Love Letter From The Future

He walked straight to the manor’s front gate without any forewarning. At first, the servants were perplexed, not even recognizing his identity.

The Sword Duke did not rebuke the servants who stood in his way.

He simply etched letters into the air.

Crimson mana flowed down, etching geometric patterns.

Though no one understood its meaning, there wasn’t a single person unaware of the origin of those characters.

The Dragonblood Script.

It was the symbol of absolute authority over the Empire and a legacy left behind by the great dragon race, the revered teachers of humanity.

Greatly astonished, the servants could only immediately kneel.

The owner of the Dragonblood Script was no different from a representative of the  Emperor.

Blocking his path was out of the question.

Thus, without any trouble, the Sword Duke entered the Percus manor.

The Percus family were the ones thrown into chaos.

They couldn’t afford to mistreat an owner of the Dragonblood Script. Instead, as loyal subjects of the Empire, it was their duty to offer him the best hospitality possible,  though even that might not be enough.

After all, wasn’t the Sword Duke a revered elder of the Imperial family?

They were obliged to treat him with utmost respect.

However, it seemed that the Sword Duke had not come seeking luxurious reception.

This was evident from the fact that he summoned me to the reception room as soon as he entered the mansion.

His purpose for visiting me was simple and clear from the beginning.

To have a conversation with me.

Any other matter seemed unnecessary to him.

He barely spent a few minutes speaking with my parents, the lords of the Manor.

It was a relief, in a way.

The Percus family was merely a rural viscountcy.

We neither had the means to entertain an imperial guest who so suddenly arrived , nor did our servants fully understand the proper etiquette for receiving such a guest.

It was far better to engage in a straightforward discussion than to risk offending him over some trivial matter.

The Sword Duke likely expected as much when he came.

He was the only Master of the Empire and the Emperor’s uncle. If he wished, he could acquire anything he desired.

There was no need for him to waste time troubling a humble family.

Perhaps that is why he visited without any prior notice.

As I knelt to pay my respects, the Sword Duke offered me a quiet greeting.

“There’s no need for unnecessary formalities. Besides, this is the second time we’re having a proper conversation.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words at that statement.

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It seemed he spoke with me before.

I, however, had no memory of ever having a conversation with the Sword Duke, no matter how hard I tried to recall.

There was no way I would forget an interaction with such an important figure.

That left only one possibility.

The Sword Duke must have spoken with the ‘me’ from the future.

Why hadn’t I been informed of something so crucial in advance?

I felt a surge of resentment towards a certain someone, but managed to suppress it.

I instead simply pretended to be calm and expressed my gratitude to my benefactor.

“Thank you for your help last time, Your Excellency, Sword Duke.”

“Oh, it was nothing. If anything, this old man is sorry for being late. If it were in the old days, I would have arrived much sooner…”

The Sword Duke wistfully trailed off as he picked up his teacup.

The tea he gulped down his throat emitted a subtle fragrance. It was made from one of the few high-quality tea leaves the manor possessed.

It seemed they hastily brought it out since a member of the Imperial family was visiting, yet even as he drank it, the Sword Duke did not utter a single word of praise.

It was understandable.

The Imperial family dealt with only the finest tea leaves. Given that he outranked even the Emperor in terms of seniority, there was no way he would be accustomed to drinking ordinary tea.

However, there was something else that did impress him.

“As one gets older, they become more suspicious and cunning… As a result, hesitation often creeps into their actions. That’s why I was impressed by you.”

With a soft clink, he set down his teacup and fixed his sharp gaze on me.

At the unexpected compliment, I subtly lowered my gaze.

To be honest, it made me uncomfortable.

In terms of both status and skill, he was someone far beyond my reach.

While it was gratifying to be acknowledged by a legendary swordsman, I also feared that he might now have unreasonably high expectations of me.

Either way, it was a privileged concern.

There were countless people across the continent who would do anything just to catch a single glance from the Sword Duke, let alone earn his recognition.

Compared to them, I was incredibly fortunate.

The Sword Duke seemed to interpret my awkward demeanour as a sign of humility.

He nodded with a satisfied smile.

“It was as if I was looking at my younger self… Charging at an enemy without the certainty of victory is a reckless act, but it is also a virtue that a young swordsman must possess. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have arrived even later.”

It was around this time that the Sword Duke subtly gestured for me to take the seat opposite him.

