Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 96

It was the first time he had encountered mages of the same type twice, including the mage he met during the pharmaceutical company request.

Still, he wasn’t completely clueless, as he seemed to realize that the magic he had just unleashed towards the inspector was similar to the techniques he used.

“I just picked it up by watching.”

“…..A gunner like you? That’s ridiculous. No, you weren’t even a gunner in the first place.”

Only then, as if finally regaining his senses in this chaotic situation, did the mage’s eyes become clearer.

“Who are you? I’ve never heard of a mage like you among the freelancers in the 40s district.”

“Hmm….”

Lennox wasn’t the type to boast, so he didn’t ask if they had heard of the name ‘Ban’.

When Lennox didn’t answer easily, the mage chuckled and said,

“Judging by that reaction, you’re definitely not a simple freelancer. Alright, how about this?”

“What?”

“I don’t know how much money you received for this job, but I’ll give you double that amount. So, help us escape this place safely.”

“………”

“It’s only until we get out of this 41st district. There’s a vehicle waiting outside to help us escape, so it’s enough if you just escort it.”

Instead of answering, Lennox crossed his arms and tilted his head.

Even if it was a ploy to buy time, to make such an offer to him in this situation, this guy was not just thick-skinned.

If a mere member of the organization, not even the leader, was acting like this, there must be a reason…

“I don’t know how much money you have to make such an offer.”

When Lennox casually asked, the mage immediately took the bait.

“Of course. I can’t go into details, but a huge amount of funds will soon be coming into the organization. It’s enough money to change the foundation of the organization from the roots. It wouldn’t be difficult to recruit excellent personnel like you.”

“…..Are you sure you should be telling me that right now?”

Lennox replied with a dumbfounded expression, but inwardly he was certain.

‘That’s it. It’s about Reisen.’

The slush fund of the city council senator that the black mage knew about.

There was no way he would give such an answer unless they had decided to share some of that money by joining hands with the terrorist organization.

At Lennox’s words, the mage replied with a meaningful smile.

“Well… because I have no intention of giving you even a single penny…!!”

“……..”

Is it finally over?

Lennox thought so and slowly turned his head.

The inspector, who had been hit by the impact magic and sent flying behind Lennox, was coming out of the office with something that looked like a USB port.

“Run!!”

The moment their eyes met, the mage yelled, and the inspector turned and ran away like lightning.

Kwa kwa kwang!!

As if he had been waiting for this moment, the mage began to fire impact magic at Lennox, trying to buy time.

Seeing the mage’s actions, the inspector wiped his eyes with one hand and boldly threw himself out of a nearby window.

Crash!!

The inspector’s shadow quickly disappeared below the 17th floor.

Lennox, witnessing that desperate camaraderie, wore an absurd expression.

“……What are you guys doing?”

“Ah, if we can just get the encryption key, that’s enough… I have no more regrets.”

“……..”

Seeing the mage, who was trembling and closing his eyes as if waiting for his impending doom, Lennox couldn’t help but chuckle.

It seemed that as soon as they judged that it would be difficult to face him head-on, they had thought of a pincer attack.

What kind of expression would this guy make if he knew that all those moments had happened exactly as Lennox had intended?

[They escaped safely. It’s perfect, seeing as their location is being tracked in real-time. Good work.]

Listening to Hina’s satisfied voice, Lennox asked,

“I caught a terrorist organization’s mage, what should I do with him?”

“…….!”

Although he couldn’t see it, the mage’s forehead began to bead with cold sweat, as if he had overheard that this moment would determine his fate.

[Hmm… well, since our objective has been achieved, it doesn’t really matter. If you want to kill him, go ahead.]

“What do you think I am?”

Lennox wasn’t exactly a bloodthirsty killer or a madman who enjoyed the thrill of fighting.

He was doing this job because it was necessary, and because it was the most efficient and risk-free option for his situation.

If he were handling this request alone, he would have just killed him because it would be troublesome to deal with him later, but now that he had an agent as a backer, it was different.

Thwack!!

He hit the mage on the back of the head with impact magic, and the mage immediately collapsed, his eyes rolling back.

“I knocked him out, so take him away. Interrogate him or do whatever you want.”

[Hmm… that’s a bit unexpected.]

“What?”

[It’s nothing. Then we’ll take care of the cleanup. Anyway, we had to restore the internal network that we messed with while handling the encryption key. Once you get out of the operation area—]

Kwaaaang!!

A powerful explosion sound covered his earpiece.

He thought Hina had been attacked, but then he realized it was noise coming through the window and turned his head.

The Trade Center, a 30-story building that was the operation’s gathering point.

From that building, where the three freelancers were supposed to meet up, red flames were dripping down like blood.

The fire was so intense that it briefly lit up the night sky.

The fact that this happened right after the inspector succeeded in escaping with the encryption key was definitely not a good sign for their side.

A moment of silence passed, and then Hina’s heavy voice was heard.

[….We’ve been had.]

Lennox took out a cigarette from his pocket and muttered.

“It must be our side.”

