[{"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-229":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},1334675,1778,"Chapter 229","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-229",229,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 229: An Old Promise (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empathizing with others is simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You just need to read their words, expressions, and emotions, then respond with sympathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna, too, had trained extensively in reading emotions to develop her social skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that she had entered Sasha’s inner world, the first emotion she felt was despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the training she had gone through to develop social skills felt completely meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emotions now flooding into her were ones she had never experienced in her entire life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are these human emotions?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew that humans, compared to other intelligent species, were capable of feeling far more complex emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she thought she understood them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Far more vivid than I imagined…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless indescribable emotions swirled within her, as complex and varied as paints blending on a palette, trying to consume her entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she didn’t concentrate, she might lose her sense of self in the overwhelming tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swallowing hard, Edna immediately sensed the danger of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Need to escape as soon as possible.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before that, she had to resolve Sasha’s inner demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the depths of the emotional lake, she spotted a flickering light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sasha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spotting her, Edna dove down into the lake without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah, a baby can sense magic? Tower Master, who is this kid? Where on earth did you pick her up from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pick her up? What, does Sasha look like a stray cat to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’ve already given her a name, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, everything just felt good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could feel that everyone cherished and cared for her deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was only later, as she grew older, that she realized their affection came with expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even then, it didn’t weigh heavily on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she was confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sasha, from today you are officially my disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whath’s a dithiple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… it means someone like my other self.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At three years old, she became her master’s official disciple, and she was so happy she bragged about it all day to everyone she met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the fact that the older boys always around her were now called “senior brothers” excited her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made her feel like she was truly part of one big family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm, it’s true. Sasha’s incredibly talented.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m that good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In terms of potential alone, you’re the best mage I’ve ever seen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best potential, the most promising prodigy, the future Archmage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The titles attached to her grew by the day, and so did people’s expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting those expectations wasn’t even that difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just by showing magic to her master, everyone would applaud in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, just seeing the joy and amazement on people’s faces made her happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, you all are the future and hope of the White Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time that expectation felt heavy was when her master passed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, when the war ended and the White Tower entered its reconstruction phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People’s hopes for Oscar Sage’s disciples had multiplied tenfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m a bit scared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if we’re not… you know? Not as great as people think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her anxious expression, Lloyd gently patted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’ll never happen. Don’t forget whose disciples we are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the eldest brother she always leaned on for comfort left the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, cheer up. Leaving home is just a road to suffering. Lloyd’s probably already regretting it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe? Whether we take him back or not, well… that’s something we’ll seriously have to think about later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight of expectations once shared by three now rested on two shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was then she first felt how burdensome people’s expectations could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was still okay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she still had her second brother — strong, cheerful, always reliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He left this letter and disappeared. His room is completely empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter from her second brother only said: “Take care of the White Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Nothing else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He left with one of the high-level magic tomes, but we don’t know which one exactly. We’re doing everything we can to find out…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. Assign all his pending duties to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she knew it, she was alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What she had once thought of as a warm, protective fence had been blown apart like it had been hit by a typhoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Was it because the pressure became too much for them? Because they were afraid they wouldn’t meet expectations?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what about her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What about the one who was left behind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, she tried her best to understand them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as time passed, resentment toward the two began to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was a blessing or a curse, she didn’t have time to dwell on those negative emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She barely had enough energy just to deal with the problems in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if she pretended not to notice, the seed of those feelings had already taken root — and was steadily growing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[White Tower records the lowest performance among all magic towers again this year.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[White Tower, which lost everything 20 years ago, still shows no sign of revival.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crrrck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers crumpled the newspaper without realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Sasha’s eyes were fixed on one sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…No new winds have blown.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know who wrote it, but that was when she first realized that the pen could be sharper than any blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was already aware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the expectations others had, her current results were lackluster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Level 7 Tower Master.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, being at Level 7 was an incredible feat — not something anyone could dismiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some, it was a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For others, merely a pit stop on a longer journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Master of the White Tower, as Oscar Sage’s disciple and successor, she knew she couldn’t be content at this level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone thought so — even Sasha herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I have to grow more. Even more.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the wall she hit wouldn’t break no matter what she tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more time and effort she poured in, the more impatient she became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the other Four Great Towers surged ahead, the White Tower felt like it was stuck in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And thinking that she was the reason for that — made it unbearable to sit still in her room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think I need to take an outside request.