Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 139

Now that I’ve established myself as a freelancer, it’s probably more profitable to do these quick hit-and-run jobs.

Thinking that, Renok leaned back in his chair and tilted his head back.

Seeing his exhausted state, Jenny, who had finished her work, spoke to him consolingly.

“You’ve worked hard. You practically handled this entire request by yourself.”

“……..”

“Since you recovered the drug kit almost intact, on top of the base success fee, the incentive will be substantial. It’ll easily be 500 million cells.”

Renok chuckled as he saw Jenny’s face beaming at the massive commission she would earn.

This designated request started when another freelancer was killed and had their drug kit stolen.

Since it was a job to clean up someone else’s failure, the price was high, and even Renok, who had no intention of working for a while, was tempted by the generous reward.

Thanks to that, he ended up in a tiresome chase, but if his wallet gets thicker, isn’t that a good thing?

While she was busy checking her laptop and phone, she gestured to Renok.

Renok noticed that she wanted him to block out the surrounding noise and immediately cast a soundproofing spell around them.

“What’s going on?”

“I have something to tell you about the underground auction house.”

“………”

“Ban, you’re aiming for the elixirs being sold there, aren’t you? I’ve been doing some research on it too.”

The underground auction house VIP ticket he got from Ivelyn.

He had consulted with Jenny once before, so there was no way she wouldn’t remember, with her sharp mind.

In fact, the reason he was taking on requests like crazy to gather funds was to participate in the second underground auction of this quarter.

“If it’s just an elixir with good effects, the price varies too much. To get something that suits your taste, even billions of cells might not be enough.”

“So?”

“But what if something that could produce similar effects came up?”

What appeared on the screen was a worn-out old talisman.

Rather than having any special power, it looked like a piece of paper that was simply old.

There was no way to figure anything out with just this. Jenny explained.

“It’s one of the items left behind by a high-ranking pharmacist called a ‘Yakseon’ [a traditional term for a highly skilled pharmacist or herbalist]. He’s been retired for a long time, but he still sees patients who come to him with this talisman.”

“……..”

“It’s not an elixir you can get directly, but more like a ticket to meet someone. So, compared to the elixirs or artifacts with crazy prices, it’ll be relatively easier to obtain. Of course, getting a consultation from the Yakseon and paying the price is another story… What do you think?”

Jenny grinned.

“Isn’t it worth a try?”

Certainly, getting a consultation from a high-ranking pharmacist was something Renok couldn’t ignore.

But there was a more fundamental problem than that.

“Jenny, I appreciate the offer, but… the reason I’m looking for an elixir isn’t because I can’t find a skilled person.”

Renok replied nonchalantly.

“I have no intention of revealing my situation to an outsider I don’t even know.”

The penalty tied to this body has a complex and stark situation hidden within it that cannot be explained simply with words.

Renok had no intention of revealing this secret, which could become a fatal weakness, swayed by premature hope.

But Jenny seemed to have anticipated Renok’s reaction, nodding her head.

“I know that you’re very careful about collecting elixirs. But the Yakseon is completely different from other doctors. There’s a reason why so many patients sought him out.”

“What?”

“There’s a reason why the Yakseon, who was at the peak of his career, retired from the front lines.”

Jenny said, nodding at Renok, who frowned.

“I think he might be able to solve some of your concerns.”

Teina Auction House (1)

“Then, I guess that’s roughly settled.”

“Don’t be late. Let’s stop by the tailor on the way.”

“…Do you suddenly feel like you’ve become my nanny?”

Jenny, watching Renok’s back as he shook his head with a bewildered expression and left the bar, sat quietly on the bar stool and lit a cigarette.

She took out her constantly ringing phone and dealt with the urgent matters first, then sighed softly and exhaled smoke.

“Hoo…”

When she first met him, she thought he was just some washed-up mage who had been kicked out of a magic tower and came to do freelance work, but she was completely mistaken.

She thought he would fall flat on his face on the street in less than a day, but before she knew it, there was no one in District 49 who didn’t know his name.

If they continued to work together like this, he might become a big shot who would make a name for himself in the outer regions of the Balkans, not just the district.

And Jenny could easily imagine such a future.

The only difference was whether she would be a part of that scene or not.

“Are you going to be okay?”

“About what?”

She answered indifferently to Jorden’s casual concern.

“If it’s the Teina Auction House, that friend of yours will still be there. Wasn’t that why you were deliberately avoiding showing your face?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

She took the cigarette out of her mouth and tapped it, causing bubbles of magic to rise and scatter into the air.

“I can’t be tied to Kaise forever.”

“……..”

Jorden silently closed his mouth, hearing her call that name so casually.

It was always like that.

Everyone who knew him and knew her always disliked her calling that name so casually.

There was a time when she was so tired and annoyed by that gap that she deliberately ignored it.

It didn’t even take a week after opening the bar for her to realize that she shouldn’t discriminate between enemies and allies if they could be of help.

“It’s time to stop being called a cowardly bastard who makes a living by selling other people’s names.”

Jenny smiled fiercely, exhaling smoke.

She was holding back in front of Renok, but she was originally a terrifying heavy smoker, enough to make Jorden flinch.

There was no point in making clouds of smoke in front of her precious client, so she was just holding back.

“It’s time to decide on a clear path. I’ve bet my chips on a mage named Ban. Jorden, what are you going to do?”

“……..”

