23. The Road is the Road to Hell (5)
Naturally, women are inherently less physically strong than men and are less suited for prolonged physical combat.
It is the natural order of things, and in an empire that values military might and physical power, there is inevitably a preference for sons.
The higher up in the noble ranks, the more pronounced this tendency becomes.
Daughters are not considered particularly important, and are often used merely as tools for strategic marriages. Their primary role in life is to sit gracefully in social gatherings, smile, and give birth to a son to continue the family lineage.
There is the option, as Albinna’s case may show, to graduate from the Academy and join the Mage Corps as a professional soldier, but even then, women face limits in terms of promotion.
The one thing to be thankful about is that there are no restrictions on education.
‘Really, stop making me laugh…’
Upon returning to her room, Karla threw herself onto her bed and thought about it.
Just a few days ago, she had been a man. Though her body had changed, she had believed that talk of marriage shouldn’t be an issue. And it’s not as if she had ever thought about continuing the family line anyway—she’d planned to give up her position as heir to her younger brother Fabio without any regret.
But Enrico’s words were not something to brush off lightly. If she failed to properly handle the upcoming midterm exams…
‘That’s the real problem with people like him.’
Though Enrico della Cascata has remained single and has not remarried or taken a concubine since losing his wife in a carriage attack, many whisper about his supposedly rare devotion to love. Karla, however, suspects there’s another reason at play.
If he truly loved his wife, wouldn’t he have cried at least a single tear at her funeral?
“I have to pass the midterm exams somehow. I’ll deal with the aftermath later.”
While it might be possible for her to pass the midterms if she wished, whether Enrico would allow it is questionable.
It would be more accurate to assume the chances of him allowing it are exceedingly low.
“Still, Lucas? Are you insane?”
Looking at it from a house-to-house perspective, the proposed marriage alliance between the Houses of Cascata and Shaiskeil isn’t an unreasonable decision.
However, looked at person to person, it’s nothing short of a catastrophe—considering Lucas is famously hot-headed.
“The worst…”
Lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, Karla felt a swirl of emotions that were indescribable even in words.
What had she done wrong?
Her desire to surpass Ivan, and even more fundamentally, her primal longing to grow stronger…
And so, she devoted herself thoroughly to that purpose. No one could accuse Karla of not trying hard enough.
As the heir to a noble family, she rejected the life of luxury and pursued power, honing her mastery of magic.
But now, all that effort seemed for naught. After using the family’s secret arts to break through her limits, she had ended up with this body—a woman’s body—and now had even lost her arm.
“Did I make the wrong choice?”
An indescribable emotion welled up inside her. Was it indignation? Or sorrow?
‘This isn’t like me.’
Her emotions were fluctuating too suddenly.
Karla observed herself coolly. Even if she had lost an arm, she was not the type to weaken this much.
Could it be due to her changed body?
She seemed to have become impatient more easily, and her emotions were more volatile than ever.
‘Where did I go wrong…’
No matter how much she thought about it, no answer came.
The next morning.
Karla’s ride to the Academy was accompanied by an uneasy feeling she couldn’t shake.
She had been unable to sleep properly. Every time she finally drifted off, she was jolted awake by nightmares reliving the moment her arm was torn off.
Most of the night was spent lying awake, and eventually, Karla had no choice but to head to the Academy.
“Remember what happened last night. If you fail to pass the midterms…”
“I get it, so stop emphasizing it.”
Without looking at Enrico, Karla curtly responded.
Had Enrico been waiting there in the early morning just to say this?
She had expected him to be more concerned about her arm.
“Unlike mother, I won’t die helplessly waiting for someone like you to rescue me. I’ll grow strong on my own. I don’t need your understanding.”
Without waiting for Enrico’s reply, Karla boarded the carriage.
As the door was about to close and the carriage was about to depart, the door was opened again.
“What?”
Enrico, who had opened the door, pushed Karla’s sleeve aside.
“…Be careful that it doesn’t get caught.”
