Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 541

Parden McQueen. The 1st president of the Cartel.

The very person who tried to betray the Cartel by joining hands with an organization called Ten Counts, and the opponent whose truth Lenox had to verify when the plan was exposed.

A defrocked monk whom Lenox killed, and a member of the board who became the first opponent of the self-resonance field.

A man who realized the meaning of the kaleidoscope’s domain, and ultimately became a handful of ashes, unable to accept its direction.

A being with whom there were no good memories in all the moments they had known each other.

However, even when facing such a McQueen, Lenox felt not murderous intent or shock, but a much stronger curiosity and interest.

‘He doesn’t recognize me. Why is that?’

Why is Parden McQueen, whom Lenox killed, alive and well inside this restricted area?

Why is he talking so casually as if he doesn’t remember Lenox, and why does he have such an ambiguous expression even after seeing his face?

A face that is incredibly complex, as if he doesn’t remember anything that happened before.

McQueen walked right up to Lenox, who was standing still, and stared at his face for a long time.

“No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem to be a team member who was called in for this operation…”

“I haven’t heard properly about the operation yet,” Lenox replied with a blank face.

“I lost my way to the power plant. It would be nice if you could tell me exactly where this place is.”

“…A superhuman from Balkan doesn’t even know where the particle acceleration power plant in the Ramahal District is?”

“…”

Seeing McQueen’s expression gradually narrowing with suspicion, Lenox subtly turned his gaze away.

Contrary to his somewhat slow response, Lenox’s mind was racing like crazy.

‘Ramahal District. I get the feeling.’

Before all the districts of the megacity were reorganized with numbers, each district had its own unique name.

The Ramahal District that McQueen mentioned must be the name of the 25th district, which was designated as a restricted area, before it was reorganized as it is now.

If you start from that fact and go back, you can infer more facts from McQueen’s appearance.

The sandals of a brand that has been discontinued and is no longer produced.

The tattoos that are fewer than Lenox remembered, and the wrinkles that are less pronounced.

An atmosphere that is somehow detached, unlike when he was about to die.

Finally, the way he treats Lenox as if he’s a stranger, even after seeing his face.

‘I see. I suspected it, but…’

Considering what’s happening in this restricted area, there’s only one answer.

The Parden McQueen standing in front of Lenox right now is not a fake or an illusion.

Nor was he a man who had forgotten his memories, or a dead man who had been resurrected in an unknown form.

It’s just that he’s facing Parden McQueen from decades ago, before they even met.

The scenery of the power plant left decades ago through the space-time distortion that occurred in the restricted area.

What was preserved in it was not just ordinary objects or scenery.

The people who gathered at this power plant at the time of the incident that led to the designation and isolation of the 25th district as a restricted area.

The restricted area had also kept their power, existence, and memories intact.

As a powerful figure who had completed his hierarchy and reached level 7 decades ago, there is almost no change in his appearance.

But at this point in time, he doesn’t remember Lenox, and he is himself from a time when they had never even met.

‘Survivors of the restricted area. Food relief lines. The inconsistent details and secrets… Was it all because of this?’

The failure of the Black Consumer Project. Balkan’s deepest and darkest secret.

I’ve always wondered how far it went, but I never thought it would be this blatant and fatal.

The cause of the exposure phenomenon. The inside story of space-time research. Even the great causality that encompasses all those mysteries.

Is this situation itself someone’s intention?

“…The perimeter of this area is being controlled by the superhumans who participated in this operation,” McQueen said, looking at Lenox with suspicious eyes, who was having trouble getting out of his thoughts.

“It’s been more than three days since all civilians and those not involved in this incident were evacuated.”

“…”

“It’s not a place where an ordinary person can get lost and wander in. I think you need something to prove your identity.”

“Okay. It’s not a difficult task.”

Lenox nodded obediently.

McQueen’s eyebrows twitched at his unhesitating answer.

“Oh… Then would you like to take it out?”

In the midst of the quiet silence, the atmosphere slowly heated up.

A sharp momentum that seemed as if they would immediately raise their magic power and clash with each other pierced all around.

At the same time as Lenox put his hand inside his coat, McQueen grabbed his staff and took a step back.

“Here it is.”

A pure white business card was held out between his gloved fingers.

Without using any magic power, he slowly handed it to McQueen.

“Wait a minute…!!”

McQueen, who received the business card with a blank face, widened his eyes as he checked someone’s signature written at the bottom.

“How did you get a business card with her signature…!!!”

The business card that he had received directly from Oliviera when he was appointed as an external advisor to the Cartel.

Lenox had shown Parden McQueen the business card with her signature directly on it.

“I came directly under the orders of Oliviera Ron Maze.”

His gaze must not waver.

As if it was predetermined from the beginning to meet McQueen himself and tell him this fact.

Lenox stared at McQueen with a deep gaze and spoke slowly.

“As an external advisor to the headquarters, I plan to thoroughly review the command system of this operation and start reorganizing it.”

“External advisor, hmm…!!”

“First of all, I would like you to guide me around the facilities near the power plant. Would that be okay?”

