Chapter 420 - 198: Mr. Blake

His father once fought for the Holy Sanctuary.

And now... so would he!

So, he quickly straightened his appearance and, with a heart burning with fervent loyalty, leaped down from his windowsill.

He then transformed his Magic Power into a spear, then into a horse, and in a heroic pose that showed his resolute response to Mr. Blake’s summons, charged straight for the plaza outside the church.

"Your subordinate, Lauden, son of the former Holy Sanctuary combat instructor ’Horseman,’ pays his respects to Mr. Blake!"

Sean: "..."

Horseman?

’Hmm, I don’t remember him.’

’But that’s okay.’

He believed Lauden’s claim.

In front of so many Wizards, Lauden wouldn’t dare lie.

So regardless of whether he remembered Horseman, this was a good thing.

Lauden came from good, loyal stock, which made him even more trustworthy.

So, Sean said calmly, "Rise."

"Don’t break the Holy Sanctuary’s rules."

"Yes!"

Lauden was ecstatic.

’Mr. Blake is really alive, and he spoke to me!’

’This isn’t a dream!’

The surrounding Wizards stared at him in disbelief.

"That’s Lauden?"

"Horseman’s son??"

"I remember him. He just became a manager last month."

"A manager? So young?"

"Not that young. After all, he knows Mr. Blake..."

Envy filled the eyes of many Wizards.

But then, a voice from the crowd suddenly spoke up. "Wrong."

"Lauden’s promotion to manager had nothing to do with who he knows. It was because he brought a statue back to the Holy Sanctuary."

"That meritorious deed was worthy of a managerial position."

The crowd turned to look.

"Mr. Gomez??"

"You’re here too?"

Everyone quickly bowed in respect.

Gomez waved his hand, signaling for them to be quiet and not cause a commotion in front of Blake.

He too looked up at the sky, his expression reverent.

’It’s been so many years. Mr. Blake has finally returned.’

If Her Highness the Saintess hadn’t insisted back then that Mr. Blake was not dead, Blake City might not even exist today.

The Wizards who didn’t know the truth worked to rebuild the Holy Sanctuary, while those in the know were waiting.

Waiting for Mr. Blake’s return.

Now, their wait was over.

Gomez looked at the enormous face in the sky. It had been a long time since he’d felt this way—clearly surrounded by people, yet feeling utterly alone and helpless. He was a high and mighty Grand Mage, yet compared to this face, he seemed exceptionally small.

He gazed up at the face in the sky as if looking at an insurmountable mountain.

He was, after all, a Tier Eight Wizard, with a decent chance of winning even against a Steward from the Church Court. But now, he couldn’t sense even a shred of Mr. Blake’s aura.

’This is the gap between us...’

’Mr. Blake will always be Mr. Blake.’

’Terrifying, yet also reassuring.’

But in truth...

Gomez had already detected the aura of a certain Mr. Blake inside the church.

He just didn’t realize it himself.

Because this aura was too weak, only Tier Three. How could that possibly be Mr. Blake?

Time passed, second by second.

The plaza was now packed with people, but because Gomez had arrived in time with men to maintain order, it was crowded but not chaotic. After the initial shock and emotion, they consciously cleared a space for Lauden, forming a circle around him. They obediently shut their mouths, remaining quiet and waiting for Mr. Blake to speak.

They had assumed that after being gone for so many years, Lord Blake would have a lot to say upon his return. They expected something like a "school opening ceremony," where he would encourage everyone to practice diligently, become Grand Mages as soon as possible, and join him in creating a new Era of Polymath, and so on...

After all, to these students of the Holy Sanctuary, Mr. Blake wasn’t just Mr. Blake; he was also their "headmaster."

And as everyone knows, headmasters are usually very good at giving "speeches."

However, Sean only said one thing.

And it was directed at Lauden.

"You know why I’m looking for you."

"Do everything as he says."

Lauden replied excitedly, "Your subordinate accepts this command!"

’No doubt about it, the "he" refers to Sean.’

’Sean didn’t lie to me! What he said this afternoon really was Mr. Blake’s will!’

’I know what I have to do now!’

Sean nodded.

Because his face was so enormous, the entire sky seemed to tremble with the motion.