In response to his words, Karla said nothing.
She stayed silent until the door closed, and remained quiet even as the carriage began to move.
Though Karla had spent a sleepless night, she had not wasted her time.
She had decided to look into the traces of the woman known as the “Alchemist,” who Lorenzo the substitute instructor had mentioned—likely Venere.
It was ironic. The victim now had to seek out the perpetrator of the crime.
Unfortunately, there was no other option.
Karla had only two months left.
Her priority had to be regaining her arm.
It would be impossible to learn a new kind of magic at this stage, and wielding lightning magic one-handed would not work.
Since the sacrifice from ten years ago had already severed the dual paths of her magical circuit, there was no alternative course of action.
Karla had to recover her arm—somehow.
She would need it to take the midterms properly.
With an arm, she could certainly handle the midterms.
As she mulled over these thoughts, the carriage finally arrived at the Academy.
When Karla stepped out of the carriage at the designated stop, she noticed a familiar insignia on a carriage nearby and was startled.
It was a carriage bearing the crest of the House of Cascata, with the additional mark of the four identical ravens representing the royal family above it.
“Could it be Uncle?”
Karla thought of Carlo della Cascata—the same name she used to bear.
He was Enrico della Cascata’s older brother, the current head of the Cascata household, and the Royal Court Wizard.
With unmatched knowledge of magic and a reputation for predicting the future through astrology, Carlo della Cascata was the man she admired the most in the world.
With a racing heart, Karla entered the lecture hall and immediately scanned the back rows.
Regina Parra, Emil Marshy, Liam Marshy.
“Strange. Ivan isn’t here.”
It was unusual for that model student to be absent.
“This isn’t my problem.”
What was more important was whether Carlo della Cascata, or Lord Cascata, had indeed come to the Academy.
Though she wanted to find him immediately, she knew as an Academy student, that wasn’t proper protocol.
“…Karla.”
As Karla sat down after putting her bag down, she heard someone call out to her. Looking up, she saw the towering figure of Liam.
“What is it?”
“Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your arm.”
Liam was looking at where her left sleeve dangled limply.
“…It doesn’t hurt. The pain’s gone.”
“Is that so…”
As Liam replied, he continued to stand there silently.
He wasn’t saying anything, yet he also didn’t return to his seat.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
At Karla’s question, Liam hesitated before finally speaking.
“…Anyways, stay strong.”
“What?”
“Ivan told me what happened. Fighting without backing down even after suffering such severe injuries was impressive. So…uh, stay strong.”
“Er…er…”
Without waiting for her response, Liam quickly returned to his seat.
Karla was left feeling bemused by the situation, but it wasn’t entirely an unpleasant sensation.
It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced from anyone—apart from Ivan, with whom she had some familiarity, and oddly even her family had not offered her comfort.
So, hearing such encouragement from Liam, who she had only barely met since entering the Academy and hadn’t had the best relationship with, felt quite alien but not unwelcome.
“Uh, Karla…”
Another voice spoke up nearby.
“…Emil, right?”
“Yes, yes! Emil! You remembered!”
Emil grinned and, nervously fidgeting with his fingers, hesitated for a moment.
“Uh…about your arm…magic…”
“Yes, it was caused by magic. I don’t know what kind exactly.”
“That…”
Before Emil could finish, the lecture hall door burst open, and Deputy Instructor Lorenzo entered.
“Here so early, it seems. No tardiness today.”
“Even Ivan isn’t here yet.”
Karla thought that the deputy instructor was being too casual—just for a moment.
“Hey, Karla, go to the principal’s office. There’s someone waiting for you,” Lorenzo announced.
“My guest?”
“Yes. The Court Mage has come to see you. He’s looking for you, so go ahead.”
With a smile she could no longer conceal, Karla rose from her seat.
“Ivan already went ahead. Come back with me later.”
Her smile faded.
Why did Ivan’s name always come up like this?
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=151,215 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
