The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 5



Only Krnovel

Episode 5

“What are you doing alone these days?”

Drich’s question caught his ankle. Quill answered as if nothing had happened.

“Because I have something to think about.”

“Thoughts? What is it?”

“What do you think?”

“I guess it’s all about how to study well and get good grades.”

“I know right.”

“Of course. We’re best friends.”

Drich flicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, making a crisp ‘click’ sound.

“See you later.”

I took a step. Now, it’s a place I can go with my eyes closed.

When we arrived at the warehouse, Twella welcomed us by waving an unknown flower.

“how is it?”

Instead of greeting, I asked for the results. Twella shook her head. She opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out, and there was a crushed flower petal.

“I can’t eat it.”

“Try it anyway.”

“Just write.”

“If you taste it carefully, it tastes sweet. Best of all, you can eat this without getting a stomachache.”

“I’m not sick, but I’m still hungry.”

Twella let out a deep sigh. She sat down as if she was having difficulty even speaking.

“I can’t sleep at night.”

“You have to sleep.”

“I know. I know, but I can’t sleep.”

The area under Twella’s eyes darkened. Quill was worried that the shadows would engulf Twella’s face and entire body.

“Lie down and close your eyes. You need to get some sleep.”

“That’s because I can’t sleep.”

Twella, who had been grumbling, lay down on the floor and curled up.

A small body that felt like it could be covered with the palm of one’s hand. I was just amazed at how it had endured.

“Try to sleep. Eat and sleep. These two are essential… … .”

Quill closed his mouth. The sound of his breathing tickled his ears. It was Twella, who was sleeping with her face wrinkled.

“Sleep well.”

Have you ever watched someone sleep?

Quill watched Twella, who was breathing heavily, and unconsciously squeezed her slender fingers.

Just like Twella did in the restaurant.

The joints of his fingers were rough like tree branches in the winter. The hardships he had endured thus far, and the hardships that would follow, were contained in his fingers.

Why have we changed?

Why did black food become disgusting, why did the sun become disgusting, and why did the words of ascetics stink?

Twella’s face, which had been frowning, gradually relaxed. Quill carefully let go of Twella’s finger so as not to wake her and stood up.

I don’t know why things have changed, but one thing is clear: we can’t go back to the way things were.

All of this may be due to the ‘impure thoughts’ that ascetics have repeatedly spoken about.

It may be that we were both at fault, and that it was our fault for not correcting it in time.

Quilbian shook his head violently.

And Twella put the flower she had picked into her mouth and chewed it.

Bitterness and a slight sweetness came up.

This is the truth.

The truth hidden behind disgusting black food.

My stomach started growling.

We need to find something to eat.

Quill looked at the sleeping Twella and let out a short breath.

I will do it alone, as it may raise suspicion if I get caught.

*

“The words of the chief of the wine cellar of Sitpin… … .”

Cadets in black robes passed by, exchanging incomprehensible words.

Special children.

Quilbian turned his head to watch the black flock moving away.

A road that stretches straight westward.

There will be an unknown area at the end of the road that regular cadets are not allowed to enter.

My mouth was dry. What I was about to do was something that could not be covered up, something that could not be excused.

Am I, who is obsessed with points and worships rules, willing to take a penalty and walk this path?

That doesn’t make sense.

If you get caught, you’ll be under suspicion.

Quill looked at the ground and began to sweep, as if he was sweeping away all the dust that existed in his living radius.

I slowly moved towards the boundary, sweeping the pure white stone without a single speck of dust.

A place where two withered trees stand side by side like a main gate. Only special children were allowed to enter freely inside.

Quill hummed and quickly looked around. There were no guarding eyes. Everyone was busy cleaning their assigned areas.

I sneaked inside the tree.

Vigil didn’t stop. As if he hadn’t noticed it because he was busy cleaning, he slowly but surely walked west.

When the cadets’ quarters disappeared from sight, Quill jumped between the trees that had grown densely on both sides.

I ran for a bit and I was out of breath.

Quill looked around. There were many unfamiliar trees.

The tangled leaves were covering the ‘sky wall’, but upon closer inspection, I could see some red things between the green leaves.

I picked the leaf I could reach and put it in my mouth.

As expected, I just wrote. I swallowed the thick liquid and waited for a moment.

There was no particular reaction in the body.

It is too early to feel relieved, as you may get sick after a long time like a fish.

Next is an unidentified red thing.

He lifted the broom and swept away a red thing hanging among the green leaves.

The moment I picked it up from the floor, a sweet smell tickled my nose.

I brought the round, red thing to my mouth. It made a crunching sound and sweet juice flowed out.

It was a taste that made my heart flutter. When I came to my senses, I had already eaten half of it.

An exquisite harmony of sweet and sour.

Quill felt a foreign substance in his mouth and spat out the residue onto his palm.

A black lump smaller than a pinky fingernail. Is this inedible?

I split it with my front teeth and chewed it. It was full of bitterness. I just wanted to eat the red skin and white flesh.

Quill smiled absentmindedly as he looked at the red things hanging down.

There is food that can be eaten.

