[{"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-288":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},1334832,1778,"Chapter 288","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-288",288,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 288: The Primordial Evil (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was one week left until the expedition members from the Church and the Heavenly Sword Clan were to gather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar went to seek advice from Edna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If anyone would know something about Belpher, it’d be her.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the trail of mana, he arrived at the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna was there, reading through a mountain of books stacked beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body still that of a child, her legs dangled off the chair, not touching the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long time no see, Edna.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat across from her, but there was no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was dawn, so the library was empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To get her attention, Oscar tapped lightly on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Edna?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hear you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought you were too focused to notice. What’s with the early morning reading?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m catching up on the information I’ve missed over the past twenty-one years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……You mean all day long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar didn’t realize it, but Edna had already become a legend of the White Tower—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the cute girl who read dozens of books a day, twenty-four hours straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every mage in the tower was curious about her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You sure you’re fine without sleeping?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve slept more than enough for a lifetime already. Now state your business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone was oddly cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar scratched his cheek awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re… not mad at me, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am not. More importantly, I am a dragon. I can perfectly control my emotions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whish! Whish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the sound of her turning pages was violent enough to contradict that claim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……You’re sure you’re not mad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I already said I am not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she insisted, pressing further would be weird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded casually and continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All right. The truth is, I’m forming an expedition, and its goal is—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna slammed her book shut and finally looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes were burning with unmistakable fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said you were too busy last time but promised it wouldn’t happen again, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, yeah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he hadn’t exactly neglected her since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a careful tone, Oscar asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did something happen? Before I left for the Black Tower, I asked Sasha and Lloyd to look after you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar, are you an idiot!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump! Thump! Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna pounded the desk with her palm, then quickly hid her hand underneath and rubbed it in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve known them since they were babies. There’s no way I could make personal requests of them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I thought as a long-lived dragon, you wouldn’t care much. Humans must all look like children to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With you, it’s different. You were already an adult when we met, and we became friends, so I can speak freely. But asking a human I’ve known since they were infants for a personal favor now… th-that’s honestly embarrassing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t she just say dragons perfectly control their emotions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That control doesn’t seem to be working at all…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar wisely kept that thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what kind of favor couldn’t you ask them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……The mages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The mages?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just want to read quietly, but they keep coming to bother me—squealing that I’m cute and even asking if they can pat my head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar could imagine the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wouldn’t that be something Sasha or Lloyd could easily handle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……And what if they start treating me like a child too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fair point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body might be small, but her pride as a noble dragon was intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted to preserve her dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All right. I’ll take care of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Especially the ones asking to pat my head—absolutely forbidden.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll put up a sign at the library entrance if I have to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, her expression softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar smiled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you know, even if you did ask them, they wouldn’t treat you like a child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you be sure of that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because they really respect you. They call you Miss Edna and treat you properly. They know you’re not just anyone—you’re their master’s friend. They’d never be careless with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, she nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then we’re good now, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Controlling emotions like this is nothing for a dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar swallowed the words he wanted to say and asked instead,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Late question, but… how’s your body?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad. Peaceful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And your mana recovery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Smoothly. I’ve recovered about seven percent so far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only seven? Isn’t that a bit slow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his concern, she tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am a dragon. My mana storage capacity is incomparable to a human’s. Even seven percent surpasses Sasha’s total mana.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fair enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected of a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna pushed the books aside with effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now then, tell me more about this expedition.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Oscar explained, she closed her eyes briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… Demon King Belpher… Demon King Belpher…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she opened them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I remember now. He was born 873 years ago, and by the end of his life, he had reached what would now be considered level nine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No more details?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He isn’t well-documented. All that’s recorded is that he wielded a sword and used a distinctively evil power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. Are we sure he’s dead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to the dragon who observed the event: after being pierced through the heart by the holy sword, he raged for seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds, killed every human present, and then his life signs ceased entirely. The dragons continued to check his body every ten years, and it remained dead each time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Completely insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To rampage for seventeen minutes with a holy sword through his heart—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but thankfully, he was definitely dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the ten-year confirmations made the record credible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So retrieving the holy sword from that island shouldn’t be too dangerous, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Records say no living presence has ever been detected around the island.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the aura of death? Still safe to approach?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the time, approaching it would cause your flesh to rot, but that miasma has weakened over the centuries. With the Church’s holy magic, it’s entirely manageable now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relieved by her assurance, Oscar finally relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As expected of you, Edna. Always have the answers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Please don’t describe me like some magical device.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They spent the rest of the time chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A week later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knights of the Heavenly Sword Clan arrived at the base of the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword himself looked up at the tower with a displeased frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just looking at it makes my neck hurt. Needlessly tall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take that as a compliment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……You really only hear what you want to hear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Heavenly Sword shook his head, Oscar exchanged glances with the Young Sword Lord behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a week, the man looked noticeably healthier and more muscular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, another group arrived—one perfectly matching the tower’s solemn air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“El Sia! Seems we timed our arrival perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Archbishop Baldwin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s eyes widened in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected the Archbishop—who should be busy with church politics—to join in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if reading his thoughts, Baldwin leaned close and whispered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did some checking. There’s no real danger in this expedition. Wouldn’t it make a fine spectacle if the Archbishop personally reclaimed a sacred relic? Besides, it’ll boost my support rate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly impressive, Your Grace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A priest obsessed with politics—truly terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar glanced at both groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go up. The Tower Master is waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few key representatives entered the meeting room,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>from the Heavenly Sword Clan, the Heavenly Sword himself and the Young Sword Lord;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>from the Church, Archbishop Baldwin and a young, nameless paladin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome to the White Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for coming all this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones greeting them were Sasha, the Tower Master; Hamel, the Deputy Master; and Lloyd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword smirked, while Baldwin simply smiled in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Two level-eights, huh. Still green, but impressive.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No wonder the White Tower’s reputation has skyrocketed lately.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the mages they’d passed on the way up were powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With high-tier spells recently unsealed, the tower’s mages were learning like mad,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and their collective skill was soaring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, both visitors shared one unspoken question,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why is he here?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm, perhaps Oscar’s wealth and influence have made him indispensable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stood with the others as an equal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, I’ve heard the White Tower’s fame is sky-high these days—and now I see why.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You flatter us, Your Grace. We’re simply grateful for your kind words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Baldwin’s smooth diplomacy, the meeting went well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The usual point of contention in such gatherings—division of spoils—was already neatly resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To summarize: all rewards from the expedition, except the holy sword itself, will be divided between the White Tower and the Heavenly Sword Clan at a 9:1 ratio. The Church will handle all official announcements, and the retrieved holy sword Itaca will be loaned to the Heavenly Sword Clan for thirty years free of charge. Correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword and Baldwin both nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No objections.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A most elegant arrangement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then this concludes the meeting. Departure is set for tomorrow morning at exactly seven. Everyone, assemble on the 53rd floor before then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sixteen hours remained until the launch of the Third Labyrinth Expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1553,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","2d3ce49a12adc602eac58fbeaedacc7190ccec19fe8dca8ed760fd7a7737eb77","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-49","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-287",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]