Love Letter From The Future

The elven village was bustling.

Such a thing was rare in the cold, dry north. In the first place, the elves had so little food that they preferred to conserve their energy, so there weren’t many days when everyone gathered to make a ruckus.

And if the elves gathered and caused a commotion, one of two possibilities was usually at play:

It was either the emergence of a dire crisis that threatened the village’s survival.

Or, it was an occasion so joyous that even their worries about the scarce food supply were forgotten.

Today’s gathering satisfied both conditions.

Evidence of human presence had been discovered just half a day’s journey away. That news alone was enough to plunge the village into gloom.

They might even have to abandon the place they called home.

About a dozen villagers debated endlessly, each presenting their opinions, but no clear solution emerged.

It wasn’t the sort of calamity they could just fend off just by worrying in advance. They could, at best, report it to the Headquarters and hope for aid.

However, such hopes rarely came to pass.

Elves would always be at a disadvantage in terms of military power. They simply didn’t have the means to protect every little village.

Eventually, the elves of the village decided to set the grim news aside.

Dwelling on it wouldn’t improve the situation and, more importantly, they just received a magnificent gift that overshadowed their distress.

At the village entrance lay a pile of beast corpses, stacked like a mountain.

One glance at their massive bodies and fierce fangs was enough to identify them—they were snow leopards, the white terror of the coniferous forest.

Some elves still wore expressions of disbelief.

Snow leopards were both strong and cunning.

Hunting even a single one was enough to earn recognition as a seasoned elf hunter. Even Elder Poff was only able to become a respected hunter in the village after successfully hunting one.

Moreover, snow leopard’s meat was renowned for its exceptional flavor, with tender, flexible muscles that offered a unique texture.

Not to mention, the warmth their pelts provided…

Elves who migrated from the southern regions were particularly vulnerable to the cold. They often roamed wrapped tightly in layers, but such precautions would be unnecessary with snow leopard pelts.

Just a single pelt was enough to keep one warm.

Such was the value of a single snow leopard—almost comparable to a treasure. So, when no fewer than a dozen of these prized creatures fell into their hands, the elves could scarcely believe their luck.

Even more surprising was the fact that the one who hunted them wasn’t even an elf.

It was the black-haired, golden-eyed outsider who claimed to have lost his memory.

According to eyewitnesses, he single handedly brought down all those snow leopards.

Yet the man showed no hint of either excitement or pride over his own accomplishment.

He simply helped the elves dismember the carcasses in silence. Each time his hatchet came down, the snow leopards’ tough bodies were cleanly severed.

It was an intimidating display of brute force.

Even the snow leopard’s sturdy bones couldn’t withstand the force of his strikes. Some elves couldn’t help imagining what might happen if an elf’s frail body ended up under that hatchet instead.

The thought alone was enough to make their skin crawl. Some elves shut their eyes tight and trembled.

They couldn’t bring themselves to fully trust the unfamiliar outsider yet.

Fortunately, there were those like Ruget, Dolph and Miera, outliers amongst the elves, who wholeheartedly appreciated the newcomer’s contributions.

Their expressions even hinted at a sense of pride.

They, of course, weren’t the only ones excited.

Isha, who had gone on the hunt with the man, appeared more excited than ever. Standing before the group of elves gathered around, she was passionately recounting what had happened.

“So, while I was standing there stunned, three snow leopards were downed in an instant! I’ve never seen an elf wield a hatchet that skillfully!”

“Well, that’s because he’s not an elf. He’s human.”

Elder Poff made a gruff remark, but was completely ignored by Isha. Her impassioned tone carried a touch of pride,

The pride of someone who just witnessed a historic moment.

“In my opinion, he must have been an extraordinary person before he lost his memory… Maybe some kind of hero among humans?”

“Oh, give it a rest.”

But her conjecture was swiftly dismissed thanks to Dolph’s rebuttal..

“Why would someone of such renown come all the way here just to save an elf? Maybe if he was some wanderer hiding his true ability, that’d be another story.”

“I-Is that so?”

Isha scratched her cheek awkwardly and soon nodded in agreement.

The truth was, Isha knew little about human society.

