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Indeed, thinking back to the stories about Flaming’s downfall before his regression, at some point, it had earned the nickname “drug den.”

It had to be pretty bad to be called that, even in a world where obtaining drugs had become easy.

“Drugs, huh.”

Ian fell into deep thought.

If the drugs being distributed here were really those, then he needed to help Semid. However, if that wasn’t the case, it would be a hassle to act out of a mere sense of justice.

‘…Will I gain anything from this?’

Probably. The Demuid family had always handled appraisal work and had also developed Flaming through moneylending.

They could even be holding some hidden treasures once possessed by mercenaries. In that moment, an item popped into his head.

“What’s the reward?”

“To start, I’ll pay you ten gold coins as a base.”

“Just ten?”

“‘Just ten?’ Do you even realize how many mercenaries would kill to earn a single gold coin? It’s ten! Ten gold coins!”

“You know I’m not like your average mercenary. Plus, this is a direct request, and you’re using my family’s backing. You should pay more. It’s not like you don’t have the money.”

“…Twenty gold coins. And I’ll throw in another five for expenses and meals. You do realize that even this amount is something most mercenaries would only dream of making after ten jobs?”

“Hmmm, still feels a bit lacking.”

“Sigh. Cut me some slack. I even brought you Sola Whale! You think it’s easy to get a two-year-aged one? Why don’t you try? And you’re only Level 4! What Level 4 gets twenty gold coins for a single job? Even mages from the Magic Tower don’t make that much!”

“Still, it’s not enough. I don’t really need money, you know.”

Ian pulled out a black card from his pocket. Semid clearly knew what that meant.

Muttering under his breath, “Damn it,” Semid squeezed his eyes shut.

“What do you want, then?”

Ian would’ve loved to get access to the Demuid family’s vault, but that seemed unlikely. Besides, he doubted the item he wanted would be there.

“I want one of the items you confiscated from indebted mercenaries or nobles.”

“Hah. I see what you’re after. But let me warn you, they’re not exactly valuable.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

—

Ian left the theater. Although he hadn’t been able to enjoy the performance due to Semid’s interference, he was satisfied enough having had the rare Sola Whale.

And unexpectedly, he’d received a commission. If it went well… he might end up with a very useful weapon.

‘Is this the place?’

It was a gambling den located in the heart of a bustling district known for fleecing visiting nobles and mercenaries in Flaming.

Ian checked his attire. His weapons were stored in a ring imbued with subspace, so there was no need to worry about them.

‘No need to reveal my identity here.’

After paying the entrance fee and removing his conspicuous emblem, Ian entered, greeted by a noisy crowd.

The size of the building was impressive enough, but the interior was even more so. It was luxurious, as if money had been poured into every detail.

“Ah, no! My money!”

“Hahaha! I won! I won!”

Cheers and groans erupted from the seats where the games were taking place.

Ian wandered around, observing the flow of things. Once he felt like he had a handle on it, he confidently bet one gold coin.

‘Huh?’

Naturally, Ian thought he would win, but he lost. It wasn’t a trick, nor was there any sleight of hand—he had simply been unlucky.

He kept betting. By the time he lost gold coins three times in a row, he thought his luck couldn’t get any worse, but in the end, he managed to win dozens of gold coins.

As he placed larger bets, the winnings grew, and soon people began to follow Ian’s lead, betting alongside him.

‘…I should stop here.’

Deciding he could no longer enjoy the game, he headed to the second floor, where the restaurant was located, and ordered food.

First came soft bread and a hearty stew full of ingredients, followed by chunks of meat and vegetables.

He kept eating, chewing nonstop.

‘Hmm, it’s good, but…’

For the price, the ingredients didn’t seem all that premium.

As he ate, a man suddenly sat across from him. Ian swallowed the meat he was chewing and asked, “What do you want?”

The man, who had been smiling, placed something on the table and slid it toward him—a gold coin.

