Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 955

Huddersfield Forest. The tranquil haven where Duris Workshop’s atelier was nestled. A path wound through the ancient trees, their branches intertwined like old friends.

Lenok watched the 2nd Apostle’s back as he moved through the swaying trees.

“……”

His relaxed demeanor was a stark contrast to the intense spell clash they’d had moments before. When they’d met at the Far East Branch, the chaotic situation had prevented Lenok from truly observing the 2nd Apostle.

Beyond knowing he was a monster of unrealistic power, Lenok had little understanding of his true nature. But the Apostle before him now showed no signs of fanaticism or sinister intent.

He was as calm as still water in a lake. His languid gait, his gaze, his breathing, his very metabolism. Even his body temperature and magical power felt more human than Apostle.

Was he able to imitate a human because he was free from madness, or was he free from madness because he was pretending to be human?

As Lenok walked, pondering this, the 2nd Apostle spoke first.

“Five is the number of humans. Six is the number of beasts.”

“That’s why the 6th Apostle was often filled by those who were physically the strongest, but also relatively susceptible to madness.”

“……”

“It was the position with the most candidates discussed within the Order, and it was intended to be frequently replaced.”

The 2nd Apostle said casually, settling onto a bench overlooking the lake.

“It’s not strange that Anathema became the 6th Apostle. But there is another hidden role given to the sixth Apostle.”

“A role?”

The 2nd Apostle’s gaze flickered past Lenok.

“The 6th Apostle is originally one of the vessels prepared for His reincarnation.”

“……”

“If all plans fail and the Order’s arrangements are exhausted, He is scheduled to take the place of the soul of an Apostle who has fallen into madness.”

The 2nd Apostle smiled, leaving Lenok in silence.

“The reason why the sixth Apostle is filled by those with strong bodies, and why the Apostle’s magic of the Underworld God is particularly efficient, is for that reason. A normal vessel would not be able to withstand His presence.”

“……”

“Anathema knew. And he received the seat of the Apostle in exchange for taking on that role. It was because there was an urgent need to fill the vacancy after the previous Apostle was annihilated in the battle with the Compendium [a powerful magical artifact or organization].”

The 2nd Apostle’s eyes, gazing at the calm lake, turned cold.

“So, I don’t think it was such a bad thing that he died at your hands.”

“……”

“Even though he was an outsider, he knew too much about the Order, which meant that there was a lot of room for him to use the Order.”

The 2nd Apostle leaned back in his chair and slowly tilted his head back.

“Of course, He would consider even such variables as passing amusement, but such impressions are not my role……”

“Do you serve the Lord, yet think that His will and feelings are separate from your own?”

Lenok stood with a blank face, looking down at the 2nd Apostle sitting on the bench.

“You are indeed different from the other Apostles.”

“……”

“You are not just free from the shackles of madness, but you also try not to be bound by the Order’s faith.”

Lenok asked.

“You are the most independent of all the Apostles I have seen. Is your position the same regarding the Lord?”

“You’re the different one.”

The 2nd Apostle replied calmly.

His clear gaze looked up at Lenok through his glasses.

“Your existence is an exception that has occurred less than three times in the entire history of the Order.”

“……”

“The Order’s faith serves the Outer Gods, but its essence is only for Him. If He wishes, all the rules of the Order must be put aside.”

“That’s an interesting confession.”

Lenok sneered.

“The Order’s doctrine is not about the Outer Gods, but a set of rules made only for the Lord?”

“The gods of the Outer Seas are not interested in this world. What they want is not faith, but the end.”

“……”

Lenok was speechless at the assertion he never thought he would hear from the Order’s chief Apostle.

He was casually uttering thoughts that were not even allowed for a believer who had died for the doctrine.

However, even while looking at Lenok’s expression with amusement, the 2nd Apostle did not stop talking.

As if such restraints and norms had no meaning to him.

“The only reason the gods share their dreams with their incarnations is because only He is loved by the gods.”

He asked, twisting his lips as if in self-mockery.

“Not only gods but also humans. To the Order’s believers, the Sea God is just a vague fantasy, and what they believe in and follow is only the Savior.”

