The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
Chapter 223

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 223: The Way Back (2)

Before setting off in earnest, Oscar reorganized their formation.

"I'll take the lead, just like when we crossed the mountains earlier."

In a group formation, the most crucial roles are the front and the rear guard.

The front leads the way, identifying terrain and sensing possible dangers.

The rear guard protects the group and monitors the overall situation.

Oscar glanced over each member of the group, starting with Sasha, who was slung on his back.

‘Sasha can’t fight due to the backlash from the heart demon, and Edna’s not in much better shape.’

If he had to compare, Edna was slightly better off.

At the very least, she could still walk on her own.

‘If this were the same situation as before, I would’ve asked Kaya to take the rear…’

But she wasn’t in good shape either.

Her face was visibly pale, likely from pushing herself too hard.

To confirm, Oscar asked her,

“How are you feeling, Miss Kaya?”

“To be honest, not great.”

She answered with a slightly apologetic expression.

“Liberating my world lets me go beyond my limits temporarily, but the aftereffects are intense. I probably won’t be able to exert much power for at least three days.”

“Three days…”

It was worse than he expected.

But it made his decision clear.

Oscar turned to Oran.

“I’d like you to take the rear.”

“Leave it to me.”

With a confident nod, Oran naturally moved to the back of the group.

At the same time, Kaya approached and apologized.

“Sorry I’m not much help.”

“It’s all right. Judging by the battlefield, it was clearly a fierce fight.”

She deserved praise more than anything—holding off five baron-class demons at once and protecting everyone.

On top of that, she fought while being aware that Yuribe could show up at any moment.

The pressure she must have felt then was unimaginable.

“Thanks for seeing it that way.”

Looking more at ease, she made a light gesture.

“I’ll take care of Sasha instead. Carrying her on your back would make it hard to react quickly in an emergency.”

“Are you sure?”

“This much is no problem.”

“Then I’ll leave her to you.”

Oscar carefully passed Sasha to Kaya, then looked intently at her face.

Noticing his stare, Kaya asked,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“...It’s nothing.”

He was just puzzled for a moment.

Could someone this rational and considerate really have killed her entire clan out of selfish greed?

‘I pride myself on being good at recognizing bad people. They always give off a certain vibe.’

No matter how harmless a mask they wore, they couldn’t hide the scent of blood.

But he couldn’t read anything like that from Kaya Lockwood.

‘Come to think of it, Oran's the same.’

The world knew the “Violet Brigade” as a criminal group so dangerous that even the Imperial Family couldn’t touch them.

And both Kaya and Oran were supposedly part of that group.

Yet from what he had experienced, neither seemed like the people those grim rumors described.

‘…If I get the chance, I should ask them more about the Brigade.’

With that thought, Oscar spoke.

“Let’s begin moving.”

Just like when they crossed the mountains, Oscar took the lead once more.

And the more they walked, the more he could feel their pace slowing.

‘It can’t be helped. Everyone’s in bad shape, and Edna’s joined us too.’

Every time that thought crossed his mind, he felt grateful for the distance Edna had carried them.

Thanks to that, they had cut almost half the way through the Red Mountains.

Otherwise, it was hard to imagine how long it would've taken to cross.

At that moment, Edna, following behind, spoke.

“Oscar, the sun’s about to set.”

“……”

Oscar looked up at the sky, his expression darkening slightly.

‘At this pace, we’ll need at least three more full days.’

They had covered only half the distance, yet it would take just as long to cross.

Their speed was nearly halved compared to before.

Suppressing a sigh, Oscar nodded.

“Let’s set up camp.”

“I’ll go string up my perimeter threads around the area.”

“Please do.”

Once Oran left, Oscar began setting up tents and lighting a fire.

Crackling.

As he added logs to the fire, Edna, sitting beside him, began dozing off.

“Edna, if you’re sleepy, go lie down.”

“Ssshh. I’m not sleepy.”

She should at least wipe the drool from her mouth before denying it.

Oscar barely held back a laugh as he offered a gentle warning.

“It’s okay. We’ll be walking more tomorrow than we did today.”

“…If you insist, I’ll take your advice.”

“But brush your teeth first.”

“Dragons have strong teeth. We don’t get plaque or cavities. So brushing is pointless.”

“But your breath can still smell.”

“……”

Hearing that, Edna reluctantly began brushing her teeth.

She had always hated doing it.

“Ugh, human toothpaste tastes awful and weird.”

“Some people like the taste so much, they turn it into ice cream.”

“Those must be creatures with wrecked taste buds.”

After finally finishing, Edna disappeared into her tent.

Soon, her slow, steady breathing drifted out from inside.

“I’ll take the first watch. I’ll wake you for the second.”

Having laid Sasha down inside her tent, Kaya returned and sat beside him.

“It’s fine. I was planning to take turns with Oran tonight anyway.”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

“With the Tower Master trapped in the mind demon, it actually helps us more if you recover quickly.”

“Hm, well. I suppose that makes sense.”

Nodding slowly, Kaya began eating her soup.

A short while later, Oran returned from setting up the perimeter threads and sat across from them.

