Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 832

Binding (1)

The small garden behind the old church where Highrea resided.

Lenok, having suppressed his presence with magic detection, sat on a secluded park bench and sighed.

It was obvious who was behind the chaos of wiping out the deep web posts and causing a ruckus across the entire site.

Lenok looked at Davi with a smile and muttered,

“…I clearly told you not to leave unnecessary traces.”

[Abubu bu.]

Davi, his cheeks stretched out by Lenok’s grip, protested.

The spirit frantically shook his head, waving his front paws at Lenok.

Lenok, looking displeased, sighed and released Davi.

“I don’t know what you’re doing. Do you want to be called a psycho on the deep web so badly?”

[Master, there’s a misunderstanding.]

Davi landed on Lenok’s lap and explained.

[It’s not me who’s being called a psycho.]

“Oh, really? So it wasn’t you?”

Lenok asked back, clearly not believing it.

“So there’s another hacker on the deep web who advertises himself as a fox lover, besides you? I must have underestimated the lunatics in this city.”

[Hehe, you don’t have to be so surprised.]

Davi stood on Lenok’s lap, puffed out his chest, and said,

[That’s just one of my multiple accounts!]

“……”

Davi, oblivious to Lenok’s cold gaze, confidently explained.

[It’s an account I use as an uploader on the deep web, and every time I appear, I act like an attention seeker and delete comments. It’s a very useful friend.]

“That’s not acting like an attention seeker. That’s just what it is.”

[No, Master. I’ve realized something.]

Despite Lenok’s rebuttal, Davi didn’t care and raised his front paw above his head as if he had gained enlightenment.

[If you act crazy consistently, organisms won’t notice even if you act calculatingly sometimes!!]

“No, that’s…”

[Since the concept and role of the account are clearly defined, strictly speaking, it’s not me.]

Lenok was about to say something but sighed and nodded.

It was obvious who Davi had learned such a bad method from.

If Davi, who had watched Lenok’s actions most closely, understood how useful Lenok had been using multiple identities, he would have no words to say.

If he had been using it as a means for his own activities on the deep web, there was nothing to say.

The problem was…

“Davi.”

Lenok, after placing the young spirit on the bench, lowered his posture slightly and said,

“To be honest, when I first created you, I didn’t expect you to grow this much.”

[……]

“In a way, you’ve exceeded my expectations every moment. It’s true that I’m getting a lot of help from your abilities now. But…”

Lenok, making eye contact with the clear blue eyes, chose his words carefully.

“You need to think more carefully when you imitate me in the future.”

[Why?]

“Because you are an entity that originated from me, but you have different talents and abilities from me.”

Lenok said, stroking Davi’s head.

“Imitating me is just replicating my potential and possibilities, and that will only keep you as my subordinate.”

[……]

Davi’s abilities, born in cyberspace, were different from Lenok’s talents.

Considering that Davi was a spirit born through Lenok’s magic, it was truly a miracle.

But if Davi continued to imitate Lenok and even replicate his methods, he would only become similar to Lenok.

And he would never surpass Lenok, only becoming a lower-level version.

Perhaps sensing something from Lenok’s unusually serious words, Davi, who had been silent, spoke.

[But… I’d be happy even if I became Master’s subordinate.]

“It might be okay for someone else.”

Lenok replied quietly.

“But you’re different. Because you were born based on me, if you imitate me beyond a certain level… you’ll have to bear the backlash as well.”

Lenok’s transcendent talent was not a free gift.

It was a kind of restraint based on the severe penalty that bound his body.

If Davi became similar to Lenok, there was a high possibility that the penalty Lenok had would also be accompanied in a similar form.

That would be a fatal danger for Davi, who existed as a spirit.

Lenok realized this and thought he should warn him in advance.

“I’m not saying you should stop right now. Not all of your actions are just imitating me. But you need to keep the worst-case scenario in mind.”