“……”

“How can we not follow Him when our existence originated from Him, not from the gods?”

Having said that, the 2nd Apostle slowly rose from his seat.

His body, turned towards Lenok, flickered as it was hidden among the shadows of the lake.

It was not that he was hidden in the shadows, but that he seemed to have become the very shadows themselves, flickering darkly.

“The Sea God and the humans on land are connected by the existence of a single person, so how could you abandon Him?”

The monster whispered, writhing all over as he looked down at Lenok.

“How… how could you deny the salvation He desires?”

“You…”

Lenok, who had been silent, slowly raised his eyes.

It was because he immediately sensed why he was asking Lenok these questions now.

“You saw it.”

The 2nd Apostle saw the moment when Lenok and the Lord met.

The reason why he appeared before Lenok at this point and mentioned salvation.

The reason why he was expressing his will by talking about Lenok’s rejection of the salvation the Lord wanted.

He knew that the three of them had gathered in one place and exchanged answers, yet ultimately did not stand in the same place.

Was it because the Lord allowed it, or was it because he himself had the qualifications to do so?

Lenok thought that perhaps the two were not different.

The reason why the 2nd Apostle was free from madness. The reason why he could be free from the power of the Self-Domain [a personal space or ability that distorts reality]. The reason why he could freely glimpse the meeting in his memory.

A power that is not bound by concepts and rules, forms and will.

“The power of the Outer God you serve is, from the beginning-”

“Well?”

The 2nd Apostle, who suddenly cut off Lenok’s words, chuckled.

His figure, having taken a step back, quickly escaped behind the shadows and returned to normal.

The 2nd Apostle, who had returned to the form of a young man wearing glasses, shrugged nonchalantly.

“Isn’t it too futile to think of it as a specific concept?”

“……”

“Up to this point, it was my pure curiosity, and now I have to do what I have to do.”

What he had to do.

Lenok also did not forget at what moment the 2nd Apostle had appeared before him.

The moment he obtained the Similar [a magical item or concept] from Elbato Duris and realized that the word itself symbolized someone.

“Forget about Kaise Bajur.”

The 2nd Apostle said, leaning against the back of the bench.

“The fact that he made a deal with the Order should not be revealed for the time being.”

“……”

“The fact that I explained the Order’s situation to you today and let you off even after looking into my magic is the price for that.”

The role of the 6th Apostle. The essence of the doctrine. Even the origin and foundation of the 2nd Apostle.

Was the fact that he had told and acknowledged all of that to keep the matter of Kaise Bajur a secret?

“I don’t remember accepting such a trivial deal.”

“Really? Then it doesn’t matter.”

The 2nd Apostle smiled, rubbing his neck nonchalantly.

“You weren’t planning on going around and telling people anyway, were you?”

“……”

“What I want to say is that all matters related to him require procedure.”

The young man, raising his finger, slowly flicked his wrist.

“If you don’t want to be bound by the shackles of the Prohibition [a magical or divine law], you have to put something on the other side of the scale.”

“Even with that much power, you are still wary of being bound by the Prohibition.”

Lenok asked.

“Why are you trying so hard to hide Kaise’s betrayal?”

“If you’ve been investigating the project, you should know.”

The young man, raising his gaze with a complicated expression, replied.

“He was standing on a precarious borderline from the beginning… and in the end, he failed to maintain his balance.”

“……”

“It’s not his fault that he changed. Rather, it was the result of doing too well. But…”

The 2nd Apostle’s eyes, looking at Lenok, shone coldly.

“Either way, you will be disappointed.”

“Either way…”

Lenok smiled bitterly at those words.

It was because he seemed to know exactly what the ‘either way’ he was talking about referred to.

He understood. The project was a plan to clarify all the failures of the world without exception.

Even if everything changed from the beginning after repeating countless failures, it wouldn’t be strange.

However, even knowing that, Lenok answered quietly.

“How can a person always be the same as they were at the beginning?”

“……”

“I know. I also know that bringing up Anathema’s story to me was quite intentional. And that there is an ending that must be explained through such an implication.”

Just as Anathema ended up abandoning his beliefs and falling as an Apostle, could Kaise have changed like that at the end of the project?

