Love Letter From The Future

Chapter 313: Bread and Dagger (11)

The Elf’s treatment proceeded smoothly.

After all, the Saintess was someone who had dealt with countless severely injured patients. A mere broken nose and shattered arm wouldn’t even make her break a sweat.

Especially since she had practically become my personal priestess lately.

Looking back, I had many things to feel sorry for towards the Saintess.

Not only had she accompanied me constantly and achieved remarkable feats, but she had also saved me from the brink of death numerous times. And no matter how much gratitude I expressed to her, it would never be enough.

For a while, I silently watched the Saintess engrossed in treating the Elf. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but seeing her for the first time in two days, her face looked quite gaunt.

Before I knew it, a man with a delicate appearance approached me.

It was the Saintess’ escort knight, Yuren.

He wore an unreadable expression as usual, then nudged my forearm with his elbow.

“Ian, did you perhaps say something to my sister?”

“…No, not really?”

Hadn’t she been talking to me normally just a moment ago?

Had I done something wrong, the Saintess wouldn’t have behaved like that.

Yuren surely knew this, but his expression still seemed somewhat awkward as he looked at me.

Uncharacteristic of him, he hesitated for a moment.

As if wondering whether to tell me what he knew or not.

After hesitating for a while, a deep sigh escaped his lips.

Then, scratching the back of his head in frustration, he hit me with a blunt question.

“Then why has my sister been crying every night lately?”

“The Saintess has been crying?”

I was only able to respond to Yuren’s question with another question.

She has been shedding tears every night?

Well, that was news to me, and I couldn’t fathom what could possibly make that proud woman so emotionally fragile.

I gave Yuren a look that said I had no idea what he was talking about.

At that, Yuren let out another helpless sigh.

“Ian, just think it over carefully… You’re the only reason my sister would act like that.”

Seeing Yuren’s repeated attempts to persuade me, I couldn’t completely dismiss his opinion at this point.

After all, he was the person who knew the Saintess best.

And to be honest, there was something that had been bothering me.

Not long ago, when I ran into the Saintess with Senior Elsie, she walked away looking like she would burst into tears at any moment.

Was she still sulking because of that incident?

As I swallowed hard and fell into thought, Yuren spoke in an almost pleading tone.

“Ian, please, just deal with this properly… Imagine your direct superior being in a foul mood all day long. Do you know how dreadful that is?”

“…And that’s my fault?”

“Then whose fault would it be, mine?”

My timid resistance immediately crumbled under Yuren’s earnest rebuttal.

Even if I wanted to argue, his momentum was overwhelming. It seemed like he genuinely believed that I held the solution to stopping the Saintess’ tears.

With a bitter smile, Yuren patted my shoulder a couple of times.

It was his way of asking me to take care of it.

“Anyway, try having a proper conversation with her. Given her position as the Saintess of the Church of the Heavenly God, she’s probably anxious for various reasons…”

With those words, Yuren walked away with a casual stride.

Just then, the Saintess who had been tending to the Elf left the treatment room. It was clear that he intended to create an opportunity for the two of us to talk alone.

I hesitated for a moment but ultimately stayed behind.

After all, there were many things I needed to discuss with her as well.

If the opportunity arose, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to fulfil Yuren’s request.

And to be honest, the Saintess had been weighing on my mind for the past few days.

I still couldn’t forget the way she glared at me with tearful eyes that day.

That gaze looked resentful, sad, and pitiful.

When it came down to it, I was no different from the countless other men out there.

Especially considering how weak I was when it came to the Saintess, despite knowing her true nature.

While I let out a small sigh, she approached me with a weary expression.

Healing was a delicate task that required intense concentration.

Regardless of the short duration, it would have taken a heavy toll on her mental energy. Especially since it was an emergency patient who appeared out of nowhere.

Feeling guilty for some reason, I cleared my throat awkwardly.

Regardless, the Saintess just glared at me with a sullen look.

“…I’d appreciate it if you could start explaining the situation.”

It was a perfectly reasonable request from her.

Not only had she received a patient while resting, but the patient wasn’t even human—it was an Elf. Anyone would be compelled to ask questions.

I too had no intention of hiding anything from the Saintess.

As soon as I made up my mind, a detailed account of the incident poured out of my mouth.

Included in it were many details unrelated to the Elf.

Starting from the fifth ‘love letter from the future’ that had arrived, then moving on to the actions of ‘me’ from the future, Seria and Celine’s training, and finally how I went to find Emma and ended up having to face off against Aviang.

I told her all those twists and turns.

The Saintess simply listened to my long story in silence.

No matter how long it got, she never interrupted me.

I was relieved. She at least seemed interested.

Actually, there was a reason I was spilling even the seemingly unnecessary information.

Because the Saintess’ presence was indispensable for the journey ahead.

The main reason that I, and the rest of the group, had been able to survive up to this point was because of her.

Without her, I would have probably lost my life a long time ago. Moreover, the range of operations we could carry out would have been significantly reduced as well.

That showed how important the presence of a capable priest was.

It was equivalent to having an extra life, which meant that even if someone was severely injured, we could minimize the loss of manpower.

So I had no choice but to confide everything to the Saintess.

Before seeking help, it was customary to first explain the whole situation.

As much as we needed her, I also wanted to give her the respect she deserved.

And besides that, wasn’t she someone with a sharp mind?

Having navigated the complex political scene of the Holy Nation for years, it wouldn’t be surprising if she picked up on details I missed.

And it didn’t take long for her to prove that my expectations were not wrong.

