The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
Chapter 58: Training Camp (3)
Knock, knock.
Hearing the sound of knocking, the Deputy Tower Master responded.
"Come in."
"Excuse me."
"...Hmm? Oscar?"
It was an entirely unexpected visitor, but a smile spread across the Deputy Tower Master's face.
Oscar had become someone who brought such a reaction.
"What brings you here so suddenly?"
"Well, I’m not quite sure how to explain this myself..."
Oscar, with an expression perfectly embodying confusion and awkwardness, cautiously began to speak.
"While exercising in the forest today, I stumbled upon something."
"...In the forest?"
The Deputy Tower Master interlaced their fingers and rested their chin on them, a look of intrigue crossing their face.
Oscar wouldn’t come running to her over a pretty rock or an unusual mushroom he found in the woods, after all.
"What did you find?"
"Well, it seems to be... um..."
Trailing off, Oscar scratched the back of his head before finishing his sentence.
"I think it’s a dungeon."
Upon hearing Oscar's report, Hamel, the Deputy Tower Master, visited the pond in question with two other elders.
Staring blankly at the pond, Maxim asked,
"This is supposed to be a dungeon? It just looks like an ordinary pond to me."
In response, Oscar proceeded to enact Scene #2 of the prearranged script.
"I thought so too. But when I tried to rinse my dirty hands in the water..."
Oscar dipped one hand into the pond as he spoke.
Surprisingly, the water did not ripple.
"That’s when I realized it was fake."
"Indeed. This is a very high-level illusion spell. Typically, illusions of this caliber distinguish between magical codes to discern reality from deception. The absence of such mechanisms is, in itself, remarkable."
The code recognition feature had existed initially but had been erased on the way back.
Otherwise, entering the hideout would have taken an eternity.
Thud!
Landing at the bottom of the pond, Maxim eyed the conspicuously installed door with suspicion.
"Hmm. It looks like a typical dungeon entrance. Opening the door might trigger all sorts of traps."
"Are you sure? It just looks like a regular door to me. Can’t we just open it?"
At Fidelina's question, Maxim shook his head.
"Sorry, but trust the words of someone who’s conquered numerous dungeons."
Trust him, my foot.
Just turn the doorknob, and it’ll open.
Come on, just go in already.
Unaware of this thought, Maxim began cautiously examining the doorknob.
"Hmm. The mechanism must be so cleverly concealed that it’s hard to spot..."
After inspecting the door for over 10 minutes, it was exasperating enough to drive anyone crazy.
Finally, over 20 minutes later, Maxim opened the door and descended the staircase.
When he reached the small room inside, his expression stiffened.
"An unexpectedly cozy space appears out of nowhere? Everyone, stay alert! Even this room could be an illusion!"
"It’s not, Elder Maxim."
Unable to watch any longer, the Deputy Tower Master raised a hand to stop him.
"From what I can tell, this seems to have been a hideout for one of our senior White Tower mages."
He examined the room, gathering information.
"Not a speck of dust can be found anywhere, suggesting that powerful preservation magic has been maintained to this day. Whoever the owner of this place was, they were undoubtedly a high-level mage."
"Wouldn’t looking at the desk help us identify the owner?"
Offering a reasonable suggestion, Fidelina naturally approached the desk.
She picked up a book sitting alone atop it and muttered,
"Hmm. The book itself seems quite old—at least 20 years, I’d say."
Actually, it was made today.
He had simply cast a corrosion spell to make it look aged.
"Let’s see... The title is... Breathing Technique?"
Reading the plain title on the cover, she felt somewhat let down.
Renowned breathing techniques typically had distinctive names.
But as soon as she turned the first page, her pupils dilated.
"...What?"
Frozen stiff, she turned her head like a rusty golem to look at the Deputy Tower Master.
"D-Deputy Tower Master! Th-this is...!"
"What is it?"
"Is it a trap!?"
The other two quickly gathered around her, and what they saw was a single inscription:
[Harmony and circulation, capturing the mysteries of eternity.]
[By the 17th White Tower Master, Oscar Sage.]
