Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 770

Sometimes, when I met outstanding researchers under the guise of either Ban or Victor, I’d have these thoughts.

Explorers who consistently came up with unique and ingenious ideas that even Lenok inwardly acknowledged.

Maniacs who weren’t bound by standards or morals, casually crossing taboos beyond the ethics of good and evil.

I’d want to discuss the knowledge and wisdom they’d gained, the conclusions they’d reached after countless studies.

If I hadn’t started as Evan in the research field, would my direction have changed at least once?

If I hadn’t met Aris in the library back then, what would Lenok be researching now?

The other side of a researcher that Lenok had vaguely considered.

But I never imagined I’d encounter the hotbed of taboos I thought I might reach someday, right here.

Artermeier. The Doctor of Pandemonium. The architect of the Ascension Gate.

A genius researcher who had conveyed his intentions indirectly, without ever showing himself.

While Lenok was pondering this unexpected encounter with an eccentric, Dylan, sensing the subtle tension, quickly intervened.

“Old man, this professor is busy, so if you’re going to talk nonsense, talk to me-”

“Is that an immortal from the Order?”

With a sidelong glance, the Doctor’s single remark stopped Dylan’s fussing mid-sentence.

The Doctor ignored the reaction and spoke with his hands in his pockets.

“Amplifying only the regenerative abilities of the body while maintaining a human form is something only experts like the Order can achieve. You’ve got something interesting by your side.”

“…”

A single remark that casually poked at Dylan’s most painful and sensitive spot.

Even knowing that Dylan’s gaze had turned cold behind his mask, the Doctor muttered indifferently.

“It wouldn’t be strange if he broke down anytime, so make sure to put a leash on him at the right time. Most experiments discarded by the Order have predictable outcomes.”

With that, the Doctor seemed to completely lose interest in Dylan and looked back at Lenok.

“More importantly, I have a few questions about your research.”

“…Dylan. I’ll talk to this person myself and send him away.”

But while Lenok was pretending not to notice Dylan and calming him down, he was certain that the man in front of him was the Doctor himself.

The indifferent tone that didn’t care about the other person’s reactions or attitude.

The one-sided attitude of not being interested in things he already knew.

All of it was exactly the same as the Doctor’s that Lenok had encountered as Victor.

While the other mercenaries, sensing the mood, hurriedly took Dylan away, Lenok came down from the podium and looked at the Doctor.

Lenok gestured to Tatiana, who was watching from a distance, to stop, and then looked at the Doctor.

“There isn’t much time left until the seminar. If you have something to say, let’s make it quick.”

“Regardless of the era, the advancement of technology always comes suddenly.”

The Doctor said, smiling as he looked at Lenok.

“A small trigger. A few singularities. And some lunatics who can think a little differently.”

“…”

“And in the case of Balkan, I believe Kaise Bajur has played that role.”

The Doctor muttered with a slightly strange look, as if recalling a distant memory.

“He was an excellent visionary and an ideal project leader. The Black Consumer was a preposterous plan that could never be led by anyone less than a genius.”

“What does the story about Kaise Bajur have to do with-”

“That’s why, even while funding Balkan, I hardly touched that side. I thought it was different from what I was pursuing in Machina.”

The Doctor said, stroking his chin as he carefully observed Lenok.

“So… so, after reading your paper, I’ve come to regret my decision a little.”

“…”

Only then did Lenok realize why the Doctor had come to the venue of Evan Bailon’s third paper presentation in person.

The two papers Lenok had left under Evan’s name.

The Doctor already knew the underlying theme contained in those two papers, which seemed different at first glance.

“That was a message. Wasn’t it?”

The Doctor asked.

“You don’t want to change the world alone. You want others to realize something that hasn’t been revealed yet.”

“…”

“The two papers you wrote had different topics, but their essence was all the same. So, will the third one be the same?”

The Doctor wasn’t just interested in the content of Lenok’s third paper.

He was purely asking if Lenok would maintain the same approach of naturally informing people of certain facts through his papers.

It was a question only the Doctor could ask, having known the same things as Lenok, having researched the same problems, and having come up with a completely different answer, the Ascension Gate.

That’s why Lenok could also answer.

“I’m not sure.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not asking questions knowing the answer.”

“…”

Lenok retorted to the silent Doctor.

“Asking questions not to confirm what you know, but to learn. Isn’t that closer to the essence of questioning?”