In fact, it wasn’t just her—all the elves in the village were the same. Piecing together the man’s past with their limited knowledge was an impossible task

Merely stacking imaginary towers on their shaky assumptions was all they could do.

Thus, the questions naturally shifted to someone else.

The one elf in the village who once lived among humans and even traveled with him in the past.

Aviang.

The gray-haired elf girl still wore a dazed expression. Her blue eyes remained fixed blankly on the man’s back.

Seeing her like that, Miera burst into a giggle.

“Oh my, oh my… Those eyes of yours look like you’re smitten with him.”

“N-No way!”

Aviang jumped in place, vehemently denying Miera’s words.

Her flustered voice slipped through her slightly parted lips.

“Who would ever be interested in such a violent, inferior human…?!”

“Violent, you say?”

It was a question Ruget posed, tilting his head.

Prompting Aviang to realize her slip-up. She immediately clamped her mouth shut, but as the other elves continued to blink at her, she quickly plastered on an awkward smile and cobbled together an excuse.

“Th-That… You saw it too, didn’t you? How he becomes a different person once the fighting starts.”

“Ah, that’s true. It was terrifying… The way he was drenched in blood, he looked just like a demon.”

Thankfully, the group’s attention shifted back to Isha.

It was thanks to the tale of the man’s exploits that she had already begun recounting. With each of her impassioned words, exclamations of awe rippled through the gathered elves.

Aviang let out a quiet sigh behind everyone’s back.

She couldn’t make sense of her own emotions.

The man was her enemy. That much hadn’t changed.

Though she had swindled his friend, what he used to subdue her had been sheer violence. A victim forced into submission couldn’t bear goodwill towards their aggressor.

Yes, that’s how it should have been.

And yet, lately, Aviang found herself confused every time she looked at the man.

He once carelessly uttered words about killing elves and yet, recently, he went to great lengths to help them..

Take the snow leopard hunt, for instance.

His pouch was still full of food, so why had he gone out of his way to hunt snow leopards? Doing so only increased the chances of his true identity being exposed.

On top of that, he freely shared his emergency rations.

Not long ago, Ruget had mentioned something. On the day Dolph had invited him over, the man had even prepared them a splendid meal.

Then today, he’d even sacrificed his own arm to save Aviang.

Anyone would have found the sight of the elf girl, collapsed on the ground with her legs giving out, pathetic but he didn’t utter a single word of reproach. He instead helped her up when she couldn’t stand on her own.

He was such a contradictory person.

Aviang was lost in thought for a long while when suddenly—

“…Aviang.”

The soft call made her instinctively turn her gaze.

Then—whump—something with a foul smell covered her.

Her vision was instantly plunged into darkness.

“Eek, Kyaa! W-What is this…?!”

Aviang screamed and flailed helplessly. The thing that suddenly draped over her was thick and warm.

It was also so heavy that she could barely budge it.

Fortunately, the mischief didn’t last long. Within seconds, her vision brightened again.

Standing against the dazzling light was the man,

Wearing a playful smile.

“It’s a snow leopard pelt. Do you like it?”

“Who would like a freshly skinned pelt?!”

Unable to hold back her frustration, Aviang shouted in protest.

For no real reason, she felt both aggrieved and forlorn.

While someone was caught in constant inner turmoil because of him, here he was, so carefree, teasing her like this.

Yet the man only chuckled.

“This one’s from the smallest one. I figured it’d fit you perfectly.”

“Hmph, no thanks.”

“I’ll ask Auntie Miera to tailor it into some winter clothes for you. I don’t need it anyway.”

Aviang pursed her lips and turned away.

Her attitude was more rebellious than ever, but he didn’t seem offended in the slightest.

Once he left, the elves who had been watching the two in silence flocked over again.

Miera’s expression was brimming with certainty.

“See? He treats you differently than the rest.”

“That’s not true. He was just joking around, that’s all…”

Scoffing, Aviang trailed off.

But despite her aloof tone, her two hands were tightly gripping the snow leopard pelt, as though determined not to let anyone take it away.

Seeing this, Miera gave her a wry smile.

Ah, youth.

