Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 207

It was a grueling day. At least, Renok felt it was. He never imagined that the schedule, which should have ended with his appointment with Antares, would drag on this far. Since this wasn’t something Renok was handling alone, unexpected variables were inevitable, but as always, it seemed the days when things piled up were never predetermined. Renok tilted his head slightly, looking up at the robot head standing before him. “I’ve arrived!!!” A booming male voice echoed loudly through the bar. “……” Jenny, covering her ears with both hands and grimacing, perfectly mirrored Renok’s feelings. “Hey, friend!! Looks like you’ve had a rough time. But don’t worry, I’ve come to help you myself!!” “Manson.” Renok replied listlessly. “Stop the nonsense and get to the point.” “……” Renok turned his head after handing the injured Wei An over to Drey and confirming that Jordan had gone up to the office to rest. “You’re the kind of bastard who would normally stick with the Cartel and suck their money dry in this kind of situation.” “Oh… You have a ridiculous misunderstanding about me. It truly breaks my heart.” Manson, shaking his head and hugging himself with both arms, was a sight to behold. “And weren’t you a man?” The body below the familiar robot head was, surprisingly, not that of a man. Manson had come to Jenny’s bar this time in a woman’s body. Moreover, it was a large female body much taller than Renok. “Gender is irrelevant at the boundary between the body and the soul. I always aim for neutrality!” “……” He had suspected it when he heard the story about how he had replaced his entire head with a machine to control the amount of information entering his brain, but he was an extraordinary individual in many ways. Could there be hardships that come with being a multi-bodied adapter? Such a constitution was extremely rare even in this vast city, so neither Renok nor Jenny knew much about it. In any case, his flimsy excuse didn’t explain why he was siding with Renok at this point. “Stop the crap and tell me why you’re suddenly trying to join our side. We’re not exactly on good terms, are we?” “Hmm.” Manson scratched his steel head silently at Jenny’s cold words. “Actually, I’ve been wandering around a bit lately, and the requests coming in lately aren’t very good.” Manson’s explanation was roughly this: The terrorist attack by the black magician Craig Tillion, which was centered around Senator Reisen of the city council. At the time, Manson had taken Reisen’s request and sided with him, carrying out several tasks, but as Reisen was ousted due to slush funds and various allegations, he had become a kite with a broken string [meaning he lost his support]. There were already many clients who didn’t trust him because of his bizarre behavior, but being involved in a series of suspicious incidents had rapidly damaged his reputation. If it had ended there, there would have been people who would hire him because of Manson’s skills. However, after that, he had sided with a series of strange clients, and rumors that he couldn’t be trusted had followed. It was okay to be greedy for money, but if the clients he was involved with were all shady characters, wouldn’t that be a reason to avoid him? Manson’s rates were relatively lower than other freelancers of similar skill due to his usual reputation, but even if something was cheap, there was a limit. “So, even for me, I felt the need to restore my lost trust.” Basically, many clients had a favorable view of Kaise, so he calculated that if he sided with Jenny and handled things, his reputation would improve. “Besides, the guys you’re dealing with are the Cartel, right? I have some ties with them too. If it’s those annoying suit-wearing bastards, I think I can go all out!!” “I see.” In addition to simply using Jenny’s connections to improve his reputation, he also seemed to harbor a grudge against the Cartel. It was clear that he was trying to get in on the action and grab some benefits, since he was already on bad terms with the Cartel anyway. Renok and Jenny looked at each other and nodded. “We don’t need you, so get lost.” Jenny retorted with a cold face. Manson covered his steel head with both hands and wailed. “Noooo-!! This is different from what I expected?!” “What makes you think we’d hire someone like you, you idiot?” It was certainly a strength that the multiple bodies he possessed could perform various roles depending on the situation. It was also true that Manson’s own skills were by no means inferior to other freelancers, but as Manson himself had said, his trustworthiness was not guaranteed anywhere. “O-Of course, I don’t intend to take full payment. How about we work together once and then decide?” Manson said, raising both arms and showing off his muscles. Perhaps because his body was different, he didn’t look that muscular. “Even so, I’m confident in killing people!!” “……” Jenny looked up at Renok silently. Ultimately, it was his job to fight the Cartel members, so it meant he should make the decision himself. Frankly, even if it was hard to trust Manson in a plan, it wasn’t a bad offer. His skills were certain, as Renok had personally tested them, and his unique personality could be helpful in unexpected situations. Even if he couldn’t be expected to be sent out on a mission, he would be more than capable of carrying out an order to protect the bar in this area. However, he didn’t like the idea of giving him everything he wanted. Renok nodded and continued. “It’s a waste of money. If you’re doing this