Memoirs of a Wicked Magician - Chapter 97

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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 97
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At that very moment, Cameron paced restlessly through an empty classroom, his steps scattered and unfocused.
His heart had been hammering mercilessly for the past two days.
‘Liriope, that girl…. Don’t tell me her backer was the Magic Tower Master herself…!’
On the day the apprentice mages first set out to search the corrupted sanctuary, a black raven had appeared suddenly and spirited Liriope away—and that had unmistakably been a familiar under the command of Magic Tower Master Seraphina.
Officially, of course, the incident had been explained away as Liriope being caught in the Magic Tower Master’s spell by accident while she stood nearby during the summoning of the apprentices.
But one couldn’t fool Cameron, not even if one fooled a ghost.
Hadn’t he already suspected that some considerable person stood behind Liriope?
Which was precisely why Cameron found himself pining for the girl, despite her having skipped classes for two whole days without so much as an apology.
‘Blast it, but this makes no sense. Why her, of all people? I would have thought someone like Stella deserved to become an adopted daughter and win the Magic Tower Master’s favor someday.’
Doubt and displeasure flickered across Cameron’s face simultaneously.
‘And what a predicament. Wasn’t there some friction between Liriope and Stella?’
As he recalled what had happened on Liriope’s first day in the Inner Tower, his head began to ache.
Stella’s beauty was striking—so exceptional it could captivate even one of the Magic Tower Master’s adopted sons.
Indeed, Cameron had even harbored the expectation that given more time, Stella would blossom into such a stunning woman that she could bewitch the Magic Tower Master’s own blood son.
Then Stella would prosper, Cameron would reap the rewards for backing her, and everyone would benefit—or so he’d thought.
But if the Magic Tower Master truly stood behind Liriope, then Stella had no choice now but to yield and step back.
‘It would be best to make sure they reconcile and get along well, wouldn’t it? Perhaps if I see the right moment, I can persuade Stella to apologize first….’
The mere thought of having to convince and appease Stella made Cameron’s temples throb.
“Cameron!”
But speak of the devil—Stella suddenly burst through the door and stormed into the classroom.
Cameron started to reprimand the rude intruder, but upon recognizing who it was, his expression softened.
“Stella? What brings you to the apprentice classroom? Well, no matter—you’ve come at the right time. I was just thinking of something to discuss with you….”
“What is the meaning of this? Why did you cancel my examination for the 21st Floor without permission?”
But Stella was already seething before Cameron could even open his mouth. He clicked his tongue at the sight of her, looking even more haggard than yesterday.
Though her injuries from the ruined sanctuary had been healed in the Recovery Chamber, her hair—cut short enough to bare her nape—remained unchanged, which filled Cameron with concern.
“Now, now, Stella. You are eating properly, aren’t you? Your complexion doesn’t look good at all, even after a visit to the Recovery Chamber.”
It seemed Cameron had already forgotten the accusation Stella had hurled at him the moment she entered the classroom, and instead surveyed her appearance with worry.
“Don’t change the subject. Answer my question first!”
Of course, such words fell on deaf ears. Stella’s fury had reached a fever pitch.
Cameron regarded the fuming girl with fresh surprise.
“It’s for your own good.”
“For my own good?”
“Yes. Have you ever suffered a loss by following my guidance? I urged you against volunteering to lead the apprentices into the corrupted sanctuary, and you would have suffered harm if you hadn’t taken the risk—didn’t that prove my wisdom?”
In Cameron’s estimation, Stella had a tendency to squander her time on frivolous pursuits.
Petty squabbles with girls like Caliona were among them.
Of course, she was still young, which might explain it, but a girl with the potential to rise higher ought not dwell so obsessively on such trifling matters.
“I’ve told you repeatedly: there’s no harm in spending another two years refining your skills before advancing further. Since I’ll look after you, don’t rush. Stay in the lower levels for a while longer and focus only on developing yourself.”
Cameron offered Stella advice and counsel with the generosity he always displayed toward her.
But as is true of most headstrong young people, Stella paid no heed to his intentions.
“I don’t care! If I stay stuck on the 20th Floor, the other students will mock me endlessly!”
“What? Who dares mock you?”
“And why do you leave Caliona alone, but come down on me? Are you saying my abilities are inferior to hers?”
“Nonsense!”
Cameron’s face hardened at what he perceived as Stella’s unreasonableness.
“Stella, you are my most cherished student. I promise you, no one in this Magic Tower cares for you or worries about you more than I do. Which is exactly why I cannot bear the thought of you coming to harm.”
But rather than being moved by his words, Stella’s lips curved into a bitter smile.
“I hate it. No matter what you say, I will climb to the 21st Floor this time—I absolutely will! If you truly care for me, then don’t stop me!”
“Now, listen here, Stella!”
Cameron’s urgent voice called out from behind her, but Stella stormed out of the classroom without a backward glance.
