Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 229

The other executives also wore uncomfortable expressions at those words, but no one present was foolish enough to object.

They knew who their master desired.

A magician who single-handedly massacred the cartel’s execution squad and crushed Avid Yonsen, their leader.

His overwhelming skill, which didn’t even allow a glimpse of Ban’s domain despite channeling his blood to power a self-generating field, was undoubtedly beyond the realm of a military-grade magician.

He was more than qualified to take a position as one of the three heads of this massive organization.

Oliviera Ron Maze had been waiting for this day since the moment she recognized Ban’s existence.

“……”

However, instead of being overwhelmed by her intensity, Lenok calmly assessed the situation.

It wouldn’t be difficult to reject all the proposals Oliviera had made in this meeting.

However, her words and actions during the general meeting and her conversation with Myung… was it truly because she coveted Ban?

It seemed that Myung valued Lenok more highly.

Only after reaching that point of doubt could Lenok come to a conclusion.

Perhaps what Oliviera Ron Maze truly wanted was not to hand over the executive position to Lenok, but—

A calm voice flowed from Lenok’s lips.

“It seems you want to use someone else to deal with McQueen.”

The atmosphere in the room turned icy cold.

“Are you worried that the cartel’s power will diminish due to infighting among the executives? That’s all I can gather from your actions so far.”

“Magician.”

Kansoa said with a bright smile.

“It would be beneficial for your well-being to watch your words.”

Lenok glanced at her, but continued speaking without paying her any mind.

“Very well. Let’s do that. But the price will not be an executive position in the cartel, but something I will choose myself.”

[……]

“A position received as a favor from someone else wouldn’t hold much value.”

Oliviera, who had been staring down at him, spoke.

[You are indeed insolent.]

“……”

[But you’ve hit the nail on the head with unsettling accuracy… Very well.]

That’s right. The opponent was a figure of immense power, whose rank was difficult to gauge.

However, Lenok wasn’t engaging in this equal negotiation without any basis.

The cooperation between Antares and the agent. The appearance and protection of Myung. And decisively, Oliviera’s appearance, which had never been revealed until now.

Combining the events that had occurred, there was only one possible conclusion.

Oliviera Ron Maze was in a position where she couldn’t move directly, and other powerful figures, including Myung, were aware of it.

Therefore, rather than dealing with the traitor through the other executives, she wanted to use Lenok’s power, who had been fighting the cartel for so long, to solve the problem.

Even if it meant giving a mere figurehead executive position to an enemy.

Even though she clearly knew that Lenok had seen through her intentions, she smiled calmly.

[It’s been a long time. To think that a young magician like you would see through our internal affairs.]

“Chairwoman….”

Meryl called out to her in a small voice, but nothing would change now.

In the end, after going through so much, the cartel’s traitor and adversary were now about to settle the score for everything that had happened.

And at that moment when everything was decided, McQueen, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

“May I ask one more question?”

[Ask.]

“If there is a problem during the transfer process… who will be held responsible?”

[The same applies.]

She stared at McQueen’s face, which was impossible to read, and slowly nodded.

[In that case, we will consider that Ban did not accept the executive position, and the matter will be dropped.]

“……I understand, then.”

It didn’t take long for an unmistakable smile to spread across McQueen’s lips.

* * *

It didn’t take long for rumors to spread through the streets that the cartel and the magician from District 49 had reached a dramatic agreement.

People remembered Ban’s relentless actions of destroying businesses like a man possessed and were curious about the process.

But upon hearing the rumor that the cartel’s chairwoman had offered him a recruitment proposal, everyone was convinced.

A place where even a deadly enemy could join hands if they were talented and capable.

In a city full of freelancers who chased after profit and money, leaving behind blood and grudges, it wasn’t an incomprehensible situation.

Not only that, but the rumor that the magician from District 49 had even reached the level of a 6th-level military-grade magician spread like wildfire.

Considering the value of a fully-fledged military-grade magician, it wasn’t unreasonable for the cartel to overlook the organization’s losses.

Information that Ban’s position would be decided at the next quarterly earnings announcement was widely circulated.

As the story of the cartel’s compromise with Ban spread, Jenny’s business took off.

It was a business that the scavengers had taken over with the tacit consent of the three heads.

With Kaise’s connections and unique skills, along with investments from merchants traveling through the city, it didn’t take long for the business to quickly establish itself.

What sealed the deal was the potion diluent that Lenok had created himself.

