Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 956

Ban (12)

[It’s a Seonryeong Beopgye [A religious artifact]].

“……What?”

Deep within the Duris Workshop.

A secret vault accessible only to VIP clients who had used the workshop for a long time.

While Elbato and the others were still unconscious, Lenok easily found the magical artifact left by the 2nd Apostle.

He hadn’t been told the vault’s location, but the 2nd Apostle’s traces remained on the VIP client list, making it easy to find.

There was a name written next to the ledger, perhaps to distinguish clients, but it was probably just a meaningless alias anyway.

The important thing was the contents that the 2nd Apostle had said he had left in the vault.

Lenok, who had bypassed the security barrier and opened the vault door, found a transparent bracelet emitting a pure white light.

Surprisingly, it was a strange object whose abilities even Lenok couldn’t discern at first glance.

Faced with a religious artifact whose abilities he couldn’t immediately understand, Lenok summoned Kashuin instead of pondering for too long.

The archangel of the old world gave Lenok an answer based on his own memories.

[With all your heart and mind, voluntarily do good, forsake anguish, anger, and resentment, and seek the increase of good law based on all good.]

Kashuin’s voice echoed calmly.

[This shall be a precept that embodies and replaces ethical principles.]

“You seem to have forgotten the deal we made after meeting the head of the Order last time.”

Lenok, who had grasped the archangel’s compassionate nature, spoke with a nonchalant tone.

“I told you I would cooperate in good faith. Summarize it in an easy-to-understand way.”

[You’re a difficult one… In short, it’s a magical tool used to protect the soul by doing good deeds.]

Kashuin grumbled but explained obediently.

[If you faithfully follow the teachings and do good, that karma will accumulate and become a barrier that shields the user’s soul.]

“……Is it a kind of mental barrier that is artificially built up?”

[It’s a much more advanced and indirect form of magical artifact. It literally means that by doing good, you gain a reward, and it symbolizes the rule that karma benefits the action.]

“……”

A device that grants the ability to protect the soul by doing good deeds.

Like the doctrines and norms of religious groups, even Kashuin’s explanation was difficult to understand.

Anyway, according to the archangel’s summary, it was closer to a kind of protective device that shields the soul.

However, the fact that good deeds designated by the Order were required for the artifact to function was quite interesting.

While Lenok was pondering its unique operating method, Kashuin spoke as if amazed.

[It’s a rare item that is not commonly seen even in the Holy Kingdom, but I don’t know why such a magical artifact was hidden in a secular vault.]

“It seems it’s not an ordinary magical artifact.”

[It’s an object that was made by refining and processing the relics left behind by an angel like me after death. It’s not easy to mass-produce, let alone process.]

“……”

[Originally, it was an object for the believers of the Holy Kingdom, but it’s more likely to be of greater help to non-believers like you.]

Kashuin explained.

[The psychic imprints sent by the gods of the Outer Seas are not something that a mere human can withstand, so this magical artifact will prevent the gods from watching you.]

“So that’s how the protection of the soul works.”

Lenok nodded and took the pure white bracelet, slowly putting it on his right wrist.

“Not bad. If it can hide me from the eyes of the gods, it’s useful in its own way.”

Lenok, who possessed a mage’s mental and target designation resistance, was not affected by the psychic imprints of the Outer Gods.

However, apart from that, the ability to hide from the gaze of the Outer Gods was certainly a useful ability.

A magical artifact that only the Order, which had long studied the Outer Seas and the gods, could create.

And it was definitely a rare item that the 2nd Apostle, of all people, would have kept.

Whoooom…!!!

As Lenok put the magical artifact on his wrist, the priest’s authority resonated with the Seonryeong Beopgye artifact, as if in response, and began to glow.

The light of the artifact gradually subsided and became calm, as if recognizing and confirming the authority left by Seina and Nydri.

After staring at it for a while, Lenok immediately returned to the workshop and woke up Elbato Duris, who had been knocked out.

He couldn’t explain the 2nd Apostle’s identity, but he needed to explain that he had knocked out the workshop’s guests and fled.

If he didn’t tell them that, it wouldn’t be strange if Lenok was blamed for everything that had happened in the workshop.

“An attack, you say? I can’t believe it…”

Elbato muttered, looking around the quiet workshop with a bewildered expression.

A bizarre scene where everyone in the workshop had lost consciousness and collapsed. The security devices and alarm systems were also completely paralyzed.

Elbato, who understood that this was the result of the intervention of a powerful transcendent being whose level was beyond comprehension, muttered blankly.

“Not just anyone, but that particular guest…”

“You knew him?”

“He’s been a VIP who has been coming to the workshop to get his glasses fitted for ten years.”

Elbato replied, still in disbelief.

“His identity was guaranteed, and his background was solid, so I never doubted him. How could…”

The 2nd Apostle himself said that he was a regular user of this workshop’s quality assurance service.

Considering that he didn’t kill a single person in the workshop while confronting Lenok, it wasn’t a lie.

