Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 483

“Evan Martinez…!!”Zaif staggered back, his face etched with shock.However, his reaction wasn’t one of surprise at something unexpected. It was the unease that comes from confirming something you had vaguely suspected but desperately hoped wasn’t true.Seeing Zaif’s face, Lenok was certain he had hit the mark.’Could it be… that there really was someone who became an Apostle without the Selection Ritual…’With trembling hands, he touched the carapace shield Lenok had summoned several times.Each touch only confirmed that it was indeed a substance taken from an Apostle’s body.The body of an Apostle, which becomes a manifestation of the end, something that is not of this world.He knew what it meant to be able to take out a fragment of it and show it to Zaif.’Is it even possible to partially manifest the True Body…? You are practically a complete Apostle already.’After examining the carapace fragment for a while, Zaif turned to Lenok with a more cautious gaze.As if he was already half-certain of Lenok’s identity, even the way he addressed him had become more serious.“Apostle Evan, what is it that you wish to tell me, avoiding Archbishop Naidri’s eyes?”“You probably already have an idea.”Lenok crossed his arms, his eyes cold as he observed Zaif’s reaction. From here on, he had to choose his words carefully.He had succeeded in planting the suspicion in Zaif’s mind that Lenok might be a fellow Apostle through the Pentarect [a hypothetical network or system], and turning that suspicion into certainty.However, he still hadn’t explained why Lenok had given a signal only to Zaif.Of course, he didn’t know anything about the Apostle Zaif, but he could guess some things from his current reaction.However, the key was to subtly mix truth and lies to guide Zaif’s actions as Lenok wanted.He couldn’t decide the exact ratio before talking to him.He had no choice but to carefully observe Zaif’s reaction, who was wavering before him, and improvise.The initiative in this conversation was his. Lenok reminded himself of that as he opened his mouth to speak to Zaif.“Becoming an Apostle without the Selection Ritual, with the help of the Maiden. Do you know what that means?”His words were nothing but vague and ambiguous. Depending on the situation, the choice of words could be interpreted in many different ways.But it seemed to be enough for Zaif.The Apostle Zaif, with a shocked face, latched onto Lenok’s words as if he had been waiting for them.“Are you saying that Archbishop Naidri is hiding that fact from the Delegates…!!”“…That’s right.”It was as if he hadn’t deduced the fact, but rather had been waiting for those words to come out of Lenok’s mouth.With a stiff face, Zaif rested his chin on his hand, and his inner thoughts poured out, following Lenok’s words.“Indeed… I did have doubts about Archbishop Naidri leading this ritual instead of the current Maiden.”“I see.”“But I thought that since the Archbishop had presided over the ritual of the Essence as the previous Maiden, this matter was also approved by her.”Lenok’s mind raced.He could gather two facts from Zaif’s words.The one who presides over the Apostle Selection Ritual is not the Order’s Maiden, but Archbishop Naidri.The Archbishop was a Maiden in the past, but for some reason, she left the Essence and settled in the Far East Branch.While Lenok was organizing his thoughts, Zaif also began to mutter with a serious expression.“Is there something that the Archbishop desires, separate from the Selection Ritual? I did think it was strange to conduct the ritual in the Sea of Understanding, but…”“The important thing is that the Archbishop deliberately hid the information.”Before Zaif’s thoughts strayed in a strange direction, Lenok sharply brought the topic back.“There’s no way she would hide the fact that one can become an Apostle without going through the Selection Ritual unless she wanted something else. Right?”“…I can’t deny that.”With a pained expression, but as if he had been waiting for those words, Zaif nodded heavily.Lenok also spoke a blatant lie with a serious expression.“I realized this fact right after arriving on the island, and I was looking for an ally after realizing that I couldn’t trust the Archbishop.”“So, that was me. Then the strange sense of déjà vu I felt in the plaza was also…”Zaif nodded, his face showing a sense of relief as if all his questions had been answered.Perhaps the reality was quite different, but Lenok realized that it wasn’t important right now.Even if they were called the manifestations of the end, Apostles were no different from exceptional superhumans in terms of their way of thinking and intellect.Instead of resolving all the doubts in his mind, it was enough to provide a somewhat plausible answer.The more he thought that all the circumstances fit perfectly, the more Zaif would trust Lenok’s words.And Lenok’s thoughts were correct.