The other executives also displayed unease at those words, but no one in the room was foolish enough to raise objections.
They were fully aware of whom their superior was searching for.
The wizard who single-handedly annihilated the Cartel’s execution squad and defeated its leader, Avid Yonsen.
By collecting the blood of his subordinates to bolster his own magical domain to full strength, and not even glimpsing Van’s domain, his overwhelming power was undoubtedly greater than that of a war wizard.
This formidable organization. He was in no way lacking to stand at one angle of the Tri-Heads.
From the moment Olivera Ron Maze became aware of his existence, she had been anticipating this day.
“……”
However, Lennok calmly reassessed the situation instead of being overwhelmed by her determination.
Turning down all the offers Olivera had presented in this meeting was not a challenging task.
However, convening a general meeting to discuss her words and actions with Pandemonium… Was it truly all because she desired Van?
Upon encountering this question, Lennok reached a conclusion.
Perhaps what Olivera Ron Maze truly desired was not to pass the presidency to Lennok but –
Lennok spoke calmly.
“It seems you wish to use someone else’s hand to deal with McQueen.”
The atmosphere in the room turned frigid.
“Are you worried that the power of the Cartel will diminish due to the mutual destruction of the executives? Your actions so far seem to suggest nothing else.”
“Wizard.”
Kansoa said with a bright smile.
“It would be beneficial for you to watch your words.”
Lennok glanced at her but continued without concern.
“Fine. Let’s do that. But the price won’t be the presidency of the Cartel, I will choose it myself.”
[…….]
“There’s little value in a position given out of charity.”
Olivera, who had been gazing intensely at him, spoke.
[Truly insolent to the core.]
“…….”
[But annoyingly accurate in pinpointing the essence… Fine.]
Yes. The adversary was an individual whose hierarchy was difficult to discern.
But Lennok was not engaging in these negotiations on equal terms without any basis.
The collaboration between Antares and the Agent, the appearance and protection of Pandemonium, and, critically, Olivera’s never-before-revealed true form.
When all these events were combined, there was only one possible conclusion.
Olivera Ron Maze is in a position where she cannot move directly, and other monsters, including Pandemonium, were aware of this.
Hence, she wanted to leverage Lennok’s power, as he had been tirelessly battling against the Cartel, to handle the traitor instead of relying on her fellow executives.
Even if it meant granting a nominal executive position to an adversary.
Fully aware that Lennok had discerned her intentions, she still maintained a graceful smile.
[It’s been quite a while. To think a young wizard would uncover our internal affairs.]
“Chairwoman…….”
Merilda called out to her softly, but it was too late to alter anything now.
Eventually, after much circling around, the traitor and the Cartel’s adversary reached an agreement regarding the unfolding events.
And at that crucial moment, McQueen, who had remained silent all this time, spoke.
“May I ask one more thing?”
[Speak.]
“If there are problems in the handover process… whose responsibility will it be?”
[The same.]
She stared at McQueen’s inscrutable expression and then nodded slowly.
[Then, if Van does not accept the presidency, we will let it pass unmentioned.]
“……Understood, then.”
It didn’t take long for a smile to appear on McQueen’s lips.
* * *
The news of a wizard from District 49 negotiating extensively with the Cartel quickly spread throughout the streets.
People recalled Van’s relentless destruction of businesses as if driven by a purpose and were curious about the process.
However, when they heard the rumor that the Cartel’s chairwoman had extended a recruitment offer to him in return, they comprehended it all.
A place where talented and capable individuals could set aside their past enmities to pursue profit and wealth.
In a street filled with freelancers who set aside blood and grudges to chase after opportunities and money, it was not an incomprehensible occurrence.
Furthermore, there were reports that the wizard from District 49 had risen to the rank of a 6th-level army wizard.
Considering the value of a fully-fledged army wizard, it wasn’t unreasonable for the Cartel to overlook organizational losses.
Rumors were widespread that Van’s position would be determined in the upcoming quarterly performance report.
As news of the Cartel’s compromise with Van spread, Jenny’s business took off.
It had previously been a domain dominated by scavengers with the silent approval of the Tri-Heads.
Thanks to Kaiser’s networks and unique expertise, along with investments from traders passing through the city, the business quickly established itself.
The finishing touch was Lennok’s creation of a diluted potion.
