Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 273

Kingmaker (1)

Only five days remained until the Clan Head Selection Battle.

Lenok walked through the crowded streets.

The noisy streets, a cacophony of voices, would briefly quiet down whenever Lenok passed by.

Lenok was well aware of the strange gazes that followed those brief moments of silence.

Having started to interfere with other clans as soon as he became the representative of the Five Rings, there were now people within the citadel who recognized him.

In this closed society, information and rumors spread quickly, and unless the higher-ups forcefully controlled it, there was no way to stop it.

An outsider who had united three clans at once, defying the existing order.

It was undoubtedly a topic perfectly suited to become the talk of the town.

“I heard he completely crushed one of the clans… Is this really okay?”

“What are the Five Rings thinking, choosing that mage as their representative…”

“There’s not much time left until the Clan Head Selection Battle. Does he really believe he can change the game all by himself?”

The gazes were unwelcome. Lenok understood their feelings.

When a confrontation was set up between the nobles who had ruled the citadel and an outsider, it was obvious that he would not be well-received.

It was easy to be mistaken due to the unique scenery of this special district built within the giant city, but they were also members of the Eight Directions Citadel.

They were part of the Three Heads, who reigned in the shadows of Vulcan.

Thud!!

And Lenok had arrived in front of the clan that was part of the powerful force that made the Eight Directions Citadel into the Three Heads.

The noble’s territory, which occupied a secluded outer area even within the citadel where buildings were densely packed together.

A massive wooden palace, lacquered in dark brown, was visible beyond the gate with a crow painted on it.

The Three Shadows (三影) [a clan known for their military strength], a member of the Eight Clans and entrusted with the duty of guarding the outer regions of the citadel.

A great clan known as the shadow of the citadel, possessing a powerful military force that ranked within the top three among the Eight Clans.

Unlike the Eight Directions and the Five Rings, who were ostracized from the alliance due to their relatively weak power, the Three Shadows were the complete opposite.

The clan’s own military strength and position were so strong that even the One Circle and the Two Circles could not easily absorb the Three Shadows.

One of the three prominent clans that received special treatment among the Eight Clans.

The Three Shadows was one of the big shots located at the bottom of those three clans.

Lenok, standing in front of the path leading to the wooden palace, was lost in thought.

The wide gate, large enough for ten people to pass through at once, was firmly closed.

“…”

He had no intention of being polite.

The proposal Lenok had to make to the Three Shadows today was not the kind that could be made by bowing down.

However, he was hesitant to act as aggressively as he had with the Eight Directions.

Above all, Lenok had no intention of taking away the Three Shadows’ representative status.

But Lenok’s contemplation did not last long.

Boom!!

As if they had been waiting for Lenok, the magnificent gate swung open, and someone walked out from within.

“We have been waiting for you.”

An elderly man with graying hair. Dressed in formal attire, he bowed politely to Lenok.

“Are you Mr. Ban? The Clan Head has instructed me to bring you in without delay. Please, follow me.”

“…Did you know I was coming?”

“Well…”

The old man smiled enigmatically.

“I simply wanted to avoid the oldest gate in this citadel from being damaged.”

“…”

Given what he had done as soon as he became a representative, Lenok found it hard to retort.

“I will guide you.”

The old man turned his back, looking at Lenok’s face with composure.

The thick wooden doors opened, revealing a wide road leading to the palace.

Creak…!!

A wide road along the shadows cast by the massive wooden palace.

Along the wide path, over hundreds of warriors stood in formation with expressionless faces, clearing the way for Lenok.

Their aura proved that all of them were magic users and top-tier warriors.

Even for Lenok, it was rare to see such a large-scale superhuman force in person.

It far surpassed the power of the magic users he had felt from the execution squad of the cartel he had faced before.

The elite forces, who would normally be patrolling and guarding the outskirts of the citadel, were gathered here as if by appointment.

He guessed the reason, but he wasn’t particularly surprised.

From the moment the representatives of the three clans were gathered in one place, it was only natural for the Three Shadows to keep an eye on their movements.

Rather than focusing on their immediate duties, there was a reason to observe the situation in line with their movements.

For Lenok, it was actually a good thing.

If the Three Shadows were truly uninterested in the internal affairs of the citadel, they would not have treated Lenok this way.

Realizing that, he felt a sense of ease.

“…”

The soldiers’ brows twitched as they watched Lenok walk leisurely down the road.

The mage, who was not at all intimidated by the intense magic and aura emanating from both sides, seemed too relaxed to be faking it.

And as if to represent that atmosphere, an unusually sharp energy began to press down on Lenok from one side of the road.

