Chapter 421

A mountain of letters piled up in front of the lodging. I have no clue when I left these behind.

Every night, after putting Grace to bed, I end up enjoying a secret rendezvous with Danyerin.

So, it’s highly likely I dropped these letters off not at night, but in the early hours of dawn.

I’m not sure what these letters are about, but I took them anyway. Grace seemed to be curious about them too.

“Are those love letters?”

“… …”

That was Luna’s question as she looked at the heap of letters on the desk. How does she manage to ask only such things?

At this point, I’m starting to suspect it’s a talent of hers. Or maybe she genuinely doesn’t know.

“Luna, you’re not really thinking all of these are love letters, are you? Anyone can tell they’re scout offers.”

“Aren’t those love letters?”

“… …”

Turns out, she just lacks common sense. Then again, she’s from the countryside, so it wouldn’t be too strange for her to have weird notions.

But if she stays quiet, that’s already half the battle won; Kara, who doesn’t even know what a love letter is, just kept her mouth shut.

Kara picked one of the letters, a sly smile spreading across her face as she said, “Looks like our Sivar is quite popular. I wonder if he’ll follow someone just because they offer him food?”

“Hmm… what if it’s something tasty?”

“Hey.”

Kara laughed at my response, looking utterly flabbergasted. She thinks I’m joking.

In truth, I only jest about half the time; I’m indeed open to listening if delicious food is on the line.

Just that far. I’ll listen, but the choice will be mine to make after graduating from the academy.

‘Should I read it?’

With some time before class, I decided to slowly read the letters. I’ll start with whatever catches my eye.

The first letter I picked up had my name written in gold foil. It already made me curious.

I glanced around first. It seemed like everyone else was equally nosy, huddled together.

Usually, stuff like this isn’t something others should be looking at. As I shot them a look, Grace said, “Sivar is quite naive. It’s also essential to check what intentions are behind the letters and the underlying meanings.”

“Wow, Grace actually made a valid point. Sometimes, a person’s character shines through their letters.”

“I’m just curious.”

Right. Luna, you’re probably the most innocent among us.

Not really planning to keep it secret, I confidently opened the letter.

[Greetings. I am Baron Wagner of the Matra Empire. Your esteemed name is… …]

“Throw it away.”

“Yeah, toss it.”

As I read the first line, voices urging me to trash it came from both sides.

It wasn’t just one person; two people said the same thing simultaneously, which was a bit surprising.

“From the tone alone, it’s a fail. It sounds like they’re putting themselves above you.”

“I thought the same. It’s absurd to think one should be grateful for an opportunity when they should be groveling instead. What the hell is that?”

Is that so? I’m not too sure, but since they told me to toss it, I guess I should.

Eventually, I read through the other letters one by one and threw away the ones that didn’t make the cut. Most had a tone that just didn’t cut it.

“This guy has the name wrong from the start. Sivar?!”

“Looks like he’s trying to provoke Sivar with his pride. Just let this one go too.”

“Hey, Sivar. This person says they’d give you something tasty. You gonna bite?”

“Oh, where?”

“Hey.”

As I flipped through the letters, I soon realized there were only a few left.

I passed the ones worth considering to Grace and the rest to Kara.

Not throwing them away, though. At least remembering the names might help when they come looking for me in the future.

Just because one is a noble doesn’t mean they aren’t a prideful idiot. Especially since I’m publicly known as a ‘wildling’ from the Chaos Forest.

Some might think they can just stroll up and treat me casually based on this alone.

‘Man, this is tough.’

Remembering names is genuinely challenging, especially for these extras.

If it were a named villain level character, maybe it’d be different; but getting caught up in this trivial nonsense is a real headache.

“This one… huh? It’s from the Hwan Empire? And it’s a letter from the Crown Prince.”

“The Crown Prince of the Hwan Empire? Is that for real?”

Well, surprise, surprise. I actually received a letter from a named character. Incredibly, it’s not just a letter but a scroll.

And not just from any family, it’s from the Hwan Imperial Family. This is a big deal I can’t overlook.

“Yes, but this is strange. For the Hwan Empire’s royal family to…”

Grace paused, staring straight ahead. I followed her gaze and noticed Danyerin sitting there, apparently uninterested, just facing away.

Grace probably felt that it would have been better if Danyerin made the offer directly. In reality, that would indeed be better.

“Best to read this back at the lodging.”

“Um… yeah, that sounds right.”

This isn’t just an offer from a family in a nation; it’s a proposal sent directly by the supreme beings themselves. If this information leaks, it could get messy in many ways.

