Love Letter From The Future
Chapter 426: Proof of Existence (14)

Chapter 426: Proof of Existence (14)

0% Scenes drifted across a pure white field of vision.

Fragmented images flipped past like disorganized pages in a messy stack of documents. My breath came in gasps, my heart thumped erratically, and for a moment I briefly wondered if I was getting too worked up.

A voice came from afar, both clear and sweet. I felt I’d heard it somewhere before.

“......You had a younger sister?”

At those words, the world began to slowly regain its color. Inside a tent lit by flickering lamps, a woman sat across from me, with a bottle in hand. Her pale pink eyes were striking.

Her indifferent expression was tinged with irritation and regret. Even her gaze screamed annoyance.

As if life itself had become a tiresome chore for her.

Perhaps that was why she engaged in all sorts of bizarre antics. I remembered her being an exemplary priestess once, but the woman I saw again after so long was nothing like before.

Her notorious deeds reached my ears regularly.

She’d smashed a bottle over an archbishop’s head for reprimanding her drinking habits, assaulted a believer during confession, and had frequently gotten into squabbles with slum residents while supposedly there for charity work.

How had she fallen so far?

With mild curiosity, I couldn’t help but offer her a piece of advice.

“Should you really keep drinking? I heard the Holy Nation frowns upon that.......”

“If they’ve got a problem with it, they can excommunicate me.”

With a scoff, she boldly tipped the bottle back. I could hear every gulp as she drank. Then, with a satisfied sigh, she wiped her mouth and smirked cynically.

“You really think they can hold the front line without me? Those cowards hiding behind God’s name—let’s see how long they stay holed up in the holy city...”

“You speak too harshly.”

“Yeah, yeah, be sure to report that to His Imperial Majesty... Now, about your sister?”

Instead of answering, I took a sip from my own glass. It was a subtle refusal to speak further, but this seemed only to intrigue her more, prompting her to cross her arms expectantly.

Exactly what you’d expect from a woman infamous for her foul temper.

Knowing full well that resistance was pointless, I sighed and looked away.

“...She went missing.”

“During the Percus Territory incident, I assume? Hmm.”

Without a shred of hesitation, the Saintess dredged up one of my deepest wounds.

There wasn’t even the slightest restraint in her words. To so casually mention that tragedy in front of a noble who had lost both his family and his land...

I wasn’t just offended—I was speechless.

As I sat there with a hollow smile, the Saintess, resting her chin on her hand, finally broke the silence after a long moment of thought.

“Well, there’s nothing to be done, then. You just have to ‘Obey’.”

A surge of emotions rose in my throat, nearly choking me.

‘Obey’? Is she telling me to just meekly accept it? I’d lost my family, my territory—even my revered teacher and the one I loved. Her casual demand that I accept such cruel fate struck me as unbearably callous.

Without realizing, my tone turned defiant.

“Because it’s the will of God?”

At my retort, the Saintess let out a vague hum and stared at me blankly.

That too lasted for quite a while.

Then, her lips parted slightly as she posed another question.

“Does that bother you?”

“......Isn’t it obvious?”

For the first time in ages, my voice was heated. My emotions, worn down over time, were reignited.

Yet, despite all that, the Saintess only smiled.

“Oh, I like that. Makes you seem human. You always talk so stiffly, I could never tell before.”

At this rate, she looked ready to burst into applause. As my expression grew even colder, the Saintess stifled her laughter with a snicker.

Then she offered a piece of advice, brimming with sympathy.

“But what a pity. Fate never strikes just once.”

Once? I had been struck more times than I could remember.

I couldn’t even imagine a life worse than this. So I wordlessly downed my drink, drowning my thoughts in silence.

Yeah, that’s how things were—until that moment.

Until I reunited with my sister on the battlefield—holding a sword and hatchet in hand.

A girl, drenched head to toe in blood, was smiling sweetly.

“Hi there, Oppa.”

Surrounded by dozens of mangled corpses, I froze as I met those golden eyes.

They were the eyes of a monster.

