Love Letter From The Future

Chapter 351: Bread and Dagger (49)

The emotions Aviang harbored towards me were unmistakably clear.

Fear and hatred.

In either case, they were feelings no companion, someone you’d entrust your back to, should ever possess. All the more so when the two of you were stranded alone in some remote wilderness.

This, of course, was solely my perspective.

To Aviang, this place was no enemy territory. On the contrary, it was where her allies were—those who could rescue her from the clutches of a despicable villain.

She had once proclaimed herself my maid, but that wasn’t born of genuine cooperation; it was simply the result of her submission after enduring repeated violence and suffering.

In other words, she had no reason to cling to me.

If anything, she might be inclined to seek revenge instead.

As if to prove it,  a bright cheerful smile crept onto her face.

My expression, in contrast, was growing grimmer by the moment.

Letting out a faint hum, I gulped and paused to think for a moment.

Truth be told, I wasn’t particularly afraid or uneasy.

The restraints were something I could easily break free from and my injuries had healed considerably. Escaping this place on my own didn’t seem like an insurmountable challenge.

Still, a few things still weighed on my mind..

First and foremost, I had no idea where I was.

The elven village was a place not even the Yurdina family could locate. It was only natural that I knew neither its exact location nor even the direction to it.

All I could do was just assume that it was somewhere deep within the coniferous forest.

Thus, even if I managed to escape, the chances of safely returning to Yurdina City were slim. The forest was a maze, filled with lurking dangers.

I needed a guide.

The second issue: fighting wasn’t always the best option.

This was deep within enemy territory.

I had no idea what kind of monsters lay in wait. For instance, what if I encountered two or more foes on par with that Snow  Leopard Demonic Human?

At best, I’d have to flee.

And it went without saying if I stumbled upon an even stronger enemy.

In that case, it would be far better to consider an alternative solution.

The problem boiled down to one thing:

How can I persuade Aviang to cooperate?

Aviang was an elf. She only concealed her pointed ears to disguise herself as my maid, but fundamentally, her position was entirely different from mine.

What’s more, her feelings toward me were downright terrible.

It was hard to envision our negotiations proceeding without a hitch.

The evidence became apparent soon enough.

“Krhh, Aha... Ahahahahahahahah!”

A burst of triumphant laughter echoed through the warehouse.

I hadn’t known she could laugh like that.

My gaze naturally turned to the elven girl, whose blue pupils locked onto mine.

There was a trace of madness in those eyes.

“How dare a lowly human like you assault me?”

The grinding of her teeth rasped against my ears, the depths of her hatred betrayed by their trembling body.

Even while bound from head to toe, the girl flailed and shouted,

“Serves you right! Both your hands and feet are tied now—what are you going to do? We elves never forget a grudge. I’ll make sure you suffer far worse than I did...!”

As she spoke, Aviang curled her lips upward as menacingly as she could.

She was obviously trying to intimidate me, but she looked rather cute from my point of view. Being an elf, she was pretty, and her stature was petite, after all.

More than anything, Aviang was operating under a critical misconception.

She seemed to think I’d be frightened simply because I was tied up.

In reality, my heart remained perfectly calm.

Sure, I’d been a little startled when I first woke up, but having crossed the threshold between life and death countless times, my mind had been tempered like steel.

Aviang’s threats didn’t even faze me.

If anything, I managed to glean a hint from them.

A key that would let me get through this predicament.

If she didn’t want to cooperate, I just had to make it so she’d have no choice, just like I always had.

My lips curled into a sly grin.

“Oh really? I’m looking forward to it.”

“Hmph, keep bluffing... Soon enough, you’ll pay for daring to touch an elf, you insolent human...!”

“Having an elf as my final companion—what an honor, as a noble of the Empire.”

At my words, Aviang flinched.

Her once fired-up gaze turned blank, as if she’d forgotten something important in her excitement.

So I decided to remind her.

“Your necklace—don’t you remember?”

At that, realization dawned in her eyes and she instinctively glanced down towards her neck.

It wouldn’t be visible to her even if she did,but she would certainly be aware of its presence.

It looked like a simple choker, seemingly unremarkable on the surface, but in reality, it was an incredibly dangerous object.

A restraint that would explode the moment a certain designated individual spoke the activation phrase. It even had a function to detect surrounding mana and it would self-detonate if the designated person wasn’t detected for an extended period.

It was the pinnacle of the Empire’s technological achievements.

And the only two people who could control it were Senior Neris and myself.

“If I die, you die too.”

In other words, Aviang’s life was still completely under my control.

All the confidence drained from the girl’s face in an instant. Her complexion turned pale and she stammered, desperately trying to deny what I’d said.

“M-My kin are here! Surely they can remove this necklace...!”

“Your fellow elves? Undoing a necklace forged with the Empire’s most advanced technology?”

I burst out in a chuckle.

‘What nonsense.’ Just looking at them still using primitive stoves told me enough. After centuries of war and decline, the elves had fallen out of touch with civilization.

There was no way they could remove that necklace.

“You too realize it, right? After all, you’ve lived in human society.”

There was no need for a lengthy rebuttal.

With just those words, Aviang’s complexion turned even paler.

Elves, by nature, had a strong attachment to life.

Though this mysterious ‘cult’ seemed to be reshaping their values, it would take time for traditions spanning thousands of years to truly change at its core.

