Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 385

Jenny led Lenok and the man directly to the conference room on the bar’s upper floor. She pointedly ignored the awkwardly standing man, locked the door, and turned her attention to Lenok as soon as he was seated.

“The second project to start in this city in decades… are you sure it’s okay to say that?” Jenny asked, looking at the man with a slight smile.

“If you’re confident enough to bring that up in front of me, the information better be solid.” Lenok understood why Jenny was saying that.

Kaise’s only granddaughter, and the Black Consumer Project, considered the most direct cause of his death. The fact that a follow-up plan to that project was about to begin, and that an employee from the Confidential Management Bureau would bring it up in front of Jenny and Lenok, couldn’t have happened without knowing the implications.

“Our agency stores and manages data from various projects that were scrapped decades ago.”

“…”

“Most of our employees, including myself, don’t even have access to the data, let alone the ability to view it. But as we’re in charge of management, we can tell who is trying to access the files.” The employee nodded, looking slightly nervous.

“And just a month ago, there was an attempt to access data that was considered a follow-up project to the Black Consumer Project and was subsequently scrapped.”

“That’s not enough.” Jenny frowned.

“I can try to bypass the route and hack it myself. The only difficult part is not getting caught.”

“What if the IP of a restricted area remains in that bypassed route?”

“…” The man said, rubbing his temples with a tired expression.

“Even if you bypass the route, there are only a limited number of entities that can use the IP of a restricted area. It’s impossible unless you have authority or a title comparable to a city council senator.”

Only then did Jenny’s expression turn cold as she realized what the man was implying.

“There’s someone in the city government’s upper echelons who wants to restart a new project. But they don’t want to reveal who they are?”

“Yes. And that area is the 6th District, which our agency directly manages… a place where old documents and administrative records are stored.”

“The 6th District…” Lenok nodded at those words.

Back when he stopped the rebellion of the defense forces of the mega-city, he had infiltrated the 6th District with Aris to track their purpose and location, hadn’t he? It had been almost three months since he faced Trepen, the lieutenant general of the defense forces, using the location of the secret facility that had been secretly moved from the restricted area to the undeveloped area.

“Considering that bypassing the IP of the restricted area was no accident or coincidence, it’s the same as sending a signal not to interfere with the agency.”

“Our conclusion is not much different.” The man glanced at Lenok.

“It’s also true that we were looking for someone suitable to resolve the current situation.”

“Is that half of it, do you think?” The man nodded at Jenny’s question.

“Not only has your skill been verified, but you are also one of the very few freelancers who straddle both the light and dark sides… and you’re even involved in the incident that led to the lifting of the Law of Restraint [a law restricting the use of superhuman powers].”

“…”

“It’s not just because of your skills, but you are undoubtedly the person who can reach out to various places in this matter. Moreover, since the crisis involving Dyke is suspected to be an extension of this matter, we believe that our goals may align during the investigation process.”

“…Jenny, what is all this about?” The man finally got to his main point with a bold statement.

But Lenok, who had heard something he couldn’t ignore in the middle of it, turned his head.

Lenok turned his head.

“Did something happen to Dyke?”

“Haa, damn it… I was going to explain it to you later.” Jenny sighed deeply, glanced at Lenok, and then opened her mouth as if she couldn’t help it.

“Recently, Dyke has been experiencing a series of terrorist attacks from unknown sources. More than half of the underground military facility production network built around Panoa has been destroyed, and several high-ranking officials, including the current president, have died.”

“…What?” Lenok’s mouth slightly opened at the unexpected words.

* * *

Lenok told the man that he would give him an answer later and sent him back. Then, he heard from Jenny about what had happened while he was away. The crisis of Dyke, which had been steadily growing its power until he left the city. It was to discuss what it meant that the issue of a new project was intertwined with that series of events.

“Things started to go strangely after the Law of Restraint was lifted.” Jenny said, taking a sip of her drink.