“I made the thread perimeter a bit denser than usual. Since we’re weaker than last time, I thought we might get monster attacks.”

“Smart thinking.”

Handing Oran a bowl of soup, Oscar cautiously asked,

“Would it be okay to ask you something?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“It’s about the Violet Brigade.”

At those words, Oran's eyes immediately sparkled.

“What? Bro! If you were curious, you should’ve asked earlier!”

“…?”

Oscar had thought Oran might avoid the question, since the Violet Brigade was so shrouded in mystery.

But surprisingly, Oran looked ready to spill even their base location.

“To tell the truth…”

Oran glanced toward the tent where Sasha was sleeping and lowered his voice.

“I’ve been holding my tongue because of the White Tower Master, but I was thinking of recommending you to join us if the opportunity came up. It’d be a blast if you became one of us.”

“Join…?”

Tilting his head, Oscar crossed his arms and asked,

“I don’t even know what exactly the Violet Brigade does.”

“Mm, well, it’s not like we’re anything special. Normally, everyone just does whatever they want. Then, if the leader brings in a big job, we all move together… I’m not really sure how to explain it, but you could basically think of us as a mercenary group.”

“That’s hard to believe, considering the imperial family designated you all as a top-tier criminal organization.”

“Now that part’s kind of unfair!”

Oran made an expression that looked genuinely wronged.

“Come on, do I look like a violent criminal? Or our senior for that matter?”

“That’s why I’m asking. It seems different from the rumors.”

“You really are my little brother! No prejudices at all!”

Snap!

Oran flicked his fingers with a grin, getting into the mood.

“It’s true there are a few mentally questionable types in the group, but people like me and our senior are just looking for a place to lay low.”

“He’s right,”

Kaya, who had been quietly listening, nodded.

“We only got on the imperial family’s bad side because of a few particular individuals.”

“Specific individuals?”

“One example would be… the Designer.”

At the mention of that name, Oran’s face contorted with a grimace.

“You’ve at least heard that name before, right?”

“Yes. He’s the one who designs mana circuit structures for mages and knights.”

“Right. But he doesn’t do that out of the kindness of his heart, like some kind of volunteer.”

“Doesn’t he get paid for it?”

“He does, but if money was all he cared about, he wouldn’t have such a bad reputation.”

Shaking his head with a sigh, Oran continued.

“That guy’s a fanatic for mana circuits. He believes that without a perfect mana circuit, one can’t even advance to the next stage. So he refuses to step into the 8th level, constantly searching for a flawless circuit to install in himself.”

“Then why the bad reputation?”

“He experiments on people with similar body structures to his. In the process, a lot of talented mages and knights ended up ruined. So yeah, there are quite a few people who hate his guts.”

“He’s the kind of person who doesn’t care what methods he uses as long as it makes him stronger.”

Kaya clicked her tongue lightly.

“He’s the type I hate the most. Total scumbag with a garbage personality.”

“Then is the most dangerous person in the Brigade this Designer?”

“Not quite.”

“Definitely not.”

Both of them answered at once.

Then Oran scratched the back of his head and spoke.

“Yeah, Designer’s nuts, but at least you can talk to him. But Mad Fiend? You can’t even talk to that guy.”

“Mad Fiend?”

Oscar perked up at the unfamiliar nickname.

Kaya was the one to respond.

“Literally a madman. And I don’t mean that as an insult—he’s actually insane.”

“And he’s insane at level 8. Think of him as a walking catastrophe.”

An 8th-level lunatic.

Just imagining such a being made Oscar shudder.

“That’s not someone I want to get involved with. Usually, people who reach Master level or above don’t lose their minds like that.”

“Exactly. And just because he’s in the same Brigade doesn’t mean he’ll go easy on you. One guy mouthed off to him once and ended up dead.”

“And the leader allowed that?”

“Well, he’s undeniably strong. And for some reason, he listens to the leader to some extent. Not sure why, though.”

“I see.”

“So? What do you think? About joining us.”

Oscar let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested.”

He already had his hands full managing the White Tower.

He had neither the reason nor the luxury to get close to a bunch of ticking time bombs.

Hearing that disappointing answer, Oran clicked his tongue as if genuinely let down.

“Really? That’s too bad. Though, I kinda figured you’d say—hmm?”

Suddenly, Oran’s face stiffened.

Then he sprang to his feet and stared in one direction.

Oscar picked up on the sudden spike of tension and confusion from him and asked,

“What is it?”

“…One of my wires got cut.”

“Oh, is it a monster?”

Was it because their current force had weakened?

Last time, they’d never been attacked at camp even once.

But contrary to Oscar’s relatively casual assumption, Oran’s eyes were shaking violently.

“It’s approaching too fast.”

“How fast are we talking—”

Before he could even finish the sentence, Oscar slowly turned his head, sensing a dangerous presence from the side.

“……”

There, hunched over in a crouch, sat a shadowy figure.

Their white hair was a tangled mess, and a bizarre single eye was embedded in the middle of their face.

“…The Eye Thief.”

Oran muttered in a strained voice, recognizing the figure.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]