Whoooom…!!

In front of the main gate leading into the palace.

A man with thick eyebrows, completely wrapped in a black robe, was glaring intensely at Lenok.

Even among the high-level warriors of the Three Shadows, his magic density was on a different level.

In terms of the sharpness of his aura alone, he was incomparable to anyone Lenok had met in the Eight Directions.

Even among the same Eight Clans, was there such a difference in power?

Considering the man’s attitude of calmly glaring at Lenok with his arms crossed, he was probably the commander of the warriors of this clan.

The old man, who had been walking calmly down the road, paused and turned his head towards the man.

“Hyun, is that any way to treat a guest who has come to visit the clan?”

“…”

“Withdraw your aura immediately.”

At the old man’s stern rebuke, the man called Hyun replied in a gloomy voice.

“To me, the very presence of that guest seems disrespectful to the Clan Head.”

“…What did you say?”

“Hasn’t the Clan Head already decided not to intervene in this Clan Head Selection Battle?”

Lenok shifted his gaze to the ground beneath Hyun’s feet.

Under Hyun’s crossed arms, the shadows were writhing as if boiling.

“Then, by the same token, there’s no reason to listen to an outsider’s words.”

As soon as Hyun said that and raised his hand, the shadows stretched out and clumped together, forming a sharp spear.

Holding the spear lightly and aiming it at Lenok’s neck, Hyun asked.

“If you understand, turn around and go back.”

“…”

“I don’t want you to meet with the Clan Head.”

Lenok stared silently at the shadow blade aimed at his throat, then turned his gaze away with an indifferent expression.

And as if he hadn’t seen the blade, he started walking as if nothing had happened.

At that unexpected action, the old man and Hyun frowned simultaneously.

Thud thud thud!!

The shadows writhing under Hyun’s feet slammed directly onto his instep.

“Ugh…!!”

Due to the unexpected pain, one of Hyun’s legs lost its strength, and the spear blade wavered.

Lenok walked past him without a care and said.

“It seems a bit burdensome for you to manipulate shadows.”

“You…!!”

“You look tired, wouldn’t it be better to go inside and rest?”

“…!!”

It was no coincidence that the word ‘shadow’ came out of Lenok’s mouth.

Hyun then realized that he had lost control of his shadows to the unfamiliar mage and gritted his teeth.

“…I will keep that in mind.”

But instead of pushing further, he quietly stepped back and cleared the way.

A warrior who uses shadow techniques. To be able to take away even a part of the shadows from him, how much magic manipulation ability would one need to possess?

He knew very well that causing more trouble here would truly be going against the will of the Three Shadows Clan Head.

“Haa… Hyun. I’ll talk to you again later.”

The old man sighed quietly and resumed walking.

Unlike the Eight Directions, who had greeted Lenok in the courtyard of their mansion, the old man guided Lenok deep inside the wooden palace.

“We have arrived. I will be…”

The old man said that and disappeared silently somewhere in the palace corridor.

Lenok looked at his retreating figure and turned his head.

The audience chamber, the heart of the palace.

On a comfortable chair made by carving out a living tree that had been painted black.

A middle-aged man with a strange mix of white and black hair was leaning back, waiting for Lenok.

Eyes that were so sharp they were almost fierce. A face that was arrogant to match.

But the density of magic emanating from his body was so intense that even Lenok could not ignore it.

The Clan Head of the Three Shadows, Oren.

A shadow mage who was considered a major force, comparable to the executives of the cartel, and a ‘Reached One’ [a mage who has completed their training] who had completed his hierarchy.

Among the citadel’s leaders who did not show themselves, he was relatively well-known to the outside world, and his skills were also famous.

Despite his inscrutable and stubborn nature, he had a fairly good reputation within the citadel for not abandoning his duties.

That was also the reason why they could not easily touch him, even though he was standing up against the alliance of the five clans.

Lenok and Oren’s gazes met at the same time.

Two superhumans who had reached the realm of the Saint were beginning to gauge each other’s level.

Could he win if they fought head-on?

‘It won’t be easy…’

Considering the precision of the magic flowing through his entire body, his flawless aura, and his sharp killing intent, the opponent must also be a warrior who had gone through countless battles.

And considering the level of the warriors he commanded, it was clear that he was not just training in shadow techniques, but was also a warrior of considerable skill himself.

A strongman at a level where Lenok would have to fight with all his power to even gauge his chances of victory.

He was comparable to Virgil, the leader of the cartel’s executives. There was nothing to criticize.

With a man like this guarding the center of the clan, it was no wonder that there was no particular unrest despite the chaotic situation within the citadel.

