Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 782

Thud, thud!!

The image of a boat cutting through the dark river.

A small rowboat, just big enough for one person. A simple setup with someone rowing across the river.

However, the huge bull skull hanging prominently at the bow completely overshadows all other features.

“The dock managers. Their aesthetic sense is truly pathetic.”

Lenok muttered, looking indifferently at the apostle’s skull displayed on the bow.

“Or were they just trying to subtly express their discomfort?”

The dock managers, upon seeing the apostle’s corpse that Lenok brought, immediately prepared a boat for him.

However, instead of completely taking back the apostle’s corpse that was given as tribute, they used it in the boat’s construction.

Frankly speaking, the shape of the skull, crushed and broken, didn’t look very appealing.

[I can’t say I don’t understand their feelings.]

The priestess calmly agreed.

[When faced with excessive rudeness, sometimes you just don’t want to deal with it.]

“So, you didn’t like the fact that I offered the apostle’s corpse as tribute either.”

Lenok chuckled.

“Did you think of it as an asset of the same order?”

[Even though Kamrodal’s actions are unacceptable, this man was a martyr who gave his life while fulfilling his mission.]

Although there was no emotional fluctuation, it was clear that the priestess was not pleased with Lenok’s decision.

[There would have been a more fitting rest for him.]

“Well, I think this is a fitting end for a lackey of the order.”

Lenok, openly mocking the priestess’s words, glanced around.

“Look. The gazes pouring in from all directions are so intense that it’s annoying.”

Among the boats crossing the Headrain River together, his appearance was uniquely gruesome.

However, even that appearance seemed to make others see him as someone to be thoroughly wary of.

Everyone who got a boat and was slowly crossing the river was looking this way, as if they had made a pact.

“There’s a crazy bastard who offered an apostle’s corpse as tribute.”

“Look at the decoration on the bow. What a terrible taste. Isn’t he afraid of the Order’s retaliation?”

“If he killed it himself in a fight, then his confidence is understandable. It’s rare to see a monster strong enough to fight and win against an apostle.”

“Either way, he’s not the kind of person you want to associate with…”

“After entering Yorta, I need to find out about him. If he’s that strong, he must be famous in the central area.”

Passengers were quietly conversing between the boats.

They clicked their tongues as if they were fed up with Lenok’s actions, but at the same time, they seemed to be thoroughly wary and afraid.

This was probably because they knew how insane Lenok’s actions were, even by the standards of the powerful individuals heading to Yorta, who had killed an apostle and brought its corpse.

They also didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary trouble before the checkpoint to Yorta.

Just as Lenok chuckled and moved the boat forward.

“Hey, you should still be careful.”

A man who had brought his boat right next to him suddenly spoke to Lenok.

A unique appearance with a shaved head and thick bandages covering his eyes.

The man wearing an antique ceremonial robe seemed to be able to gauge direction even with his eyes covered, rowing very naturally.

“You just greatly violated the customs set by Yorta. It’s something most people heading to this city avoid.”

“What does it matter?”

“In Yorta, superstition and spirituality hold an immeasurable weight.”

The blindfolded man replied calmly to Lenok’s cynicism.

“You brought a tribute valuable enough to ignore the established order and sequence, but the act of ignoring the sequence itself might incur the wrath of the spirits.”

“Monk, leave him alone.”

At that moment, a woman who passed by the blindfolded man muttered.

A woman with a particularly fierce look on her face looked back this way with her arms crossed and chuckled.

“Those from the Stania Monastery are always so nosy. Does he look like a fool who can’t take care of himself?”

“…”

“What advice are you going to give to a guy who’s crazy enough to kill an apostle? Anyway, everyone is just pathetic…”

Without even listening to the man’s reply, the woman’s boat quickly moved ahead and disappeared.

The blindfolded man, also somewhat agreeing with the woman’s words, slightly tilted his head towards Lenok and then rowed away.

“Sequence…”

Lenok quietly repeated the words the man left behind, lost in thought.

The priestess, also noticing what Lenok was thinking, added her thoughts.

[In the case of rituals or curses, the order in which they are performed is very important. The unbeliever’s words are not entirely wrong.]

“Maybe. But it doesn’t matter.”