In fact, there was a high possibility that he had become acquainted with Elbato Duris.

“He gets his glasses fitted.”

However, Lenok’s eyes lit up quietly as he listened to Elbato’s rambling.

“What exactly did he ask for at the workshop?”

“I didn’t hear it directly, so I don’t remember exactly.”

Elbato said cautiously with a sullen expression.

“It seems that the prescription of his glasses often didn’t match.”

“……”

“Among the craftsmen in charge of orders, there seems to be a rumor that his eyesight is very bad.”

“The prescription doesn’t match…”

Elbato lowered his head slightly, looking embarrassed at Lenok’s muttering.

“I’m sorry. It’s such a trivial story…”

“No, it was meaningful information.”

“Yes?”

If he still needed to wear glasses to protect his eyesight even after becoming an Apostle, there must be a reason.

It may be trivial information for an individual, but for an Apostle who is a manifestation, it is a sufficient clue to identify their characteristics or the manifestation of their power.

It was highly likely that it was because there was a special power in the act of seeing something, or in the eyes themselves.

Perhaps this information could be used when he met him again in the future.

Thinking so, Lenok nodded and turned around.

“I’ll give you time to clean up the workshop. I’ll be waiting where we met earlier.”

“Ah, I understand.”

As Lenok headed to the room located at the back of the workshop, he heard Elbato hurriedly waking up the workshop staff.

The lobby became noisy, and the screams of the guests, who didn’t even know they had fainted, echoed.

It would take some time to clean up the mess and return the workshop to normal.

Bang!!

Lenok, who had returned to the room where he had first met Elbato, locked the door and sat down on a chair.

He leaned slightly towards the table, lowered his head, and took out a pocket watch from his pocket.

Kaiser’s keepsake he had obtained in the restricted area.

A reverse-time artifact that Kaiser Bajur of the past had given to Lenok across time.

“……”

Lenok, with a complex expression, stared at it for a while, then opened the glass of the dusty old pocket watch.

He carefully extended a strand of mana between the stopped second hand of the watch, digging into the lower part of the metal plate.

Click…!

With his eyes closed, he used the mana strand to feel the structure of the complex watch parts assembled under the metal plate.

It was so complex that even Lenok had difficulty recognizing the order and design structure of the parts unless he concentrated and examined the interior.

He carefully loosened the screws assembled inside and opened the lower part of the metal plate. At that moment,

Lenok was able to confirm the existence of a part wound in a spiral shape under the metal plate.

“……Found it.”

The hairspring. A component used to control the second hand of a watch.

The exact same part as the one drawn in the blueprint left by Oshto Duris was assembled inside the pocket watch.

The only difference was that the hairspring that actually existed in the watch was burnt black and stuck between the parts.

“……”

While Lenok was silently staring at the melted part, someone knocked on the door from outside.

“Mage. Are you there?”

Lenok, who had put the pocket watch in his pocket, flicked his hand, and the locked door opened, and Elbato walked in.

“You finished cleaning up quickly.”

“We decided to close for the day. I couldn’t explain the unusual situation that happened today…”

Elbato replied with a wry smile.

“If that guest comes to the workshop again in the future, we’ll have to respond then…”

“No. That won’t happen.”

“……Yes?”

Lenok said, looking at Elbato, who was sitting awkwardly opposite him.

“I told you that I would let you know his identity while tracking him. He will never appear in this workshop again.”

“……”

“If he comes to the workshop again, contact the Magic Tower.”

“T-Thank you.”

It was practically a declaration that Lenok would directly protect the workshop in his own name.

Lenok got up from his seat, seeing Elbato bowing his head as if impressed.

If the 2nd Apostle were to visit the workshop again, he would never use the identity he had used so far.

If he was determined to hide his identity, it was unlikely that Elbato would recognize him.

“Let’s just check the date of the transaction record of Kaiser Bajur one last time and finish. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“……Mage.”

Just as Lenok was about to leave the workshop without any regrets, Elbato, who had been hesitating, called out to Lenok belatedly.

“Among the items left by my father, there is something that I would like to organize and give to you separately.”

“……”

“If you visit the workshop again someday, then I will…”

“I’m going to find a very dangerous weapon.”

“……Yes?”

While Elbato was hesitating at Lenok’s sudden words, Lenok turned his gaze.

“After I retrieve it, I might need to ask the workshop for maintenance.”

“……”

Lenok smiled as he said that.

“Let’s hear your thanks again then.”

* * *

[The date of the seminar presentation at the Bailon Research Institute has been confirmed.]

[Testimony has been secured from research institute officials that there have been significant achievements recently.]

[The announcement of a new common magic is imminent.]

In a huge city where tens of millions of people live, news never stops coming in.

Even when collecting news from all over the dozens of divided areas and only posting the most important items, there is no end to the news stories.

However, among them, the hottest topic on the Balkan Central Network was the corruption and death of Anathema.

