Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 221

[Avid Yohnsen, Managing Director, life signs have been lost. The on-site observation temperature dropped to -244 degrees Celsius, so death seems certain.]

“……”

A heavy voice echoed, accompanied by the sound of something striking thick wood.

“Why did it come to this?”

[…Based on the circumstances, it seems that about 80% of the execution squad under Managing Director Yohnsen was neutralized in an instant, creating a confrontation between Ban and Director Yohnsen. What happened after that…]

“Hmm.”

The story of Iola and Girard, both executives, being brutally defeated in different ways was something he had heard through the grapevine.

More than anything, wasn’t Girard an executive in his own division?

Considering that there was still no news from him, there was no need to guess what his end was like.

[It seems that the Dyke Corporation is truly prepared to be completely at odds with us.]

Tap tap tap.

The sound of something heavy yet not dull tapping on the armrest could be heard.

The huge body writhing in the darkness was too large and vividly alive to be simply human.

“They chose the wrong target.”

The voice, which had been pondering, finally spoke.

“Dyke has made a lot of money by entering the underground weapons industry, but their core business is still closer to industrial tool production. Did they know that we couldn’t easily touch their above-ground infrastructure?”

[But if we had ignored their intentions and touched the industrial factories, we would have been caught by the agents.]

“That’s right. That’s why it’s tricky. It’s as if they deliberately designed this situation…”

With the cartel’s status, it wasn’t a problem to worry about a single company that was doing well above ground.

However, the fact that the mage of District 49, unlike other freelancers, maintained a close relationship with the agents was very concerning.

If they rashly touched the above-ground infrastructure and gave the agents a reason to intervene, there would be no greater loss.

Especially if Evelyn Marcia started to participate in this matter, the losses would become truly unmanageable.

The voice’s gaze calmly settled.

“We can’t openly make a bad move…”

[A bad move, you say?]

“It’s nothing. I’ll take care of things from here on out. You guys focus on erasing the traces of this operation.”

[But if we gloss over this matter like this, there’s a possibility that other board members will try to keep you in check…]

“Didn’t I say I’d take care of it?”

[…I apologize.]

The man, having ended the communication, pressed his forehead with his hand resting on the armrest.

“We can’t drag this out. But how do I create a justification…”

The initial plan was not like this.

It was going smoothly to draw the attention of other presidents by targeting the mage Ban and Jenny, who had connections with various powerful figures.

While other presidents were dealing with Ban’s resistance against the cartel, he was supposed to quietly take the slush funds hidden within the company and run away…

The problem was that things had grown too quickly and drastically.

Ban’s way of eroding the cartel was surprisingly meticulous and persistent, and the resulting economic losses caused considerable internal and external confusion within the cartel.

On top of that, as Jenny quickly absorbed the names of the cooperative businesses that Ban had destroyed, growing in size and even bringing in the Dyke Corporation, it became difficult to touch the slush funds as the company was also overhauling its books.

It was a mistake.

He knew that Ban had the ability to cause some harm to the organization, but he never dreamed that he would have the insight to shake such a large organization single-handedly.

It was clear that things were going wrong.

A strange voice was heard next to him as he was lost in thought.

“Things don’t seem to be going smoothly.”

“……”

“I told you to start a little slower. There aren’t many who got involved with that mage and came out well… I told you.”

The man silently raised his gaze and looked at the young man giggling next to him.

A bushy beard and tattoos covering his face.

Even though he was wearing a sneer, his gleaming eyes were striking.

A groan-like sound unconsciously escaped the man’s lips.

“If it weren’t for you guys…”

“Oh my, it’s a shame to say that. It was you who accepted our Ten Counts’ proposal.”

“……”

“I don’t want to blame you for that choice… As a fallen monk, it’s natural for you to pursue material desires. Wasn’t it to enjoy the luxuries that are hard to enjoy as the president of the cartel that you chose us?”

Fallen monk.

