Carl Gustafsson looked at Toivo Koskinen, his eyes flickering with uncertainty as he asked in alarm, "Koskinen! You..."
"Let me finish!" Toivo Koskinen waved a hand, no longer paying any heed to Carl Gustafsson's gaze, which seemed ready to devour him alive.
He looked at Wizet with a complicated expression. "Mr. Lovegood, when I used the 'Fake Wand' earlier, the feeling alone amazed me... So this was magic!"
"While I was still savoring that feeling, I never expected your experiment to let me take another step forward—to cast magic with my own hands. Although..."
"Lumos!" He lightly flicked the wand in his hand, but no light appeared at its tip.
"Although, like Gustafsson, I also 'slid down the hillside.'" He gave a bitter smile. "To be honest, I'm unwilling to accept it! Extremely! Extremely unwilling!"
After saying this, he slowly turned to Carl Gustafsson. The weariness on his face seemed to deepen by several degrees.
Carl Gustafsson, however, did not notice any of this. What concerned him more was Toivo Koskinen's purpose.
A flicker of anticipation even arose within him. If Toivo Koskinen used this as an excuse to make trouble, how should he chime in and muddy the waters again?
"Carl, I've actually come to understand something..." Toivo Koskinen sighed. "Magic may truly... be able to sense our souls! Perhaps we should..."
Disbelief flashed through Carl Gustafsson's eyes, and he felt as though his closest companion had betrayed him. "Toivo! Have you gone mad?"
Pointing at Toivo Koskinen, he demanded, "Do you know what you're saying? Have you forgotten what we discussed before...?"
"I haven't forgotten." Toivo Koskinen shrugged. "I just feel a little tired."
"Carl, perhaps the things we fought over never had any meaning to begin with... Have you ever considered this question?"
"If the final outcome