Love Letter From The Future-Chapter 381: Bread and Dagger (79)

Long ago, it was said that Omeros scattered his blood across the earth.

From that blood-soaked soil, all kinds of creatures grew . Soulless bodies wandered the world craving sin, and all living beings feared and avoided them.

Unable to stand by and watch this, Arus tore out his liver and hung it in the sky.

That became the Sun.

Thus, all things unholy were forced to return to order in the presence of the Sun. Even demonic beasts were no exception—most of them avoided activity during the day.

And humanity came to live in the time when the Sun was up.

This was because it bestowed the blessing of reason and logic. Even those who lived unrestrained lives every night would repent their past sins during the day.

There was only one reason the Saintess brought up this famous myth.

“Wouldn’t you say it’s the very definition of an ‘unrestrained mass of flesh’?”

A being born from Omeros’s blood in the distant past—one of the progeny of sin.

A monster that endlessly consumed flesh, growing ever larger in its insatiable hunger. The Saintess was announcing that this being from myth had manifested on this continent once again.

The situation had become even more serious in those few days while I was unconscious.

I listened silently to the Saintess’s ongoing explanation.

“The Yurdina Army is trying to stop it somehow, but it’s growing faster than they can remove the flesh. It’s even starting to swallow humans now, not just elves.”

“It would be counterproductive to send an army..”

“I know. But we have to at least pretend to do something to quell the people’s anxiety, no?”

A propaganda tactic.

I had forgotten for a while, but the Saintess was a woman who rolled around in the political arena of the Holy Nation. Of course, she would have a broader perspective than me, who only looked at the battle itself.

The Saintess quietly grasped my two hands that had fallen into silence.

Her light pink eyes gazing at me created a sorrowful atmosphere.

“lan, please… stop.”

“Stop what?”

“You’re still thinking of fighting, aren’t you?”

My mouth, which had been mumbling, snapped shut.

Instead of answering, I avoided her gaze. Even though I knew full well how that would be interpreted.

I didn’t want to lie to her.

She was a woman who trusted and relied on me and I owed her my life several times over.

Her desperate voice continued. It was almost a pleading tone now.

“You’ve already tried so hard. Getting hurt, falling down and getting up again… But it’s too much now. You’ve been losing consciousness even from small injuries lately, haven’t you?”

Silence dropped again.

In other words, affirmation.

The Saintess, as if expecting this, spoke in an even more anxious tone.

“Even if we can heal the body with Holy Relics, we can’t change the fundamental breakdown. Clothes eventually become rags no matter how perfectly you mend them, right?”

“But the elves……”

“We’ve rescued all the elven residents from the village you stayed in.”

It was the news I hoped for.

But, still unable to shake off the lingering sense of unease in a corner of my heart, I let out a deep sigh.

So it ended up like this after all.

I recalled the words of the man I had seen in my unconsciousness.

Discard what needs to be discarded.

I had put on airs saying I wouldn’t discard anything, but it was all bullshit.

It was impossible not to.

It was just a matter of discarding something else instead.

Until now, it was enough to discard myself as I went along. was, in fact, lucky, and often stumbled upon the right answers by chance. But this incident was different in nature.

I missed the last chance right before my eyes.

I couldn’t blame anyone. I couldn’t bring myself to discard my compassion till the very end.

I didn’t want to kill Alex and Betty.

It was because I still couldn’t cut out the weak part inside me. As the man said, I might still be a ‘brat’.

“lan, even without us, there are many talented people on the continent. There are already three Masters, for one. Although it’s still under discussion, if the Empire’s Sword Duke and the Holy Nation’s Saint come, the tide of battle will turn.”

It was a rational choice.

The two Masters were overwhelmingly superior to me in terms of combat power. It was an open secret that the two didn’t get along well, but they surely wouldn’t bicker in front of that monster.

Seeing signs of my resignation, the Saintess’s persuasion became even more fervent.

She was now subtly hugging my arm and pressing her breasts against me. She seemed to think this would make me feel better.

To be honest, it did feel good, but.

It’s frustrating.

“lan, please go back… Do you know how I feel having to treat your injuries every time? I don’t want to see you getting hurt anymore.”

