Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 381

Lapis’s declaration was unconventional, yet no one seemed surprised. The other Watchers by her side appeared to have anticipated this day. “Are you sure about this?” Lenox asked. “The grudges and conflicts in the central front are said to be extraordinary. Once you step near that barrier, it might be difficult to escape.” Not all the continent’s most powerful figures were obsessed with the legacy of Ars Nova. There were quite a few who believed that the fame of the central city, which had fallen after seizing all the wealth and honor of the continent decades ago, was just an illusion. Even the Ascended Ones [beings who have transcended mortal limitations] had differing opinions on what meaning remained in the city’s depths, which no one had reached due to the complex web of front lines. It was uncertain whether it made sense to step into that place, where all sorts of powers and forces were so intertwined that they were practically fused together. Lapis couldn’t possibly be unaware of that. “I’ve gained conviction while watching the Infinite Labyrinth up close,” the girl said, smiling. “That Ascended Ones aren’t just transcendents who have gained qualifications, and that Pandemonium [a chaotic realm] also has its own reasons and meanings… If that’s the case, we can’t just sit idly by.” “…” “I’m not saying we’ll jump right into the heart of the central front. It will take some time to establish a bridgehead from the Eastern Continent to the front lines and to grasp the situation.” “I see.” “So, when that time comes…” Lapis paused for a moment, then slowly raised her head. Facing Lenox and Evelyn, who were silently looking down at her, the Beacon Keeper smiled and extended her hand. “Will you two join me on the path I’m taking?” The wind blew, burying everything that had happened in the Northern Continent and in that labyrinth beneath the piles of dirt. Lapis was saying that she would start a new path right here, that she wouldn’t look back. She didn’t hesitate, even knowing that from the moment she jumped into the war that shook the entire continent, even she might not be able to stop. Lapis was clearly aware that only those with such resolve could reach Ars Nova. Only then did Lenox, who realized that he had to bury everything that had happened with Jintun in his memories, raise his head. “…” Slowly, but not at all hesitantly, Lenox’s mouth opened. * * * Maiya, having escaped the snowy field, looked back at the collapsing labyrinth before turning her head. With one arm, she dragged the body of the fallen Jaun, and with the other, she rummaged through the snow. Having neatly retrieved the belongings she had buried in advance on the outskirts of the snowy field, she immediately took out her communicator. Beep!! “Doctor, can you hear me?” [……] “Doctor?” [……Don’t rush me. I’m listening.] A languid voice of a middle-aged man. Maiya frowned at the faint sense of incongruity in that voice. “What are you doing, sounding so creepy? I just got out of the labyrinth, so give me the coordinates. I’ll give you the report while we move.” [Wait… I’m also not quite grasping the situation right now.] Only then did she realize that the Doctor’s condition was strange, and she scoffed. “What are you talking about, having been observing the situation from outside the labyrinth?” [Hoo… The aftereffects of the forbidden art that reinterpreted human sacrifice are not to be taken lightly. If I hadn’t taken precautions, I might have died at the third gate.] Transmitting consciousness through Jintun’s ideological domain was itself an extremely dangerous forbidden art. Moreover, killing the medium that shared consciousness to send Maiya into the cradle was a very risky gamble. No matter how powerful and efficient the forbidden art of human sacrifice was, the side effects varied depending on who the target was. And the Doctor had sensed that he might die the moment he cast the forbidden art of positional transfer on Lenox. [That mage, Evan… His vessel itself is at an unbelievable level. From the moment I designated him as the target, I felt like my whole body was being eaten away.] “…” Maiya couldn’t deny those words and kept her mouth shut. At least, the figure of Lenox that she had faced with the Commander in the innermost part of the cradle was clearly more than enough to warrant such words. What kind of power would the mage, who had remained in Jintun’s cradle until the very end to reconfirm his achievement, bring next? It was clearly an ominous thought, but she forced herself to shake it off and stood up. “…Whatever. I’ll be moving west for now, so contact me when you come to your senses.” [Understood. Maiya, if you get in touch with the Commander, tell him too. I know the plan succeeded, but I can’t seem to reach him.] “Is it the first time the Commander has disappeared without a word?” If he had personally collected Jintun’s remains and disappeared, it wouldn’t be strange if he didn’t show his face for several months. Maiya and the Doctor were now used to the Commander’s behavior, which was strangely mysterious. “I’ve got clothes, food, and money… I guess I have no choice but to leave the rest behind.” She put on the thick fur coat she had prepared in advance and packed the simple food she would need while leaving the Northern Continent. She also had to take care of this suspicious gem sorcerer until she joined the coordinates designated by the Doctor. Maiya, who had lived