Chapter 467: Where Promises Intersect (8)
Even Lennok, who had crossed countless battle lines, had moments of tension.
He merely maintained his composure with the strong mental fortitude of a wizard, but Lennok, too, was human and felt fear.
If one couldn’t properly understand their inner weaknesses and negative emotions, it would be impossible to shake them off.
But the current moment, heading to the bar, was undeniably as tense as when he was heading into the jungle.
That was because the guest waiting for him at Jenny’s bar was someone even Lennok found difficult to deal with.
He passed through District 49 as the evening sun set, heading to the bar.
He went past the now-familiar stairs into the dim, familiar sight of the bar.
Jenny, who had been talking with a single customer, recognized Lennok and beckoned with a finger.
“Van, over here.”
“……”
A woman with bright blonde hair sat across from Jenny, sipping a drink. She was neatly dressed in a coat, as if she’d just returned from a long journey, with a small bag set at her feet. It was the first time Lennok had seen her with her abundant hair tied back tightly.
Jenny shrugged, looking at Lennok.
“This is Professor Aris Richellen. You worked together during the Defense Force rebellion incident, right? No need for separate introductions.”
Aris didn’t respond, and Lennok exhaled softly, then sat down a little distance away. The two sat side by side at the bar, leaving one seat empty between them.
“……?”
Jenny also seemed to immediately notice the awkward atmosphere hanging between them, twitching her eyebrows, but she said nothing about it. Instead, she stood in front of Lennok and simply tapped a shaker.
“What would you like to drink? Crevasse, Failder, Banusha… I just had the warehouse completely cleared out, so we’ve got a lot of new products in.”
“……Something I haven’t had before.”
“If the two of you have something private to discuss, should we get to that first?”
Jenny naturally pulled out a few bottles from the back shelf and began to mix a cocktail as she asked, “You said you were looking for someone. What’s it about?”
“……”
Lennok instinctively opened his mouth at her words, then closed it, remembering Aris sitting beside him.
Jenny chuckled, a slightly apologetic expression on her face.
“I guess this wasn’t something to talk about here. If it’s urgent, right now…”
“No, it’s fine.”
Originally, Lennok had intended to ask for information about the bloodline of the household head, who had traditionally managed the fissure in the fortress. If anyone in this city had recognized and accepted the possibility of the Outer Sea, it would most likely be the nobles of the fortress who had grown up near the fissure from birth.
However, as Lennok sorted through his thoughts on the way to the bar, he realized that approach wouldn’t be very meaningful.
Lennok’s clear understanding of the Outer Sea’s existence didn’t come from the fissure in the fortress, but from the Well of the Codex.
His visit to the fissure today was solely driven by the hope of gaining a clearer picture of the Outer Sea’s possibilities.
Though he had deployed his Domain near the fissure just in case, he hadn’t held high expectations for his kaleidoscope to reveal anything concrete without a specific understanding of the Outer Sea’s potential.
On the contrary, the fact that he obtained a result from a single attempt, and that outcome was so drastically different from his expectations, was what troubled his thoughts.
This wasn’t a problem that required searching for other external factors.
It was the scenery of another possibility, lost at a branching point Lennok himself possessed.
Why did the version of him at the branching point that extended towards the Outer Sea not even exist?
To know that, Lennok ultimately had no choice but to delve deeply into himself.
The conclusion was set from the beginning.
“Find me the best doctor in the underworld. Can you do it?”
“……”
Leaving Jenny and Aris in silence, Lennok quietly continued.
“Ideally, someone in diagnostic fields who can quantify physical information. Considering various possibilities, it would be best if they specialize in blood or genetics…”
“Wait, Van… do you know what you’re saying right now?”
Jenny, leaning low in front of Lennok, asked with a stiff, hardened face.
“You’ve never asked me to find someone like that, not once.”
“……That’s true.”