“What can I do to help?”The words flowed out of Zaif’s mouth on their own.It was practically a statement that went beyond agreeing with Lenok’s words, and that he would actively cooperate in the current situation.Lenok answered immediately.“We need to investigate the inside of the temple. If the Archbishop has hidden something, it must be there on this island.”In fact, Lenok didn’t know if that was true, but who cared?Once they got inside the temple, there would be plenty of excuses to make.The important thing was whether Zaif was taking this situation seriously enough to let Lenok into the temple.“Inside the temple… I guess that’s right.”Zaif also nodded with a more cautious expression.“But with the Selection Ritual preparations complete, when the ritual starts is up to the Archbishop. Entering the temple now would be risky in many ways.”So, the preparations for the ritual were complete, and the Archbishop was only gauging the timing.It was unexpected information, but Lenok didn’t show it at all and instead smiled.“Right, she didn’t even tell you when the ritual would start?”“……”Was it that mocking remark that drove a wedge into Zaif’s suspicion?After a long silence, Zaif turned his back abruptly.“…Follow me. I’ll guide you inside the temple.”* * *The Earth running on the sea, a giant crystal palace built in the middle of the Order’s Far East Branch island.A beautiful palace made of intricately carved colorful bedrock and marble, guarded by well over a hundred Order soldiers.Normally, he would have had to struggle more to break through their strict security and the palace’s internal defenses.But Lenok was now walking into the temple with ease, simply following behind Zaif.The moment they saw Zaif’s face, most of the Order soldiers didn’t even think of greeting him.They were stiff with tension, hoping that the Apostle would quickly pass by without even glancing at them.Zaif, as if that attitude was natural, didn’t even pay attention and passed through the huge arched gate.The moment Lenok tried to follow Zaif through the gate.Fizz!A light spark occurred, and the barrier inside the gate pushed Lenok back.“Hmm?”Zaif and the other Order soldiers turned to look at Lenok at the anomaly.“What’s going on?”“It seems the temple’s Great Barrier has activated. This shouldn’t happen unless an outsider is trying to enter…”The Order soldier looked at Lenok with a slightly sharp gaze.“May I ask for your identification?”“…He is my guest. What is the meaning of this?”Zaif frowned slightly, expressing his displeasure, and the Order soldiers retreated as if they had been crushed in an instant.There were not many believers within the Order who could easily defy the Apostles, who held a special status.“I-I apologize. But at this rate, it will be difficult to even find out the cause of the Great Barrier’s blockage…”“This is absurd. He is not an outsider. How do you manage the Great Barrier that you can’t recognize a member of the same Order?”“Huh? We’ve never had a fellow believer be rejected by the barrier before.”“…What?”“That’s enough.”Seeing Zaif speechless, Lenok stepped forward.If he just stood still, he would only arouse Zaif’s suspicion again.It was better for Lenok to step in and dispel the suspicion himself.Fortunately, Lenok had a way to break through the barrier.With a sharp voice that could be perceived as somewhat sensitive, he instead blamed the Order soldiers for not letting him in.“I’ve heard that the Far East Branch lacks flexibility, but I didn’t know it was this bad.”He took out a piece of paper with a control code written on it from his pocket, and naturally brought it to the barrier through his sleeve and rubbed it.At the same time, the barrier that had been blocking Lenok melted away as if it were a lie, and began to open the way.Perhaps it was a rare sight for the Order soldiers guarding the gate, the eyes of the other priests who had been watching with tension widened.“To manipulate the temple’s Great Barrier with just a gesture…”“Is he a noble from the Essence?”“If Apostle Zaif is personally guiding him, he must be.”He not only allowed Lenok to pass through, but also completely stopped the function of the barrier while maintaining its appearance.This would make it much easier for Laperd and Pio, or the armored ship, to enter the temple later.“I’ve adjusted the barrier’s performance, so make sure you don’t touch it until I speak to the Archbishop myself.”It was as if he had virtually stopped the Great Barrier, but he put on a straight face and raised his voice as if he had accomplished something great.But the sight of him casually manipulating the Great Barrier in front of them, combined with his attitude, made all the Order soldiers bow their heads.“We apologize for not recognizing the noble guest from the Essence.”