Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1250

Aftermath (4)

Two days after the end of the Iron Fortress subjugation.

After the martial law and embargo in Balkan were lifted under the direction of John Mayer, who was in charge of the aftermath.

The only topic dominating all media and news outlets in the mega-city was one thing.

[The great war that shook the entire East Continent completely ended two days ago.]

Hundreds of billboards and screens on buildings continuously broadcast different news.

Broadcasting stations competed to report new information related to the subjugation in real-time.

[The Central Council has declared that it will lift martial law and begin post-war recovery under the leadership of Senator John Mayer…]

[The city government and the Central Council have joined forces and promised to do their best to recover from the aftermath of the war.]

[Currently, citizens are expressing negative doubts about this matter due to distrust of the city council…]

The great war had completely devastated and turned a part of the mega-city, where tens of millions of people lived, into ruins.

The war, for which the city government had directly declared martial law and prepared, caused more damage and casualties than expected.

Although no citizens who had evacuated in advance were caught up in it, the aftermath of the war was still immense.

[The war, which obliterated eight districts on the outskirts of Balkan, ended after 60 hours of combat, leaving tens of thousands of casualties…]

[Experts from various fields are expressing the common opinion that this was the most one-sided and unrealistic battle in the history of the East Continent…]

[This incident was a disaster led by the private military company Dead Rise… currently known as a legion and operating throughout the continent…]

[The central government has long referred to it as the Iron Fortress subjugation, an absurd name, and it is presumed to be a planned attack.]

Even at this moment, the bodies of the legion members that have not been recovered are still scattered in the outer districts.

The wreckage of tanks, armored vehicles, and other war machines lay broken and abandoned.

No one could ignore the traces of death and destruction that covered the outside of Balkan like a mountain.

“Policy Advisor Dennis, I heard that an investigation team has been dispatched to the site to assess the extent of the damage related to the subjugation.”

Outside of the news channels that broadcast 24 hours a day, special programs were being organized, with experts conducting interviews.

“Many in various fields are saying that they are focusing on restoring the damage in the outer districts rather than assigning blame for the Iron Fortress. What is the purpose of the investigation team?”

“Currently, the city government is doing its best to restore all of Balkan’s environment and infrastructure to its pre-war state.”

A middle-aged man with a dignified appearance, sitting across from the anchor, replied politely.

“After the investigation team thoroughly examines the battlefields where the fighting occurred, the restoration of the outer districts will proceed sequentially.”

“Among the outer districts of Balkan, there are many districts that focused on trade with outside cities. Can we assume that these districts will be among the first to be restored?”

“Due to the excessively wide range of damage in the outer districts, it is taking some time to select construction companies… but even considering various complex circumstances, I believe that the restoration of District 49 will be the top priority.”

“That is…”

Even the anchor, who had been leading the conversation with an active attitude, momentarily closed her mouth with a surprised expression.

Dennis was a high-ranking official of the subjugation countermeasures committee organized by the city government for post-war recovery.

The anchor understood what it meant for him to appear on official broadcasts and directly say that District 49 would be prioritized.

“It sounds like you are prioritizing District 49 more than any other damaged area.”

The anchor, who had quickly become cautious, glanced at the camera and asked.

“Regarding the subjugation… especially the city government’s position on the treatment or respect of the Iron Fortress, can we assume that it has been virtually decided?”

“The city government should not be ambiguous about its position, especially for the sake of the citizens of Balkan who have suffered from this incident. I will make it clear here.”

Dennis said calmly.

“The Balkan city government evaluates the power of the Iron Fortress as the most exceptional asymmetric force at this time. Furthermore, we are preparing to apply immunity to all the destruction and illegal acts he has committed.”

“Does that mean-”

“District 49 will clearly be the most benefited area in the restoration process, and there is fierce competition to select construction companies. The economic effect that neighboring districts will gain in this process is expected to be astronomical.”

Dennis nodded to the anchor, who had slightly opened her mouth.

“Above all, Senator Mayer, who is currently leading the post-war recovery countermeasures committee, is also a very close friend of the Iron Fortress, whom he has known for a long time.”

“……”

“I hope this has been helpful enough for the citizens of Balkan who are watching this broadcast to understand the city government’s position.”

A large-scale resistance that had hardly existed in modern mega-cities.

The reactions of the citizens who faced the deaths and destruction at the end of it were all different.

