The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Chapter 159: Chapter 96: "Please Pass Judgment

"Florist?"

Sean and the others were all taken aback to hear Klintor’s family name.

Elvire couldn’t help but recall the scene of Klintor trying to flee. ’No wonder that felt so familiar,’ she thought with a silent scoff. ’He’s just as good at running as Zajik. They’re cut from the same cloth.’

This was the answer Sopea had extracted using Mind Magic, so it couldn’t be wrong. Klintor was almost certainly a member of the Florist Family. It was just... one thing was rather strange.

’Isn’t the Florist Family from Siracle State?’

’Why would he show up all the way over here?’

Sean was wondering the same thing.

’Besides, the Magic Klintor used didn’t seem to have anything to do with the Puppet Path, did it?’

But he didn’t press the issue.

’We’re heading to the Florist Family to be their "guests" anyway. Whatever’s going on, we’ll find out when we get there.’

BEEP—BEEP BEEP!

The car ahead had passed through the toll booth, and drivers behind them began to honk, urging them to move.

"Let’s get into the city," Sean said.

"Alright." Kate nodded and stepped on the gas.

Unsurprisingly, the city was bustling. Not only was it crowded with people, but there were also tons of cars.

You couldn’t exactly call it orderly—the roads were full of pedestrians, and cars were on the sidewalks.

Yet, you couldn’t call it chaotic either. The cars and people moved with a kind of "orderly" understanding, and despite the mess, there were no accidents.

It was as if everyone was operating on the same unspoken agreement.

An event on the roadside was the "culprit" behind the congestion.

It was a circus, putting on an open-air performance and showcasing the magic tricks and acrobatics of the era.

They pulled all sorts of animals from a hat: doves, kittens, a turkey, a giant python... Finally, they even conjured up a bunny girl in black stockings, which drew a huge cheer from the crowd.

"Awesome, man! I love the bunny girl!"

"It’d be even better if those stockings were crotchless."

"Hahahaha, you perv!"

"Hey, you’re just like me!"

Many cars on the road had stopped, their occupants rolling down the windows to watch the show. They held buckets of popcorn, eating as they watched.

Sean and his group were among them.

But Sean didn’t think these were mere tricks.

"Did you guys feel the fluctuations in Magic Power?" he asked.

Elvire nodded. "The performers are all Wizards."

A circus in name, a Wizard Corps in practice.

Kate, however, frowned. "Do these guys have nothing better to do?"

Instead of meditating to increase their Magic Power, or gathering materials for Alchemy to strengthen their bodies, they were on the side of the road performing tricks for people. In his view, it was a complete waste of their talents.

The most crucial part was, these guys didn’t seem the least bit afraid of being discovered by Witch Hunters.

And if they were Witch Hunters themselves, that would make even less sense.

Wizards were a "rare resource," a noble class. Even if they really wanted to put on a circus show, they could have hired ordinary performers. It wouldn’t cost much, and there was absolutely no need for Wizards to be entertaining commoners.

Sean turned his head and asked Klintor directly, "Are they from your family?"

Klintor shook his head. "They’re not."

Sean asked, puzzled, "Then why don’t you arrest them?"

Klintor looked even more bewildered than Sean. "We have no quarrel with them. Why would we arrest them?"

Sean: "?"

’What does he mean?’

’Why didn’t you say that when you were coming after me?’

’So, the Florist Family has no beef with other Wizards, they just have it out for me, is that it?’

Elvire was thinking the same thing.

The difference was that Sopea wasn’t currently using her powers, and she didn’t believe a word of Klintor’s nonsense.

"Stop playing dumb."

She warned Klintor in a cold voice, "Answer the questions honestly. Don’t make us get rough."

Klintor was completely bewildered and felt wronged. The Mages in the circus really weren’t from his family.

The Florist Family might not be huge, but it was still a Viscount Family and the administrators of Selona City. They had plenty of ways to make money—the annual tax revenue alone was a huge sum. Why would they need to resort to busking on the street?

It was so demeaning!

For nobles to perform Magic for commoners to see... it would be humiliating to even talk about.

Even if a family member felt their monthly allowance wasn’t enough and wanted to earn some pocket money, they wouldn’t do it this way. All they’d have to do is say a word to the family, and they could land a city inspector job at the very least. Wouldn’t that pay more and be more respectable than joining a circus?

The ones who busked on the streets were basically Wizards who wanted to earn money but didn’t want to go to the forbidden zones.

After all, patrolling the forbidden zone was a boring job. You’d face nothing but lifeless ruins all day. There was no entertainment in there, the living conditions were mediocre, and it couldn’t compare in any way to a big city like Selona.

The family understood how these Wizards felt, so every year during the Day of Abstinence, they allowed them to perform on the streets without driving them off. For one, it created a festive atmosphere; for another, it gave these Wizards a chance to earn money. It was a win-win.

"That’s the right way to handle it," Sopea commented.

"No, that’s not right at all." Sean felt this was all very strange. ’How can the Florist Family sound like a bunch of good guys?’

That didn’t fit his impression of those Witch Hunters at all.

Most importantly, since when could Witch Hunters and Wizards coexist in peace?

’Don’t tell me the Florist Family is only targeting us.’

Following Klintor’s line of thought, Sean shot him a hostile look. "Then why did you come after us? Did you think we were an easy target?"

Klintor snorted. "You’re all Holy Sanctuary Remnants who trespassed in the forbidden zone. Who else would we arrest but you?"

The more Kate listened, the more he felt something was off. As if he’d realized something, he asked, "What if we weren’t from the Holy Sanctuary, and what if we didn’t trespass in the forbidden zone?"

"Then of course I wouldn’t have bothered with you," Klintor said.