Love Letter From The Future-Chapter 373: Bread and Dagger (71)

Perhaps he was naturally resistant to the cold. Otherwise, how else could his absurd outfit be explained?

It was a vexing situation.

Aviang’s transformation magic was quite clever—allowing her to perfectly imitate someone else’s appearance without leaving traces.

Even so, all magic had its limits.

No matter how skilled Aviang was, it was impossible for her to transform her outfit as well. In other words, that thin garment would have to serve as her cover.

This meant she was at potential risk of hypothermia

I asked Aviang, just in case.

“…Should we wait for another elf to come by?”

“We’re short on time. Besides, I don’t want to take more of my own people’s lives than necessary.”

Aviang gave a firm response.

It was a reasonable answer. I couldn’t think of anything to refute it, so I just nodded with a faint groan.

To be honest, I was still worried.

Outwardly, she might appear as a sturdy man, but her true self was a slender girl. I wasn’t confident that she could endure the bitter cold for hours.

However, her determination seemed so unshakable…

It wasn’t as though I couldn’t fathom her feelings. She had drawn her blade to prove her resolve, but there was no way her heart could remain calm after killing one of her own kind.

In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to stop Aviang entirely. All I could offer was a generic warning.

“Be careful, Aviang.”

“Don’t worry. I’m an elf, after all… I was born and raised here. Surely, I can handle a few hours of cold.”

Aviang said as she squared her shoulders.

She seemed to be trying to show confidence, but her slender figure—lacking even an ounce of extra flesh—only ended up making me pity her more.

Even though she’d been eating more lately, she still looked like this.

Without sufficient body fat, enduring the cold was difficult for her.

Still, I decided to humor her bravado. It wasn’t as though I had any valid reason to object.

With an awkward smile, I nodded. Only then did Aviang begin her preparations.

She decided to carefully wash the bloodstained clothes before letting them dry.

Though lighting a small campfire caused a minor delay, Aviang was eventually able to infiltrate the ‘Headquarters’.

By then, her appearance had completely shifted into that of Wolf.

I waited some distance away from her.

Even so, I had no trouble keeping track of what was happening, thanks to the crow perched on Aviang’s shoulder.

This magical creature, born from the Empire’s research, was extremely capable. It could record its surroundings, while also being able to share its vision and hearing with its master, in real time. 𝖗αＮọBЕṩ

Of course, there were limitations on the range for this ability, but that didn’t concern me for now.

As soon as I closed my eyes, an unfamiliar sight surfaced in my mind, along with faint voices that brushed against my ears.

It was what that crow was seeing and hearing.

“Wolf, what’s with the crow on your shoulder?”

“No idea. It just landed on me out of nowhere. Maybe it likes me?”

Aviang was casually chatting with a guard at that moment.

Once again, it struck me how talented she was at acting. If she’d undergone formal training, she could’ve become a dangerous spy, infiltrating into human society.

Humanity had narrowly dodged a bullet in that regard.

“Is that so? Seems a little suspicious… Could it be dangerous?”

“Huh? This crow?”

‘Hmm.’ Aviang rubbed her chin. Then after a moment’s pause, she offered a shameless excuse.

“Hmm, that could be possible… but it’s not something we can figure out anyway, right? Maybe we should ask Lord Leoric instead.”

“Lord Leoric? Oh, right.”

The guard, listening to Aviang’s excuse, seemed to recall something.

After letting out a brief exclamation, he smiled warmly and gave Aviang a congratulatory pat on the shoulder.

“Come to think of it, Lord Leoric’s been looking for you, Wolf… Looks like you’re finally being recognized.”

What is he talking about all of a sudden?

Apparently, Wolf had some prior arrangement with Leoric. Judging by the guard’s meaningful expression, it seemed like something noteworthy happened recently involving Wolf.

However, neither Aviang nor I could guess what happened.

It could have easily turned into a precarious situation.