The distribution of Lennok’s potion, which rectified the side effect, led to the synergistic growth of both business ventures when incorporated into the distribution business and sold independently.
The cost-effectiveness of the potion spread so rapidly that inquiries in the open market were coming in faster than rumors in the underground.
Conversely, capitalists who began investing in the business showed interest in potion sales, making it a fortunate turn of events.
A lot had changed in just one week.
The graphs on the monitor consistently reached new highs.
However, the details of that day’s general meeting were not yet complete.
Jenny also had a sense of what Lennok had left unfinished at the end.
“……”
Seeing Jenny’s expression, Lennok chuckled.
“This is the cleanest way, after all.”
He never believed it would be easy.
Despite running tirelessly since his return from the autonomous region, in the end, Lennok had to tie up the final loose ends.
Even without the opportunity provided by Yakson, Lennok had foreseen such a moment and prepared for it.
Considering the difference in status between McQueen and Lennok in this city, the issue had to be resolved one way or another.
All Lennok did was significantly shorten the countless hardships he had endured up to that point.
Saving Jordan, summoning Virgil, dismantling Cartel’s affiliated businesses, capturing Girard alive, and systematically addressing all checks and retaliations that came his way after capturing and eliminating the execution squad and Avid.
Only then could he bring down the giant seated in the skyscraper known as the executive board.
He had no intention of making a mistake at the final moment.
“Ah, right. I almost forgot to give you this.”
Jenny frowned at the item Lennok produced.
“…What is this? It looks too strange to be a gift.”
“I was going to hang it before the general meeting, but… it’s fine. It looks somewhat impressive now.”
Lennok hung it prominently on the counter next to the bar, and he grinned, causing Jenny to sigh and shake her head.
“Well, I won’t stop you since it’s from you… but if our shop’s sales drop because of that, you’re responsible.”
“Let’s think about that after reopening the bar. Perhaps after today, we’ll be able to open the bar again.”
Lennok said with a smile and then turned away.
As he buttoned up his coat and ascended the stairs, Jenny silently watched his retreating figure.
Ultimately, from start to finish, these were challenges that could not have been overcome without Lennok’s power.
Jenny had thought she had done her best by concentrating on business management and expansion within the framework that Lennok had established. But what if she became superfluous to Lennok someday?
Since selecting him as a partner, she had never regretted it, but Jenny herself had not changed much since then.
Could she return to an equal footing with Lennok after achieving wealth and glory in this city?
Jenny gazed at the item Lennok left behind and then burst into a soft chuckle.
“Well… there’s still plenty of time.”
No need to rush things.
Doing what’s necessary at the right moment.
Just as Van always did, Jenny was also diligently working toward that objective.
Her phone buzzed loudly, pulling her back to work.
She had a meeting scheduled with investors today.
With the unexpected benefit from Lennok’s potion, the atmosphere seemed promising.
* * *
Whoooooosh!!!
A skyscraper reaching high into the sky.
This cold and desolate area, whipped by sharp winds, lay between the outskirts of Vulcan and undeveloped districts.
Constructed during a time when the mega-city was expanding boundlessly in all directions, these buildings were abandoned due to a significant downsizing of development plans, losing their geographical advantage.
Most deserted buildings typically served as hideouts for vagrants or gangs, but this particular building was still well-maintained.
Passing through the chilly lobby devoid of warmth, Lennok boarded the elevator.
Upon entering the previously provided floor number and pressing the button to go to the rooftop, the elevator swiftly ascended.
Beyond the glass window piercing the wall.
The landscape of the undeveloped district was clearly visible.
The bleak desert scenery, still vivid in Lennok’s memory, including the self-destructive storms.
A certain height in itself became a formidable force.
That’s why the Cartel consistently invested in maintaining this building, as in dire situations, it could serve as a massive observatory overlooking the heart of the undeveloped district.
But even aside from its practicality, the view itself held its own value.
This landscape, starkly capturing every moment of success and failure of the mega-city Vulcan, was no different from the true face of Vulcan that Lennok had lived through.
“……”
With an appointment ahead, various thoughts swirled in his mind.
Leaning against the elevator wall, Lennok chuckled and closed his eyes.
His troubled mind quickly settled, becoming serene.
In this profound stillness, memories raced through his mind.
The moment he first awakened to magic. When he could wield lightning, the battle with Eden, realizing the phase change.