as an Executor for a long time, quickly sorted out what she needed and what to discard, and prepared to leave the snowy field. At the last moment, as she checked Jaun’s condition to see if he was still alive. “Damn it…” She frowned silently as she opened his chest. “Do I have to contact the Doctor again?” Near Jaun’s heart, where Maiya’s gaze reached, the large gem that had been replacing his heart was nowhere to be seen, and only his empty chest was exposed. * * * Lenox and Evelyn, having said goodbye to the Watchers, were soon able to leave the forest. There were forced rest periods in between due to Lenox’s physical condition, but Evelyn seemed to enjoy picking out edible weeds from the local ecosystem. “Look, it tastes pretty good. It seems like an edible weed if you can tolerate a little stomachache.” “A weed that causes stomachaches to a superhuman like you… I’d rather just take your word for it.” “Hehe.” Evelyn, who had casually put the weed in her mouth, adjusted the backpack on her back and said, “She’s a good person, isn’t she?” Lenox also immediately realized who she was talking about and smiled. “She’s a good leader. I know that too.” Lapis was basically not suited to be an ideal leader, hidden behind the fame of being a descendant of the Sky-Gazer. She had a soft and uncalculating personality, which was not suitable for the role of a leader of a military group. However, despite that, Lapis had succeeded in growing the Azure Eye organization in a short period of time and building power based on the solid support of the Watchers. It was because she had the will and reason to embrace talented people with diverse personalities while not losing her center in the process. “She has a great eye for people. She probably accepted you as a Watcher right away because she has that kind of eye.” “…Is that so?” Evelyn scratched her cheek, smiling awkwardly. But Lenox wasn’t just saying it as a compliment. Even if Lapis herself couldn’t become a rational leader, she could just bring in talented people who could make her such a person. In that sense, Lapis’s eye for people was truly outstanding. A descendant of the Sky-Gazer. A Beacon Keeper with an eye that sees further than anyone else. That insight was not only about the future, but also about seeing people who were far superior and more talented than her. “I don’t know how much of the Sky-Gazer’s talent she inherited, but if she keeps going like this, a force that will be among the top in the Eastern Continent will be born soon. By then, even Balkan might not be able to ignore Lapis…” “Ugh, if the city council gets involved with the autonomous territory issue, I’ll have a headache too.” Evelyn frowned slightly and sighed with a resigned expression. “It can’t be helped. I was prepared for this from the moment I took leave…” “It might not be as big of a problem as you think. Considering that the Prohibition Edict was lifted just before I left the city, Balkan won’t be quiet.” Lenox chuckled and muttered. “They might not have the time to worry about diplomacy with the autonomous territories.” “…I’ll think about it when I get back to the city.” The two soon arrived at a nearby small city and immediately bought train tickets to Balkan. Since agents played such a large role externally in the megacity, it seemed that there were small agent branches in other cities as well. If they changed their faces with disguise magic and hid their magic power, there was no way to recognize them. Lenox sat in the crowded terminal with a rather relieved feeling. Evelyn had gone to the agent branch to find out about the situation in Balkan, so he was killing time in the meantime. Lenox’s eyes, which were idly flipping through a free newspaper that was lying nearby, sank deeply as he saw the large article on the front page. [Ascended One Jaigis Ethernore Passes Away. Collapse of the Infinite Labyrinth Confirmed.] [Second Death of an Ascended One in the Last 5 Years. Where is the Continent’s Situation Heading?] ‘So the news has already started to spread.’ It was not surprising. Apart from Jintun’s unique reclusive nature, there was no one who didn’t know about the existence of the Infinite Labyrinth. If such a labyrinth had collapsed, and if the survivors who had returned from the labyrinth had spoken, the information would spread in an instant. An Ascended One of level 9, who had transcended the mortal realm. There were not many ways to hide the death of such a transcendent. However, it was surprising that the news had spread to such a small city in less than three days since the labyrinth had collapsed. Lenox flipped through the newspaper a little more to find out how far the information about this matter had spread. [This is the first time the death of an Ascended One, whose life or death was uncertain, has been officially confirmed.] [Who was the last person to meet Jintun?] [All those who returned alive from the labyrinth are keeping silent about this. Do greedy grave robbers have no conscience?] “…” Lenox frowned silently at the strangely cheap-sounding headlines as he went further back. It seemed that most of the survivors of the labyrinth didn’t even know who the last people to pass through the gate were. [Strong suspicions that the Beacon Keeper is involved in this matter, according to the testimony of multiple witnesses…] [The Philemon Autonomous Territory denies any knowledge of this matter.] [Experts say that the floating island cluster is likely to be swept up in political