[{"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-157":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},1334853,1778,"Chapter 157","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-157",157,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 157: Back to Everyday Life (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the event had completely settled down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a festival ends, what remains are happy memories and a mess of trash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early in the morning, the mages who had woken up started cleaning their lodgings before leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must've grown quite attached. Thinking about leaving makes me feel kind of down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should see a doctor. You're making a fuss over just two weeks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Could you at least try to be sympathetic?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Say something that makes sense, and I might.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Oscar watched as Fran and Veronica bickered as usual from the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as he entered the meeting room, he noticed Elder Maxim looking around before his gaze settled on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, there you are, Oscar. Step out into the hallway for a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The hallway?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. I don’t know who, but someone asked to see you. Looked like a friend of yours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A friend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did little Oscar—or himself—have anyone he could call a friend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran seemed to have the same thought as he spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Another fan, maybe? Plenty of people came looking for you after your performance. Asking for autographs and all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, that must be it. As if that guy has any friends.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How rude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar pouted but didn’t bother refuting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he simply looked at Killian, hoping for a word of warm support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing his gaze, Killian spoke up with a serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Be careful, Oscar. Lately, there’s been an increase in recruitment attempts by cults or pyramid schemes targeting mages and knights. It’s probably because they tend to make good money for their age.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forget it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Expecting anything was his mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar sighed and left the meeting room, passing by the mages cleaning up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he stepped into the hallway, he spotted a familiar face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? You’re… Kiri Gloria?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At least you haven't forgotten my name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not the type to forget things like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kiri Gloria, a Level 5 mage from the Black Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been a while since their last encounter in the Tomb of the Fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were looking for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. I came to say thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Tower had finished in fourth place in the tournament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While that placement matched everyone's expectations, the way they achieved it was completely unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They actually managed to knock the Blue Tower out of the top four.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that was only possible because the White Tower had fought so hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, Oscar’s strategy in the final match had quickly eliminated the other four towers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t do it for your sake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know. You didn’t take them out just to help us. But the fact remains that we were the ones who benefited the most.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she was offering gratitude, there was no reason to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar shrugged, and she handed him a sheet of stationery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A thank-you gift.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just to be clear, if this is money or anything like that—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not, so don’t worry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving money for helping the Black Tower would cause unnecessary complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blue Tower, which had tied for fifth place, would undoubtedly throw a fit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ripping open the envelope, Oscar found a black business card inside, along with an explanatory note.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A business card?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was pitch-black, with no writing on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, he picked up the note and found elegantly written text alongside clumsy little drawings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>- A one-time talisman to block curses targeting you. With this, you’ll be safe too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below that was a doodle of a mage in black robes, stretching out their arms and grinning widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it looked worse than something an elementary student from the academy would draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We call it a Guardian Talisman. It’s a type of artifact that lessens the effects of curses targeting you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard by the unexpected gift, Oscar asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does it work on curses that are already in effect?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well… if it’s a curse, then probably? Why, have you already been cursed by someone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, just asking out of curiosity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and stared at the black card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, if he had this, would it weaken the Baron of Nightmares' curse as well?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Not sure how effective it’ll be…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hopefully, it would be decent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had wanted an artifact like this for a long time, but they were extremely rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does the Black Tower sell these too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. It’s nothing too fancy. Since I made it myself, it's probably only at a Level 5 strength.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what’s the most powerful one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The one made by the Tower Master. It can probably block most curses completely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Tower Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar thought for a moment before asking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of person is the Tower Master?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone worth respecting. They took the position during one of the worst times in Black Tower history, but they’ve been doing a great job. Some say the rapid changes under their leadership are hard to keep up with, but personally, I think it’s a good thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t need to elaborate on what those “rapid changes” were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'This must be one of them.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guardian Talisman in his hand, or the mechanical golems he had seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of those had existed in the Black Tower he remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, they had only focused on destructive magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'If this talisman works well, I’ll buy the highest-grade version, no matter the cost.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resolving himself, Oscar lightly waved the business card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll put it to good use. Thanks for the gift.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That settles our debt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kiri said firmly, making it clear she considered this an even trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have thought that receiving something without giving back was akin to being in debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar chuckled and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, we’ll call it even.