Genius Wizard Takes Medicine Chapter 13

New Drug

Of course, the quality of those eyewitness reports was no better than what ordinary people could provide. Even so, they sometimes proved unexpectedly useful, which was why Jordan occasionally planted backdoors in the network used by the Scavengers.

“……Wow.”

The clip was only three seconds long, but what it showed was anything but ordinary.

A blue bolt of lightning ripped through the dry sky and struck the ground, scorching the surface black.

It was not a sight one could easily witness.

Jenny, left momentarily speechless, replayed the video again before letting out a short laugh.

“So this is what that guy did earlier?”

“Didn’t he say himself that he was a lightning-type mage? It’s almost certainly him.”

Even if they could not use magic themselves, in this line of work, basic knowledge of magic was essential.

Both Jenny and Jordan knew very well how difficult it was to call down lightning from a clear sky.

Elemental magic, which relied on pure will and mana without using a specific medium, was notorious for its difficulty.

Unlike modern magic, which had been refined for ease of use, it was closer to the traditional magic of the past and required a long period of training before it became practical.

Even manifesting a specific element around oneself required a long period of training. Then how much time and talent would it take to spread mana into empty air, draw in one’s will, and manifest a phenomenon there?

Jenny replayed the video again and muttered to herself.

“No matter how conservatively I judge it, he has to be at least Level 4.”

A Level 4 standard magic user referred to a mage who had gone beyond merely learning and casting spells, reaching a stage where they possessed a complete understanding of their craft.

Mages at that level could hold their ground even in battles dominated by modern firepower and were recognized not merely as spellcasters, but as researchers in their own right.

It was the minimum rank required for someone to independently study, refine, and develop the magic system they had learned.

Mages of Level 4 or higher who were registered under Balkan City Hall’s management could receive a city pension whenever they wished, and they were even granted bonuses simply for submitting research results.

“He might even be Level 5 or higher.”

“That’s absurd. Why would a genius like that work here just to collect bounties? If he showed his magic anywhere, he could get a position immediately.”

At Jenny’s words, Jordan shook his head.

“If it were any other school, maybe. But when it comes to lightning-type magic, I have one guess.”

“…Are you saying that nerd belongs to the Thorburn school?”

Even as Jenny denied it, she recalled something Lenoch had muttered.

Hadn’t he said he had not been in the city for long?

“You never know. But if he really is connected to those war entrepreneurs… he could become a very useful partner.”

Jordan said this while putting Taylor Evans’s body back into the bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

As he headed toward the incinerator in the basement, his eyes glowed faintly.

Lenoch left Jenny’s bar at once and headed for the Orchard she had mentioned.

The explanation she had given him along the way had caught his interest.

The massive city of Balkan was divided into dozens of districts, and the atmosphere of each area differed greatly depending on when it had been developed during the city’s expansion.

Districts 0 through 9 contained the administrative zones responsible for the city’s core operations and economy.

The 10s formed a forest of buildings where the headquarters of countless businesses, including massive corporations, were gathered.

The 20s contained most of the busy districts where Balkan’s citizens lived and worked.

The 30s were home to large-scale city facilities that required wide areas, such as amusement parks and ports.

The 40s were districts where unauthorized organizations had taken advantage of chaotic development, while the 50s were filled with undeveloped areas where vagrants and all kinds of criminals wandered.

The Orchard Jenny had mentioned was located in District 31.

It was Plumber’s Botanical Garden, the largest facility of its kind in Balkan.

Facilities frequently visited by families were usually located in the lower-numbered areas of the 30s, and this botanical garden was one such facility placed in District 31.

Lenoch bought a ticket at the booth of the botanical garden, which had been built like a massive stadium, and went inside.

The ticket cost 10,000 Cel, but after collecting the bounty, his pockets were full. It was not much of a burden.

Inside the botanical garden, beneath an artificial sun, stretched a vast jungle made entirely of plants.

There were enormous flowers large enough to shelter several people, and blossoms that held hundreds of colors at once. They were so strange and beautiful that even Lenoch stopped for a moment to admire them.

Trees moved across the fields like living animals, while umbrella-shaped flower seeds drifted lazily through the air, drawing his gaze.

However, Lenoch soon pulled his attention back and began walking in the direction Jenny had told him.

By the time he had walked for quite a while, deep fatigue was already pressing down on his entire body.

Eventually, he reached a souvenir shop located along the exit route after circling the large botanical garden.

It was a huge shop that sold dolls and keychains for children, as well as glass crystals preserving petals said to symbolize good luck.

Behind a display case filled with various plant models, Lenoch opened a small side door marked Authorized Personnel Only.

After descending a long staircase to the lower floor, a different, stimulating smell began to prick at his nose.

As Lenoch descended the stairs and turned his head, he saw a faint purple smoke lingering in the air.

Rather than walking into it, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and spoke.

“I came here on Jenny’s recommendation.”

“Jenny?”

A voice answered.

The smoke quickly dispersed, revealing the room beyond.

One wall of the large room was densely covered with wooden drawers. There seemed to be at least several thousand of them.

