Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 33

“Understood!”

A resounding answer echoed. Leaving the people who were moving in perfect order behind, Lenok entered the warehouse and plopped down on the spot.

As the excitement of the battle subsided, fatigue began to creep in little by little.

It was only natural, considering how he had been continuously drawing on his magic power during the intense battle.

‘Should I smoke a cigarette?’

He felt his hand unconsciously reaching into his pocket, but Lenok held back.

There really wasn’t much left now.

Until he could replenish his supply at the orchard, he had to conserve as much as possible in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.

He slowly exhaled, relaxed his whole body, and leaned his head against the warehouse wall.

His body was tired, but Lenok’s strong mental fortitude remained sharp, keenly listening to the sounds around him.

At the same time, he spread his magic power wide again, preparing for any possible situation.

Beyond the narrow, dusty window of the warehouse, the dimly shining sunlight began to peek through.

The blood-stained dawn was gone, and morning was arriving.

As he basked in the sunlight streaming through the open warehouse ceiling, Lenok quietly closed his eyes.

#

Time passed, and another day went by without incident.

The gang and other people were no longer to be seen.

One by one, people left, excited at the thought of receiving the commission fee promised by the pharmaceutical company.

It was such a large sum that they had eagerly taken the job and ended up here, not caring who the client was.

Those who had risked their lives for two days would receive a worthy reward.

Lenok sent the others away first, and then remained behind to finish cleaning up the warehouse.

The people who had fought alongside him disappeared one by one after giving him polite greetings.

In particular, the psychic who had thought he was really going to die was slightly teary-eyed as he bowed his head to the ground and returned home.

He thought he was going to be in trouble with the mage, but instead, he had fought like crazy and made progress in his psychic abilities, so it was a blessing in disguise.

Lenok, who was reluctant to lay a hand on someone he had fought alongside, simply waved his hand to send him off.

He called Sage’s contact number, which he had received in advance, and briefly reported the situation.

He couldn’t easily believe the outcome of the battle that had taken place overnight, but when Lenok asked if he could take a few samples, he readily agreed.

“Two sleeping pills. There’s also a tonic for fatigue recovery. This is a vitamin I don’t have at home… I should take this too.”

Lenok, who had taken some of the medicines piled up in the warehouse under the guise of cleaning up, left the warehouse with a much more reassured feeling.

They were much better than the cheap nutritional supplements he took at home. His medication routine would be much more luxurious for the time being.

Lenok, who was about to leave the warehouse with light steps, suddenly stopped when he saw Grime’s staff that he had thrown away last night.

“………”

He still had no intention of using this staff, which was more for show than substance, but for some reason, Lenok picked up the staff again.

‘Still, wouldn’t it be worth some money if I sold it?’

After all, it was equipment used by a mage who was said to be level 3.

If he gave it to Jenny, wouldn’t it be worth a cigarette or two?

Holding onto a sliver of hope, Lenok casually stuck the staff behind his back and left the warehouse.

He had been up for almost two days, so his eyes were closing and his head was throbbing with a headache, but the work was not over yet.

He could only rest easy after submitting the samples directly to the patent office.

He didn’t like the fact that he had to do this errand, but when he thought about the 30 million cells [currency unit] that the pharmaceutical company had promised to pay, that thought disappeared.

He left District 54, hailed a taxi, and headed to the district where the patent office was located.

A single-digit district where the city government’s administrative agencies were located. It was his first time going inside.

The closer he got to the city center, the wider and cleaner the roads became, and the height of the surrounding buildings began to increase.

As he went deeper into the 10s districts, the number of people gradually increased, and then the population density dropped sharply as he entered the center.

A street that was so clean it was quiet. Numerous buildings that were both splendid and beautifully sculpted.

A temple built inside a forest of skyscrapers that seemed to pierce the sky.

The offices where the rulers of the city resided were full of this street.

It was the core engine that moved the giant city of Balkan, and the area of the conductors who harmoniously moved all other districts.

From here, only civil servants and city government officials were allowed to enter.

The patent office, which was relatively less important, was located in District 8.

It was early in the morning, so there were hardly any people on the streets around the patent office.

Only an old man walking his dog and people engrossed in their morning exercise could be seen occasionally.

He got out of the taxi and headed straight to the patent office.

The building was not an ordinary building, but a quaint structure that looked like a temple from some myth.

It was an oddity that didn’t quite fit in with this street, but that made it easy to find.

Judging by the faint lights visible through the windows, it seemed that it was already open.

‘Should I just submit it and leave quickly?’

He unconsciously put his hand in his pocket and turned into the alley leading to the patent office.

At that moment, an old man who was sitting on a bench catching his breath spoke to him.

“Young man, what brings you to a place like this so early in the morning?”

He was wearing light sportswear. A large black dog, who seemed to be out for a walk with him, was resting its head on his knee and sticking out its long tongue.

He had already broken quite a sweat while exercising, and a towel was draped around his neck, but his eyes were sharp, not befitting his age.

“……If I’m going to the patent office, wouldn’t it be obvious why?”

Lenok hesitated for a moment, but chose an appropriate answer and replied.