The moment he heard that word, powerful magic pressed down on the young man’s shoulders, but the young man did not flinch and tilted his head.

“As a result, the cartel is on high alert because of what you started, and they are slowly trying to find out who the instigator of this is. You’ve been able to hide it well so far with your authority as president… but it’s only a matter of time before the traitor is revealed. Isn’t that right?”

“…What do you want to say?”

“It’s impossible to undo what you’ve done. But if you quickly eliminate the root of the problem, those who want to hold the instigator accountable will shut their mouths.”

“……”

“Create a justification. And you kill Ban yourself. Only then will people think of what you did as a momentary lapse and turn a blind eye, wouldn’t you say?”

“But…”

As the man spoke in distress, the young man drove in a wedge.

“Think about why that man Virgil was being so vague about this matter.”

“……!!”

“That guy must have already noticed that there’s a traitor inside. He’s waiting for the right time. You don’t want to give him an excuse, do you?”

“No, that can’t happen…”

The man’s eyes sank deeply.

“…I absolutely can’t let that happen.”

* * *

The story of Lenok overwhelming the cartel’s execution squad single-handedly spread like wildfire.

The execution squad, led by the blood mage Avid Yohnsen, had succeeded in establishing a unity of physical ability and consciousness using his serum, moving truly as one body.

They were one of the sharpest blades that had mercilessly dealt with those who went against the will of the cartel.

The story that a mage alone, a lightning mage who had stopped his freelance activities until recently, had annihilated such human weapons was that much more unrealistic.

It wasn’t uncommon for false rumors to circulate in this world, but looking at the way things were going, everyone could tell.

Whether the false thing was really a rumor, or the protagonist of the rumor itself.

Three days had passed since then.

After attacking and destroying the Dyke Corporation’s factory, the cartel no longer moved.

Lenok also did not move recklessly, as he had just fought a fierce battle.

Naturally, the conflict between the two forces entered a lull.

“…It’s strangely quiet.”

“Is that so? It’s possible that they’re just moving secretly.”

“It’s not a matter of information. You can tell by the atmosphere of the streets.”

Dre said, looking around silently.

The streets of District 49, which had been quiet for a while, were once again bustling with people.

Those who exchanged powder in shady alleys, riders gathering on one side to smoke cigarettes, gangs trading goods wrapped in sacks, and merchants laying out mats to haggle over goods.

It was now a familiar sight to Lenok.

“The guys who were avoiding us like ghosts when the conflict with the cartel was ongoing have returned… There’s no way this could happen without any reason. Something must have changed on their side.”

“Is that a former soldier’s intuition?”

For Lenok, it wasn’t easy to relate to the idea of deducing the war situation just from the atmosphere of the streets, but Dre was not the type to make empty claims easily.

It wasn’t strange that he would feel something, given that he had been patrolling this street and guarding the bar for over fifteen days.

“Rather than intuition… there must be guys among them who have connections with the lower-level members of the cartel. It’s highly likely that they’re exchanging words like, ‘There’s no sign of any major moves for the time being.’ It’s the same principle as soldiers in the unit guessing what the next day’s schedule will be.”

“……”

As Lenok’s face became thoughtful, Dre naturally changed the subject.

“By the way, when I come out on the street with you, Ban, I can definitely feel that the gazes directed at us are different. It seems that the mage’s status is changing day by day.”

“But I don’t even know who I’m dealing with?”

Dre laughed at the indifferent reply.

“It’s not unreasonable to think that way… but think about it from their perspective. The rumor that the mage alone annihilated the execution squad is spreading, but the cartel isn’t moving. What does that mean?”

“……”

“The mage named Ban has power and connections comparable to an organization. Isn’t it natural to think that way?”

Certainly, after hearing those words and looking around, Lenok could finally guess the emotions contained in the gazes of the people looking at him.

If the gazes that had been changing from indifference to wariness as his reputation rose were now mixed with a faint fear.

