Chapter 80: The Lord is With Us (1)
Chapter 80: The Lord is With Us (1)
It was a dream that had become familiar by now. The memories of a certain man.
A flag bearing the symbol of the legion fluttered atop a tent. It was an army stationed on a vast plain. Worn and wounded soldiers were particularly prominent. Their eyes held not even a flicker of hope.
They looked like dried fish.
As soon as he dismounted his horse, a mocking voice drifted over.
"Hey, look. The Crows are here."
"The masters of running away, aren't they?"
It was enough to provoke irritation, but the man’s expression remained unchanged. He pulled his pitch-black cloak tighter over his armor and walked forward without hesitation.
No soldier moved to stop him. This remained true until he entered the crimson command tent where the leader resided.
Inside sat a woman with a pale complexion. Her exact features were indistinguishable, but her eyes, drenched in exhaustion, burned themselves into his mind.
"It has been a long time, Sir."
"…It is an honor to see you again."
The man bowed with disciplined posture, but he failed to draw the attention of the woman, who was busy reviewing a stack of documents. She merely glanced up to acknowledge his presence.
It didn't take long for the documents to drop onto the table with a thud. Only then did the woman shift her weary gaze toward the man.
The man spoke in a low voice.
"The Capital is curious about the situation on the Eastern Front."
"…The situation?"
She let out a hollow laugh, as if the question were absurd.
The woman slowly stood up and walked out of the tent. The man followed naturally behind her.
Beyond the tent, she showed him the battlefield.
The blood-soaked earth, the mangled corpses, and the crows crying out created a bleak atmosphere. And further beyond, mysterious trees made of flesh grew in thick clusters.
Staring indifferently at the landscape, the woman spoke to the man.
"It’s always the same. We lack soldiers, we have no capable knights, and the enemies increase by the day. We reached our limit a long time ago. If only they would at least send supplies on time."
"…I will make a suggestion when I return to the Capital."
The woman only snorted at the man's words. Her expression showed she expected nothing.
A long silence settled between them. The woman’s eyes, which had been staring blankly at the battlefield, were soon clouded with a dark, somber light.
"Please, I beg of you. I can’t hold out any longer."
"I am doing my best. But as you know, the situations on the Western and Northern Fronts are also…"
The man couldn't finish his sentence. Before he could, the woman pointed a finger toward the far side of the battlefield. A tree made of flesh was writhing and moving.
To anyone's eyes, it was not a creature of nature. In the man’s eyes, which had shown no flicker of emotion until now, a faint trace of fear finally took root.
"…Delphirem is coming."
Her voice trembled, saturated with terror and hatred.
The woman’s eyes staring at me were the last thing I saw.
Gasping for air, I bolted upright in bed.
It was that mysterious dream again. The sense of reality was so strong it felt as if the boundary between dreams and reality was crumbling, and my pillow was soaked with cold sweat.
I was tormented by a splitting headache and a burning thirst. I grabbed the canteen I always kept by my bedside and gulped down the water, only to realize something was off.
The calendar had been turned, and a mysterious letter sat upon the desk.
"…Oh, shit."
I was flustered at first, but there was already a precedent for this. My hand quickly tore open the envelope.
My eyes scanned the sentences rapidly.
----
To my beloved Ian Percus,
Have you ever thought about love?
Lately, I’ve been pondering that emotion quite deeply. I’m not sure if it’s because we’ve started dating, or if it’s because it’s been months since I was separated from my beloved.
Looking back, I think love is like a tree. You can’t notice it at all until the sprout breaks through the seed. Then, before you know it, it grows until it casts a deep shadow over my heart.
I’m talking about you, of course. My blood still boils when I think about how you seduced my innocent self and then acted like you didn't know anything. Confess honestly. You did it on purpose, didn't you?
Even choosing the orphanage for that year’s internship dispatch was like that. There were requests to scout and subjugate demonic beasts everywhere. Naturally, there were villages located within the Percus Territory among them as well.
You once said that a noble should naturally serve to protect their family’s fief. If so, why did you insist on choosing the orphanage for your internship that year? After thinking it over, I’ve reached this conclusion:
'This man has had his eye on me for a long time!'
And so, you played with my innocent heart, a girl who had never even been in a relationship. It is truly outrageous. May the judgment of the Heavenly God fall upon this wicked playboy.
And may His blessings follow.
Even if you did have your eye on me beforehand, I am grateful for even that. Love is such a terrifying emotion. Just the fact that I became your woman makes me think of all the past as a blessing and destiny.
I’m glad I could fall for you, Ian. Thank you for teaching me the emotion of happiness.
Above all, even if your intentions were impure, I cannot disparage the heroic struggle you showed that day.
Though it didn't particularly help your grades and no one forced you to sacrifice yourself, you took up your sword for the weak and protected them even when you were battered and broken.
I knew then. That although you seemed intimidating and full of secrets on the surface, there was actually a purity dwelling within you.