“Thanks to you, I made some money, young master. As a token of my gratitude, I’d like to treat you to a meal.”

“A meal? This won’t be enough.”

“…Ah.”

The man hesitated as he glanced at the pile of empty plates, then placed another gold coin on the table. It seemed like he had won a fair amount, given his reluctance but willingness to pay.

Ian didn’t say a word until he finished his meal.

The man, meanwhile, ordered a bottle of alcohol and sipped it slowly while staying at the table.

When Ian finally put down his fork and knife, the man, as if waiting for this moment, spoke up.

“I apologize for the late introduction, young master. I am Baron Philip Zarnal.”

“So?”

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the unexpected profits I gained thanks to you, young master. I hope you don’t mind my intrusion.”

“If that’s all, haven’t you already paid for it?”

Though the meal wasn’t amazing, it was satisfying since it was free. Baron Philip smiled slightly and leaned in to whisper in a low voice.

“By any chance, are you interested in playing more games?”

“Why? Are you going to follow me around and bet?”

“Yes! It seems like luck is on your side today, young master. If I stay close, perhaps some of that luck might rub off on me!”

Ian let out a dry laugh.

“You talk nonsense so casually.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it nonsense, but in return, I can help you join a bigger game.”

“A bigger game?”

Philip held up three fingers.

“The stakes start at gold coins on the upper floors. You’ll make far more than you did downstairs.”

“I don’t have enough money to play in such a place.”

“Oh, don’t be so modest. You can play just like you did downstairs. I assure you, it’ll be incomparable to what you experienced below. You won’t be disappointed.”

Ian hesitated for a moment, then wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.

“Alright, let’s check it out.”

“This way!”

As they went up another floor, the space became even more luxurious than the one below.

The lighting was a bit dimmer. The windows were all covered with thick curtains, making it impossible to tell the time.

Someone approached, handing Ian a mask to cover his face and telling him he must never take it off.

Ian casually agreed and entered the room, where he saw quite a few people. Many of them had women by their sides, enjoying themselves.

“Should I call a few for you if you’re interested?” Philip tempted him, but Ian firmly refused.

“No.”

He decided to survey the tables where games were in progress to get a sense of the atmosphere. Yet, Ian never forgot the real reason he was here.

‘There are fewer people playing than I expected.’

There seemed to be hundreds of people gathered, yet more than half of them were resting or chatting in corners.

The overall vibe was languid. Some even sat with their heads drooping, drooling.

‘Hm?’

In one corner, Ian noticed three men gathered by the stairs leading to the upper floor. Shortly after, someone descended from upstairs and handed them something.

Though the dim lighting made it difficult to see clearly, it wasn’t hard to tell that what they received were small pouches.

‘……?’

Two of the men went downstairs with their pouches, while the third approached a group of people leaning against the wall and distributed the contents.

The recipients quickly swallowed the contents and leaned back against the wall, staring blankly into space.

Even though they were masked, it was easy to discern where their gaze was directed.

‘Drugs.’

There was no doubt about it. They were dealing drugs here.

‘And the security is this lax?’

What insanity. They must not care even if they get caught. The audacity was shocking.

Ian called over Philip, who had been trailing him like a watchdog.

“Yes, young master!”

Philip’s voice was full of energy, having followed Ian and won money alongside him.

“Is there a way to go upstairs?”

“Uh… The upper floor is restricted to authorized personnel only.”

“Then, is there a way to buy whatever they’re selling here?”

“Well….”

Philip hesitated, his expression showing discomfort. It was also clear that some of the people nearby had overheard the conversation and were now blatantly staring.

“Let’s move somewhere quieter.”

Once they moved to a secluded spot, Philip cautiously began to speak.

“As you guessed earlier, you can indeed buy things with money here. Most of the people who come here know about it. You may have heard of it before—a sweet yet bitter dream.”

“It’s not some saying from a far-off place, I assume.”

“If you’re interested, I can get it for you. Just one gold coin.”

“Here.”

