Chapter 112
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The next morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I checked the quest list.
And the results were exactly as I expected.
[<Hidden Quest> ‘???’ Conditions
— Achieve your first merit for the kingdom: Prune (Completed)
— ??? (In Progress) (※Hint: 3)
— Achieve a certain level of affection with ‘Ielo Ma of Anesis’: Close (Completed)]
‘……It really changed, didn’t it?’
The number in the hint had changed to 3. Since the time limit for the ongoing quest had also changed to three days, I couldn’t help but be certain.
The final condition of the hidden quest was to distribute all the iron supplements.
Though sudden, having a new goal didn’t feel bad. Honestly, handing out iron supplements had been a bit tedious as mere manual labor, but this gave me a sense of motivation.
‘What could the rest of the hidden quest be?’
With a mix of excitement and anticipation, I headed to the distribution center outside the palace. Starting today, I planned to hand out the contents of the bags I hadn’t distributed before.
Grains and vegetables were not only a precaution against rusty water but were also fundamentally essential food supplies, so I expected more people to show up today.
I might even finish the quest by noon.
……Or so I thought.
“Why aren’t people coming?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.”
I was genuinely baffled. I thought people would be eager to take free food, but I hadn’t expected this kind of turnout.
Even those who did come hesitated for a long time before reluctantly taking the supplies. Unable to make sense of the situation, Reno finally stopped someone.
“Excuse me, can I ask you something?”
“Huh? Uh, yes, what is it…?”
“Do you know why people aren’t coming? I can’t understand why they’d avoid free food distribution.”
“Well, that’s…….”
The person Reno had stopped looked visibly troubled. After hesitating for a while, they cautiously replied.
“Actually, there’s a rumor that someone died after taking the medicine handed out here.”
“What?”
“Excuse me?”
Caught completely off guard, my jaw dropped. Before I knew it, I had moved closer to the person, standing next to Reno.
“Could you explain that in more detail? Did someone really die?”
“Well, I only heard about it, so I’m not sure if it’s true……. Some say it was this distribution center, others say it was the Futurum Ducal House…….”
“So people are just avoiding it based on rumors?”
“There are also people who saw the princess being dragged away by royal knights yesterday……. They’re saying it must have something to do with someone dying.”
“…….”
“And there’s talk that it’s been deemed harmful. Apparently, the Futurum House told people not to consume it but to bring it back instead……. But I swear I’m not the one spreading these rumors. I only heard them.”
I couldn’t hide my shock.
Yesterday, I was a princess praised for stepping up for the commoners even after being attacked by assailants.
Today, I was being treated like a murderer handing out lethal medicine. It was absurd.
“Well, for people like me, whether I die from this or something else, it doesn’t make much difference, so I came to get it anyway. But those who still have something to live for probably find it unsettling.”
The man finished speaking, gave us a small bow, and walked away. While we now knew the reason, the unexpected obstacle left me feeling helpless.
“To think there are such rumors. I can’t believe it. If it were something from the Futurum House that caused deaths, I might believe it.”
“…….”
“Whoever started these false rumors must be malicious.”
“Exactly…….”
Though the injustice of it all made my blood boil, I could also understand the perspective of others.
At a glance, the items might look similar, but with some being declared harmful and others not, it was only natural for people to be confused.
And if rumors of someone’s death were spreading…….
‘I wouldn’t take it either.’
This was the worst-case scenario. The quest wasn’t even complete yet, and to make matters worse, it was tied to the hidden quest.
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