Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 436

District 21.

District 20 was one of the oldest districts in Balkan, and before the city expanded, it served as an outer district.

As the city expanded and various companies and people moved in, most of the districts were redeveloped, but some streets in District 21 remained undeveloped.

District 21 has been a bustling area for decades, with various facilities and historical sites, making it difficult to simply tear down and rebuild.

Therefore, within the megacity, District 21 was known for having outdated facilities compared to its proximity to the central district.

Creak…!!

The wooden plank I carelessly stepped on made a chilling sound and broke.

Damp smoke flowed out from between the pipes attached to the old brick building, spreading like smog.

The appearance of the old street was so dilapidated that it would not be out of place in a secluded alley of an outer district.

Only the blurry sight of the tall buildings surrounding District 21 made one realize that this place was close to the central district.

Lenok slowly strolled through District 21, looking around the streets, and then, after spotting a sign pointing to a church nearby, he headed that way.

A small church located in a secluded alleyway.

There were not many people passing by, and the area was filled with smoke rising from various places, the remains of collapsed buildings, and piles of rebar and concrete, emitting a foul odor.

Lenok stared at the church for a moment, then slowly opened the door.

Bang!!

“What is it?”

Just before he pulled the door open, the old church door swung open, and someone walked out.

A middle-aged man with dark skin. His face was stubbly, as if he hadn’t shaved in days, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

His body reeked of cigarette smoke.

“Damn, are there even people who come to pray at a church like this?”

“……”

“And walking around with a freakin’ mask on.”

The man, muttering in a voice hoarse as if drunk, shoved Lenok’s shoulder and left the church.

At first glance, his behavior was not unlike that of a drunken man.

However, Lenok’s eyes sharpened as he watched the man’s back.

After walking around District 21 a few times, Lenok had confirmed that other people did not find his mask strange.

It was clear that the man who recognized the mask so naturally was not an ordinary person.

A center of gravity that never wavered, even while staggering. A faint scent of blood hidden by the strong smell of alcohol, and a lot of molted fur on the inside of his coat.

Finally, the way he subtly adjusted his sleeve as if to hide his identity.

In an instant, he deduced the man’s level and origin through his appearance and gait.

‘A murderous aura and the smell of blood. A flow of mana and a strange odor. A demi-human [a being with both human and animal traits]. He came from outside the city.’

The fact that such a person was going in and out of a secluded church in District 21 was proof that Lenok had not come to the wrong place.

With that thought, Lenok reopened the door he had been holding and stepped inside the church.

Woo-o-o-o-ong…!!

The moment he stepped into the church, a majestic organ sound filled the air.

At the far end of the chapel, where no one else was present, was the back of someone focused on playing the organ.

Judging by the nun’s habit, she was probably the nun who managed this church.

Instead of speaking to her right away, Lenok quietly began to look around the chapel.

This was because the church itself was a rare religious facility in the megacity.

As the influence of the Guido Order grew stronger, the atmosphere in the city became more and more hostile to religion.

In the midst of this, the sight of a church still maintaining its existence was somewhat unfamiliar to Lenok.

‘Perhaps the fact that it is in the form of a church is also intentional…’

While Lenok was thinking about the relationship between religion, the demon realm, and the Guido Order, the nun finished playing the organ and turned around.

“A new believer has come.”

The nun, who had walked down gracefully, extended her right hand without hesitation.

“Welcome, believer. I am Hairea Odinsen.”

“…I’m not a believer, but it’s nice to meet you.”

Lenok shook her hand, then paused as he looked up at her face.

This was because, under Hairea’s short-cut hair, her eyes were covered by thick bandages.

“As you can see, I can’t see well, so I can’t see your face properly. Lately, I can’t hear well either, so I can’t hear your voice well.”

“No, the problem with your voice isn’t on my end.”

Lenok’s voice was also being distorted by the mask’s effect.

Hairea let out a sigh of relief.

“Is that so? That’s a relief. As a blind person, I rely more on my other senses, so it would be a disaster if I couldn’t hear.”

“You were just playing the organ, and now you’re worried that you might not be able to hear well?”

“I don’t listen to the pitch while playing the organ.”

Hairea replied with a smile.

“Because I am fully immersed in the process of playing hymns. How can any distractions interfere with the process of praising God?”

“……”

God. It had been a while since someone had spoken such words in front of Lenok.