[It seems that there was a skilled person hidden on their side as well, just in case. It seems they attacked the Trade Center to ensure the safe escape of the force that retrieved the encryption key… It’s more than I expected.]

“How about contact with the other team members?”

[It’s cut off. Judging by the remaining life signs, it’s presumed that they are all in combat.]

“Hoo…”

Lennox exhaled the smoke he had filled his mouth with out the window and raised his left wrist.

The watch he had received from Agria naturally transformed into a telescope, helping Lennox secure his vision.

He looked into the telescope with one eye and continued to use magic detection to observe the inside of the Trade Center, and he began to get a sense of the situation.

The opponents were one mage and one warrior.

If you think about it, it was the same superhuman composition as the one Lennox had faced, but the level was on a different dimension, even from a rough glance from afar.

It seemed that the warrior was mobilized by the terrorist organization, and the mage was mobilized by the black mage side, and they were pushing the three people with almost overwhelming power.

While a stoic giant and a young man with pyrokinesis were somehow holding the line, a woman with two blades seemed to be trying to find an opening, but she didn’t seem to be a match in close combat.

A man accelerating while emitting steam like crazy from both arms, which were modified with unknown mechanical devices.

Lennox’s eyes naturally calmed down as he confirmed the incredible speed that could not be followed with the naked eye.

“……..”

He took his eyes off the telescope and asked leisurely.

“Shouldn’t we intervene soon? If you’re managing and supervising the operation, it seems important to manage the team members as well.”

[……]

Hina didn’t bring it up to Lennox first.

Their first operation. It was a collaboration that they had barely achieved through Evelyn’s cooperation.

He understood her feelings of not wanting to give up the initiative.

However, there was no reason for Lennox to be the first to ask for help.

If anything, it was Hina who had to show her hand first in this situation.

A moment of silence. But in the end, the one who would surrender was decided.

[……My abilities are not suitable for this situation. In fact, there’s a high chance that I’ll be a hindrance.]

“I see.”

Lennox replied as if he was enjoying it.

“So?”

[If you wait a little longer, reinforcements will arrive. Until then, it would be great if you could buy some time, Ban. They are quite valuable assets to lose with just one operation.]

That wasn’t wrong.

It was just that an unexpected strong enemy had appeared and they were having a hard time, but the team members struggling there were definitely quite skilled, even in Lennox’s eyes.

If you had to compare, they were about the same level of skill as Mount, whom he had encountered during his meeting with Madam.

No matter what, if they were kept alive, they would be helpful in some way.

After finishing his calculations, Lennox got up from his seat.

“You know which account the success fee for those guys should be deposited into, right?”

[Of course.]

That was enough.

Lennox immediately turned and headed towards the hallway.

Support fire.

One mage who had been subdued and knocked out by him, and other combat personnel groaning in pain next to him.

On the floor, various pieces of equipment they had brought were scattered, regardless of type or size.

Lennox looked around and found the item he wanted and immediately picked it up.

The long rifle that the rifleman had been carrying.

It wasn’t intentional, but in this situation, there was no better item.

Lennox, who had difficulty moving the slightly heavy rifle to the window, fixed the muzzle and slowly brought the buttstock to his shoulder.

“Hoo…”

It wasn’t familiar, but it wasn’t a completely foreign sensation either. It reminded him of the military.

Even if it wasn’t a good memory, it naturally made him think of Earth again.

A longing that suddenly arose at an unexpected moment.

He forcibly shook it off and adjusted his posture.

He had obtained a long-barreled weapon, but Lennox also knew the range of a rifle.

Even in a world where magic engineering existed, he had already confirmed several times that the specifications and capabilities of a gun were no different from what Lennox knew.

With just the specs of this rifle, it wouldn’t be able to reach that building.

Then, he would just have to stack up magic.

[Aim correction = Level 2]

[Distance amplification]

[Concentrated fire]

Woo woo woong!!

The auxiliary magic he had assembled was only three types. However, the power and level of each one was clearly different from before.

A pale blue magical light flickered slowly, surrounding the muzzle and drawing a faint spiral.

Fire.

Taang!!

At the same time as pulling the trigger, a single bullet shot out, piercing the frozen air and crossing between the two high-rise buildings.

A small metal object rotating along the rifling. The point where it converged was moving forward without any disturbance.

It accurately struck the temple of the man who was rushing forward with glaring eyes.

Kwaang!!

Lennox, confirming that the man’s figure had been knocked sideways by the unexpected impact, immediately turned the muzzle.

The next target was the mage, who was looking out of the building with a dazed expression. The magic combination was the same as before.

Quickly reload, fire.

Taang!!

A single shot that even the physical ability-user warrior couldn’t react to.

However, the mage managed to block it by pulling up a flimsy black wall.

The five senses, pushed to the limit through magic detection. The reaction speed derived from that was temporary, but it could surpass even that of a physical ability-user.

The same principle that allowed Lennox to go head-to-head with a warrior like Beck Clinton.

A smile naturally formed on his lips.

“This is fun.”

The following battle was a simple repetition process.