Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 214

Prescription (2)

Renok opened the wooden case and examined its contents. Twenty small pills, wrapped in delicate gold foil, were carefully arranged on the cushion inside.

[Based on my memory of your biorhythms that day, I’ve focused on gradually improving your constitution.]

“I see…”

[Take one on each full moon. You can go over a month, but if the deviation exceeds a week, the side effects will be quite severe.]

She said this and began to explain the precautions for taking the medicine.

[For about five minutes after taking the medicine, your body will be more receptive to magic, but for at least three days, you won’t be able to move properly. It’s a process of stimulating and shaking your entire central nervous system to accept completely new stimuli, and you might even lose control of your bowels.]

“…”

[One each month. After taking five, there will be a definite improvement, and after taking half, cell necrosis from mana poisoning will be reduced to less than 80%. Eventually, you’ll be able to suppress the symptoms of mana poisoning, including side effects, by about half. Depending on your individual effort and progress, it’s possible to achieve even more.]

“…That’s amazing.”

Renok had gone through quite a lot for this moment, but in reality, he had only entrusted Yakseon with his diagnosis and brought her Malabes [a rare medicinal herb]. Yet, Yakseon had created a miraculous medicine that could gradually improve Renok’s constitution with just one diagnosis. Renok, having gained alchemy, had also been experimenting with making medicines to find the most suitable doping agent for himself, but he couldn’t grasp Yakseon’s method. However, despite Renok’s words, Yakseon continued speaking without changing her expression.

[Keep in mind that this can only gradually change your constitution, not solve mana poisoning itself. After the treatment, there will be no problem with physical enhancement through magic, but it won’t completely eliminate the side effects of the poisoning.]

“Understood.”

[Inside the wooden case, I’ve included copies of your and Kaise’s medical records. If you ever need to help Jenny, I hope you can find even a small clue there.]

Renok slowly nodded, and as he put the wooden case in his pocket, Yakseon’s expression finally softened.

[Yes… you’re a good boy. If I had a grandson, he might look like this.]

“…”

Perhaps she would try to remember what happened today. But even if she recorded the day’s memories in a diary and kept them on video, she would never be able to truly feel that this encounter was her own for the rest of her life. It was impossible for Renok to fully understand her pain as she suffered from the traces of a connection that was so close yet never within reach, and hid away in a remote lake. But someday, if Renok could rise high enough to free someone from their shackles, if he could have a gentle hand that could remove the shackles of both himself and others, Renok, suppressing an expectation that was almost like regret, lowered his head silently.

“Thank you for your kindness. Someday…”

Renok realized the weight of the words that had unintentionally slipped out and closed his mouth. It was something that felt too distant for Renok to promise and tell. It was too hopeful a promise for Renok, who couldn’t even guarantee the future ahead of him. All he could do now was to show proper respect and gratitude for what she had done and endured. Thus, a farewell with a different meaning than death ended. The meeting of two sorcerers who did not overstep their bounds remained a perfect secret, only in one person’s memory. And so, Renok succeeded in obtaining the second clue to break free from his own shackles for the first time.

* * *

“Is it over?”

As Renok walked into the bar, he nodded, and Jenny fiddled with her cigarette with a gloomy expression.

“Well, I guess it ends like this…”

She sighed briefly but didn’t say anything more. It was probably because she knew very well that she couldn’t do anything for Yakseon, and that she didn’t have the right or the ability to do so. In the end, she didn’t ask Renok what he had gotten from Yakseon. Even after getting quite close since starting the business with Renok, she kept her distance in crucial matters. This sense of distance, which seemed like nothing but was surprisingly difficult to maintain, was one of the biggest reasons why Renok trusted Jenny. Renok, taking a breather at the bar, accepted the glass of alcohol Jorden handed him and smiled slightly.

“Is it okay for you to be out working already?”

“I’m a doctor.”

Jorden, with a pale complexion, smiled. “I know whether it’s my day to die or not. Today isn’t a bad day, if you ask me.”