[The city government has officially announced that Armas von Anathema, the hero of the civil war, has become an Apostle of the Guido Order…]

[Born into the Arsnoba nobility and devoted his life to relief efforts, but behind the scenes, he committed shocking atrocities as a cultist…]

[The funeral procedures that were scheduled after Anathema’s death have all been canceled, and there is a possibility that he will be treated differently from former Chief Justice Onion…]

Lenok scrolled through the screen and muttered.

“The city government finally decided to make an announcement.”

[The search volume for the organism called Anathema has also skyrocketed on the deep web.]

Dabi, who had poked her head out, added.

[My search engine’s recognition has increased slightly because of that, but the topicality on the central network was at a level that the Central Council could not control, right?]

“It was never a topic that could be hidden in the first place.”

Although they had deployed a siege barrier and blocked external interference, how many transcendents had attended the meeting?

It was impossible to pressure all of the transcendents, who were the heads or executives of large forces, to keep their mouths shut.

Even if it wasn’t those who remained until the end, it wouldn’t be strange if the black magician or the executioner had leaked the information.

As Lenok thought so, he scrolled down the news site and suddenly stopped at one article.

[It has been almost 20 years since a noble of Arsnoba officially died.]

[According to the procedures of the central city, there is unprecedented interest in whether other noble families will come to retrieve his remains…]

[In the event that a central noble visits a large city, the Council of Elders is scheduled to respond directly according to the regulations.]

“Other noble families might come to retrieve Anathema’s remains…”

Lenok smiled wryly.

“That’s why Slane mentioned the Council of Elders.”

Since Lenok was going to retrieve Anathema’s body anyway, he would have to take care of the recovery as well.

However, it was right to see Slane’s warning about the existence and intervention of the Council of Elders as a favor.

He couldn’t drag out Anathema’s matter for too long.

If he didn’t retrieve the forbidden weapon now, things might get difficult.

Thinking so, Lenok put his cell phone in his pocket and moved his feet.

Thump, thump, thump!!!

A training room surrounded by solid black iron on all sides.

A muscular bird-headed giant with his upper body exposed was engrossed in exercising, lifting a barbell several times larger than his torso.

He slowly rotated his shoulders, holding one barbell that looked like a huge truck wheel in each hand.

Squeak…!!

Each time, the sound of metal twisting under the weight echoed violently.

Lenok, who had been watching the back of the bird-headed giant who was engrossed in exercising, called his name.

“Felix.”

“Ah, Ban.”

Felix, who turned his head calmly while sweating profusely, then threw the barbell he had on his shoulders behind him.

Cooom!!!

A violent vibration that shook the entire training room.

Felix wiped his body with a towel and walked towards the entrance of the training room.

“Did you wait long?”

Felix, with his thick hands on his waist, sparkled his eyes with an enthusiastic expression.

“So, can we start right here?”

“Well, about that.”

After hearing the truth about the pilgrimage, Lenok had promised to help Felix handle the power of the Arrival [A power gained through a pilgrimage].

Lenok also wanted to confirm exactly what the concept of the Ascension Ritual allowed for physical ability users was.

So, in his spare time, he was planning to make a separate appointment and proceed with training with Felix, but.

“About the training we were supposed to do today…”

Lenok cleared his throat and glanced at Felix.

“Something came up that I have to deal with regarding Anathema’s legacy.”

“Ah…”

Felix’s shoulders slumped as he read an ominous sign in Lenok’s voice.

“You have a schedule. Then it can’t be helped.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.”

“No. There’s no way Ban would try to hide it from me, so it must have been unintentional.”

Felix, who had turned his gaze slightly as if trying to hide his expression, asked in a deliberately bright voice.

“Then, can I just train by myself today?”

“No, there’s no need for that. The training will proceed normally.”

“……?”

Lenok smiled as he looked at Felix, who was tilting his head with a puzzled expression.

“I said I would help you handle the power of the Arrival, but I’m not a physical ability user myself.”

Lenok replied.

“I’m confident in quantitative analysis, but there are many experts who are better than me when it comes to the sense of handling the body.”

“That means…”

Lenok turned his gaze behind him as he said that.

“What are you doing instead of coming out quickly?”

“……Shut up.”

At that moment, someone slowly walked out from behind the iron door of the training room.

A gaunt figure with a sharp glint in her eyes, rubbing a blade on her palm.

A woman who had tied her disheveled hair back, bared her teeth at Lenok.

“Mage, don’t rush me.”

A sharp-looking woman who was standing behind Lenok and exchanging sharp words, not wanting to lose.

Felix, who belatedly realized the woman’s identity, gasped belatedly.

“Phaisha Grisburn…!!”

“This woman is an external instructor who will help you with your training this time.”

Lenok, gesturing towards the sullen Phaisha, nodded towards Felix.

“I’ve explained the situation, and above all, we’ve agreed that you won’t raise any objections even if you die during training, so don’t worry.”

“……”

Lenok, who turned to Phaisha with a bug-chewed expression, smiled.

“You can beat him as hard as you can. I allow it.”

“……Drop dead, mage.”