and begging to a commoner… Pffft, that must be quite a sight.”

“Knock it off, knock it off. What if she suddenly snaps and takes it out on us…?”

“…I’m not sure, but I doubt that’ll happen.”

One of the girls smirked, slightly curling her lips.

It was as if she found the mere thought of that scene incredibly amusing.

“Apparently, she didn’t even say a word when she was cursed at and even hit a few times.”

Meanwhile, my heart suddenly sank.

The thought of Senior Elsie being humiliated left me feeling uneasy.

To think she had not only been insulted but also physically assaulted.

My hand instinctively tightened its hold on the canteen.

But whether I reacted or not, the female students continued their conversation in an indifferent tone.

“Tsk tsk, those people must be something else… a commoner hitting a noble.”

“That just shows how badly they suffered. You know it too… how cruel that senior can be.”

With that, one of them shuddered and the conversation about Senior Elsie came to an end.

I was still frozen in place, unable to say a word.

After some time had passed, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

I should go see Senior Elsie.

Driven by that impulse, I started and kept walking. I didn’t know where I was headed, but my steps didn’t stop.

This wasn’t a matter of logic, but of emotion.

Logically speaking, Senior Elsie’s actions were justified.

She had been bullying innocent and weaker individuals for far too long.

Not just once or twice.

Hadn’t she repeatedly assaulted commoners and lower-ranking nobles with malice? She was so ruthless that she even earned a reputation for her cruelty throughout the Academy.

So, it was only fair that she should pay for her crimes.

A single apology wouldn’t erase all of her past wrongdoings, but it was the least she could do. It was better than pretending nothing had happened.

Yes, it was the right thing to do.

I kept convincing myself of this as I wandered around the Academy.

As time passed, I did start to feel a bit more composed.

The only thing that troubled me now was what I would say to Senior Elsie when I finally met her.

Even after regaining my composure, my wandering continued for quite some time.

It was nearing early afternoon when my steps finally came to a halt.

From somewhere nearby, I heard someone shouting.

“Y-You expect me to believe that now…?”

The voice was simmering with anger.

I quickly held my breath and quietly moved.

It wasn’t long before I found where the voice was coming from.

A thin, frail-looking man stood there.

Wearing glasses, he appeared gaunt and weary. He was trembling as he clenched his thin fists, glaring at the girl in front of him.

And the girl, wearing a pointed hat, had her head bowed silently.

It was clear who she was.

Senior Elsie.

At last, I had found the girl I had been searching for so desperately.