To Stella’s mind, Cameron was nothing but a craven opportunist.
Perhaps it was because he recognized her talent—talent that shone like a star—but he was always excessively kind to her. She was confident he would not grow angry over such a small show of insolence.
As she walked down the corridor, Stella wore a cold, contemptuous smile.
“How ridiculous. For my own good? Who does he think he is? Just because I’m useful, he acts all friendly, as if he were my father? A mere supervisor of the lowest level, and he presumes to order me around? Is he trying to keep me glued to his side like this, scheming to prevent my advancement?”
She quickened her pace, eager to resubmit her application for the 21st Floor examination that Cameron had so arbitrarily canceled.
Hidden from sight, Liriope had been eavesdropping on their entire exchange, and she clicked her tongue as she watched Stella hurry past her.
‘Goodness. Here he was, genuinely worried as a real father would be, and she’s thinking such things. How heartbroken he’d be if he knew.’
“Stella, wait a moment!”
Like some melodrama in the marketplace, Cameron came bursting out of the classroom in frantic pursuit.
But he stopped short the instant he noticed Liriope standing directly in his path.
“Hello, Cameron.”
“You—what are you doing here?”
“Coming to class, of course.”
“Class… yes, class… right, of course. Well then, come in.”
Cameron stared at Liriope in confusion before his gaze drifted to where Stella had vanished.
He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to return to the classroom.
Liriope followed behind him like a rusty wind-up doll, creaking softly with each step.
A white cubic box floated in the air before the classroom entrance, apparently containing something necessary for today’s lesson.
Cameron sat down in a chair with a somewhat vacant expression, his eyes repeatedly flicking toward the door.
One by one, the other students arrived.
“…Is everyone here now? Very well, let me explain today’s lesson.”
At last the class began, and Cameron forcibly tore his gaze away from the doorway. His voice came out darker than usual.
To gather the children’s scattered attention, he tapped his staff sharply against the floor once.
“Now then, I’m sure some of you saw this plant in the Outer Tower, yes?”
As Cameron gestured, the white box floating in the air decomposed of its own accord. From within it emerged a familiar blue flower.
“This is a flower called the Blue Nightmare of Night. It’s also known as the Hallucinogenic Flower, and as its name suggests, anyone who catches its scent will experience terrifying illusions.”
The guardian of the blue forest in the Outer Tower.
“My aim is to help you master magic as quickly as possible so that more of you might survive. So tell me—what is the one thing you need most right now?”
Cameron posed this question to the children, though it wasn’t truly a question that required an answer.
“It is survival instinct. Don’t even young birds learn to fly by being pushed off a cliff by their mother?”
Anyone with even a modicum of sense would have grasped by now why Cameron’s words had grown so elaborate.
“So I ask you to understand my heart—a mother bird’s heart—as I push you repeatedly into the depths of brutal suffering.”
And indeed, the children sensed the danger with remarkable acuity.
‘Wait, so he’s saying he’s going to put us through the wringer again today, isn’t he?’
They were correct.
“Today, you will experience multiple deaths firsthand.”
Thud, thud!
Another black cube rose into the air above the children’s heads.
“If drowning frightens you, evaporate the water or find some way to enable breathing. If you fear burning, summon water or wind to extinguish the flames. If you’re terrified of poisoning, purify the toxins. Fortunately, it will all be illusion, but it will feel as vivid as reality. This time, I won’t bind your Mana, so use whatever magic you must to overcome death.”
The moment he finished speaking, Cameron dissolved the transparent barrier surrounding the blue flower.
A sweet fragrance burst forth, and at the very same instant, the black cube swallowed the children whole.
Liriope too was pulled into the narrow illusory space.
Whoosh!
Liriope found herself standing in a black forest, rain pouring down.
The raindrops that fell upon her skin were cold, just as real as reality itself.
The hallucinogenic effect of the blue flower conjured the most terrifying landscape imaginable for Liriope.
Yet because Cameron’s magic was woven into it, the scene differed somewhat from her memory—subtly warped, slightly transformed.
Liriope gazed down at the murky black swamp beneath her feet, which was slowly pulling her downward.
‘Drowning first, then?’
Had she not spent that year in the Outer Tower, Liriope would have believed this was real and been helpless in the face of it.
But now she possessed vast reserves of Mana that she could control almost perfectly.
The magical knowledge Od had generously imparted whenever he found the chance, paired with the grueling daily training that left her utterly exhausted.
And beyond that, the magic of Belkiers—which she had watched and learned directly, nearly a perfect textbook in itself.
These were the reasons Liriope’s Magical Rank had undergone such a nonsensical leap in so short a time.
Od had even praised her fundamental aptitude as being extraordinarily exceptional, which was really his way of congratulating himself on his discerning eye in choosing her.
Splash!
Without fear, Liriope closed her eyes and relaxed her body. Slowly, she began to sink into the black swamp.

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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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