However, Aviang managed to turn the tables with a hearty laugh. Instead of pretending to know anything, she gave a vague response.

It wasn’t a bad strategy.

And it worked—the guard simply laughed along with her.

The guard showed no signs of suspicion.

“Thank you. I can’t possibly keep Lord Leoric waiting any longer… I should get going. Where is Lord Leoric right now?”

“In his usual place.”

Aviang nodded and began to walk away.

No one, including the guards, made any attempt to stop her. In fact, a few even offered passing words of congratulations.

Still, subtle tension was on Aviang’s face.

By nature, she was a timid girl. Unexpected developments like this were far from comforting.

If there was any consolation, it was that she no longer had to go through the troublesome process of seeking out Leoric.

Before long, Aviang stood in front of a shabby hut.

At first glance, it resembled the dwellings of the village elves. Despite being the residence of the leader of the cult, the place was modest and devoid of guards.

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Yet, both Aviang and I knew better.

Leoric was not someone who required protection in the first place.

His physical prowess was akin to that of a monster. No matter how rigorously a fighter trained, it was impossible to enhance the body to such an extent.

This was, without a doubt, the ‘forbidden power’ that the Dark Order kept concealed.

Aviang’s body stiffened briefly as she prepared to confront Leoric, the tension being evident.

When a strong gust of wind swept through, her already shivering frame, clad in thin clothing, trembled even more.

There was no time to wait any longer.

With a resolute glint in her eyes, Aviang stepped forward.

It wasn’t long before I saw the figure we had been seeking.

The dilapidated hut was merely a facade; Leoric’s true residence was in the basement.

It was an exceedingly barren room.

A single stone bed and various surgical tools came into view, neatly arranged. In the midst of it all, Leoric was deep in thought, groaning as if weighed down by his contemplations.

“…Lord Leoric.”

A quiet address finally brought the grotesque middle-aged man out of his reverie.

A smile spread across his grotesquely melted face—a kind expression that sharply contrasted with his horrific appearance.

Leoric upon seeing Aviang, who was disguised as Wolf, made the sign of the cross over his chest.

“O’ Immanuel! Brother Wolf, so you’ve finally arrived.”

“My apologies for being late, Lord Leoric. I came across an unusual creature on my way…”

Saying this, Aviang gestured toward the crow perched on her shoulder.

Leoric’s perplexed gaze turned toward me—or rather, toward the crow. but since I was sharing its vision, I had a perfect chance to inspect Leoric’s face.

He was a man who had a penetrating gaze.

It was evident that he had once been a devout priest. Only a religious practitioner who’s spent years cultivating his mind would possess such profound eyes.

Which made it all the more puzzling.

What had caused this man to completely lose his sanity?

Leoric stepped forward with measured steps, carefully extending his hand toward the crow. His fingers gently stroked the crow’s head.

The crow didn’t resist, and Leoric smiled contentedly.

“What an adorable creature. But, do crows even inhabit the coniferous forest?”

“I’ve seen them occasionally. But it’s the first time I’ve encountered one so sociable…”

“Don’t worry too much, Brother Wolf. Wouldn’t this also be part of the Lord’s will? Even though we are in the midst of tribulations, it’s not good to reject all creatures.”

Feigning surprise, Aviang quickly bowed her head.

That seemed to be the typical way elves treated Leoric—

Clearly behaving as though serving a superior.

“Forgive me—my knowledge is lacking…”

“You don’t need to blame yourself. Sometimes I might be wrong, and you might be right. Always maintain a questioning attitude.”

With that, Leoric clapped his hands together.

It seemed like he did it to shift the topic.

His voice turned gentle as he began to speak again.

“In any case, you’ve worked hard, Brother Wolf. As promised, I have prepared a gift for you today.”

“Uh, by gift, you mean…?”

“Naturally, a ‘blessing.’”

At that unexpected response, Aviang’s body stiffened slightly.

***

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