When Lenok’s potion, which had even corrected the side effect of rapid growth in the extremities, was included in the distribution business and sold independently, the two businesses synergized and rapidly expanded in scale.

The rumors about the potion’s cost-effectiveness spread so quickly that inquiries were coming in from the public faster than rumors spread in the shadows.

Conversely, the capitalists who had started investing in the business were also showing interest in the potion sales, which was a boon.

Many things had changed in the past week.

The graph on the monitor was constantly hitting the ceiling.

However, the inside story of that day when the general meeting was held was not yet over.

Jenny also had an idea of what Lenok had left for last.

“……”

Lenok chuckled at Jenny’s expression.

“It’s still the cleanest way to do it, isn’t it?”

He never thought things would end easily.

He had been running breathlessly since the day he returned from the autonomous territory, but in the end, it was Lenok who had to settle the score.

Even without the serendipity of the medicinal spirit’s help, Lenok had anticipated and prepared for this moment.

Considering the difference in status between McQueen and Lenok in this city, it was inevitable that things would have to be settled one way or another.

All Lenok had done was drastically shorten the countless hardships he had to go through until that moment.

Rescuing Jorden, calling out Virgil, destroying the cartel’s cooperative businesses, capturing Girard, and killing the execution squad and Avid, thoroughly returning all the checks and retaliations that came at Lenok.

Only then was he able to directly bring down the giant sitting in the skyscraper of the executive board.

He had no intention of making a mistake at the very end.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot to give you this.”

Jenny frowned when she saw the object Lenok took out of his pocket.

“……What is this? It looks strange to be a gift.”

“I was originally going to put it up before the general meeting… Never mind. It looks better now.”

Lenok smiled as he placed it on the counter next to the bar, in a visible spot, and Jenny sighed and shook her head.

“Well, I won’t stop you since it’s from you… but if that thing causes our store’s sales to drop, you’ll have to take responsibility.”

“Let’s think about that after we reopen the bar. Maybe after today, we’ll be able to reopen it.”

Lenok smiled and turned around.

Jenny silently watched his back as he walked up the stairs, adjusting his coat.

In the end, this whole situation was full of difficulties that could not have been resolved without Lenok’s power from beginning to end.

She thought she had done her best by focusing on business management and expansion in the situation Lenok had created, but what if her existence was no longer helpful to Lenok someday?

She had never regretted choosing him as a partner, but… Jenny herself hadn’t changed much since then.

If she could grasp the wealth and glory she had built in this city, would she be able to return to Lenok with an equal perspective?

Jenny stared at the object Lenok had left behind and chuckled.

“Well… there’s still plenty of time.”

There was no need to think too hastily.

Doing what was necessary at the necessary moment.

Just like Ban always did, Jenny was working hard for that purpose.

Hearing the loud vibration of her cell phone, she began to focus on her work again.

She had a meeting with investors scheduled for today.

With the unexpected boon from the potion Lenok had created, the atmosphere was likely to be positive.

* * *

Whirrrrrr!

A skyscraper that soared high into the sky.

This place, where sharp and dry winds blew, was an empty area located between the outer district of Balkan and the undeveloped area.

It was completed during the era when the megacity was endlessly expanding in all directions, but it lost all its geographical advantages and was abandoned due to a major reduction in development plans.

Most of the abandoned buildings were often used as hideouts for vagrants or gangs, but this building was still kept clean.

He passed through the cold lobby, where no human warmth was felt, and got into the elevator.

He entered the number he had been told in advance and pressed the button to go to the rooftop, and the elevator shot up in an instant.

Beyond the glass window on the wall.

The scenery of the undeveloped area was clearly visible.

The desolate desert landscape. The self-generating storm, which was still vivid in Lenok’s memory, was visible.

A height that exceeded a certain standard was a powerful force in itself.

That was why the cartel had consistently spent money to maintain this one building.

In case of an emergency, this place could become a huge observatory encompassing the center of the undeveloped area.

But even apart from that utility, the scenery in front of him was valuable in itself.

This scenery, which vividly captured all the moments of success and failure of the megacity Balkan, was no different from the true face of Balkan that Lenok had lived in.

“……”

With the appointment ahead, his mind was filled with trivial thoughts.

Lenok leaned against the elevator wall, chuckled, and closed his eyes.

In an instant, his chaotic mind was cleared, and his head became calm.

In his infinitely serene inner self, his memories quickly flashed by.

