1. The First Letter (64)

On the day of the hunting festival, the academy is excited with the heat of the festival all day long.

The students who decided to open the stalls from dawn moved busily. Ingredients brought from all over the world for this day were already raising the atmosphere.

In the next few hours, those colorful ingredients would smell appetizing.

This was the same in front of the forest, which can be said to be the center of the hunting festival. We couldn’t know the result until evening anyway, but strangely, on the day of the hunting festival, the area in front of the forest south of the academy was crowded. There was no space to even step on.

Crowds of people who come to cheer on someone they know arrive at the earliest hour. And the food stalls responsible for their meals arrive one after another, and after that, faculty members and students interested in the hunting festival gather one by one.

The results themselves come after a while, but there were times when we faced unexpected spectacles while standing in front of the forest.

Some of them quit midway due to injuries, and some of them decided that they couldn’t catch more prey if they took more time, and came out with a big game.

Of course, the time of patience was bound to be boring. So, the academy’s student council organized a separate stage.

It was to provide a small spectacle to those waiting for the results of the hunting festival. It was also an opportunity for the clubs, who repeatedly practiced hard for the hunting festival, to show off their skills in front of everyone.

The spectators gathered in the clearing in front of the southern forest weren’t just students.

Professors from the academy, as well as high-ranking officials from around the world, and sometimes even the emperor of the empire, came to watch the hunting festival. It was to keep an eye on useful talent.

The rules of the hunting festival are simple. It was a structure in which the group that had hunted the strongest monsters won the championship. Conversely, this simple and clear competition method was also the method that best revealed the skills of the group.

The density of the aura, the amount of magic power, and the number of rings wrapped around the heart. All of this could be a factor that proves strength, but even that was meaningless if you couldn’t use it properly in real combat.

In the end, in order to verify someone’s skills, they had to go through actual battles. And this hunting festival was one of the few opportunities at the academy where students participated in real battles on a large scale.

That’s why the hunting festival didn’t always have participants. Despite the risk of death, the annual hunting festival attracts hundreds of participants like moths to a fire.

Witchbeasts do not care about the status of nobles. Only skill was everything in this hunting festival. For this reason, rather, there were many cases where commoners participated in the hunting festival to take a snow stamp in front of high-ranking officials in each country.

It was such an important festival. A festival where countless spectators watch, celebrities from all over the world gather, and someone’s life depends on them.

Today I stand in the arena of fierce competition. The goal was to win the championship and defeat all hundreds of contestants with outstanding prestige.

It was something unimaginable just a short while ago. Because of a love letter from the future that arrived one day, I finally stood here.

It was funny. That one letter changed my life in such a short time.

If they won the hunting festival, it was certain that they would at least receive a stamp from the highest ranking officials in each country. The quality of the offers I would receive after graduation would also change.

No, there is no need to worry about the future in the first place. According to the letter, the future me will become a hero who saved the world.

Even thinking about it made me laugh out loud. To be honest, I even participated in the hunting festival because of the love letter, but I still didn’t feel it.

There was only one problem facing me now.

I will make sure no one ever collapses in front of me again like Emma did. That was my only wish and goal right now.

Among those who were laughing and chatting now, among those who were checking their armaments with nervous faces, there might be victims. I wanted to block that much.

In front of Emma’s hospital room, and in front of a mature man who was nothing more than an herbalist, I had to look at the wall and chew my lips several times.

One memory filled with guilt and regret was enough. However, I was prepared that the process would not be comfortable.

The woman standing in front of me now was proof of that. A beautiful woman with golden hair and bloody eyes that reveals an intense color on top of pure white skin.

Delphine Yurdina, rightful successor to the Yurdina family.

As soon as she appeared, Seria’s body stiffened. The emotion reflected in her eyes was clearly fear. The eyes of a herbivore that met an enemy they dared not face.

Elsie-senpai, who had been absent-mindedly, moved her eyes slightly, and as soon as she saw Delphine-senpai, she immediately jumped up like a cat in high spirits. It was a face full of hostility.

Well, since Elsie-senpai thought all the disgrace she suffered last time was Delphine-senpai’s fault, it was understandable.