strife once again…] “It’s incredibly complicated…” It was natural that the balance of power in the Northern Continent would be greatly disrupted by the absence of an Ascended One. Lenox could see beyond the newspaper articles that movements were naturally arising to rebalance that equilibrium. The snowy fields of the Northern Continent and the ruins of the Infinite Labyrinth, which had been untouched due to Jintun’s presence. The disputes that would arise over the ruins of the Ascended One would be on a much larger scale and more desperate than what had happened inside the labyrinth. However, even while guessing that fact, Lenox knew that there was nothing more for him to do here. Too much time had passed since he had left the megacity, and he still didn’t know what Balkan would look like with the Prohibition Edict lifted. If he had succeeded in giving direction and meaning to his long-standing questions through his meeting with Jintun, then there was nothing more for Lenox to do here. “I’m back.” Evelyn, who had slumped down next to the chair where Lenox was sitting, sighed softly. “Hoo…” “Is the situation that bad?” “No, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything major going on inside the agent…” “Doesn’t seem like?” “It seems like the situation in the city is exactly as you thought it would be.” “…” It wasn’t difficult to understand what Evelyn’s wry smile meant. She was indirectly saying that Balkan was in chaos due to the clash of power between the light and the shadow after the Prohibition Edict was lifted. “I might have to return to duty as soon as I get back.” “Is the situation that bad?” “It seems like the situation varies greatly from district to district. Some places have ended with simple standoffs, but it seems like there are places where actual wars are taking place…” Evelyn glanced at her watch and immediately got up from her seat, grabbing her coat. “It’s time. Let’s move. Should we buy something like a lunch box before that?” The two bought two boxed lunches from a store near the terminal and boarded the train. Evelyn unfolded the lunch box after boarding the reserved seats where they could sit facing each other. Lenox chuckled as he saw the lunch box filled with all sorts of vegetables and roots. “You’re still the same. Will that kind of diet be enough to replenish your calories?” “Aren’t you eating too little?” Evelyn pointed at Lenox’s lunch box with a fork holding a celery stick and scoffed. Lenox had chosen a type of porridge that was easy to digest. Lenox, who had been eating only preserved food packaged with spells in the labyrinth, had chosen food that would not burden his stomach as much as possible. The two, who had lightly criticized each other’s eating habits, finished their meal quite quickly and took a rest. It was their first meal since parting with Lapis. They had chosen the fastest train possible to return to Balkan as soon as possible. Evelyn seemed to be slightly dissatisfied with Lenox’s decision, even though she knew that fact, but it couldn’t be helped. Lenox, who was leaning his chin on the chair and looking out the window, began to sway slightly. The fatigue accumulated in the labyrinth, and the fact that he had not yet fully recovered from its aftereffects, made him feel drowsy as soon as he boarded the train. Evelyn looked at Lenox with a slightly pitiful look, then looked at her watch and said, “I’ll go talk to the conductor and ask what time the sleeper cars are available.” “…It’s okay. I just want to think for a bit.” “You know that’s not a convincing thing to say, right?” Evelyn scoffed at Lenox’s slightly delayed answer. Lenox, who was watching Evelyn’s back as she tapped his shoulder lightly and disappeared beyond the train car, slowly closed his eyes. The physical fatigue caused by the much longer schedule than expected was considerable, but the overload of knowledge accumulated in his head from his conversation with Jintun was constantly making Lenox’s head tired. No matter how outstanding Lenox’s perception was and how excellent his understanding was, it was impossible to digest the knowledge of barrier magic that Jintun had accumulated over hundreds of years in a single day. Just classifying and organizing the series of knowledge that had been hammered into his head into what was understandable and what was impossible was enough to consume all the mental energy Lenox needed for the whole day. How much time had passed like that? Lenox, who had been lost in thought with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes. In the middle of the unusually quiet train car, someone was sitting across from Lenox. A black-haired man with his face slightly covered by a newspaper. Lenox called out his name with a slightly sleepy expression. “Evelyn…?” “It’ll be a little late. I’ve twisted the way back a bit.” “…!!!” Lenox’s expression froze at the sharp, masculine voice that was completely different from Evelyn’s. It wasn’t just because it was someone who wasn’t his companion. It was because he still vividly remembered that unique tone, which was low but somehow seemed to be boiling. What could be seen beyond the slightly lowered newspaper was a complexion that was impossible to guess the age of, yet was completely ordinary. Only the eerie magic power that seemed to rise from the end of the abyss made one guess that the man was an inhuman being. “It’s been a while.” The man, Myung, smiled at Lenox. “It’s the first time since the Cartel, right?”