Regardless of his personality, background, or the taboos he had committed, I acknowledge his abilities and achievements.

Respect for the architect of the Ascension Gate, who had delved deeper into the secrets of the world than anyone else.

The answer Lenok had just given was a sincere response as a fellow researcher.

The Doctor seemed to understand the meaning of those words, and remained silent for a long time.

The Doctor, who had been staring intently at Lenok’s face, said as if throwing a stone.

“Before coming here, I thought you were someone who wanted the same thing as the Commander.”

“…”

“Intuition that defies logic. A yearning with an unpredictable direction. I thought that even if the goals were different, the destination would be the same… but it seems that’s not the case.”

The Doctor doesn’t even explain who the Commander is or what it means to want the same thing.

It’s not because he thinks Lenok will understand it, but because it doesn’t matter whether he understands it or not.

He doesn’t even care if he’s exposed as a member of Pandemonium.

All he wants is to satisfy his curiosity. If the process leaves a meaning in his heart, he thinks that’s enough.

Just as Lenok was about to end the conversation, the Doctor spoke.

“But it’s definitely a method I haven’t considered before. There’s definitely something to learn from that way of thinking.”

The Doctor looked straight at Lenok and smiled for the first time with a different expression.

“Originally, I was planning to check your research here today and take over, but I’ve changed my mind.”

“…Take over, you say?”

While Lenok frowned at the words he never expected to hear from him.

The Doctor, who had taken his hand out of his pocket, extended it to Lenok and replied.

“If you’re still asking questions because you want to know, then I guess I can listen to the answer for now.”

“…”

“So, next time, come and see the research I’m doing.”

With those words, the Doctor entrusted himself to the mercenaries who were approaching to pull him away.

“I’ll tell you what I was thinking while watching the wishes of geniuses and monsters right next to me.”

Unlike when he first approached Lenok, the Doctor was surprisingly compliant as he was being dragged away.

Was his only purpose to talk to Lenok, and he wasn’t very interested in the research presentation in the first place?

Perhaps he thought there was no need to attend in person since the broadcast would be relayed throughout Balkan anyway.

But more than that, Lenok checked the item the Doctor had given him and faintly frowned.

A dusty old floppy disk.

It was such an outdated storage format that there didn’t seem to be many compatible devices.

It was difficult to easily guess the Doctor’s intentions in handing this over to Lenok.

Perhaps this was even the Doctor’s way of showing his own kind of favor.

As Lenok put the floppy disk in his pocket and turned around, Jenny cautiously approached Lenok and asked.

“Are you really okay? If necessary, I can filter out strange people like that among the attendees. It’s not too late.”

“I understand that the content of this seminar itself will be broadcast throughout Balkan from the start.”

Lenok replied without wavering.

“If there’s a problem with the presentation, objections will come in sooner or later. If it’s just a matter of order, there’s no need to go through the trouble of filtering out the attendees.”

“No, still, there’s such a thing as the atmosphere of the venue…”

Jenny, who was grumbling as if she was dissatisfied, soon gave up and shook her head.

“No. I understand. I’m sure the professor will handle it.”

It seemed like a measure that left room for doubt, but he was someone who had produced results even at the expo that the citizens of Balkan were watching.

No matter how hard Jenny did her preliminary research and set the stage, in the end, she had no choice but to respect the person’s opinion.

It was a relief that he didn’t seem like the type to panic when faced with rebuttals or objections.

Wooong!!

No sooner had she finished speaking than a different vibration than before echoed from the other side of the hallway.

A powerful reverberation that was completely different from before, heavy and seemingly changing the atmosphere of the entire magic tower.

Jenny glanced at the time and nodded.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes. All the necessary preparations are complete.”

Lenok said, handing the bag he had brought to Jenny and Felix.

“Lastly, just place the items in here on each seat and we’ll start right away.”

“…What’s this?”

An electronic device in the shape of a thin tablet.

A simple exterior with no design other than a touch-sensitive screen.

Lenok smiled as he watched Felix, who was looking back with a bewildered expression, holding the tablet in both hands.

“The fate of this seminar depends on it. We have to hope it works well.”

“…”

On the other hand, Tatiana and Jenny’s expressions subtly hardened the moment they picked up the tablet.

A wavering expression that seemed to feel a faint sense of unease rather than anticipation or excitement.