In fact, it was my fault, but sometimes human psychology has come to such convenient conclusions. He had to lower his tail just by looking at the hatchet, but since he couldn’t be hostile to me, he simply decided to host Delphine.

I also had a relationship with Delphine senior. I don’t know if it’s luck or bad luck, but anyway, of the four of us, only Celine didn’t have a direct relationship with her.

Even then, Celine was glaring at Delphine sunbae with grim eyes. The disapproving gaze, it seemed that he was paying attention to the rumors that had spread between Delphine-senpai and me.

It was hostility beyond coldness. However, there was no way Delphine-senpai could care about such a thing. She smiled and crossed her arms.

“It was a surprise attack that I paid attention to on my own, but did you get it off as well?”

“… … You weren’t serious anyway.”

If that was the case, I wouldn’t have used a dagger. Because Delphine-senpai’s true strength came out when he raised his sword.

I heard that the heat around her made the surroundings glow the moment a golden glow formed on her blade. Of course, even just brushing against it would cause a fatal injury, and the high-temperature blade would sizzle the skin even if the swords were facing each other.

It was simple yet strong. That was the nature of her aura that bloomed. On the other hand, if you use the aura for a long time, you will have to use a special sword because the sword will melt away, but it was not a problem for Delphine, the successor of the Yurdina family.

If you have money, you will have it. The true fear of gold was the law that appeared when it was associated with another power.

“You will see my sincerity soon anyway, but is there any need to show it in advance? Anyway, it’s been a long time since that day, Hatchet Gongja. I missed you a lot, as the old saying goes… Did you say Omaebulmang (寤寐不忘)?”

Celine’s eyebrows twitched at the soft voice. A dissatisfied sight, Seria was the same.

Her eyes had calmed down. Rather, it felt like my eyes were soggy because I had sunk too much.

I broke out in a cold sweat because I couldn’t understand Delphine’s intentions when he said that. A joke trickled out from between my lips as I forced a smile.

“… … I tried to avoid it a little bit.”

“So write it, after such a wonderful sighting.”

It was a horse with bones. I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut for a while. The warmth disappeared from Delphine’s bloody eyes, which were always full of composure.

Even for her, it would have been an embarrassing experience to show her naked body to the opposite s*x. Didn’t she even take a shot at me that day?

Of course, it was an unfair treatment for me. What happened that day was just an accident. I didn’t take it off on purpose, and I still remember vividly that Delphine was also a work of art, so I had to look at it to my heart’s content.

However, it was still an era when the concept of chastity was more stringently applied to women. No matter what excuses I made, as long as I saw a woman’s naked body, I had no choice but to be the guilty one.

It was an unfair world. I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

“So you came here on purpose? Are you ready to pay the price?”

“No, of course I came to see Confucius the Hatchet… How many familiar faces are there in your group? So I just wanted to say hello.”

Meanwhile, Delphine-senpai’s eyes widened at Seria and Elsie-senpai in turn. Seria, who had lost the shade in her eyes for a moment, seemed to have come to her senses only then, and trembled.

And immediately he bowed his head. As if she had become a sinner, Seria’s eyelashes trembled.

A sigh escaped Delphine-senpai’s mouth. That moment, as if he was about to say hello to Seria.

“… … You damn bitch bitch!”

A sharp cry hit my ear. It was a shrill noise that inadvertently made me slightly frown. Needless to say, the origin of that voice was senior Elsie.

It was a voice that didn’t match his petite body. Thanks to that, it seems like he succeeded in attracting Delphine’s attention.

Senior Elsie stomped her feet with a huff. It only made her look cute, but it seemed that Elsie-senpai was threatening her in her own way.

“you you… Do you know how much I suffered because of you?! I was humiliated that day, and to get revenge on you, even training like that… I know you really lost today!”

Meanwhile, Elsie-senpai clenched his fists and trembled, but Delphine-senpai only smiled happily.

“Oh yeah? I’m so glad I made you suffer so much, Elsie.”

“Ooh, don’t laugh! I know that innocent smile is still there today! I stepped on it very slowly… … .”

