The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 8



Only Krnovel

Episode 8

“I think I can smell his scent.”

Drich said, burying his head in the blanket.

Quilbian turned his eyes away because the sight was like a pig eating feed.

pig.

It was a ‘bug’ I had never seen before. No, bug was not the right word. It was an animal.

Yeah, animals.

Shapes and words you know even though you’ve never seen them.

Whose memory is this?

Quillbian looked out the window. The sun had set and darkness was everywhere.

Altera said it was an external memory.

A world completely different from this one, intertwined with lies.

Memories are supposed to come from experiences, so does that mean I also come from outside?

If I came from outside, why doesn’t anything come to mind?

Quilbian rolled his tongue around in his mouth.

Sorcery.

The mysterious power displayed by Altera.

If memory is a ‘system’ that can be changed by magic, then it makes sense.

“Drich.”

“why?”

“What on earth is memory?”

“What the heck. If you do this, you’ll be in big trouble. If you do that, you really shouldn’t do it. I remember thinking about this.”

“Then where is that memory engraved in me? If we remember this conversation when we wake up, does that mean it’s recorded somewhere? Where on earth is it?”

“Where!”

Drich proudly gave his thumbs up and pecked his stomach.

“Here. Look carefully. Every day, all the trivial things that shouldn’t be remembered come out as poop. So what? Memories are managed by the stomach. Didn’t you know this simple fact?”

“Is that really true?”

“If you’re really curious, ask the ascetics. But why are you curious about that? It’s obvious, like memories.”

Because what was taken for granted has become not so.

Quilbian barely managed to suppress the words that were rising to his throat.

“So if I keep shitting, my memories will disappear too?”

“I told you, it’s just a waste of money. It’s such perfect logic, you can’t refute it, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

If you starve, you won’t even have a bowel movement. This is a fact I learned from experience.

How shallow is unverified knowledge. Why didn’t I know this simple fact until now?

“Drich.”

“Stop calling me now. I’ll be fine.”

“Experience is the most important thing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Trust what you experienced. It’s the best.”

Quilbian lay down on his back, covered with a blanket.

*

“First of all, it doesn’t smell.”

Twella looked at the black porridge and feed with a face of disbelief. Quilbian was the same.

Until yesterday, just thinking about it made me feel nauseous.

After exchanging trembling glances, they simultaneously put the food in their mouths.

A smooth texture coated my tongue. Then came a savory taste.

it’s good.

The spoon picked up speed. Quilbian and Twella emptied the food competitively.

How long has it been since I’ve had such a relaxing meal?

“… …It was delicious.”

“I know.”

“I want to have another bowl. What about you, Quill?”

“Me too. But I have to endure it.”

Quilbian looked back. Altera was where his eyes met. Altera smiled as if she knew everything.

“You don’t have to do anything dangerous anymore.”

It was also a farewell to the past when I would enter forbidden places while feeling nervous.

Quilbian stared at the cleaned plate for a while before opening his mouth.

“You know.”

Then, Twella, who had been chatting away while looking into each other’s eyes, suddenly stood up.

“I’ll go first.”

“Twella, just a moment.”

“I really need to go to the bathroom. Seriously.”

When we ran into each other in front of the restaurant, he changed the subject just like he did now. As if he knew what I was going to ask.

Quill followed the quickly moving Twella with his eyes.

“Do you think you can get a good score?”

When I looked back, Drich was there.

“I don’t know.”

“Just give up. You know that’s weird. You’re going to be eliminated soon. You’re going to disappear.”

I glared at Drich at the word “elimination.” Drich frowned as if asking why I was looking at him like that.

“what’s the matter?”

“Being eliminated… isn’t a good thing.”

“Where is there good and bad? Elimination is just elimination. You know very well that those who give up learning deserve to be eliminated, right?”

“I know, I know.”

I was really nervous. If other kids had said something like that, I would have laughed it off.

But Drich was my confidant and rival. He was the best friend I could ever trust… … .

It was painful not being able to tell the truth. Perhaps the truth itself was a bundle of pain.

Should I tell Drich the truth?

The learning here is flawed, and this place is full of contradictions?

“Don’t worry about the special points, they’re mine.”

“You have to know that I get sensitive when it comes to points. I always say that I don’t do anything fatal.”

Drich left the restaurant smiling.

A person I want to trust but can’t. Suddenly, a tingling loneliness enveloped my body.

“good job.”

Alteria, who had come closer without me noticing, grabbed my shoulder.

“I know what you’re thinking, but remember that secrets become more dangerous the more you share them.”

It was Altera who passed by, leaving a whisper. He was right. Drich was blind. It was foolish to explain to a blind person that there was light.

You had to wait for your eyes to open, or act when asked to do so.

Just as Twella and I realized, Drich will definitely feel uncomfortable as well.

As I came out of the restaurant, there was a hand grabbing my collar. It was Twella.

Before I could even ask why, I was pulled towards the right side of the restaurant by a pulling force.

I went into the shade and stared blankly at Twella.

“why…….”

“fizzle.”

