Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 437

Hairea had Lenok sit on a chair near the chapel, then returned to the organ and began to play again.

“Just wait a moment. I haven’t been in this city long, so I need a little adjustment.”

It was a faint and quiet tone, completely different from the magnificent music her original personality had played.

Lenok listened to the music quietly, lost in thought.

‘It seems she hasn’t been in this city for long.’

Lenok, who had been operating in the shadows for quite some time, hadn’t received any information about her. It seemed that Hairea herself had not been in Balkan for very long.

‘Is the organ itself related to Hairea’s abilities? Or, considering she maintains two personalities, perhaps it’s something she needs for mental stability.’

Lenok knew that songs and music could be powerful catalysts and mediums for spells.

In the Hanghasa Labyrinth, Jintun had also used the Changyo Stone to create a song to hide his cradle.

Perhaps that’s why the Guido Order chants gospels to the gods so diligently…

“It’s done. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Thump!

Hairea, who had finished her short performance and stood up, walked down the chapel and asked.

“By the way, it’s been almost three months since I heard about you from Myung, and you’re only coming now. Are you from a place far from Balkan?”

“What?”

Lenok, caught off guard by her words, retorted before closing his mouth.

In that brief exchange, Lenok could grasp how much Hairea knew.

‘She doesn’t know who I am. Myung didn’t tell her about my identity.’

It was true that even though Myung had so desperately wanted Lenok to join Pandemonium and participate in their tasks, he hadn’t told anyone about his identity.

He hadn’t expected that even the Broker who arranged his entry into Pandemonium wouldn’t know his true identity.

Hairea, confirming Lenok’s reaction, subtly changed the subject.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to talk about it. All I have to do is check your capabilities and see if you have the will and ability to work with us.”

“Those eyes.”

Lenok asked.

“It’s similar to how your spider opened its eyes. Are you two acquainted?”

“What, you’ve already met Agnetta?”

Hairea laughed.

“Then it’ll be much easier. She’s the one who connected my mind to this child’s body.”

“……”

“And what I do, as someone who has benefited from that, isn’t much different from what she does. Finding tasks and jobs that Pandemonium needs all over the continent, and appropriately distributing them to those who come and go in this area… It’s also my job to filter out and identify those who are not qualified.”

“So, in other words… you’re acting as the branch manager of Pandemonium in this area.”

“I don’t know how much that means, but if you want to think of it that way.”

Hairea nodded readily and said,

“Regardless of maintaining a cell-like structure, the existence of middle managers is necessary. Of course, many people don’t know who they’re working with unless they come knowing from the start like you… But that’s not necessarily an important fact.”

“I see…”

Lenok was well aware that Pandemonium was turning the continent upside down to collect relics and technologies from the old world.

The organization freely unleashed transcendent monsters like Myung and Kraken, as well as powerhouses like the Doctor and Maiya.

He had thought that there was an unusual lack of control compared to their power, but it seemed they were filling the manpower shortage in this way.

He hadn’t expected that they would create their own recruitment routes in a way completely different from the underworld of the megacity.

“In that sense, I want to confirm your intentions one last time.”

Hairea asked, fiddling with the eye patch in her hand.

“If you’re willing to work with us, we’ll proceed according to the procedure. Even though you came with Myung’s recommendation, I have no choice but to follow the contract unless the leader gives permission.”

“Proof of qualification…”

Lenok could understand why Myung had recommended his entry in this way instead of revealing his identity.

At this point, the members of Pandemonium simply recognized Lenok as an unidentified magician wearing a mask.

It was as if he was being told that he could decide after seeing how Pandemonium operated with his own eyes, in a position unrelated to Kyunroe’s reputation or status.

He didn’t know if Myung understood Lenok’s tendencies and nature so well that he chose this method of invitation.

However, this situation, which he had unintentionally faced as his fourth identity, didn’t feel entirely bad.

Seeing the unvarnished side of Pandemonium with his own eyes was, in a way, what he had been hoping for.

Lenok adjusted his mask and nodded.

“Okay. Then shall we start with something light?”

Hairea’s eyes, which had been sitting askew, instantly turned white again.

Raising her hand, her finger pointed outside the church door.

“That man you ran into earlier. He’s a lackey of the Head military faction. Subdue him right now and bring him to me.”

* * *

“Damn it, damn it!!”

Thud!!

A grotesque figure with all four limbs bent in the opposite direction.