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Then, see you next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, see you next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a brief farewell, she left without looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where there are meetings, there are also partings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time to say goodbye to this artificial island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journey back to the White Tower was exhausting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if the mages riding in carriages had heard that, they would have been furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he had returned in a luxury automobile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s just easier to fly, and I could use the flight practice.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was about time that young Oscar fully grasped the sensation of \"flight,\" even in his small body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a mage of the White Tower, he had to be better than anyone at land, sea, and aerial battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahhh, we’re home!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, my body is so stiff, I feel like I’d break if you just poked me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m soaking in hot water today, no matter what.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mages cheered as they arrived at the White Tower and headed to their respective rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar was no different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After parting with the special forces members, he returned to his room and opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A room untouched for weeks, chilled by the cold air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar walked in slowly, put water in the kettle, and set it to boil before asking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coffee? Tea?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence, what came back was admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew, you really are amazing. Oh, and I’ll have tea, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner of the youthful voice was Sasha Maestro.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dispelled her invisibility magic and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did you realize I was following you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From the start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar turned around and smirked as he replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of all people, if your presence suddenly disappears, how could I not notice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see… So, once my presence has been detected, hiding is meaningless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the number one cause of death for assassins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They believe their concealment is perfect and that their target is unaware of their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if they encounter a mage who constantly analyzes everything around them, they’re as good as dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sat on the sofa and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you tired? Constantly analyzing your surroundings like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… I’m pretty sure it was exhausting at first…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he barely even thought about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, it had become as natural as breathing or blinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s good training. You should do it consistently when you remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the water boiled, Oscar steeped the tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rising steam deepened the silence in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, what was it? Why were you trailing me while hiding your presence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blowing on her tea, Sasha looked a bit embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard about it. That you met with the Red Tower Master and the representative of the Yellow Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar flinched at her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Of course, they’d be worried that I might transfer to another magic tower.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that there was already a precedent with Lloyd, their concern was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smiling gently, Oscar reassured her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. My roots are deeply embedded in the White Tower. I won’t go anywhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Oh, that was never in doubt. That’s not the issue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha blinked, as if confused by his response, and continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The problem is the other side. They might covet your talent and try to abduct you, right? I needed to make sure you could handle that properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had always been overshadowed by her older brothers, but Sasha had shown odd tendencies since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar sipped his tea and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, did I pass?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… Yes, I don’t think there’s much to worry about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She grinned and pulled out several newspapers from her pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The first thing I did when I arrived was check the news. It’s already going wild about the White Tower and you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, Oscar picked up the papers and skimmed through the headlines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[White Tower: ‘There may be setbacks, but never downfall.’ Achieves championship victory with outstanding performance at the Mages’ Night.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The wind had always been blowing—we were just too blind to see it. The White Tower, the biggest surprise of the tournament.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Bottom to Top: The White Tower writes an unforgettable story.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Blue Tower, finishing in a disappointing joint 5th place, declares, ‘We don’t particularly care about rankings.’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Four Great Magic Towers: Do they still maintain an absolute gap? The Black and Blood Towers raise doubts.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Four Great Magic Towers in crisis: A sign of new ranking shifts?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[White Tower launches a special limited-edition potion sale and a 15% discount across all products to celebrate their victory.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The response was certainly intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing was clear—the argument that the White Tower should be expelled from the Four Great Magic Towers had disappeared completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At the very least, we’ve established justification.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this year’s White Night Festival, the chances of the White Tower being expelled from the Four Great Magic Towers had significantly decreased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were removed now, people would undoubtedly start asking questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and I met with Uncle Emperor—ah, I mean, His Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar used a crystal ball to share the conversation they had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing everything, Sasha clenched her small fists with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At last… We can finally recover Master’s research!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not guaranteed yet. The Imperial Palace will contact me once they’re ready to proceed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve already waited twenty years. A little more won’t hurt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She beamed, as if they had already retrieved the research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, getting it back wouldn’t be as easy as she imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would have to venture beyond the Red Mountain Range into the Gray Zone, where Edna was said to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And even if we recover the research, the real challenge starts then.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not many factions would want to see the White Tower reclaim its former glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, all he could do was continue growing stronger until the Imperial Palace reached out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1964,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","933e01f471fa94345b2bf1751a67d785edf07b057f9e50b95103e9f9b9b22002","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-158","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-156",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]