An old man with a pipe in his mouth stood with his back to the massive drawers, staring intently at Lenoch.

“You mean the girl who runs a bar in District 49?”

When Lenoch nodded, the old man’s face twisted into a deep frown.

“I don’t remember giving that young girl the authority to recommend customers to me.”

“……”

As Lenoch hesitated at the unexpected response, the old man suddenly grinned and shook his head.

“Well, never mind. I’m not wealthy enough to turn away customers. I simply take money from those who want goods. So, what brings you to my Orchard?”

For a brief moment, Lenoch wondered whether he should speak politely, but he decided to continue as he was.

“…Why is there an Orchard inside a botanical garden?”

For a shop dealing in products close to narcotics, it was ironic that it was called an Orchard and hidden inside the largest botanical garden in the city.

At Lenoch’s question, the old man laughed, showing his yellowed teeth.

It had not been an especially important question, and the answer was just as unserious.

Lenoch immediately took the remaining cigarettes from his pocket and placed them before the old man.

“I’m looking for products with effects similar to these. Can I find them here?”

“Let’s have a look…”

“I’d prefer something with fewer side effects, even if it costs more.”

The old man pulled out a magnifying glass and began examining the cigarettes Lenoch had set down.

“Inhalation through smoke. Faster than pills, slower than injections. But it’s the most moderate method, and the taste makes it difficult to quit.”

He muttered to himself as he took out a knife and sliced one of the cigarettes lengthwise.

The outer wrapping peeled away, exposing the contents inside.

The old man used tweezers to inspect it closely, then nodded.

“Hmm… I don’t know who made this, but it’s complete garbage.”

“……”

“From the ingredients to the refining, drying, and packaging, there isn’t a single thing I like. Why were you smoking something like this?”

Having heard the same assessment from both Jenny and the old man, Lenoch answered with a sullen expression.

“…I had no choice.”

“It’s a defective product, deliberately mixed with impurities to cut costs and increase dependency. The psychoactive effect seems decent, but that’s only to make the user feel as if the drug is working well. It’s definitely not something I’d recommend for long-term use.”

After saying that, the old man tossed the dismantled cigarette into the trash beside him.

“You said you wanted something with fewer side effects, even if it costs more. How much are you willing to spend?”

Lenoch thought for a moment.

The drugs he was buying now were essentially the minimum investment required for his future plans.

To make his frail body move like that of a normal person, he needed something that would let him ignore pain and fatigue while working.

However, reducing the side effects was just as important.

If every use came with severe aftereffects, his body would not last long.

This was not the time to be stingy.

“…Two million Cel.”

Of the 2.7 million Cel he had received as a bounty, he would invest everything here except what he needed for living expenses.

“Hmm.”

The old man nodded and rose from his seat, then began rummaging through the shelves behind him.

After a while, he returned with several sealed packs in his hands. When he opened them, long objects spilled out.

They were shaped like cigarettes, though slightly thicker and longer than the ones Lenoch had been smoking.

The old man placed them one by one on a scale and spoke.

“If all you wanted were drugs, that little bit of money wouldn’t be nearly enough.”

“……”

“But what you’re looking for seems closer to a medical product enhanced with narcotics. In that case, you can just barely find something within the range of consumer goods.”

The old man placed roughly thirty cigarettes, which he had been weighing on the scale, in front of Lenoch.

“Cashburn-C107. It provides about six hours of strong pain relief, physical stimulation, and wakefulness. It also causes a slight mental uplift. Immediately after use, it numbs pain and may cause dizziness. Once the effects wear off, possible side effects include headaches, convulsions, vomiting, and, in rare cases, coughing up blood. It’s a very clean product.”

None of those side effects sounded particularly clean to Lenoch, but the old man continued explaining.

“It isn’t exactly low in toxicity, but it has low addictiveness and doesn’t build up much in the body over time. That’s possible because it’s a product moderately modified from pharmaceuticals.”

“You call those minor side effects?”

“They’re the smallest side effects your money can buy.”

The old man stated it plainly.

“The price shoots up every time you reduce the drug’s rebound. If you want something better than this, that amount of money wouldn’t even get you twenty sticks. And one thing you should know is that I don’t sell fewer than ten at a time.”

In other words, there were products that cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of Cel per stick.

With mixed feelings, Lenoch picked up the cigarette called Cashburn that the old man handed him.

At nearly 70,000 Cel per stick, it could not be called cheap by any measure.

For Lenoch, who had never even bought a pack of cigarettes himself back on Earth, the price was enough to make his hands tremble.

But he had no choice.

In the end, this was an investment he needed to make in order to keep earning money from here on out.

In the end, Lenoch paid the money and accepted the cigarettes the old man handed him.

“Come again. Though everyone who uses my Orchard ends up doing that eventually.”

The old man gave him a crooked nod, then quickly vanished back into the smoke.

Lenoch immediately left the botanical garden and returned to the hotel where he was staying.

Thirty cigarettes for two million Cel.

He could not use them in the field without first confirming their effects.

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