Memoirs of a Wicked Magician - Chapter 36

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 36
[You’re saying it might be the Butterfly Effect that you brought on?]
But it wasn’t merely a matter of Zed acting unlike himself, as far as Liriope knew.
From Zed, who had returned alive from that pale worm’s land, emanated a strange sense of alienation that was difficult to articulate in words.
That vague foreboding and repugnant feeling only intensified her revulsion toward him.
‘And what’s more, this bizarre metallic stench that’s been coming from that wretch since yesterday—what on earth is it?’
“Wait! What in blazes are you, hiding there in the shadows like a rat?”
Then suddenly Zed’s pupils fluttered, and he hurled a Fireball backward.
The children barely managed to escape, letting out small screams.
Screech! Whump, whump!
Moments later, a two-headed wolf that had strayed from the pack lay charred and smoking, reeking of burnt flesh.
“Tch, so there was still a living mongrel left?”
Zed clicked his tongue in displeasure.
From his tone, it seemed he’d been hoping a traitor would appear—the one who had attacked him before Ode’s corpse—only to be disappointed.
Liriope too released a sigh of relief as her shoulders, which had gone rigid with tension, finally relaxed.
She had worried in secret that perhaps Cassell and Dino had been following her and gotten caught, but fortunately it was nothing.
Of course, she’d never had any real confidence they were even following her, and it was possible they’d already gone their separate ways—
“Why quibble about it? Four just seems better than two, that’s all.”
Still, for some reason, Cassell’s words from the cave kept echoing in her mind, and without realizing it, Liriope found herself repeatedly turning to look back.
Boom!
“Oh! There’s a Mana Marker!”
“Supplies! Should we go grab them since it’s close?”
Just then, a familiar marking appeared through the dense green leaves overhead.
Unlike the other children, whose eyes lit up with excitement, Zed’s demeanor was rather lukewarm.
He was still breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling irregularly, and he wiped away the beads of sweat trickling down from beneath his jaw.
But it seemed even Zed thought it was appropriate to resupply here. He gestured to the children with reluctance etched across his face.
“Half of the Hunting Squad—follow me! The rest of you, quit wasting time and get the formation sorted. We’re pushing deeper into the forest soon, so everyone prepare properly!”
And so the group split into two.
Those left behind sat down and caught their breath, their eyes darting nervously about their surroundings. The way they glanced at the forest ahead was thick with tension and unease.
By contrast, the vigilance toward the slave-class children had noticeably eased.
They were already deep in the Danger Zone, and only recently escaped from the attacks of savage beasts; it seemed no one would be foolish enough to bolt now.
In a sense, the assessment was sound.
Even Liriope, who was looking for any opportunity to break away from Zed’s group, had no urge to leave this very moment.
‘Perhaps……. Meeting the Guardian of the Forest would be the perfect moment to slip away?’
[Guardian of the Forest?]
‘Yes. There’s something I must face on the path toward the exit.’
[But listen, if you’re heading the same direction anyway, wouldn’t it be better to just move with the group? Carrying your sister alone, unconscious as she is—I don’t see how that’s workable, no matter how I think about it.]
There was merit to what Ode was saying.
Kaliona remained on the verge of waking, tearing at Liriope’s heart.
Occasionally she would whimper in distress and her eyes would flutter half-open, but only for a moment, and she didn’t seem to understand what was happening.
‘That’s why I plan to go with them through the middle of the forest. But I won’t stay with them to the end. You wouldn’t drink seawater just because your throat was parched, would you?’
In the face of Liriope’s firm reply, Ode seemed to accept it and said no more.
[Hmm, I suppose there’s no choice. Then we must prepare thoroughly so that leaving the group causes no problems. Your Core is solidifying nicely now—let me help you practice Mana Flow first.]
Liriope, as Ode suggested, gradually scooted backward, being careful not to draw the other children’s attention.
With Ode’s guidance, she practiced Mana Flow while aiming to master the magic most urgently needed in her current circumstances.
By her reckoning, there were about three essential spells.
Purification Magic and Defensive Barrier Magic were absolutely crucial for navigating the Danger Zone ahead, and Lightening Magic to carry Kaliona.
‘It would be nice to learn Concealment Magic and Detection Magic too……. But asking for that now would be greedy.’
With that resolved, Liriope began earnestly drawing a Magic Circle when Ode suddenly started lecturing her.
[No, no! Wait, stop. Didn’t I tell you to start by practicing drawing a thin thread of mana first? Why are you drawing a Magic Circle? And do you realize how chaotically your mana is moving right now? Why can’t you follow instructions instead of doing whatever you please?]
‘What? I followed exactly what you told me to do.’
