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Chapter 61
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
Chapter 61: A Gift from the Kania Guild (1)
1.
Ivok!
“Excuse me, is that true?”
Everyone was shocked by the news of the death of the owner of the Kania Guild.
“You said he was murdered?”
It wasn’t just that he died, but that he was murdered.
The owner of one of the top 10 guilds in Lith Harbour, with countless adventurers under his command.
“How is that even possible? He must have had an immense number of guards.”
It was only natural for them to be surprised.
Even Cheryl, who had brought the news, was surprised.
She usually didn’t like to show herself, but she had come to deliver this news in person.
That’s how big the news was.
“This is a big deal.”
“Yes? Ah, it is a big deal, but…”
However, despite his words, El Pam didn’t seem too surprised by the news.
El Pam knew.
‘He must have run away.’
The chances of Ivok actually being dead were low, despite the rumors.
Of course, running away meant that he couldn’t come back, which was a huge deal for Ivok himself.
‘Cutting off his tail.’
But El Pam knew that for the followers of the Black Mage, such a sacrifice was trivial.
It was like tearing off a hangnail.
It stings for a moment, but after a few minutes, you hardly notice it.
Of course, it wasn’t a completely painless process.
That’s why they usually didn’t cut off their tails like that.
In other words, there was a reason why they had to.
‘Looks like the Gold RIchie Guild got in pretty deep.’
The reason was obvious.
‘This isn’t bad.’
Anyway, for El Pam, this was good news.
Now that Ivok had been declared dead, it was impossible for the Kania Guild to actively engage in external activities.
Until someone could replace Ivok, they couldn’t do anything outside.
‘The Kania Guild won’t make a move. Not because of the Gold RIchie Guild.’
Even if they did, they could only do so in a way that wouldn’t provoke the Gold RIchie Guild.
‘No serious threats for the time being.’
This meant that the Kania Guild wouldn’t be targeting El Pam or other adventurers for the time being.
For El Pam, this meant that he didn’t have to worry about the Kania Guild for a while.
‘Threats will come in other ways, though.’
Of course, El Pam didn’t think for a second that the Kania Guild, the followers of the Black Mage, would give up on him.
They would try to eliminate him, no matter the cost.
It was just that they didn’t have the time to focus on El Pam right now, because they were dealing with a bigger enemy, the Gold RIchie Guild.
In any case, this meant that El Pam didn’t have to worry too much about the Kania Guild for a while.
So El Pam looked at Cheryl.
“I brought a survivor.”
And he made a request.
“As you requested.”
A reward.
Cheryl responded without hesitation to his request.
“Thank you.”
With that, she handed El Pam a coin engraved with a cross.
“It’s a Cross Coin.”
It was a special currency used within Cross Hunter, given to those who made significant contributions or completed missions.
A currency that could be used to purchase items within Cross Hunter.
Moreover, Cross Hunter had many valuable items, starting from Unique rank.
Of course, the more valuable the item, the more Cross Coins were required.
“Except for Black Coins.”
Black Coins were the sole exception.
“You can use it to purchase any item you need.”
That was why.
“If you need any favors, don’t hesitate to ask.”
El Pam accepted the reward without hesitation.
His conversation with Cheryl ended there, and he lost interest in her.
He turned his head and looked at Pir.
Pir spoke under El Pam’s gaze.
“I will keep my promise. I will send it to you soon.”
“Boss, ask about that too.”
At that moment, Ralph interrupted.
“When are you going to give us the money?”
“…I’ll send them over too.”
The conversation with Pir ended as he responded to Ralph’s question.
As all the conversations concluded, El Pam focused his gaze on one place.
“Then, we return to Lith.”
2.
The Lith Harbour.
Always bustling with activity for various reasons, today it was filled with a deeper silence than ever before.
In every place where people gathered.
There was little conversation, and even the few words spoken were whispered, contributing to the quiet atmosphere.
“Ivok was murdered?”
The death of the Kania Guild’s leader was a shocking event.
It wasn’t just that an important person had died.
“It must have been an assassination, right?”
If he didn’t just die suddenly but was murdered, there must have been someone who sent an assassin.
“Who could it be?”