“Are you still clinging to that foolish promise and waiting for the next time?”

“Jenny, I hope you’re not mistaken.”

Jorden shook his head gently.

“Kaise’s story is over. The word ‘next’ doesn’t suit anyone.”

“……..”

“I’ve just found a place where I can stop.”

“…Hmph.”

Jenny snorted, put out her cigarette, and got up from her seat.

“I’m going down to the warehouse. Get the key ready.”

Late evening. The time when people who have finished their day return home to rest.

Renok was spending this evening outside with someone for the first time in a while.

“…It doesn’t seem to fit well.”

Renok, sitting in the passenger seat of the car, awkwardly touched the hard mask that was touching his face.

It wasn’t like he had only done good things to walk around with his face exposed, but he had been comfortably concealing his identity by changing his face with transformation magic.

This was the first time he had gone out wearing a mask that completely covered the upper part of his face.

On top of that, he was wearing a neat black and white suit to match the dress code.

He had enjoyed wearing shirts and coats, but this was the first time he had worn such a tight-fitting outfit, so his movements felt very awkward.

Jenny, who was sitting next to him, whispered softly.

“You have to get used to it, so bear with it. I also brought an old dress from the warehouse, so it’s tight around my waist.”

Jenny, who casually mumbled a careless remark to her partner, grabbed her hair with her empty hand and flipped it over her shoulder.

She was wearing a jet-black dress that matched her hair and was holding the steering wheel.

“We’re here. It’s better to get off around here. The streets near the auction house will be too crowded.”

The two people who got out of Jenny’s bright red sports car found a suitable parking space and began to walk slowly.

The streets around the auction house were quite neatly organized, and the shapes of the mansions nearby were clearly elaborate.

It didn’t look like a neighborhood where ordinary citizens lived at first glance.

As they walked down the street, which was dyed yellow by the soft streetlights, it felt more like they were at an art museum or a concert hall than an auction house.

The attire of the people walking in the same direction as Renok was not much different from theirs.

Like people attending a social gathering rather than an auction house, they were all dressed in matching dress codes and walking with their partners.

Renok, who had naturally blended in with the excited chatter of the people, whispered to Jenny.

“I thought it would be a more casual atmosphere since it’s an underground auction house, but this is a bit unexpected.”

“The Teina Auction House we’re going to is a bit like this. I’m also uncomfortable, but it’s better to match the dress code as much as possible so we don’t stand out.”

The Teina Auction House.

Unlike other auction houses, it mainly auctions and exhibits famous artworks, works of art, or ancient relics.

According to Jenny, as the scale of the auction house grew and it began to receive support from major organizations in both the light and dark, it was inevitable that it would flow into a similar atmosphere as those organizations.

The reason why the Teina Auction House has these characteristics is also because the tastes of those who support the auction house are deeply ingrained in it.

Even the fact that they can cover their faces and identities is one of those tastes.

“It’s incredibly picky… Are other auction houses like this too?”

“Most of them won’t be much different from what you’re thinking… We’re here. From now on, walk in step.”

Jenny slowed down her pace as a stylish three-story building with a sophisticated design that looked like a classic theater came into view.

Renok couldn’t help but admire her as she walked without her dress shaking even a little.

“You seem used to this kind of thing.”

“I had some experience with it when I was young. Let’s go.”

After passing through the bustling crowd and handing their tickets to the guards near the entrance, a person immediately rushed out and guided the two inside.

“VIPs are immediately guided to the top floor on the third floor. If you follow me, you’ll be there soon…”

“Ah, we’d like to look around the items on display on the first floor. We also want to check some items that aren’t in the catalog.”

“Ah, I understand.”

The guide, with an embarrassed look, nodded at Jenny’s firm words and stepped back, and the two immediately changed direction.

“The ticket to meet the Yakseon isn’t even listed in the auction house’s catalog… This is unexpected.”

“Items that are deemed to be of low value are quickly decided on and disposed of through private bidding. It’s actually a benefit for us.”

“No, that’s not the point.”

Renok said, looking down at Jenny.

“It doesn’t make sense that the auction house is treating the opportunity to meet a reclusive high-ranking life mage like this. Don’t other people know that the talisman is something that can allow them to meet the Yakseon?”

“……..”

“And the fact that you, Jenny, found out about it…”

Isn’t it impossible unless she has a connection with the Yakseon?

Jenny, who had been silent, smiled awkwardly.

“I thought I would get caught, but it was too fast. Aren’t you too perceptive?”

“……..”

“Well, it’s not wrong. A long time ago, I saw him briefly because of a family matter. I don’t know if the Yakseon remembers me, but that’s why I recognized the talisman.”

Renok had one name in mind after hearing her words.

Kaise. Among the big shots who visited her bar, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t mention that name.

That meant that the name Kaise, which was related to her, still wielded significant influence in this district.

The thing that made that thought certain happened at the same time as Jenny greeted someone at the first-floor auction house.

An old man sitting in the corner of the auction house, leaning on a cane.

He was wearing a shabby suit, but his disciplined movements were impressive. Jenny approached him and spoke softly.

“Liam.”

The old man, whose name was called, suddenly raised his head and looked up at her with an unbelievable expression.

“That voice… Jenny? Are you by any chance Jenisia?”

“How have you been?”

“Oh, this can’t be… How did you get here…”

The old man named Liam quickly looked around, then quickly took the two of them to a secluded corner on the first floor.