Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1129

[Last night, Freya Kalinss was dramatically rescued from the fire at the Alcantara Hotel.]

[Currently investigating whether the incident was an attack targeting the diva who visited Tokerphos for her 17th world tour…]

[Despite the unexpected accident, the artist has expressed her determination to proceed with the concert.]

[At the stadium where the concert is scheduled, fans are already showing their support for the artist…]

Hundreds of meters away from the Alcantara Hotel stood another high-end casino.

News reports played in the vast, empty lobby, the usual clientele having been evacuated.

The luxurious facility, a replica of famous buildings from across the continent, offered free high-end liquor and buffets throughout.

Inside the lobby, an artificial waterway flowed, accompanied by soft, soothing music.

“……”

As befitting a city of gambling and entertainment, the casino’s scale was unrealistically lavish.

However, the glamorous casino hall, which could accommodate hundreds, was eerily silent.

Click.

Lenox, idly toying with the gambling chips stacked on the table, glanced around.

Agnetta was staring blankly at the news, while Soryu gazed coldly out the window.

Freya was touching up her makeup, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

“Khehehe……”

A creaking doll emerged from the hallway, accompanied by a sinister chuckle.

The doll stopped by the baccarat table, twisting its head to look at the group.

“Freya Kalinss’s double has been replaced with my doll……”

“……”

“Unless someone is persistently trying to talk to her, we won’t be found out before the show starts……”

The puppeteer, Chebien. A person with a peculiar temperament they had met at the Pandemonium settlement and meeting.

Was this the person who always used a doll as a stand-in instead of his real body, participating in this operation?

A chilling air descended as superhumans with distinct personalities gathered in one place.

“For a hastily arranged operation, the selection of personnel is quite interesting……”

Chebien chuckled, looking at those gathered in the hall.

“Did you pick only those with annoying abilities? What a peculiar hobby……”

“Hey, doll-catcher. Shut up. Is that really necessary right now?”

Freya retorted, clearly annoyed.

“You know, I haven’t slept a wink since last night? Do you know how it feels to have your skin flipped inside out and then have to go perform in half a day?”

“Kekekek, why should I care about such things……?”

“In the first place, this concert schedule is the result of fully reflecting your wishes.”

Soryu, who was looking out the window from the second-floor railing, spoke.

“If you had refused to participate, the operation wouldn’t have proceeded this way. Shouldn’t you take responsibility?”

“Hey, Prince. Did the cold get to your bones and make you crazy?”

Freya, flicking her hair back, smiled coldly.

“It’s not that I’m getting help; you guys are riding on my coattails. You should get your facts straight.”

The members began exchanging sharp words as soon as they gathered.

However, even amidst the bickering, Lenox sensed that the atmosphere was subtly different from usual.

Even the fact that the other members were just ignoring that fact.

“……”

A man in a black shirt was leaning back with his eyes closed at one side of the hold’em table.

Though his long black hair was roughly swept back, his appearance and demeanor were neat.

He sat like a ghost, wearing a thick coat, without any reaction.

The Seer, Antares.

The leader of the Antares Mercenary Group, an 8th-level physical ability user, had joined Pandemonium.

And that was to participate in the operation to attack the [Gate] under the capital of Kabahim.

‘It’s him. Why is he here?’

Antares was a war mercenary who had worked with Kroken, gaining his precognitive ability after failing his pilgrimage [a spiritual journey or quest].

After the mercenary group settled in Balkan, he became a superhuman who wandered endlessly across the continent alone.

Why had he suddenly started acting with Pandemonium at this point?

If he didn’t have the obsidian mask, he would have had to try to hide his expression.

To that extent, Lenox had never even imagined that Antares would appear now.

[Agnetta has finished analyzing the information obtained from the Alcantara Casino Hotel.]

Chiiik-

At that moment, the screen broadcasting the news changed, and Hailea’s calm voice flowed out.