It became clear that the ascetics’ teachings and the information written in various books were false.

What the intention was, was a question for later. I stepped on the small red thing with my foot, broke it into pieces, and put it in my pocket.

Now it’s time to go back.

After making sure there was no one on the road stretching west, I grabbed my broom and ran.

I continued cleaning calmly, passing a pair of trees that separated the area.

I hope you didn’t get caught.

I calmed my pounding heart and looked at the other cadets. They were still cleaning their assigned areas with expressionless faces.

Just a few days ago, I would have considered this a natural appearance.

As I watched them tirelessly mopping the white floor, the back of my neck felt chilled.

Ding, the clear sound of a bell rang overhead. Cleaning time was over.

Only then did the cadets with stiff faces open their mouths and smile brightly.

Those chattering people felt terribly unfamiliar.

“What are you carrying on your back?”

It was Drich who suddenly appeared from behind. He was holding a leaf in his hand.

“It’s proof that you cleaned hard.”

If you look closely, you might realize that it is a leaf you don’t see anywhere else. You quickly snatch the leaf, crumple it up, and throw it into the bushes.

“Today is the day to receive teachings from the ascetic Keton, so I have to hurry.”

Drich urged them to hurry up and go.

“You go first. I have something to do.”

After sending Drich away, I headed to the warehouse. After waiting for about 5 minutes, Twella appeared.

“I’m sick of cleaning now… … .”

I held out something red to the nervous Twella. Twella’s nose twitched.

He put the red thing in his mouth and chewed it as if no explanation was needed.

“Hey, what is this?”

“Something we can eat.”

“Where did you get that? I’ve never seen anything like it around here.”

“I found it in a forbidden place.”

“… … You didn’t go west? Past that tree?”

“Because that’s the only place left.”

Quill raised his finger and pointed east.

“I went all the way to the back of the Mind Healing Center, to the place blocked by the sky wall, but there was nothing to eat. Starving was the limit.”

“What if I get caught?”

“It’ll be a problem. As you know, I’m sensitive to scores. A kid like that suddenly breaks the rules and goes into a forbidden area? It’ll be obvious that he’ll be suspicious. Today was easy because the area in charge was the west, but next time it’ll be difficult.”

Twella wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

“I’ll go. I’ll be alone during cleaning time anyway.”

“Are you okay?”

“You, who stand out, came back safely. It would have been easier for me. Besides, once you taste this, you can’t eat anything else.”

Quill gave a brief description of the forest beyond the west. There was no need to go too far, and the red was tied to the branches.

“I’ll go now and come back.”

“what?”

Quill’s eyes widened. Class will start soon. Twella smiled.

“I don’t need it.”

“No need?”

“I guess I’m useless now. I want you to stay out of class and think about what I said. I want you to repent for the sin of calling something gross gross.”

Twella frowned, saying that her hair was sticking out.

Quill stared at Twella’s forearm. The bruise that had been blurry had turned purple again.

Twella felt the gaze and raised her hand to cover her bruise.

“I guess it was because I had a good night’s sleep after a long time. I felt energetic and laughed a little, but he hit me and told me not to laugh.”

“Who the hell… … .”

Quilbian couldn’t finish his speech.

If it had been a while ago, I would have joined the crowd and kicked Twella.

Because you felt it was the right thing to do and the right thing to do.

“It’s not your fault, so don’t make that face. I can barely breathe because of you. If I had been alone all this time, I would really… … .”

Twella smiled sheepishly.

“So, you can’t disappear. Okay? You have to stay by my side.”

“It’s a bit weird to keep sticking around.”

He said it with a smile.

A bell rang in the distance. It was time to prepare for class.

“Go. The kids will find you.”

Quilbian ran into the dormitory and shouted.

“If you don’t feel well, don’t go. I can bring the red one next time.”

“Don’t worry! Like I said before, no one cares about me.”

It was Twella, waving her hands above her head.

*

“We must always remember that the shell is worthless. What is important is to shed the shell and change.”

The students nodded at the ascetic’s words. Quill also moved his head reflexively.

The ascetic continued his explanation with a satisfied smile.

Quill let the ascetic’s words go in one ear and out the other, thinking that there was no change in the teachings.

The ascetics were repeating the same story over and over again. There was nothing profound about it. They were just repeating the same thing over and over again, ‘You have to break out of your shell and change yourself’, just with different words.

Why didn’t I have any doubts after hearing this?

I was so tired that I yawned after listening for just 10 minutes.

I glanced at the other cadets out of the corner of my eye.

He was writing down the ascetic’s words with a happy expression. Quill looked down at his notebook. It was in pristine condition, with not a single word written on it.

I turned the bookshelf forward.

[It must change. We must change.]

A single line of sentences filled up the notebook. I turned another page. The same sentences were still taking up the page.

What on earth was I doing?

Fear suddenly grabbed my shoulders.

I flipped through the notebook, and kept flipping through it, until I reached the very first page.

What caught my eye was the scribbled handwriting, not the neat and tidy writing.

He read the blurred writing in a low voice.

“Don’t forget.”

The writing was like screaming.

(Continued in next episode)