[Among the citizens of Balkan, there is a slight increase in the number of people applying for immigration due to concerns about another war…]

[Conversely, we also have news that applications for immigration to Balkan are rapidly increasing from all over the continent.]

[Magic towers, research institutions, and experts from various fields are wanting to visit Balkan to join the subjugation investigation team or cooperate in research…]

[The city council has welcomed the influx of high-level personnel and urged the technical advisory committee to actively participate.]

[Lastly, we would like to inform you that the internal market capitalization of Balkan has soared by nearly 30% in the days since the end of this war…]

War is profitable in some way.

A rule that applies everywhere on the continent, regardless of time or place.

Now, even among the citizens, there was no one who did not know why the city government had turned a blind eye and left the subjugation alone.

As the Balkan stock market became highly active, investors flocked in and assets increased, the public criticism of the city council temporarily subsided.

[For inquiries about investments from investment institutions and businesses across the continent, please contact the contact information of this broadcasting station for detailed guidance-]

Beep.

The screen turned off, and the fox sitting in front of the TV wagged its tail.

[Hehehe……]

Sitting with its plump lower belly sticking out, it looked at a tablet that was as big as its torso with a carefree expression.

In the eyes of the cybernetic spirit, hundreds of numbers, all dyed bright red, were floating.

[Ohoho, hohoho.]

The fox, who was bursting into a sinister laugh, jumped up and began to run around the living room.

It jumped lightly up the walls and ramps of the mansion, where there was no trace of stairs.

[Master~]

Arriving at the door of the second-floor bedroom, it nudged the door with its forehead, and bright sunlight poured in through the wide-open window.

Around the bed, which took up nearly half of the room, were piles of magic books and papers scattered everywhere.

In the midst of it, a young man was leaning back, seemingly dead asleep.

Two days after the end of the Iron Fortress subjugation.

At this moment, when people all over the continent were raising their voices and constantly turning their eyes to find one person’s whereabouts.

Lenox had put everything aside and had been in a deep sleep for more than two days.

* * *

[Master. Wake up now!]

Dabi, who had jumped onto the blanket, approached Lenox’s head and rubbed his face vigorously.

Lenox’s cheeks were pushed back and forth as they were rubbed by Dabi’s tail and head.

[Master said it was okay to wake him up today~]

“……”

[I’m bored. I’m bored. I’m bored~ The central network is also a mess, so I could only do chart analysis.]

Dabi ruffled Lenox’s messy hair with his tail and whined.

[I worked hard to make money for Master, so praise me quickly!]

“……Hmm.”

Only then did Lenox, who had half his face buried in the blanket, slowly open his eyes.

Dabi, who was looking down at him, narrowed his eyes.

[Ah, he woke up when I talked about money.]

“……”

Lenox pretended to close his eyes again.

Dabi became furious and pressed Lenox’s cheek with his front paw.

[Don’t pretend to sleep! You’re like an adult who only likes numbers!!]

“……You’re learning more and more impudent expressions from somewhere as the days go by.”

Lenox grabbed Dabi’s front paw while lying down and tickled his belly.

Lenox chuckled as he watched Dabi rolling around on the bed, giggling with excitement.

Lenox turned his gaze and stared blankly at the sunlight pouring into the room, muttering to himself.

“Has it been two days……”

Taking a few days of sleep after finishing a big task was a habit Lenox had since his freelancer days.

It was one of the routines he had deliberately created to allow his body, which suffered from insomnia, to rest even a little.

He had always fallen into a deep sleep like this after finishing a dangerous task that risked his life.

But even considering that, it had been a long time since he had woken up after sleeping for more than two days.

The schedule, which started with a parade and led to the subjugation, was that intense and burdensome.

The midday sunlight streaming through the window. The leisurely voices of people heard from outside the window.

In the silence as if time had stopped, Lenox was lost in thought with his eyes blankly open.

Dabi, who had climbed onto Lenox’s head, peeked out his face.

[There are about 80 things that need to be dealt with right away, should I cancel them all?]

“……”

Seeing Lenox not answering, Dabi said playfully.

[Master can rest more. I’ll take care of everything neatly.]

Dabi spoke playfully, but Lenox could tell that he was serious.

Dabi had been with him when he met the past Kaiser in the closed area, and when he annihilated Kaiser in the subjugation.

He knew why Lenox had overlapped himself with Kaiser. He also knew why he had been chasing Kaiser for so long.