Of course, that was due to the existence of a penalty closely related to Lennok’s secret, but he had never told Jenny about it. The moment Lennok slightly tilted his head, thinking she had no reason to be so serious.
Aris, who had been silent, quietly spoke.
“Is it because of Madrich Onnion?”
“……”
Silence fell.
Only then did Lennok realize what Jenny and Aris were thinking, and he slightly frowned.
‘It’s for the alibi.’
During his long absence for Pandemonium’s operation, he had used the excuse of an injury from battling Madrich Onnion. Rumors that Adamant Thunder and Madrich Onnion had fought, causing widespread repercussions, had even spread outside the city.
That’s why the two of them thought Lennok was looking for a doctor because of injuries from the battle with Onnion.
If Lennok, who had never sought a doctor through countless battles, suddenly needed one, what could the reason be? If a wizard who only met a Yakson for prescriptions suddenly needed a check-up, the possible causes were limited.
“……I’ll explain later.”
How could he explain here that he needed a more precise examination of himself due to the scenery within his Domain?
So Lennok tried to vaguely deny it and postpone the explanation, but his suspicious attitude seemed to only confirm their suspicions.
Jenny put down the shaker and immediately turned towards the office inside the bar.
“I’ll put an anonymous master-level request on the deep web. And if I contact my acquaintances to purchase additional information, I can get a conclusion within 36 hours. Jordan?”
“……I’ll contact my old colleagues. Some of them might still be active on the Central Front.”
Jordan, who had been listening quietly with his arms crossed, quickly disappeared, and only the sound of Jenny typing on a keyboard echoed from inside the room.
“……”
Incredibly swift work. Such skilled actions made it seem like half the job was done the moment it began.
It was clear from their demeanor how seriously Jenny and Jordan were taking this matter.
Lennok considered simply being honest and asking for their understanding at this point, but ultimately decided against it.
Hadn’t he been able to participate in Pandemonium’s operation precisely because he had the excuse of being injured and recuperating from the battle with Madrich Onnion?
In the underworld of the mega-city, the name Adamant Thunder had long since grown to a point where it couldn’t be hidden without such an alibi.
At a time when he couldn’t reveal all his identities and purposes to Jenny or Aris, denying that fact himself carried too high a risk.
And now, with them so diligently searching for a doctor, it was difficult to dissuade them.
Eventually, Lennok tapped his empty glass, then turned his gaze to a problem he had momentarily set aside.
Towards the wizard, Aris Richellen, who had turned her gaze to him and was staring blankly.
“It’s been a while since the Defense Force operation ended.”
“……Indeed.”
“If you have something to say, shall we hear it here?”
“……”
Seeing her hesitation, Lennok shook his head.
“We can move to another spot if you prefer…”
“No, it’s fine.”
Seeing Aris’s determined expression, Lennok also braced himself.
He felt he vaguely knew why she had sought out Van in District 49, not Lennok, at this moment.
Aris Richellen was half-certain that Lennok and Van were the same person, but she hadn’t personally confirmed it or heard the truth directly. There was a subtle boundary between Lennok and Van’s identities.
Wasn’t she specifically looking for Van at Jenny’s bar to convey something that she couldn’t directly tell Lennok himself, even though she knew Van was Lennok?
That night, after the Defense Force incident concluded, when the two last met and talked.
A considerable amount of time had passed, and countless things had happened beyond words, but Lennok still hadn’t forgotten.
He just hadn’t expected their reunion, if it ever happened again, to be like this.
Lennok, too, was curious to hear her reason.
Inside the empty bar, the quiet sound of a keyboard echoed.
“I made a mistake with a friend.”
After a long hesitation, Aris clasped her glass tightly with both hands and spoke.
“I was happy to learn a secret, and then bewildered when I understood the reason. I believed there was a problem that had to be solved, even if it meant reducing the time I spent in this city.”
