[{"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-352":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},1334623,1778,"Chapter 352","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-352",352,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 352: Observers (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seiro, sitting on the sofa with his eyes wide open, muttered a chilling warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t forget. I’ll remember what happened today for a long, long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flick!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where do you get off speaking casually to an adult? Do you even know how old I am?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After flicking the boy’s forehead, Oscar quietly brewed coffee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mad Fiend naturally leaned back against his usual spot in the corner of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want a cup?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coffee, you say. A beverage that forcibly stimulates the nerves to maintain a temporary state of alertness. It may help with immediate arousal, but in the end, it merely postpones current fatigue to later. Above all, it’s extremely bitter and tastes awful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slurp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that last part was the real point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then cocoa?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…If I had to choose, that would be better than coffee. Instead of forcibly elevating the nerves, it stabilizes them more gently. And it replenishes sugar as well, so for a human, it’s quite a decent suggestion. Give me a cup.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, a child’s palate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar handed him a mug of cocoa and sat down on the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then was it the Dragon Lord who sent you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. The Lord personally entrusted me with this task.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that, Seiro puffed out his chest proudly, clearly brimming with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stroked his chin, thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, the lizard in front of him was weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So weak that he felt it would lose even if thrown among the troublemakers of the Special Operations Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then did they deliberately not send a strong dragon for this reconnaissance?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of thought, Oscar asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dragon that headed north—are they around your level too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Elder Valterion went there. For reference, he’s not even comparable to someone like me in terms of strength. So you’d better start treating me well in advance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving the smug Seiro another flick on the forehead, Oscar sank back into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Valterion… I’ve met him before.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered him as a rather aggressive red dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that case, it meant they had sent a strong dragon to the north and a weak one to the south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This one said their purpose in coming down was reconnaissance.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if this was the Demon Realm, there was no reason to deploy an elder-level dragon just for reconnaissance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant Valterion might have been assigned ‘another mission’ that even this one didn’t know about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s not certain yet. I’ll have to meet him to know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar set down his coffee cup and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said you’re joining up in two days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. He said he’d come find me where I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basically, dragons can sense each other’s locations or states.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how Edna had noticed the presence of the two lizards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if one deliberately suppressed their presence, even that became difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Then stay put quietly until Valterion arrives. I think I’ll need to have a proper conversation with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you planning to use me as a hostage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what did you think you were until now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch, if I just open my mouth—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar spoke calmly, crossing his legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was certain—the hatchling in front of him couldn’t defeat him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it opened its mouth to use word magic, he was confident he could cut off its tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it knew that as well, because it only made an unpleasant expression and didn’t argue further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then give me more cocoa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s some in the cupboard. Make it yourself. And Mad Fiend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the call, the Mad Fiend in the corner raised his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar gestured toward Seiro with his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going out for a bit, so keep an eye on this guy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Seiro hurriedly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re telling me to stay alone with that monster?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. The Mad Fiend doesn’t bite people recklessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m a dragon, though?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seiro shouted desperately toward Oscar’s back as he left the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“D-doesn’t bite dragons either, right? I’ll be fine, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place Oscar went to was the rooftop of the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, he saw Edna, who seemed to have grown taller since the first time he’d come here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you looking at?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he approached, her gaze remained fixed on the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I see humans—who live at most a few decades, or at longest a hundred years—living so busily… it makes me reflect on myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because you wonder why you don’t live that diligently?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stood beside her and looked out over the bustling city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it inevitable? If anything, it’s because life is short that they can live so busily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we could live for thousands of years like you, even up to ten thousand, we’d probably take it easy too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna, mulling over his words, gave a small nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That may be true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a slightly relieved expression, she asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you come because you had something to say to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, right. I heard Valterion went beyond the Red Mountains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Valterion… I see. No wonder they both felt familiar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think their real purpose is? They didn’t just come to check if the war is over, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re probably most curious about the current state of the continent. Whether the war has ended, and if so, who won, and what has changed compared to the past.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When distance grows, so does emotional distance—and eventually, interest fades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after leaving the planet for 21 years, they suddenly send a reconnaissance mission?