Love Letter From The Future-Chapter 361: Bread and Dagger (59)

The place Elder Poff stayed was a small hut.

Even though he was a hunter respected by the villagers, his life was not much different from that of most elves. He also lived in a shabby hut, worrying about his daily meals.

Recently, however, there was no longer a need for that.

The height of a snow leopard far exceeded that of most elves. Moreover, every part of it—from its hide to its meat and bones—was valuable.

Just a single one was enough to hold a feast.

However, we had recently hunted a dozen or so of them. Even if the villagers ate their fill, they wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while.

The northern cold was perfect for preserving food.

Each time the cold, dry winds brushed by, the snow leopard meat grew leaner. This, however, only meant it could be stored for an ever longer period.

It could sustain the village for around two months, at the very least.s.

This was truly a revolutionary event for the elven village. After all, it had been a place where most elves barely survived on mere ‘tree porridge,’ let alone getting one proper meal a day.

Just the idea that they didn’t have to go hungry left the villagers dazed. Even Elder Poff was no exception.

When Elder Poff came to welcome me, his expression was one of slight turmoil.

His green eyes, silently fixed on me, revealed the complexity of his emotions.

He appeared bitter, grateful and annoyed, all at once.

Regardless of his mood, one thing was certain.

Elder Poff no longer despised me as much as he once had.

Hunting the snow leopards had been worth it. Just as silently helping the village had been rewarding.

Wearing a friendly smile, I extended my hand.

“It’s been a while, Elder Poff.”

“What do you want?”

His attitude towards me was still as cold as ever, not that I expected anything else.

I chose to go along with Elder Poff’s wishes. Following his demand, I cut straight to the chase.

“I heard there was a fire last night and I was wondering if you could guide me to the area.”

Elder Poff scoffed at my request.

Then came his characteristically sharp response.

“What are you planning to do there? Don’t tell me you’re planning to scavenge some charred animal carcasses or something?”

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea. But honestly, I’m a little uneasy.”

About then, I took a moment to mull things over.

How could I convince Elder Poff to cooperate?

Eventually, I reached a simple conclusion.

After all, I wasn’t a smooth talker like Leto. I was just a simple-minded student of the Knight Division.

Thus, there was no reason for me to resort to clever tactics. I simply had to press on with plain truth.

Without hesitation, the unadorned facts slipped from my mouth.

“Isn’t that the area where human traces were discovered last time?”

His mouth clamped shut.

The coniferous forest was a maze of trees. The moment you entered, it was almost inevitable to lose your sense of direction. On unfamiliar paths, you often couldn’t even determine the general direction.

Only those who had adapted to the forest’s geography over many years could accurately pinpoint precise locations.

The one who played that role in this elven village was none other than Elder Poff, standing before me.

He stayed silent for a while, then wordlessly stepped aside from the doorway.

Then he turned away and started marching forward and, even though he said nothing, I instinctively knew he was inviting me along.

I carefully shut the door and stepped inside Elder Poff’s hut.

Perhaps because he lived alone, the interior was sparse. The bare minimum of furniture occupied the space, giving it an almost desolate atmosphere.

Elder Poff pulled out two cups and placed them on the small table.

Judging the situation, I sat down in the seat I assumed was opposite him. Though he scoffed again, he made no move to stop me.

With a soft trickle, he poured the hot water in the cups.

It was his way of acknowledging me as a guest.

Until recently, even the mere mention of ‘human’ would have sent him into fits. For him to treat me as a guest was an astonishing improvement.

He sat across from me and stared at me with an icy gaze.

“How am I supposed to trust you?”

“Pardon?”

It was a rather abrupt question.

Hang on, hadn’t it seemed like he was starting to trust me just now?

At the sound of my bewildered voice, Elder Poff pressed on.

“You’re a human, aren’t you? You could just go to them, reveal our village’s location and walk away hand in hand… So why should I trust you?”

It was a challenging question.

Trust was inherently unconditional. No matter what guarantees or stakes were offered, trust ultimately stemmed from faith.

Once someone started doubting, there was no end to it.

How could I convince him to trust me? Especially when, under the pretense of lost memories, I couldn’t even rely on reputation or wealth to make my case.

Still, there was something odd about his question.

If he didn’t trust me, fine—but why drag me all the way here just to interrogate me? As I sipped the hot water, my mind rapidly spun.

Suddenly, I thought of Venetta.

She was the first elf I had interrogated—and also the first elf I had killed.

I had not known it then, but I did now believe she was truly sincere.

Venetta had offered me advice that was utterly honest.

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Because that was the way of the elves.

Bread for bread, dagger for dagger.

It was at that exact instant my tongue acted on its own.

“Isn’t it proper to pay bread back with bread?”

He gave me no answer at all.

He just silently sipped his steaming cup of water. Regardless, I pressed on with what I needed to say.

“It was the elves who took me in, even after I lost my memory. At the very least, I have no intention of betraying that kindness. As I’ve shown you thus far…”

“You’re not an elf.”