“How about sharing some of Jorden’s luck with the guys here?” Renok said, pointing to the mercenaries who were resting at a nearby table. As the conflict with the cartel intensified, this building had lost its function as a bar. The customers who used to come to drink, ignoring the hail of bullets, complained, but only after Sebastian’s help in redirecting those people could they create space for the Creamgal Mercenary Office. Jorden leisurely raised his glass and said, “I’ve been giving them a drink each since before you came. Isn’t that obvious?”

It was naturally the forces of the Creamgal Mercenary Office, including Drey, who were making the biggest contribution to guarding the base, including Jenny and Jorden. The skills of the leader, Drey Creamgal, and the executives, Wayan, Kidel, and Ike, as well as the other mercenaries, exceeded the average level of skill that Renok had seen while working as a freelancer. Of course, if a skilled person comparable to Renok were to intervene directly, they wouldn’t be able to stop them, but at least they had the power to report any anomalies on the spot. It was only natural for Renok and Jenny to cooperate in maintaining the security network that they had built near District 49.

“What are you talking about so interestingly?” Drey, who had just finished his shift, smiled and sat next to Renok. Despite being in a position where he had to directly command the security network he had built, he made an effort to go out and look around the streets and mingle with his unit members. As a former soldier, he seemed to be putting a lot of effort into maintaining the morale of his unit members. Renok naturally handed him a glass of alcohol that was nearby and asked, “How’s work going?”

“Well… it’s not easy, as expected.” Drey smiled slightly and shook his head. “District 49 itself is quite large, and there are various businesses besides the personnel agency that Jenny runs. So, I’m trying to make the security network as tight as possible without offending them, but it’s difficult.”

It was not easy to avoid getting caught up in disputes in the outskirts of Balkan, where the smell of blood never faded. It goes without saying how difficult it was to identify and guard against dangerous individuals in this place, where order was not properly maintained and was overflowing with outlaws and criminals. Drey was well aware of this reality, so rather than strictly separating public and private matters, he was gradually lowering the security intensity depending on the distance from the bar.

“The only good thing is that we have quite a few friends who are experienced in this kind of work, so they’re not having trouble adapting.”

“I heard you expanded the office recently, so it seems you’ve found some good talent.” As Jenny said, this industry was already saturated, and once a name was known, its fame would spread quickly. If Drey had hired such capable people, it would be normal for Jenny to hear about it, but she didn’t seem to have heard such information. Renok realized something from those words and asked Drey, “They’re soldiers, aren’t they?”

“…You’re very sharp. That’s right.” Drey, with a slightly surprised expression, nodded, and then Jenny slapped her knee. “So that’s why I haven’t heard any of their names! Drey, did you bring people from the same unit as you?” “A mercenary group made up of special forces, just hearing about it makes me feel secure.” As far as Renok knew, Drey was from a special forces unit called the Viper Regiment. If Drey had brought in comrades from the same background as him, there would be no need to worry about the organizational skills or mission execution capabilities required in the process.

“Not all of them are from the same unit as me… most of them are friends who have thrown themselves into this place for similar reasons as me. It’s just that I happened to have a chance to work with them since I was already settled here.”

“I see… it seems the military situation hasn’t been so good lately?” Drey smiled bitterly at Renok’s words. “Well, it’s been a while since the situation changed like this. Units that are no longer useful on the front lines are being abandoned and discharged. Even the friends who have managed to hold on until now are now starting to look for ways to survive.” The military power of Balkan was still formidable, but it was not the right size to maintain its size while not waging war. Rather, the dozens of military units waiting for orders on the western front seemed to be somewhat excessive. Was the city government planning to gradually reorganize the military units that had been consistently criticized for budget issues?

“Come to think of it, the military was also involved in dealing with the Cigar Bang gang problem… it definitely feels like it’s been getting worse in the last few years.” At that time, Beck Clinton, an executive of Cigar Bang, was receiving weapons in exchange for providing supplies to soldiers who had postponed their retirement. At the time, it was said that the soldiers were hiding and living in a satellite city that had been planned but canceled, but there was no way to know what had happened to them. It wasn’t an immediate problem, so Renok changed the subject.