[The human trafficking at the hotel was to buy central war prisoners to use as power sources for new weapons, Armored Barrels.]

[The Armored Barrel’s cannibalism system uses humans as power, and the estimated energy efficiency is as high as 105%.]

[It seems that the Tokerphos city government was planning to strengthen the city’s security by using humans as materials.]

“I’m not really interested in the story about tin can robots.”

Freya, who was sitting on a chair and fixing her makeup, said indifferently.

“It’s cold, and my back hurts from sitting here for so long, so get to the point.”

[As you all know, Tokerphos is divided into the ‘city government’ in the light and the ‘syndicate’ in the dark.]

Hailea immediately changed the direction of her explanation at Freya’s words.

[As befitting a city of pleasure, the syndicate holds the reins, but this situation is different.]

[The key figures on the city government side led this large-scale human trafficking. The mayor and the police chief.]

Pat!!

The photos of the mayor and the police chief appeared on the screen.

The face of a sturdy middle-aged man and an old man with a benevolent smile.

[Considering the money that changed hands, the deal won’t stop just because the mayor died. It seems that the police chief’s side was actually paying the transaction fee.]

[Then, the time of the transaction will definitely be during Freya’s concert.]

“Why? What does that have to do with my concert?”

[The city government deliberately scheduled the human trafficking transaction date to coincide with your concert schedule.]

“Whaaat?!”

“It’s probably because they want to divert the citizens’ attention to the concert and complete the transaction safely.”

Soryu said, ignoring Freya’s scowling face.

“It’s about buying war prisoners from the center. If it’s exposed to the media, it will be difficult to clean up. Given the ‘use’ of the prisoners, they will try to hide the transaction process no matter what.”

Even though he had been about to fight with Antares just a moment ago, his expression looked surprisingly calm.

Whether he was pretending to be calm, or whether he had finished preparing his mind for the operation heading to the royal capital.

[When the concert starts, the chief will move to complete the transaction. A large number of police personnel will be mobilized to escort the purchased prisoners.]

“Is the moment when police personnel leave the stadium area the time to detonate the terror……”

[That’s a matter to be judged directly on the scene.]

Hailea subtly backed away from Chebien’s question.

[This is a summary of the information obtained from the Alcantara Hotel. So, now……]

Hailea’s voice hesitated for a moment.

However, there was no one in this place who didn’t know why she was hesitating.

“Ah, please continue.”

Thud!!

The clown, who had wiped the blood flowing from his body, leisurely put on his clothes and walked out.

He looked a little better than before when he was injured in the bathtub.

The clown, gesturing politely towards the communicator whose voice had stopped, grinned.

“Don’t mind me. I’m listening.”

[……]

Despite the clown’s casual message, Hailea didn’t answer for a long time.

Even through the communicator where her face couldn’t be seen, it was clear she was nervous.

It was probably because it was Hailea’s first time working directly with the clown.

However, it wasn’t just Hailea who was wary of the clown.

“……”

It could be felt that other members, including Soryu and Chebien, were also watching the clown’s words and actions.

More caution than interest. A rigid gaze closer to fear or incomprehension than caution.

However, Lenox understood why the other members were so wary of the clown.

The clown was a transcendent illusionist, and a capable person who was in charge of the commander’s operations even within the Demon Realm [a term used to describe a powerful organization or group].

Considering his status and evaluation within the organization, it was no exaggeration to say that he was a commander comparable to Kroken or the Underworld King.

However, apart from such evaluations, he was a peculiar person who preferred to move entirely as he pleased.

It was easy to be mistaken because of his bizarre behavior, but surprisingly, the clown had never participated in a Demon Realm gathering even once.

In fact, this was the first time the clown had participated in such a large-scale operation.

That could be said to be how well the clown’s status and danger were known within the Demon Realm, but-

“Well, if the situation explanation is roughly over, shall we introduce a new face?”

The clown turned to Antares and clapped his hands.

“Okay, everyone, this is Antares, who will be joining us for this operation. Everyone, applause~”

“……”

Silence followed.