But Lenok pretended not to see the two of them and began to operate the screen in front of the podium.

“Let the people in. Then, let’s start the seminar right now.”

* * *

Flashes!!

Blinding lights pouring down from above the main hall.

Hundreds of cameras densely packed on all sides of the walls and ceiling.

Every time he moved his hands or took a step, countless lenses followed, zooming in and out.

Even this moment of pause would be broadcast on more than tens of thousands of screens across Balkan.

But what weighed down on Lenok more than any intangible pressure or imagination was not that, but the gazes of hundreds of people filling the seats in front of the podium.

“…”

Stakeholders from all over the mega-city had come to attend Evan Bailon’s seminar.

City councilors from the central city government. Executives of mega-tech companies in key districts. High-ranking mages from large magic towers.

Those who had their roots in the shadows and their feet in the light, like cartels and the Six Fortresses. The Technical Advisory Committee, where outstanding researchers and engineers gathered.

Authorities who held key positions in various business divisions of the mega-city, whom Lenok didn’t even know by face.

Employees of partner companies and research institutions that had opened branches and started businesses in cooperation with the Adamant Tower.

All of them had visited the Adamant Tower in person to see Evan Bailon’s presentation.

Even though each organization and institution had selected key stakeholders, the number reached hundreds.

“It’s certain that Adamant himself won’t be attending, right?”

“I’ve already confirmed with his mages. At least within the 49th district, his blood scent can’t even be felt.”

A solid alibi that the blood-crazed mage hadn’t come here in person.

A baseless expectation that he wouldn’t stage a show of force in the middle of the magic tower.

And an overwhelming benefit that surpassed all those risks: confirming Evan’s presentation right in front of them.

All those conditions and situations were strangely intertwined, creating an event that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

“…”

Whoooosh…!!

In the uncomfortable silence where no one opened their mouths, everyone was just looking down at Lenok’s face.

Some were examining Evan’s appearance. Others seemed to be trying to grasp the content of the seminar.

There were also people who were busy fiddling with the tablets placed on the seats.

Perhaps it was an expression of their desire to predict and preempt the future, to see what value the seminar that was about to begin would have and what impact it would bring.

In this quiet midst, where not even a host to guide the event was present, only the cameras were turning, illuminating the hall.

Lenok picked up the microphone.

Keeying…!!

Even the rustling noise was amplified, piercing the ears of the audience, but no one frowned.

A tenacious and sharp momentum, rushing to not miss a single word that Lenok would throw from the start.

Feeling that sharp and chilling atmosphere, which could never be called friendly, more clearly than ever.

“I would like to greet the stakeholders who have applied to attend this seminar.”

Lenok slowly opened his mouth.

“I am Evan Bailon, an assistant professor in the Department of Elemental Studies at Lavatenon Magic University. Nice to meet you.”

Some applauded, while others simply stared at Lenok’s face without moving.

Even those reactions, where likes and dislikes were clearly divided, were all being captured by the cameras.

“This seminar is a place to present the achievements of my integrated master’s and doctoral program, and I will be submitting the results based on my experience in the Department of Elemental Studies.”

Lenok didn’t hesitate and quickly finished the remaining greetings and moved on to the main topic.

“As I have been teaching and researching undergraduate students, I have included the perspective of an educator in this paper when completing the integrated master’s and doctoral program.”

“A paper?”

At those words, one of the councilors who had been silent spoke first.

A middle-aged woman with somewhat hazy eyes, who seemed to be from the lower house, asked.

“Does that mean that the content that Assistant Professor Bailon will present is about his third paper?”

“Yes.”

Lenok nodded and raised the remote control with his other hand.

Flash!!

“The topic of my third paper. The result of refining my perspective and know-how as an educator into a tangible achievement is-”

Lenok, who had turned on the screen by pressing the button, opened his mouth while looking at the blueprint that was immediately displayed on the screen.

“A magical learning device for those who need to learn.”

* * *

“It’s dangerous…”

Far from the center of the main hall where the audience seats and the podium were set up, Tatiana muttered unconsciously as she watched Evan, who had begun his theoretical explanation.

As soon as Jenny heard those words, she immediately turned her gaze.

“What, is there already a problem?”

“No, it’s not that there’s a problem, but…”

Tatiana replied with an uneasy expression.

