[{"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-192":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},1334888,1778,"Chapter 192","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-192",192,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 192: The Miracle Healer (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… cough, you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor, gasping for breath, gave a bitter smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already summoned countless clerics from the temple, renowned healers, even famous doctors from the East. They all examined me and came to the same conclusion—incurable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Incurable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In simple terms, it means there’s no treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar narrowed his eyes and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the reason?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor tapped his head with a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because there's a bug crawling around inside here. It's growing rapidly, day by day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…If you’ve found the cause, can’t you just remove it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you think we’ve tried? We’ve already attempted that several times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor leaned back into his chair, looking exhausted, and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All attempts failed. It’s quite clever and nimble. We just can’t catch it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t catch it…? You mean the bug moves around constantly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be precise, it only moves when treated. It’s highly sensitive to any external energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…May I take a look myself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annoyance flickered briefly across the Emperor’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a disease that even the most brilliant doctors and even archbishops had given up on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t believe things would be different just because some young man took a look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But still… admirable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What moved the Emperor’s heart was Oscar’s expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twisted look on his face seemed like someone whose own parent had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bit his lip in sorrow, as if it were happening to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was comforting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since in the current royal imperial, most had already accepted the Emperor’s death as inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I permit it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving permission, Oscar slowly approached the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed his hand gently on the Emperor’s body and closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mana began to observe everything within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, in the center of the Emperor’s brain, there was a small living creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It radiated a foul mana, and upon sensing Oscar’s magic, it became alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the scan continued, the bug began to twitch irritably, and the Emperor winced in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar quickly withdrew his energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s definitely sensitive. It started moving just from a simple scan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why no one’s been able to remove it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about using strong divine power or magic to obliterate it all at once… Is that impossible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s possible. But given its location, they said there’s a high risk I’d end up brain-dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he survived, it would be meaningless if the Empire’s pillar became a husk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Oscar’s troubled face, the Emperor spoke lightly, as if it were no big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This too must be the goddess’s will. If that’s the case, I’d rather live just one more day as myself than survive in shame as a fool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Typical of the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Oscar felt his nose sting with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t realized it from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor’s voice and gaze still held authority, and his charisma was intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing him up close, it was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s grown old.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wrinkled face, the hair gone white, the bony hands that had lost their former strength…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he held a sword again, those hands probably wouldn’t be as mighty as they once were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bitterness rose on his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t said it before, but as a child, the Emperor had terrified him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he not have been?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That piercing, wordless stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That emotionless face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The solemn figure who nodded only at the master’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For an orphan from the back alleys like himself, even making eye contact had been a struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Still, we got close eventually.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because he was particularly charming or the Emperor was especially kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that the Emperor always stood in place, waiting for Oscar to approach him first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over time, they had grown to casually exchange jokes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time spares no one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar wondered—if his master were still alive, would he have felt the same way toward him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his heart stirring, Oscar asked quietly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s possible… may I try treating Your Majesty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Treat me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor looked at the young mage before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already tried just about everything. Do you really have a better idea?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes. A little while ago, I summoned Neil Brion out of thin air.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean the subspace artifact?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be clear, that wasn’t the artifact’s power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar lightly flicked his fingers, and a space opened up slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I climbed Starlight Mountain and, through a fated encounter, learned this magic. I was lucky enough to have Lord Ado Vail—the first Tower Master of the White Tower—as my teacher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ado Vail?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name sparked a flicker of interest in the Emperor’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as an Emperor, tales of such a legendary mage were bound to be fascinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Interesting. Can you tell me more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar took a seat and calmly began recounting his journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor listened, occasionally surprised, sometimes smiling gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you’ve essentially inherited the will of the first Tower Master, once believed lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think of it that grandly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then your story—how does it relate to the treatment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m thinking of using spatial magic to remove the creature.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Emperor’s expectant gaze, Oscar continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bug in Your Majesty’s brain is hypersensitive to external energy—magic or divine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. The moment it feels anything, it starts going wild—especially when anything nears the head.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t something that could be resolved by merely putting the Emperor to sleep with magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain wasn’t the issue—it was the damage caused by the bug thrashing around inside the brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I use spatial magic, I believe I can eliminate it before it has time to react.