He didn’t come here to follow Luta’s laws and bow to their order.

A resolution that he wouldn’t care even if he had to turn the military city that existed beyond the spirit realm upside down to achieve his desired goal.

What would it matter even if he was burdened and crushed by all sorts of curses?

Creak!!

He tied one of the newly made oars to the back of the rowboat and slowly pulled it left and right.

Just by doing that, the boat began to drift along the dark river, slowly moving forward.

Creak, creak…

Lenok, who was concentrating on rowing, turned his head towards the priestess with annoyance.

“There’s something bothering my gaze. Are you just going to keep watching?”

[…I have no complaints about the division of labor, but may I touch the oars?]

Lenok replied nonchalantly to the priestess’s dumbfounded response.

“If this place is the boundary between the material and spirit realms, then there must be something a spirit can do.”

[…]

“I’ll give you work when the time comes, so be prepared.”

[For someone who says that, you are handling the work very comfortably…]

As the priestess said, Lenok was manipulating the oars by simply pulling his fingers after putting on his magic armor.

Whoosh!!

As they went downstream, the river rapidly darkened, changing from a deep navy blue to almost black.

Along with that, the surrounding scenery gradually darkened, and the entire sky seemed to be covered in a murky darkness.

Whoooosh…!!

A dark sky and a dark river.

It was as if a river was flowing in the empty universe, and he was drifting on it in a rowboat.

Everything slowed down, as if reminding him of the flow of impermanent time.

A silence that seemed to deafen him filled the space.

Before he knew it, the rowboat was moving forward, cutting through something other than the water.

The sparse bushes were gone, and only a wide river was floating in the middle of the hazy darkness.

Saaaah…!!

A chilling air, as if someone was screaming silently in his ear.

If he gathered his breath and blew it out lightly inside his robe, it felt like his breath would immediately appear.

“They’re coming…!”

No sooner had someone muttered those words than a deep sigh echoed from afar.

Whoosh…!!

Ghosts with pale skin, wearing drab hoods and walking on the river.

The old scythes held between their thin, long fingers suggested their role.

They approached the boats crossing the river without a word and stood next to the passengers.

A strange behavior, floating hazily on the water as if waiting for something.

As soon as Lenok saw them, he realized that they were the gatekeepers guarding the Headrain River.

The priestess, also noticing the situation, muttered.

[They are the White Ghouls of Yorta.]

“White Ghouls?”

[Spirits who have been officially allowed to participate in the Night Parade. They are powerful spirits that can influence the material realm.]

The priestess explained.

[They are the military orders themselves, and also superhumans who have reconstructed their powers from their past lives.]

“…”

White Ghouls who have been officially allowed to participate in the Night Parade.

So, is that why the Night Parade they leave is called the White Ghoul Night Parade?

‘There was someone who mentioned the Thousand Ghouls of Yorta in the Hangasa Labyrinth…’

Back when he met Jintun at the end of the labyrinth and returned, he remembered confronting the powerful individuals from various organizations while escaping the collapsing cradle.

At that time, among the psychic and summoner, there was a being who introduced himself as one of the Thousand Ghouls of Yorta.

A Saint-level ability user who had his whole body wrapped in bandages. His presence and stealth were so great that Lenok still remembered him.

If the gatekeepers currently guarding Yorta are White Ghouls, then are the Thousand Ghouls military orders that are allowed to operate outside of Yorta?

It was a vague guess, but if so, it could explain the strangely faint presence and stealth that the Thousand Ghoul showed at that time.

At least, it seemed certain that the military orders belonging to the military city were grouped and distinguished by numbers.

“Are they classifying the ranks of the military orders according to the number that can form a Night Parade?”

[I don’t know that far…]

The priestess hesitated before answering.

[However, as far as I know, I heard that the meaning of the Night Parade in Yorta has changed significantly once.]

“Changed?”

[Yes. It’s a fact that I recognized while I was directly performing the offering ritual, so it’s probably correct.]

“…”

Come to think of it, the priestess was also a member of the Order.

Moreover, she was a key figure who oversaw the Order’s internal events and rituals.

He had forgotten for a moment due to her surprisingly normal behavior, but she was also one of the forbidden entities who had engaged in human sacrifice.

