The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Judging by the metal frame, it looked like a bunk bed, with an upper and lower berth.

’This room is so tiny, and four people are supposed to live here??’

Johnson couldn’t help but complain, "Doesn’t this feel a lot like a college dorm room?"

They were all grown men, after all.

"You’re wrong. It doesn’t just *feel* like one," Elise corrected. "This *is* a student dormitory."

Everyone: "?"

"Nope, I’m not staying here!" Tony refused flatly.

Elise tilted her head. "Sorry, sir, but your refusal is invalid."

"As newcomers to False Heaven, you don’t have the power to choose."

"And don’t even think about escaping. The entire city, inside and out, is protected by a Barrier personally erected by Her Highness the Saintess. Without Lady Catherine’s permission, no one can get in, and no one can get out."

Forget getting in or out—you couldn’t even see it.

If you stood outside and looked toward the city, all you would see is a desolate wilderness.

False Heaven didn’t exist on any map. It wasn’t just Tony and the others; even the "Old Wizards" who had lived here for years—including herself—had no idea of the city’s exact location. Even if you managed to escape by some fluke, you wouldn’t know which way to run.

Kave clutched his head. "It’s over. I feel like we’ve been scammed."

"No, no, no, you need to understand something," Elise said. "If Her Highness the Saintess were truly an enemy, it wouldn’t just be you—I’d be long dead by now. The only reason everyone’s freedom is restricted is for your own safety."

False Heaven was the Holy Sanctuary’s most important base of operations. No mistakes could be tolerated.

That was why everyone who came here had been carefully selected.

To put it bluntly, the entire purpose of Blake City was to cultivate new prospects for the Knight Order.

"Remember when I called you all raw recruits?" Elise said playfully. "I wasn’t kidding, you know."

"If Blake City was your home, then consider this your enlistment. From this day forward, you’ll be listed as missing persons in Blake City. You are now new recruits of False Heaven, and you will strive to officially join the Knight Order!"

Elise even pumped a small fist as she spoke, as if trying to cheer them on.

Everyone: "..."

’They were all getting on in years. Who would fall for an act like that?’

While it didn’t much matter to them where they lived, nobody liked being forced into it.

"We’re not masochists, you know," Ryan grumbled.

Sean interjected out of nowhere, "I am."

Ryan: "?"

Tony and the others: "?"

Sean smiled. "It’s not like we can leave anyway, right?"

"Since we’re here, we might as well make the best of it. Don’t dwell on the unpleasantness and make things harder on yourselves."

"Mhm! Exactly!" Elise agreed wholeheartedly, giving Sean a thumbs-up. ’That’s the kind of positive attitude they need. Once Tony and the others live here for a while, they’ll discover that False Heaven is better than Blake City in many ways.’_

Especially when it came to resources.

"It’s not impossible for you to leave, if you really want to. Her Highness the Saintess is quite open-minded," Elise said. "After one week, if you still don’t want to stay, you can apply to Lady Catherine for permission to leave. Before you exit the city, a Priest will erase all your memories of False Heaven, and you’ll never be able to return."

"So, you *can* leave if you’re determined to, but!"

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though. Most of the cultivation resources in False Heaven come directly from the Church Court. A Tier Six Wizard, as long as they join the Knight Order and their Talent isn’t too poor, can become a Grand Mage within thirty years."

As those last two words were spoken, the small dormitory fell completely silent.

The allure of the title "Grand Mage" for a Wizard was immense, second only to that of the beautiful Saintess herself.

But it was far more attainable.

Men always have a thing for pretty girls, especially those in high positions—after all, a relationship like that could save them three hundred years of struggle. But there was only one Saintess, whereas there could be many Grand Mages. Furthermore, becoming a Grand Mage and catching the Saintess’s eye weren’t mutually exclusive. The combination of these two life goals sent Tony and the others into a deep silence.

’Suddenly, the dorm room didn’t seem so bad after all.’

’It might even help them feel young again.’

Sean fought back a laugh. "So, you’re not leaving?"

"Leave?" Tony asked, a look of utter confusion on his face. "What do you mean, leave? Go where? Who said anything about leaving?"

Sean deliberately provoked him. "Don’t forget, to get those resources, you have to join the Knight Order first. And joining the Knight Order means swearing an oath of loyalty to Her Highness the Saintess."

"So what?" Tony scoffed. "You really think I can’t become a Grand Mage without the Church Court’s resources?"

"With my Talent, I couldn’t care less about that stuff. Becoming a Grand Mage is just a matter of time for me anyway."

"I simply wish to do my part for the Saintess, for the Holy Sanctuary, and for Mr. Blake."

Tony declared with righteous indignation, "I’m staying!"

Johnson, meanwhile, simply flopped onto one of the metal bunks, a look of pure bliss on his face. "Ah, this bed is so comfortable. I love it!"

Kave: "?"

Ryan: "?"

’Have they no shame? All for a few resources.’

Tony and Johnson’s lightning-fast change of heart left the still-hesitating Kave flustered and exasperated. He cursed, "You two bastards! You’ve betrayed the working class!"

After yelling, he scrambled up the ladder to claim an upper bunk. He then looked down condescendingly at Ryan and said, "Alright, now it’s your turn to be cursed—you bastard, why have you betrayed capitalism?"

Ryan: "???"

’You’re even more shameless!’

Elise stood to the side, covering her mouth as she laughed uncontrollably. She found that this group that came with her sister was actually pretty amusing. ’And with the handsome Sean around,’ she thought, ’life here is definitely going to be fun.’

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