The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Chapter 178: Chapter 104: "In Your Dreams!

Seeing that Sopea had dug up everything, Sabeck grew furious and spat out a threat, "If you do this to me, the Florist Family won’t let you get away with it!"

Sean rolled his eyes. "As if the Florist Family would thank us for letting you go."

Sabeck: "..."

’This guy must be so mad he’s gone stupid,’ Sean thought.

The relationship between Witch Hunters and Wizards was fundamentally one of kill-or-be-killed. Neither side would ever show mercy to the other. Besides, they had already killed Zajik, trapping them in a cycle of endless revenge.

Sean had no intention of trying to convince the Florist Family to take a step back and let things go, nor would he try to argue about who struck first. He understood the Florist Family. If he were in their shoes, he too would fight his enemies to the death.

But Sabeck, on the other hand...

"You’re being used as a pawn and you don’t even know it," Sopea said coldly. "Do you really think the Florist Family considers you a friend?"

"If they don’t consider me a friend, are they supposed to consider *you* friends?" Sabeck shot back.

Sopea: "What if I told you the Florist Castle you visited last year was a fake?"

Sabeck: "?"

"I experienced it myself. How could it be fake?"

Since Sopea had already seen everything, Sabeck didn’t bother hiding it anymore. "Robert, the Clan Leader of the Florist Family, even proposed a toast to me!"

He was a Tier Five High-tier Wizard, after all. The Florist Family had always shown great respect to Witch Hunters of that Level. Whatever they might have thought privately, that was how it appeared on the surface. When he was invited to a banquet last year, he had received the highest standard of treatment.

"You said it yourself. The Florist Family’s Clan Leader is named Robert," Sopea said.

Sabeck: "And he isn’t?"

"He isn’t." This time, it was Sean who spoke up. "Their real Clan Leader is named Robes."

A different Clan Leader, a different ancient castle... it meant the entire Florist Family headquarters in Siracle State was a "fake"—a "branch" established by the Florist Family to more easily control information from the outside world.

Speaking of which, Sabeck was quite the backstabber himself.

On one hand, he claimed to be friends with the Florist Family. On the other, he wanted to use their heads to curry favor with Director Higgins, the Spokesperson for the power behind the scenes. He planned to climb over the Florist Family to get ahead, ideally replacing them and turning Grey Bird Logistics into the Gray Bird Family.

Little did he know, he was still far from capable.

"There’s something else you don’t seem to know." Sean looked at Sabeck mockingly. "Robes, the Clan Leader of the Florist Family, is a bona fide Grand Mage."

It was both a taunt and a test.

Sabeck was stunned for a moment, then he too broke into a derisive smile. "Who are you trying to kid!"

What was a Grand Mage?

They were powerful Wizards that had only existed in the Era of Polymath.

In its rush to develop technology, the modern world had drained the pond to catch the fish. All sorts of industrial waste had polluted the Natural Magic Power, and the resources needed to support a Wizard in becoming a Grand Mage were long gone.

Claiming the Clan Leader of the Florist Family was a Grand Mage was as ridiculous as saying he was the first Pope of the Church Court.

Sabeck said, "How about you give me fifty, and I’ll make you the Count of Sirakel?"

Sean: "Alright."

He shot Yisha a look.

"Got it!" Yisha understood immediately and rushed forward, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.

"Ow... Why are you hitting me!"

"Who told you to be a smartass? You’re the one I’m hitting!"

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Not one more, not one less. Exactly fifty punches.

Sabeck wailed in indignation, "This is vigilantism!"

"Now you remember the law?" Sean sneered.

He couldn’t be bothered to argue with Sabeck any further. "Since you have such a good relationship with the Florist Family," he said, "you can do us a favor. If you behave, I can pretend tonight never happened."

Sabeck: "Pah! In your dreams!"

’Am I the kind of person who would turn traitor just to save my own skin?’

"What a pity." Sean pulled translucent Puppet Strings from his fingertip. "I guess I’ll just have to refine you into a Puppet."

Sabeck: "?"

He suddenly remembered—Sean knew Puppetry Art!

Sean had used a Puppet during the bank robbery back in New Eldo.

His expression immediately turned serious. "What I meant was," he said, "don’t even think about leaving me out!"