It was yet another question that hit the crux of the matter.

My lips pressed together again, showing no sign of parting. It was just as Elder Poff pointed out.

Bread for bread and a dagger for dagger.

That was the elves’ rule. There was no guarantee I would abide by it.

After much deliberation, I suddenly recalled something.

Now that I think about it, I’d heard that Elder Poff had received a ‘blessing.’

That likely meant he had deep ties with the cult.

“But I heard that there’s someone named Leoric, who is also human.”

Elder Poff’s gaze instantly turned fierce.

Religion and beliefs were the most vulnerable points of the psyche. Carelessly touching upon them often invited trouble.

But this was the only card I could play at the moment..

“Does it truly matter whether you’re human or elf? I’ve come to understand something since arriving here. If I live like an elf, the other villagers treat me like one too.”

It could almost be called a confession.

Regardless of whether my time in the elven village was brief or long, it brought me to the realization that the boundary between humans and elves was surprisingly thin.

Just the fact that their ears were pointed wasn’t enough to set me and the elves apart entirely. Why had it taken me so long to realise this?

It wasn’t until I had taken the lives of so many that I came to realise it.

I continued speaking as if giving a confession.

“So please, trust me just this once. Elder Poff, you’re the last one.”

In this village, Elder Poff was the only one left who didn’t trust me.

The boyish looking old man closed his eyes in contemplation. After some time, around when the steam from the cup began to fade…

He sighed and rose to his feet.

Then, with his arms crossed, he wordlessly stared at the bow and arrows hung on the wall.

A voice steeped in anguish escaped him.

“…I have no faith in humans.”

At first glance, it seemed my efforts to persuade him had failed. But there was a peculiar undertone to his words.

As if he was holding something back.

Soon, he started to open up about his past.

“My wife and daughter starved to death. It was because those damned humans burned down our food warehouses… I can still vividly remember the sight of their emaciated bodies, mouths agape in vain. Do you have any idea how painful that is? Life, when you get down to it, is nothing but hell.”

I realised I’d heard something like this before.

The phrase about life being rather hell was a doctrine of the cult.

But for Elder Poff, that hollow phrase was simply his reality.

“And do you think that’s the end of it? My only remaining son was murdered by humans… After that, I swore an oath—to live the rest of my life as penance for failing to protect my family.”

Elder Poff let out a sigh as he ran his hand over the bow and arrows hanging on the wall.

Right then, he groped around and undid a knot attached to the bow.

Now that I looked closer, it was a peculiar vine.

It wasn’t a species that grew natively in the north at least.

My puzzled gaze turned to Elder Poff, but he simply looked down at the vine with his sunken eyes.

“But now, I’m just too tired… Life is still unbearably painful. It’s at such a time that you arrived. Though I once refused to accept it, I realise it now. The village needs you.”

Elder Poff weakly walked over and held out the vine to me.

The moment I took it in a bit of a stupor, he went on to explain.

“This is something that has been passed down from our previous generations. Ever since we lived in the Great Forest…. the village hunters would tie this vine around their ankles. It kept them from losing their way.”

“How does it work?”

“I don’t know anymore. The technology of those days was lost a long time ago.”

With those brusque words, Elder Poff quietly turned away.

It was his way of ordering me to leave.

“You’re the village hunter now. Take care of Isha—she’s still inexperienced in many ways.”

The village hunter.

Though I’d only been in the elf village for a short time, I understood the weight of that role.

A hunter was both the village’s scout and its provider, responsible for securing food. In addition, they were tasked with defending the village with their strength.

It was far too heavy of a burden for me.

More than anything, aren’t I an outsider destined to leave someday?

Before I could even blurt out a protest in surprise—

“You only have to do it while you’re staying in the village.”

He interrupted as his green eyes flicked toward me, silencing the excuse forming on my lips.

“One day, you may leave—but until then… Think of today as your first day as a hunter.”

Now that I think about it, isn’t searching for missing villagers part of a hunter’s job as well?

With a bitter smile, I tightly clenched the vine in my hand.

If I had received such a treasure, it was only right to bear the responsibility that came with it. The old elven saying came to my mind once more.

Bread for bread and a dagger for dagger.

I didn’t know how long I would stay in the elf village. But at that moment, I vowed to myself.

For however brief that time might be, I resolved to remain the village’s hunter.

And so, I became a true member of the village—acknowledged by all.

Yet, one worry lingered in my mind,

How much my companions back in Yurdina city must be worrying about me?

I needed to return to them as quickly as possible. Yet, I couldn’t simply abandon the elf village, so I agonised over it repeatedly.

It didn’t take long for that dilemma to be solved..

My inner turmoil came to an abrupt end in a way I never could have predicted.

The cause was simple.

On the day, I was returning after venturing beyond the village to conclude the search for the missing.

I could do nothing but stand there, frozen in place.

The village was ablaze.

The clash of weapons and the piercing cries of agony echoed all around.

It was an attack by /genesisforsaken