And besides, hadn’t Aviang been averse to that cult from the start?

I patiently waited to see how Aviang would handle this.

Her resolve had already been broken once.

The psyche of humans and trees aren’t so different. Once bent, they often snap more easily afterwards.

The only exception is that, sometimes, the human heart can prove stronger than even the oldest tree.

After a long moment of struggle, Aviang gritted her teeth.

With a determined look, she shouted,

“F-Fine, I’ll just die then!”

Her voice quivered as she spoke.

It was clear to anyone that Aviang was afraid. Still, faced with her unwavering resolve, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration.

There’s a difference between the bravery of a hero and that of a coward.

And, without question, the latter is much harder to summon.

Internally, I raised my opinion of Aviang.

“Y-You’re too strong and cruel...Haven’t you already killed so many of my kin?! Fine, I’ll sacrifice myself. Your threats won’t work on me!”

I killed elves, dozens of them in fact.

Realizing that fact once more made a dull ache flare in my chest. The image of my blood-soaked hands from when I’d faced my future self came to mind.

I still had my shortcomings. Despite having taken so many lives before, I was shaken simply because my opponent was a sentient being.

But, of course, this wasn’t the time to wallow in regret.

I quietly listened as Aviang’s frantic words continued.

“If you understand, then just quietly prepare for the end of your life—!”

“What makes you think you’ll be the only one to die?”

At my composed tone, her eyes widened in disbelief.

As if unable to comprehend, she blankly stared at me, so I decided to make her understand with actions.

I raised my bound wrists high enough for Aviang to see clearly.

What followed after that was simple.

All I did was give a single, forceful tug.

Then the rope emitted a sinister sound—creak—as though it might snap at any moment

Aviang’s pupils began to tremble violently.

“It won’t just be you who dies. Dozens? Hundreds? How many do you think will die before I can be subdued?”

Of course, I didn’t mean it. I wasn’t bloodthirsty enough to commit such a massacre against elves.

But the effect was undeniable.

Faced with a threat she hadn’t even considered, Aviang couldn’t form a coherent reply.

She only swallowed hard, staring at me with a newfound expression.

That look felt strangely familiar.

It was the same look she’d had when she first surrendered to me.

The moment was close. Sensing that, I pushed further, my voice turning even more menacing.

“I may have been stripped of my weapons, but I can still kill as many as I need to with my bare hands. Along the way, I might snatch a weapon or two... and from there, you know what comes next, don’t you?”

I paired that statement with a deliberately sinister smile.

To be honest, I had no desire to engage in any sort of battle. The sensation of killing sentient beings was the worst.  I intended to keep deaths to a minimum even if I had to battle..

But I’d lose if I showed weakness now.I had to break Aviang completely. So, I continued my unconvincing act.

“Now, what’s your decision?”

At my relaxed tone, Aviang’s eyes lifted toward me again.

She still seemed torn, her gaze pitiful. At the same time, it looked like her fear of me had resurfaced.

The moment our eyes met, she quickly lowered hers again.

It was only a matter of time now.

My threats weren’t just for my sake—they were for Aviang’s as well.

She  surely wanted to live.

No one truly wants to die. Even those who commit suicide don’t do it because they want death—they simply find life unbearable.

That’s why I offered Aviang an excuse.

This isn’t your fault. It’s just the logical choice.

A neat compromise that would allow her to preserve her life while still fulfilling her sense of loyalty towards her kin.

“...W-What”

There was no way she would refuse.

“What—what do you want me to do, then...?”

Hearing her revert back to polite speech, I smiled gently.

It’s done.

At last, I laid out the detailed plan to Aviang, silently hoping Venetta’s advice still held true.

* * *Two elves—a man and a woman—were looking down at Aviang and me with displeased expressions.

Wherever they went, they would probably be considered an attractive pair, but their faces right now looked utterly perplexed.

There were a few reasons for that.

First, they realized Aviang was also an elf.

Second, the unbelievable claims that had just come from Aviang’s mouth.

Not bothering to hide his headache, the elf man pressed hard at his temples and questioned her again.

“So, let me get this straight.... you were a spy dispatched to the south, but you got almost caught, and you ended up relying on this human man to make it all the way here? And then, after fighting a demonic beast, the man lost consciousness?”

“Y-Yes. That’s right...”

While claiming to be a spy, she even squeezed out a few fake tears. Her performance was convincing enough.

Good enough to fool someone without expertise in spotting lies.

Naturally, the elf pair was no exception.

They exchanged glances before stepping to the side and whispering among themselves. They’d done this several times already.

And each time, the outcome was the same.

In the end, they came back to us, ready to ask questions again.

The elf woman cleared her throat with a sharp ‘ahem,’ to draw our attention. She tried to look intimidating, as if aiming to scare me.

A cold voice slipped through her lips.

“And you... you claim to have amnesia? Just who are you, exactly?”

Her tone was full of distrust. Well, who wouldn’t be suspicious of someone who suddenly claimed to have memory loss?

But what choice did I have?

I had no better excuse to offer. Besides, even if Aviang and I made such claims, they had no way to verify the truth.

I maintained a blank expression, staring wordlessly at the ground.

And after a long pause, I finally muttered,

“I don’t know... Who am I, exactly?”

Smack! The elf man ran his hand down his own face.

That’s right.

I had chosen to fake amnesia.

For the sole purpose of temporarily blending into the elven village.