He was the only one who understood what the existence of Kaiser meant to Lenox.

‘……I.’

In the end, Lenox failed to change Kaiser’s answer until the end.

Kaiser also understood Lenox’s answer but did not change his choice.

Kaiser understood that everything was irrevocably late and that he should not change his choice.

Because he truly understood the meaning of the choice Lenox had shown him, he went on to the end, adhering to the path he had chosen.

Lenox knew that the ending Kaiser had chosen was the result of understanding Lenox’s framework more deeply than anyone else.

“……”

The final battle of the subjugation. The irony that he, who had met him for the first time in reality, understood Lenox’s answer more deeply than anyone else.

If he had met him in a different timeline, in a different place, could something have been different?

Could they have become colleagues discussing the future together, as Lenox had felt when he saw the past Kaiser left in the closed area?

Because he was so similar to Lenox in many ways, and because even the ending he chose was a little different from the other seekers Lenox had faced.

Wasn’t that why he had been chasing the project and Kaiser for so long?

[Master? Then should I cancel all the schedules that have come up and play a little more?]

“……No.”

Lenox slowly propped himself up on the bed.

“I’ve rested enough. I need to get up now.”

In the end, it was just a question for which the answer could not be known now.

An irreversible choice. A decision that cannot be changed.

He would not regret it in the single journey of finding the answer.

Killing Kaiser, who had been constantly regretting and regressing, was proof that he would adhere to his own answer until the end.

Two days after the end of the subjugation. From now on, he had to deal with the remaining tasks.

“The war is over, but there are many things to deal with in that regard. In a way, it might be more troublesome than the subjugation.”

[They say that preparation and post-war recovery are more difficult than war, right?]

The subjugation ended with the defeat of the legion, but that did not mean that all the problems related to the project had been resolved.

Apart from Kaiser’s departure, there were still complex and dangerous secrets that had not been resolved.

Lenox had clearly recognized the identity of the discomfort as he watched Kaiser’s regression.

“The Left Prime Minister of the Ars Nova Empire’s Imperial Cabinet, was it called Yuseong?”

Lenox’s eyes turned cold as he recalled his memories.

“The existence of the Imperial Palace that intervened during the project… I need to investigate this one for sure, even if I don’t know about the others.”

Kaiser Bajur, who had been worn down and turned into a broken part in the endless regression.

The existence of the Left Prime Minister who called such Kaiser a ‘link’ of causality and proposed a deal.

The Ars Nova Empire’s Imperial Palace, which used Kaiser as a part and used the project as a link to something.

Even the memory of the Corpse Emperor, who had not appeared until the last round.

Clearly, everything in this world is beyond that.

The existence of Ars Nova, which destroyed itself by using the project as a trigger.

The destroyed empire that is still hidden beyond the curtain that covers the central front.

Now that he had brought the Black Consumer Project to an end, Lenox could finally set his destination.

“I will go beyond the central front to the destroyed Ars Nova.”

[……]

“I need to confirm what happened there… to fully understand the ending of this world.”

He didn’t know when he would reach it, but he would do his best for the moment that would come.

For that, it would be a priority to rest sufficiently and reorganize his strength now.

The new abilities and powers that Lenox had gained through this subjugation.

Above all, it was necessary to train and research them first.

Click.

Lenox got out of bed, put on a shirt, and went down to the first-floor kitchen.

While he was opening the refrigerator and taking out vegetables, Dabi raised a hologram.

[First, would you like to check the schedule I’ve organized for the past few days?]

“Okay. I’ll ask you to do that.”

While slicing vegetables and putting them on a tray, he checked the schedule that Dabi had shown him.

The hologram screen that appeared in front of his eyes quickly expanded and overlapped into more than a dozen.

Lenox smiled bitterly as he checked the messages and reports that Dabi was uploading.

“The third redevelopment of District 49. The reconstruction of the new magic tower. The dispatch of the city government’s investigation team. The intervention of the giants of the light. Even the Central Council’s request for an unofficial meeting……”

[This is just the big stuff among the pending items that need approval right now.]

“They’re all troublesome things. Do I have to handle all of this during a time when the entire city is paying attention?”

He had actually expected the redevelopment of District 49 and the reconstruction of the magic tower to some extent.

If the subjugation ended as planned, it was highly likely that the city government would provide convenience regarding post-war recovery.

It was natural to assume that he would also benefit from that part after the subjugation.