Wouldn’t that be closer to the feeling directed at an incomprehensible monster than the gaze directed at a fellow partner?

“If we successfully conclude this matter, the mage’s position will probably be on a different level than before. You may not feel it now because you’re used to living as a freelancer… but anyone who works on this street would understand.”

The fact that a rising star that even the three heads of Vulcan could not ignore had properly begun to establish itself.

Dre didn’t say it to the end, but Lenok vaguely understood what he was trying to say.

He was trying to let Lenok know what it meant for a person’s status to change on this street.

Only by knowing where he stood could he pursue the maximum benefit with the minimum loss at any moment.

He clearly understood the power and meaning that a single powerful superhuman had.

After finishing the street patrol that had started to talk with Dre for a while, he told Jenny about it, and she nodded.

“That’s a very Dre-like thought. He must have experienced something similar in the military.”

“In the military?”

“Until about 20 years ago, promotions were often decided based on the achievements made on the front lines of large cities. It was common to skip several ranks to fill the vacancies in the upper echelons. Dre knows how to survive in that process.”

“……”

Things to be aware of in a situation where status changes.

From Lenok’s point of view, who had been living thinking only about tomorrow, it was a somewhat unfamiliar perspective.

If he were to bring Dre and his mercenaries to his side, wouldn’t he be able to get help in these areas as well?

Whether intentional or not, Dre was constantly appealing his value to Lenok.

As a form of assistance other than force, which Lenok had never considered.

Jenny, noticing Lenok’s expression, rested her chin on her hand and let out a small sigh.

“By the way, is the cartel really going to end things so vaguely… Honestly, I was prepared for an all-out war that would bring in all of our forces.”

“Do you think so?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

It was a rare thing to hear such words from her, who was always clear about what she liked and disliked.

“The head of the cartel was also well acquainted with my grandfather… By now, he must know about this matter, but I don’t know what he’s thinking. It really depends on him.”

“Are you talking about Kaise?”

“……”

Jenny was silent for a long time before turning her gaze to Lenok.

“You know, I don’t believe that I can get out of my family’s situation so easily.”

“……”

“But it’s also true that I’m not ready right now… Until now, I’ve just been living as if I were dead, hoping that the past connections would pass me by.”

Jenny’s expression as she said that seemed so blurry that it was hard to describe.

“There are still so many people who remember my grandfather’s name even after decades. To be honest, I don’t care what happens. But if that name, which doesn’t mean much to me, now torments my partner…”

The focus returned to her two eyes, which had been looking into the distance.

He could sense that a strong will was being rebuilt within her.

Jenny looked up at Lenok.

“I’m ready.”

“…The word ‘ready’ is not something you should say so easily. Especially in this world.”

Lenok took out a cigarette from his pocket and got up from his seat.

He was a little tired after walking around the streets for the first time in a while.

However, he seemed to know exactly what she wanted to convey.

And that Lenok had to give her an answer.

When he met Antares, he didn’t say anything, but through his meeting with him, Lenok had already noticed to some extent.

The contaminants in the undeveloped district.

The remnants of the Black Consumer Project.

That word itself was one of the biggest secrets buried in this street.

In addition, there was a high possibility that Kaise’s death was related to it.

‘I’ve confirmed that the time when Yakseon remembers Kaise and the timeline when the contaminants in the undeveloped district occurred are similar. It’s probably…’

Considering that Yakseon was the only one who witnessed Kaise’s end, and that Lenok was the only one who heard the secret, the probability that the two events were related was very high.

As a reward for Lenok taking down the drug lord, Yakseon had given Lenok the choice.

Whether to tell Jenny about the circumstances of the secret that Kaise had taken to his grave, or to bury it.

Lenok had not yet made a decision.

As always, he had just forced his gaze toward the work in front of him.

“Let’s focus on the cartel’s matter.”

“…Okay.”

“Jenny, you said that the conclusion of this matter will depend on the chairman’s will. But now, we have a way to adjust that direction from our side.”