[What nonsense. Don’t go spouting that drivel anywhere. Even a wall gnawed by rats looks neater than this! With something this messy, what in the world do you expect to accomplish with a Magic Circle? Practice drawing mana uniformly first!]
Ode’s harsh scolding, showing no mercy whatsoever, began to stir Liriope’s irritation.
She was in a hurry, and here he was demanding she drill these most basic fundamentals?
Moreover, since beginning lessons with Ode, Liriope had sensed that this being too was something of a genius.
He couldn’t comprehend how her mana writhed like an earthworm the moment she eased her grip.
Liriope did understand Ode’s frustration to some degree.
In truth, even before the Time Regression when things were better, her mana’s movements had never been this sloppy.
Yet her Core’s Mana Quantity had grown so much she couldn’t control it—truly a complaint of luxury.
Since Liriope was putting in genuine effort, Ode’s reaction grated on her. But she didn’t complain and instead began silently drawing out threads of mana.
Seeing her efforts, Ode’s heart softened, and he encouraged her in a much gentler voice.
[Ahem, still, you’re far more stable than before. As you know, a Magic Circle is much like a circuit of mana. Drawing a Magic Circle isn’t just about the shape. The concentration and quantity of mana must remain constant while drawing and maintaining the Magic Circle for the spell to unleash its most superior effect.]
What Ode described was the foundation and fundamentals of magic, timeless and universal.
A simple analogy: imagine holding a pen and drawing a circle on paper.
To draw the most perfect circle, achieving balanced, symmetrical proportions is naturally important.
But no matter how perfect the shape, if the ink’s distribution is uneven, the circle becomes blotchy and messy.
Naturally, that couldn’t be called a well-drawn circle.
And if one thinks of that circle as a path, the smooth, flat one is certainly easier to run on than the uneven.
The principle of spell activation was no different.
[While we’re on the subject, what do you think is the greatest factor determining a spell’s power?]
‘Well, obviously Mana Quantity, right?’
But at Liriope’s unhesitating answer, Ode displayed an expression of knowing pity.
[That’s extremely one-dimensional thinking. More effective than mindlessly dumping mana is naturally drawing an intricate Overlapping Magic Circle.]
‘Overlapping Magic Circle? Ah, you mean using multiple spells simultaneously.’
Of course, multiple Fireballs would be more effective than one, after all.
But Ode rejected her answer again.
[That’s not it. True ‘Overlapping Magic Circles’ means completing one singular, more powerful spell by layering multiple identical Magic Circles flawlessly upon one another.]
At first, Liriope was confused about what he meant, but later understanding dawned, and she hesitated.
No matter how unsystematically she’d been taught magic, she’d picked up scraps here and there.
But the way Ode described using magic was an unfamiliar concept.
‘Why do something so pointless? I can just cram more mana into a single Magic Circle, can’t I?’
At Liriope’s skepticism, Ode fell silent a moment before exhaling heavily.
[Indeed, too much time has passed. In a world where truly great mages vanished long ago, it’s not your fault for asking such a pitiful ignorant question.]
Rather than exasperation at her ignorance, his tone carried a sort of wistful regret.
[Listen carefully. Here’s a simple example. When you draw one Magic Circle with 10 units of mana poured in versus two Magic Circles each with 5 units poured in, both require the same total Mana Quantity.]
At Ode’s following explanation, Liriope’s eyes widened involuntarily.
[Yet even if the total mana is the same, drawing two Magic Circles and layering them together produces more than twice the power of drawing a single one.]
‘Really? How is that even possible?’
[It’s like how many thin bamboo stalks withstand the wind better than one thick one. Or how rope twisted from many thin threads is far tougher and stronger than a single thick strand.]
With Ode’s explanation, understanding seemed to come more easily.
[Especially with these Overlapping Magic Circles, the more similar each Magic Circle’s size, shape, and Mana Quantity are, the stronger the effect becomes. As the alignment rate steadily improves, and finally when all Magic Circles overlap with perfect precision, the spell’s power transcends imagination.]
Initially, Liriope found Ode’s words hard to believe, but he didn’t seem to be lying.
[Which is why Overlapping Magic Circles drawn with meticulous precision by a great mage will look like a single Magic Circle, no matter how many are layered.]
Thus Ode subtly disparaged the latter-day crude single-form magic that blindly relies on mana alone as lazy and ignorant.
[In my time, you had to be able to use at least five or more overlapping formations to even have the audacity to call yourself a mage somewhere. As my student, you must reach that level within a few years without difficulty. Now, practice!]
Ode, as always, pushed her forward in a way that left Liriope unsure whether he was encouraging or burdening her.
Liriope concentrated harder, practicing the delicate manipulation of mana.
Rustle.
Then, in the midst of her focus, a strange shadow suddenly flitted across her vision.
“……?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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