The Most Arbitrary Wizard

Commonly known as sophistry.

Once an opponent seizes the logical high ground, it's very difficult to make a comeback.

And critically, it was also very dangerous.

In the Truth Technique, language has Power.

If you fell into a trap, conceded your opponent's point, or were persuaded, anything could happen.

So the rules for this stage weren't like a traditional debate where the more logical argument wins. Instead, the goal was to use any means necessary to convert a logical advantage into a decisive advantage of Power, defeating the opponent on a physical level.

It was like how Sean hadn't known Puppetry Art, but because Yisha believed he did, he suddenly could. This "Puppetry Art" could be substituted for any Magic based on the proposition. Any Magic created this way was considered a derivative of the Truth Technique, so it naturally wasn't against the rules.

It tested the Wizards' mental reflexes, laying the foundation for learning the more profound Philosophical Techniques in the future.

Unsurprisingly, Tony scored high again in the second round.

Even Elise, who couldn't stand Tony, had to admit that the guy really seemed to have something.

By the third and final round, Tony's advantage had grown even larger.

This round was "practical combat," but everyone's Tier was uniformly compressed to Tier Four, and they could only use Truth Techniques related to the two previous rounds.

This round was where Tony's Talent truly shone.

The first two rounds had been battles of wits, competitions of theory. The third round, however, was about the practical application of the Truth Technique.

You see, most Truth Techniques were composed of multiple foundational formulas from Mysticism. Even the simplest function used to weave a Chain of Truth was complex. Tony seized upon this fact. In front of everyone, he pulled out his long-hidden "Magic Wand"—a pair of scissors—and snipped a Technique in half.

The result was that even though Tony had only cast a single Technique—a single chain—it would suddenly split in two as it flew toward his opponent, becoming two Techniques, two chains. While deconstructing the formula made each of the two new chains simpler than the original, it created an element of surprise. And Tony could just keep cutting.

It was like breaking "100 + 100" into a hundred instances of "1 + 1." You could solve the first problem in a second, but you'd need to spend a hundred seconds to solve each of the latter problems. When the difficulty of a problem isn't enough to confound an opponent, quantity becomes the optimal solution for control.

With his scissors, Tony kept cutting until the very end, snipping out countless characters and breaking the chain down into chunks of "stone," which he used to literally smash his opponent to the ground.

Everyone was amazed.

'You can do that?!'

"Could he really be a genius?"

"Damn, a newcomer isn't actually going to take first place at the Roundtable this year, is he?"

The answer was: yes.

Sean truly hadn't helped at all, nor had he privately tutored Tony. He didn't even know what Tony had been learning in his classes. The guy had won his way here entirely on his own. Even the handful of Grand Mages who had attended the Roundtable for years had fallen to Tony in the final duels.

When Tony defeated his final opponent—an old-looking young writer—he put away his scissors, fixed his hair, and walked elegantly to the center of the roundtable. With his back ramrod straight, he closed his eyes and raised his arms, waiting for the audience's cheers to embrace him in a wave of passion and glory.

"Excellent!"

"He took down those old-timers! We can accept him as number one!"

The Roundtable audience was never stingy with their praise.

At the moment Catherine announced Tony as this year's Roundtable champion, Black Rose Castle erupted in thunderous applause.

As was tradition, the award ceremony was next. Chief Judge Laelando would present Tony with the Medal of Truth, one of the highest honors in False Heaven. Her Highness the Saintess would also personally invite Tony to join the Knight Order and serve the Holy Sanctuary.

The many Wizards in attendance clapped, their hearts filled with envy.

Catherine then added with a smile, "To thank everyone for their years of dedication and service to the Holy Sanctuary, Black Rose Castle has prepared a special ball for this evening. All residents of the city are welcome to attend. We hope you have a wonderful time."

The moment she finished speaking, the audience erupted.

"What!"

"There's actually a ball!"

"I knew there was a reason Her Highness the Saintess was wearing a gown today!"

"Damn it, don't tell me Her Highness the Saintess is going to ask Teacher Tony to be her dance partner?"

Instantly, some cheered while others saw red with jealousy.

As for Tony himself, his heart was pounding in his chest.

'No way.'

'Could it be? Was this year's Roundtable just as that old geezer guessed—not just for selecting Knights, but also a tournament for Her Highness the Saintess to choose a husband?'

In that moment, Teacher Tony was on cloud nine.

He almost forgot the real reason he'd worked so hard to meet the Saintess in the first place.

He couldn't be blamed.

Her Highness the Saintess was so noble, so beautiful. What man wouldn't get carried away at the prospect of being her dance partner?

Tony decided to put his objective on the back burner.

'First, I'll dance with Her Highness the Saintess, hehe...'

Until Diana finally rose from her seat.

Just as everyone held their breath, thinking she was about to invite Tony, she didn't even spare him a glance. Her eyes fell directly on Sean as her clear, cool, and melodious voice echoed through the hall.

"Sean, is it?"

"Eight o'clock tonight. My room."

"Don't be late."

...

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