That night’s banquet was filled with nothing but cheerful sounds.

The mood soared even higher when the man brought out alcohol. Though in the end, he wound up getting cornered by ‘Drunken Dolph’ and had to endure his slurred ramblings all night long.

Watching the elves blooming with laughter, Aviang couldn’t help but think:

What a strange sight this is…

The elves she knew always wore somber expressions, their gaunt faces and sunken eyes resembling more dying corpses than living beings.

But had they ever been capable of such joyful laughter?

Even though they ate to their heart’s content, the meat showed no signs of running out, while the blazing fire was radiating a comforting warmth.

One man stood at the center of it all.

Aviang blankly stared at the flickering crimson shadows. Then, as if noticing for the first time, she caught sight of the man, his face flushed red—perhaps from the alcohol taking effect.

That night, the girl wondered,

Will I be able to keep living like this?

So happily, together with my kin.

If only my younger sister could join this feast as well…

All through the night, she watched the man. Meanwhile, Elder Poff idly sipped his drink before getting up to leave.

His gaze lingered on him one last time before turning away.

A night breeze rippled through the hearts of those two elves.

It was proof that the man was settling into the elf village quite nicely.

**

Thunk. The tip of a sword stabbed into the ground.

It plunged effortlessly, as if slicing through clay. Blue flames flickered along the blade, illuminating the nighttime scene.

It was a dark forest. With a few torches illuminating the tents scattered around.

An elf froze, unable to even scream, his breath caught in his throat.

The blade was lodged right beside him. Feeling the chill of imminent danger, his eyes violently quivered.

He looked on the verge of tears.

But the girl standing before him showed no intention of indulging such weakness.

She had gray hair and blue eyes that were reminiscent of aquamarine.

Basked in the moonlight from behind, she looked breathtakingly beautiful. Even among the elves, known as a race of unparalleled beauty, she was an exceptionally rare beauty.

Yet the somber light in her eyes was even more terrifying.

Her lips parted slightly.

“Answer only what I ask. If you spout any nonsense, I’ll lop off your fingers one by one.”

The elf frantically nodded, choking back the sobs that threatened to escape.

Immediately, the woman followed up with her question.

“Is there a human in your village?”

At that brief question, the trembling elf froze for a moment.

His bewildered gaze turned to her, as though asking, ‘How do you know that?’

The girl bit her lips.

Her grip on the sword tightened.

“Answer me! Is there a human? If so, what’s his name?!”

“Th-Th-That’s…”

The elf couldn’t seem to form a proper answer, which only made the girl more anxious.

Shling. She pulled out her sword and now pointed it at his throat.

With a shriek—‘Hiiik!’—the elf scooted his butt across the ground in a desperate attempt to back away, but he had nowhere to run.

This area had long been sealed off. In particular, the silent women standing guard were exuding an intimidating presence.

A lone elf had no means of escape.

In the end, he burst into tears and shouted,

“I—I don’t know! I can’t betray my village!”

“…Hah.”

As though he were pathetic, the girl let out a hollow laugh.

She raised her sword once more, the bright blue moonlight running along its edge.

At any moment, it would become a strike cutting through the darkness of the night, spilling blood in its wake.

Just before she could bring the blade down—

“He lost his memory!”

With a jolt, the girl’s breath came to an abrupt halt.

It wasn’t just her—all the women watching the elf stopped breathing as well.

As she faltered, unable to ask another question, the elf broke down, wailing,

“That friend, he lost his memory! If you’re after a traitor who escaped with an elf, please leave him be!”

“What are you talking abou—?”

“He’s our neighbor!”

His voice was frantic, like a hysterical outburst.

As if spewing all his pent-up emotions, the elf shouted,

“So please, leave him alone! W-We didn’t do anything… We’re just living happily together with that friend! We haven’t harmed any humans!”

Yet the weeping elf’s appeal didn’t sway the girl.

It was because she had stopped listening a while ago.

All she did was mutter in a daze,

“…lost his memory?”

And right then—

“It’s an ambush! Someone’s set the camp on fire!”

Suddenly, flames erupted, blazing high into the night /genesisforsaken