Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 60

Her skin was charred, on the verge of peeling off, and her limbs were twisted at grotesque angles, frozen in place.

Her internal organs must have shriveled, unable to shift even slightly from their positions.

Yet, even in that state, the way she clung to life with the precise mana manipulation unique to a manipulation-type mage gave Lennox a peculiar feeling.

Lennox took out a new cigarette, squatted by her head, and quietly looked down at her.

“The blueprint.”

“Heh… you, you vicious bastard… Cough, cough!!”

Trisha, who was constantly coughing dryly, let out a hollow laugh.

“If you hand it over now, I’ll spare your life. You wouldn’t want to throw away your comrade’s life too, would you?”

Lennox said, pointing his index finger at Mount, who was still unconscious.

With just that gesture, without using any mana, Trisha flinched and let out a small sigh.

Slowly, her mouth opened.

“Hoo… I already gave it to Madam a long time ago. Like you said… because I haven’t found a buyer for it yet…”

“………”

From the moment I realized the thugs who betrayed Madison were freelancers, I had somewhat expected it, but hearing it directly still annoyed me.

Lennox suppressed his anger and briefly contacted Sebastian with the information he had gathered so far.

There wouldn’t be many brokers in this business who use the alias ‘Madam’ while employing such freelancers, so with his wide network, he would be able to settle things soon enough.

That left the question of what to do with these two…

Lennox looked down at Trisha, who was gradually becoming quieter, with a calm gaze.

The aversion to killing an enemy he had once risked his life to defeat had long since disappeared.

However, Lennox wasn’t sure if ending Mount and Trisha’s lives right here would truly be beneficial.

Even if this world was a dirty place, killing a partner or betraying them was something to be avoided.

The reason they were able to betray Madison in the first place was because he was a criminal who leaked company projects, someone they didn’t have to fear any repercussions for betraying.

Lennox couldn’t easily predict what kind of backlash would come if he killed these two.

‘….It’s funny, isn’t it.’

It had been quite some time since he had resolved to climb to the top of the underworld, even if it meant making enemies, yet his mind still sought rational outcomes and demanded logical decisions.

He had to clearly identify his goals and carefully watch his path.

Otherwise, the talent that Lennox trusted so much would take him in the wrong direction too quickly.

Fortunately, Lennox’s worries didn’t last long.

The moment Trisha’s coughing completely disappeared, someone’s voice began to be heard in the air.

[How about we stop here and part ways?]

“……..”

Right. I had expected it to some extent.

If the existence of Madam was so deeply involved in this matter, it wouldn’t be strange for her to have an eye on this side.

However, I didn’t expect Madam herself to come to this place.

When I turned my head in the direction of the voice, a woman who had somehow approached and closed the distance was squatting down, stroking the head of the unconscious Mount.

Despite the dark night, she wore a small parasol over her shoulder and a black trench coat that reached her ankles.

Even her face was completely covered by a black veil.

The woman, who seemed to have wrapped herself in suspicion like silk, was there.

She glanced at Lennox and continued speaking.

[It seems you’ve taken your anger out on my fragile children, but I’d like to have them back before they die. They’re too… precious toys to break right now.]

“You know what I want, don’t you?”

[You’re impatient.]

“………”

[But you have the right to say that. Here, take it.]

The woman said, taking out a thick paper file from her bosom and throwing it.

At that moment, dark red blood gushed out in the air, grabbed the file, slid down, and landed right in front of Lennox.

The appearance of the blood flow, which was hard to believe even when seen with one’s own eyes, and its movement.

A natural talent that was similar to, yet completely different from, a blood mage who controlled blood with spells.

Lennox picked up the file and muttered.

“Vampires these days seem to be good at being brokers too.”

[It’s just doing what suits me. Can I have Trisha back now?]

Lennox silently stepped aside so that the blood flow she had created could touch Trisha’s body.

The bright red blood flowed into her mouth, which had completely lost consciousness, and soon her breathing stabilized.

“………”

It was a somewhat uncomfortable sight to watch directly.

Madam, who skillfully controlled the blood flow and transported the two, turned to Lennox.

“There’s one thing I want to ask.”

[As long as it’s not too sensitive a question.]

“…..Why did you give up the blueprint so easily? Considering the plan you were pushing forward while working with the Otterble development team, it’s too anticlimactic to just hand over the blueprint like this, isn’t it?”

Lennox said, shaking the blueprint in his hand.

Madam didn’t say anything, but based on the situation so far, it was obvious who had the idea to steal the blueprint while working with Madison.

In other words, it didn’t make sense that she, who had been leading the plan so well, would give up just because two of her freelancers were in danger of dying.

Madam shook her body vaguely at Lennox’s question.

As if suppressing a laugh.

[Why should I tell you that so easily?]

If she didn’t want to talk, there was nothing I could do.

It was just that I felt I wouldn’t be able to satisfy that curiosity if not now.

Madam, seeing Lennox’s calm expression, lit up her eyes.

[I heard a rumor that Jenny found a raw gem, but it was just a rumor. It’s almost complete.]

“……..”

[Now that it’s a meaningless story, I’ll tell you… That’s right. I couldn’t find any more value in keeping that blueprint. It was much harder to find a buyer than I thought.]

She readily told him the reason for this deal.

[Thanks to Sebastian, that young man, moving so quickly, the fact that this blueprint I had was Otterble’s new development project spread everywhere. Moreover, the fact that the blueprint was quite different from the direction Otterble had been pursuing was a demerit for this side. In many ways, I can only say that I was unlucky.]