***Thwack—brain matter and flesh sprayed outward from where the hatchet had buried itself.

The thick stench of blood, the sickening sensation of pulverized flesh sticking to my skin—it was repulsive, no matter how many times I experienced it. Panting heavily, I scanned my surroundings, searching for my next target.

Bodies clad in black were strewn about alongside the Hellholes. Their flayed faces gave them an unsettlingly grotesque presence, though they were all dead now.

Unlike the ones outside, the Hellholes that had invaded the tent were smaller—modified specially for ambushes. Their vile intent was painfully obvious, so much so that my rage flared beyond control.

Who the hell did they think they were trying to mess with?

She was my sister. And I wasn’t going to let anyone take her from me.

Absolutely never. No matter the cost.

I’d never let that happen. Bloodshot veins crept into my eyes without my notice.

As I violently spun around, ready to tear apart whatever enemy remained—

My sister suddenly appeared in my line of sight. Her vacant stare held a faint glimmer of fear as she gazed blankly at me.

Her trembling voice brushed softly against my ears.

“O-Oppa.......”

Only then did my mind finally clear.

Ria was a merchant. She wasn’t accustomed to combat, let alone seeing me fight like this. It was undoubtedly her first time witnessing me rampage with a hatchet.

Realizing that, I inadvertently dropped the hatchet from my hand. Stammering words spilled from my mouth.

“Oh, uh... I mean... Ria?”

She was still trembling violently. The sight of her made my chest ache even more.

“...Are you okay?”

At my gentle tone, tears quickly flooded Ria’s eyes.

And then, busting into sobs, she threw herself into my arms.

“No, I’m not okay! Hic, sniff... Th-The monsters just swarmed in out of nowhere...! A-And then these faceless people came and started shrieking... Huwaaaaah...!”

I held Ria tightly as she wept miserably. Even as I stroked her hair in a soothing gesture, her sobs didn’t subside. While comforting her, my gaze calmly scanned the tent’s interior.

There were four Hellholes and three unidentified figures clad in black robes.

Given Ria’s lack of combat ability, they had more than enough time to kill or seriously injure her. And yet, before I arrived, there wasn’t a single trace of blood spattered inside the tent.

The only blood present was freshly spilled—still gleaming a vivid crimson.

That made their intent crystal clear—they’d intended to kidnap Ria without harming her more than necessary.

But why?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any more time left to ponder that.

A low, humming vibration rumbled beneath the ground, clearly signaling something was approaching.

Hellholes.

Without hesitation, I scooped Ria up into my arms. I wanted nothing more than to channel my aura underground again, but I had already exhausted too much mana for the day.

Right now, there was only one truly safe place.

Where the main forces of the garrison were stationed.

That night, the fighting dragged on ceaselessly. Those damned hellholes relentlessly pursued me and Ria. Only when dawn broke the following day did their attacks finally cease, leaving the encampment piled high with corpses.

Not those of humans, but of demonic beasts.

It was an unexpectedly overwhelming victory. Cheers celebrating our triumph echoed throughout the camp all day.

Many praised the exploits of Sir Reynold and myself. Only by nightfall was I finally set free, listening to the priest’s explanation beside Ria, who was peacefully asleep.

“She’s merely startled. Physically, there’s nothing wrong with her.”

“Have you investigated the corpses clad in the black robes as well?”

The priest hesitated, briefly averting his gaze. But of course, it was a pointless attempt at resistance.

“Surely you know who I am. My sister was attacked, and the culprit is likely...”

“It is indeed the Dark Order.”

These words came from the middle-aged holy knight as he pulled aside the tent flap and stepped inside. He was the knight whose arm I had broken when he had offered to escort me—as well as the man I’d saved earlier.

At his words, the priest jolted upright in surprise.

“Vice Commander! But the higher-ups had strictly warned us to handle this information with utmost discretion—”

“And you want me to conceal such crucial information from the very person who was attacked—from the hero of our camp? Even considering our future diplomatic ties with the empire, that’s utterly unacceptable.”

Seeing no room for argument, the priest lowered his head in resignation. Deep down, he must have wished to tell me the truth as well.