While Lenok inwardly shook his head at that fact, the inspection began from the front.

Swoosh…!!

The White Ghouls floating on the river boarded the boats and began to look at the passengers, bringing their faces close.

They held their scythes with pale hands, bending their long bodies grotesquely and staring at them up close.

Only the breath emanating from the hazy darkness could give a hint of their mood and reaction.

Only the person in question would know what they saw inside the black hood.

The result came soon enough.

=Extra.

Thud!!

The White Ghoul, taking its eyes off the passenger’s face, suddenly struck the back of his neck with the end of its scythe.

“Kuaaak!!”

The passenger, screaming, was impaled and thrown into the riverbed.

“No, please…!!”

The passenger, clutching his bleeding neck, desperately swam in the riverbed.

But soon, something that surged from the riverbed grabbed his ankle, and he disappeared underwater.

“Gurgle…!!”

With the bubbles of his last breath, his presence never resurfaced.

Something was lurking deep in the dark river, waiting for the dropouts.

“…”

While Lenok frowned at the unexpectedly bizarre method, others began to stand before the approaching White Ghouls one by one.

“Here… is the ritual item.”

They showed the ritual item they had brought to cross the boundary of the spirit realm to the White Ghouls and received a judgment on whether they could pass.

It was said that the level of Yorta they would be assigned to would be determined based on the examination, so it must be a very important process.

Unlike the first dropout, people began to quickly pass the inspection in various places.

=Pass. Farm District. One Ghoul Supplement.

=Pass. Administrative District. Ten Ghouls Designation.

=Extra.

=Pass. Training District. Ten Ghouls Designation.

=Pass. Combat District. White Ghoul Veteran.

Those who showed their ritual items and passed received the name of the level they would be assigned to and crossed to the other side of the river.

“It seems to be a word that designates the level and authority assigned within Yorta.”

It seemed that they were dividing the levels according to the numbers in front and dividing the authority according to the grade of the ritual item.

In the meantime, Lenok quickly figured out the pattern while listening to the judgments around him.

“There’s a strange rule… Most are on the One Ghoul and Ten Ghouls side, and White Ghouls are occasionally seen. The judgment methods are also varied.”

Some were beheaded and thrown away as soon as they saw the ritual item, while others pondered for a long time before overturning the boat.

Even though the examination seemed disorderly and chaotic, there was clearly a standard in their actions.

The unique laws and order that only the military city of Yorta possessed.

The ancient rules that existed in the oldest city-state on this continent.

While Lenok was watching the examination from behind with interest, the first passerby who received a different grade than others appeared.

=Welcome. Command District. Thousand Ghoul Appointment.

Whoosh!!

The woman with the fierce eyes who had passed by Lenok earlier.

The White Ghoul, looking at the ivory statue she had presented, slowly nodded and turned away from the spot.

At the same time, it hooked its scythe on the bow of the rowboat and began to guide the rowboat directly to the other side of the river.

Whoooosh…!!

Even while receiving the gazes of others who were still undergoing the examination, the woman didn’t even bat an eye.

It was as if she knew from the beginning that this would be the result.

Her attitude, with her arms crossed and slightly raising her nose, was as natural as if she was using the White Ghoul as a servant.

Lenok, who was carefully watching the woman, muttered.

“She’s someone who is well-versed in military order magic. She’s likely a Yorta official or someone with relatives there.”

She was someone he might encounter again if he entered Yorta.

As Lenok was speaking to himself, the priestess spoke as if she had suddenly remembered something.

[It is said that the Night Parade of ghosts always requires a living person.]

“…”

[It is no coincidence that this city has a foot in both the material and spirit realms.]

Did that mean that the woman was related to the saying the priestess had just mentioned?

While he was lost in thought, a White Ghoul finally boarded Lenok’s rowboat.

The White Ghoul, breathing a cold sigh under its hood.

The hot blood was dripping from the scythe it was holding in its pale hand.

It must have already finished examining several people before examining Lenok and delivered its judgment.

The moment Lenok frowned with displeasure at the blood soaking the floor.

Whoosh…!!

The White Ghoul suddenly thrust its face in front of Lenok’s eyes.

“…”

[…]

The White Ghoul’s head, visible under the hood, was not properly connected to its neck.