He followed Sopea’s line of reasoning. "I considered the Florist Family friends, but they deceived me and toyed with my emotions! That makes them my enemy. And you are also their enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend! When a friend asks for help, I, the Sea Witch, will not shirk my duty!"

Yisha: "..."

Sopea: "..."

Sean: "..."

’Solid logic.’

Sabeck asked tentatively, "What do you want me to help you with?"

Sean answered, "It’s simple. Get us into the Florist Family."

He would still use his own Puppet as the bait in the Kovri Restricted Area; that was too important, and he wouldn’t trust Sabeck with it. However, Sabeck could be useful in the assault on Florist Castle. They didn’t need him to fight—they just needed him to get them inside.

Although the Florist Family in the "New World" wasn’t the same one Sabeck had visited last year, some of the people might be the same. Sabeck might know them. Then, with some of their people on the outside and some on the inside, they could coordinate a pincer attack and break through the Florist Family’s defenses more quickly and effectively.

"Alright, no problem," Sabeck said.

This time, his agreement was sincere.

On one hand, while he didn’t believe the nonsense about the Florist Family having a Grand Mage, he was curious to see for himself. People are naturally curious. And while a Grand Mage was unrealistic, the idea of a separate "headquarters" was reasonable. After all, these great families were full of cunning schemes. Creating a fake family to fool others while hiding their true selves, giving Wizards no opportunity for revenge—that made perfect sense.

On the other hand, whether the Florist Family lived or died didn’t have much to do with him.

In fact, it would be better if the Florist Family was truly wiped out.

That would give him more opportunities to rise up.

As for how to survive Sean and his group...

’I’ll worry about that once the Jimmyria docks.’

He didn’t believe Sean could keep a close eye on him the entire time.

They had brought so many people this time and wanted to infiltrate the Florist Family; they were most likely going to war with them. A brawl between several thousand Wizards... in terms of its impact on the town and surrounding area, a battle of that scale could be called a small-scale war. If a real fight broke out, the scene would undoubtedly be utter chaos, and he could take the opportunity to slip away!

Then he could turn around and report them to Director Higgins, and maybe even earn some merit for it.

After finishing the interrogation, Sean and the others left the storeroom.

Yisha, thinking back on how readily Sabeck had agreed, muttered under her breath, "I have a feeling that guy is up to no good."

If it were her, she definitely wouldn’t have trusted Sabeck.

But Sean was completely unconcerned. "It’s fine. If he wants to make his own little schemes, let him."

With Adelf and the Night Watchers around, what kind of trouble could Sabeck possibly stir up?

He had always believed that a capable "leader" doesn’t just use "good people." Regardless of whether someone could be trusted, as long as they were useful to the situation, they could be put to use.

For Wizards like them, this was a "chaotic era." Compared to "hiring only those you trust," Sean personally preferred "hiring only those who are useful." All that mattered was managing the risks involved.

Sopea’s expression suddenly grew serious. "I’ve learned a lesson."

Sean: "?"

Yisha: "?"

"Huh? Is there something strange about you two?" She eyed Sean and Sopea suspiciously, her gaze flicking back and forth between them. Sopea was supposed to be the "leader," the strongest in their team, while Sean’s Magic Power was a little weaker. So how did it end up looking like Sean was Sopea’s boss?

And saying things like "I’ve learned a lesson"... Was Sopea the kind of person who would say that??

Sopea cleared her throat and changed the subject. "What should we do with the rest of them?"

"Let’s leave them for now. They can’t escape while we’re at sea anyway," Sean said. "I’ll ask Elvire when I have a moment."

Yisha’s face immediately lit up with understanding. "I get it!"

Sean: "?"

"You get it again?"

Yisha: "Behind every successful man is a woman who supports him."

Sean: "?"

"Don’t be ridiculous."

He just thought that since Elvire was always rescuing and capturing people, she would be better at handling this kind of thing than he was.

’Besides, I’m Carl Black. Do I need my little sister-in-law’s support?’

’It’s more like *I’m* the one supporting Elvire from behind the scenes.’

"I’m heading back to the hotel. You two should get some rest, too."

With that, Sean left and went back to the hotel to sleep.

The Jimmyria continued to sail across the great sea, like a small, floating island.

It carried several thousand Wizards and their hopes, weaving through the thin mist. Embracing the night and the slowly brightening dawn on the horizon, it sailed quietly toward World’s End.

...