Unless it was when he had just betrayed Oliviera, McQueen from decades ago was a loyal servant and right-hand man of the Cartel, faithfully assisting the chairman.

At this point in time, if he were to ask for a tour of the power plant with a business card with Oliviera’s signature on it, he would not be able to refuse.

Lenox was planning to take advantage of McQueen’s nature and get his help to easily guide him around the facilities and terrain of the power plant.

As if Lenox’s prediction was correct, McQueen seemed to have lost some of his composure as soon as he saw the business card with Oliviera’s signature on it.

“Certainly, the design of the business card and the company name are from the headquarters that have not yet been officially announced, but…!!”

“It could be solid proof that I’m an insider.”

Was it that the company name Cartel had not yet been officially launched at this time?

He quickly matches the settings and background, following McQueen’s words.

“Even without that, there are things I need to discuss with the executives at headquarters about that part.”

“…Are you telling me to trust you with just this one business card and guide you to the power plant?”

“If you don’t trust me, you don’t have to trust me.”

Lenox replied calmly.

“However, I have presented evidence to prove my identity as you wished.”

“…”

“If you know Oliviera’s nature, you’ll know that she wouldn’t give such a signature to others so carelessly.”

“What are you going to do if I don’t guide you?”

Lenox was not flustered by McQueen’s sharp question.

“Then I’ll have to find a way to get inside the power plant facilities on my own. It’s not like the work I have to do will disappear.”

“…”

Perhaps Lenox’s relaxed answer, which seemed to have no interest in McQueen, was the trigger for his decision.

As if he had made a difficult decision due to the actions of the magician, who had no will to fight or hostility, McQueen slowly returned the business card he was holding to Lenox.

Lenox smiled as he received the business card back.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

Of course, the reason Lenox doesn’t feel hostility or murderous intent towards McQueen is not because he has decided to become allies with McQueen now.

It’s just that if he’s an opponent he’s killed once, he’s confident that he’ll never lose under any conditions or environment.

Moreover, McQueen from decades ago is in a state where he doesn’t even realize his own desires and can’t properly handle the self-resonance field.

It would be strange to feel that McQueen, who was more clumsy in his techniques, power, and judgment than when Lenox faced him alone and killed him, was an enemy.

That response, which was close to indifference, had rather instilled a faint sense of trust in McQueen that Lenox was not an enemy.

“It’s not because I trust you or believe in you that I’m guiding you to the power plant.”

McQueen said coldly as he turned his back.

“It’s just that I have to take you to the power plant to verify the evidence you presented anyway, so we’re just going together.”

“…What?”

Verification. There would only be one way to judge the truth of the lies Lenox had uttered here.

The moment Lenox immediately asked McQueen back, with an ominous premonition rising in a corner of his mind.

McQueen, who had completely turned his gaze away from Lenox, began to walk.

“The chairman is staying inside the power plant. If I take you there, I’ll be able to quickly confirm whether what you said is true or not.”

“…”

At that moment, Lenox realized that the lies he had told to deceive McQueen had become useless in an instant.

If the current McQueen correctly recognizes and calls her by her title, there is no doubt.

Oliviera from decades ago had also participated in the operation near the power plant at the time, and had remained in this restricted area, distorted.

If he goes into the power plant and faces the Oliviera of the past, he will almost certainly be exposed.

But it’s just a temporary trick. There are plenty of ways.

Lenox’s eyes, watching McQueen’s back, quietly sank.

‘Should I kill him?’

He’s someone Lenox has already killed once. Would anything change if he killed him again now?

From the moment he starts using his hands, he will inevitably be at odds with other past beings living in this area.

However, if the lies he made up to deceive McQueen are exposed, he will end up with a similar outcome anyway.

In that case, it would be more rational to just deal with McQueen cleanly here and find the power plant alone.

It wouldn’t be bad to explain to the other team members what’s going on in this restricted area in the process.

It wasn’t difficult to make a decision.

‘From behind, at once, dismantle him without resistance.’

He quietly takes out the twisted dagger he received as a gift from Soryu from his coat.

A custom-made spell weapon designed to be able to stab with spells, including curses, between the twists of the blade.

He secretly manipulates his magic power to imbue the twisted blade with magic that will cut off McQueen’s breath.

In order not to leave any room for resistance through spells, he reverses and deploys the [Liberation Spell] and [Jukye Domain] that the future him used.

The moment McQueen resists, it will interlock like a key and dismantle the roots of his magic power piece by piece.

“It’s good timing. What is Oliviera doing right now?”

While naturally answering McQueen’s words, he floats the dagger into the air.

“I’m not sure. She’s been busy with external maintenance of the power plant and the renewal of the security system for a while…”

“It’s much easier for me to meet her and talk to her directly. Please take the fastest route to the power plant if possible.”

“Even so, whether she meets you or not is not up to our will.”

While they were talking, the twisted dagger was already close enough to brush against McQueen’s robe.

His magic power manipulation and deployment speed, sensitivity, and reaction index are overwhelmingly superior.