As soon as Ian handed him the gold coin, Philip reached into his coat and pulled out a small pouch.

“This is it?”

“Yes. Just one pill can give you an intense sensation of pleasure for nearly an hour.”

Ian’s brow twitched slightly.

“But do you know what’s even more amazing? Afterward, for four whole days, your mind becomes clear, and you’ll be able to think positively all day long. The most incredible part is that if you take it before sleeping at night, you can even dream whatever you wish. That’s why they call it the ‘sweet yet bitter dream’—you wake up from the sweet dream, but it leaves a bitter aftertaste.”

Ian let out a small laugh. Ridiculous. Did they think he was a fool?

All drugs come with side effects. Especially narcotics, which destroy not only the body but the mind as well.

And this drug… from what Philip was describing, Ian was sure of it.

Nightmare.

It would later be called that. His suspicions were now confirmed

“How dare you offer me something like this?”

If it had been before his regression, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had drawn his sword on the spot.

This drug was something crafted by Dark Mages, and continuous use would eventually turn a person into a monster.

That fact wouldn’t be revealed until much later.

As Ian casually stared down at the pouch, Philip let out a sly smile.

“Why don’t you try it?”

Ian turned his head and looked at the people leaning against the wall or sitting idly in their chairs.

“Not here.”

“Shall I arrange a private room for you?”

“I’ll try it at my lodging.”

Ian pocketed the pouch.

“W-wait, are you leaving already?”

“Why?”

“Well… no, never mind. I won’t see you out. Please be careful, and remember, don’t go talking about this anywhere.”

“Don’t worry.”

Ian took the pouch and rose from his seat, indicating he would leave.

Once outside, he returned to his lodging and sat at the table, loosening the string on the pouch and checking its contents.

There were only five pills inside, dull in color.

‘So, this was already being circulated back then.’

A creeping disgust for Dark Mages rose within him. Knowing what he did about the drug called “Nightmare” was enough to trigger that feeling.

He had thought that, compared to the apocalyptic future, this world was still relatively safe. But apparently, that wasn’t the case.

He couldn’t help but smirk bitterly.

‘To think Dark Mages are operating this openly.’

His thoughts grew heavy. Now that he knew Dark Mages were involved, he couldn’t just turn a blind eye.

‘…I could probably handle this on my own.’

Yet, something didn’t sit right with him. It was a gut feeling. If he went at it alone, things might go terribly wrong.

‘I’ll need help.’

If he went after the Dark Mages and they managed to escape, they’d scatter like cockroaches, hiding even deeper than before. And when their numbers swelled to the point where they had nowhere left to hide, they’d resurface.

That’s when the downfall of Flaming would begin, and the collapse would serve as the foundation for shaking the Empire itself.

‘Semid won’t be much help.’

The Demuid family had little connection to military power. When trouble arose, they’d be too busy saving themselves.

The city guard couldn’t be trusted either. In fact, they might even help hide the Dark Mages—for the right price or some other gain.

‘I’ll have to send a message to my eldest brother.’

If he sent the letter through the postal service by train, it would take several days, but if he traveled to a nearby city and used the teleportation station, it would only take a day.

Once he read the letter and realized the severity of the situation, he would dispatch the Red Spear Knights.

If not, an entire city could fall into the hands of the Dark Mages.

‘…I should probably contact the Pantheon too.’

Unfortunately, this city didn’t even have a common cathedral. With gambling and entertainment everywhere, priests tended to avoid the place on their own.

Occasionally, a few would pass through, but they were extremely rare.

“…….”

Ian tapped the drug with his finger.

Visually, there was no clear indication of its connection to Dark Magic.

It would likely react to divine power, but such items were hardly uncommon in the world.

Especially in the eastern part of the El Carda Empire, which bordered the Outer Sea on the front lines.

Given how long this drug had been circulating and transforming people into monsters, it wasn’t surprising it had yet to be discovered by the Pantheon.

———-