“Oh, so you’ve developed some valuable technology. Quite impressive for someone so young.”

‘What should I do…’

There were quite a few people in this city who would talk to strangers, but he couldn’t just ignore him.

The fact that he was enjoying exercise in a place like this meant that there was a high possibility that he was not an ordinary old man.

If such a person suddenly spoke to Lenok, it was unlikely that he simply needed someone to talk to.

Regardless of Lenok’s belief in his own talent and will, it was too early to get involved with the powerful.

At least, not in a way that involved face-to-face conversations.

What was a way to slip out of this conversation without leaving a strong impression?

‘I’m not very confident in my rhetoric…’

As Lenok thought this, he glanced down at the old man.

He was still looking at Lenok with an unwavering gaze, but Lenok’s keen perception noticed that his gaze was slightly off from him.

More precisely.

It was directed at Grime’s staff that was hanging behind his back.

“……”

A very small suspicion. He deduced the actions that stemmed from it and immediately arrived at the cause.

From the direction of that gaze alone, Lenok quickly found the answer.

‘….Ah.’

Lenok, whose expression changed in an instant, smiled faintly.

“Did you enjoy the show I put on yesterday?”

“What do you mean?”

“I set off some fireworks so that the people watching from afar could see well. You must have liked it, that’s why you were waiting for me here.”

Lenok said, calmly meeting his gaze.

“Councilman.”

“………”

This time, it was the old man’s turn to be silent.

Lenok slowly took out Grime’s staff that was hanging behind his back and stuck it in front of him.

“I’ll return this to you.”

Lenok said, watching the staff gently dig into the garden soil.

“It seems he was your favorite mage. It’s a shame.”

A person who recognized Grime’s staff, knew that Lenok would come to the patent office, and could freely come and go on this street under the guise of exercise was not at all strange.

Wasn’t he the only person who was on the opposite side of Lenok in this matter?

The old man looked up at him with eyes that were burning fiercely and said.

“…..You knew.”

“Do you have anything else you want to say?”

He had intended to refrain from clashing with the powerful as much as possible, but if they came out like this, Lenok had no other choice.

To think that he would show up in person instead of sending his underlings.

‘I’ll have to squeeze more money out of the pharmaceutical company when I get back.’

They had clearly said that they couldn’t move directly because of the lobbying with the higher-ups.

Of course, he hadn’t taken the job at face value, but he didn’t know that their words would be so useless.

While Lenok was frowning inwardly with annoyance, the councilman opened his mouth.

His gaze was still fixed on the staff stuck in the ground.

“Grime. He wasn’t very skilled, but he was a good friend. He had devoted himself to assisting me from the moment I decided to become a politician.”

“……”

“My friend died, so do you know why I came all the way here to see you?”

“Is it revenge?”

Lenok replied, but he instinctively knew that it wasn’t the right answer.

The look in the old man’s eyes was clearly different from hatred, disappointment, or anger.

It was, in a way, very close to intense greed.

“I won’t make it long. Come under me.”

“……”

“It’s a loss for the entire city for a talented and skilled mage like you to work alone. I was convinced when I saw the lightning strike on a cloudless night.”

He continued to speak.

“I will continue to climb higher, and I can make you do the same. In that high forest of skyscrapers… I can make a place for you.”

Each word was a blatant display of intense ambition.

Lenok acknowledged that this man, the councilman, was an extraordinary person regardless of his current position.

Money that was not his. Fame and power that he had not obtained. And even the talent that had not come into his possession.

It was rare to see someone who could be so greedy for so many things.

That was why he had been greedy for the patent created by the pharmaceutical company in his district, wasn’t it?

But that didn’t mean he was going to put a leash on himself in a place like this.

“So what?”

Lenok said with a smile.

“You may want me, Councilman, but from my point of view, there’s no reason for me to need you.”

“Are you rejecting my offer right now?”

“Even if I was really in a hurry, there’s no reason why I would have to look for you, is there?”

There were plenty of people closer to the core of this city than him.

If Lenok really intended to seek the help of a powerful person, there were plenty of people with higher positions than him.

To put it coldly, the value didn’t match.

Lenok was already a mage who had been recognized for his skills, but the old man was just a councilman of one district, not even a district mayor.

Lenok thought as he watched the old man, who seemed to understand what he meant, fall silent.

‘That should be enough.’

There was no reason to make someone who had come looking for his abilities feel too embarrassed.

Regardless of his greed, turning such an ambitious person into an enemy was a troublesome thing.

Even if he had no intention of cooperating, it was better to appease him and create an ambiguous relationship.

Lenok spoke soothingly as he looked at the old man who had lowered his head.

“But if you help me, Councilman, I might be able to repay you someday.”

“….What do you mean?”

“We’re not that close, but there’s no reason for us to remain on bad terms, is there?”

Lenok smiled faintly as he watched the old man’s eyes begin to shine again.

He was tired.

Back on Earth, he wasn’t mature enough to engage in such transactions with anyone.

But it was something that had to be settled definitively in this place.

Someday, when other powerful people who had noticed Lenok’s strength and talent tried to put a leash on him.