Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 598

Following the terrorist attack on Lavatenon Magic University by the Gyeshingung sorcerers, the media was saturated with reports about the incident’s progress and aftermath for days.

[It has been three days since the official conclusion of the terrorist attack targeting students at Lavatenon Magic University.]

[The fact that a terrorist attack occurred against a municipal educational institution has drawn criticism from all sectors…]

[A significant number of public officials are directly or indirectly involved in this situation, and a storm is expected in the Central Council.]

[It is presumed that some of the senators who orchestrated the events will not be able to avoid responsibility…]

Renok watched the news anchors relentlessly reporting related news, then subtly turned his gaze aside.

“Come to think of it, the last time we met, it seems like these kinds of news were pouring out then too.”

“……”

“When the isolation measures in the closed area were lifted and related news was released to the public. The Dean gave me a warning.”

The university hospital ward, where sunlight streamed in. Specifically, the top-tier private room reserved for VIPs.

The Dean, wrapped in bandages all over his body, lying under a pure white blanket, slowly opened his eyes at Renok’s words.

He smiled bitterly, unable to even lift his head to properly look at Renok.

“Perhaps I was already anticipating a catastrophe from that time…”

“……”

“As a result, with things turning out this way, the city councilors involved cannot avoid responsibility either. From the beginning, it was a plan that was destined to fail.”

The Dean’s voice was deeply sunken.

Just as Renok was about to respond to the Dean’s words, the screen on the hospital room wall spewed out other news.

[The debate over the responsibility of Lavatenon’s Dean, Saiolus Garteanon, is also active.]

[Although he is currently in critical condition, it is speculated that he will not be able to avoid responsibility for endangering the students…]

[The academic community has cautiously expressed the opinion that he may be forced to resign from his position as Dean due to this incident.]

Renok, who had been listening to the news with his back turned, nodded his head.

“Is that true?”

“Even if it’s not my intention, it will probably turn out that way.”

The Dean nodded.

“The incident has become too big to be resolved by just one or two people stepping down.”

“……”

Regardless of whether the Dean himself cooperated with the Gyeshingung sorcerers, the fact that the university’s defenses and security were breached is critical.

Even if he avoids punishment because there is evidence that he was injured fighting against the sorcerers, it would be impossible for him to maintain his position as Dean.

“Don’t worry about the Technical Advisory Committee. Even without me, your achievements alone have already secured your membership.”

The Dean spoke first, as if he knew all of Renok’s thoughts.

“Rather, the problem is your integrated master’s and doctoral thesis and your appointment as a professor. The successor who takes over after me will have to look out for your interests…”

“You don’t have to worry about that issue.”

Bang!!

At the same time as those words, an old man with white hair walked into the hospital room, opening the door.

A sharp and sensitive impression. An elderly man who looked quite old at first glance.

However, the old man’s eyes, holding a cane and wearing a coat, were sharp, not befitting his age.

The Dean, recognizing the old man’s face, muttered with a slightly surprised look.

“Councilor Meyer…”

John Meyer, the oldest member of the Central Council’s Lower House and a member of the Board of Audit.

This ambitious man, who had built a relationship with Renok under various identities, had suddenly appeared in the university hospital room where the Dean was staying.

“The Central Council’s Board of Audit has taken charge of handling this situation.”

Meyer stood next to Renok, not sitting down, and quietly said, looking down at the Dean’s face.

“Given that more than five councilors from both the Upper and Lower Houses are suspected to be involved in this incident, this councilor will thoroughly review and judge the responsibility for this situation and report it to the higher-ups.”

He looked at Renok and the Dean alternately with a stern gaze and nodded.

“As you predicted, it will be difficult for the Dean, who has a connection with Hyman Kilberg, to avoid responsibility in this matter.”

“……”

Looking at the silent Dean, Meyer spoke again.

“But conversely, it means that our Board of Audit can have some influence in determining your successor.”

“That’s… !”

“I deeply sympathize with the achievements and talent of Assistant Professor Evan Bailon.”

Meyer said, sending a gaze to Renok that was completely different from the stern gaze he had given the Dean.

A greedy gaze that went beyond being friendly to talented individuals, wanting to be on the same boat.