Madam’s eyes glowed red behind her veil as she said that.

Although her tone was calm, it seemed she was quite annoyed by this incident.

But that was only for a moment, as Madam quickly calmed her agitation and stroked Trisha’s limp head.

[This child is quite a unique talent among the children I have. Of course, she can’t compare to a freak like you, but she has a talent that can be useful in this business. If I can save such a child with a few pieces of worthless paper, it’s not a bad deal, is it?]

“…..I guess not.”

Lennox unconsciously agreed with what Madam was saying.

In fact, Lennox was also a little surprised by the magical talent Trisha had shown.

It was meaningless to compare her to him, who had pushed all his magical talents to their limits, but the fact that she could handle manipulation-type magic, which even Lennox had to be careful with, so skillfully was definitely a rare talent.

Especially considering that she tried to fight Lennox directly instead of supporting Mount from the rear.

Her strong mentality and boldness were enough to show that.

She would definitely become a mage of a higher level than she was now.

At least, she was definitely one of the most talented mages Lennox had seen.

Even considering that the variance among the mages Lennox had seen was extremely extreme.

Madam, who was about to turn and disappear, stopped.

[Ah. I forgot to give you this.]

Internal Affairs

Madam waved her hand in the same way as before, and a flower bloomed in the bright red blood, and something appeared from inside the bud.

I wondered what great thing she was going to give me, but what appeared from the inside was a single photograph.

[I heard a rumor that Jenny had a fight with the thugs of District 48 at her bar.]

Lennox silently picked up the photo she handed him.

Beyond a single photo with a blurry night sky as the background, a blue, flashing vortex of electricity was rising.

[It’s a photo of a battle where the boss of the Cigar Bang gang participated. It’s something I got through my children, so it’s not information that’s circulating in the market.]

“………”

Lennox ignored Madam’s words and carefully looked at the vortex in the photo.

Of course, this was not a simple natural phenomenon. It wasn’t even a common magic that Lennox could use.

Unique electric-type magic. An application technique that only a mage who had reached a considerable level could use.

A secret magic that Lennox did not possess right now.

Madam’s belated words added certainty to Lennox’s speculation.

[I heard a rumor that you’re a very skilled electric-type mage. I thought you might be interested, so I brought it, do you like it?]

Lennox, knowing the answer, remained silent before answering.

“…..This has nothing to do with the price of the deal. Why are you giving it to me?”

There was no need to say how important the information that the gang boss had mastered unique electric-type magic was to Lennox.

If he continued to collaborate with Dyke, it meant that Lennox might meet an electric-type mage for the first time in this world.

And that could be a new breakthrough for his blocked magic research.

[I like talented people.]

Although it was not visible, it seemed as if her smile was faintly visible behind the veil.

[How beautiful a flower that has not yet bloomed is, and how fleetingly it withers. Is there any need to explain? Let’s just say it’s a greeting for meeting such talent.]

Madam hadn’t finished speaking, but Lennox immediately realized what she wanted to say.

Interest and greed for talent.

If she had openly revealed such emotions, there was no way she wouldn’t be greedy for Lennox, who was right in front of her.

[With your talent, you’ll be able to bloom on your own someday without anyone’s help. It seems you already know that roughly yourself.]

“………”

[But I can make you bloom into a much more beautiful flower than you think. And I want you to know that I don’t give such help to just anyone, or in just any way.]

Madam, seeing Lennox’s expression, turned her body with a satisfied look.

[Don’t feel burdened, come visit my castle sometime.]

There was no further conversation.

Madam’s figure disappeared from the spot in an instant.

Lennox, with his strong mana sensing ability, realized that she had jumped at least hundreds of meters in a single moment and let out a small sigh.

A vampire who was so powerful that it was hard to believe she was working as a broker.

She was a strong person who couldn’t even be compared to Jude Russell, whom he had faced before.

She seemed to be a very old vampire, but it was hard to understand why such a person had entered this industry.

Her offer was quite attractive, but Lennox didn’t make the mistake of naively believing her words.

In this world, offering favors without any compensation was as futile as a flower blooming in a mud puddle.

And Lennox didn’t think Madam was such a flower at all.

It was just another broker’s scout, and he could just brush it off.

Lennox chewed on another cigarette and silently unfolded the blueprint to look at the contents inside.

“…..So that’s what it meant.”

Did they say the blueprint was different from the direction Otterble had been pursuing?

As soon as Lennox saw the blueprint, he immediately understood what that meant.

Inside the paper, there was a very detailed drawing of a large two-wheeled motorcycle.

The identity of the project that Otterble, known as a car company, was newly promoting was the expansion of its product line.

“A motorcycle…..”

Lennox chuckled as he stared at the blueprint.

Wasn’t it too difficult of an item for Lennox, who didn’t have any means of transportation, to covet from the beginning?

It wouldn’t be bad to get one later if the opportunity arose, but it wasn’t a problem to think about seriously right now.

‘At least until I have a means of transportation that I can safely escape from, or magic, I should refrain from it.’

The research on teleportation magic was becoming more and more urgent.

Recently, he had faced a series of people who even Lennox felt were quite capable, so it seemed necessary to come up with more countermeasures in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.

Preparation and prevention could never be excessive.

Lennox, who was holding the steering wheel of the jeep with its front completely destroyed, put a cigarette in his left hand and exhaled a long puff of smoke.

Broom!!

He stepped on the accelerator and quickly left the empty lot.

In the front yard of the abandoned building in the middle of the night, only a car with one wheel missing remained.

#

The aftermath of the meeting with Madam was quickly dealt with.