[{"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-257":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},1334772,1778,"Chapter 257","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-257",257,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 257: Blooming the Flower (8)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is this flower dead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Tower’s forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the child’s question, his master bent down to examine the flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lloyd, this flower isn’t dead, it’s withering.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does withering mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It means the flower doesn’t have much time left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what’s the difference between withering and dying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master patted the boy’s head, as if finding his student admirable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a good question. Simply put, withering is the process, and death is the result.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The process of a flower dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is what it means to wither.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking in the information, the boy’s violet eyes stared at the dying flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then it’s not dead yet, so does that mean I can still save it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t want this flower to die? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child, who always had quick answers to difficult questions, fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself didn’t know the reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was simply moved by the pitiable sight of a flower drooping and losing its spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know. I just feel sorry for it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Compassion, then. Shall we try to save it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s give it a try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd carefully transplanted the wilting flower into a pot his master had brought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed the pot by a sunny window and watered it at the same time each day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a week of such days, the flower began to regain life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heyyy! Stop right there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare you ‘hey’ your big brother… and no, I’m not stopping.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ughhh, if I catch you, you’re dead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when his younger siblings noisily ran through the halls, he didn’t scold them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the only thing on his mind was going back to his room to water the flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bloom in the pot, now fully opened, looked vigorous and lively, unlike when he first found it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he saw its healthy, radiant state, Lloyd’s heart filled with joy, and his days felt happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm? Lloyd, what’s that pot you’re carrying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, Magiro. This is a flower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can see that. I mean, why are you carrying it around?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s my companion flower. I think it feels a bit stuffy inside, so I’m letting it get some fresh air.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…R-right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spent more and more time with the flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though embarrassed to tell anyone, he even gave it a name—“Sydney.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because he had saved it, just looking at healthy Sydney filled him with pride and warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could it be that Master looks at us with this same feeling?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought maybe so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, his teacher always gazed at them with such warmth and affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One morning, he noticed the flower in the pot was withering again, just like when he first found it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sydney was dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master! Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he normally scolded his siblings for running in the halls, Lloyd himself dashed down the corridor clutching the pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching his master’s room in a hurry, he swallowed nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-the flower! Sydney is dying again! What do I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar, who had been sorting documents, glanced at the flower and gave a faint, wry smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems this child’s time has finally run out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does that mean… then what should I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd couldn’t accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed he could save it again—he had already done so once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his master shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter what you do now, nothing will change. This flower has already lived far longer than it was meant to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flower’s true name was Elone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a blossom that bloomed briefly at the end of autumn, then died when winter came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now it was already spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar rose from his seat and approached Lloyd, who was reeling in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surely, this flower was happy. It may have even been the first Elone to endure a harsh winter and survive until spring. And that was all thanks to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd didn’t want to admit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, he refused to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like suddenly parting from a dear friend he had lived with for months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t there any way? Master, you’re an incredible mage—you can do amazing magic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar looked troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, magic wasn’t omnipotent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when it came to life bound by its natural span—magic couldn’t change that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the miracle was that the flower meant to die in winter had survived into spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It showed how much effort and love Lloyd had given it each day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sadly, I don’t know any magic that can extend this flower’s life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, his master was the greatest mage alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even he didn’t know, then such magic surely didn’t exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the boy’s disappointed face, Oscar added quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Lloyd, you might find it one day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A magic even his master couldn’t use?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the disbelief on his student’s face, Oscar gently stroked his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet. But someday, when you create your own world, it may not be impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd let out a short breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered reading in a book from the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that mages who reached the pinnacle could form a “world,” within which they wielded godlike power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then, if I create my own world, will I be able to make a flower that never withers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A flower that never withers? That’s what you wish for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar chuckled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the kind of laugh born from knowing how great the power of a “world” truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child’s innocence could be so beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Honestly, I thought he would wish for something grander… like reviving the dead.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how adults thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one had such power, one could save not only flowers, but people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all Lloyd wished for was a flower that would never wither.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was enough for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He desired nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course it’s possible. But as that day approaches, your dream may change.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd hugged the pot tightly and declared firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My dream will never change.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar smiled faintly at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was childish bravado, or perhaps it was the resolve of a true mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which it was, only time would reveal when Lloyd grew older.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m curious too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would this child be able to protect his pure dream until the very end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar, lost briefly in memory, opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd had been so adorable back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe that’s why it shocked me so deeply.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy who once wished for an eternal flower had built such a desolate world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That truth pained him, making him want to mend it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No news yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at the impenetrable sealed subspace, Edna asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet. How much time has passed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only 7 minutes and 32 seconds so far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seven minutes here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was a quintuple-layered subspace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, that would mean a year and 158 days had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Has Lloyd been wandering that long in the depths of his memory?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bitter taste filled his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How hard must life have been, that it took him so long to remember his own dream?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wouldn’t it be better to pull him out now, even if it means lowering the layers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean, why? What if he fails to find it before time runs out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He won’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s unwavering faith shone through again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arms folded, he stared at the still subspace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And besides, it’s meaningless. The answer lies within him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding the answer within himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it took an eternity, Lloyd had to do this to move forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tick, tock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ticking of the clock filled the room, louder than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because each second here meant nearly seventy days for him inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna’s lips parted slightly in reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crkkk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sealed subspace began slowly opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within stepped Lloyd, unchanged from when he had entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He looks the same as before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…He trimmed his beard.”Follow current novels on NovєlFіre.net\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like Lloyd to maintain a clean appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded unconsciously, then smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you find what you sought?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The answer is within me. You were right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nodding confidently, Lloyd’s eyes looked deeper than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, they had been like bottomless pits, now, they resembled the ocean’s abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard to explain, but there was a clear difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a relief. Then take the rest of your time to rest well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bowing politely, Lloyd left the garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s realized something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right? His mana feels so much more profound—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not what I meant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at him with faint exasperation, as though he were completely oblivious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you looking at me like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really not know? Or are you pretending?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Never mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking her head, Edna walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar blinked in confusion for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kudel Redmane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 24th master of the Red Tower entered the training hall with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, members of the White Tower and even imperial court mages had gathered to observe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We meet again, Andre.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’d rather not meet under circumstances like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Andre Bright, commander of the imperial court mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attending as referee for the duel between two 8th-level mages, he sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already, four 8th-level mages were assembled here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they combined their power, they could achieve far greater things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And yet all they’re doing is brawling.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proof of Color, they called it, but it was really just a duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clicking his tongue inwardly, Andre spoke aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you all know, this is Proof of Color. The losing tower must abide by the victor’s terms. Since it’s a match between 8th-levels, there will be no restrictions on magic’s power. But should I judge any life to be at risk, I and the entire court mage corps will intervene to stop it. Any objections?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Kudel removed his sunglasses and hooked them into the pocket of his palm-tree shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disciple. Any objections?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None. And I told you already—I quit being your disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Keheheh, say that after you win.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Andre continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Red Tower’s condition is to take Lloyd Schultz back. The White Tower’s condition is that the Red Tower must never show interest in him again. Any objections?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At their responses, Andre turned to Oscar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar tugged at the strings of space, and a rift of subspace opened, swallowing the entire training hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1751,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","0c0842ecad3bcbcafc4509228e0b7eabf960687df3f45df08258447378a1ad3a","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-20","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-19",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]