Memoirs of a Wicked Magician - Chapter 82

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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 82
“What? You’re calling that a question right now?”
Caliona reacted sharply to Stella, as though she’d been asked something deeply offensive.
“Of course I was just unlucky enough to be nearby and got caught up in it. What else?”
After desperately throwing herself in front to shield her junior, she had the nerve to play innocent like that? Seeing her act, Liriope let out an involuntary, helpless laugh.
Caliona surveyed her surroundings warily and deployed a Defense Barrier. Then she turned a sharp question back at Stella.
“Rather, I’m curious about something. You were standing right in front of the Magical Artifact—so why couldn’t you stop the magic from activating?”
Stella seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
But when Caliona, who shouldn’t have been there in the first place, pressed her with accusations, her irritation deepened visibly.
“It happened so suddenly that I couldn’t help it either. But that’s strange, isn’t it? You should have been much farther away from me, so how did you get caught up in the magic too?”
“You must be mistaken, senior.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Is that so? Yet you speak as though you observed that brief moment in great detail.”
Caliona’s suspicion deepened as she fixed Stella with a cold stare.
“As though you were carefully monitoring my location, despite being busy escorting the juniors.”
Liriope could sense the subtle implication woven into those words.
Stella clearly felt the same undercurrent as Liriope did.
Of course, Stella’s acting was hardly lacking either. Rather than show signs of being caught off guard, she offered a bitter smile, then adjusted her disheveled clothes with a pitiful gesture.
“Honestly, junior, you really do have a knack for twisting words like that. Anyone listening might think your personality is all twisted up. As your senior, it’s only natural that I look after all of you, including Caliona—why would that be strange?”
The performance was so brazen that an uninformed observer would have thought Caliona was merely suspecting Stella out of personal spite.
“In any case, since we’re both here now, what about the juniors outside?”
“I threw a Defense Barrier Magic Stone in that direction when the Magical Artifact activated, so they should be fine. The Magic Tower received the signal too, so the sycophants who trail after you like fish droppings must be scrambling over here.”
“Fril and Dorothy aren’t followers—they’re dear friends. So please refrain from speaking about them that way.”
Caliona simply watched the pretentious Stella with eyes carrying a faint smirk, offering no other response.
Rather than waste energy on pointless bickering with Stella, she turned her attention to settling the children.
“Is anyone hurt? We need to move, so everyone get up. Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to be an overly dangerous location, so don’t be frightened—stay calm and move carefully.”
Liriope also lifted herself off the ground, brushing dust away.
“Oh my, forgive me. I was so caught off guard by the sudden accident that I forgot to look after the juniors properly.”
Stella joined in without hesitation, reassuring the children alongside Caliona.
“You were all quite startled, weren’t you? Still, I’d hope you won’t blame the junior here too harshly for triggering the Magical Artifact. Anyone can make careless mistakes when they’re inexperienced, after all.”
Despite being the one who’d activated the Magical Artifact, Stella brazenly shifted the blame to Liriope.
Moreover, the artful tone of her words suggested she hoped the other children would condemn Liriope for what happened.
“Oh, well, since today is the first time the juniors have come to search the Contaminated Sacred Ground, that makes sense.”
“That’s right, it’s okay! We’re not blaming you at all!”
But contrary to her expectations, the children’s response was to comfort Liriope instead—and Stella’s eyes flickered with displeasure at that.
“You’re all… really kind. But to get back to where we were, we might have to take some risks. Are you truly all right with that?”
“Yes, we’re okay! We made it through the Outer Estate by working together, after all!”
“These Ruins are far more dangerous than the Outer Estate.”
“B-but we’re not alone either, and there are experienced people here—well, I’m not sure what to call you, but in any case we should be fine, shouldn’t we?”
“No one knows what might happen inside these Ruins. Even great mages have met unexpected deaths or disappearances here.”
“Oh… o-oh no. Is it really that dangerous?”
As Stella’s tone grew increasingly grave, the children began to panic.
Caliona, listening from beside them, frowned and cut her off.
“Stella, don’t frighten the children. Unlike you, we shouldn’t be creating unnecessary fear in our sweet juniors.”
The look Caliona gave her was as cold as winter rain.
“Besides, these children came to the Contaminated Sacred Ground for the first time today. Even if, as you say, a novice accidentally triggered the Magical Artifact, it was ultimately our failure as guides to prevent the problem in the first place.”
Caliona’s demeanor had been consistently cold from the moment they left the Northern Magic Tower until now.
Yet at this moment, she was clearly shielding and protecting Liriope, whom Stella had targeted.
Realizing Caliona’s intent, Liriope felt warmth blossom in her chest. The children, who had felt an instinctive distance because of Caliona’s cold first impression, were similarly taken aback by her unexpected words.
Stella grew more displeased, but knowing when to retreat was one of her great strengths.
Reading the children’s mood, Stella chose a natural strategic withdrawal rather than risk overextending herself here.
“Oh my, I’m sorry. Truth is, I was just testing to see how resolute our cute new juniors were—I was being deliberately a little mischievous.”
In the next moment, she switched back to a bright demeanor, as if she’d never cast a shadow over the mood at all, and smiled sweetly.
“But you all have such admirable resolve—even better than I expected! I’m genuinely impressed.”
Stella’s gentle smile alone seemed to transform the atmosphere into something warmer and brighter.
“As you think, junior, we seniors are right beside you, so you’ll all safely escape from here without a doubt. So let’s continue just like this—helping one another, staying close, moving forward together. Understood, everyone?”
“Y-yes…!”
At last the children relaxed, their stiffened expressions softening as they nodded along with Stella.
Stella didn’t seem to have made Liriope uncomfortable as her main objective, as she refrained from speaking her name again. Liriope, in turn, didn’t bother calling out Stella’s lies at this moment.
They set up a double layer of Defense Barriers and began moving to escape the Ruins.
* * *
“The Magical Artifact that activated just now looked like it might have been shaped like a bell. Does anyone have a clear view of it?”
“Well, it happened so fast that no one probably got a good look…”
As they moved, Caliona asked the group while surveying their surroundings. Stella trailed off uncertainly in response, but she was secretly laughing at Caliona’s vain hope.
“I saw it. It was definitely a bell.”
But an unexpected answer came from behind them.
“It was a brass bell with a trumpet flower pattern engraved on it—about the size of a child’s fist.”
The speaker was Liriope, who had answered with crystalline clarity and perfect courtesy.
At that, both Caliona and Stella fell silent for a moment, each for different reasons.
Then Stella turned to look at Liriope first, her smile fading slightly.
“You got quite a detailed view in that brief moment, didn’t you?”
“Ah, well. My Dynamic Vision happens to be a bit unusual.”
Unlike just moments before, Liriope’s tone had turned casual—and something about it stirred an inexplicable displeasure in Stella.
“Hmm, well, it’s fortunate we have someone who saw the artifact in such detail. That’s quite helpful.”
Then Caliona gave a small, unnecessary cough and spoke up to redirect attention.
“Since we’re looking for a brass bell with a trumpet flower pattern, let’s follow the sound of the bell we hear now.”
“That really is an excellent idea. Having such a reliable senior nearby puts my mind so much at ease.”
Caliona said nothing in response to Liriope’s honeyed words this time either.
Liriope knew Caliona was inwardly flustered, and she secretly licked her lips with quiet satisfaction.
It was a small mischief, a private joke at her expense.
After all, it wasn’t as though she’d openly admitted knowing Caliona—she’d simply acted as though she knew. Caliona could hardly complain.
Yet something was strange. In that moment, something unforeseen happened.

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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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