“I will try my best to recommend a candidate who shares my views as much as possible to succeed you as Dean.”

“…Thank you.”

Renok bowed his head as a formality while saying that, but he wasn’t actually that surprised.

He was sure that Meyer wouldn’t come with a proposal that would be detrimental to Renok, given that Meyer had appeared in person.

If the situation had turned out badly for Evan, Meyer wouldn’t have bothered to show up in person.

He had come to deliver the message himself because he had a compromise that would actually help Renok, and he was in a position to show off about it.

“Oh, and it has been decided after discussion that Garteanon’s position on the Technical Advisory Committee will be maintained, so please keep that in mind.”

Meyer said, as if he had remembered something belatedly, as he turned to leave.

“Originally, the position should have been revoked at the same time as stepping down from the Dean’s position, but the other members of the committee strongly opposed your dismissal.”

“The other members…?”

The Dean muttered quietly, as if slightly surprised.

“That’s unexpected. They’re not the type to be so considerate…”

“Isn’t it because they value your collaborative relationship with Evan Bailon that much?”

Meyer retorted with a sullen expression, tapping his cane.

“It seems like a signal that they don’t want to ruin their relationship with you, even though Professor Bailon hasn’t joined the advisory committee yet. To me, anyway.”

“……”

Looking at the Dean, who was lost in thought, Meyer didn’t say anything more and turned away without delay.

Renok naturally followed him out of the hospital room and briefly greeted Meyer, who had come out into the hallway.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“There won’t be any fallout for you, so don’t worry.”

Meyer gave a kind smile and naturally patted Renok’s shoulder.

Meyer’s gaze, as if looking at a treasure trove, was quite blatant, but that was why it was more trustworthy.

“Moreover, you evacuated the students first and tried to resolve the situation until the end, right? That’s enough. The media won’t touch you either.”

Meyer, who had received Renok’s greeting and was about to leave the university hospital ward with his bodyguards, stopped as if he had remembered something.

“Ah, come to think of it, there was one thing I wanted to tell you in advance.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Several members of the Central Council will be stepping down due to this incident. Among them are two or three senators who have been in office for a long time. It means that there will be vacancies in the Senate for the first time in a while.”

“……”

“Do you understand what this means?”

Only then did Renok, realizing the meaning of Meyer’s words, look at him with a slightly surprised expression.

What Meyer was telling Renok was not simply conveying the fact that there were vacancies in the Senate.

Renok could easily guess what it meant that Meyer, who was staying in the Lower House, knew about those vacancies.

“I hope to see you again in a better position next time.”

Renok added, bowing his head slightly.

“Senator Meyer.”

“As expected, all the smart wizards are quick-witted and intelligent.”

Meyer nodded and smiled with satisfaction.

“Among the very skilled wizards I know, there is one man who is similar to you in terms of talent.”

“……”

“I would be happy if I could introduce that friend to you next time.”

Even without hearing the end of those words, Renok had a feeling he knew who that wizard was, and he smiled wryly.

* * *

Renok’s underground laboratory in his mansion.

One side of the laboratory, which was usually filled with all sorts of artifacts, papers, and books, had been completely cleared, and an unknown magic circle was drawn on the floor.

Davi was crouching in the middle of the magic circle, which emitted a bright blue light, occasionally tilting his head.

Each time his five bushy tails swayed, the magical glow shone brightly through his pure white fur.

Whoosh!!

[Ummm…]

“Is this not enough?”

[I don’t feel much of anything…]

“I see.”

Renok nodded and withdrew the magic power he had laid down in advance with a single gesture.

Whoosh!!

Davi, who had walked out of the magic circle that had lost its light and faded, quickly climbed onto Renok’s shoulder.

Renok stared at the shape of the magic circle under his feet and tilted his head slightly.

“Well, I didn’t expect it to go as smoothly as I hoped… It’s not going to work with ordinary artifacts as materials.”

The spirit growth acceleration ritual that the Gyeshingung sorcerers used to grow their spirits.

Davi, who had devoured the arrangements that Hyman Kilberg had prepared for the creation spirit, had succeeded in awakening his fifth tail.

However, he was not seeing much effect from the spirit growth acceleration ritual that he had obtained after dealing with Hyman.