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re not thinking of coming back, are they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think that possibility is rather high. Otherwise, there would be no need to send scouts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not like some former lover who cheated and left, only to come back saying, “It’s still you after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ran away because they were afraid of the demons, and now they want to return shamelessly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar clicked his tongue lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is going to be uncomfortable. And even if they do return, a lot will be different from before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s likely true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First of all, no one would welcome the dragons’ return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, dragons were respected because they were observers and recorders of the world—and ultimately, its final arbiters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they had abandoned their duty and fled at the most critical moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh, the Emperor uncle is going to be furious when he hears this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t he the one who, enraged by their departure, erased records as soon as the war ended?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of face do they think they can come back with? Is it because their skin—no, their scales—are thick?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that’s not it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice cracked as she swallowed, barely managing to force out the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He… is dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s dead. I’m certain. He’s dead. I can feel it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not understanding her words, Oscar straightened from where he had been leaning against the railing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Who’s dead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Valterion. Just before dying, he sent his location data.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Edna stirred her mana, a massive map of the continent appeared before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes moved quickly before she pointed to a spot with her index finger, marking the location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s gaze did not waver as he looked at the marked point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked in a more serious tone than ever before:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That place was one he knew all too well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he not—it was where he had died in his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the Great Emperor’s Castle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know why Valterion went there, but the place where he died is indeed there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind filled with stormy thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Valterion is an elder-level dragon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning he was among the highest-ranking beings in his race, aside from the Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a being went north—and was killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s thoughts raced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If he died at the Great Emperor’s Castle, is the culprit likely the Second Great Emperor?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why had Valterion gone there in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that he was surveying the north, happened to pass by the castle, and encountered the Emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No way.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragons are observers of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No map in existence would be more accurate than the information in Valterion’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He must have gone there deliberately.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he was killed there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The missing middle of that sequence couldn’t be deduced here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar abruptly turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need to see Seiro.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the two returned to the room, Seiro wore a dazed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment his trembling eyes spotted Edna, he sprang up and ran toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A-aunt. Just now, did Elder Valterion send his location data—no. No, that’s not it. Elder Valterion didn’t send any signal, right? Right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna lowered her gaze slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strong tremor could be felt from the sleeve he had grabbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The source of that tremor was fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting out a faint sigh, she spoke as gently as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Listen carefully, Seiro. Just now, Elder Valterion died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna grabbed Seiro’s shoulders and shook him as he stood frozen in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know why he went to the Demon Realm? Do you know why he died?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrified, Seiro shook his head and tried to step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Edna gripped his shoulders even tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you know anything, you must tell us. Do you really know nothing at all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating for a long while, Seiro finally parted his lips with difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“F-first, I came south to find out whether the war had ended. And if it had, what species currently rules the continent, whether the Human Alliance still exists, and things like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Elder Valterion… seemed to have another purpose as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you think that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Before we came here, the Lord told us what to do if a companion died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seiro’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the time, I thought it was just something adults say out of formality…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did the Lord say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that question, Seiro raised his head and stared at Edna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He told me to go find you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna’s brows furrowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Because I have enough power to protect someone like you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I don’t know. He said that if a situation arose where I had to find you, then I should say this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the Dragon Lord’s words, Seiro slowly opened his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said to find the place that contains eternity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A place that contains eternity? Edna, do you have any idea what that means?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Oscar’s question, she answered calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Dragons have observed and recorded all of history since the birth of this star, but they could never find a medium to record it on. No matter how durable the material—paper, stone, even vast natural formations—everything changes and disappears over time. So the first Dragon Lord thought: if it doesn’t exist, then we will create it ourselves and record all history there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A place like that exists?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. That place is a colossal repository created by the first Dragon Lord, who liberated the world with his own hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking to the window, she pulled aside the blackout curtains, revealing a dark night sky where the sun had already set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piercing through that darkness was a brightly shining gray moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking up at it, Edna spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That place is the Memory of Origin Node. Commonly called M.O.O.N. The place we call the moon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1946,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.790Z",1,"novelbin.me","d0e1e605e8662d97adc21b3b04e31e0aacf0bba9761ec3abaaecc32597346ad6","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-353","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-351",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]