But rumors will spread regardless. Isn’t the classroom buzzing about it already?

‘I need to let Danyerin and Lee Yeon-joo know about this too.’

Most importantly, it’s a crucial letter for both of them, who will play key roles in the next episode.

I rolled up the scroll and placed it in front of me. This might be the most critical letter, so I intend to handle it myself.

Just as I was about done sorting out the letters, a single stiff letter caught everyone’s attention.

[From your dear friend, Karas.]

“… …”

“… …”

“… …”

Looks like this dude has gone off the rails in style. I stared at the letter with a grimace.

The letter itself was modest, except for being a tad fancier. But the sender’s name was quite something.

It wasn’t just a name; it completely overshadowed even the Crown Prince of the Hwan Empire. How can anyone even think that way?

“… Should I read it?”

“Don’t you think you should…?”

“Let’s see what’s written. I’m curious.”

Karas’s strength lies in psychology. He expertly manipulates the feelings of others to get his way.

What an impressive guy. I exhaled a sigh and tore open the letter.

With everyone’s attention fully on me, I started examining the content.

Even if we were close, I fully intended to toss it out if it was condescending…

[First of all, thank you for accepting this letter.]

Surprisingly normal, almost overly polite. I was taken aback by the first shock.

Based on Karas’s personality, I thought he’d belittle me for being familiar with him, but it was the opposite. He clearly differentiates between public and private matters.

After marvelling at this shockingly formal greeting, I read carefully to see if I could find any flaws.

But the more I read, the more shock and horror enveloped me, leaving me feeling shivers down my spine.

[As a student attending the Academy, your reputation is already well known to me.]

The politeness that flatters me.

[The fierce bloodshed with the King of Tartar hasn’t left my mind. I’ve shown great interest in your martial prowess, but this incident has made me realize my own shortcomings.]

The humility in putting himself down.

[Moreover, your abilities are not limited to sheer power. You have revealed extraordinary talent in language, capable of interpreting all the tongues of the nations. I wish to utilize this talent further.]

Reflections on my power and my language ability.

[I don’t think you lack refinement. What you’ve needed is merely an opportunity to learn—cultivation is something gained through learning.]

Covering my shortcomings perfectly while suggesting growth.

[Many fools bury their heavenly talents in the ground simply because of their lowly status. I won’t fall into such foolishness.]

His determination about himself.

[If you have read this letter, I hope you respond. From your dear friend, Karas.]

And so he concludes with a touch of intimacy. That’s the gist of it.

Reading all of this left me dumbfounded. There’s not a single lacking piece; it’s truly a perfect letter.

Anyone who sees this would think, “Wow, this person really wants to engage with me. Maybe I should give them a chance to talk?”

“Uh… with this level of sincerity, I think I should at least have a conversation, right? Don’t you think so, Grace?”

“Yeah, before considering the Crown Prince, it’s such an excellent proposal… as a civilized person, one can’t just let this slide.”

Others were also dumbfounded but agreed with the notion. At the very least, it seems a conversation is necessary.

Not engaging would be a complete lack of ‘manners’ towards a person. Ignoring it would be akin to declaring hostility.

If necessary, I can at least send a reply. It should be considerate enough to not hurt the sender’s feelings.

‘Is this guy completely nuts?’

Knowing Karas better than anyone else, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

It felt like a backstab, in a way. I never expected him to pull such a stunt on me.

“This has to look like a love letter to everyone, huh?”

“… …”

I chuckled at Luna’s comment. I couldn’t think of a solid rebuttal.

Stuck in a tight spot, I suddenly thought of how I might turn this around. Maybe that’s what Karas had in mind too.

“Grace.”

“Yes?”

“I want to write a reply. Except for the letter from the Hwan Empire.”

I still hadn’t read the letter from the Hwan Empire. Something told me reading it now wouldn’t be a good idea.

Then why did I read Karas’s letter? I just didn’t have the willpower to resist it. How could I ignore that?

“Um… that doesn’t matter, but they might come to visit. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah.”

I waved the letter I held. It’s from Karas.

“I plan on using this.”

“?”

Grace tilted her head. Seeing her reaction made me smirk.

Here’s the rough outline of my plan. If they come to visit, I’ll show them this letter.

It begs the question, with an imperial Crown Prince making such a ‘desperate’ request, what can you all possibly do?

Also, I’d convey the tone that I had no choice but to refuse.

‘This guy really is nuts.’

I was getting to the point of almost respecting him now.

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