For a moment, all sound vanished from the room.
It wasn’t due to any 『Silence』 or 『Sound Binding 』 spell.
Everyone naturally held their breath, and Fidelina swallowed hard before barely managing to speak.
"Did I read that correctly?"
"...Let’s find out."
Receiving the book, the Deputy Tower Master carefully turned the pages and read its contents.
Rustle, rustle.
Only the sound of turning pages was heard in the silence that enveloped the room for about 30 minutes.
"It seems..."
Closing the book cautiously, the Deputy Tower Master lifted his head.
"The heavens have not yet abandoned the White Tower."
"Y-you mean...?"
"It’s authentic beyond a doubt."
"My goodness!"
Maxim and Fidelina, mouths agape, unconsciously hugged each other.
And why not?
If it was Oscar Sage's breathing technique, it was the legendary Oscar Method—a groundbreaking technique that flawlessly overcame the limitations of the Harmony system, cherished as a holy grail by the Blue Tower.
The Deputy Tower Master, unusually unable to suppress his excitement, turned to look at Oscar.
"Oscar, I doubt you realize the magnitude of what you’ve uncovered. This book is the future of the White Tower and its wings of hope."
"Is it really that significant?"
"It is indeed."
Seeing the three of them celebrate like children warmed his heart as well.
‘...If anything, I should be the one thanking them.’
For holding together the White Tower he had once brought to ruin.
They were the ones who had given him a chance to pour back the water he had spilled.
"If I've been of help to the White Tower, I'm glad."
A relieved smile spread across Oscar's face.
The 36th floor of the Magic Tower, the Campus.
The largest lecture hall in the main building of this floor was finally filled with warmth once more.
“This lecture hall feels nostalgic somehow.”
“It’s been a while, actually. It’s been half a month since we were last here, hasn’t it?”
“Already? Wow...”
A mage glanced around the lecture hall.
Once so crowded that people had to stand for lectures, the hall now felt relatively sparse.
“Doesn’t it feel like there are a lot of empty seats today?”
“This might be the normal state. Honestly, it was weird that senior mages were attending a basic magic class in the first place.”
Mages at level 4 and above attended a few lectures before gradually dropping out—not because they had nothing left to learn, but rather because they had clarified their uncertainties.
Now, they were likely dedicating themselves to training, digging deeper into their newfound insights.
Currently, the lecture hall was filled only with the original 32 level-3 mages from the first day.
“But suddenly going on a training retreat—doesn’t it feel random at this point in time?”
“Ah, about that...”
Benjamin Scott began explaining everything that had happened a few days ago when he was with Sylvia.
“...Hmm. I heard rumors that Leo Brult was the first among our cohort to become an intermediate mage.”
“I’ve also heard that others in our class are starting to reach level 4.”
“That’s fast. They’re from the other Magic Towers, right?”
“Yeah. All the talented ones from the academy went over there.”
Though grouped as the "Four Great Magic Towers," the disparity among them was evident. People didn’t call it “Three Strong, One Weak” without reason.
This was something everyone, especially the mages of the White Tower, knew well.
“...It feels like we’re the only ones being left behind.”
“Oh, don’t overthink it. We’ll all reach level 4 eventually.”
“Yeah, let’s stay optimistic. The ones advancing now are just those who are especially capable.”
“Capable ones, huh...”
So, does that mean everyone gathered here lacks ability?
A somber atmosphere lingered in the lecture hall until the door opened and a familiar figure stepped inside.
“It’s been a while.”
Oscar Crucian.
The eyes of the junior mages sparkled as they looked at their proud senior.
Recently, he had made headlines for rewriting history in Baran.
“Senior! Is it true that the Security Bureau and the Violet Brigade clashed in Baran?”
“I heard you fought a tattooist at the scene. Was that real?”
“Rumor has it you took down a mage hunter on your way back. Can you tell us more?”
At this rate, they might even ask about his first love.
“That’s enough chit-chat. I noticed your gloomy faces when I walked in. What’s the matter?”
“Well, before you arrived, we were talking about the other Magic Towers...”