“Instead of the clash between the light and dark sides that everyone expected, a cataclysm occurred in the light side’s sphere of influence, centered around the mega-corporations.”

The lifting of the Law of Restraint, which had restricted the indiscriminate use of power by superhumans in exchange for privileges. The power of the light side, realizing that the leash had been released, first turned not to the dark side, but to the same light side’s sphere of influence.

Perhaps they thought it was an opportunity to reorganize the complex power structure, where they had to deal with internal competitors before external enemies. It goes without saying that the clashes between superhumans, who had been involved in the military response teams of various companies and organizations, became much more frequent than before.

“Of course, Dyke was not immune to this problem, but… the problem is that it’s difficult to identify the perpetrators of the attacks, even though the president has died. Does that make sense?” Jenny continued with a slightly hardened expression.

“Considering that there are rumors in the dark side that a shady force is involved…”

“It means that there’s a high possibility that the city government’s upper echelons are attacking Dyke.” It wasn’t difficult to guess the reason.

The underground military business venture that began with the plan of Panoa Bellucci, the head of the management planning department. The weapons business that he had seized by defeating the Ciger Bang and other gangs with Lenok’s help. It must be because those who had been secretly dissatisfied with it were moving with the power of the city government.

“What do you want to do?” Jenny asked.

Lenok seemed to think for a moment, then immediately opened his mouth.

“If the city government’s upper echelons are involved, it wouldn’t be strange if Dyke collapses. If it’s really related to a new project, it seems like we need to look into it.”

Having learned that a being called Alcaide was deeply involved in the Black Consumer Project, Lenok was aware that unraveling the secrets of this city was not a matter of choice.

“However, there’s a high chance that we won’t gain anything by meeting with Dyke right now… we should make an appointment for a meeting, but we need to gather information separately.” If Panoa’s abilities couldn’t identify the identity of the opponent in a case where the president died, then going out right now would likely only draw attention without any gain. It was advisable to move in an area that Panoa couldn’t reach, at a point that even she wasn’t aware of.

“If the city government’s upper echelons are involved, the agent may not be of much help in this matter.”

“It’s not the light side. Who do you think is the person who knows the most about the project in this district?” Lenok said, taking out his cell phone.

[Cartel’s 1st President, Virgil Vayger.]

“I needed to meet him anyway. It looks like I’ll be seeing his face much sooner than I thought.” Lenok nodded, having found the contact information and immediately sent a message.

The message was sent to Virgil, but the one he was looking for was someone else. An old hag whose face and name he knew, but he doubted even had a cell phone number. Oliviera Ron Maze, the chairman of the Cartel and a presumed master of ocular magic, who participated in the Black Consumer Project, would surely have a more accurate insight into this matter than anyone else.

* * *

“Hoo…” His mansion, which he had returned to after almost a month. After quickly cleaning the dusty house, he prepares a meal, turning his back on Davi, who had started jumping around on the circuit breaker. A meat-based diet to replenish nutrition and calories. He chews and swallows it down, knowing that it won’t digest well.

[Grrr.] With Davi’s purring sounds in the background, Lenok, holding a fork, began to review the facts he had learned since returning to the city.

‘I expected there to be conflict, but I didn’t think they would come out so aggressively as soon as the Law of Restraint was lifted.’ It’s not strange that the conflicts, interests, and cost-benefit calculations that had been tied up by the Law of Restraint, and that could not be resolved with money and transactions alone, had erupted as a result of this incident. However, he didn’t expect Dyke, which had been extending its hand to the dark side’s military industry based on a solid light side’s financial backing, to be so helplessly defeated.

The construction of a new magic system, the ascension of his level, and the organization of the harvest from the labyrinth. There were still a mountain of things to do, but Lenok was not surprised or disappointed by the new problems that had arisen. When had he ever had the leisurely time and space to maintain his research and triple identity? It only felt awkward because it hadn’t been long since he returned from the Northern Continent, but squeezing time was a natural thing for someone with limited time like Lenok.

