[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower":3,"chapter-the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-120":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1334916,1778,"Chapter 120","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-120",120,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>w\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 120: Return (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place Sasha chose for their private walk was the rooftop of the Magic Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A space with no structures, where merely stepping onto it made one feel an exhilarating sense of liberation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white stone floor was so pristine that not even a speck of dust dared to settle, giving the impression of stepping into a sacred sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is it? Standing at the highest point of the White Tower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar silently took in the view before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he had been the Master of the Magic Tower, he, too, often came here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it wasn’t just him—every Master of the Magic Tower throughout history must have done the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing alone at the center of this pure white world made one feel as though they were the last person left in existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the perfect place to clear one’s mind and organize one’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Come to think of it, Sasha has always liked this place.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled a time when he had brought his apprentices here as children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, Sasha had pestered him endlessly to go on picnics to the rooftop every day, giving him no end of trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s nice. Open, liberating, and the breeze is refreshing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right? That’s why it’s a bit of a shame. That I can’t share this view with many others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stairs to the rooftop were connected to the Master’s chamber, meaning only one person—the Master of the White Tower—had exclusive access to this special view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, the first time I came here was when I was a child. We came on a picnic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That must’ve been fun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It really was. It was so much fun that my dream at the time was to become someone who could visit the rooftop every day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Oscar remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once read about Sasha’s childhood dream and had laughed so hard alongside Marlon, the Deputy Master, that they held their sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, it seems your dream has come true. Now you can come up here whenever you like.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......That’s true.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha, with a faintly complex expression, began to walk across the expansive rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar matched her pace, walking alongside her for a while, until she murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But no matter how many times I come up here, it doesn’t feel the same as it did back then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the edge of the rooftop, she placed her hands on the railing and gazed down at the city below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, her eyes seemed to hold not the present but a moment from the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wondered why that was, and one day I realized. Ah, it wasn’t the rooftop itself I liked. It was the moments when I laughed and chatted here with those dear to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar couldn’t bring himself to say anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile Sasha directed at him was so wistful, it broke his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The reason I dislike stories about you or the others isn’t complicated. It’s because they keep bringing up happy memories of the past.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Happy memories should be a good thing, shouldn’t they?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the opposite. Because I know I can never go back to the relationships of those days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mage could gather spilled water, but even they could not turn back time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha closed her eyes and let herself be carried back to the events of that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a saying that even a wealthy family can endure for three years after losing everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the White Tower, once the most powerful entity on the continent, fell in a single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mages, grimoires, fragments of truth, and history passed down through the generations...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it turned to ash and disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just knowledge and objects that were reduced to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those who survived the invasion of the demonic forces were left hollow, like extinguished candles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pride they had once felt in being part of the White Tower vanished along with its collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m leaving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......Where to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who knows? Out of respect for old times, I don’t think I’ll join another Magic Tower. Maybe I’ll look for a position with the royal court.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There aren’t many of us left. Each one of us is valuable in these times...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What, do you think it’s opportunistic to leave as soon as the White Tower collapses? Wake up. The White Tower itself—Oscar Sage—was the one who abandoned us first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who believed Oscar had abandoned them left without looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones who stayed were those who, while hurt by his decision, understood it was unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......Let’s rebuild.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They resolved to rebuild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To recreate the White Tower at its most glorious moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that single goal, the mages banded together, resorting to any means necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s summon every mage affiliated with the White Tower back to the main tower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are there no high-ranking mages among them? Even one would do. Scour the continent if you have to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s start by documenting the basic and intermediate spells we’ve learned and used so far.