The treatment of the elf proceeded smoothly.
After all, she was the Virgin Saint who had dealt with numerous seriously injured individuals. A broken nose and a shattered arm were hardly enough to make her laugh.
Especially recently, she had become something of my supervising priest.
Looking back, I felt a lot of guilt towards the Virgin Saint.
Not only did she follow me every time and achieve remarkable feats, but she had also saved me from the brink of death on multiple occasions. No matter how much I tried to express my gratitude, it would never be enough.
For a while, I silently watched the Virgin Saint diligently treating the elf. Perhaps it was just a feeling, but her face looked quite haggard after just two days of not seeing her.
Before long, a delicate-looking man approached me.
He was the Virgin Saint’s escort knight, Yulen.
He had a curious expression before poking my arm with his elbow.
“Ian, did you say something to my sister?”
“…No, not really?”
Wasn’t he the same person I had just been chatting with moments ago?
If I had done something wrong, the Virgin Saint wouldn’t be acting like this.
Yulen wasn’t ignorant of that fact, but his expression toward me still looked quite uncomfortable.
He showed a rare sign of hesitation.
Should he say what he knew, or not?
After a long pause, a deep sigh escaped his lips.
His hand irritably scratched the back of his head. The direct question came right after that.
“Then why has she been crying every night lately?”
“The Virgin Saint has been crying?”
In response to Yulen’s question, all I could offer was another question.
The Virgin Saint cries at night?
That was news to me, and I questioned whether there was anything capable of making that proud woman so weak-hearted.
I looked at Yulen with a bewildered expression.
He, too, could only sigh again.
“Ian, think carefully… You’re the only reason she would be like that.”
Yulen’s persuasion continued.
At this point, I couldn’t dismiss Yulen’s opinion outright.
No matter who said what, Yulen knew the Virgin Saint better than anyone else.
There were indeed things weighing on my mind.
Not long ago, when I met the Virgin Saint with Senior Elsi, she had left as if she was about to shed tears.
Could she still be upset from that memory?
As I swallowed hard and sunk into thought, Yulen spoke to me in an almost pleading tone.
“Ian, please do something… Just think about how unbearable it would be for your direct superior to be gloomy all day.”
“…Is that my fault?”
“Then whose fault would it be?”
My timid resistance crumbled immediately under Yulen’s heartfelt rebuttal.
Even if I wanted to counter, Yulen’s momentum was formidable. He seemed genuinely convinced that I was the one who could stop the Virgin Saint’s tears.
Yulen forced a bittersweet smile and patted my shoulder a couple of times.
It was a gesture that meant he was counting on me.
“Anyway, have a good chat with her. She must be anxious in various ways, especially since she holds the position of the Virgin Saint in the Heavenly Deity Sect…”
With those words, Yulen started to walk away.
Just then, the Virgin Saint, who had been tending to the elf, came out of the treatment room. It was clear he intended to create an opportunity for us to converse alone.
I hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to leave.
After all, I had a lot to discuss with the Virgin Saint.
If given the chance, it wouldn’t be bad to fulfill Yulen’s request.
To be honest, I was also troubled by the sight of the Virgin Saint.
I could not forget the way she had looked at me with tearful eyes that day.
That expression, filled with grievance, sadness, and looking pitiable.
In any case, I was just another one of the countless men out there.
It was embarrassing to see her, who I knew so well, appearing so weak.
As I let out a small sigh, the Virgin Saint approached me with a weary expression.
Treatment required delicate work and intense concentration.
Even the briefest moment spent treating someone would drain one’s energy. Especially for an emergency patient who had appeared out of nowhere.
Feeling unnecessarily guilty, I cleared my throat.
Regardless, the Virgin Saint continued to glare at me with a sullen expression.
“…I’d like you to start explaining the circumstances now.”
That was a reasonable demand for her.
Having received a patient while she was supposed to be resting, and that patient being an elf rather than even a human, it was something anyone would feel compelled to question.
I had no intention of hiding anything from the Virgin Saint.
With determination, my mouth began to spill out a lengthy story.
Among the tale, there were many details that had little relation to the elf.
Starting from the fifth arrival of the “Love Letter from the Future,” to the actions of “me” from the future, the training with Seria and Celin, and the fact that I had visited Emma only to confront Abiyang.
I laid out everything that had happened.
The Virgin Saint quietly listened to my lengthy account.
No matter how long my story became, she didn’t interrupt me.
It was a relief; she seemed to be genuinely interested.
The reality was that the reason I was sharing even seemingly unnecessary information was that the Virgin Saint’s presence was indispensable for the journey ahead.
The main reason why my companions and I had managed to stay safe was due to her.
Without her, it was highly likely I would have lost my life long ago, and the scope of operations we could undertake would’ve been considerably narrowed.
The presence of a capable priest was as important as that.
It could be seen as an additional life, and even if an injury occurred, it would mean minimizing the loss of combat power.
So, I had no choice but to share everything with the Virgin Saint.
To seek help, it was customary to first make the whole situation clear.
I wanted to show the Virgin Saint the respect she deserved.
Moreover, the Virgin Saint had a sharp intellect, didn’t she?
She had grown up in the political scene of the Holy Kingdom. It wouldn’t be surprising if she pointed out facts I had overlooked until now.
And soon, my prediction was proven correct.
The Virgin Saint closed her eyes for a while while listening to me, then let out a faint groan.
When she opened her eyes, they were filled with a look of distress.