Even though he knew it wasn’t the reason he had come, Lenok asked.

“Do you believe that God exists?”

“Is that something to say in a church?”

Hairea retorted with a slightly displeased expression.

Lenok also realized that his question was inappropriate and cleared his throat.

“No, I mean… I was wondering if you’ve ever imagined what God might look like.”

“……”

“The most powerful religious group on this continent doesn’t doubt the form and position of God at all. Rather, they even create specific forms and worship them.”

Apart from the fact that the Guido Order regarded the monsters of the outer sea as gods and worshipped them, it was undeniable that there were believers who received answers to their faith.

Lenok was curious about what this nun, who did not belong to the Order, thought about God.

If this person was truly a member of Pandemonium, it was because they viewed the world in a different way from others.

“It is because He has no form that we can revere Him.”

Hairea opened her mouth, looking at Lenok with interest.

“He can exist in the form of faith because He can provide answers to all who believe in and serve Him. If you can understand that, you too can receive grace and serve under our doctrine.”

An answer that was closer to the principle rather than revealing a firm belief or personality.

Hairea also did not seem to want to have a theological discussion, and naturally changed the subject.

“So, may I ask what brings you to this church? If it’s about the offering you paid, I must tell you that it has already returned to God’s side.”

“……”

Hairea was informing him that refunds were not possible before he even brought up the matter.

It was not difficult to understand what the purpose of most visitors to this church was.

It was absurd, but Lenok decided to test her lightly.

“Well. I’m not sure either. I was told that I would know if I came here.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have much of an idea with those words. All I do is sit here all day and play hymns…”

Hairea sighed with a troubled expression.

“It’s usually hard for me to know which believers have visited our church.”

“I see. When I first entered the church, a man was coming out. If you didn’t know him, I wonder if he might have stolen something.”

“What could be worth taking from this old church? Other than the organ I’m touching, there’s nothing of value, so it’s okay.”

“Is that so?”

Lenok adjusted his mask and slowly tilted his head.

“When I opened the door, I didn’t hear the organ playing.”

“……”

“You must have talked to that man, but you’re pretending not to know… Lying is not a virtue of a clergyman.”

Silence fell.

Hairea’s expression, as she looked up at Lenok with a smile, as if time had stopped.

Lenok looked down at her for a moment, then chuckled and took a step back.

“That’s enough. I came because of Pandemonium’s business.”

“Haaah…”

The moment she uttered that name, Hairea’s expression relaxed, and she let out a deep sigh.

She sat down on a wooden chair near the chapel, crossed her legs, leaned back, and muttered listlessly.

“I was worried that another annoying believer had come.”

“……”

“If you came through an introduction, could you please speak clearly? Don’t try to test me unnecessarily?”

“What makes you think I should trust you?”

Lenok chuckled and casually sat down on the table opposite her.

“Not many people know about the demon realm. I thought you would give me a hint first, but since you’re pretending to be a clergyman, I had to test your intentions.”

“I’m just arranging suitable ability users for the work I’ve been given.”

Hairea said in a sharp voice.

“I’m just delivering Pandemonium’s work, but I don’t have any special relationship with them in the first place…”

“That’s a lie.”

Lenok interrupted, reaching into his pocket to touch his cigarette.

Since he was wearing a mask, he couldn’t smoke. It seemed he would have to replace it with ampoules or potion-type medicines for the time being.

“There’s no way they would have given a hint to someone with such a weak connection. You must have a powerful special ability that allows communication across the continent, or you must be close enough to the leader to know him.”

“……”

“I was told that you had heard the story separately. When are you going to stop testing me unnecessarily?”

Lenok knew better than anyone how long it had taken Myung to persuade him, and how much he had thought before coming here.

That was why he couldn’t help but feel annoyed by the lukewarm attitude.

As Lenok expressed his discomfort, the air in the old church slowly began to tremble and vibrate.

Thump thump thump!!

Even though he had only raised a small amount of mana, the air around him vibrated as if it were being crushed by the projection of his will.

The moment Hairea, trembling at the unusual force, jumped up from her seat.

“That’s enough.”

A calm voice, completely different from before, leaked from Hairea’s lips.

“This child’s words are not lies. She just vaguely knows what position she’s in.”

“What?”

