[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Chapter 111: Junior Balrog (2)
3.
Alsar and Mohad.
The two met Prince Kashan eleven years ago.
In the distant past.
At that time, they were merely insignificant guards protecting Prince Kashan.
Their relationship with the prince deepened when they nearly died trying to protect him from a mysterious group that attacked him.
Since then, Prince Kashan trusted them more than anyone else. He might not have known their true skills, but he never doubted their loyalty.
That’s how deep it ran.
‘Kill Prince Kashan.’
The Black Mage’s followers, the dedication they poured into killing Prince Kashan, was that intense.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were the final and secret card that Queen Areda relied on.
When they had to use such a secret card, naturally, they considered all possibilities.
“Follow my words from now on.”
That’s why…
“If you want to save Prince Kashan.”
When El Pam threatened them with a dagger at Prince Kashan’s throat in front of the gate to the third floor, Alsar, Mohad, and the 56 Black Mage followers who followed them froze.
‘What is this?’
In all the scenarios they had imagined, this one had never existed.
And it was right that they couldn’t imagine it.
“I’ll say it again. Follow my words from now on. If you don’t, Prince Kashan’s life is forfeit.”
From the perspective of those who had to kill Prince Kashan, how could they imagine a situation where Prince Kashan’s life was being threatened?
Of course, Alsar and Mohad soon regained their composure.
Alsar and Mohad exchanged glances.
They couldn’t just do nothing.
“What do you want?”
‘We’ll play along for now.’
For the time being, Alsar and Mohad wanted to remain loyal subjects.
They decided to meet El Pam’s demands to some extent, buy time, and then reformulate their plan.
“Hand over all your items.”
However, at the words that followed, Alsar and Mohad couldn’t help but hesitate.
‘Items?’
They couldn’t just hand over legendary-rank items right now.
At that moment.
Stab!
The dagger El Pam held pierced Prince Kashan’s neck.
The depth was about a finger joint deep, quite significant.
“Ugh, ugh!”
Fear filled Prince Kashan’s eyes.
Alsar and Mohad’s surprise was even greater.
‘That’s dangerous.’
Unlike Prince Kashan, they were skilled practitioners and knew all too well.
‘If it goes in a little deeper…’
‘Prince Kashan will die.’
The depth El Pam had stabbed was not just a simple threat but a perfect depth to actually kill Prince Kashan.
If they moved recklessly here, if El Pam moved just a little more, it was a depth that could end everything.
‘This is not a joke.’
Even if it were a joke, it wasn’t a depth to be taken lightly.
At that moment.
“E-Everyone, what are you doing?”
The terrified Prince Kashan spoke in a trembling voice.
“Listen to him! Listen to him!”
At his desperate cry, El Pam added,
“This is the final warning. Put down all your weapons before I count to three.”
There was no conversation after that.
“One.”
El Pam started the countdown.
“Two.”
And the last remaining number was heard.
“Three.”
The countdown was over.
But no one moved.
Alsar and Mohad simply watched El Pam and the captured Prince Kashan.
With cold eyes.
“Prince Kashan.”
At that moment, El Pam spoke.
“Wasn’t I right?”
And the moment he heard those words, Prince Kashan’s eyes, no longer filled with fear, also turned ice-cold.
‘Ah.’
Only then did Alsar and Mohad realize.
What had happened.
‘They!’
That Prince Kashan had noticed they were traitors.
Naturally, at this moment, there was only one thing the two of them had to do.
Kill El Pam and Prince Kashan!
“Kill them right now…”
Kill them!
Just as Alsar and Mohad were about to shout, at that moment.
“Huh?”
El Pam and Prince Kashan disappeared.
“Huh!”
Beyond the gate to the third floor.
4.
It was a sudden turn of events.
In front of the gate leading to the third floor, El Pam suddenly took Prince Kashan hostage and threatened them.
And Alsar and Mohad, who could be considered Prince Kashan’s right and left-hand men, didn’t respond to the threat.
Then, suddenly, El Pam and his companions crossed over to the third floor with Prince Kashan.
‘What in the world is going on?’
Everyone was bewildered by the situation and froze.
Amidst the confusion, the first to regain their senses were none other than Alsar and Mohad.
“Damn it!”
“Dammit!”
The two of them, as if on cue, simultaneously let out curses.
“El Pam and Prince Kashan, they’ve escaped!”
At the words that followed, the rest, who had lost their minds in bewilderment, finally regained their senses.
The expressions of those who came to their senses hardened.
Everyone’s expressions hardened.
It was a chilling sight.
It was proof that everyone here was a follower of the Black Mage, aiming to kill Prince Kashan.
That’s why…
At this moment, Alsar and Mohad didn’t cause a bloodbath.
They were all on the same side.
In other words, from the beginning, the only enemies were them.
El Pam’s party and Prince Kashan, just six of them.
“El Pam took Prince Kashan away!”
And the situation where they all fled to the third floor.
It was the worst-case scenario.
“We’ll chase them immediately!”
“Stop!”
“Yes?”
“We can’t chase them now!”
Even worse was the fact that they couldn’t immediately cross over to the third floor and pursue El Pam’s party and Prince Kashan.
“We don’t know what tricks he might have played.”
What if El Pam had poisoned the area in front of the third-floor gate?
