Unknown Individual 1:  “How did it go?”

In an office illuminated by moonlight.

An intricate painting hung on the wall.

A casually placed jewelry box.

Other luxurious furnishings and decorations hinted that the room belonged to someone of high stature.

A man sat relaxed with a glass of wine in his hand, awaiting a report from a trusted subordinate.

Unknown Individual 2:  “Everything went according to plan.”

Unknown Individual 1:  “Is that so?”

“Yes. We received a report from the shadows that they successfully led the Goblin Emperor deep into the Wartz Great Forest.”

From the conversation, it was clear they had conducted some sort of experiment in the Wartz Great Forest.

The details of the experiment were unclear, but it was evident that it was not a charitable endeavor.

Unknown Individual 1:  “And? What about the damage in the town of Loine?”

Unknown Individual 2:  “About that…”

Unknown Individual 1:  “What happened?”

The keyword “Loine” came from the man’s mouth.

Given the current affairs, the conversation seems to be about a stampede that occurred in Loine a few days ago.

However, the subordinate’s expression was grim.

The smooth report suddenly stumbled as the subordinate became tongue-tied.

The man directed a puzzled gaze at his floundering subordinate.

Eventually, unable to bear the man’s gaze, the subordinate hesitantly began to speak.

Unknown Individual 2:  “There were casualties among the townspeople and soldiers in Loine, but… the damage is said to be minor.”

Unknown Individual 1:  “…You must be joking.”

The damage was minor.

The man took a few seconds to grasp the meaning of those words.

Then, the subordinate reported the specific damage to the town of Loine.

Number of civilian fatalities: 57.

Number of soldier fatalities: 24.

Number of adventurer fatalities: 31.

In addition, the western gate was heavily damaged due to the monster attack.

Two houses collapsed, and one wall was destroyed.

Also, damage was confirmed at the farms and orchards near the town, but the specific situation is under investigation.

Despite more than a hundred fatalities, it seemed implausible to call the damage minor.

However, considering the situation after the stampede, the number was extremely small.

A stampede is, in a sense, a disaster.

Moreover, the one that occurred this time was on an unprecedentedly large scale.

A horde of monsters numbering over ten thousand.

A boss monster exceeding level 100.

One could easily imagine that if one wrong step was taken, Loine could have been wiped out, and massive damage could have been inflicted on neighboring villages and towns.

The man’s face contorted in frustration.

In his anger, he threw his wine glass onto the floor.

The word 【Goblin Emperor】 that came out of his subordinate’s mouth.

The man who found the damage situation in Loine peeving.

From this, one could imagine that the man was the one who had caused the stampede, which should have been impossible to trigger artificially.

Unknown Individual 2:  “It must have been significant that he was in Loine after all.”

Unknown Individual 1:  “The knights commander…”

The man prepared a new glass, filled it to the brim with wine, and gulped it down.

He didn’t care that the wine spilled from the corners of his mouth.

Red stains spread on the luxurious clothes the man was wearing.

Indeed, Theo’s heroic acts were one of the factors that greatly reduced the damage to Loine.

He minimized the human casualties by crushing the invading monsters at the front lines.

Rei’s sharp sight was also one of the factors that minimized damage to the townspeople.

Although her plan had misjudged the exact occurrence of the stampede, the evacuation instructions, reconstruction support, and treatment for those injured in combat were promptly carried out.

Unknown Individual 1:  “How is the plan in the capital going?”

Unknown Individual 2:  “With the vice-commander’s contribution, there’s a significant delay—”

Unknown Individual 1:  “Everyone- utterly detestable!”

The man took another gulp of his drink.

Trying to somehow appease the man, the subordinate relayed new information.

Unknown Individual 2:  “However, the absorption of influential individuals is going smoothly. Also, the roots we’ve laid in the capital are expanding their influence.”

Unknown Individual 1:  “…Is that so?”

There was a slight trace of anger, but the man seemed somewhat calmer, which relieved his subordinate.

The man rose from his seat, stepping out onto the balcony to cool down from the heat of the alcohol.

Unknown Individual 1:  “I’ll repay the debt for derailing my plan sooner rather than later.”

The night sky was overcast with dark clouds.

The moon in its sixteenth phase shone red as if foreshadowing the future.

『Chapter One: The Beginning Town』 – The End