Chapter 59 : Hehehehe!
Ailiya stumbled out of the dungeon, feeling like a meatball pounded by a butcher’s mallet. Life keeps tempering me, making my flesh tender and springy, she thought wryly.
Clutching the broken halves of her cheap wand, her companion through her academy days, she wondered, Maybe some tape could fix it…
“A broken wand’s magic circuits are severed. Taping it won’t restore its function,” Liliane’s cool voice shattered her hopes.
Ailiya’s face fell, staring at the wand’s remains. “What now?” A new one would cost a fortune, likely forcing her to graze the academy’s lawn for meals.
“Buy some salt,” Aurora teased from the side. “At least it’ll taste better.”
“Salt your head, you smug jerk!” Ailiya snapped, tempted to chuck the broken wand at her.
Liliane glanced at the bickering pair, then at Ailiya. “Since my spell broke your wand, I’ll replace it.”
Ailiya’s eyes lit up. Lady Liliane’s paying? For real? But her jaded, work-worn instincts kicked in. What’s the catch? Her mind conjured a sinister Liliane: “You don’t want to fail your magic exams without a wand, do you? Heh heh heh!”
“What goes on in that head of yours?” Liliane asked, exasperated by Ailiya’s shifting expressions.
“Caution!” Ailiya declared. “My parents once tricked me into hauling bricks at a site, promising a new novel. After slaving away, they just patted me, said ‘good job,’ and gave me a candy!”
Liliane paused, processing. “Even if I seem harsh,” she said wearily, “I don’t break promises over something like this.”
“Exactly! That’s just Ailiya’s silly bias. Lady Liliane’s word is gold!” Aurora jumped in, defending her idol.
“Hey, I’m right here,” Ailiya muttered.
In this adventurer-centric town, wands were plentiful. Originally, they’d planned to stay until nine, but the Calamitas Rubicorne chaos had given them extra time.
“Let’s go,” Liliane said, leading the way. “I’ll take you to buy a wand.”
Aurora and Seraphina wanted to explore the market, so they split off. Liliane guided Ailiya to a worn tent, its sign bearing the Mage Guild’s seal.
Inside, a gaunt old woman lounged on a creaky rocking chair, puffing a pipe, smoke veiling her face. She barely glanced at them. “Look around. Pick something, pay up,” she rasped.
“Go choose,” Liliane told Ailiya. “I’ll cover it.”
“Wow, Lady Liliane’s so generous!” Ailiya cheered, but inwardly panicked. I know nothing about magic gear…
She stared at the wall of wands, overwhelmed.
“The core of a wand lies in its material and internal magic circuits,” Liliane explained. “When casting, mana flows through these circuits, amplifying and guiding external mana to form spells. Focus your mind—you can faintly sense the circuits’ structure.”
Really? Ailiya skeptically grabbed a nearby wand, squinting hard to “sense” it. Her eyes nearly crossed, but it remained just polished wood.
The old woman, puffing her pipe, drawled, “If you’re clueless, check the price. Fancy wands are overkill for newbies—barely any boost. Unless you want a gem-studded one for show.”
Ailiya nodded. Fair point. She browsed carefully, settling on a mid-priced, plain ash wand. Liliane paid without comment.
Ailiya hugged her new wand protectively, terrified of another mishap. As they left the tent, she started to ask where next, but noticed Liliane frozen, her usually aloof violet eyes sparkling with interest, a faint smile—unconscious—on her lips.
Huh? Ailiya stepped back, following her gaze.
At a nearby wall, a white mother cat tenderly groomed a tiny, palm-sized kitten. Lady Liliane… likes cats? Ailiya felt she’d unlocked a secret.
Ignoring Ailiya’s stare, Liliane softened her steps, approaching the cats, hand outstretched to pet them. But the mother cat, hyper-vigilant, snatched her kitten and bolted—straight to Ailiya’s feet. Deeming the goofy-looking girl safer, it rubbed affectionately against her leg.
Liliane’s hand hung awkwardly in midair. She retracted it, whirling to glare at Ailiya with a look of icy betrayal, as if Ailiya had stolen her family’s honor.
My fault?! Ailiya stood, clutching her wand, wilting under the freezing stare.