The moment he first awakened his magic. When he became able to control lightning, the battle with Eden. The point when he realized the change in properties.

The battle with Craig, where he realized and manifested the existence of the domain. The scenery he had finally reached after crossing countless battle lines.

Others would say that the speed was absurdly abnormal, but the trajectory of Lenok’s life had been that intense and dense.

How much effort and investment had been required to get this far, even with the penalty of death if he made even a single mistake?

Nothing changed.

Lenok was still not allowed to fail even once, and as much as he had given death to others, Lenok was also hovering around it.

He was searching for answers in the endless questions.

The person who would hear Lenok’s seventh answer was waiting for him at the top of that skyscraper.

Clang!!

The elevator doors opened, revealing a narrow hallway.

A faint white glow was visible at the end of the hallway.

Lenok walked towards the light, reaching into his pocket.

He took out a cigarette, about the thickness of a finger, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

The sixth prototype. He hadn’t put much effort into it recently because he had been investing time in making potion diluents, but it was a special one he had prepared for this day.

As he lit it and took a deep drag, a dull thud echoed in the back of his head, and his heart began to pound.

The sensation of his whole body’s hair standing on end. He slowly manipulated his fingers and took out other objects from his pocket.

He swallowed a pill of the elixir Stemona, which was effective in reducing the harm of drugs, and then drank a magic enhancer and a recovery potion.

He unwrapped the ampoule from his coat pocket, immediately replaced the bottle, and injected it into his shoulder.

Pshhh!

“Ugh……”

Behind Lenok, who had passed through the hallway, all sorts of medicine bottles and syringes clattered to the floor.

He felt as if the blood in his whole body was rushing in reverse, and his fingertips became extremely sensitive.

A sensation like flames rising from within engulfed his whole body and flared up fiercely.

Magic power was rotating violently throughout his body, burning as if it would burst out at any moment.

Finally, Lenok drank the undiluted potion he had made himself, threw the empty bottle over his shoulder, and immediately leaned out of the hallway.

The moment he stepped through, the surroundings opened up, revealing the bright blue sky.

A skyscraper over 800 meters tall.

The view from the top made it seem as if he held all the scenery of the undeveloped area in his hand.

At the edge of the rooftop, where no safety devices were even installed.

A large man with a bronze complexion was looking down at the scenery below with an indifferent expression.

Tattoos and ornate accessories all over his body. A long staff in his hand and an old robe.

The first executive of the cartel, Parden McQueen.

The two people needed for the ‘transfer’ of the executive position had finally met face to face in one place.

Lenok, who had lightly activated his magic and scanned a radius of several kilometers in an instant, chuckled.

“This is a bit unexpected.”

Smoke streamed from his mouth as he held the thick cigarette.

“I thought you would bring your subordinates, but it seems you came here alone.”

Considering McQueen’s movements so far, it was unlikely that he would move alone.

He was basically the type who didn’t prefer to get his hands dirty himself.

As a strongman who had reigned as the executive of the cartel for over decades, he was skilled at wielding his influence by using nameless underlings under him.

He thought that this time, under the guise of a transfer, he had deliberately called Lenok to this remote place to surround him.

But surprisingly, there was no sign of any life in this vicinity.

It was as if someone had deliberately cleared the area.

Lenok, who had thought that far, found the answer.

“……Was there interference from the other executives? It wouldn’t be strange if Virgil had drastically cut your authority. After all, you’re just a traitor who betrayed the organization.”

“It’s not surprising. Considering his personality, I thought it would be like this from the beginning. He must have wanted to stop me from scheming.”

McQueen, who finally turned his gaze towards Lenok, stared at him with a heavy gaze.

“It’s enough for me to be grateful for the last chance given to me. I always fail to repay the chairwoman’s grace. It’s my lack of virtue.”

“Is that what a person who betrayed the chairwoman and tried to embezzle company funds should say?”

Lenok was impressed by McQueen’s brazenness, but McQueen didn’t even raise an eyebrow at the scathing provocation.

He slowly stood up and looked down at Lenok.

The pressure exerted by the nearly 2-meter-tall bronze-skinned giant was on a different level.

It wasn’t just about training his body and increasing his size, but the body of a practitioner who had endured asceticism for his beliefs.

Even though his body was now rusty, wrinkled, and creaking, his skills were still intact.

The two sorcerers simultaneously and extremely secretly began to draw on their own power.