All sorts of swear words began to flow from Elsie-senpai’s mouth. I felt uncomfortable listening to it, but Delphine looked like she wanted a dog to bark.

However, Elsie-senpai’s chatter had some effect. At least, it was because Delphine seemed to have lost interest. There was boredom in her eyes again.

The moment Delphine tried to turn away after clicking her tongue.

“… … Seria.”

To the vague muttering that flowed from her mouth, Seria immediately stiffened her body and answered.

“Yes, hehe! ugh… Yes, sister.”

He even bit his tongue, but Delphine had a familiar face. The bloody eyes of her staring at Seria were unemotional.

It was like the eyes of an appraiser who appraises things. She left only one word.

“Just do what you always do.”

Is it a warm encouragement, or does it mean to do it today as you always did when you were defeated?

The listeners wouldn’t know. Only me and Seria, who looked into her inner thoughts for a moment, would know.

It was obviously the latter. Seria didn’t even dare to meet Delphine’s eyes, only chewing on her lips.

Only then did Delphine move on with a satisfied look. I called out to her urgently.

“Senior Delphine, you left your dagger… … .”

“It’s a prize for stopping a surprise attack, Handaxe Gongja.”

I was picking up a dagger that had fallen on the ground, and I swallowed a laugh as if I was dumbfounded by that statement.

‘Confucius with the hatchet’ until the end, do you know my name? I also wanted to respond with another title, but there were few images that came to mind. At most, her pure white nakedness.

Couldn’t you call her the ‘Lady in Light Pink’? I clicked my tongue and inspected the dagger.

It did look expensive. There’s no reason to refuse it again, I put the dagger into my bosom thinking so.

He was like the wind. When he came, he came without a warning, and when he left, he left without a warning. But the storm that followed was as clear as it was.

Seria was chewing her lips in anger, and Elsie-senpai was trembling with anger. It was clear that Celine was at least upset.

not bad. There was no better motive than hostility.

Now it was enough to just keep your mind together and go hunting as you trained. By the time I thought so, I was slowly trying to regain my mood.

Suddenly, a shadow fell in front of me. When I turned my head, three men and women were already approaching me. Among them, a large, muscular man stood close to me.

Dark skin, no hair. It seemed shaved. It wasn’t easy to manage your hair while fighting, so some chose to shave their heads. Until this point, I had no feelings for the man in front of me.

But when I suddenly noticed that he had an ax in each hand, the first question entered my eyes. I looked up at the man with eyes asking what he was doing.

The 2m tall man was still silent. As I put on a puzzled expression, Elsie-senpai came up to me with quick steps. and a whispering voice.

“Delphin, those bitch’s followers… You must have salted Joe?”

“… … Who is this?”

“Olmar! ‘Twin Axes’ Olmar. It is quite famous in the 4th year swordsmanship department, and since it was a mercenary, it has a lot of practical experience.”

Why is it called the Faculty of Swordsmanship when you use an axe? That question crossed my mind for a moment, but I soon decided to do it.

After all, the Faculty of Swords was the place that dealt with all melee weapons. It wouldn’t be strange if the main armament was an axe. The only peculiarity is that he is holding two hatchets, one in each hand, instead of a battle ax.

He is the man that Delphine-senpai takes with him. It was clear that he was talented. I looked at him for a while, and still didn’t get a response, so I had to ask senior Elsie in a small voice.

“By the way, why on earth is this Olmar… … ?”

That was the moment. Unexpectedly, Old Marr raised both hatchets into the air.

As I stared blankly at the hatchet, unable to comprehend its intentions, Olmar skillfully grasped the hatchet alternately in his hand. And passing back, receiving forward.

It was a kind of feat. Senior Elsie whispered to me as I was standing there with an expression that I couldn’t understand what I was doing.

“Looks like you feel a sense of competition… … ?”

Senior Elsie added that she seemed a little annoyed at the overlapping titles of ‘Axe’.

What to do, I thought seriously for a moment.

Can I hit it with a hatchet like this?

It was the moment my hand pulled out the hatchet like a thunderbolt.

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