The knight addressed as ‘Vice Commander’ let out a deep sigh.

“You may leave. I will handle the rest.”

As the priest exited the tent with a brief bow, the Vice Commander promptly lowered his head in a deep bow.

“My deepest apologies, Sir Ian, that you were dragged into our nation’s regrettable affairs...”

“It’s fine. After all, I was the one being unreasonable.”

I quickly reassured him to cut the apology short. There was something else I urgently wanted to hear.

“Please, start by explaining about the Dark Order. That’s the most pressing matter, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll be completely transparent with you.”

The information I gathered from the Vice Commander could be summarized as follows:

As expected, the black-robed corpses with flayed faces were connected to the Dark Order. A priest dispatched by the Holy Nation had examined them and confirmed traces of forbidden magic.

The exact technique remained unknown. But based on historical records, it seemed to be linked to an ancient contract—one where a person surrendered both their mind and body to a demon god in exchange for power.

The implications were clear.

“Then, are you saying those black-robed individuals were under the control of the Dark Order?”

“They likely were at one point. But based on the traces of mana, the consensus is that they were already beyond saving. Both their minds and bodies had been completely consumed—to the point where you could hardly call them alive.”

Their minds and bodies, completely moving according to another’s will.

That could hardly be called living. Perhaps it would have been better to be put to death.

Yet, unable to shake off my disgust, I clicked my tongue bitterly.

It was a somewhat rude gesture, yet the Vice Commander’s gaze held only understanding.

“It’s an incredibly sophisticated magic. Without dissecting the corpse, it’s impossible to even detect it.”

“But isn’t it usually difficult to hide the traces of magic used to control others?”

“That’s because this particular magic involves voluntary consent.”

The Vice Commander continued bitterly.

“Magic that forcibly plants a technique to control someone inevitably leaves traces, as it involves overpowering their consciousness. But this particular spell only activates if the victim willingly agrees to the contract.”

“You mean they willingly offered up their body and mind?”

“Yes, precisely. Though we can’t be certain what foul play occurred during that process... at least, that’s what the Holy Nation uncovered.”

Running my hands down my face, I swallowed back a groan.

Everything the Dark Order did was repulsive and disturbing. Inducing people to willingly sacrifice their own flesh and sanity, only to discard them like pawns afterward.

Having heard everything worth knowing, I let out a customary remark.

“You must have had it rough. Even if casualties were minimal, the property damage must’ve been enormous.”

Surprisingly, the Vice Commander just waved it off with a gentle smile, as if to reassure me.

“Surprisingly, not as much as you’d think. The demonic beasts primarily went after humans, and since we recovered a significant number of their corpses, selling them should more than cover the losses... Ah, that’s right! Sir Ian, you must also receive a proper compensation for your contribution—”

“It’s alright. I just did what anyone would.”

“Haha, this is troubling. I just heard something similar from Sir Reynold as well.”

The Vice Commander stroked his chin before clapping his hands together as if struck by a good idea.

“In that case, what if we sell off the goods to your sister’s trading company at a discounted price? It just so happens that few trading companies can handle such large quantities, and this way, the Holy Nation can also uphold its honor by repaying its debt of gratitude.”

“Would that really be alright? I heard several trading companies had already gathered to bid on the demonic beast corpses...”

“It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. After all, isn’t the risk of failure something to be expected in an auction?”

I pondered for a moment before giving a slight nod.

There was no reason to refuse an offer that would help my younger sister. Besides, the justification was solid enough to avoid any gossip afterward.

Ironically, the one who ended up troubled by this decision was someone I hadn’t expected.

The following morning, a representative from a trading company hurriedly sought me out and respectfully set down a crystal sphere. As mana swirled around it, a vividly clear image began to take shape

It was a real-time communication spell.

And the figure that appeared on the other side was a woman whose face I had seen not long ago.

“...Good to see you again, Sir Hatchet-For-Brains.”

A silver-haired beauty, wearing a less-than-pleased expression.

Senior Sienne Alpenhauser.

The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.