For a moment, I hesitated.

He was, after all, a member of the Imperial Family.

Sitting opposite of him would imply that I was engaging in a conversation as an equal. With most other Imperial Family members, this would be unthinkable and, even with the Sword Duke, it felt inadequate not to remain kneeling while speaking with him.

However, my hesitation didn’t last long.

It was an invitation from the Sword Duke.

I had no choice but to accept his offer.

Cautiously, I seated myself across from him.

The Sword Duke, kindly enough, even poured tea into the cup in front of me.

Who would have thought that I’d live to see the day when I would be served tea by a member of the Imperial Family?

I had always imagined that if I were ever to receive such an honour, it would probably be from Princess Cien.

As I sat there in a daze, the Sword Duke continued speaking.

“Originally, I planned to enter with the White Wing Knights. Even though it would have only been a delay of a few days, once that monster started rampaging, it could have destroyed an entire territory in an instant… You saved this territory.”

It was thanks to me that the territory was saved.

Since it was the Sword Duke’s statement, it wasn’t likely just pleasantry.

So, I secretly let out a sigh of relief.

I was glad.

To me, the Percus territory wasn’t just any rural place.

It was my hometown, where I was born and raised and the place where the people of the territory had built their lives.

If it had been devastated, countless residents would have been displaced and scattered.

And the future for such penniless refugees was all too predictable.

Most would lose contact and eventually die.

To prevent such a tragedy, risking my life was worth it.

Seeing my relieved expression, the Sword Duke smiled wryly.

“But aside from that, intelligence agents will be stationed in the Percus territory for a while. Considering your contributions, the Percus family won’t be punished, but as you know, this matter is related to the Dark Order…”

“I understand.”

Worried that the Sword Duke might apologize, I responded quickly.

The Sword Duke’s expression grew intrigued.

No one would be comfortable knowing that intelligence agents were being assigned to monitor their family.

While one might feel relieved to avoid punishment, it was natural to feel some bitterness about the situation.

Indeed, if this had been a typical situation, that would have been the case.

But instead, I went a step further and bowed my head in gratitude.

“Rather, I am grateful. Thank you for going out of your way to look after us…”

“…A sharp fellow, indeed.”

The Sword Duke’s satisfied smile deepened as he let out a light chuckle.

After all, there might still be an unidentified individual lurking in the Percus manor.

The masked assailant.

Since their identity hadn’t been uncovered, the possibility that they were still within the manor couldn’t be ruled out.

Thus, surveillance by the Imperial Intelligence Agency was something I should actually welcome.

Their watchful eye meant that, in case of an emergency, they could also protect us from danger.

It finally felt like I had one less thing to worry about.

To be honest, I found the Imperial Intelligence Agency more reliable than Dame Irene.

Just looking at Senior Neris’ skills, who was only an apprentice, was proof enough.

Although she might seem foolish at a glance, she was someone who had a certain level of expertise in her field.

This showed that, fundamentally, the Imperial Intelligence Agency was a competent organisation.

While they might have their quirks, they were at least more suited for protection than the forces I could muster.

In many ways, it was a relief.

Power, when close at hand, could indeed be quite useful.

However, it seemed that the Sword Duke’s business wasn’t over yet.

In fact, it appeared that his true purpose had yet to be revealed, as he hesitated slightly.

I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

I couldn’t fathom what could cause someone of the Sword Duke’s stature to hesitate.

But the words that came from the middle-aged man’s mouth next were enough to catch even me off guard.

“…She might still be alive.”

It was a sudden statement.

I looked at the Sword Duke with a puzzled expression, but he only gazed back at me with even deeper, more contemplative eyes.

He sighed as he handed me a few documents.

They were tightly sealed papers.

This indicated they were classified documents.

My curiosity deepened further.

But as the Sword Duke continued to speak,

“Your ‘real’ little sister.”

My thoughts came to a halt.

My mind went completely blank and I couldn’t think of anything for a moment.

I could only blankly stare at the Sword Duke.

He sighed deeply, as if expecting  this reaction.

“…Refer to the documents for more details. Though, we haven’t been able to pinpoint her exact whereabouts.”

Suddenly, the few sheets of paper in my hand felt overwhelmingly heavy.

With trembling hands, I stared at the small stack of papers, no more than three or four pages.

My ‘real’ little sister?