“Northern region and elves…”
“Do you perhaps know something about it?”
At my words, the Virgin Saint shook her head slightly.
However, contrary to that gesture, new information began to flow from her lips.
“Other than a previous visit to cheer up the soldiers, I haven’t had any dealings with them. But it’s a bit strange.”
The Virgin Saint tapped her lips with her index finger as she fell into thought.
For an instant, I found her lips incredibly attractive, but I deliberately buried that thought.
There was no point in expressing it; it would only become a source of teasing.
Fortunately, it didn’t take her long to reach a conclusion.
“The elves I saw back then were generally hostile, but at the same time, they were also afraid of humans. Particularly because they consider life as part of nature, they value their lives highly.”
Hearing her calm voice, I recalled my confrontation with Abiyang.
The look in Abiyang’s eyes as he lunged at me, gritting his teeth, seemed resolute.
He was ready to fight to the death, a fierce enemy.
That was an emotion not fitting for an elf, at least according to the Virgin Saint’s account.
“But Abiyang…”
“Abiyang? Ah, that elf… Anyway, that’s what seems strange. It’s not just that an elf with strong animosity towards humanity could become a spy.”
That was a valid hypothesis.
They had been living among humans for years, even decades. To not blend into humanity, they would have to possess considerable animosity.
Yet, oddly enough, Abiyang’s shout kept weighing on my mind.
‘…Humans are all the same.’
That single statement, spat out in disdain, was not learned behavior.
It felt closer to a raw emotion he had experienced deeply expressed in words.
Abiyang claimed to have been running a business here for over ten years.
Had he faced many hardships from humans during those long years? Or could there be another circumstance?
For now, it was an unknown problem.
As I sank back into thought while swallowing hard, the Virgin Saint began to glance at me subtly.
I noticed her gaze and met her eyes.
It was as if she was asking what was wrong.
Then, the Virgin Saint hesitated, looking around, and lowered her voice to ask me.
“…What are you planning to do about that elf?”
Wondering what she meant, I responded with a smile.
“What do you think I should do, Your Ladyship?”
“W-Well…”
The Virgin Saint fumbled, glancing at my expression. It seemed she had some idea of how she wanted things to play out.
Eventually, with a determined expression, she told me.
“You’re too young!”
“They’ve probably lived as spies for over ten years.”
“Even so, they’d only just be considered an adult by elf standards… If they get caught by the Imperial Intelligence Department, then…”
That was a request characteristic of her.
The Virgin Saint had always had a strong sense of empathy towards the weak. Moreover, coming from an orphan background, she had a particular softness toward children.
So, it was only natural that an elf child destined for detention by the Imperial Intelligence Department would come off as pitiful.
It was clear what the fate of an elf caught by the Imperial Intelligence Department would be.
At best, confinement; most would likely face torture and die while having information extracted from them.
Nonetheless, this wasn’t a matter the Virgin Saint could strongly advocate for either.
The ongoing war against the elves was taking place within the Empire’s territory. Therefore, it was up to the Empire to determine how to deal with elf spies.
There was no way the Virgin Saint, as a representative of the Holy Kingdom, could object to the presence of elves being reported to the Imperial Intelligence Department.
Of course, I had no intention of hiding Abiyang’s existence from the Imperial Intelligence Department either.
To do so would mean I couldn’t differentiate between public and private matters.
Still, I decided to heed the Virgin Saint’s request.
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of harming him.”
“R-Really?!”
On hearing unexpected words, the Virgin Saint gasped in surprise.
Her expression brightened instantly.
The phrase “stunningly beautiful” must have been coined for moments like this.
I intentionally averted my gaze from the Virgin Saint’s radiant smile. If I kept looking, I wouldn’t be able to control the pounding in my heart.
“Yes, really… but I think what if we report it to the royal family and let me keep an eye on Abiyang. We’ll have to gather intel on the elves’ movements too.”
It seemed my answer left her profoundly moved, as the Virgin Saint grasped my hands with both of hers.
She even playfully provoked me.
“I’m so glad… You really thought this through, Ian. Do you want to touch my heart?”
This young lady is really going too far.
Hearing her provoke, I feigned a solemn expression.
Even if it was in jest, it wasn’t appropriate to say such things to an outside man. I planned to set her straight about that opportunity.
Well, that was what I intended.
“…Really?”
But as I took in the heavy presence of the Virgin Saint’s divine power right in front of me, my response was entirely different.
Without realizing it, I had asked her back, and I immediately regretted it. I realized I had fallen for the Virgin Saint’s mischievous trap.
However, it was already too late, and the Virgin Saint flashed a teasing smile.
“Hmm, no? I’ve changed my mind… But if you answer one question, I might let you touch me for real.”
That was when the Virgin Saint’s body pressed against mine.
I felt the soft, bouncy sensation as the Virgin Saint’s sweet scent wafted through my senses. I lost my words, feeling breathless.
Only her breath, brushing against my neck, sent shivers down my spine.
The Virgin Saint’s rosy eyes lingered, tickling my heart. Her gentle question soon reached my ears.
“…That love letter, who was it from?”
In a moment, I found myself dazing, unable to comprehend her question.
“A love letter?” I thought. “Out of the blue?”
Yet, as I met her eyes again, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.
The light in her pupils had completely vanished.
And in a chillingly cold voice, she spoke again.
“Who is it from?”
I felt cold sweat trickling down my back.
Why was the genre suddenly changing?