“……”
“It was arrogance. If it was something I could solve alone, there would have been no reason to hide it and agonize over it like that…”
Her characteristic deep blue eyes, gazing up at Lennok, were unchanged.
Lennok knew that a stronger will and deeper Mind Imprint flowed within those eyes than before.
While he spent his time in the Magic Tower, Aris had not forgotten to continuously build upon her own achievements.
“Did you come back to tell me that?”
“I heard news. They said you took on various problems while I was away. I tried to make some time because I was worried, but…”
Aris, who had been looking at Lennok with a sorrowful gaze, put down her glass and stood up.
“This is all I could do.”
She took something from inside her trench coat and pushed it onto Lennok’s table. It was in the shape of a small bookmark. But the magical power flowing from it was on a different level from most artifacts. The complex, tangled magical energy seemed to be materializing into a clear intention within the bookmark, like a crystal of intense desire, as if a Mind Imprint had been directly infused into it.
Lennok stared at it quietly for a while, then asked, “This is…?”
“I didn’t find nothing while searching for a way at the Magic Tower,” Aris said quietly. “I’ve already confirmed the direction. Even if it’s difficult alone, there might be room to find a more fundamental solution.”
“…”
Instead of answering, Lennok quietly closed his eyes.
Was she saying that the reason she went to the Magic Tower in the first place was because she had guessed Lennok’s secret and its cause?
He knew she was intelligent, but he hadn’t imagined she would think and act to that extent based on just a few words.
Meaning that could never be conveyed in words, emotions that hadn’t yet been properly defined. They were still wandering between unspoken secrets and shared torment.
Aris and Lennok were both merely searching for their own ways in the tangled, flowing stream of time.
Lennok quietly reached out and picked up the bookmark.
“I’ll be sure to deliver it to your friend.”
“……Thank you.”
Aris gave a strained smile.
After that, Aris exchanged a brief greeting with Jenny and left immediately. It seemed she had come fully prepared to return to the Magic Tower, given how she looked as if she’d just arrived from a journey.
After receiving Jenny’s confirmation that she needed about a day, Lennok immediately left the bar and headed home. He hadn’t had proper rest since Pandemonium’s operation ended.
It would be good to get at least a day’s rest.
He lost himself in thought, blankly watching the flow of people on the street.
‘It might be time for cross-validation…’
Up until now, Lennok had been extremely reluctant to seek the help of hospitals or healers, no matter how severe his injuries or damage.
His talent and potential were ridiculously immense compared to his still-unripe growth and Hierarchy.
He thought that anyone who examined his body might discover Lennok’s secret.
That’s why Lennok had thoroughly concealed and managed his identity and physical information, but now circumstances were a little different.
‘Still, using Van’s name would be much less of a burden.’
It was already well-known in this city that Adamant Thunder was a high-level wizard equivalent to at least Level 8.
If he got a health check-up under Van’s name and problems arose, the likelihood of it escalating into a major commotion was low.
Many things had changed since he first set foot in this city. Lennok’s own power and status, as well as the major forces he was connected to, and the existence of various allies.
He didn’t believe they would remain lukewarm allies forever, but wouldn’t it be enough to solidify Van’s standing?
[Should I make reservations at the most famous medical facilities in this city?]
Davi, who had been squirming in his arms, asked, having confirmed Lennok’s intention, but Lennok shook his head.
“No, it’s better to wait for Jenny’s contact if possible.”
[Anyway, it’s obvious that all the brokers she finds are just unlicensed quacks.]
“I don’t care if they’re unlicensed, a reliable person is the priority. In fact, finding someone in the underworld side would be better for security… Wait, what are you doing?”
Lennok stared at the phone screen moving on its own in his hand and let out a bewildered laugh.
“Were you trying to book the spirit clinic we went to last time? That vet would be terrified if a human sat on the examination table.”
[W-Well, you never know.]
“What?”