The Saintess listened with her eyes closed for a while, then let out a faint sigh.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

When she opened her eyes, her gaze was clearly troubled.

“The North and the Elves…”

“Do you know anything about it?”

At my words, she gently shook her head.

But contrary to that gesture, new information flowed from her lips.

“Other than a visit to boost the soldiers’ spirits some time ago, I haven’t had any other encounters. But something about this situation feels a little strange.”

The Saintess tapped her own lips lightly with her index finger, clearly lost in thought.

For a moment, I found those lips incredibly attractive, but deliberately suppressed the thought.

Revealing such feelings would only make me the target of teasing.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the Saintess to come up with an answer.

“The Elves I saw back then were generally hostile, but at the same time, they also seemed to fear humans. Especially because they see life as part of nature, they place great value on their own lives.”

Listening to her soft, meticulous voice, I recalled my recent battle with Aviang.

Her eyes, as she charged at me with clenched teeth, looked almost resolute.

Her gaze carried a fierce hostility, as if she didn’t care if she died in the fight.

It was an emotion uncharacteristic of Elves.

At least, according to the Saintess’ account, that was the case.

“But Aviang is…”

“Aviang? Oh, that Elf… Anyway, that’s what’s strange. However, it could simply mean that only an Elf with intense hostility toward humans might become a spy.”

That was a plausible hypothesis as well.

They were beings who could live while mingling with human society for years or even decades. In order to avoid being assimilated, their hostility towards it had to be equally strong.

However, for some reason, Aviang’s outcry kept bothering me.

‘…Humans are all the same.’

That single phrase she spat out as if chewing on it was by no means something she learned.

It was closer to her pouring out, in words, the intense emotions she had experienced herself.

Aviang said she’d been doing business here for over ten years.

Did she suffer many injustices at the hands of humans during those long years? Or was there another reason?

It was an issue I couldn’t unravel at the moment.

As I silently swallowed and fell into thought again, the Saintess began to sneak subtle glances at me.

Noticing her gaze, I met her eyes.

With a look asking, ‘What’s wrong?’

The Saintess hesitated, glancing around before lowering her voice to ask me a question.

“…What are you planning to do with that Elf?”

So that’s what she was getting at.

In response, I gave her a wry smile and asked her back.

“What would you like me to do, Saintess?”

“W-Well, uh…”

The Saintess fidgeted and kept stealing glances to gauge my reaction. She seemed to have a specific outcome in mind.

Soon, she spoke to me with a determined look.

“S-She’s too young!”

“She must have been a spy for over ten years.”

“But by Elf standards, she’d be barely an adult… If she gets taken by the Imperial Intelligence, then…”

It was a request befitting her.

The Saintess had always been compassionate toward the weak. Moreover, being an orphan herself, she was especially vulnerable when it came to children.

So it was no wonder that the young Elf, destined to be handed over to the Imperial Intelligence, would seem pitiable to her.

It was obvious what fate awaited an Elf captured by the Imperial Intelligence.

At best, the Elf would be imprisoned and most likely, she’d die after being tortured for information.

However, even though she was the Saintess, it wasn’t something she could strongly demand.

The war against the Elves was raging in the Empire’s territory. Therefore, decisions regarding the treatment of Elven spies were mostly up to the Empire.

Reporting the Elf’s existence to the Imperial Intelligence wasn’t something the Saintess of the Holy Nation could object to.

Of course, I had no intention of hiding Aviang’s existence from them.

That would be no different from failing to distinguish between public and private matters.

Nevertheless, I decided to comply with the Saintess’ request.

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend to harm her.”

“R-Really?!”

As if hearing something unexpected, the Saintess exclaimed in surprise.

Her face brightened immediately.

It was clear that the expression ‘dazzlingly beautiful’ was meant for moments like this.

I averted my gaze from the Saintess’ pure smile. It felt like I wouldn’t be able to control my pounding heart if I continued looking.

“Yes, really… Instead, how about I report it to the Imperial family and keep Aviang under my watch? Besides, I need information about the Elves’ movements anyway.”

Even that seemed to be enough to move her, as the Saintess clasped my hands with hers.

She was so delighted she even started to tease me.

“Th-That’s a relief… You really made a good decision, Ian. Do you want to touch my breast?”

What in the world was this girl saying now?

Hearing the Saintess’ provocation, I put on a deliberately solemn expression.

Joking or not, that wasn’t something one should say so carelessly to an unrelated man. I planned to use this opportunity to set her straight.

Yes, that was my plan, but…

“…Really?”

Seeing the Saintess’ holy power pouch asserting its weighty presence before me, the words that came out of my mouth were completely different.

As soon as those words slipped out, I realized I had messed up. I had fallen for the cunning Saintess’ trick.

But by then, it was already too late, and she flashed me a seductive smile.

“Umm, no? I’ve changed my mind… But if you answer one question for me, I might really let you touch it.”

It was then that she began to press her body against mine.

As the soft, supple sensation reached me, her sweet scent overwhelmed my thoughts. I became so breathless, that I completely forgot what I was about to say.

Her breath tickled the nape of my neck.

Her light pink eyes grazed over me, sending a tickling sensation through my chest. Then, her gentle question floated into my ear.

“…That love letter, who was it from?”

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend the question and was left dumbfounded.

A love letter? Out of nowhere?

But the moment I met the Saintess’ eyes again.

I had no choice but to shut my mouth.

The shadows from the Saintess’ pupils had vanished.

And in an incredibly cold voice, she asked again.

“Who was it from?”

I could feel a cold sweat running down my back.

Why did the atmosphere change so abruptly?