NOVEL WEB
Chapter 28
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Chapter 28: Trap (2)
5.
News of the appearance of the 100-man Mystic Gate spread rapidly throughout Victoria Island, including the port city of Lis.
Naturally, news of the tragedy also spread quickly.
“Only three survived? Out of 100 people who went in?”
“97 people died? 97 of the most skilled E-rank adventurers from each guild?”
The public paid particular attention to the outcome.
“The three survivors are all from the Gafor Merchant Union?”
“Really?”
“No, everyone died, but only the Gafor Merchant Union adventurers survived?”
The fact that only the Gafor Merchant Union made any profit from the disaster.
“Did the Gafor Merchant Union do something?”
Of course, the reason why the public was interested was because it was such good material for conspiracy theories.
“Did the Gafor Merchant Union troll to eliminate their competitors?”
It was a conspiracy theory that didn’t make sense.
Even so, the Gafor Merchant Union suffered a lot of damage from this disaster.
However, there were a few things that were disadvantageous to the Gafor Merchant Union.
“The Gafor Merchant Union would do something like that and get away with it. They’re the most fundamental in the first place.”
First of all, there was the karma that the Gafor Merchant Union had accumulated over time.
“The Gafor Merchant Union put the Cygnus Knights trainees in this adventure in the first place, didn’t they?”
“The two Gafor Merchant Union adventurers who went in this time, they’re almost like newbies, aren’t they?”
“I heard they’re rookies who haven’t even been adventurers for a year!”
And then there was the fact that the Gafor Merchant Union didn’t invest any power, these elements gave wings to the conspiracy theory.
The conspiracy theory born in this way quickly filled the port city of Lis.
That was it.
Surprisingly, the story about this disaster didn’t develop any further or spread much.
In fact, that was the reality.
“Why are you making such a fuss? It’s a Red level anyway.”
No matter how much attention it received, the stage was still a Red level, a stage for E-rank or lower adventurers.
In Maple World, full of stories of A-rank adventurers and even S-rank adventurers, their stories were nothing more than child’s play.
“No Unique Item came out either. They failed in the end, didn’t they?”
The public’s assessment of failures was also cold.
That was the world of adventurers.
The 10 large guilds also didn’t have much to say about the disaster. In fact, they weren’t even interested.
“How many?”
Only one guild, the Kania guild, one of the 10 large guilds, was an exception.
The Kania guild had an unusual interest in this disaster.
“97 people are dead, Guild Lord.”
It was not just anyone, but the Guild’s owner, Ibok, who received a report on this matter.
Of course, Guild Lord Ibok was not mourning this disaster or anything like that.
“I’m sorry, the plan failed.”
Towards executive Ito, who bowed his head, Guild Lord Ibok only looked at him without saying a word.
Eventually, Guild Lord Ibok opened his mouth.
“It’s not a failure.”
Only then did Guild Lord Ibok speak to the executive who raised his head.
“He commanded. To exterminate all adventurers. And now there are three left. That’s it.”
Those words were enough.
His subordinate nodded.
“Yes, I will obey his command.”
6.
“They’re coming to kill us.”
“Boss.”
To El Paume’s words, Dibo spoke with a firm expression.
“Do you really have to say that in front of me while I’m eating?”
In front of Dibo was a table set with the Holy Eucharist.
“Is this your first proper meal too?”
Moreover, this was the first meal they were eating together after leaving Sleepywood Forest and returning to the port city of Lis.
It was a meaningful meal in many ways.
For adventurers, in particular, the meal they ate after finishing an adventure was especially meaningful.
El Paume knew that too.
That’s why he said:
“The adventure isn’t over yet.”
It’s in the adventurer’s world to have a meaningful meal after the adventure is over.
Of course, Dibo knew it too.
El Paume had already explained it to him a few times.
And even without that explanation, Dibo was well aware of the gravity of the situation.
“Those bastards who pulled off that trolling can’t just leave me and the boss alone.”
Guys who pull off stunts of this magnitude are bound to pull off even bigger stunts in the future.
“They were after us from the start.”
With those words, El Paume spoke to Dibo, who was tearing off a chicken leg in front of him and putting it straight into his mouth.