Conversely, it meant that if Lenok could gain the cooperation of the Three Shadows, he could easily take care of this matter.

Oren, who had been looking down at Lenok with his head tilted, opened his mouth.

“You’re an impudent one.”

“…”

“How dare you try to size me up?”

Oren, as if he had noticed what Lenok was thinking as he had been staring at him for so long, spat out sharp words.

But instead of answering those words, Lenok looked up at him with a faint smile.

“It’s a bit different from the treatment I received in the Eight Directions. I apologize for the rudeness.”

“…Hmph, you’re a cheeky young one.”

That was because a similar smile was forming on Oren’s lips as well.

“But I think I know why those fools so easily gave up their representative status. There’s no way those dull-witted fools could have recognized your power.”

“…”

“You’re called the ‘Unbreakable,’ right? I thought it was an unnecessarily grand title, but it seems that just because something looks good doesn’t mean it’s not substantial.”

Beyond simply assessing his skills as a Saint-level mage, Oren was looking further ahead.

That was probably the result of a sense that had been honed through experiencing the reality of slaughter and violence on the front lines.

The intuition of a warrior who trusted his own skills and judgment.

Without a single exception, such people would either be wary of Lenok or harbor goodwill towards him.

‘It would be troublesome if the other clan heads were like this as well.’

Even if the power of the lower clans was not particularly great, the One Circle and the Two Circles were considered to have power and influence comparable to the Three Shadows.

The clan heads of the two clans rarely appeared in public, making it difficult to judge their power and wisdom.

But if they had an aura comparable to Oren’s, there was a high possibility that the proxy war would not go as Lenok had planned.

While he was lost in thought, Oren spat out sharp words one after another.

“If you have something to say, spit it out quickly and leave. I allowed this meeting because I was appalled by what you’ve done so far, but if you don’t pique my interest, that’s where it ends.”

As he said that, Oren’s eyes were still looking down at Lenok with interest.

“I need to see for myself how much you know about this matter, and how much you want to know.”

He was an old man whose words and actions did not match at all.

Lenok chuckled and looked around, then said.

“Is that possible with so many ears listening?”

“That’s your ability, isn’t it?”

Oren replied leisurely.

“Let me tell you, I have nothing to lose in this matter. As long as the safety of the citadel is guaranteed, I don’t care who becomes the Clan Head.”

“That’s a lie.”

As soon as Oren finished speaking, Lenok replied sharply.

“…What?”

“You’re very interested in this matter.”

A crooked smile appeared on Lenok’s lips.

At that sharp retort, Oren paused, and some of the warriors lined up on both sides of the audience chamber drew their weapons as if they had been waiting for it.

“You…!!”

“How dare you say such a thing to the Clan Head!!”

“Outsider, refrain from being rude!”

The warriors of the Three Shadows exerted pressure from all sides with sharp auras, but Lenok continued to speak without paying any attention.

“You knew there was something suspicious about the Clan Head Selection Battle and were observing the situation, weren’t you?”

“…”

“Because you were aware that something existed behind the alliance of the five clans, you were not hastily taking sides, but rather buying time, weren’t you?”

“Nonsense…!!”

“What do you think of the traditions of the Eight Directions Citadel!!”

The enraged warriors raised their voices in unison, but with Oren raising his hand, all that noise disappeared as if it were a lie.

Whoom!!

A curtain of shadows drawn from the floor instantly covered the audience chamber, creating a soundless space.

“Keep talking. I’m curious to see how far your nonsense goes.”

He declared with a cold, calm gaze, but if he really thought it was nonsense, would he have gone so far as to cover the eyes and ears of those around him to let Lenok speak?

He seemed to have a rough idea of what kind of personality the Clan Head of the Three Shadows had.

Lenok smiled.

“Information about the ruins where time flows slowly. And I want the access to the vault that the Three Shadows possesses.”

“…What?”

“If you’re willing to give me that much as a down payment, I’ll find the guy behind the alliance. There’s only one thing you need to do.”

“…I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about.”

“The Five Rings, the Six Spirits, and the Eight Directions. Lead the other three clans and participate in the proxy war. You don’t even need to hand over your representative status.”

Suryeon and Chen, who were burdened by their responsibilities to their clans, were out of the question from the start. It was also not desirable for Lenok to be tied to the citadel.

The most suitable target with a valid reason and easy to pass on the responsibility.

Now that he had some idea of Oren’s personality, this was the best choice Lenok could make.

Crackle…!!

Thick currents of electricity constantly sparked between Lenok’s fingers as he stroked his wrist.

“Then I’ll make you the Clan Head myself.”