Genius Wizard Takes Medicine-Chapter 192
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âI donât know how to start this conversationâŚâ Jenny sighed deeply as she spoke.
Lennok, checking her composed demeanor, remarked, âYou can tell just by looking, canât you?â
Although all the anxieties during his journey to the bar had proven baselessâshe bore no physical injuriesâthe three-story building housing the bar had undergone a radical transformation.
Above the second floor, the office lay in ruins, as if it had been subjected to an explosion. On the first floor, dust and blood were strewn about.
The only relatively undamaged area was the basement bar.
Even there, half of the bar was in ruins, with tables sporting broken legs scattered haphazardly.
Strangely enough, a few patrons remained, merrily laughing and drinking as if nothing had transpired.
âAnyone who comes here in this state must be out of their minds,â Lennok muttered, sticking out his tongue. Jenny chuckled, a cigarette dangling from her lips.
âItâs not like thereâs only one or two people who wouldnât be surprised if they died tomorrow,â she remarked.
Accepting the drink she handed him, Lennok produced a cigarette and inquired, âAlright, explain. I was planning on hearing a quick rundown of whatâs been happening and then resting, but what is this mess?â
âThe Cartel got involved,â she responded.
The term âCartelâ typically referred to a syndicate or group, but in this sprawling city, there was only one Cartel that commanded attention. One of the criminal organizations reigning over Vulcanâs underworld, also known as one of the âThree Heads,â they were renowned for their speed and profit-oriented approach.
âPutting up a sign and changing the trade name were good steps, but they countered too quickly,â she continued.
In Lennokâs absence, Jenny had followed his guidance to kickstart her venture. Within just ten days, she had successfully established a respectable operation with the support of multiple sponsors. Her business focus was distribution, with the goal of wresting control of the supply chain from the current scavenger operators.
âUsing the network I built as a broker, and gathering people disillusioned with mercenary life, I was planning on establishing a strong foothold quickly. It seems the Cartel was watching this side too,â she explained.
The mere fact that Jenny, the daughter of the man who once ruled Vulcanâs underworld, was entering the business had the potential to disrupt the marketâs existing power dynamics. The Cartel was apprehensive that the equilibrium would be disturbed.
Hence, they left a clear warning by vandalizing the bar during her absence.
âWhen I was focusing on brokerage, they didnât bother. Now things have changed,â she added, taking a drag from her cigarette.
âI canât continue to operate like this, so for now, Iâve diverted other freelancers to Sebastian or Madam. If we want customers to come back, I have to entrust it to people I know at least,â she explained.
âWhy am I excluded?â Lennok inquired. freeweb novel.com
âBecause the company was established under your name, of course.â
Jenny then handed Lennok a document, a business registration certificate with both their names engraved on it.
At this stage, questions about whether he had given consent or whether proper procedures had been followed were irrelevant. Lennok could only admire Jennyâs resourcefulness and decisiveness in effortlessly incorporating his vague identity into the business certificate.
âAs a reference, this is the amount of investment weâve collected before starting the business,â she informed him.
âHmmâŚâ
âThe salary set for the CEO is this amount. Additional negotiations are possible if needed,â she added.
Lennok nodded.
âLetâs start work immediately.â
In the world, businesspeople made the most money, followed by investors who backed those businesses.
Upon inspecting the figures on the calculator, all apprehensions evaporated in an instant.
After all, this had been agreed upon beforehand, before heading to the autonomous region.
If he couldnât wield significant influence in Vulcanâs shadows, he would never gain access to the rare magic and potions he coveted.
The time for hiding behind the excuse of being a freelancer had passed.
Now, bolstered by further validation of his abilities in the autonomous region, it was time to actively expand his influence.
***
[The news has reached me.]
Mana flowed from Yakson, trembling as it delivered the message.
[I heard even here that the guy hiding in the Republic has fallen into a coma.]
ââŚâŚ.â
While Vanâs name remained unspoken throughout the Drug Lordâs downfall, someone of Yaksonâs caliber wouldnât fail to discern Lennokâs actions.
She regarded Lennok with emotionless eyes and silently accepted the Malabest roots he offered.
[Although I, who had given up everything, have no right to say this⌠I still want to say that youâve fulfilled my wish.]
âIt was something I thought I could do, so I tried. I can only say I was lucky to succeed.â Lennok candidly expressed his feelings.
Revealing any specifics about his confrontation with the Drug Lord could pose a danger, but it didnât matter in front of Yakson. Because after their meeting today, she would not retain any memories.
[Nothing happens by chance among skilled people like you and the Drug Lord.]
Yakson firmly contradicted Lennokâs words.
[How can luck or fate be blamed between beings who can interfere with the laws? I too do not resent, though I may lament my inadequacies. HoweverâŚ]
In contrast to her words, which seemed to transcend earthly concerns, human attachments werenât easily discarded.