“That’s why I’m giving you a choice here.”
“Ah, okay.”
At that moment, Dibo cut him off and said.
“Are you asking if I’m going with you or if we’re going to split up? We’ve come this far, so of course I’m going with the boss.”
“But it’s going to be dangerous?”
To the following question, Dibo chuckled.
“Will it be less dangerous if I’m separated from the boss?”
Dibo knew that El Paume was carrying a different kind of danger.
“And are there any adventures in Maple World that aren’t dangerous?”
However, there was never a time when Dibo, since he dreamed of becoming an adventurer, was not in danger.
Rather, that was why Dibo wanted to follow El Paume.
“I guess it seems safest to me to follow the boss.”
The abilities that El Paume had shown so far defied comparison with any other adventurer.
It wasn’t just strength.
Strength itself was not absolute for adventurers in the first place.
‘I don’t know what it is, but there’s something special about the boss. The knowledge he has is on a different level.’
Knowledge, not strength, is what is absolute!
From that point of view, El Paume was the most reliable boss.
Of course, that was the biggest reason.
“And it’s different if I follow the boss, isn’t it?”
Dibo made a circle with his thumb and index finger as he spoke.
Just like that gesture, money followed him when he followed El Paume.
“Ugh, I’m getting a million meso at once.”
Right away, El Paume and Dibo could receive a reward of one million meso each from Gafor Merchant Union for this contract.
It was a huge amount of money.
“What should I do with this…? I guess it’s best to get some items this time around.”
Money that could enhance their power in many ways.
“So what are you going to do, boss?”
To that question, El Paume replied.
“I’m going to pay off my debts.”
“What?”
It was an unexpected answer from Dibo’s point of view.
No wonder, until now, El Paume had not even tried to pay off his debts to Gafor Merchant Union, but rather had been trying to borrow more money.
But now he’s going to pay it off?
“Do you really have to?”
“Because I can gain freedom.”
“Ah!”
At that moment, Dibo was convinced by the word ‘freedom’. The word ‘freedom’ was worth that much.
Moreover, Dibo knew El Paume’s story.
What kind of life he had lived for three years for his freedom.
Those three years spent as a bait slave were so harsh that everyone would believe that they were the background to the specialness that El Paume is now showing, that much.
So it’s not surprising that he wants to find his freedom again.
‘The boss is human too.’
That’s why Dibo felt relieved instead.
“After I gain freedom.”
To Dibo, who said that, El Paume said.
“I’m going to make a contract with Gafor Merchant Union.”
“What?”
7.
The top 10 guilds all had complicated thoughts due to the Sleepywood Forest disaster.
The most complicated place among them was Gafor Merchant Union.
“We have to somehow recruit El Paume.”
It was because of El Paume, the survivor of the disaster.
“Before other guilds approach him.”
It was no wonder that those who attended the meeting to report on the disaster knew of El Paume’s existence.
That he was a 3 Circle.
In fact, becoming a 3 Circle wasn’t that great of an achievement in itself.
There were many cases of Circle Up in the Mystic Gate.
In the first place, the condition for an adventurer to Circle Up was to gain enlightenment after consuming Mana Stones obtained from hunting monsters.
Especially, this enlightenment was often obtained in fierce battles and life-threatening adventures.
The Mystic Gate was the ultimate stage for enlightenment.
El Paume was no exception. It was not strange for him to gain enlightenment in the worst situation where everyone was dying and he might die too.
The problem was El Paume’s career.
Everyone would be interested in El Paume and would find out after investigating his career:
“It’s hard to find adventurers who grow so quickly.”
That he was an adventurer who grew at an incredible speed.
Moreover, El Paume’s career had that too.
“It’s even harder to find adventurers who survive to the end.”
Survivability!
In some ways, it was much more valuable than his talent.
In any case, once they knew that, the choices that all the guilds would make from then on were clear.
“We have to catch him before he makes a contract with another guild.”
Gafor Merchant Union was also included among all those guilds.
That was why.
“I want to pay off my debt with the commission I promised at that time.”
Ebisu wasn’t surprised when El Paume said that.
Instead, he immediately said:
“You want to make a new contract, I see.”
Because he understood the intention.