That was the reason for the hushed atmosphere surrounding Ivok’s death.
“The ones who benefit from Ivok’s death are obviously the top 10 guilds…”
“Hey, don’t say things you shouldn’t.”
There were definitely those in the Lith Harbour who would benefit from Ivok’s death.
“Can’t we even talk about it?”
No, it wasn’t just a matter of existence.
“No matter what, the other guilds will divide up the Kania Guild’s shares, won’t they?”
The nine guilds, excluding the Kania Guild, would inevitably benefit in some way, big or small.
Of course, all nine guilds wanted it.
“Who will get more is the question.”
In this situation, to gain a bigger advantage.
Their minds were inevitably filled with complex thoughts.
“Boss, what’s going to happen now?”
Among them was Divo.
“Will the Kania Guild keep trying to kill us?”
It was natural for him to think that way. The El Pam party was currently under threat from the Kania Guild.
But in this situation, the guild leader Ivok was dead?
Honestly, they couldn’t help but think this way.
“They might be too busy to bother with us, right? The atmosphere there must be chaotic.”
Maybe they would give up on the El Pam party.
No, given the current situation, it was more likely that the Kania Guild had forgotten about them.
And if that happened, a very troublesome threat would disappear for the El Pam party.
It was a stroke of good luck.
Of course, El Pam knew.
‘That’s not going to happen.’
All of this was just a ploy by the followers of the Black Mage.
They would come after the El Pam party to kill them.
‘It’s coming someday.’
It was just that it wasn’t going to happen right away.
“It’s not the Kania Guild that decides our course of action.”
“Huh?”
“It’s the Gafor Guild.”
That’s why El Pam focused on the Gafor Guild rather than the Kania Guild at this moment.
In truth, the ones with the most complicated thoughts in this situation were none other than the Gafor Guild.
‘We invested a fortune in them as bait to bring down the Kania Guild, but the Kania Guild collapsed on its own.’
It was a situation that required a complete overhaul of their original plan.
Of course, El Pam knew.
“The Gafor Guild is at the bottom of the top 10 guilds. An opportunity has come for them to rise. They won’t just sit back and watch.”
He knew that the Gafor Guild would act more aggressively than any other guild here.
“They’ll do anything to make their presence known, even if it means sacrificing adventurers.”
And the ones who would be sacrificed in this aggressive move were the adventurers they had hired.
“The competition will be fiercest among the Yellow Ranks.”
Moreover, the most important factor in evaluating a guild’s capabilities was their ability to conquer Yellow Rank Mystic Gates.
The lowest rank, Red, was basically considered a stage for beginners.
No matter how well one performed in Red Rank gates, they couldn’t be labeled as anything more than promising.
The next rank, Orange, received some attention, but it was still a stage for 3rd Circle adventurers, and the attention was inevitably lower.
But Yellow Rank was different.
It was fundamentally a stage for 3rd and 4th Circle adventurers, and the level of attention was on a different scale.
Of course, Green Rank, the stage for 5th Circle adventurers, received even more attention, but the logic of competition didn’t apply there.
“It’s impossible to make aggressive moves regarding Green Rank Mystic Gates.”
5th Circle adventurers were classified as core assets in each guild, so they couldn’t be handled recklessly.
In other words, Yellow Rank was the limit for aggressive moves.
“The next adventure will be difficult in many ways.”
In conclusion, the next adventure would be completely different from the previous ones.
‘I wonder where it will be.’
It wasn’t easy for El Pam either.
Especially since El Pam knew.
‘Wherever it is, we’ll be under scrutiny.’
The El Pam party was no longer an unknown group of adventurers. They were now famous for inheriting Jack RIchie’s legacy.
“Brother!”
“What?”
That was why the El Pam party was currently having a meal at Divo’s house instead of a restaurant.
Because of the sharp attention from those around them.
“Go out and buy some food.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Why all of a sudden?! There’s nothing to eat at home!”
“It’s right in front of you.”
“Do you think this is enough for our comrades? Go buy something proper!”
“Hey, it’s fine to just eat whatever! We even eat grilled monsters inside Mystic Gates!”
“Tsk!”
Divo ended up having to go out for food.
“Ugh, fine. I’m going, I’m going!”