[……]

“You haven’t even been in this world for 10 years, and there are things you need to know when making choices. I…”

Lenok, stroking Davi silently, sat on the bench and chuckled.

“I hope you live longer than I do.”

How much time did Lenok have left?

10 years, or 20 years? Maybe even much shorter than that.

The penalty of a genius with a short life was not a restraint that Lenok himself could measure, and it was impossible to accurately know how much time he had left.

That was why he always tried his best every moment and tried not to leave any regrets.

But what if Lenok’s time ran out before the end of the world?

And if this young spirit remained by Lenok’s side until then?

What would await the cyber spirit left alone in this world?

Just thinking about it made his heart ache, but conversely, Lenok acknowledged the fact that he had to prepare for the end that could come at any time.

Was it because of the pendant Oris had given him, or because he had experienced so much for so long?

Unlike before, even if Lenok himself faced the end first, there was something left in this world.

Thinking about it seemed to be a little comforting.

[Okay.]

Davi, his six tails drooping, replied.

Davi slumped onto Lenok’s lap as if he was dejected, but then he suddenly lifted his head as if he had thought of something.

[Then, I’ll only use one account to be active on the deep web for a while!]

“……”

A naive question that made him doubt if he had even listened to what he had said.

Lenok, looking down at Davi as if he was dumbfounded, soon relaxed his expression and chuckled.

“Okay. Do as you please.”

Davi’s personal growth was much faster, more solid, and more stable than Lenok had expected.

That was because, regardless of whether Davi originated from Lenok himself, he had worked hard to exist as an independent entity.

No matter what choice this young spirit made, Lenok was ready to trust and help him.

“But you still have to be punished for causing a mess, right?”

[Ugek.]

Regardless, he deserved to be punished for turning the deep web upside down.

Lenok tied Davi’s tail into a knot and hung him dangling inside his robe pocket before returning to the church.

Highrea, looking bewildered, turned to Lenok and called out to him.

“Victor, where have you been?”

“I had something to take care of. How’s the deep web situation?”

“…The situation is over because of that crazy uploader from earlier. Everyone seems to have given up already.”

Highrea shook her head.

“At least, there won’t be any more talk about it on the public boards for a while.”

“I see.”

Davi’s chosen method was a reckless mess that surprised Lenok, but that was why it was even more effective.

In the deep web, where you can’t know each other’s personal information, a person with strange obsessions and tendencies is an object of avoidance, not hostility.

Especially if that person was a skilled hacker like Davi.

It would be difficult to stop the videos leaked to places other than the deep web, but this was enough for now.

While Lenok was thinking that, Highrea handed him a piece of paper.

“It’s an official document leaked by the Deadrise headquarters.”

“……”

“They’ve included the satellite cities near Vulcan as new operation areas. Do you know what this means?”

A rough piece of paper with all sorts of complex legion marks. Inside, there was a list of operation areas for several legions.

Was this a list of operation areas that a private military company covering the central front was directly leaking to the media?

Lenok understood why Highrea had shown him this as soon as he saw it.

The Fortress subjugation operation that Daymus had mentioned.

By including the satellite cities near Vulcan in Deadrise’s operation area, he had announced that his words were not empty promises as soon as the meeting was over.

“Daymus… he’s definitely a headache. But he’s also very capable.”

Highrea, sitting at the end of the quiet chapel, said with a tired look.

“He’s clear about his goals, but he doesn’t forget his position, straddling both the legion and the Underworld. He seems to have the best political sense among those who have tried to use this side recently.”

“……”

“To be honest, the Fortress subjugation is too dangerous. If the Fortress hadn’t been suffering from multiple injuries in the first place, it wouldn’t even be discussed like this.”

“I don’t know.”

Lenok replied indifferently and tilted his head.

A dark black light flickered inside the obsidian mask.

“For someone who thinks that, you didn’t even try to mediate the situation.”

Highrea’s expression hardened slightly at Lenok’s cold words.

