The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Chapter 183: Chapter 107: The Missing Kovri

Looking at these soldiers he had tied up with his "own hands," Sean’s expression changed dramatically, a mix of shock and profound confusion rising in his heart.

’Did I remember wrong?’

’I clearly tied these soldiers up in the New World, so why is the same thing happening in the real world, in Kovri?’

Ever since he’d first arrived at the Holy Temple Ruins through the statue, Sean had assumed it was the Real World. He’d gotten here by exploiting a glitch to log off from the Void Technique Space. Since the Void Technique Space is a Spiritual Domain—the "virtual"—logging off should naturally mean "returning to reality."

The "New World," which he entered through Meditation, was also supposed to be a Spiritual World. Even if it was incredibly similar to the Real World, the two should be independent and not affect each other. Why had things turned out this way?

Sean couldn’t figure it out.

The soldiers on the floor were just as shocked and bewildered.

When they saw the wall get smashed open, they thought their cries for help had been answered. Overcome with excitement and emotion, they cheered internally. ’We followed the right man! Lord Klintor would never abandon us!’

But when they looked closer...

The newcomer wasn’t Lord Klintor.

It wasn’t even a person.

It was a statue.

The soldiers were stunned. "This statue... it can move!"

"What are you trying to do?!"

Sean: "..."

’I’d like to run you all over.’

’What do you mean, "the statue can move"?’

Sean griped internally but refrained from actually doing anything. He glanced at the soldiers, took a deep breath to compose himself, and then turned to exit through the hole he had just smashed in the wall, returning to the alley outside.

He needed to go check the traces left behind from the "previous" fight.

The site of his clash with Klintor wasn’t far, and by following his memory, Sean soon arrived at the very street where he had restrained Klintor with his Truth Technique.

The ground was untended and covered in a thick layer of dust, so even after several days of exposure to the elements, the marks were still clearly visible. This was especially true of the scorched black cinders left by Elvire’s blazing flames. Even the air held the lingering scent of the young woman’s fiery Magic Power and his Truth Technique.

Sean gazed around. Everything here was exactly the same as in the "New World." The realization made him so dizzy for a moment that he thought he must be hallucinating.

’One world is the Consciousness Riverbed, and the other is reality. How can they be identical?’

’N-No... Something has to be wrong.’

Sean shook his head vigorously, deciding to put these thoughts aside for the moment.

The most important thing now was to find Kovri.

Besides, the plan had to change. If everything that happened in the "New World" was also occurring in the Real World, then the Florist Family would surely be on guard. The tactic of luring the tiger from the mountain was no longer viable; he had to find another way.

His mind racing, Sean returned to the room where the soldiers were held captive.

"Let me ask you something," he asked, his voice low. "Who locked you in here?"

He wanted to verify it one last time.

The soldiers were startled once again when the statue returned.

"This statue can talk too?!"

"And with such a deep, masculine voice!"

"I must be really hungry... I actually think its voice sounds nice..."

"You’re so hungry your eyes are playing tricks on you. How can a statue talk...?"

Sean was thoroughly unamused. He was in no mood to trade jokes with this lot. "Answer my question!" he demanded, his tone hardening.

"Y-Yes, Lord Statue," one of the starving soldiers hurriedly replied. "A few days ago, a few people trespassed in a restricted area. We found them and kindly advised them to leave, but not only did they refuse to listen, they repaid our kindness with cruelty! They tied us up, threw us in here, and didn’t give us any food. We’re about to starve to death..."

The soldier’s tale was so vivid, and he seemed so close to tears, that if Sean hadn’t known the truth, he might have actually believed him.

’This Little Black... he shouldn’t be a soldier; he should be an actor.’

He had originally intended to untie the soldiers and have a civil conversation, but now...

"Then you can just keep starving."

Sean turned the statue’s head and prepared to leave.

The soldiers immediately started squirming. "No, no, no, Lord Statue, don’t go!"

"Save us!"

"We’ll- we’ll repay you generously in the future!"

Sean: "Heh."

"You’re Wizards, yet you can’t even get yourselves free from a few ropes. How am I supposed to believe you have the means to repay me?"

"It’s not what you think, Lord Statue," a soldier said plaintively. "These ropes are just too bizarre. They have math problems on them, and we really can’t solve them... Who puts math problems into their Magic?"

’So I just overestimated them,’ Sean thought. He hadn’t meant to trap the soldiers for long; the problems he’d left on the ropes were basic calculus. If they couldn’t even solve those, then it wasn’t his fault.

"Fine, I can help you," Sean said, turning the statue’s head. "But you’ll have to do something for me in return."

"No problem, sir! As long as you free us, we’ll do anything!"

The soldiers weren’t idiots. Beyond their initial shock at the statue, they quickly realized someone had to be controlling it from behind the scenes. After all, ever since the founding of the Church Court, the Empire hadn’t allowed objects to just gain sentience. This was most likely some form of Puppetry Art, which could be used to control an object for communication and interaction.

Sean couldn’t tell if these guys were playing dumb or were actually this clueless, failing to recognize who the statue depicted. Not that it mattered. It was better this way—it saved him the trouble of an explanation.

These soldiers’ Magic Power ranged from Tier Two to Tier Three, and their knowledge was limited. Sean had already asked them everything he needed to the last time they’d met. This time, he cut straight to the chase. He undid the ropes on their feet and said, "Follow me."

"Lord Statue, could you undo the ropes on our hands, too? It’ll be easier for us to help you that way," a soldier pleaded pitifully.