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eliminate it before it reacts… What’s the success rate you estimate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At this point, around 30%.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>30%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to all the failed attempts, that was an overwhelmingly high chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given the Emperor’s symbolic status, it was still not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you give me just a little time, I’ll raise it to 80%.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…There’s not much time left. Are you sure you can manage that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. It’s just that I haven’t practiced this kind of maneuver before. With some trials, I’ll get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t arrogance or overconfidence, but the result of cold analysis and self-awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An 80% chance—worth risking his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than that, he could feel his condition deteriorating by the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I get any worse, I’ll be bedridden.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, not even simple tasks would be possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t have a successor he fully trusted with everything, either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some thought, the Emperor finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me everything you need. I’ll give you my full support.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tray clattered in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tossed carelessly, some of the food splattered messily onto the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imprisoned in the underground dungeon of the Imperial Palace, Neil Brion simply stared blankly at the tray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pitiful meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a few weeks ago, he had worn fine suits and sliced steak at the best restaurants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how was it now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a cheap prison uniform made of low-grade fabric, he was confined in a damp underground cell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone who knew him were to see him now, they would never believe he was Neil Brion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Khk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil Brion suddenly chuckled, his shoulders shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrrgle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as his stomach growled shamelessly, he didn’t pay it any mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah, to think even garbage like you is granted a trial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier who had brought his meal spat on the ground as if he couldn’t understand the concept of law, then left without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil Brion didn’t even have the energy to be angry at such treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m going to die.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial was merely for show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d probably be sentenced to death, but they wouldn’t kill him immediately after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d be tortured, forced to spill everything he knew, and only then would he be executed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe they’d hang him in the public square as a warning to others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, Neil Brion wasn’t particularly afraid of dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s just...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What filled him with shame and regret was not being of more use to the one he served.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That person had given him multiple chances, yet he failed to eliminate Oscar Crucian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrrgle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, his clueless stomach continued to growl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a scowl, he flipped over the food tray in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Oscar Crucian.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bastard who whispered sweet lies to him, almost making him betray the one he served.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only he could kill that man, he’d be willing to sell his soul to the devil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Neil Brion frowned as he looked at the overturned tray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a piece of paper stuck in a boiled potato.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carefully reaching out, he picked up the potato and split it in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, a rolled-up paper and a single pill dropped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The note contained details of his next mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah! Aaah...!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he read it, Neil Brion completely forgot his hunger, trembling with ecstasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m still needed by that person. I can still be of help.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though locked away in this filthy, damp prison, he still had work to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was to be his final mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With renewed clarity, Neil Brion looked down at the food scattered across the wet floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing his disgust, he lowered his head and began to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if he wanted to complete his mission—he had to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar had been assigned a small palace, but he hadn’t left his room, instead devoting himself to training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The worm crawling inside the Emperor’s head is really cunning.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It clearly had intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, how could it respond so quickly to external energies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘In other words, I have only one chance.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he failed on the first try, the creature would begin to guard against spatial magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it realized it couldn’t stop him, it would start tap dancing inside the Emperor’s brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outcome was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor would be left a vegetable, and Oscar would be imprisoned for life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That must not happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching Level 6, he had installed two new magic circuits, but they were still unstable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, stabilizing them within two days was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa, what is all this…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran gaped as he stepped into the palace at Oscar’s invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as the son of a successful merchant family, this was his first time inside the imperial palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, you called for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I needed someone I can trust.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone trustworthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran rubbed his nose bashfully at those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem. When it comes to trust, who better than Fran Sirius, right? So, what do you need me to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to be away for a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You were talking about treating the Emperor… don’t tell me you’re running away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar handed him a pair of transparent gloves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are these?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My treasure. Just hold onto them for me. It’ll make things easier when I return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Return? Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, crack!—a subspace portal opened in front of Oscar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a backpack filled with food and water, he shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who knows? Somewhere even I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, hey! You crazy bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran reached out in a panic, but the portal swallowed Oscar whole before he could stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1918,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","6fb119d1063f1756555244bde37a40246e5f184e34b6a6a12f7b262cfa9de2ed","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-193","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-191",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]