to improve your reputation anyway, why not be more generous?” “Wh-What?” Jenny, who immediately understood Renok’s words, smiled and quickly took over. “Let’s go for free. If you promise to help us without taking a single penny, I’ll take responsibility for connecting you with clients after this is over.” “That’s…” “Be honest, you want to use my connections. Then I’ll do my best to help you.” “……” Manson closed his mouth for the first time. The fact that he wouldn’t be paid was clearly a big concern for him. It was quite a burden to put his name on this side without getting paid, especially since it was unclear when the conflict with the Cartel would end. However, it wasn’t a big deal for Renok or Jenny. Since Manson had already caused a ruckus at the bar and laid a hand on the Cartel, his options were limited. It would be good if a skilled person like Manson lent a hand, but it wouldn’t be a big problem even if he didn’t. If he backed out, they could just part ways cleanly, and if he was willing to work without pay, it would only add credibility to the reasons Manson had given. After agonizing for a long time, he nodded with difficulty. “O-Okay… But you have to keep your promise.” “Of course.” Jenny grinned. “Let’s go up to the office. I think I have a rough idea of how to deal with the Cartel after this.” She said, gesturing to the others gathered at the bar. “Let’s talk about how to make them back down first.” * * * There were things that could be done because of the difference in size. Jenny actually thought it was fortunate that the Cartel had moved so quickly before the business had fully taken off. Even if their power wasn’t equal, there were endless things they could do if they were at a comparable level. After listening to her explanation, it seemed that it would take some time for the plan to be completed. Renok finished the remaining work and prepared to leave the bar. He had rushed here because Jordan had been kidnapped, but there was still a lot for Renok to do. Balancing his life as Ban and Renok was quite difficult, but now he couldn’t neglect either side. He told Jenny he was going back and was about to leave the bar when he noticed a young man with a familiar face holding a newspaper. It was one of the twin mercenaries who had taken Dylan and Mila’s place in the Antares Mercenary Group. His name was Belver, wasn’t it? It wasn’t that they hadn’t had time to talk, but they were both unusually quiet, so even now that the situation had settled, he didn’t remember having any particular conversations with them. Just as he was about to pass by, he inadvertently checked the article that caught his eye. World Affairs. [Clash between Blaver and Pandemonium. The authority of the Ivory Tower shaken by the clutches of criminal organizations… Is this okay?] Renok’s feet stopped involuntarily at the headline that was hard to ignore. “Hmm?” The young man, Belver, noticed Renok’s presence and turned his head. Renok ignored his gaze and read the article with a serious face, then stepped back slightly, feeling his gaze. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” “No, it’s okay. Are you interested in this kind of article too, Ban?” “Well… I guess so.” To be precise, he just wanted to see how far the fire he had started would spread, but he didn’t bother to say that. ‘It’s a problem that things are going too well.’ It was good that he had perfectly handled everything by borrowing Vizen’s identity. The problem was that the forgotten technology of the 1st world, alchemy, was involved, and both the Bokmajeon [a magic organization] and the Blaver Magic Tower were actively moving. As a result, the flames of war were rapidly rising in Klaoronis, the volcanic region where the Blaver Magic Tower’s headquarters were located. Renok hid his feelings and changed the subject. “You seem to be very interested in what’s going on in the world.” “Of course.” Belver nodded nonchalantly. “The Blaver Magic Tower supports various industries that require all kinds of flame technology, including the steel industry. If something like this happens, it’s only natural that related stocks will fall, isn’t it?” “……” Renok blinked, not understanding what he was saying for a moment. “Related… what?” “Stocks, stocks. If you want to make money, you have to pay attention to this kind of news. Aggressive investment is the shortcut to success.” “…Is that so?” “It’s good that you’re interested too, Ban. How about we have a drink together and talk about our investment views? My brother isn’t interested in this kind of thing, so I don’t have anyone to talk to…” Thwack!! At the same time as Belver’s head, who had completely changed his posture and started talking to Renok, was sharply lowered forward, Velita appeared from behind him. She quickly blocked Belver and stood in front of him, smiling brightly at Renok. “I’m sorry~ My brother is a bit of an idiot, so he doesn’t know how to read the room. He’s a guy who likes to make money and then throw it away on strange businesses, so don’t pay too much attention to him.” “……” “Velita, what are you saying? I’ve never failed an investment. All the losses so far have been just stepping stones for success.” “Do you want to die? How many people have you tricked into losing money with that kind of talk? I want to be friends with the magician, so don’t try any funny business.” Velita, who had lightly threatened him, readily extended her hand to Renok first. “This is the first time we’ve met in person, right? I’m Velita. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you from the captain.”