Divo, who had gone out like that, returned home in less than 10 minutes.
“Boss!”
He said with a surprised expression.
“The Kania Guild has relinquished its rights to the Yellow Rank Mystic Gate they owned.”
No one was surprised by that news.
“What’s the problem with that?”
“They must have given up. Why would they hold onto it? They’ll lose it anyway.”
“Is there a bounty on it?”
At this point, it would be foolish for the Kania Guild to claim ownership of the Mystic Gate.
“It’s gold! Gold!”
But upon hearing the following words, everyone couldn’t help but be surprised.
Except for one person.
‘The next stage has been set.’
3.
“The next stage has been set.”
Lakan delivered the news personally.
“You must have already heard the rumors. The Kania Guild has relinquished their rights to the Yellow Rank Mystic Gate. And one of them is gold.”
“Are you asking us to enter the 300-person gate?”
El Pam was being asked to participate in the conquest of the 300-person Mystic Gate, the highest difficulty in Yellow Rank.
It was an absurd proposal.
“I’ve just become a 4th Circle. My comrades are still only 3rd Circle.”
As El Pam said, the El Pam party were absolute beginners who had just stepped into Yellow Rank.
And now they were being asked to participate in the highest difficulty Mystic Gate adventure in Yellow Rank?
It was preposterous.
So El Pam asked.
“What will you give us?”
What price could they pay for doing such an absurd thing?
Logically, it was madness.
But El Pam knew.
‘Refusal is impossible anyway.’
The Gafor Guild was one of the top 10 guilds and among the top three in terms of aggression.
They were capable of easily dealing with the likes of the El Pam party.
If El Pam bared his teeth and showed any sign of defiance, they would retaliate without hesitation.
That’s why he asked,
“Reward?”
If he couldn’t refuse anyway, it was better to get more out of it.
‘We have to conquer it anyway.’
Besides, El Pam had no intention of refusing this opportunity.
‘A 300-person gate guarantees Unique items.’
Although it was a Mystic Gate that didn’t exist in El Pam’s memory, it was clear that there were tremendous items within it.
“If you promise me a reward, I’ll come back alive no matter what.”
There was no reason to refuse.
“While representing the Gafor Guild.”
Lakan nodded at El Pam’s words.
It was a satisfactory answer.
“I’ll give you a Unique item. A 4th Circle one.”
The answer was also satisfactory from El Pam’s perspective.
“I’ll let you know when the exact schedule is set. And I’ll warn you.”
Of course, Lakan made it clear.
“I won’t tolerate you going in alone.”
He was telling him not to make the same mistake as last time.
“Yes, I want to come back alive too.”
El Pam had no intention of doing that this time either.
Moreover, El Pam knew.
‘It won’t be easy at all.’
Although he had accepted the offer, he knew that this Mystic Gate adventure would be more difficult than any he had ever experienced.
‘Prepare to the best of your ability.’
But El Pam didn’t despair at this fact.
‘Just like always.’
For him, the worst-case scenario was always the one he faced easily, the one that was no different from usual.
In the face of such a worst-case scenario, all he had to do was prepare step by step.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
El Pam left the Gafor Guild’s headquarters.
And what he had been waiting for arrived.
“This is from Cross Hunter. The item you requested.”
The Hero Tracker, Pir, had sent him Freud’s ring.
‘I didn’t expect this to come.’
The ring he received was utterly ordinary.
If he hadn’t known it was Freud’s ring, he wouldn’t have bought it even for money.
‘A ring more valuable than all the Unique items I own.’
But the value of this ring was immeasurable.
‘But it’s useless to me.’
The unfortunate thing was that El Pam couldn’t do anything with Freud’s ring right now.
It was literally true.
Only those recognized by Freud, the great hero, could use this ring.
It meant that the ring was essentially useless to El Pam.
Yet, the reason El Pam requested the ring was simple.
‘It’ll be useful when negotiating with Pir later.’
There was someone who would pay the highest price for this seemingly useless item.
That was all.
That was the extent of El Pam’s expectations for the ring.
Or so he thought.
Buzz!
‘…What?’
Until Freud’s ring in El Pam’s hand started to vibrate.
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
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