“Tell me the amount you want.”
And then Ebisu made an offer, his voice more relaxed than ever.
That’s because he had an order.
‘Lord Lakan said the amount doesn’t matter.’
An order to spare no expense in recruiting El Paume.
‘We have to get him somehow. Clearly, what happened in the 100-man Mystic Gate was no ordinary disaster.’
Moreover, Gafor Merchant Union had heard about this incident through the Master of the Thieves Guild.
That’s why the calculation was different.
‘El Paume is a witness. If we play it right, he could be a very useful witness to bring down one or two of the 10 large guilds.’
What if one of the 10 large guilds had planned the trolling, and they got a clue about it?
What if the testimony of El Paume, a survivor in that state, is added to that?
The power would be immense.
For Gafor Merchant Union, in many ways, there was enough reason to spend a lot of money on El Paume.
“The amount you want?”
El Paume said to Ebisu, who was so relaxed.
“Give me 10 million meso.”
“What?”
An amount beyond common sense.
“As a contract fee.”
Even more, he said that he would charge it as a contract fee, not as a salary, so he would charge for other expenses separately.
From Ebisu’ point of view, it was an amount of money that was naturally absurd.
“There’s no place that gives that much of a contract fee to a mere D-rank adventurer!”
An amount so absurd that even he raised his voice without realizing it.
To Ebisu’ reaction, El Paume said calmly:
“I understand.”
With that, El Paume stood up from his seat.
That was all.
He didn’t bargain. There was no reason to.
In the first place, this wasn’t a place to come to negotiate.
‘It’s excessive for the value of a D-rank adventurer.’
Also, El Paume knew.
‘But if it’s the price of a trolling witness, it’s a different story.’
The fact that Gafor Merchant Union had a reason to offer him that amount of money.
El Paume got up from his seat and walked out of the office.
Ebisu didn’t stop El Paume, but El Paume didn’t worry about that.
As mentioned earlier, Gafor Merchant Union would catch him.
“Boss!”
Dibo, who had been waiting for El Paume as he came out of Gafor Merchant Union, approached him quickly and said.
“What happened?”
“I was rejected.”
“Rejected? Why?”
Dibo was surprised by that.
“Why would they reject someone as skilled as you, Boss? Did the Gafor bastards get shot in the head?”
“They rejected me because I asked for a contract fee.”
“A contract fee? How much did you ask for?”
“I asked for 10 million meso, and they rejected me.”
“These Gafor bastards, how dare they only offer 10 million me… me?”
At that moment, Dibo’s eyes widened as if they were about to burst.
“No, are you crazy, Boss?”
He knew he would ask for a lot of money, but he never thought he would ask for 10 million meso as a contract fee!
“Who would give that?”
Even Dibo, who loves money, couldn’t believe it.
So Dibo thought:
“Were you never going to sign with Gafor Merchant Union in the first place?”
It was an expression of his will to simply not do it.
El Paume didn’t bother to explain the situation to him.
‘To offer this amount of money, Lakan, the higher-ups, would have to move.’
In any case, Gafor Merchant Union couldn’t answer this right away. They needed time.
‘I’m free now, so the deal will come.’
And those who would approach El Paume, now that he was no longer affiliated with any guild.
‘The Kania guild.’
Those followers of the Black Mage.
‘They’ll set a trap.’
To deal with El Paume.
‘By laying out an irresistible bait.’
They would definitely make an offer worth considering.
That was another part of El Paume’s plan.
“So what are you going to do, Boss? Are you going to sign with another guild?”
“For now, I need to move as a freelance adventurer. Without being affiliated with any guild, I’ll go where there are good requests. So I need to create a party.”
With that in mind, El Paume was now thinking of creating a party.
“A party? Sounds good. Then who are you going to recruit?”
“A Bishop.”
“A Bishop? A supporter? Do you know anyone?”
Of course, he already had someone in mind.
“Ralph.”
“Who’s that? I’ve never heard of him.”
No one knows him now, but El Paume did.
He couldn’t help but know.
‘He’s one of the members of Black Paradise, the group of followers of the Black Mage who killed Cygnus Knight Commander Mikhail.’
He was one of the adventurers who turned the world into hell.
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m