They would inevitably suffer significant casualties.
Even a chase would be problematic.
“We don’t even know what kind of monsters are there.”
If they recklessly pursued them without any information, they might be wiped out by monsters.
Therefore, there was only one thing they could do in this situation.
“We’ll prepare thoroughly.”
Prepare for the hunt.
Of course, not all of the subordinates agreed.
One of them said,
“I think time is of the essence. I’ll organize a search party and move first.”
He said he would move first, prepared for sacrifice.
Alsar shook his head at those words.
“There’s no need to rush.”
“Yes?”
“For now, time is on our side.”
At his words, the subordinates expressed their doubts.
It was obvious that Prince Kashan and El Pam would escape if things continued like this, so how could time be on their side?
But Alsar’s thoughts were different. Mohad felt the same way.
They both knew.
“There are only six of them. Just six, including Prince Kashan. And Prince Kashan is practically baggage.”
“Baggage they must protect more than their own lives.”
If El Pam’s party had simply crossed over, then it would be true that time was of the essence.
But now, El Pam’s party had to protect Prince Kashan.
They had to escape this place while protecting him.
That was a whole different level of difficulty.
“Of course, if they abandon Prince Kashan, it’s a different story, but that’s meaningless to us.”
If Prince Kashan were to die, it would actually be a boon for Alsar and Mohad.
“Once we’re out, it’s obvious whose words will be believed.”
Therefore, they were certain.
“They have no way out.”
5.
It was a sudden turn of events.
In many ways.
However, El Pam’s party and Prince Kashan, who had just crossed the gate to the third floor, showed no surprise in their eyes.
“El Pam, you were right.”
Far from surprise, Prince Kashan’s eyes were filled with a sharper venom than ever before.
It couldn’t be helped.
“Those two were my betrayers.”
He had realized that the two he trusted most had betrayed him.
In truth, it was a very shocking event.
His trust in them was so deep that he could literally entrust his life to them.
So when El Pam first mentioned it, Prince Kashan was half-doubtful.
Even that was because El Pam had said it. If anyone else had said it, he would have cut off their head on the spot.
In any case, Prince Kashan decided to trust El Pam for now and act according to his plan.
Eliminating even the slightest possibility wouldn’t hurt.
But who would have thought it would lead to this outcome?
“They were after my life.”
Moreover, Prince Kashan’s life wasn’t just his own.
It was a precious life, with the lives of the Ariant Kingdom’s people and the future of the Ariant Kingdom hanging in the balance.
At least, that’s how Prince Kashan thought.
In other words, Prince Kashan felt that the betrayal of the two wasn’t just a betrayal of him as an individual, but a betrayal of the Ariant Kingdom.
That’s why he wasn’t shuddering or surprised by the betrayal.
“El Pam, I must get out of here alive.”
Right now, Prince Kashan didn’t have the time to waste on such things.
Of course, Prince Kashan knew.
“It won’t be easy, but…”
How difficult it would be for El Pam’s party to get out of here with him in their current situation.
No, it wasn’t just difficult.
‘It’s impossible.’
Honestly, even though Prince Kashan said it, he knew how absurd his words were. That’s why Prince Kashan was considering it.
‘It might be better for them to abandon me and go.’
It might be best for El Pam’s party to survive and get out, rather than try to save him and fail.
Of course, that might be meaningless.
‘Who would believe El Pam’s words?’
With Prince Kashan dead, who would believe El Pam’s words that he was betrayed?
El Pam would likely be blamed for killing Prince Kashan.
It was a terrible situation in many ways.
But the real worst-case scenario hadn’t arrived yet.
‘If there’s an exit, it’s possible.’
Honestly, for now, they at least had a chance to survive.
“But if we have to defeat the boss monster for the exit to appear…”
However, if there were conditions for the exit to appear, it was practically the same as having no chance at all.
It was unimaginable for El Pam’s party to defeat the boss monster of a 300-man Mystic Gate with their strength alone.
Of course, El Pam’s party thought differently.
They knew.
‘This is going much better than expected.’
‘Bossr can get us out of here without a problem.’
They knew that with El Pam’s ability, there would be no problem finding the exit and getting out.
‘Even the boss monster.’
Even if they had to defeat the boss monster to escape, no one was particularly worried.
El Pam’s abilities were that good.
He could easily take down even the boss monster of a 300-man Mystic Gate.
That’s why…
“Prince Kashan, you don’t need to worry.”
Divo said with more confidence than ever.
“Trust in the boss’s skills. He’ll definitely get you out of here, Prince Kashan!”
At that moment…
El Pam, who had been searching the surroundings with the Eyes of Artemis, suddenly stopped.
He froze.
“Isn’t that right, boss?”
But Divo, unaware of the change, spoke to El Pam, and only then did El Pam start moving again.
He said,
“Change of plans.”
“Yes? Boss?”
“From now on, we keep as quiet as possible.”
“Keep quiet? Not looking for the exit?”
“Finding the exit is pointless.”
El Pam said to Divo and his surprised companions,
“The boss monster here is beyond my expectations. It seems we need a complete revision of our plans.”
When El Pam spoke to this extent, his companions’ expressions also hardened.
“Boss, what is it?”
“Hey, what’s going on?”
El Pam told them,
“It’s a Junior Balrog.”
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
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