“Some of our peers from the academy have become intermediate mages, and it’s made us a little restless.”
Though he hadn’t experienced it personally, falling behind one’s peers seemed to be a significant source of stress.
Oscar asked directly.
“Why do you think your growth is slower than your academy peers?”
The sudden question left everyone glancing at each other awkwardly.
The silence stretched long until Damian finally responded with a blunt remark.
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s because we’re less talented than they are.”
“Hm.”
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
Prestigious Magic Towers scouted those who stood out at the academy.
‘Right now, that probably means the other three Magic Towers, excluding the White Tower.’
Those mages were essentially filtered in the first round, meaning those who ended up at other towers were of relatively lower caliber.
And with the White Tower's reputation at rock bottom, talented mages now preferred the Blood Tower or Black Tower.
‘In other words, my students are either average or, at best, gifted.’
Even the most talented among them, Damian, wasn’t exceptional enough to be called a genius.
He had barely managed to solve the reverse calculation problem of 『Sound Binding 』 by the end of the first lecture.
“Sure, there’s a difference in talent. But do you really think level 4 is about talent?”
“...You’re still level 3 yourself, though.”
“Ahem, I heard that.”
Tap, tap, tap!
Floating chalk began writing on the blackboard.
[Basic Mages]**
Level 1: Able to manipulate mana and perform simple basic spells.
Level 2: Capable of complex basic spell calculations and improving spell accuracy and efficiency.
Level 3: Fully understands and begins applying all basic spells.
Beyond that, nothing was written.
There was no need for them to know just yet.
Oscar spoke.
“This is the academic definition of the stages of basic mages. Anyone here who feels they haven’t fully understood or can’t apply basic spells, raise your hand.”
Awkwardly, they half-raised their hands.
Oscar sighed deeply and said:
“Put your hands down. What do you think I’ve been teaching you all this time?”
The reinterpretation of basic magic had been designed specifically for the White Tower’s basic mages—to help them thoroughly understand and apply basic magic.
“You don’t need to learn anything else about basic magic from anyone.”
They might not realize it, but he had trained them to reach that point.
“And one more thing. I can confidently say that no level-3 mage from any other tower has as solid a foundation as you do.”
A level-9 Archmage had distilled all his insights into easily understandable lessons.
If another Magic Tower were capable of better teaching, they’d have conquered the continent already.
Quiet and reserved, Amy Lavin hesitantly raised her hand.
“D-Does that mean we can reach level 4 r-right now?”
“Not exactly.”
Oscar shook his head.
“As you know, reaching level 7 or higher requires epiphanies, but level 4 intermediate mages don’t need anything like that. Any mage capable enough to enter a Magic Tower will eventually reach level 4. So I’ll ask again—why haven’t you crossed that threshold yet?”
The students fell silent, deep in thought.
If they had mastered basic magic as he claimed, then something else must be holding them back.
Damian frowned and muttered.
“Could it be because our mana circuits haven’t stabilized yet?”
“Correct.”
Oscar nodded and continued.
“When a new mana circuit is installed, it usually takes anywhere from six months to three years to stabilize completely.”
“What happens if you install a new circuit before it’s stabilized?”
“You die.”
There was no exaggeration or metaphor in his blunt answer.
“It’s like building another sandcastle on top of an unstable one. The moment a wave hits, it collapses. Installing a new circuit before the previous one stabilizes is like setting up a ticking time bomb.”
The sound of gulps filled the room.
These students were likely the most tempted to hastily install new circuits.
Incidentally, this applied to him as well.
If his past life as an Archmage had allowed him to shoot straight to level 9 upon awakening, he would’ve done so already.
“So once our mana circuits stabilize, we can reach level 4 anytime?”
“Exactly.”
Despite the clear answer, they still looked puzzled.
They didn’t know how to accelerate the stabilization process.
“You’ll learn how to speed up the stabilization of your mana circuits during this retreat.”
Oscar pulled out a pair of sunglasses and a hat from who-knows-where.
Then, blowing a whistle, he announced:
“Everyone, gather at the campus field. You’ve got five minutes.”

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