“Although the Professor was there, unlike last time, you didn’t try to continue the agenda. You only focused on throwing out formal topics and observing the reactions.”

“Victor, that’s…”

Highrea had summoned the members for the meeting, but she hadn’t brought up any topics herself except for Yorta’s agenda.

The agenda related to the Fortress subjugation was a build-up that started with Chebien and was completed by Daymus.

But Highrea didn’t organize or dissuade the diverging meeting, she just quietly watched the situation.

It could be that she was just being faithful to her role as a broker, but that wasn’t the feeling when she first called the meeting.

Lenok had already recognized the incongruity in the gap of her reaction.

“Highrea.”

Perhaps feeling pressured by the fact that he had pointed it out.

Lenok, calling out to the pale-faced nun, calmed his magic and said,

“I don’t intend to belittle your attempt to balance the organization. It’s probably something the leader asked you to do, seeing your talent, rather than your own will.”

“……”

“But whatever deal you made with Daymus, or however you tried to test the attendees… you need to be careful when you start something.”

Lenok said, slowly leaning back in his chair.

“If the roles start to reverse, I don’t think I’ll have any reason to watch your side for long.”

“…Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Highrea barely managed to relax her stiff face and replied.

“But I can assure you that it’s not something that will harm your side. It’s not about being tied to Deadrise either. It’s just in terms of gauging the power of the Underworld…”

“That’s enough. I don’t want to hear a long explanation now. Instead-”

Zziiing…!!

Lenok, interrupting Highrea’s words, stopped speaking for a moment due to the sharp pain that ran up his spine.

In a short time, the effect of the painkiller wore off, and he felt his limbs tingling and his knees buckling.

Lenok, barely regaining his composure, leaned against the chapel chair and continued.

“Tell the leader that I’m ready. Anytime is fine.”

“…What if there’s no response?”

“Even so, he’ll definitely be listening.”

Lenok smiled.

“He’ll know better than anyone whether I’m ready or not.”

“……”

The collapse of the memorial tower, the massacre of the Machina. The leader and the cult leader.

The untold story of the Black Consumer Project surrounding Kaise Bajur.

Lenok looked back at the two cities that were built before Vulcan and chased after his past memories, and now he was gradually realizing what had happened in this city.

Just as the cult leader had looked at Lenok, the leader would know as well.

The message conveyed through Kroken was an expression of the leader’s will directly sent to Lenok.

The relationship between himself and Lenok that he had been pretending not to know.

A confirmation that he would talk again about the old memories that he had not tried to give meaning to.

Having confirmed that, there was no need to hesitate.

“Then…”

“Wait a minute.”

Highrea, seeing Lenok staggering as he turned around, quickly approached and handed him something.

A case containing several items that looked like silver pills.

“It’s a fever reducer. If you take it, it will temporarily separate your body and consciousness, making you distant from the pain of reality.”

Highrea said quietly.

“It’s something that a religious group that was destroyed by the Guido Order made to help their followers meet God.”

“……”

“If it’s too painful to bear, try taking one. Be careful because if you take it too often, you might never be able to return.”

“Well… I don’t think it’ll be very useful.”

In the first place, a magician with a strong self-awareness like Lenok would not easily experience such a gap between body and mind.

Even in Yorta, where all sorts of military spirits resided, Lenok’s soul or mind had never been shaken even once.

Like what Damon, a spirit from the central city, had said, there was an inviolable purity in Lenok that he was not even aware of.

Unless Lenok himself wanted it, nothing would interfere with his soul.

But even as he said that, Lenok took the fever reducer that Highrea gave him.

There was no need to refuse what was given, and it might be useful for someone other than Lenok.

More than that, the fact that Highrea had noticed Lenok’s reaction to the pain was more concerning.

It meant that Lenok’s condition was not good enough to hide the aftermath of the battle in Yorta.

Lenok, leaning weakly against the church door, turned his head and shone his eyes from behind his mask.

“You know, everything that happened today has to be kept secret.”