The battle with Craig upon realizing and materializing the domain. The scenery that finally stretched beyond countless battlefronts.
Others might describe this speed as incredibly abnormal, but the path Lennok had traveled in life was just as intense and densely packed.
How much effort and sacrifice it took to arrive here, even with the risk of death from a single mistake.
Nothing had changed.
Lennok still couldn’t afford a single failure, and he remained as close to death as the deaths he had inflicted on others.
Amidst countless questions, he sought answers.
The one to hear Lennok’s answer awaited him at the top of this skyscraper.
Clang!
The elevator door opened, revealing a narrow corridor.
A faint white glow at the end of the corridor.
Lennok reached into his coat as he walked toward the light.
He pulled out a cigarette as thin as a finger, placed it in his mouth, and lit it.
The sixth prototype. Recently, he hadn’t invested much effort into it due to his focus on potion dilution, but it was specially prepared for this day.
As he lit it and took a deep drag, a dull thud echoed in the back of his head, and his heart started pounding.
A sensation of hairs standing on end. Slowly fiddling with his fingers, he retrieved other items from his coat.
After swallowing a Stemmonia pill, effective in reducing the side effects of the drug, he downed a magic enhancer and a healing potion.
Extracting an ampoule from his coat pocket, he swiftly exchanged the vial and injected its contents into his shoulder.
Pshhh!
“Ugh…”
Behind him, various bottles and syringes clinked and toppled as he traversed the corridor.
A sensation as though his blood surged in reverse, his fingertips growing remarkably sensitive.
A feeling akin to flames coursing within, sweeping over his body, erupting with intensity.
Mana violently swirled throughout his body, as if poised to burst forth at any moment.
After downing the last of his self-made potion concentrate, Lennok tossed the empty bottle over his shoulder and leaned out into the corridor.
As soon as he stepped outside, the surroundings expanded, unveiling the clear blue sky.
An ultra-high-rise building, towering over 800 meters.
The view from the summit encompassed the entire landscape of the undeveloped district at a glance.
On the rooftop’s edge, devoid of any safety measures, stood a burly man with bronze-hued skin, gazing down at the landscape with an impassive expression.
Covered in tattoos and adorned with lavish ornaments, clutching a lengthy staff and clad in an ancient robe.
Parden McQueen, the top executive of the Cartel.
It was finally the moment for the two essential individuals for the ‘handover’ of the executive position to confront each other.
Lennok, lightly stirring his mana, swiftly scanned the surroundings within a few kilometers’ radius and grinned.
“This is unexpected.”
Smoke wafted from his lips as he spoke, a thick cigarette clamped between them.
“I thought you would surely bring your subordinates along, but it seems you’ve come alone.”
Given McQueen’s prior movements, the odds of him acting solo were slim.
He generally preferred to keep his hands clean.
As a formidable figure who had held a Cartel executive position for several decades, he excelled at wielding his influence by manipulating numerous unnamed subordinates.
Lennok had assumed that McQueen had summoned him to this remote location with the intention of encircling and capturing him under the guise of a handover.
Surprisingly, however, there was no sign of life in the vicinity.
It was as though someone had intentionally cleared the area.
Realizing this, Lennok reached a conclusion.
“……There must have been checks from the other executives. It wouldn’t be strange if Virgil significantly cut your authority. After all, you’re nothing but a traitor who betrayed the organization.”
“It’s not surprising. Knowing his character, I always thought it would end up like this. He must have wanted to prevent any tricks I might play.”
Only then did McQueen direct his gaze toward Lennok, regarding him with a weighty expression.
“I’m grateful for this last opportunity given to me. I always fail to repay the chairwoman’s grace. It’s my fault.”
“Is that something someone who betrayed the chairwoman and tried to embezzle company funds should say?”
Lennok admired McQueen’s audacity, but even in the face of such a pointed provocation, McQueen remained unfazed.
Rising slowly, he fixed his gaze upon Lennok.
The pressure emanating from the nearly 2-meter-tall behemoth with bronzed skin was truly on another level.
It wasn’t merely a well-muscled physique; it was the body of a practitioner who had endured rigorous asceticism for his convictions.
Though his body might now be weathered and rusty with age and neglect, his skills remained intact.
Both sorcerers began to quietly and discreetly elevate their own powers, preparing themselves for what lay ahead.