“It’s not for nothing that they tried to offer up wizards as catalysts…”

A ritual to gradually grow the spirit’s power by setting up a magic circle and offering the necessary catalysts to the magic circle in order.

However, it was almost an exaggeration to say that the energy created by offering the catalysts was fully transferred to the spirit.

Even though they were strictly borrowing the power of the formula and the ritual, the amount of consumption lost while transferring the power was absurd.

They had to pour in almost a truckload of magic power for a tear-sized amount of magic power to barely be detected by Davi’s cognitive abilities.

[Could it be that these bad sorcerers were scamming us?]

Davi said, raising his five tails high.

[I think we need to punish those organisms one more time.]

“There aren’t even five Gyeshingung sorcerers left alive, what are you talking about?”

Renok said, pinching and squishing Davi’s cheek.

“The ritual itself is real. The problem seems to be somewhere other than efficiency.”

After trying various artifacts as catalysts with Davi, Renok realized that the essence of the spirit growth acceleration ritual was to directly stimulate the spirit’s spirituality.

Originally, the spirituality of an intelligent being is not only physically untouchable, but also difficult to interfere with unless it is a specific curse or negative ritual.

However, this ritual, only for spirits, allows the spirit’s spirituality to be directly stimulated with magic power simply by consuming specific catalysts.

Most spirits greatly increase their cognitive abilities simply by having their spirituality stimulated through this ritual, and they can raise the very level of their existence by one step.

However, in Davi’s case, the reason why he did not react even after stimulating his spirituality by consuming all sorts of artifacts.

That was because the growth process needed by other spirits was a path that Davi had already passed long ago.

“Your spirituality and cognitive abilities are so excessively developed that you don’t even feel anything with ordinary stimuli.”

[Haa…]

Davi tilted his head back and shook it.

[It was because my master’s spirit was too excellent again. I can accept that.]

“……”

[Come to think of it, it was obvious. I should have realized sooner that my spirituality, which doesn’t neglect training even for a day, is as vast as the sea, compared to those guys who are satisfied with eating their fill and falling asleep!]

“You haven’t even been to the sea, but you talk like a poet.”

[I went with Master, didn’t I?]

“Went with… I see.”

Renok, who was about to refute the words that they had gone to the sea together, closed his mouth when he realized what Davi was talking about.

They had visited the Sea of Understanding, where the floating island clusters were located, in the Pilenom Autonomous Territory, where the headquarters of the Blue Eye were located, hadn’t they?

Renok was too busy searching the drug lord’s warehouse at the time, but Davi seemed to have remembered the scenery of the sea he saw for the first time for a long time.

Come to think of it, when they went to the Far East branch of the Guido Order, there were definitely moments when they could see the sea.

It was just that Renok didn’t keep all those moments deeply in his memory.

Renok smiled as he gently stroked Davi’s head.

“…I hope we can go to the sea for purposes other than battle next time. Right?”

[If we go to the mechanical city of Machina this time, it might happen.]

Davi said, licking his lips.

[According to the information we have, one of Machina’s biggest power sources is seawater power generated in the process of refining seawater.]

“Does that mean there is an area defined as the sea within the city?”

[Rather than that, it seems like the entire city functions more like a giant power plant.]

Renok had various conversations with Davi, and then naturally turned his attention to the spoils he had obtained from recent events.

“Come to think of it, the tickets to the mechanical city. I haven’t tried to process them for a while after getting them.”

Renok took out two artificial biochips near the workbench, put them down, and asked Davi.

“How about it, can you do it?”

The tickets needed to enter each district of the mechanical city.

He had obtained one from the cartel and one from the agent in order to compare the two different tickets and figure out the rules of the periodically updated patterns.

It was a bit late to start the work now because he was a bit late in checking the ticket sent by Agent Director Greta Witherhild,

But with Davi’s abilities, it wouldn’t be difficult to compare the two different tickets and figure out the changed parts.

The problem was in recognizing the changed parts and predicting the patterns that would be updated in the future.

Click!!

Davi, holding the two tickets in his front paws, put them in his mouth and mumbled, causing sparks to fly and the workbench to flash.

