142 Part 2

“So, anyway. What will you do after you regain your memories?”

“Eh? After we regain our memories?”

Well, yeah. I was trying to get my memories back because, well, I wanted to, but was there any other reason? … Looks like there wasn’t. I was sort of happy for some reason.

“Well, I’m curious about my life in my parents’ home. I can’t seem to remember anything at all about it.”

The one to answer was Eli.

That’s right, I was able to quickly rejoin with my useless father, but we have very little information regarding Eli’s parents’ home. I don’t think it would be just like any regular home, since Eli seems to have undergone some scrupulous education, and she exudes a particular elegance, but there really isn’t much else we know about her family.

She does seem to know Rahsa and Prince Arc, but neither of them had said anything about Eli’s past.

“I’m sure you’re interested.”

Even if someone leaves their daughter in somebody else’s care, they should know where she is, right? And they might show up eventually to check up on her.

“And you, Kururi?”

Ms. Neko asked me directly. That one just now was Eli’s reason, but what about mine? Hmm, I honestly might not have any good reason, really. There were many things I was concerned about, but one particular point had my interest. Something about my aspirations wasn’t clear enough.

“Why did I become a blacksmith?”

“Is that what you’re curious about, meow?”

“Something like that. It’s not that I’m that curious about it specifically, but why did I go out of my way to forge swords, if I have such duties as a nobleman? I can’t seem to remember why I did it, so it’s been bothering me for a while now.”

“I see, meow. It just seemed to be unexpectedly important, meow.”

Is that so? Well, if Ms. Neko says so, that may be the case. It was finally time to stop talking about fish and to begin with the spell that would bring our memories back.

“By the way, what’s your favorite food, Kururi?”

“Apples.”

“And you, Eri?”

“Chiffon c–”

“Potatoes!”

I interrupted her immediately. Don’t lie when you’re about to have your important memories restored! Besides, who’s to say that liking potatoes is unsophisticated?

“I see, meow. Well then, let’s begin, meow.”

A rattling sound started to come out of Ms. Neko’s paws. It was rather noisy, so our eyes were fixed on them. Her paws seemed to be magically charged with electricity. So that’s your “medical treatment”, Ms. Neko…?

“Umm, that magical power has thunder properties and it’s rattling… Are you sure about this…?”

“Don’t pay attention to that. Well then, there’s the shape of an apple on my right hand. And the shape of a potato on my left hand.”

The bluish, rattling magic that started out looking like a cloud gradually began to change and make clearer outlines, until it finally turned into the shape of a beautiful multicolored apple. On her other hand, the outlines had become firmer and closer together, and made the shape of a delicious potato.

“But how can I bring back memories without resorting to fear, meow? The answer is by giving a shock equal to the one that fear would bring about, meow.”

“Wait, no way…”

Then why did she make those shapes of an apple and a potato?

“Humans close their hearts when they feel pain, meow. There are some people who had to undergo this procedure several times before it actually worked. So, during this painful medical treatment, I’ll hit your heads with these lightning balls, and in order to open a small gap on your hearts for a brief moment, they have to look like something you like, meow.”

She said it would be a painful medical treatment!? She just said that!? Even though this is the paid course!? Sure, I don’t like having my head driven through with a stake, but I don’t think I’ll like a lightning ball to my head either!

The crackling and rattling of those lightning balls were getting more intense than before. Do you really think our hearts will open up for a brief moment only because they look like something we like!? It seems like a consolation at best!

Ms. Neko kicked the floor and jumped really high.

With a loud “Meow–!!” she struck the very top of our heads with those lightning balls.

“Phew. Well then, that’ll be two years worth of food, meow…”

As I lost my consciousness, I could faintly hear Ms. Neko’s voice, and see her make a grinning face.

I didn’t wake up until a full day later. Despite feeling randomly sleepy and hungry, everything seemed just as before Ms. Neko hit us with those lightning balls. According to Ms. Neko, I had slept for an entire day, though I had some momentary hallucinations. What a dangerous thing to do! But then again, she used to be like that back in the academy…

Huh? Back in the academy? What was that? Was I remembering something!?

“Your pupils are wide open, meow. Did you remember something just now, meow?”

“Something like that. I feel like there’s a lot of random information falling into my head quickly, like a waterfall, and I can’t seem to be able to sort it out yet.”

“Ah, that’s alright, meow. You’ll eventually get used to it, and then you’ll be able to organize your memories and remember everything, meow. Just give it time, meow.”

So, it worked? I still couldn’t understand anything, but my memories about Ms. Neko were certainly coming back.

Right, that was back when I went to some empty classroom in order to receive special magic classes from Ms. Neko. But Ms. Neko wasn’t there, there was this incredibly attractive woman, and I stared at her as if time had stopped… Uhh… Then I can’t remember anything past that. It was as if my body refused to remember anything beyond that point. As if it was trying to tell me that there was nothing but despair after that.

Okay then, if my body doesn’t want to remember, then let’s not remember.