“…I was going to do that even if you didn’t say it. What do you think of me?”

“If news related to me leaks out, I’ll assume it’s your responsibility.”

“I don’t want to die either. I’ll take care of it.”

Highrea, still pale, retorted as if she was dumbfounded and disappeared behind the chapel.

She was probably going to contact the other members who hadn’t attended this meeting.

Lenok left the quiet church and immediately exited District 21.

“Hoo…”

As soon as he finished his work with Highrea, his concentration rapidly faded.

He arrived near his house with a hazy consciousness, not even knowing how he got there, and threw off his obsidian mask.

He lit a cigarette with trembling hands, and Davi watched him with pity.

[Let’s go home quickly. Master needs to rest.]

“…Jenny?”

[She’s been calling as soon as she came into range, but I’ll reply appropriately for now.]

“……”

Lenok was about to say something but looked back at himself and smiled bitterly.

It was just dawn.

At a time when people were going to work and walking the streets, he was leaning against his bike with a dying complexion, smoking a cigarette.

His head was floating, his consciousness was spinning, and the liveliness around him didn’t reach his skin and felt distant.

A strange sense of floating, as if his body and head were separating, even though he hadn’t taken the fever reducer that Highrea had given him.

The fatigue and pain that had been suppressed by the medicine spread like paint, slowly soaking his whole body.

Should he have rested a little longer in Yorta?

But the fact that the memorial tower had collapsed would have been known throughout the continent, so he had to get out before being caught by outsiders who heard the news and came looking for him.

There weren’t many points where his judgment was wrong. It was just that the power needed to make the best choice didn’t meet his expectations.

He felt regretful the more he thought about it, but Lenok gritted his teeth and slowly regained his composure.

“…Okay. Let’s do that.”

After handing his phone to Davi, he opened the door to his mansion and went inside.

He washed himself roughly as if he was pouring water on himself, fumbled with the medicine bottles lined up on the sink, opened them, and swallowed them.

“Haa, haa…”

He leaned against the bed, drank a lot of water, and slowly lay down.

When he lay down, exhausted by the throbbing head, rapid breathing, and pain of unknown origin, he always thought of the old days.

What if he fell asleep like this and never opened his eyes again?

In the old days, he used to go to sleep in pain every day, worrying about this.

Repeating the pain and worries, swallowing the tears that wouldn’t come out, and falling asleep-

And then, he would have to wake up with a sense of relief that he had survived another day.

The long journey of the military spirit city was over, and it was the morning of the day he returned to Vulcan.

Without opening his eyes even in the pouring sunlight, Lenok fell into a sleep without a promise for the first time in months.

* * *

District 49 of the megacity Vulcan. Jenny’s bar.

“Jenny!!”

Bang!!

The door of the crowded bar swung open, and several people poured in.

The unique atmosphere of each of them, with their diverse appearances and scattering magic, drew the attention of the surrounding people for a moment before dispersing.

Because the customers who visited this bar knew who these people who had just entered were.

Jenny, who was sitting at the bar and typing on her laptop, scratched her head with an annoyed look.

“I’ve told you ten times not to kick the door. I changed it a few days ago, you idiot!”

“No, there’s something more important than that!!”

Dillon, a mercenary wearing a strange mask, took out his phone while sweating profusely.

“I got a reply from Ban. You saw it too, right?”

“…So?”

“This guy. He suddenly became weird. He’s not the type to send replies like this.”

Dillon said that and showed Jenny the message that had arrived on his phone.

A reply to a message he sent, trying not to seem too worried, saying that it was hard to see his face.

[Dillon. I’m fine. I’ve met an organism of life recently and I’m doing very well.]

“……”

[It’s a very delicate, capable, and excellent organism. It’s an organism that I can trust and entrust all my work to.]

Dillon asked Jenny with a serious expression.

“I think Ban has finally gone crazy.”

“……”

The bar fell into a quiet silence.