Both Lennok and Yakson understood this without needing to articulate it.
[I will also do my best to respond to your wishes. Leave it to me.]
As she picked up the dull-colored root, her eyes shone brighter than ever before.
[With this, I can offer you one possibility against your unbelievable nature.]
Silently, Lennok descended the mountain, observing Yakson as she closed the door of the small hut and disappeared.
Sorcerers who had reached their limits imposed restrictions on themselves to ascend to a higher realm. Triggers employed by spellcasters like Grisha operated on similar principles.
How far could Lennok, who had been imposing penalties on himself since his arrival in this world, progress?
When Lennok eventually uncovered the answer he sought, would he remain the same person he was at the outset?
That remained an unknown.
Even virtuous individuals like Yakson could fall into their own snares due to momentary lapses.
Lennok, too, needed to be perpetually vigilant against meeting a similar fate.
Only after handing the Malabest to Yakson did Lennok conclude his essential tasks and return home.
Following his agreement with Jenny to adopt a wait-and-see approach as the conflict with the cartel had concluded with a warning, his first priority was to rest.
He set down bags filled with items brought from the autonomous region.
He laid his unwashed body on the dust-covered bed.
âCough.â
A cough escaped involuntarily, but Lennok closed his eyes and lay still.
The painkillers and sedatives taken one after another in the autonomous region, along with the accumulated fatigue from continuous lack of rest, had taken their toll.
He had managed to obtain sufficient rest at the lighthouse to regain his mobility, but nothing compared to the comfort of returning home.
Although it remained unstable and could vanish at any moment.
It was a haven that Lennok had constructed with his own hands.
âHuuuâŚâŚâ
It felt as though he could drift into slumber at any moment, but there was one last task to complete.
Many messages had accumulated on his cellphone, which connected as soon as he returned to Vulcan.
âWhy on Earth arenât you answering? Where are you?â Aris sent an irate text, to which Lennok replied with a message indicating his return from vacation.
Evelyn proposed a meeting, but Lennok declined with a message.
Dylan expressed his frustration about Lennokâs absence from the bar lately. In response, Lennok explained that he had closed down the business. After this, he powered off his phone and lay down.
As he closed his eyes, his consciousness plunged deep into slumber.
Before long, the only sound in the tranquil room was the gentle rhythm of breathing.
***
âHas he returned?â
âYes, seems like smashing the bar had some effect. He showed himself not even three days later, probably he was keeping an eye on the situation.â
âHmm⌠The woman I know wouldnât destroy the bar just to observe the reaction.â
Eola, a woman with a husky voice, grew irritated by the manâs nonchalant response.
âWhether you know or not, it doesnât matter. The situation is what it is, what are you even saying?â
âCalm down, Eola. Iâm just saying based on my memory⌠So, howâs the business Jenny said she would start?â
âShe hesitated the day we wrecked the bar, but resumed work the next day. Itâs as if our movements didnât matter from the start.â
âHmmâŚâ
âWe wonât be able to stop anything if we hesitate. Somehow she secured a large number of investors, led by an old man named Vincent who was in charge of inter-city trade. Itâs hard to pressure them since theyâre different from the business people weâve been backing in the Vulcan.â
âSo we have to deal with Jenny again?â
The woman remained silent, but her silence was tantamount to agreement.
âShould I contact the boss again? Our old man owes a lot to Kaiser too.â
âVirgil, are you still talking about that? Wake up. The boss said itâs okay to kill Jenny.â
ââŚâ
âOnly you old timers in the back room remember Kaiser. We need to forget that name and eliminate any competent competitors.â
Virgil offered no response.
Eola sighed, observing his stubborn demeanor.
âAre you hesitant to get your hands dirty? Fine, Iâll do it myself.â
âWhat are you planning?â
âIf she doesnât listen the first time, weâll cut off her limbs next.â
Her eyes gleamed coldly as she spoke.
âDonât worry, Iâll handle it. Not only will I complete the task perfectly, but I will also get an estimate of that wizard Lennokâs capabilities.â
***
-Lennok. I really donât care, but there are many complaints from the university administrative office.
Aris coughed awkwardly.
ââŚI apologize.â
-Please know this only got better after you revealed you are a spirit master. Itâs fine with me if you donât do anything in the lab, but itâd be good to at least show your face.â
âYes, yes. Iâll try to start coming in from next week. I wonât take such long vacations anymore.â
After ending the call, Lennok straightened his hunched back and let out a sigh.
He hadnât expected Aris to contact him directly the morning after receiving his message. Lennok didnât have much to say about it; after all, he owed Aris for recruiting him into the lab despite his limited contributions.
âShould I at least start somethingâŚâ
Muttering to himself, Lennok powered on the laptop he had set aside in his lab and took a seat.