Antares also did not react, with his eyes closed.

The clown, scratching his cheek awkwardly, subtly changed the subject.

“Hmm hmm, he’s a very talented seer, and we had a hard time bringing him in because of the special nature of this operation.”

“……”

“To be precise, he wasn’t the person I recommended… well, I guess you’re not really curious about that, right?”

The clown shrugged and grinned.

“Anyway, we’ll be working together for the time being in this operation, but since he’s participating as an ‘advisor’ for now, he probably won’t be directly involved much.”

Even with the clown’s explanation, Antares did not answer.

He just stared blankly ahead with an unreadable face.

His face, which felt calm and even peaceful, was almost no different from Lenox’s memory.

“As befitting a seer, there are times when communication doesn’t work, but I ask for your generous understanding in that regard.”

While Lenox was lost in thought, the clown said leisurely.

“Well, if anyone has any thoughts, shall we hear them?”

“……”

Antares opened his eyes and looked around.

He looked at the giant spider, the creaking doll, and the diva in turn, and then said quietly.

“Just as there is more value in hypocrisy than in wickedness, there is more meaning in not knowing than in knowing.”

“What?”

“Moving in a direction where you don’t know the future outcome can lead to a better direction.”

Antares closed his eyes again.

“That’s why I’m here.”

“……”

Silence followed.

Agnetta stared blankly at him and then tilted her head.

“Is that it?”

“What was that?”

Freya frowned and asked.

“So, what, you’re saying you joined because you don’t know if this operation will succeed or fail? What is this?”

“Hehehe, he’s moving while chasing an unpredictable future……”

Chebien chuckled, creaking.

“He’s just like a seer… well, that’s probably why he’s still alive and hasn’t committed suicide yet……”

“……”

The other members were cynical, but Lenox understood Antares’s words and remained silent.

Lenox still remembered what Antares had said a long time ago.

He had come to prefer not knowing to knowing.

He wanted an unknown future, not a predetermined ending where success and failure were foreseen.

Clearly, that was the essence and answer that defined the superhuman Antares.

“There is a matter that I don’t understand in that regard.”

Soryu, leaning against a classic tapestry, opened his mouth.

Soryu’s gaze towards Antares turned sharp.

“It doesn’t need to be explained, but a seer is a very dangerous variable. If you make a mistake, there is a possibility that you will completely misjudge the outcome.”

“……”

“It might make things easier, but we’d have to brace ourselves for risks several times greater. Is that kind of arrangement really necessary for this operation?”

“Ah, I was thinking something similar.”

Agnetta tilted her head, looking blank.

“If we can’t foresee the success or failure of the operation, then isn’t that man useless in helping us?”

“At best, he can only be used briefly in localized situations. It’d be a relief if he didn’t just get in our way.”

“Foresight isn’t a power that only works on a grand scale. Depending on how it’s used, it can be incredibly helpful even in minor details.”

The clown chuckled at Freya’s words.

It was a strange reaction, as if he found the assessment of Antares amusing.

“Besides, this fellow used to be a pretty famous mercenary. Even if he doesn’t help us, he won’t be a hindrance.”

“A war mercenary? This guy was a mercenary?”

The clown tilted his head at Freya’s question, who knew nothing about Antares.

“Rhea, you’ve traveled all over the continent with your performances, and you don’t know?”

“How would I know that? When I’m on tour, all I care about are the local specialties and cosmetics.”

Freya ruffled her hair, looking annoyed.

“And all the Tokerphos specialty whiskeys I was going to post on social media just vanished, you know? You’re paying for them after this operation.”

“Seriously, aren’t you the one who makes the most money here?”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. You know my personality by now, right?”

An entertainer like Freya would probably earn astronomical amounts of money annually.

The clown’s aggrieved expression was not entirely incomprehensible.

“Heh heh, human affairs are so ironic…”

Chebien chuckled, watching the two bickering in this tense situation.

