Memoirs of a Wicked Magician - Chapter 76

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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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Chapter 76
“You really…… that version of you at the Outer Estate wouldn’t even ask such a thing. I’ve been living comfortably here all this time.”
Caliona exhaled a sigh, then scrunched her face and offered a faint smile.
Her eyes seemed to overflow with a tenderness she had somehow concealed until now.
Then something welled up inside Caliona, and she furrowed her brow sharply as she looked toward the ceiling.
Only then did Liriope realize that Caliona had been frowning while holding back tears all along.
After regaining some composure, Caliona looked at Liriope and continued.
“Liri…… You’ve truly come back safely. The fact that you’re here beside me like this feels like a dream.”
“I know…… I feel the same way, sister.”
“I did hear news that you’d made it through the Outer Estate unharmed, but I couldn’t quite believe it until I saw you with my own eyes…….”
“You heard about me?”
“Yes, I occasionally received letters with no return address, written about you. They weren’t detailed at all—just brief confirmations that you were well.”
‘Velkius.’
The moment Liriope heard Caliona’s words, she was certain.
Not a single mention of his name appeared in what Caliona said, yet she simply knew.
There was no one else who could have passed word of Liriope to Caliona. After all, Liriope herself had learned of Caliona through Velkius all this time.
In that moment, Liriope felt a silent ripple stirring in the depths of her heart.
Even though Caliona claimed to already know roughly how Liriope had fared, she confirmed repeatedly how her sister had been getting along at the Outer Estate.
Liriope didn’t begrudge Caliona’s repeated questions; she gladly reassured her that she had lived well.
Of course, she stopped short of mentioning Velkius.
Caliona was so absorbed in studying Liriope that she didn’t ask who had sent those letters.
But examining Caliona’s expression carefully…….
Her guilt didn’t stem from Liriope having stayed at the Outer Estate as the price for saving her sister’s life.
Caliona believed she had escaped the Outer Estate alone by accident that day at the exit.
Could Velkius have used Recognition-Blocking Magic? Or perhaps, in the chaos, Caliona’s memory had simply been distorted—Liriope couldn’t say.
Yet Liriope felt oddly grateful for it.
If Caliona learned why Liriope had truly stayed behind, her self-recrimination would surely deepen.
“And I’ve been living well this whole time too, so don’t worry about anything. Liri, you just need to take care of yourself.”
Fortunately, after reassuring herself about Liriope’s wellbeing to the point of tedium, Caliona finally seemed to relax. Color began returning to her pallid face.
Yet unlike her meticulous examination of Liriope, Caliona shared very little about her own circumstances.
Naturally, Liriope had many questions, but Caliona deflected with another inquiry.
“Speaking of which, Liri—how have you already finished your Initiation Training? I’m relieved, but I was shocked to hear.”
“It was just…… luck, I suppose.”
“That’s not something luck alone decides. Your talent must be truly exceptional. Cameron doesn’t let children go that easily.”
She stroked Liriope’s head with evident pride, offering praise upon praise.
Yet as she did, the memory of Liriope’s hardships during Initiation Training back at the Outer Estate surfaced, and her expression grew clouded.
“Hey, hey! Liriope and Caliona really are sisters! Caliona’s the most promising prospect on the Lowest Level right now too!”
Then Milena, who had been watching for an opening, interjected brightly.
“She’s the first to attempt the 21st-floor trial in just one year—everyone’s got huge expectations for her.”
Her motivation seemed half to lighten the mood and half to satiate her own desire to join the conversation, but in any case, her words naturally captured Liriope’s attention.
“Really? 20 floors in just a year—sister, you’re truly amazing.”
When Liriope marveled, Caliona smiled awkwardly, looking a bit bashful.
“Milena’s at the 15th floor, so she’s just as remarkable.”
“Right, Milena—you’re incredible too.”
Milena didn’t know what to do with herself at being praised by both Caliona and Liriope.
Seizing the moment, Liriope asked about the other two.
“What about Kassel and Dino? What floors are they on now?”
“Huh? Kassel and Dino?”
But for some reason, Caliona and Milena’s reactions were strange.
What was this? That expression, as if hearing names after a long absence…….
“Oh, right. You wouldn’t know yet, Liriope.”
And after a brief pause, Milena’s next words made Liriope’s eyes widen involuntarily.
“Dino’s dead.”
“What?”
“He was already dead from his injuries when we came out of the Outer Estate. As for Kassel…… I’m not sure what floor he’s on now, but honestly he barely leaves the Punishment Chamber anyway, so it doesn’t matter much.”
“The Punishment Chamber? He’s practically living there?”
The story Milena told struck Liriope hard.
Caliona’s expression was no lighter.
“After Dino died, Kassel’s condition got worse. He defies Cameron constantly and has fallen out of favor. We haven’t even spoken with him in a long time.”
Liriope couldn’t form words; her lips merely moved soundlessly.
“Anyway, don’t worry about Kassel. You probably won’t run into him much anyway.”
Caliona delivered this somewhat coldly, then deliberately changed the subject.
“By the way, Liri—you’re heading out on your first expedition to the Contaminated Holy Ground soon, aren’t you?”
“Yes…….”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Then Caliona gazed at Liriope for a moment with complex emotions reflected in her eyes.
“I’d love to stay with you longer, but unfortunately there’s no time now. Before you go, there’s something I absolutely need to tell you.”
She closed her eyes for a long moment, then opened them and spoke firmly to Liriope.
“From now on, except when we meet in secret like this, I’d rather you didn’t acknowledge knowing me. This is for your sake too.”
In that instant, Liriope’s heart lurched.
She bit her lip hard. The truth was, she had already sensed this from Caliona’s demeanor, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Yet Liriope found herself unable to accept it and could only ask why.
“Why? Why would you say that?”
“If it becomes known that you’re my sister, you’ll be in danger.”
“What do you mean? Are you saying we should pretend not to know each other for the rest of our lives? I don’t like that.”
Without hesitation, Liriope refused firmly.
But Caliona shook her head just as firmly in response.
“Honestly, I don’t know what the right choice is. But for now, this seems best for both you and me.”
In Caliona’s gaze fixed upon Liriope, there resided a resolve Liriope could not decipher.
“And Liri, whatever I do from now on, however I might change……”
At last, the wavering that had lingered moments before vanished completely, leaving behind an unwavering gaze that met Liriope’s directly.
“I will be your sister until the day I die. Just remember that.”
Speaking as though uttering an immutable truth, purple eyes radiated an intensity unlike any before, meeting Liriope’s own.
Liriope felt a creeping sense of déjà vu and unease wash over her, and she hastily reached out her hand toward Caliona.
“Sister.”
But just as Zed had pulled her away at the Outer Estate a year before, Caliona now stepped back, completely evading Liriope’s hand.
When Liriope looked up at Caliona with startled eyes, her sister rose abruptly from her seat.
“That’s all I have to say. I should go now.”
Yet one last anxious plea for her younger sister brushed past like a whisper.
“Remember what I said—don’t worry about anything and just take care of yourself.”
Liriope couldn’t stop Caliona, who even used Spatial Transference Magic to leave.
Instead, only a distant gaze followed the trace of her vanished sister.

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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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