It was a heartfelt appeal.

It was also an unusually honest appearance for the Saintess who was always haughty. In the end, I had no choice but to declare my surrender.

I let out a sigh, ‘Phew’, and said.

“Alright.”

“Really?!”

The Saintess clenched her fist as if she had succeeded and asked me again.

As if all the appearances she had shown until now were just an act to persuade me.

She was such a foxy woman after all. I looked at her with a bitter gaze and then voiced my lingering attachment in a subdued voice.

“What can I do. I’m just worried about Senior Delphine……”

“Why is that woman’s story coming up?”

The surroundings froze at that chilling voice.

What remained in the place where warmth had fled as if escaping was only me and the Saintess.

Those light pink eyes were still beautiful. They were comparable to jewels.

If only that gaze wasn’t so cold.

It was a bewildering situation for me.

Of course, as a comrade, it was only natural to be worried. In fact, we had formed an even deeper relationship but, in any case, there was no room for issue in my words.

Yet such a cold reaction.

I had no choice but to question the Saintess as if perplexed.

“Isn’t it a perfectly normal reaction to worry about a comrade?”

“But, it felt somewhat… affectionate.”

What a devilish intuition.

I almost broke out in a cold sweat at the Saintess’ extraordinary intuition, but I wasn’t entirely without means to respond either.

I suffered too much from women’s nagging until now.

I decided to bring up the weakness I had been saving.

“Let’s not push baseless accusations… By that logic, are you a sexual harasser, Saintess?”

“W-What? What did you say…? Se-sexual harassment?!”

The Saintess, as if she had been caught out, immediately jumped up and distanced herself from me.

She then started growling back.

“On what grounds! You’re the sexual harasser! Have you forgotten how many times you’ve fondled my body until now?!”

“But the scene I saw as soon as I opened my eyes—”

“I didn’t touch you!”

I stared at the Saintess with crossed arms like I was gonna listen.

By now, tears had formed in the corners of her eyes.

It was as if she had her own grievances.

“That Elsie brat was bragging so much… I-I was just curious about how great it was… It’s only natural to be curious, isn’t it?!”

“Well, I’ve always been curious about your body too, Saintess.”

“A-Again with the sexual harassment! You, just wait, I’ll have you hauled before the Inquisition one of these days!”

It was a nostalgic conversation.

This kind of peace wasn’t bad either.

Discard what needs to be discarded, and reach out only to those I can save.

Maybe someday I’ll save the world that way.

Nevertheless, my inner feelings remained unchanged.

I need to sneak out.

They said two Masters were coming, but the Sword Duke and the Saint didn’t have the information. Moreover, in the memories of the future I had seen, the flesh monster possessed unimaginable strength.

At least enough for one Master to attempt mutual destruction.

We couldn’t lose one of the only three Masters here. While staying in the elven village, I realised the Dark Order’s plans had been ongoing for hundreds of years.

It would be a bad move to waste precious combat power as their plot was being revealed.

The only thing that weighed on my mind was the promise I made with the Saintess.

I always felt sorry towards her.

This must be how a drunk husband feels watching his battered wife.

As the Saintess continued to talk back to me pointedly, my eyes turned towards the desk at my bedside.

As my gaze moved, the Saintess didn’t hide her perplexed expression.

“…….? Is something there?”

“Nothing, just…”

I could only return a bitter smile.

It seemed that she couldn’t see it after all.

This blood-stained letter.

My eyes sank even deeper.

***

On the day I went to find Senior Delphine. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

She greeted me with a particularly tired expression. Despite her pale complexion, Senior Delphine was making every effort…

…mainly not to worry me.

“What’s wrong?”

The aroma of expensive wine hit my senses all at once. Looking back, I had always been nothing more than a child.

Mainly in the sense that I made impulsive decisions.

In the end, I had no choice but to help Senior Delphine.

The day I met her for the first time after spending the first night.

“Will you trust me, just once?”

And I stood before the monster.

Holding a sword and hatchet.

Bubbling flesh was in front of me.

Missing the last chance, and the second battle.

This will truly be the last time.

***

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