43. Forgotten Things (1)
Silence reigned inside the carriage like death itself.
When they came, they had been sitting close together, but on the way back to the Academy, they were keeping their distance, stealing glances at each other every now and then.
Neither party was willing to break the silence first.
Karla couldn’t believe Ivan’s words about something being on her neck.
Ivan, for his part, didn’t understand what his own impulse meant, nor its nature.
With unspoken truths weighing heavily on them, they both sat in the swaying carriage, their heads turned in opposite directions, creating an awkward atmosphere.
‘What is Ivan really?’
Though it sounded strange to her now, Karla couldn’t shake this thought.
In truth, the reason she had distanced herself from Ivan was solely out of fear.
The expression and look in Ivan’s eyes when she had regained consciousness — they were a source of terror that had left deep imprints on her childhood.
Had all her efforts to escape it been for naught?
Karla cautiously turned her gaze towards Ivan.
He appeared no different from the Ivan she knew, looking outside the carriage window with his head tilted toward the landscape.
— Thud!
Suddenly, the carriage jolted violently.
It swayed, the seat swayed, causing Karla to lose her balance and fall to the left.
Instinctively extending her left arm, she realized it only flailed in the air — her arm was gone long ago.
‘Ah…’
The carriage floor was drawing closer.
Karla shut her eyes tight, bracing for the impact, hoping not to get hurt too badly.
But instead of a collision, a soft touch enveloped her face.
The soft texture of fabric.
A particular smell wafted into her nose.
“Karla, are you alright?”
At the gentle voice, Karla instinctively looked up.
First, she saw the Academy uniform, and following it upward, Ivan’s face filled with concern.
“Are you alright? Did you get hurt?”
“Uh… when did…”
“When? Just now.”
Ivan smiled.
Looking down at Karla nestled in his arms, Ivan smiled.
Strangely, at the sight of his smile, Karla remembered Ivan was indeed Ivan — how absurd that thought seemed — but in that moment, she truly had that thought.
This Ivan was the same Ivan she knew.
The source of her insecurities, the one she could never escape from.
Strangely, though, this moment brought comfort.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“…I’m fine, let me go.”
It wasn’t right to just stay there embraced, but with no arms to push him away…
“Alright. Lean on me a bit.”
Ivan helped Karla sit upright, then sat beside her.
In the rocking carriage, Karla slowly leaned against Ivan.
The carriage remained silent.
It seemed like the other travelers who had finished their errands were dozing off with their heads against the windows, leaving only Ivan and Karla awake.
“…Thanks earlier.”
Karla quietly broke the silence.
This might be the only time she could say it.
“Huh? Thanks for what?”
“For a while ago. If you hadn’t caught me, I would have been injured quite badly.”
Ivan smiled sheepishly.
“That’s something I’d naturally do. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
Karla stopped and turned her head.
“… You hate getting hurt just as much as I do, so why go to such lengths?”
“Karla.”
Ivan’s tone dropped lower.
“All I want is for you to be alright. Isn’t that reason enough?”
“Is that all?”
“All. Do I need any other reason?”
Ivan smiled faintly.
Karla said nothing in response, merely resting slightly against Ivan as she stared out the window.
…
“…Were you with Karla?”
Looking at Regina with a bewildered expression, Ivan realized the strange feeling he’d been carrying was finally understood.
— You absolutely have to come meet me tomorrow. I’ll bring the potions when I go tomorrow. Got it?
— Yeah, got it. Don’t worry too much.
Regina, who had insisted he must come to meet her.
Ivan, who had promised to meet her.
But now Regina was here waiting for him, and Ivan had forgotten about coming altogether.
“Regina. It’s…”
“You were so preoccupied with Karla that you completely forgot about me, huh…?”
The bundle cradled in her arms likely contained the potions they’d bought together.
Holding it tightly, Regina’s lips trembled, as did her whole body.
Her eyes began to fill with tears, which quickly turned into drops, and soon, they flowed down her cheeks.
“Regina, it’s not like that.”
“…Like what? You were so caught up with Karla that you just forgot about someone like me, didn’t you!”
Regina stepped forward and shoved the bundle into Ivan’s hands.
Stunned with the bundle in his arms, Ivan tried to grab her, but Regina swiftly turned around and ran off somewhere.
“Regina!”
Karla sighed deeply.
Was that girl really a little off her rocker?
At this point, failing to understand would be stranger.
