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In the human kingdom, the capital city of Elza.

 

In its lower town, there’s a popular tavern.

 

Two figures, faces hidden by robes, sit at a table, conversing over drinks.

 

From their voices, one can tell one is an elderly man, and the other a young man.

 

Elderly Man: “So, what was the outcome?”

 

Young Man: “The dark guild 『Fenrir』 is―”

 

Elderly Man: “It’s okay, I’m not interested in a fallen dark guild’s story. It was just an experiment anyway. What I want to know is about the item I gave you. How did it work?”

 

The duo might appear suspicious, but their attire doesn’t stand out in this setting.

 

Indeed, the tavern hosts several people who look similar, including adventurers returning from quests and merchants.

 

Young Man: “The effects of the ‘Axe’ and ‘Amulet’ were as expected―”

 

Elderly Man: “I know that already! I’m asking about the effects of the ‘Candy’! This is why I hate dealing with brainless fools…”

 

The young man lashes out at the older one.

 

However, their voices are drowned out by the tavern’s noise unless one listens intently.

 

And even if someone did hear, it’s unlikely they would understand the context.

 

Young Man: “Both the ‘Axe’ and ‘Amulet’, that guy… what was his name?”

 

Elderly Man: “Benedict, was it?”

 

Young Man: “Was that his name? That muscle-head. It’s fine since the equipment breaks when the wearer dies. But I want to know about the ‘Candy’s’ effects.”

 

This individual could easily demean the former head of the dark guild.

 

From the mention of ‘Axe’ and ‘Amulet’, Arata would have concluded that this person was a collaborator behind the dark guild “Fenrir.”

 

Elderly Man: “Yes. The ‘Candy’ had the expected effect. It significantly enhanced the members of 『Fenrir』 and many gained new skills.”

 

Young Man: “Hmm.”

 

Elderly Man: “But…”

 

Young Man: “But, what?”

 

Elderly Man: “When the third prince ingested it, he transformed into a monster.”

 

The item they refer to as ‘Candy’ seems to be something like a skill orb that Alfred consumed.

 

However, unlike the cheat item used by Benedict, ‘Candy’ appears to have side effects.

 

Elderly Man: “When used on slum dwellers and slaves, we observed no variation in tolerance due to race. The tolerance seems to vary with level.”

 

Young Man: “Interesting. How much?”

 

Elderly Man: “Low-level slum dwellers mostly died after consuming one. 『Fenrir』 members could handle one or two. Benedict managed three. And Alfred, four.”

 

Young Man: “Figures. The locals are weak, after all.”

 

It seems one reason why Fenrir abducted diverse races of people and treated them as slaves was to experiment with ‘Candy’.

 

The conversation hints at many lost lives due to these experiments.

 

Young Man: “Hmm, I don’t get it. Do you gain skills when your level increases? Is there a way to acquire skills other than SP, or is it a feature because the locals can’t use the status board?”

 

Elderly Man: “…”

 

Young Man: “Either way, it seems like using too much ‘Candy’ isn’t good. I’ve eaten quite a bit already, but I don’t want to turn into a monster―ah, you can die now.”

 

After saying this, the young man leaves the tavern.

 

Soon after, the tavern becomes noisy.

 

Young Man: “I’ve done what I wanted in the kingdom. I wanted the Knight Commander’s weapon, but it seems he’s gone somewhere now. Maybe another time. …Next, maybe I’ll visit the Beast Kingdom?”

 

The dark guild “Fenrir” was merely an experiment.

 

But the malice was slowly and surely changing the world.

 

Like a single stone thrown into a lake, creating ripples.

 

And thus, the gears begin to go awry.