The moment the 2nd Apostle deliberately brought up Anathema’s story, which had already been completely concluded,

Lenok understood that this conversation was, in a way, hinting at Kaise’s ending.

Lenok, who had walked past the 2nd Apostle, muttered.

“But it’s okay. That doesn’t mean that the wish Kaise had was a lie.”

“……”

“The proof is already within me.”

Lenok smiled.

“I just want to understand everything before I become the answer.”

“I see…”

The 2nd Apostle smiled bitterly and lowered his head.

“I can’t change the answer given by His adversary with just my words.”

“……”

“But this is a warning, Ban.”

The 2nd Apostle, who called his name gently like an old friend, grinned.

“If you keep going like this, I will have to kill you someday. Especially if you try to ignore everything while so persistently digging into the plan.”

“It’s usually the person who gets the last chance who is the most ruthless.”

Was it because he was facing the 2nd Apostle, who was constantly showing a relaxed attitude?

It was clearly an important story, but even Lenok’s answer flowed out gently, as if he were joking.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have the time to consider the circumstances of a fanatic.”

“Is that so.”

However, the 2nd Apostle seemed pleased with even Lenok’s answer, and closed his eyes with a faint smile.

“That arrogance to be able to say that is truly, enviable…”

“……”

“That’s why I think I should end it here today.”

The 2nd Apostle, who had turned his back with his eyes closed, slowly took off his glasses.

As if he had no intention of showing Lenok his naked eyes, he naturally turned his gaze away.

“If I talk to you any longer, I think I’ll forget the real purpose of coming here.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have an appointment to meet the Order’s new Maiden. I think I’ll be busy for a while.”

The 2nd Apostle replied with a laughing voice.

“Since Izel and Seina have left, someone has to stay and clean up, right?”

“……”

He was the chief Apostle who had been directly handling the major events within the Order.

There would be many things to discuss with Ureka Naidri, who had newly ascended to the position of Maiden.

Whether the 2nd Apostle liked Ureka Naidri or not, he would do what he had to do, as always.

Lenok, who had thought that far, nodded with a strange smile.

“I would like you to pass on my regards to the new Maiden as well.”

“Regards?”

“She’ll be very happy if you ask if her arm is okay.”

“……What? Hahahaha!!”

The 2nd Apostle also burst into laughter, belatedly realizing what Lenok had said.

The young man, who rarely showed any emotional fluctuations, said, catching his breath as he shook his shoulders while laughing.

“In the private vault given to the VIP of the workshop, there is an old treasure of the Order stored.”

“……”

“Take it. It’s a useful item for a magician like you.”

“If you’re thinking of trying to win me over with a gift now, don’t you think it’s too late?”

“That’s right. You’re the only human who can say that in front of our Lord’s servant.”

“……”

“So please, I hope you will be alive until we meet again.”

The Apostle, who took a slow step away from Lenok, said.

“Whether your fate finds enlightenment, or you fall into arrogance and end up at the bottom of the abyss…”

The moment a cold silver light flickered between the 2nd Apostle’s hidden eyes.

“I want it to be done in front of the gods.”

Whoosh!

With a soft whisper, the 2nd Apostle’s presence disappeared.

A disappearance as if he had been erased by painting over the empty air with a brush.

However, his existence would not disappear from this world, and he would still freely roam through time and space.

It was a contradictory thing.

The fact that the second Apostle, who should be free and unbound by any constraints, was actually bound by the most important duty of leading the Order.

As with the countless fates and answers Lenok had seen so far, the origin could not become the origin itself.

The essence could not become the essence itself, and the trajectory of life was always bound by contradictions.

That was probably because the existence of this world itself was a miracle established on contradictions.

Because this star, which should have been destroyed as causality closed, was still shining in the dark sea.

Lenok thought so and turned around to walk back the way he had come.

The workshop employees who had been knocked out by the 2nd Apostle probably hadn’t regained consciousness yet.

There seemed to be time left to copy the Similar’s blueprint and check the treasure that the 2nd Apostle had left in the vault beforehand.

There was still work to be done before returning to Balkan.