Reluctantly, Karla approached Ivan.
“Take this and chase after her.”
“Wha, will you be alright?”
“Whether I’m alright or not — take this and go after Regina.”
Karla snatched the bundle out of Ivan’s arms, who still held it.
Even with one arm, it was manageable; it wasn’t that heavy.
“Go quickly. Regina’s crying. Go comfort her.”
“G, thanks. I’ll go ahead then!”
“And take her out for dinner while you’re at it!”
As Ivan dashed off, Karla shouted loudly after him.
It didn’t matter to her whether Ivan heard it or not.
…
“Looks like I’ll have to eat alone.”
With the bundle in hand, Karla slowly made her way toward the dormitory.
Walking fast was difficult since her body’s balance wasn’t right.
‘And if I run into that bum, that would be the worst thing.’
That’s definitely the worst-case scenario right now.
Her arms were completely sealed, both of them.
“Ka, Karla…?”
Upon hearing a sudden voice, Karla only turned her head slightly to look.
The boy with long blonde hair resembled Lucas to some extent, but his uncertain fidgeting with his hands clearly marked him as Emil.
“Emil?”
“Y, yeah. Karla, are you coming from somewhere?”
“That’s right. Glad you’re here. Can you help me?”
Karla gestured to the bundle.
It wasn’t that heavy, but carrying it with one arm all the way back to the dormitory would be a bit tough.
“Sure! I’ll take it!”
Emil rushed over and took the bundle from Karla.
In doing so, they walked side by side. Strangely enough, Emil was quite short.
Probably about Karla’s height, or even a bit shorter.
“Emil, isn’t your last name Austerstick?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Austerstick…”
“Austerstick…”
The Austerstick family was renowned for summoning magic.
Not merely summoning, but progressing further into the advanced ritual magic of divine descent — Invocation Magic.
Of course, the cost involved in invocation was enormous, making it rarely utilized.
Moreover, perhaps due to this cost, the family heads tended to pass away early compared to others.
“Before, Professor Lorenzo advised you to focus on learning the Ritual Magic, didn’t he?”
“He did…”
“How’s it going?”
At Karla’s question, Emil’s face turned red, and he said nothing.
In fact, that silence was already an answer. Karla didn’t press the matter further.
Being born into a magical family doesn’t guarantee they will all master magic.
In fact, there were quite a few who struggled— perhaps even fewer who specialized in lightning magic like Karla.
“Anyway… so how’s your arm, Karla?”
“Arm?”
Changing the subject, it seems.
Karla noticed immediately but chose not to point it out.
Magic is often like that.
It doesn’t work exactly as desired— something Karla was all too familiar with herself.
“Still… well, it’s not exactly fine, but… it’s alright.”
“Have you gotten used to it?”
“What’s there to get used to?”
Yes, there was nothing to get used to.
Looking at her left sleeve fluttering in the wind, she couldn’t help but be reminded of it.
“Wait a moment, Karla.”
Stopping mid-walk, Emil put down the bundle.
Karla halted as well and looked at him. Emil then grabbed the fluttering sleeve of her left arm.
“What are you doing?”
“This keeps flapping, and it seems a bit… weird. Can I touch it for a second?”
“…I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but go ahead.”
Karla decided to see what Emil intended to do.
However, contrary to her expectations, Emil folded her sleeve several times and then tied it into a knot, adding some weight. Thanks to this, the sleeve no longer flapped in the wind.
“It’s been flapping all the time… People were looking. And that made me think it might be uncomfortable for Karla too. Tying it like this might help, right?”
Emil said cautiously.
He looked at Karla with the gentle eyes of a puppy that had done something wrong.
“I just thought… if this can make you worry less, even slightly. How does it feel? Is it okay?”
For a moment, Karla stared at Emil.
How peculiar to feel him so concerned.
Then she glanced down at her knotted sleeve.
Though it felt a bit strange due to the added weight — after losing her arm for so long, the weight was somewhat alien — it was undoubtedly better than the constant flapping.
“This feels much better. Thanks, Emil.”
“It’s no big deal. I’m glad you’re okay, Karla.”
As the sun set behind Emil, he smiled, a young smile like a boy.
“You care about others more than I thought.”
“Not really, I just… we’re classmates. We have to support each other.”
Emil blushed and laughed.
Classmates.
Classmates…
A word that felt strangely unfamiliar.
So Karla let it roll around in her mouth a few times.
It didn’t feel natural at all.