The man, who was twisting his body while constantly spewing curses, yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Do you bastards know who I am to do this to me!!”

He wasn’t properly tied up, but the man’s body, with all his limbs broken, couldn’t move properly from where he had fallen.

Hairea opened her mouth, with the man spitting and staggering around at her feet.

“You’re much faster than I thought?”

“He was loitering around the area where you exit the church.”

Lenok said, fiddling with the gap in his mask.

“He must have thought I was a related party and planned to interrogate me when I left the area.”

“I see… This child has been working hard to pretend not to know. If we want to make things easier in the future, we need to get rid of obstacles in advance.”

Hairea rubbed her eyes with a tired expression.

“I can’t stay out for long either.”

“You treacherous bastards… So you were all in cahoots while pretending not to know!!”

The man yelled so loudly that the church seemed to shake.

“The General is working hard in various ways to directly interact with you Pandemonium, yet you don’t even recognize his grace and dare to!!!”

“Sorry, but I don’t want to play soldier even on the central front.”

Crack!!

Hairea said, stepping on the back of the man’s neck and pressing down hard.

“You guys just want to return to Ars Nova and regain your former status anyway. You don’t care what other people think.”

“Damn it, what does that have to do with you!! If the goal is the same, the means are…!!”

“That General of yours, is he from a noble family in the central city?”

The man’s struggle stopped abruptly at Hairea’s laughing question.

She looked down at the man’s stiff face with a delighted expression and said,

“A military faction formed by the fallen nobles of Ars Nova… Yet they still don’t know what’s sleeping in this city. There’s no need to see more.”

“What, what are you talking about…”

“The Head military faction won’t be able to go any further.”

As Hairea’s words fell, Lenok raised his magic power.

Magic threads and shadows rose from under his feet, turning into sharp skewers, and she laughed.

“Well, your General won’t be able to know that anyway.”

“You son of a bitch!!!”

Thwack!!

Blood splattered on the old carpet of the church.

“For someone who claims to be a soldier, your language is quite rough.”

“Only some of the generals are from noble families in the central city, and the rest are just using soldiers as pawns.”

Hairea replied.

“In the central front, it’s more profitable to use and discard anyone who isn’t a skilled fighter like a consumable. In a way, they’ve cleverly used their heads.”

“I see…”

Lenok said that, but he was thinking about what Hairea had just said.

Her tone implied that a military faction formed by nobles from the central city not paying attention to this city was a disqualification.

Hairea seemed to have muttered it, thinking Lenok wouldn’t understand, but Lenok, who knew the truth of the project, could feel a sense of incongruity.

‘Pandemonium knows that the reason the central city was destroyed is in Balkan.’

And they knew that, yet they had no interest in the Black Consumer Project.

Was it because the answer the leader wanted wasn’t in the secrets of Balkan, or was it because they were hoping for a completely different answer?

To get a clear answer to all those questions, he had to keep an eye on where they were heading.

As Lenok was thinking that and quietly gathering his magic threads, Hairea glanced at it and asked.

“Manipulation type? So you’re a special type. There was a reason why Myung gave me a heads-up.”

“…I’m not a physical ability user. That’s for sure.”

How much of his original magic he would reveal could change depending on the situation.

There was no need to define his type here and leave an impression on Hairea.

Hairea looked at Lenok and smiled slightly.

“Okay. Your skills are solid, and you’re not soft, so I know that. There’s a job prepared for you.”

As Hairea said that, she waved her finger, and the body of the fallen man blurred and disappeared from the spot.

It was proof that she wasn’t just a facilitator, but also possessed her own power.

While Lenok was keeping that fact in mind, she said,

“Kaiush, a mid-sized city in the southwest. It’s like a small nation ruled and managed by superhumans. We’ve received information that a relic from the old world has been discovered there.”

“So, the first job is that, huh?”

It wasn’t strange, as he knew that the leader and even monsters like Kraken were involved in finding relics and technologies from the old world.

However, Hairea’s attitude of verifying his skills and getting straight to the point felt peculiar.

Hairea smiled and nodded.

“Kaiush is ruled by Yanicus Barbaria, an 8th-level extreme ability user. He was a great warrior called the ‘Iron Wall,’ but there are rumors that he is critically ill due to a long-term illness.”

“If he had reached the true extreme level, he wouldn’t be weakened by a simple illness.”

Lenok, who had just fought a one-on-one battle with a true extreme ability user, couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

However, Hairea denied Lenok’s words outright.