“To think that a colleague of Kroken Asillas would end up cooperating with Pandemonium like this… how amusing…”

“K-Kroken?!”

At that moment, Freya’s expression, who had been arguing with the clown, stiffened.

She still remembered the oppressive feeling she had experienced from Kroken in the Well of the Handbook [a place where powerful beings are contained].

“By the way, was it Highlea you said?”

The clown turned his gaze, ignoring Freya, who had gone pale and silent.

“A connector with the talent of duality, you’re more skilled than I thought.”

[…I only summarized the information I received. This operation is entirely your plan.]

Highlea replied a beat late.

[More importantly, it’s not a skill to boast about in front of the architect who succeeded in the Well operation.]

“Oh! Modesty too. Excellent.”

The clown clapped and laughed.

“I’m not very good at these kinds of explanations. Do you have anything to add about this operation?”

[Just one last thing.]

Highlea said, removing the picture of the mayor.

The members’ attention naturally turned to the remaining picture of the police chief.

A white-haired old man in a police uniform, wearing a benevolent smile.

[Looking at the information Agnetta sent, the police chief is the one we need to watch out for in this operation.]

[The fact that he’s pushing ahead with human trafficking without much reaction after the mayor’s death, he’s not an ordinary person in many ways.]

Highlea explained, looking at the picture.

[The police chief himself is a newcomer who took office last quarter, and he’s presumed to be a working-level official who rose through the ranks by using the mayor’s connections.]

[As soon as he took office, he strengthened the police force and focused on cracking down on casinos, which earned him public support.]

[However, there’s almost no information about his background. Even the police database only has minimal personal details.]

“…Hmm.”

“So, he’s someone whose identity is even more unknown than the mayor himself.”

[In a way, I think he’s a more suspicious backer than the mayor. Does anyone know anything about this guy?]

At Highlea’s words, the other members calmly looked at the police chief’s picture.

“I don’t recognize his face. It’s the first time I’ve seen him.”

“There’s no way we’d remember the faces of every public official in other cities.”

“Huh?”

At that moment, the clown looked at the police chief’s picture with a puzzled expression.

“Huh, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere…”

“…”

A brief silence. Highlea naturally continued the explanation.

[The police chief himself is currently holed up in police headquarters and hasn’t shown his face.]

[But he’ll definitely show up at the stadium on the day of the concert.]

[About half a year’s worth of blessings through Freya’s song. There’s no way a high-ranking city official would miss this opportunity.]

“The conclusion is clear.”

Soryu opened his mouth.

“If the chief leaves his post during the concert, we can just cause a terrorist attack at the stadium.”

[There’s no one more suitable for this than a Manipulation-type Operator. Victor will take on that role.]

“Either way, some kind of commotion is inevitable.”

“Ultimately, it’s important whether Freya can keep the attention of those around her until the preparations are complete.”

The members’ gazes turned to Freya, who was standing there with a sulky expression.

“Can you do it?”

“What are you all going on about, getting on my nerves since earlier?”

Freya said, flipping her hair back.

“Just don’t butt in and tell me to sing well. Do you think I can’t even do that properly?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“It’s my concert. I’ll take care of it, so don’t interfere.”

Freya raised her gaze with a haughty expression.

“Keeping the attention of tens of thousands of people is as easy as breathing for me.”

* * *

[Operation start time and movement check complete.]

[Concert song list and break time alarm synchronized.]

[Performance musicians and staff list secured.]

[Intro performance begins. 3 minutes until the concert starts.]

Lenox was walking through a darkened passage.

Faint noise leaked from the light shining in the distance.

Before the start, he checked the time and movement, and organized and eliminated the necessary personnel.

Lenox’s job in this operation wasn’t just to turn Tokerphos upside down.

Just as Lenox was about to step out of the passage, thinking that.

“…”

A young man wearing a thick fur coat was leaning against the end of the passage, waiting for Lenox.

Lenox stopped and silently looked at Antares.

