The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Chapter 161: Chapter 97: Robes Florist

Your worst fears always come true.

One moment, the old man was praying not to get embroiled in the matter of Carl Black’s resurrection. The next, Klintor had dragged back people from the Holy Sanctuary. It was just...

His dear clansman!

When he heard these people also knew the Truth Technique, the old man Robes’s heart sank.

He remembered the name Klintor—not only remembered it, but had a deep impression of it. It was he who had personally assigned Klintor to guard the restricted area, so this capture had most likely happened there...

Robes was vexed. He felt he had made a mistake.

The Hall of Truth was founded by Carl Black himself; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it his home. If it were him, dead for centuries and then resurrected, the first thing he’d want to do is "go home" and take a look.

If Robes had known earlier that Carl Black wasn’t dead, he never would have sent Klintor to guard the restricted area.

But there were no ifs.

The people had already been brought back. It was too late for regrets. No matter how unwilling Robes was to face the situation, he had to make an appearance.

Before this, he could have hidden. He could have even had the entire family hide, perhaps by moving away. As long as the two sides hadn’t met, anything could have been negotiated; there would have been ten thousand excuses to find. But now, they had come right to his door. If he hid now, it would be a clear sign of a guilty conscience. Worse, they might just attack and turn the Florist Family upside down.

Although the Maid had told him that the Knight of Klintor had captured several Holy Sanctuary Remnants, in Robes’s eyes, this "capture" was by no means a real capture. Klintor was only Tier Five and had not cultivated the Puppet Path. His actual combat power was even less than Zajik’s. Since even Zajik had been killed, on what grounds could Klintor possibly capture them?

So, there were only two possibilities.

Either Klintor had been captured alive, and the enemy was forcing him to play along.

Or these Holy Sanctuary Remnants had "feigned surrender," intentionally allowing themselves to be captured so that Klintor would lead the way.

It had to be said, Robes didn’t become Clan Leader for nothing; he really knew his stuff.

He knew something was wrong the moment he heard about it.

And as it turned out, he had guessed correctly.

Sean had indeed intentionally let Klintor "capture" them and bring them back.

First, it was to lower the guard of the Florist Family’s Clan Leader.

Second, it was a show of courtesy.

They hadn’t charged in screaming for blood, nor had they made a scene like they were there to kick down the door. This was a classic case of courtesy before conflict.

Sean had figured, ’Something as major as "Holy Sanctuary Remnants" would surely warrant a personal interrogation from the Florist Family’s Clan Leader. He imagined it would be like something out of a TV drama: they’d be dragged into a dungeon and tortured for information. Then, on their own turf, so to speak, they could turn the tables and interrogate the Clan Leader of the Florist Family themselves.’

If you’re going to put on an act, you have to go all the way. To make it more convincing, Sean had even found some ropes that would snap with a single tug and used them to tie up himself, Elvire, and the others.

But what he hadn’t expected was the surprisingly warm attitude of the Florist Family’s Clan Leader.

The group waited meekly in the garden.

Klintor was still sneering inwardly. ’Go on, keep up the act. You’ll regret it when the Clan Leader gets here.’

But as soon as Robes appeared, Klintor had barely managed to call out, "Clan Leader—"

Before he could even start blinking frantically to signal that he was being threatened, Robes cut him off, fuming, "Nonsense!"

"Utter nonsense!"

"These gentlemen and ladies are honored guests of the Florist Family! How dare you treat them so rudely?"

"Someone," Robes commanded the Maid loudly. "Quickly, untie our honored guests!"

Klintor: "?"

Sean and the others: "?"

’What’s going on? Weren’t they the reviled Holy Sanctuary Remnants, hunted by everyone? How had they suddenly become honored guests?’

Klintor was utterly baffled. Casting aside all other concerns, he hastily reminded Robes, "Clan Leader, they are from the Holy Sanctuary!"

"Silence!"

Robes scolded, "Shouting in front of our honored guests! Have you no decorum?"

Klintor felt deeply wronged.

But there was more humiliation to come.

Robes continued his tirade, his aged voice filled with severity. "To think you still don’t understand. Do you know why I sent you to guard the restricted area in the first place?"

"It is precisely because you don’t understand how things work!"

The young Klintor was a fine man in all respects. His Talent was remarkable; he had broken through to Tier Five before the age of thirty. With a little more effort, he stood a good chance of becoming a Grand Mage in his lifetime. Klintor had even been awarded a Knight’s Medal by the Church Court for his achievements. He was, without a doubt, one of the most promising Wizards of his generation in the Florist Family.

Logically, the family should not have sent such a talent to the restricted area. The Kovri Ruins were not too far from the family estate, only seven or eight hundred kilometers away. However, due to the unique nature of the restricted area, one could almost never see another soul there. Thus, "guarding the restricted area" was, in reality, "exile to the frontier."

This was because Klintor’s personality was too "abrasive."

He was direct in everything he did and easily offended people.

To put it nicely, he "adhered to the knight’s code": always sincere, forever young, never compromising, and relentlessly passionate.

In reality, though, he was just plain stubborn.

He had absolutely no understanding of worldly wisdom or social graces.

Did he really believe that the world of Wizards only cared about Talent and Tier, that Magic Power reigned supreme?

Fundamentally, that sentiment wasn’t wrong. After all, Carl Black had once used his invincible Power to metaphorically shit on the Church Court’s head. He didn’t stop at bullying the Saintess; he even forcibly seized a city right next to the Holy City of the Church Court, made it his own, and created the Hall of Truth.

And the Church Court could do nothing to stop him.

This was proof enough that once a person’s Power reaches a certain level, they can ignore all laws and subvert any doctrine or regime.