Davi glanced at Lennok and mumbled, [Maybe Master has a hidden tail too…]
“……”
Lennok thought deeply about why Davi was suddenly saying such a thing, then sighed and shook his head.
“If you want to go to the clinic again, just tell me anytime. But I’m not going to skimp on the investment, so don’t try to hide it again.”
[No, that’s not what I meant.]
“If you’re talking about the manifestation of additional abilities, let’s research it after Aris returns. Come to think of it, there were rumors that among high-level spirit sorcerers, there were geniuses who fused their bodies with spirits using their own methods.”
[……You’re not listening to me, are you?]
The moment Davi said that and was about to snort.
Screech…!!
Someone tumbled in front of Lennok, who had put down his shake and stood up, and slid across the ground. The person, leaving streaks of bright red blood on the pavement, scrambled to get up and tried to run away, when at that very moment, another long figure appeared right behind him, snatched him, and slammed him into the ground.
CRASH!!
“Ugh…!!”
“Where do you think you’re going? Did you think you could drink that and get far?”
The person trying to escape screamed at the young man’s cold, menacing voice.
“F-fuck… I didn’t know!! Those bastards just forced it down my throat!!”
The figure desperately struggled to escape the young man’s grip. Despite the clear commotion unfolding before him, Lennok casually put down his empty glass and stood up.
Right now, he was neither Van nor Victor. Getting involved in troublesome matters under Lennok’s identity would be difficult to clean up later. Just as he thought that and was about to leave and open his database to collect information on medical facilities…
[Oh, Master?]
Davi blinked in confusion and pointed a paw at something struggling over there.
[That person is emitting a terminal signal similar to Master’s?]
“What?”
[Decryption code: Ryan Aiter. It’s the terminal of the blood wizard who works at the broker’s bar.]
“……”
Only then did Lennok’s eyes narrow as he understood the meaning of Davi’s words. The boy’s appearance, a somewhat familiar voice. Now that he looked, the blood-soaked face was also familiar. Even if the terminal was Ryan’s, it was almost certain, yet he hadn’t recognized that boy as Ryan.
It was absurd for Lennok to forget a life signature once remembered by his magic sense and resonance.
So what did it mean that Lennok hadn’t detected Ryan Aiter’s signature?
It meant Ryan’s life signature had completely transformed into something else since he last saw him. Although he wielded blood magic, Ryan was still human, so if he had transformed into something else, it was almost certainly…
“……Has he become a vampire?”
[His metabolism has decreased by 80% compared to the most recently recorded data. His body temperature measured by nearby sensors is 15.4 degrees Celsius. Blood flow speed increased by 413.33%. His magic amount decreased by 12%.]
Davi didn’t directly answer Lennok’s question, but the data the spirit conveyed pointed to a more definite answer than any words.
“Interesting.”
He had met Ryan long ago for a request and pulled him into freelance work, but he never expected him to have become a vampire since they last met. Lennok was less concerned about Ryan’s life being in danger than he was intensely curious about the fact that he had become a vampire.
It just so happened that Lennok had been focusing on the theme of his own body and blood recently.
Was it merely a coincidence that a letter Madame had given him long ago came to mind at this moment?
If Ryan had truly been reborn as a completely different species, it wouldn’t be bad to hear the whole story from him.
Lennok brought a hand to his face and said to Davi, “Contact Jenny separately and inform her of the situation. Tell her to bring any necessary information.”
[There are 649 registered historical texts on vampire extermination methods. Should I brief you now?]
“No need.”
The moment Lennok said that and took a step forward, his black coat slipped down from his shoulders. At the same time as his magic rotated, the blinding lightning naturally trembled through the air.
Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!!
“If I beat him up, he’ll spill everything himself.”
The moment Lennok grinned, seeing the lightning he had ignited from his fingertips after a long time.
Click, click…!!
Suddenly, the black cube, Penteract, which had absorbed all that magical power, began to thrum within Lennok’s arms.