“Like all the 8th-level users who are still alive, he’s very old. There’s information that he became critically ill because he recklessly consumed elixirs without worrying about the side effects.”

“……”

“Kaiush is located near the Plateau of the Unseen, so many rare medicinal herbs grow there. They’ve amassed considerable wealth based on these resources and bought all sorts of precious elixirs.”

He could guess what she would say next without having to hear it.

“And among those collected elixirs, a relic from the old world has slipped in.”

“The Tears of the Archangel. It’s one of the most treasured relics of the 2nd world, treated as a national treasure.”

Hairea said, rubbing her eyes.

“Vision sharing, is that okay for a moment?”

“Go ahead.”

Whoosh!

He thought it might not work on Lenok, who was immune to target designation spells, but it seemed to be a method of simply overlaying the light reflected on the retina.

With those words, the image of a sapphire jewel shaped like a tear began to appear before Lenok’s eyes.

It was about the size of a handful that fit comfortably in the palm of his hand.

“It’s said to increase the speed of magic recovery just by possessing it and bestow divine energy. Originally, it should never have fallen into that old man’s hands at this time.”

Hairea said, turning the relic around in the air while showing its image.

“The goal of this mission is simple. To steal or destroy the Tears of the Archangel before Yanicus Barbaria realizes the existence of the elixir in his possession.”

“Steal or destroy…”

“Of course, a direct confrontation is absolutely forbidden. If you’re discovered, abandon the operation and focus on escaping. I don’t think you want to fight a powerful figure who rules a city, even if he’s lost his teeth, right?”

Hairea added again.

“The worst-case scenario is being discovered by the Iron Wall without even reaching the elixir. You must not reveal that Pandemonium is involved, or even that you’re after the elixir, understand?”

“Sorry, but if you’re going to steal something, you’d better find someone else.”

Lenok retorted in a nonchalant tone.

“I’ve done that kind of work a few times, but it was due to unavoidable circumstances, and I didn’t feel any aptitude for it. There’s a very high chance of failure.”

When was the last time he had tried to infiltrate somewhere and steal something?

He had raided the drug lord’s vault in the Philemon Autonomous Territory, but that was only possible because of the circumstances.

Lenok’s judgment and magical abilities weren’t useless for stealing, but it was natural that he had no knack for physically moving and stealing things.

Hairea answered Lenok’s response as if she had been waiting for it.

“You’re not alone. A team has already been formed to carry out the operation.”

“A team…”

“What you have to do in Kaiush is not to directly lead and execute the theft of the elixir, but to lend the necessary force or spells in the meantime.”

As Hairea said that, she took out a small piece of paper from her pocket.

She scribbled a few letters with a pen nearby and handed it to Lenok.

“It’s the name of the team leader and the location of the meeting point. When you arrive, you’ll hear about the situation.”

“…Four days from now. I’ll have to leave by tomorrow to make it on time.”

She smiled with her eyes covered by the eye patch, unable to see.

“Good luck.”

Her job was only to arrange the work and give a brief explanation.

The task of collecting relics from the old world was something to be judged and handled directly on the spot.

Although he had made contact with a member of Pandemonium, he had no intention of taking her words at face value.

If she had arranged this mission after hearing about Lenok’s existence from Myung, there must be some intention behind it.

After checking the situation on the ground, he could just get out if necessary.

Lenok was about to step out of the church when…

“I forgot to ask one thing.”

Hairea, who had been quietly watching his back, asked.

“What’s your name?”

“…Victor.”

Lenok, using the name he had used in the Grimmoire Gang race, asked in return.

“Come to think of it, I forgot to ask one thing too.”

“What is it?”

“The elixir called the Tears of the Archangel. What are its effects if you consume it directly?”

The Tears of the Archangel. If it seemed related to the relic staff Lenok possessed, the Compassion of the Archangel, was it just a coincidence?

Raul, the old black magician who had helped Lenok before, had mentioned relics that shared the name of the Archangel.

If the Archangel series, which he had known as relics of the Order, were actually being treated as relics of the 2nd world, which side truly possessed and obtained them?

Before Lenok could think about that, Hairea said,

“It’s nothing special. It’s a simple but very powerful effect. It’s like a ray of light for the old monsters who don’t have much time left.”

“A ray of light?”

“It greatly increases the body’s regenerative power, lowers the activation of metabolism in the body, and reverses the cell death stage. In short…”

Hairea smiled.

“It’s said to prolong life.”