The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Sean: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Watching the two of them walk away, Tony couldn’t help but ask, "Do they know each other?"

Kave stroked his chin as he watched Sean and Eleanor’s retreating figures. "From how they were acting before, it doesn’t seem like it."

Johnson chimed in, "Maybe someone was smitten by his good looks?"

Ryan: "Agreed."

After all, this newcomer named Sean was indeed quite handsome. With his refined features, he was exactly the type that young Witches like Eleanor would fall for.

Tony grumbled, "Girls these days are so shallow."

Utterly tasteless!

’Is being handsome such a big deal?’

’Once I drink a Witch’s Magic Potion, I can be handsome too.’

’Not just handsome, but beautiful, too. Hmph.’

"Let’s go. We need to catch up," Kave said.

Ahead, Sean and Eleanor had just entered the city proper when the young woman let go of his hand.

"Don’t get the wrong idea. I just can’t stand seeing those guys bully a newcomer," Eleanor explained.

’It has nothing to do with Sean being good-looking. If it had been some ugly loser, she... would probably have done the same thing. Yes.’

Sean smiled to show he understood. "Thanks."

Eleanor waved her hand. "No need to thank me. Just make sure you buy plenty of Defense Tools later and protect yourself. Don’t drag us down."

Unlike Tony, she was more direct and never resorted to snide remarks. If she looked down on someone, she’d usually just say it to their face.

Sean: "..."

’Great. Looks like I can’t escape the fate of being underestimated.’

’Who could blame them, when I really do look like I’m only Tier Three?’

Tony and the others quickly caught up and regrouped with Sean and Eleanor.

The group arrived at the Back Street and began to browse the market stalls.

The street was crowded, much like a pedestrian mall in a big city, only the goods being sold were different.

Even a seemingly simple t-shirt could be imbued with a powerful magical effect.

Perhaps due to a scarcity of resources, Sean had rarely seen these kinds of Magic Items in the Real World.

"This one’s not bad."

Kave picked up a Magic Wand from the display case and nodded in satisfaction.

The Magic Wand was very thin, which suited him perfectly.

It was also light, fitting his casting style.

Most importantly, the embedded Magic Stone was of high quality; Kave could tell its craftsmanship was superb with a single glance.

Seeing that Kave seemed tempted, the shopkeeper approached and said, "Sir, you’ve got a great eye."

He then began to explain the Magic Wand’s extraordinary origins and exquisite craftsmanship.

Eleanor, on the other hand, headed for the accessories section. She already had a Magic Wand, one she had just bought on her last trip out. It would last her a long time, so she didn’t need a new one for now. More than a wand, she needed some small, easy-to-carry trinkets, like an earring that could block a single blow to the head.

Sean didn’t go with them.

But he didn’t wander far.

He stayed nearby, asking about Chris.

The good news was that someone here did, in fact, know Chris.

A shopkeeper told him, "I remember that young man. Hoyev rescued him. After that, he was always helping out at Hoyev’s shop. A pretty decent kid."

"It’s a shame, though. He went out on a mission one time and just never came back. Sigh." The shopkeeper sighed as he spoke.

Sean caught a keyword. "Rescued?"

The shopkeeper nodded. "That’s right. The young man was covered in blood back then. No idea what he’d been through."

He had been there at the time, so his impression of Chris was very strong.

But what left an even deeper impression was that even while covered in blood and gravely injured, Chris was still clutching something tightly in his hand.

It was a pair of stockings.

"Back then, we all guessed the kid must’ve been caught fooling around with someone’s wife and got beaten to a pulp," the shopkeeper said.

Sean: "..."

"Then why did you say he was a decent kid?"

"Because he didn’t go after *our* wives afterward."

The shopkeeper reasoned, "That’s what you call a prodigal son’s return. More precious than gold."

Sean: "..."

’That makes so much sense.’

The identical appearance, combined with the shopkeeper’s mention of stockings, confirmed that this Chris was the same Chris he knew.

The timeline also matched up.

Chris had appeared in Blake City two years ago. That must have been when he realized this world wasn’t as simple as it seemed on the surface.