‘I have a lot to explain to Jenny separately…’ Jenny seemed to suspect that Lenok was involved in Jintun’s death, but she didn’t ask for the details. Perhaps it was because she realized that Lenok didn’t want to talk about it right now. In that respect, Jenny was more patient and knew how to keep her distance than anyone Lenok knew. It was impossible without understanding the distance that she and Lenok were aware of. It was hard to deny that he had been helped by her consideration.

“…I’ll have to tell her someday.” He knew that he couldn’t just keep his irresponsible freelancer status. Even at this moment, the forces and powers moving in various parts of the continent were changing the landscape. Moreover, now that Lapis had declared her entry into the central front, the movements in the Philemon Autonomous Territory would also become more active. If the influence of the Azure Eye begins to reach the mega-city, he should tell Jenny that Lenok has a positive relationship with the Watchers. As a partner who has been working for a long time, and in a position to set up a company and run a business under joint names, he can’t hide it forever. So much had changed since he first drifted into this city, hid his identity, and started working as a freelancer. Lenok, as well as the people around him, were changing with different minds and wills. He felt the need to change his existing attitude to match the changing times and places.

He felt the need to change his existing attitude to match the changing times and places. Lenok, who had leisurely chewed and swallowed the pre-prepared meal, finished his meal, wiped his mouth, and said.

“Davi. Order the items I’m about to tell you from the auction. As soon as the items needed to remodel the workshop are ready, I’ll start the research.”

[Grrr.]

“…You understood, right?”

[The order is complete, Master.] Davi said, wagging her three lush tails.

[But a man named Virgil contacted you?]

Lenok’s eyes calmly sank as he immediately checked the message.

“A regular meeting of executives…” It was unlikely that Oliviera would attend in person, but Virgil’s answer was that he would at least talk to the board of directors. Come to think of it, he had never visited the Cartel’s headquarters since he was appointed as an outside director. After a moment of thought, Lenok slowly nodded his head.

“Come to think of it, it was about time I showed my face.” He didn’t expect Virgil’s reply to arrive before Panoa, who had contacted him first, but it didn’t matter. He had no intention of dragging out the issue of Dyke and the secret of the new project.

* * *

After that, Lenok spent a full day resting, sleeping, and then immediately went to see Sebastian.

“I heard you’re back. This city has become a mess while you were gone.” A broker who specializes in dealing with entrepreneurs and the wealthy. And the very person who had directly procured and gifted Lenok’s bike. Sebastian, who skillfully moved a wine glass with telekinesis and placed it in Lenok’s hand, tilted his head slightly.

“You seem more uncomfortable than usual… is there something wrong?”

“…It’s nothing serious. I’ve been busy lately.” His body, which had been stiff with tension, felt worse after a day of rest. The short journey in the labyrinth, the fierce battles and races, and the body that had been pushed to its limits demanded more rest. He was suppressing his fatigue with medicine, but there was no way to stop his body from faltering due to various aftereffects.

Sebastian, who was watching Lenok sip his wine, shrugged his shoulders and handed him the payment documents.

“As per your request, I placed a special order with Otterble. 8 options for exterior changes. 3 types of split engines. 10-stage thrusters. The highest grade of alloy outer shell… you’re not planning to go to war, are you?”

“You never know.” Sebastian shook his head at Lenok’s ambiguous answer.

“To break such a thing and come back and order a stronger bike… if it were me, I would have prepared an armored car.”

“How much is it?”

“The receipt is here. It’s going to be a bit pricey because of all the options.”

“…” Even Lenok, who had not been short of money since starting a business with Jenny, had to look at the price tag again. It was a large sum of money that reminded him of his early days in the city when he lived in poverty, but Lenok signed it with trembling hands. Considering how well he had used the bike, this level of investment was a reasonable amount. No matter how much he raised his level and mastery of magic, Lenok was keenly aware that mobility alone was not easily obtained.