In the eyes of the Wizards, this was another "miracle."

Believers are believers because they never question whether what they see is reasonable, or if it could be accomplished by other means. They will only assume it is the Power of their Master and "recharge" their faith all the more.

But Sean didn’t like faith.

If he had to say why, he didn’t really know. It was just an instinctual, bone-deep dislike.

So he didn’t say another word and simply left.

This also helped maintain Mr. Blake’s aloof persona and air of mystery.

The face in the sky gradually dissipated, revealing Blake City’s Magic Moon once more.

The Wizards: "???"

"Wait, that’s it??"

"But—I didn’t hear anything!"

Gomez was also stunned.

He could tell that Mr. Blake had appeared this time because he needed Lauden for something, but he hadn’t expected it to be so brief. He certainly hadn’t expected Mr. Blake to leave so abruptly, without even a greeting for them, the students of the Holy Sanctuary.

He had been hoping that as one of the main people in charge of Blake City, he might garner some of Mr. Blake’s attention!

Most importantly, everyone had come. So many people were eagerly awaiting a speech from Mr. Blake, but he just up and left. It was like watching a movie only for the screen to go black right at the climax. A complete anticlimax.

Gomez was filled with resentment.

He thought, ’What’s with Mr. Blake? He’d rather use Lauden for a task than me, a Grand Mage...’

The other Wizards were also quite disappointed.

Especially the Female Wizards.

They had all grown up hearing stories about Mr. Blake. Rumor had it he was incredibly handsome, so much so that even a Church Saintess had fallen for him. They thought they might get a chance to see him tonight, but from beginning to end, Mr. Blake never truly showed his face. What remained in their hearts was still that mysterious, blurry visage.

But they weren’t disappointed for long.

No one was a fool. Mr. Blake may have left, but wasn’t Lauden—that Old Deng—still here?

The briefer Mr. Blake’s exchange with Lauden was, the more it suggested there was a story between them.

Lauden himself must know exactly what Mr. Blake wanted him to do.

And so, all the Wizards turned their gazes to Lauden in the center.

Lauden had still been basking in the joy of being personally entrusted with a great task by Mr. Blake when he suddenly felt gazes like daggers stabbing at him from all directions. He couldn’t help but look up, only to see that the entire crowd of Wizards had surrounded him, every one of them glaring at him like a pack of wolves.

Lauden’s butt clenched, and he took two steps back.

"What do you all want?"

"What do we want? Heh heh, nothing much."

"Just want to ask you something."

A bolder Wizard took the lead, putting on a fierce expression. "Spit it out! What did Mr. Blake ask you to do?"

Another Wizard chimed in with a grin, "Since it’s a mission personally assigned by Lord Blake, it must be very difficult, right?"

"Why don’t you tell us about it, and we can all help you get it done."

Lauden tried to refuse, "I don’t need any help..."

The Wizards: "Yes, you do!"

"Brothers, get him!"

"Grab this Old Deng and torture the information out of him!"

Lauden: "???"

"Saiyubolana, Corey!"

Without another word, he started running.

Theoretically, their actions were out of line. Was Mr. Blake’s business something just anyone had the right to pry into?

But faith drives people to madness.

Mr. Blake had been gone for hundreds of years, and his reappearance tonight had brought a level of "hope" and "fervor" that couldn’t be suppressed by a mere cliffhanger. These emotions needed an outlet. Lauden knew this well, because he was just as excited. And when people get excited, they’re capable of anything. If he stayed, he might really be strung up and brutally interrogated by this mob.

So Lauden ran as fast as he could.

As a Tier Six who had already taken a Witch Blood Potion, his speed was far greater than that of an ordinary Wizard.

But he had overlooked one thing.

There weren’t just ordinary Wizards here.

There was also a Grand Mage.

Just as Lauden flew into the air, thinking he had escaped, the air in front of him suddenly distorted.

A figure passed directly through space and appeared before him.

At the same time, his Escape Magic was instantly suppressed by the other’s aura, and his speed dropped sharply.

Gomez grabbed him by the scruff of his collar like a helpless chick.

"Come on. I’m taking you home."

Lauden: "???"

...