The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Chapter 152: Chapter 92: Holy Temple Remnants

This was also a sign of respect for a Knight.

Surging, scorching Magic Power howled forth, kicking up a scalding gust of wind. A few of the soldiers who had been knocked down had just scrambled back to their feet, still wobbly and unsteady, only to be blown flat again.

Sparks began to drift through the air.

A pair of wings cloaked in blazing flames sprouted from Elvire’s back. Her knees bent slightly as her feet lifted off the ground, her entire body ascending naturally into the air. Her doe-like eyes, normally bright and captivating, were now filled with fire, making her look like a veritable War God.

Klintor hadn’t expected Elvire to unleash a major attack right from the start.

He was even more surprised that this beautiful, charming girl could sprout Fire Wings.

"You’re from the Blazing Angel Family?!"

Klintor was stunned.

Sean was stunned too. "You know about the Blazing Angel Family?"

Klintor: "?"

’What nonsense is this man spouting?’

The Blazing Angel Family was one of the oldest and most powerful houses in the land. Though no longer at the height of their former glory, they were not a family one could afford to cross. Learning about these ancient houses was required for every noble. For one, it was to "know one’s place" and avoid provoking the wrong people. For another, it was a display of their worldliness and erudition.

In Klintor’s eyes, Sean’s surprise that he knew of the Blazing Angel Family was a form of contempt—a slight against his knowledge and experience. It infuriated him more than having his men thrashed.

Of course, Sean had no idea his casual remark held so many complex implications. But he could see Klintor was intimidated by Elvire, which meant the Blazing Angel Family held a high status even in the Meditation World. So, he mimicked Elvire and snorted, "You know we’re of the Blazing Angels, and you still dare to try and capture us?"

’It’s best to win without fighting. This soldier captain, Klintor, must know a great deal. Chatting like friends is better than using Magic for an interrogation. It would save everyone time and effort.’

But Klintor didn’t seem interested in making friends.

"So what if you’re from the Blazing Angel Family?"

"Dare to openly defy the edicts of the Church Court, and no one can protect you!"

With a CLANG, Klintor sheathed his longsword. "Just you wait," he snarled. "You’ll get what’s coming to you!"

With that, he turned and walked away without a second glance.

Sean: "?"

Elvire: "?"

’Why does this scene feel so familiar?’

For a moment, Sean was at a loss for words.

’It looks like Klintor wants to run,’ Sean thought, ’but he can’t, because of the Knight’s code to "never retreat." He wants to lie and trick me and Elvire into waiting for him to get reinforcements, but he can’t do that either, because of the Knight’s principle to "never lie." So he ends up making a threat like a grade-schooler. The whole thing just feels so awkward.’

’All in all, it’s just bizarre.’

’What’s even weirder is that Klintor didn’t back down, but he didn’t fight them either. He just announced he was leaving and left. Does he really think we’re just going to let him walk away?’

"Stop right there!"

Sean shouted.

Elvire immediately understood. Her Fire Wings beat, and she dove straight for Klintor, wreathed in surging flames.

Feeling the wave of heat at his back, Klintor dropped the act and broke into a full-on sprint.

He was surprisingly fast.

"Didn’t you hear me? I said stop!"

Elvire yelled in frustration. ’Why do I keep running into enemies who just run when they know they can’t win?’

’What happened to your vow to serve your house until death?’

’What about your irreconcilable stance against Wizards?’

’Have you no backbone at all?’

"Take one more step and I won’t be so courteous!"

Elvire didn’t want to kill anyone—otherwise, none of those soldiers would have survived. But if Klintor was determined to escape, she wouldn’t hold back any longer.

Klintor, however, didn’t see it as fleeing. ’I’m merely making a tactical retreat.’

’I can sense Elvire’s Magic Power—Tier Five, roughly the same as mine. But the Blazing Angel Family’s Secret Techniques are formidable; I’d certainly be at a disadvantage. It’s not that I can’t fight her, though.’

’But I have a more important mission right now.’