Sebastian, who had been carefully watching the signature, stroked his belly with a satisfied expression.

“Thank you for your purchase, customer. This will further strengthen my relationship with the president of Otterble. I should get a drink from that friend soon.”

“…” As Lenok turned away, clutching his aching stomach, Sebastian said, as if he had just remembered something.

“Come to think of it, Madam said she had something to give you. If you have time, you should go see her.”

“Madam?” Was he talking about the vampire broker? He remembered meeting her once a long time ago. It seemed that she still remembered the words she had said to Lenok at that time, inviting him to visit her.

“Madam has lived a long time, even among vampires, so she knows a lot. If you have chronic fatigue or a problem with your constitution, she might be able to help you.” Sebastian’s words as he clinked his wine glass. It was a suggestion that could not have come out unless he was concerned about Lenok’s uncomfortable movements. Lenok chuckled at the subtle consideration he felt.

“Thanks for the advice.”

“That’s all I need. Let’s put this on your tab. Do you even know how many of my acquaintances want to commission you?-” Leaving Sebastian, who was starting to talk at length, Lenok left his office. He was running out of time until his next appointment. He had to hurry to get to the appointment location without a bike. Lenok hailed a taxi passing by on the nearby road and got in. He told the driver his destination and they set off.

“Um… sir.” Just as Lenok was leaning back, thinking of catching a quick nap before arriving at his appointment, the taxi driver, who had been glancing at him in the rearview mirror, opened his mouth.

“Have we arrived?”

“No. The road is blocked, so we’ll have to go a bit further.”

“…The road is blocked?” Beyond the window, there were no other vehicles in sight, let alone this taxi. Where was there a driver who would say that the road was blocked in front of an empty road? However, despite Lenok’s question, the taxi driver pointed to the sign in front of him and said.

“Do you see that? The sign for a high-risk collision area. That’s a sign that superhumans are running wild in this area.”

“…”

“If you’re lucky, nothing might happen, but if something goes wrong, you could get caught up in it and get hurt.”

“Hmm…” Was even Sebastian’s office in the 42nd District exposed to this kind of danger? If even this street, which is relatively a busy area among the outer districts, is suffering from this kind of danger, he couldn’t even imagine how chaotic other places would be.

“I guess there’s no choice. You can turn around.” Lenok reluctantly nodded his head, and at that moment, when the taxi driver’s face softened at the thought of meeting a patient customer. Suddenly, something heavy fell from the sky and landed right in front of the taxi.

Kuaaaang!!

“Hieeek!!!” The driver screamed in terror, let go of the steering wheel, and cowered. However, Lenok, who had sensed the figure in advance with his magic perception, said without changing his expression.

“Reverse.”

“Yes, yes?!”

“Shift gears. You’ll die if we stay like this.” No sooner had he finished speaking than the thing that had fallen right in front of the taxi wriggled and then threw its body back. The taxi driver screamed and stepped on the accelerator with all his might.

“Uwaaa!!!!” The thing that had narrowly missed the driver’s seat slammed into the hood of the taxi and crushed it.

Ujijijijik!! The taxi was half-lifted forward by the impact. Lenok looked at the driver who had fainted with foam in his mouth, sighed, and opened the car door. Lenok, who had pulled the driver out with magic and laid him down in the entrance of a nearby building, said.

“Davi. Contact them and tell them I’ll be a little late.”

[It looks like a hassle, wouldn’t it be better to just ignore it and go?]

“I don’t intend to get involved in anything in this district, but…” He slowly raised his magic power.

“She’s someone who could be helpful. It’s better to save her.” A woman confronting a beast with an impressive huge tail. A woman in a suit, adjusting her glasses with a troubled expression. The scales and eye mark on her left chest. A member of the Cartel. And evidence that she was a high-ranking official.