At the same time as the current flowed into the biochips, the appearance of the chips flashed, and Davi’s tails changed to different colors and fluttered.

Davi’s form, moving between the spiritual and material realms, going between electric shock, freezing, and cyberspace.

“……”

After obtaining the automatic combat algorithm and awakening his fifth tail, the changes in his appearance and fluidity felt much stronger.

Apart from going between the spiritual and material states, was his essence, which was close to an electric fox, changing little by little?

‘That change in appearance back then. It wasn’t a form of attribute.’

At the moment when he captured Hyman and decided on his disposal, Davi’s appearance seemed to be connected to the abyss of the universe for a moment.

It had passed like a brief illusion, but it was definitely one of the horizons of possibility that Davi could reach.

Was it because he was a spirit born under the strong influence of Renok’s mind, which observes the branching points of possibilities?

It is still unknown whether it is a side effect of the sudden increase in power during the process of awakening as an Omiho [a mythical nine-tailed fox].

Even Davi himself cannot yet control his own appearance changes, but if he awakens another new tail, he may find out what that appearance was.

[Master, I’m done.]

Davi, who had spat out the biochip he was holding while Renok was lost in thought, handed one to Renok.

[I’ve identified the updated encryption pattern variables and adjusted the biochip’s encryption variables to match the date.]

“Good job.”

[The detailed parts are in an area that cannot be guessed or adjusted here right now, so I left them in a state where they can be changed later.]

“You mean it’s difficult to confirm unless we arrive in Machina and use it directly?”

Renok thought so, grabbed the biochip, and got up from his seat.

Davi naturally jumped onto Renok’s shoulder as he turned off the lights in the laboratory and left.

[I wish we could go to the mechanical city right away!!]

“I know you’re looking forward to it, but we’re not leaving right away.”

Renok said, checking his phone’s message inbox and frowning slightly.

“There are a lot of messages… There have been too many isolated incidents in the meantime.”

It had been a while since he had received any external contact while meeting Kaise in the closed area, mediating the power game between the agent and the cartel, and resolving the Gyeshingung terrorist incident.

Apart from the hectic pace of time in the megacity, the world outside the city was also spinning rapidly.

[Lapis: I succeeded in finding and preempting the fourth lighthouse candidate site. Once the lighthouse construction is complete, we will probably be able to restore new functions.]

The Blue Eye’s lighthouse construction plan sent by the lighthouse keeper. The activation of the lighthouse keeper’s functions accordingly.

Below the message was a reply with the date of completion of the lighthouse construction and the scheduled participation in a large-scale joint operation on the central front after the construction was completed.

“…A large-scale joint operation?”

There was no further explanation, perhaps due to concerns about information leaks, but Renok found the answer in a completely different place.

On another phone he was carrying under Victor’s identity, a message had arrived from a broker in the Demon Realm.

[Highlea: The head of the warlords has fallen. An order to kill all the generals and marshals has been issued. It seems like a subjugation force will be formed soon, so contact me if you’re interested.]

“The head of the warlords…”

Despite being a military group that occupied a significant portion of the central front, Renok had only encountered them once, compared to their size and power.

That was when he went to meet Highlea, who was staying in a church in a remote area of the Balkans, under Victor’s identity.

He knew that they were a group that was rarely heard from, considering that they were active on the central front, but was there an incident that would warrant an order to kill all the generals?

If they were using the word ‘fallen’ for the entire warlord group, there must be a secret behind it.

[Priscilla: Assistant Professor, I’m sending you a message because I haven’t been able to reach you for a few days. My sister seems to have a bit of a headache, but she’s doing well. She asked me to tell you that the security personnel from the mercenary group will be changing soon…]

[Felix: Ban, are you feeling okay after going to the closed area? I’m a little worried about your injuries. Stella’s hobby is collecting useful medicinal herbs, so if you need anything, tell me secretly…]

In addition to that, there were messages from school officials, students, agents, and the mercenary group, but Renok could no longer reply to the messages and left the laboratory.

[Madam: Am I too late to reply? If you are still thinking about discussing that matter, come to my mansion.]

A confirmation had come back from Madam that she had time to make an appointment.

Where Kaise’s body was buried, and who was managing that place.

It was time to hear it directly from her.