’The ability to sprout wings of fire means this girl must be from the Blazing Angel Family, and a core member, no less. Judging by her age, she might even be the eldest or second daughter of the main lineage. Klintor was convinced of this, whether she admitted it or not. A direct heir of the Blazing Angel Family, sneaking into a restricted zone and visiting the ruins of the Hall of Truth... what could that mean?’

’It means the Blazing Angel Family harbors treacherous ambitions and is colluding with Heretics.’

’Perhaps the Blazing Angel Family themselves *are* the Heretics who betrayed the Church Court!’

’This is a matter of immense importance!’

’These ancient houses possess profound foundations and wield terrifying Power. They have their own legions. If they were to rebel, it would surely deal a heavy blow to the Church Court, and could even threaten its very rule. I must get this information back alive. The Church Court must investigate the Blazing Angel Family. We must try not to wrong the innocent, but we will absolutely not let a single traitor escape.’

’If I really can’t get away...’

’...then I have other options.’

’This man and woman seem close, partners in crime at the very least. If I capture the man, the girl from the Blazing Angel Family will surely hesitate to act for fear of harming her accomplice.’

Thus, seeing Elvire closing in on him, about to catch up, Klintor decisively used a Spell.

"Permutare, Credor!"

Teleportation!

SWISH.

Klintor vanished.

Elvire was about to strike when the man before her suddenly vanished. In his place, with a flash, appeared one of the soldiers she’d just beaten black and blue.

The soldier had no idea how he’d ended up here; one moment he was trying to climb up from the ground, the next he was face-to-face with a murderous Elvire. His face was a mask of terror. "Don’t kill me... Help!"

And where the soldier had been, Klintor’s figure appeared.

Very, very close to Sean.

The sudden switch startled Sean. ’To become a noble, this guy must have a few tricks up his sleeve,’ he thought.

"Surely you don’t know the Secret Techniques of the Blazing Angels as well, do you?"

Klintor sneered.

But his sneer quickly faded.

Because he saw the golden characters dancing in Sean’s hand.

_The Beginning of Forbidden Curse_, a text kept on the third floor of the Holy Temple Library, was itself an adaptation of the Blazing Angel Family’s Secret Techniques, modified to suit a wider range of souls and bodies. Therefore, Sean didn’t just know their Secret Techniques—he knew more.

"You seem to have come for me?"

"But..."

"Why did you think I would be an easier target than her?"

The characters in Sean’s palm multiplied, floating up into the sky. This time, they didn’t form chains, but instead assembled into a massive rectangular prism that descended vertically upon Klintor.

Of course, Klintor wasn’t about to stand by and watch Sean’s Casting, letting himself be struck by the Magic.

As a battle-hardened warrior, his first instinct was to interrupt Sean.

If he couldn’t, he would do his best to dodge.

Countering an opponent’s attack with your own Magic when they’ve already made the first move is foolish. Unless you’re absolutely certain you can win, you’ll always be a step behind.

Klintor made the correct choice.

But making the correct choice was useless. When he tried to interrupt Sean, he found he couldn’t get close to him at all.

The moment he took a step forward, a string of characters appeared before him.

"Let a=b, b=c, and c=ab. Question: d=?"

Klintor: "?"

He tried to move left.

"Please describe the graphical features of the function r=a(1-sinθ)."

Klintor: "??"

He tried to move right.

"How can one prove that time travel is impossible?"

Klintor: "???"

There was only one path left.

He took a step back.

"What are your views on quantum Mysticism?"

Klintor: "????"

’How do I view it? With my eyes wide open in disbelief!’

Forward, backward, left, and right—each direction was blocked by a question.

Forget interrupting Sean’s Casting, he couldn’t even retreat!

A chilling sensation crept over Klintor. He felt he had read about this form of Magic in some book before. It wasn’t until the golden matrix descended with a HUM, trapping him like a bird in a cage, that he finally remembered. His eyes shot wide open as he stared at Sean in utter disbelief. "This... This is the Truth Technique?"

"You’re the real heretic remnant?!"