An 8-level martial artist. A seer who returned after seeing a failed ending.

Did this man, who was wandering the continent in search of an unpredictable ending, realize Lenox’s identity?

Antares opened his mouth.

“There isn’t just one variable that makes foresight impossible.”

“…”

“Even if it’s a part of the ending I didn’t see, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right one.”

Antares raised his gaze and stared at Lenox.

“If your existence is like that, there’s no need to ask.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lenox scoffed.

“Or do you want me to know, on the contrary?”

“…”

Whether he recognized him or not, or whether he didn’t know and didn’t bother to find out.

In a strange silence, Antares slowly closed his eyes, and Lenox moved on.

The moment Lenox’s vision cleared as a dazzling light spread from the end of the passage.

POW POW POW!!!

Fireworks burst one after another in the clear sky, creating a spectacular display of flames.

Amidst the sparkling fireworks, countless airships flew, carrying huge electronic billboards.

But the billboards on the airships weren’t broadcasting cheap advertisements.

A woman in a red dress, spread like wings, appeared on the billboard, and the moment she grabbed a standing microphone.

[Everyone-]

WAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

A thunderous roar that shook the ground echoed through the sky.

Tokerphos Stadium.

The largest stadium on the continent, capable of accommodating 100,000 spectators.

No matter where you looked, people were packed in like dots.

People holding cheering tools for Freya waved their arms, swaying like a giant wave.

Every time Freya gestured on stage, a thunderous roar erupted in response.

Freya, holding the microphone, walked alone across the vast stage and opened her mouth.

[As you all may have heard-]

AAAAAA!!!!

[There was a small accident last night.]

WOOOOOOO-

[Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt, so I came up to perform, but-]

WAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[I’ll let you know in advance that I’ll go down if I feel even a little unwell. Is that okay?]

AAAAAAAHHHH!!

The sight of people going crazy, screaming and reacting to every word Freya said.

But Freya continued to speak as if the attention she was receiving was natural.

[It’s okay even if it’s not okay. I’ll come again next time, so forgive me for that.]

WAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

“Interesting.”

Lenox, who had arrived at the VIP seats, looked down at Freya as she interacted with the audience.

A clean and spacious top-class seat on the second floor, overlooking the concert stage.

Lenox murmured, feeling the heat of the concert through the transparent glass window.

“It’s not something you should say in a place like this. Do they find it appealing when she acts so brazenly?”

She openly says she might cancel the concert, but the audience is even more enthusiastic about her words.

Is it because they know her personality so well, or because they’ve become fans who find even that charming?

Either way, Freya was naturally using even that reaction as a tool to heighten the moment.

A naturally gifted performer who doesn’t lose herself even in front of tens of thousands of people.

“Why are you analyzing it so seriously?”

The clown, sitting next to Lenox, was holding cheering sticks in both hands, his eyes sparkling.

“Isn’t this the only time Freya does her part? Let’s just enjoy it for now.”

“…Is that what you call it?”

“Yay ho~ Freya, fighting!”

He was leaning over the seats, excitedly waving the colorful cheering sticks in both hands.

Lenox looked at the clown and then turned his gaze away.

City officials, including the police chief, were waiting for the concert to begin on the opposite side of the VIP seats.

Soryu, Antares, and Chebien’s doll were sitting around the seats, each looking down at the stage.

[Then, let’s start right away.]

Every time Freya moved, the lights on the stage went out one by one.

In the darkness that descended as the lights disappeared, only Freya’s voice echoed quietly.

The moment even the audience in the stadium held their breath and closed their mouths.

WHOOSH!!

A clear green light bloomed in the darkened stadium, brightly illuminating the stage.

The moment the sound alone resonated with the surrounding magic, illuminating Freya as if she was glowing.

[The first song I’ll sing is-]

At the same time as Freya raised the microphone, a soft humming flowed out.

[Blessing.]

Tokerphos Stadium. The start of the world tour concert.