The shape of the head, cut off as if by a sharp blade, and the neck that was clumsily attached.

Its face and expression were horribly distorted and frozen, unable to overcome the pain of the moment of death.

Only then did Lenok realize the identity of the White Ghoul and smiled bitterly.

“Are they using those who failed the examination and died as gatekeepers of the city?”

Those who had failed the White Ghoul’s examination and had their necks cut off.

Were they imprisoning their souls back in their corpses and forcibly mobilizing them for the Night Parade, giving them the role of gatekeepers?

“If the term Night Parade has this meaning, then I think I need to think of it as a much more comprehensive concept…”

Lenok muttered nonchalantly, leaving the White Ghoul staring intently at him without a word.

In fact, as soon as he confirmed the identity of the White Ghoul, he seemed to have a rough idea of what the Night Parade meant in Yorta.

What did it mean that they were using those who had failed the examination and died as White Ghouls, and that they had the right to participate in the Night Parade?

Wasn’t it because the Night Parade was not a specific plan or schedule that they voluntarily participated in, but rather a concept of mobilization that was close to coercion?

Perhaps the purpose and method of each Night Parade were completely different.

If so, what kind of purpose and method did the Myriad Ghoul Night Parade that was attempted for ascension in Yorta use?

The moment Lenok thought that far and touched the Guide’s Ring.

[Sir. I am ready.]

“…Okay.”

The moment the priestess disappeared, Lenok slowly reached out his hand and showed the ring to the White Ghoul.

When he rolled up his robe sleeve and took off his glove, the shape of the ring, which emitted a clear glow even on the river, was revealed.

The White Ghoul, facing the glow of the ring with the transparent gem embedded in it, stopped in its tracks.

“…Ah?”

The White Ghoul’s reply, uttering a single groan for the first time.

At that moment, dozens of White Ghouls that were examining other passengers in various parts of the river all turned their heads at once.

“What is it?”

“Where are they going? It’s not over yet!”

“…!!”

Swoosh!!!

As if they had made a promise, they abandoned the people they were examining and slid across the river.

Dozens of White Ghouls abandoned all other passengers and stood silently, surrounding Lenok’s rowboat.

They bent their long bodies like totems and began to stare at the shape of the ring under their hoods.

Whoooosh…!!

“W-what the hell is…”

Other passengers, who were watching the White Ghouls with a look of disgust, all turned their gazes towards Lenok.

“I’ve never seen this kind of sight while coming to and from Yorta…”

“It’s that crazy bastard who put up the apostle’s corpse. Did he cause another accident?”

“Stay away. The fights of the White Ghouls are very dirty and vicious.”

People were quickly assessing Lenok and exchanging information about the commotion at the pier.

However, Lenok had no time to pay attention to the sudden gazes and conversations.

This was because the White Ghouls, who were densely surrounding Lenok, were already caressing the Guide’s Ring with their pale hands.

“Ah, ah…”

“Haa…”

“Whoosh…”

They were uttering unknown groans and sighs, and staggering with indescribable movements.

It was as if they wanted to look at the Guide’s Ring that Lenok had presented for even a little longer, but they seemed to be frustrated because it wasn’t coming.

After caressing the ring for a while, dozens of White Ghouls all bowed their heads and raised their scythes.

“…What?”

Thud!!

Dozens of scythes simultaneously struck the bow of Lenok’s rowboat.

The White Ghouls, abandoning all other inspections and moving in unison to guide a single person.

Three White Ghouls hooked their scythes on the bow and pulled.

Six White Ghouls cut through the water in front, opening the way.

Nine White Ghouls surrounded Lenok as if they were escorting him, and they glided leisurely.

Lenok asked, watching the White Ghouls guiding the boat without any judgment.

“Where are we going?”

=…

At that, the ghost at the front turned its head and said.

=Judgment Pending.

Along with that, other White Ghouls each uttered different messages.

=Authority Accepted.

=Abuse of Authority.

=Judgment Impossible.

After all the surrounding White Ghouls threw out a word as if expressing their opinions, the White Ghoul standing closest to Lenok declared as if concluding.

=Guidance. Judgment District. Myriad Ghoul Night Parade.