It was from that day. That I began to take an interest in you.
Before then, I only felt threatened, but I found myself thinking that you must have had a reason for acting that way.
If you hadn't blackmailed me, we wouldn't have been able to repel the attack and destroy the nest.
Once again, I thank you deeply. For playing with my heart when I was an innocent girl, for making me suffer through the fever of love for so long, and for finally allowing me to stand by your side.
Everything is by the grace of the Lord. Immanuel.
I miss you, Ian. I am always praying for you.
P.S. 1: I heard the Empire's rude brat was recently assigned to Arancote on the western edge of the continent? Serves her right.
P.S. 2: Don't feel safe just because you're in the Capital. The Heavenly God watches over the whole world. If you cheat, a fitting punishment shall be delivered.
From Lucia, thinking of her love far away.
On the second day of the Month of the Wheel, Imperial Calendar year 571.
----
It was a letter still filled with riddles. I held my forehead for a moment, organizing the various pieces of information.
The last letter mentioned the 'Hunting Festival,' and now it was the 'internship dispatch.' Given the timing, it seemed to be talking about the final exam substitute practical starting soon.
Problems occur there too? Why on earth?
Just seeing the word 'attack' felt ominous. Just like during the last Hunting Festival, I might have to prepare for a life-or-death battle. My head was already starting to ache.
Why does the Heavenly God bestow such trials upon me? I felt a burning urge to go to the temple and complain right now, but before I could, my eyes stopped abruptly as I scanned the text.
It was the section where the sender's name was written. The name of the person who sent the letter from the future was 'Lucia.'
It wasn't 'Sepia.'
I had no choice but to let out a hollow, dejected laugh.
"I'm a total piece of trash..."
Apparently, my future self had multiple fiancées.
Beyond being dumbfounded, I felt my soul evaporating as I let out a deep sigh. I couldn't help but shake my head. Just as I was about to tuck the letter into my coat, I saw writing on the back of the stationery.
'Obedience (順命)'
Two characters scribbled in a different handwriting.
I stared at the writing in silence before tucking the letter away.
Strangely, that word was etched particularly deep into my mind.
Even though a second letter had arrived, my tasks remained the same.
First, I had to attend lectures. I had to train, and I had to take my elixirs.
The 'Dragon's Pure Blood' was a high-grade item even among elixirs. Taking it recklessly could lead to fatal side effects.
It was right to consume it under the guidance of a reliable master like Professor Derek.
However, my hand, reaching for the 'Dragon's Pure Blood,' couldn't help but falter.
The box that held the 'Dragon's Pure Blood' was empty. Just in case, I moved my mana.
Immediately, a flow of mana poured into my meridian points like a waterfall.
Startled, I had to immediately calm the raging mana. The amount of mana dwelling in my body had more than doubled. If so, there was only one possibility.
It meant I had already consumed the 'Dragon's Pure Blood.' Even though I had absolutely no memory of doing so.
"This is driving me crazy..."
I was afraid. I had lost my memory again. I was terrified to think of what on earth I might have been doing in the meantime.
Last time, I beat Seria until she was half-dead. I managed to fix things somehow afterward, but my teeth still ground together whenever I thought of that day.
It turned out well in the end, but the process was incredibly arduous. It was a month that didn't suit my stability-oriented nature at all.
But on the other hand, I wondered if I could have possibly done something unmanageable again.
My skills had grown incomparably compared to a month ago. I had reliable allies like Seria and Senior Elsie, and I had a mentor like Professor Derek whom I could trust and consult about anything.
For the most part, there shouldn't be anything for me to worry about. I forcibly suppressed the anxiety that was slowly rearing its head.
Fortunately, no whispering followed me as soon as I stepped outside.
I heard a few whispers here and there, but that was unavoidable since various rumors about me must have already spread far and wide.
A sigh of relief escaped my lips. Indeed, if I had caused another accident, that wouldn't be me. It would be an enemy masquerading as me.
It was at that moment, as I was walking with such complacent thoughts.
Whoosh. Something pulled my arm. Into the dark alleyway between adjacent buildings.
The physical strength was beyond imagination, leaving me no room to resist. And then, thud, my body was slammed against the wall.
Dumbfounded, my eyes scanned the culprit. It was a familiar face.
Silver hair that looked like it was woven from molten silver thread, and pale pink eyes that could make any man's heart flutter.
And then, a decadent physique that naturally invited sinful thoughts struck my vision in succession. That was why I could understand it even less.
Why was the Saintess here?
However, she was merely glaring at me with eyes overflowing with hostility and hatred, biting her lip.
"…What are you up to?"
Before I could even ask what she meant.
The Saintess grabbed my collar and shouted. Her voice was heated with resentment and anger.
"I'm asking what you're up to!"
It was a sight more akin to someone facing their mortal enemy.
I could only mutter to myself internally.
What the hell did I do?