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve seen our predecessors use their unique magic. Let’s try to replicate it as closely as possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone pooled their efforts, desperately working to restore their lost magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In particular, Oscar’s three apprentices, considered the future leaders of the White Tower, demonstrated exceptional talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they minimized interaction with the outside world and focused solely on their research, the world rapidly changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An era of peace unfolded, and the age of grand magical engineering began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five years passed with everyone’s sole focus on restoring the White Tower’s magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those five years were long enough to show why the Magic Towers had existed in the first place and why the older and more traditional towers wielded such immense influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite their efforts, they failed to recreate even a fragment of the magic their predecessors had developed over centuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calling it restoration was misleading—it was closer to the creation of new magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think this is the end for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My parents’ health is failing. I plan to return home and farm while caring for them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>w\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......The Academy made me an excellent offer. I have a family to support, so... I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five years was enough time for those once united by a common goal to disperse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, it was a miracle they had lasted as long as they did without giving up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, Oscar Sage’s first apprentice, Lloyd Schultz, abruptly left the White Tower without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, the news reported that he had become an apprentice to the Red Tower Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the members of the White Tower read the article, the despair they felt was indescribable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact on the two apprentices who trusted and followed him was particularly devastating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This can’t be happening. Sasha, pack your things. We need to ask him directly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"O-Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two headed to the Red Tower, demanding to meet Lloyd and waiting days for a response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinarily, they would have been thrown out, but being known as Oscar Sage’s apprentices worked in their favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared treat the disciples of a hero carelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, the Red Tower Master came down to the lobby with his apprentices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s all this commotion?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"W-Well... Mages from the White Tower are here, insisting they must meet Lloyd. They’re Oscar Sage’s disciples.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? Is that so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an amused smile, the Red Tower Master turned to Lloyd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lloyd, it seems you have visitors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......My apologies for the disturbance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need. We’ll wait here, so go ahead and speak with them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd stepped forward from the group, wearing a crimson robe as vivid as blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The striking contrast of his appearance left Gilliot and Sasha momentarily speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd spoke in a tone that was slightly angry, almost spitting out the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly irritated, Gilliot, trying to keep his temper in check for the sake of the situation, asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, brother, I’m really pissed off right now. So make it simple enough for an idiot to understand. …What the hell are you doing here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The news must have already been reported,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd replied dryly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve become a mage of the Red Tower, and the Red Tower Master has taken a liking to me, so I became their disciple. That’s all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Why did you leave the White Tower?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was the most logical decision.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why didn’t you consult with us, not even once, about such a significant decision?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold and emotionless eyes turned toward the visibly upset Gilliot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because, likewise, that was the most logical decision.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…One last question. What exactly were we to you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that question, Lloyd let out a deep sigh as if utterly exasperated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pathetic. Did you seriously come all this way just to say something like that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something like that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you insist, I’ll answer. I hate you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd’s words pierced through the ears of the two like sharp arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In fact, I’ve hated you for a long time. We share no blood ties, not even a drop. We are complete strangers. And yet, just because we happened to serve the same master for a brief time, you started treating me like family, leaning on me, and expecting things from me. I found all of that incredibly bothersome and detestable. Your expectations of me became so burdensome and suffocating that I ran away from the White Tower. I never thought you’d chase me all the way here. Does that answer suffice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha couldn’t say anything as tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What scared her more than her tears, though, was the possibility that her second senior might lose his temper and cause a scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that happened, he might end up beaten to a pulp here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…I see. I understand your thoughts now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gilliot showed an entirely unexpected reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it didn’t bother him at all, he calmly nodded and turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t cry over a jerk like that, kid. Let’s go home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And Lloyd Schultz,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking back, Gilliot issued a chilling warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t ever cross my path again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, sounds of conversation between Lloyd and the Red Tower Master could be faintly heard in the background, but Sasha couldn’t remember them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What she did remember came six months later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even her second senior, whom she had relied on, disappeared, taking one of the high-level magic books from the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And after that…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha trailed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not much different from what’s publicly known. Everyone rallied around me, giving up their rightful positions to ensure I could access more advanced magic. Honestly, I’m not the kind of person suited to leading others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, don’t look at me like that with such pity. I’m genuinely happy these days. Back then, I thought the day when my efforts would finally pay off would never come. I felt so much self-doubt, wondering what I was even doing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She beamed a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But thanks to you, Oscar, things have gotten so much better, haven’t they? So you really don’t need to make that face. Anyway, that’s why I said I could never go back to the way things were back then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>w\u003C\u002Fp>",1896,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","e607ed2fe2b16c97c95ac74b065bb1b6700083778311254be822ec6fdde5a9ff","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-121","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-119",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]