If he takes advantage of the gaps in the conversation with McQueen and stabs at his psychological weaknesses, he can kill him instantly before he even raises his main power.

The moment his mouth, vocal cords, and heart open and vibrate simultaneously, the blood flow slightly accelerates, and the sensory sphere is faintly disturbed.

He inserts the blade into the natural gap that even Lenox himself is unaware of.

The twisted blade pierces through McQueen’s spell defense and breathing, and at the moment it tries to stop all the abilities necessary for life activities.

“She’s been working with Kaise all day, engrossed in researching and experimenting on something.”

“…!!!”

Lenox’s mind, which had been lost in the flow of consciousness, returns to reality at an incredible speed.

At the same time, he stopped the dagger that was being fired with all his might in the air, without McQueen noticing.

The blade of the dagger, which had reached just before piercing the carotid artery behind McQueen’s neck, was slightly pushed back, unable to overcome its momentum.

The defrocked monk took another step forward, and at the same time, it barely missed and passed by.

Lenox immediately reached out and grabbed the dagger that had stopped in the air, and put it back into his coat.

“…?”

McQueen also seemed to feel a sense of discomfort at the sudden movement, and turned his head sharply to glare at Lenox.

“…Why are you suddenly doing that?”

Lenox asked, leaning on his staff, without breaking a sweat.

An atmosphere that was so calm that it was hard to believe that he was the one who had just tried to kill McQueen in one blow.

McQueen stared at Lenox’s face with sharp eyes for a long time, then slowly turned his gaze back.

“No… It’s nothing.”

“More than that, I’d like to hear more details about the chairman.”

Lenox opened his mouth again as he started walking next to McQueen as if nothing had happened.

“Kaise… What kind of research are they doing right now?”

Does McQueen know that he was about to face his second death just now?

Ironically, it was the last words he uttered as if grumbling that saved McQueen’s life, which was half-dead.

Kaise.

The name that Lenox had heard and remembered countless times,

Yet, the name that remained a secret, without fully approaching its truth.

The man who died with the failure of the Black Consumer Project, and was ultimately buried among the secrets of the project, is here now.

Remaining in the restricted area, distorted in a timeline where he has not yet faced death.

* * *

Kurvas Dam.

Keegan Grimes’ office, the residence of a first-class administrator.

The place, which had been converted into a huge conference room, was submerged in a frozen silence.

The screens transmitted through the transmitters attached to the equipment of the four team members.

Among them, the video transmitted in real time from Ban’s transmitter had made everyone hold their breath.

The appearance of a defrocked monk with bronze skin and complex tattoos all over his body.

High-ranking officials of the city government often know the attire and appearance of influential figures who operate in the shadows to some extent.

What would it be like if the opponent was one of the top executives of the Cartel, who was once a part of the Three Heads?

“Are you sure?”

“Considering the physique, the impression at the time, and the similarity of facial features, it is definitely him,” a staff member replied immediately after quickly comparing the personal data of several people.

“Parden McQueen, the former 1st president of the Cartel. He is presumed to be the person who died directly at the hands of Kyunroe a few years ago.”

“…Is there a possibility that we are seeing illusions or hallucinations?”

“It is virtually impossible for a high-ranking magician like Kyunroe… Look.”

With those words, the staff member pointed to the videos being transmitted on different screens.

The screens from the transmitters attached to Kyulbaek, Felix, and Ilya were not even able to output properly.

Only faint and blurry images of unknown landscapes or people were visible through the countless noises.

“Due to the influence of the barriers and magic circles spread all around the restricted area, even the transmitters are difficult to operate.”

“…”

“The only reason the screen is working properly now is because Kyunroe himself intervened…”

Fwoosh!!

No sooner had those words been spoken than Lenox’s transmission screen began to blur and eventually showed only noisy shadows like the others.

It was just that Lenox, who had decided to deal with McQueen, had naturally stopped the transmission, but to those who did not know the fact, it was bound to have a completely different meaning.

“Hoo…”

Keegan, who had let out a deep sigh, began to move busily around the conference room without saying anything.

After pondering for a long time, lost in thought, Keegan slowly began to speak.

“Do you know what it means that the transmitter just turned off?”

“Yes?”

“Kyunroe was aware that the screen was being transmitted. He was forcibly holding on to the connection to show the appearance of Parden McQueen directly.”

“…”

Using the powerful magic power manipulation ability unique to high-ranking magicians, he forcibly maintains the transmission screen to confirm the reality inside the restricted area.

Through that, Keegan was desperately trying to deduce what Lenox wanted from them.

If he wants to receive help from the outside by revealing the secrets inside the restricted area… if he has something in mind.

“He doesn’t want a solution.”

Keegan, who had been constantly recalling Kyunroe’s actions, affiliations, and the surrounding situation in his mind, slowly raised his head.

“Rather, he wants to ask a question.”

“…Yes?”

“Sometimes, asking directly is the fastest and most efficient way.”

Keegan did not answer the staff member’s question and jumped up from his seat.

“Contact the Cartel. I need to connect to the board of directors via a hotline.”