“So, would you please withdraw that energy? This child’s body is not very strong, so it’s hard for her to endure being exposed to such a dangerous mana for long.”

Only then did Lenok realize that the Hairea in front of him had completely changed into a different person, and he withdrew his mana.

In the air of the church, which had become quiet in an instant, she smiled contentedly.

“Perfect mana control. From emission to convergence, there’s nothing to criticize. Myung was right to praise you so much.”

“…A split personality? No. It’s a completely different person.”

Lenok, who had instantly grasped Hairea’s life response, narrowed his eyes behind his mask.

“It seems you’ve used your head to hide this place. Did you trick an innocent clergyman and use her as a shield?”

“I wish you wouldn’t be so cynical.”

Hairea slowly raised both hands and took off her bandages, opening her eyes at the same time.

Above her eyes, which only showed white, a blurry pupil appeared and clearly met Lenok’s gaze.

“We’re just filling each other’s needs. In that process, the risks are the same for me and this child.”

“……”

“I know you’re cautious, but I wish you wouldn’t think of us as heinous criminals. Well, if you hadn’t been, you wouldn’t have come to me now, would you?”

Hairea, who was leaning back in her chair and touching her eyes, smiled.

“It seems Myung, who has been traveling all over the continent, has finally found a new companion. Shall we talk about the reason you came?”

* * *

“…Aris, are you listening?”

At the quiet voice from above, she slightly raised her head.

Her tousled blonde hair spread over the book, reflecting the sunlight and shining.

Clarice scoffed at her, who casually got up and started fixing her hair.

“Seriously. You’ve only become more shameless since you went to Balkan. Are you even going to pretend you weren’t dozing off?”

“…Ahem.”

Aris, looking embarrassed, turned her gaze away.

“What is it, Master? I’m sorry, but if it’s about the academy, I’ve already had enough-”

“News from outside the tower. I asked you to tell me every quarter.”

Clarice said, placing the catalog she was holding on her desk.

Her study, piled high with all sorts of magic books, research papers, and ancient texts, was a place where one had to be careful about placing anything.

“The old folks want you to focus only on the tower’s work, but I don’t think that’s going to work.”

Clarice’s brow furrowed as she looked around Aris’s messy study.

“It’s good that you’re delving into curses and medical fields that you haven’t been interested in before, but isn’t it too dangerous to look into ancient primal magic and forbidden arts?”

“……”

“You’ve also completed your rank, so I’ve tried not to interfere as much as possible, but I think you need to clear your head for a while.”

“That’s…”

At Clarice’s stern words, Aris closed her mouth without being able to argue.

She had taken a sabbatical from her position as a tenured professor at Lavatenon University.

It had been quite some time since she had been focusing solely on research, except for the time she spent attending conferences representing the Magic Tower.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t made any progress in her research, but it was also true that she hadn’t achieved as much as she had hoped.

It wasn’t that Aris herself didn’t have much time, so it would be a lie to say that she wasn’t getting more impatient.

Her old friend and mentor had accurately seen through Aris’s heart.

Clarice nodded with satisfaction at Aris’s slightly sullen expression as she began to flip through the catalog.

“After you rest a bit, let’s go out together for the first time in a while. There’s a rumor that a lot of ice crystals have been released on the market these days, so I need to go check it out-”

Shwa-r-r-r-r-k!!

Before Clarice could finish her sentence, Aris stared intently at one page of the catalog and quickly began to flip through the pages.

After quickly scanning through the entire catalog, her gaze was fixed on a newspaper clipping that was scraped at the very front of the page.

Clarice shrugged after confirming the contents.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it? That Madrich Onion was defeated and killed by a magician named Kyunroe.”

“……”

“He was by far the most stubborn of the sorcerers I remember. Because of that, we also sent a letter to Kyunroe, but it seems he has no intention of getting involved with the Magic Tower. Rather, it seems that the Torben guys were thoroughly scolded and returned.”

“……”

“Oh, right. I’ve also enclosed the letter that Baila sent, so take a look at it later. It seems that the Guido Order is trying to do something with the thesis you wrote in your lab… Where are you going?”

“To the city.”

Aris, her face slightly pale, grabbed her coat and immediately began to pack her things.

It was a megacity where there was never a calm day, but it seemed that a lot had happened while she was away.

And that was at both of the workplaces of the magician she knew.

“I have something to check when I get back. I’ll be right back.”