“We will do as you say, priest.”Lenok casually passed through the gate and stood next to Zaif.Zaif nodded with a solemn expression.“It was the Archbishop’s trick after all. I knew it.”“…What?”“Wasn’t it to prevent you, an Apostle who didn’t pass the Selection Ritual, from entering the temple?”“……”The Apostle Zaif was spouting nonsense as if he could now see through everything.His expression no longer showed even a hint of suspicion towards Lenok.“You must have foreseen this situation and made the necessary preparations. I have more faith in you now.”“I… suppose so.”“Archbishop Naidri…”Zaif was now burning with hostility towards the Archbishop, who was probably still focused on the worship in the plaza.How could he tell him that all the words he had said so far were just excuses to infiltrate the temple?However, apart from that, it seemed necessary to remember that the temple’s Great Barrier was being replaced with the power of the Dullness [a concept or force].The fact that the believers of the Far East Branch were not properly aware of that fact was also not a simple problem.Before Lenok could organize his thoughts, Zaif strode forward and immediately guided Lenok into the temple.Whoosh!The candles on the walls lit up as the two walked, illuminating the corridor.“After the worship ends, the Archbishop and the Delegates will also return to the temple. We should hurry before that.”Zaif said, sending a look of trust.“If you could see through the Great Barrier’s trick, you must have a place in mind, right?”“……”“I understand that the Archbishop is hiding something from us. Show me what it is.”Of course, Lenok knew nothing about the structure of this temple or the secret that the Archbishop was hiding.Rather, he was in a position where he had to search the temple with Zaif to find the secret.But instead of panicking, Lenok raised his finger with a confident expression.He knew that instead of being intimidated in a place like this, he had to actively pretend to know and deceive Zaif.“There are about three places that come to mind right away… the Archbishop’s office, the spire at the top of the temple, and the temple’s internal security vault.”All of them were places within the temple that were not easily accessible to outsiders, and suitable places to hide something.Even for Lenok, who had never set foot in this temple, they were spaces that he could naturally assume would exist.If he mentioned them this specifically, he wouldn’t arouse suspicion.But as soon as he heard the words, Zaif tilted his head with a puzzled expression.“Hmm…?”“What’s wrong?”“No, it’s just that the answer was too obvious for what I was expecting.”“……”“For such a grand answer, it doesn’t really impress me…”He had a surprisingly high standard.“The Archbishop’s office is obvious, but difficult to enter. The spire is closed unless there is a special reason. The vault requires a logbook, so there will be a record.”“I see.”“I’ve thought about those places since I knew we had to enter the temple. Do you have any other candidates?”Zaif narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Lenok.In that short time, he must have thought that Lenok’s words were not trustworthy, and was trying to test him.As soon as Lenok saw Zaif’s face, he decided how to deal with it.He didn’t need to come up with another innovative idea to dispel Zaif’s suspicion.He had to firmly establish his authority so that this sharp-witted Apostle wouldn’t dare to make a peep.“Apostle Zaif.”“Yes.”“What should I say about your complacency?”“…What?”At Zaif’s bewildered reply, Lenok quietly placed his hand on his shoulder with a blank face.“Did you think we could secure the Archbishop’s secret without taking any risks?”“……”“If you thought that, then I misjudged you.”Lenok stopped listening to Zaif and turned away.Lenok, who had placed his hand on the nearby corridor wall, unhesitatingly opened a shelf that protruded from one corner of the wall.“It seems that our plan, which has already become complacent, needs a wake-up call.”“What, what are you trying to do? Could it be…?”Zaif, realizing that what Lenok had touched was one of the power distribution boxes that distributed the temple’s internal facility power, stepped back slightly.Lenok, without hesitation, brought his hand to the wires and tore them all off the wall.Crack!!He inserted magic power into the end of the distribution box and reversed the flow to the power generation facility connected to the other side, overloading the facility itself.At that moment, the inside of the temple, which was nearing evening, was completely plunged into a power outage.Fizz…!!In an instant, pale sparks began to fly everywhere in the dark corridor.“W-What is it!!”“The facility is out of power…!!”“It’s over, nothing is working!!”Lenok smiled as he watched the priests running around in a panic.“Let’s start with a fireworks show.”