The only question was, stockings were an item from the Real World. Sean had seen Chris wear them with his own eyes. How could they have been brought into the fictional "New World"?

’Or was Chris just so used to wearing them in the real world that he got a pair after arriving in the "New World"?’

’Also, the shopkeeper said Chris was rescued, but rescued from where?’

’The Kovri Ruins?’

’I’ll have to ask that Hoyev person.’

And then came the bad news.

When Sean asked for the location of Hoyev’s shop, the shopkeeper was so helpful that he stepped out of his store and onto the street to point the way for Sean. "See that intersection? Turn right and walk a few dozen paces, and you’ll find a small alley. Hoyev’s shop is in there."

Following the shopkeeper’s directions, Sean quickly found Hoyev’s shop.

But the shop was closed.

A sign was hanging on the doorknob.

[Temporarily Closed]

Sean asked the neighboring shopkeepers and learned that Hoyev had gone out to "restock."

Many of the goods sold on the Back Street came from the outside world. For the Wizards who ran shops and stalls, "restocking" was just another kind of mission.

"I see..."

Sean couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

Restocking was a skilled endeavor, not unlike the bank robbery he’d pulled off last time. Hoyev wouldn’t be back anytime soon, and Sean himself had to leave early tomorrow morning. He didn’t know when he’d be back, so the matter with Chris would likely be delayed for some time.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"

"What are you doing over here all by yourself?"

Eleanor’s voice suddenly came from behind him as she gave Sean a light pat on the back.

Sean snapped out of it and smiled. "I came to look for a friend."

Eleanor tilted her head. "Did you find him?"

"No, he’s out restocking." Sean changed the subject. "What brings you over here?"

"I was worried you’d get lost," Eleanor said. "We haven’t even exchanged contact info yet. If you fall behind, we really wouldn’t see each other until tomorrow morning."

In truth, seeing each other the next morning would have been fine. Sean wasn’t a child, and this was Blake City. Even if he got lost, nothing terrible would happen. But Eleanor felt that since they were a team now, they should act like one, starting with the small things—never leaving a teammate behind.

"Here, for you." Eleanor handed Sean a cloak. At the same time, she grabbed his hand and tapped her ID plate against his, exchanging numbers.

The ID plate was not only a Wizard’s identification number but also their "phone number."

Blake City was buried deep underground and had no signal. The Wizards in the city communicated using the Magic Crystals inside their ID plates.

"What’s this...?" Sean asked, holding the cloak, confused.

"It’s for Invisibility," Eleanor said. "You know ’Vanish into Oblivion,’ right?"

It was one of the most common Spells for Wizards.

"Use it with the Magic Spell, and it’ll help you evade the eyes of anyone below a Grand Mage," Eleanor said.

Sean was only Tier Three, so he couldn’t be counted on in a fight. She just hoped he would hide well and not get captured by the enemy, becoming a weak point for the team.

This time, Sean was genuinely touched. He had only just met Eleanor, yet she had already bought him an Invisibility Cloak and was looking out for him in every way. He looked at the young woman’s delicate features, his tone softening unconsciously as he said earnestly, "Thank you."

"What’s there to thank me for? We’re friends."

Eleanor said, holding out her hand to Sean. "Just give me the money."

Sean: "..."

’Dammit, give me back my heartfelt emotions.’

"How much is this cloak?" Sean asked.

Eleanor: "Not expensive. One hundred and eighty Silver Coins."

Sean: "?"

’That’s not expensive?’

He only had 29.5 Silver Coins on him in total. It wouldn’t be enough even if he sold himself.

"Can I pay with my good looks?"

"No."

"I’m a newcomer," Sean said with a wooden expression.

"Oh, right, you’re a newcomer." Eleanor seemed to have just remembered that newcomers don’t have money. She smiled, two small dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Alright then, how about this? I’ll lend it to you. Once this mission is over, you can pay me back with interest."

Sean: "And what if we can’t complete it?"

’The Saintess isn’t that easy to kill.’

"If the mission fails, we probably won’t survive anyway," Eleanor said. "And if we don’t survive, what use is money?"

"So don’t overthink it. If you really can’t pay me back, then we’ll just die together."

...

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!