“It’s good that the office has grown in size, but it doesn’t seem like you can handle that much income.” It was a good thing that Drey had joined this project with a considerable amount of the office’s forces, but the amount that Jenny and Renok were currently paying was actually slightly insufficient compared to their labor costs. For a workforce of this size to live a normal organized life, there had to be a huge or continuous source of funds, or they had to perform freelance work like the Antares Mercenary Group, where all members were top-notch mana users. Drey also lowered his head slightly, as if he had been poked in a sore spot.

“Well, you’re not wrong. For now, the new members also know that they’re lacking, so they’re satisfied with living expenses, but as I’m responsible for them, I need to treat them better.”

“I guess so. I understand.”

“…” Drey glanced at Renok, who was nodding indifferently, and then turned his gaze away. It was good that the office had grown due to the joining of discharged soldiers, but in the end, it would be difficult to provide his colleagues with reasonable pay in the current situation. From Drey’s point of view, it would be beneficial in the long run, but how long could his colleagues endure the intensity of the work while receiving the same compensation? It was natural that Renok and Jenny’s business caught his eye in such worries. Jenny’s skills, whom he had known for a considerable amount of time, were needless to say, but what caught Drey’s eye more than that was Renok’s own capabilities.

Drey was well aware of how famous the requests he had successfully completed had become, beyond the time when he was working as an unknown freelancer. The decisiveness to not delay work for even a moment and the sharp intuition to see through the essence of complex matters. His ability to judge the efficiency of work itself, beyond his abilities as a magician, was something that even Drey found difficult to keep up with. Renok’s nature of not becoming arrogant and carefully judging his opponents, despite having such talent, was enough to bring solid trust to everyone who knew him. He tended to be uninterested in others, but he was a person who had the ability to understand others enough with just a passing glance and judgment. Even though he seemed cold and heartless, he was responsible for the work he was given if he was given a reasonable price, and he had a reputation for keeping at least the minimum level of courtesy to his acquaintances. He must have received countless offers from scouts, but the fact that he was still working alone was proof that he was envisioning this moment of standing alone. If so, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the opposite scene, where Drey would be under Renok, rather than Renok being under Drey. Wasn’t it because Drey was secretly envisioning that scene that he had stepped into this project, despite the numerous requests pouring into the office? It was an issue that he couldn’t be sure of right now, but Drey was planning to not forget the thought that had come to his mind for the time being.

Jenny looked up at the two of them, and then got up from her seat as if she had remembered something. “Come to think of it, the thing that Ban brought has recovered to the point where it can roughly speak. I don’t want to leave that crazy bastard alone for long, so let’s quickly deal with it and get rid of it.”

“…You’re saying such brutal things so casually.” While Drey, who knew what that thing meant, made a sullen expression, Renok also got up from his seat. “Let’s finish it quickly. By now, it should be in a state where it can speak.” The only drawback of the Pure Land Divine Mantra [a type of magic] was that once it was activated, the artifact’s power could not be withdrawn at the owner’s will. Renok didn’t know how a magician like Madrea Falsier had solved this drawback, but Renok had no choice but to wait until the mana preheated in the artifact ran out.

“Girard Ogette is one of the cartel’s executives who was directly involved in managing businesses. Even though he seems out of his mind on the surface, there must be useful information in his head.”

“We might be able to deal a significant blow to the cartel.”

“If possible, it would be good to know about the internal affairs of the upper echelons. In particular, we need information about the board of directors at the top of the organization’s management. We have no choice but to scrape out all the information he has. If that’s not enough…”

“If it’s not enough?” Renok’s eyes shone coldly. “It wasn’t something that could be dragged out for long from the beginning. We have no choice but to find people who can directly talk to the board of directors.” Even if the cartel’s chairman couldn’t move, the matter wouldn’t be resolved without negotiating with the organization’s top executives. If he could find the answer here, Renok’s position would rise rapidly to an extent that couldn’t be compared to what it was now… He could only hope that his second meeting with Girard would be helpful for his future plans. Jenny immediately opened the door leading downstairs, and Renok followed behind her.