“It’s too obvious a topic. There will be many people who will feel it’s too trite to meet the expectations for the third paper.”

“…”

It wasn’t that all the magic towers with a history of over hundreds of years adhered to conservative traditions and educational methods.

The number of outstanding mages was the asset and power of the magic tower itself.

Even if one had a talent given by the heavens, one couldn’t be lazy in their efforts, and depending on the direction of their efforts, they could overcome their predetermined limits.

Organizations with open-minded thinking and excellent magic systems had been constantly seeking ways to teach magic efficiently.

“The methods of teaching magic to talented individuals have been researched to the point of exhaustion. No matter how novel the attempt, it has long been concluded that there are limits to the ideas that an individual can come up with.”

Suggestion. Domination. Brainwashing. Means of forcibly stimulating and enhancing the mind, of course,

Even the use of the power of curses to forcibly engrave spells had been openly used hundreds of years ago.

The rumors of mages who died from directly engraving incantations or mana flows into their brains were an open secret in magic towers with a long history.

It goes without saying that using the power of items or artifacts was also common.

“It has been concluded that in the process of transferring magic from individual to individual, if you want to receive help by borrowing items, at least a relic-level artifact is needed to show about a 20% increase in efficiency. To show more efficiency than that, a large-scale ritual involving hundreds of people at the same time is required.”

“…The reactions are already divided. At this rate, it’s definitely dangerous.”

Even as Lenok’s presentation continued, more and more people were fiddling with their tablets instead of concentrating.

It seemed like they were looking for ways to criticize the performance and appearance of the tablets rather than understanding the content of the presentation.

Many of them were guessing what kind of presentation Lenok was giving and thinking about what would come next.

Tatiana explained with a darkened expression.

“If it’s just about transferring knowledge, a mobile phone app or video material would be enough. The moment they heard the word ‘learning device,’ they think there’s no need to see more.”

“Well, there are even apps that teach you the basics of mana manipulation…”

Jenny, who had handled various stolen goods, also immediately understood what Tatiana was saying and made a serious face.

“Did Professor Bailon choose the wrong topic for his paper? Is it right to think of this as an unexpected situation…?”

“We don’t know. We can only speculate because he hid the theme and content until right before the presentation. But one thing that bothers me is…”

Tatiana muttered.

“Ban would have checked the content of the paper the professor was going to present in advance.”

“…”

“For now, we have no choice but to rely on that and watch the situation.”

Jenny and Felix understood the meaning of Tatiana’s words and remained silent.

They knew very well what kind of person Ban was when it came to handling things.

They had spent a considerable amount of time with that mage and had worked together on many things, so they knew even better.

He was someone who could communicate well with anyone, had a surprisingly laid-back side, and was tolerant of other people’s mistakes or rudeness.

But he was someone who didn’t leave even a shred of room for error in the things he did.

How many superhumans and monsters had been ground down by his ruthlessly cold hands so far?

If it was an agreement directly led by such a Ban, there was no way he wouldn’t have checked the value of Evan’s paper.

All three of them knew that, so they couldn’t act rashly even after hearing Tatiana’s words.

Because of the belief that if the mage they knew had finished reviewing this matter, it must have a significant meaning.

“…Felix. Go up there and grab the generator.”

Jenny sighed and glanced upwards.

“If necessary, I’ll stop the seminar on the pretext of a power outage and change the atmosphere. Let’s create a forced break and talk to the professor directly.”

“I have no objections.”

As Felix said that and quietly disappeared, Tatiana tilted her head.

“But, there’s no way Professor Bailon wouldn’t know what I know… Maybe there really is a hidden card?”

“I guess so.”

Jenny replied without taking her eyes off the podium.

“He left it alone even though he knew there were people among the attendees who had taken a hostile stance. Professor Bailon knows it too. But the problem is…”

The existence of countless cameras filming this main hall right now.

“This seminar is being broadcast throughout Balkan right now. Can the professor really win the public opinion battle against those people?”

Whether Evan Bailon still had elements to reverse public opinion about his paper.

And whether he could smooth over that public opinion itself with a successful presentation.

Either way, it was undoubtedly too difficult to succeed in front of experts in each field.

But knowing that, Evan Bailon himself chose this topic and set the stage.

At that moment, when Tatiana was staring intently at Lenok’s face with a tense gaze.

Lenok, holding the tablet, slowly came forward and began to walk.