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again? You’ve barely been back a few days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. Please take care of the Tower while I’m gone, Deputy-Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She deliberately accepted external missions to leave the Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like a form of atonement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Tower Master herself had to take on field missions due to lack of personnel, then of course she couldn’t focus solely on growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, even breathing inside the White Tower became suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She found herself pathetic for feeling that way, yet she continued to take requests and travel across the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t want anyone to see her afraid of being expected to succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe… deep down, what she was really waiting for was the moment when people would stop expecting anything from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when a ray of salvation descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar Sage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her master, who had once built her warm little fence, had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She believed that with him by her side, she could overcome her weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That if he watched over her, she could withstand the weight of expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-So, you're the successor of Oscar Sage… the White Mage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-If the dead Oscar Sage saw this, he’d regret it to the grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the demon she met in the Red Mountains knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That she was unworthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And through that battle, she realized it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That with her current strength, she couldn’t even protect the people she cared about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When her master returned, she had secretly wanted to show off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That she’d grown so much since she was a child, that she’d become strong enough to protect others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even that had ended in failure, and in the moment her life was saved by her master, who was only Level 6—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something inside her snapped, and the demon in her heart began to whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Don’t expect anything anymore.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, all that remained in her heart was fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brilliant, gifted Sasha Maestro her master once knew no longer existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had faded away, lost among countless failures and endless retreats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the whole world knew that, she wished her master would never find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because at least in his eyes, she wanted to remain a proud student—always.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, everything was ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha buried her face in her knees, hugging them tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this journey, she hadn’t been of any help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d been disgracefully defeated by a demon, and had shown nothing but her own weakness, falling into the demon’s temptation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…He must be disappointed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had wanted to show him only her best—her proudest self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the fact that she couldn’t even manage that made her feel pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears streamed down her cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I wonder what’s happening outside.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Edna made it out safely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were the White Tower’s records recovered?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that she was still alive probably meant the party hadn’t been wiped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then maybe—just maybe—she should try to overcome this demonic temptation and rejoin them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was scared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She feared the cold looks, the ones that would ask her, “Why only now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was worse because, when she’d first joined, she was known as the White Tower Master on the cusp of Level 7.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had looked to her as the ace of the party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It doesn’t matter anymore.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Sasha was sinking deeper—much deeper—into the lake of her emotions, her expression gloomy…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It does matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice whispered in her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Sasha raised her head—and saw a young girl approaching her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The moment you think it’s too late… is often the earliest possible moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Edna?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while, Sasha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon she met after 21 years had shrunk significantly from the image in her memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing Sasha’s glance, Edna spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I used too much power, so I’m in this form now. Just a burden, really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not at all. But… how are you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no time for a full explanation, but in short, things are bad. If you don’t overcome the demonic illusion, everyone will die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha’s eyes trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She instinctively shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… a demonic illusion isn’t something you can just overcome by wanting to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t go into detail. You already know how.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You’re saying I already know the way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This illusion was born from her shattered self-esteem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It arose because the genius who once bore everyone’s expectations had broken down and come to fear them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she couldn’t fulfill her gentle wish to protect others, her heart had become sick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna looked directly at her and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sometimes, we don’t understand the people closest to us. Right now, that’s what’s happening to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… don’t understand what you mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar isn’t as strong as you think he is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing something so foreign, Sasha tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew her master was strong—not just her, but the whole world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Edna shook her head firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See for yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the droplet Edna summoned, Sasha saw her master’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was covered in sweat and blood, his body full of wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his eyes—his eyes were clear, and still very much alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the situation outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, Edna continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar is strong, yes. But what truly makes him strong… is that when it matters, he isn’t afraid to lean on others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…My master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone faces crisis at some point in their lives. But in this planet’s entire history, no one has ever overcome those moments alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha silently gazed into the droplet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on someone, receiving help—that always seemed like the stance of the weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She believed that someone truly strong should be able to push forward without needing anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the person she thought was the strongest… was waiting for her help right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what were the shackles—what was the cage—that had been choking her all this time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be… that it wasn’t someone else who locked her in a cage, but herself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought others had pushed her to the edge, but in truth, she’d been the one driving herself there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she realized that, Sasha let out a hollow chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the voice of the demon that had been whispering relentlessly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long had it been since she felt so at peace?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Sasha’s sharpened gaze, Edna spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s time to return now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",2140,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","d10cb4c161643bcb4136abd18ddf1c30a1e080a2d3789982d5d7947211c659cd","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-230","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-228",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]