Twella brought her face closer. Their bodies pressed together, and Quilbian had to step back hesitantly.

His back was against the wall. Twella looked around as if searching for something.

Quilbian noticed that Twella’s neck was whiter than the others. There was a reddish tint to her face, but her neck was particularly white.

“wait for a sec.”

Twella said.

Quillvian felt the heat rising from his neck, spreading to his face and to his toes.

Why is this happening?

Even as he thought that, his eyes were studying Twella’s facial features.

I’ve seen that face countless times, avoiding the gazes of other kids and sticking to them, but why is it like this today…

Our eyes met.

Quilbian looked at her with an unknown emotion. Guilt? No, was it shame?

Why are you embarrassed?

It was common for me to look into the eyes of the children in the dorms and talk to them. It had never happened before.

“Yeah, it wasn’t. It wasn’t.”

Twella stepped back with a sigh of relief. Quilbian swallowed dryly and leaned against the wall as he slowly slipped out to the left.

At that moment, I bumped into someone who had come around the corner with a thud.

It was Drich.

“You were here.”

Drich looked at Twella disapprovingly and then gestured toward the Friendship House.

“The ceiling pipes have fallen. Let’s go help right away.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Quilbian said, wiping his neck and cheek with the back of his hand. His whole body was hot, but he wasn’t sweating.

“Twella, you too… … .”

I closed my mouth in the middle.

Twella’s condition was strange. Her lips, which were usually tightly shut, were gaping open.

She took a step back as if pushed by something, then turned around and ran.

“I told you that guy is a real troublemaker. Look at him running away just after being told to help. A kid that uncooperative needs to be eliminated quickly.”

Quilbian had to be patient not to blow Drich’s chin. The disparaging remarks about Twella were especially hard to bear today.

“Let’s go quickly. If we do well, we might get points.”

I stared at the back of my friend’s head for a long time as he walked away with a grin on his face.

You shouldn’t react emotionally, you should be calm. Quilbian looked back after calming down the guy who wanted to go wild.

After Twella disappeared.

What did that child see? Why did he make that face?

Memories from outside.

The cause was clear. The solution was also prepared. The two of them just had to meet Altera.

The ascetic who gave the apple will put an end to the confusion.

“Do you think it will take a long time?”

Quilbian spoke, hiding behind a smile.

For now, let’s act as usual.

Like an idiot, pathetically.

*

“Quil.”

I was on my way to the warehouse after finishing cleaning. Twella spoke to me first.

Quillbian studied her face carefully. The strange expression he had seen during the day was nowhere to be found.

A slightly tired look, but trying to cheer up despite being tired.

It was the Twella I usually saw.

“Did I act a little strange during the day?”

I felt at ease because you brought it up first.

“little.”

“that is…….”

“Is it because of the memories? The memories outside.”

Twella nodded.

“That’s right, something suddenly occurred to me and I wasn’t in my right mind. I was confused and distressed.”

“I did the same. When I saw the seer, I thought of a pig. It was so ugly and dirty that it made me sick.”

“Pig, when you say that, something comes to mind.”

I walked at the same pace as Twella.

“What memories came to mind?”

“Well, it was a pretty flower.”

“flower?”

“Flowers you can’t see here. Gray flowers. And other things came to mind.”

“A gray flower.”

Quilbian glanced at Twella. The side of her face caught his eye, and the corner of his neck began to feel hot again.

My heart also seems to be beating fast.

“You… … are red around your ears. Or is it the back of your neck?”

Twella pointed with her hand, her eyes wide with surprise. Quilbian flinched and felt his neck.

It was hotter than usual. Like when you have a cold.

“Are you sick?”

“No, that’s not true.”

“Really?” said Twella, walking ahead. Quilbian pressed the space between his eyes tightly.

I couldn’t figure out why my body was reacting this way, but I was certain it had something to do with Twella.

The things I had to figure out just kept piling up.

I climbed the stairs, hearing the bell ringing to signal break time.

“You came.”

I entered the room where Altera was waiting.

What should I ask first?

A voice came from beside me, breaking the chain of worries.

“Ascetic, please teach me the magic.”

Twella spoke urgently. Her eyes were tense. There was a hint of impatience and determination.

“I was going to tell you without you having to nag.”

“Tell me everything, everything about magic.”

“I’d like to, but I don’t know everything. Okay, let’s sit down for now. If you want to stand and talk, I won’t stop you.”

Perhaps realizing something from Altera’s relaxed smile, Twella also took a deep breath and sat down on the floor.

“I’m sorry. I’m just… … .”

“No, no. Can you be calm when you realize that this world is wrong? Rather, I want to applaud the two of you for getting through your day without making any mistakes.”

Clap, clap, it was Altera clapping her hands lightly.

“The law. That’s important, but before that, isn’t there something we need to talk about?”

Altera looked at Quilbian.

The first thing we need to talk about.

“Why did only the three of us feel something strange, I guess?”

“That’s it. Why, why are only the three of us enlightened?”

Altera’s eyes curved into a crescent shape.

“It’s nothing special, really. We were just more resilient than they expected.”

(Continued in next episode)