However, it was another problem to directly handle the complex administrative procedures and office work in that process.

[Master. Even now, there are a huge number of immigration applications pouring into the outer districts of Balkan.]

Dabi shrugged his shoulders.

[This is just the schedule that the magic tower couldn’t handle and passed on to Master, so it will be even worse when you go back to the tower, right?]

“……”

The Ars Nova Empire’s Imperial Palace, the central front, and the mountain of work piled up right in front of him.

The effort required for the post-war recovery process already seemed far more daunting than the execution of the subjugation.

Lenox, with a complicated expression, put a cigarette in his mouth and sat at the table, organizing the other schedules first.

“I had to go back to the orchard regarding the fruits of Jinwa. I also have to visit Lavatenon University for the paper… I need to check on the condition of my colleagues in the tower as well.”

[It doesn’t seem like anything will progress just by looking at those light tasks?]

“I’m not organizing light tasks.”

Lenox stroked Dabi’s head and quietly raised his gaze.

“In this case, I used both the identities of the Iron Fortress and Victor. There are many intertwined interests. If I don’t prioritize that part first……”

At that moment, Lenox, who was organizing his thoughts, stopped speaking.

Dabi wagged his tail with a puzzled look.

[Master?]

“……No. That wasn’t it.”

There were many things to deal with right away, but the most important thing was not that.

At the end of the subjugation. There was one thing that Lenox, who had killed Kaiser Bajur, had to prioritize above all else.

Clank!

Lenox, who had put down the breakfast he was preparing and grabbed his coat, immediately left the mansion.

The downtown area of District 49, which had been completely ruined after the war with the legion.

As if the devastated scene was a lie, reconstruction and restoration work was underway in various parts of District 49.

Dozens of huge construction equipment and workers were busily moving on the newly paved roads.

Magicians and restorationists were repairing collapsed buildings and reinforcing materials to erect them.

A large-scale construction project was expanding the area and reorganizing blocks through land expansion and infrastructure redesign.

But Lenox quietly walked past these busy people like a ghost.

The edge of the center of the downtown area of District 49. The back alley where failing shops and offices were lined up.

There, Lenox stopped after finding a very familiar bar that had already been restored.

“……”

Just like the day Lenox escaped from the factory and visited this place for the first time.

Just like when he had returned from Kaiser’s regression after a long time and was lost in sentiment.

Lenox silently looked up at the bar’s sign and opened the door to go inside.

Inside the dark bar, where faint sunlight was shining, a woman was standing with her back turned.

Her curly hair swayed slowly each time she took out a bottle and placed it on the shelf.

“Oh, you’re here?”

The woman, who had noticed Lenox’s presence a little late, quickly turned her head.

She swept back her hair and tilted her head, looking at Lenox.

“If you’re here, you should say you’re here, why are you just standing there?”

Lenox did not answer.

He just quietly looked at the bar with an expressionless face.

Jenny looked at Lenox and chuckled as if she had expected it.

“Anyway. You worry about unnecessary things.”

“……”

“It’s okay, sit down. I’ll make you a drink.”

Jenny, who had quickly passed the bar, gestured lightly towards Lenox.

Just like when Lenox had first come to this bar and awkwardly looked for a seat.

“Just wait a little. I’ll make you the one you used to drink, okay?”

“……Jenny.”

Lenox, who was looking at her back, said quietly.

“I have something to say about the talent of defying the heavens-”

At that moment, Lenox stopped the words he was about to say and silently raised his gaze.

The reason why Lenox, who had woken up from his sleep, had come to see Jenny first, putting aside everything else.

Bajur’s blood. The ‘adjustment’ that might be needed for Jenny’s talent of defying the heavens.

But there was one more important thing than that.

Because he wanted the process, not the result. Because he always tried to cherish the present moment.

Therefore, what Lenox had to do now was not to organize the results of the subjugation, but-

“……Okay.”

As he put down his complicated thoughts, the answer flowed out naturally.

Lenox smiled faintly and pulled out a chair across from him and sat down.

At the edge of the dark bar lobby, where faint sunlight was shining through the door.

Lenox watched Jenny taking out ice, rested his chin on his hand, and closed his eyes.

Just like the day he first came to this bar and looked for work from Jenny.

Just like when he had started his freelance work without knowing anything.

After finishing everything and returning to the beginning like this, now, finally.

“I’ll have a drink.”