[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Chapter 79: The Prince’s Tomb (2)
3.
The Prince’s Tomb.
When El Pam mentioned that place, Prince Kashan’s reaction was nothing but silence.
It wasn’t silence in a bad sense.
‘The Prince’s Tomb?’
Prince Kashan simply didn’t understand what El Pam meant by “The Prince’s Tomb.”
‘Could it be…?’
And only after grasping the meaning did Prince Kashan finally show a proper reaction.
His expression turned fierce.
“Are you joking right now?”
It was no wonder, as El Pam’s words were beyond comprehension.
“Do you know what the Prince’s Tomb is and still say that?”
The Prince’s Tomb mentioned here would refer to the Fourth Prince’s Tomb.
It was a famous place.
Famous enough that anyone who called themselves an adventurer in Maple World would know about it.
And it was a place that anyone would want to challenge at least once.
In other words, despite that, the Prince’s Tomb had never been conquered before.
The reason was obvious.
The difficulty was beyond words.
“It’s on a different level from the place you went to.”
The place El Pam had conquered this time was also a prince’s tomb, but it wasn’t even comparable.
First of all, the place El Pam had conquered this time was the Seventh Prince’s Tomb, which the world didn’t even know existed.
The Seventh Prince had the weakest influence and presence among Abdullah VIII’s princes.
That meant he was weak.
Crucially, it was the place where the Seventh Prince had met his death due to Queen Areda’s schemes.
“Saleh, he was a more outstanding adventurer than anyone else.”
[TL/N: Sale → Saleh]
On the other hand, the Fourth Prince, Saleh, was a renowned figure in the Ariant Kingdom.
Naturally, the party led by Prince Saleh boasted strength incomparable to any other party.
That’s why…
The world coveted the Prince’s Tomb.
Because it was bound to be filled with valuable items befitting Prince Saleh’s reputation.
“The kingdom attempted to retrieve his relics several times.”
And as expected, the Ariant Kingdom desired Prince Saleh’s legacy more than anyone else.
It wasn’t about money.
It was a matter of the Ariant royal family’s pride.
“And experienced failure numerous times.”
Nevertheless, they had failed countless times so far.
“Now they’ve given up on even attempting it.”
Therefore, the Prince’s Tomb was currently being protected by a group hired by the Ariant Kingdom.
To prevent anyone who knew about it from daring to approach.
That’s how it was.
It was a place that, in reality, no adventurer in the world could conquer.
More than a tomb.
It was practically hell.
“I know.”
And El Pam knew this fact well.
“It’s a place that no one has even attempted to conquer, let alone succeeded. That’s why it’s safe.”
That was the reason for choosing that place.
“Safe?”
Prince Kashan still couldn’t understand.
“Prince Kashan, my enemy now is Queen Areda.”
But the moment he heard those words, things changed.
“There’s no safe place for me in the Ariant Kingdom. Even the sands of the Nihal Desert are dangerous for me.”
It was true.
“But it’s different beyond the Mystic Gate. Only a limited number can enter, and the moment I move to the second floor, no one else can enter. Even if someone does enter, the highest level they can be is 4th Circle. The chance of encountering anyone stronger is zero.”
For El Pam, who now had to be prepared for death even with every breath he took, the Mystic Gate was the safest place.
“Moreover, the Prince’s Tomb is currently under strict management. Most adventurers don’t even know its location.”
And among those Mystic Gates, the Prince’s Tomb was the most well-managed.
“That’s the reason.”
It was a reasonable argument.
Of course, the most important part remained.
Could El Pam’s party really conquer the Prince’s Tomb?
That’s why the concern deepened.
‘If it’s El Pam’s party…’
The man standing in front of him was an adventurer who had broken through the traps set by Queen Areda and completed the request.
He was an adventurer who had shown skills beyond what Prince Kashan had expected.
Even now, it was the same.
‘He’s different.’
How many adventurers could possibly consider the Prince’s Tomb as a refuge?
‘Still, it’s difficult.’
Of course, even then, the chances of failure were high.
Not just high, but very high.
However, Prince Kashan didn’t dwell on it too much.
‘If they fail, that’s it.’
If El Pam’s party died in the Prince’s Tomb?
It would just be adding new corpses to the pile of corpses that had already died.
‘But if they succeed…’
On the other hand, if El Pam’s party really conquered the Prince’s Tomb, what would happen then?
One thing was for sure.
The one who allowed it was Prince Kashan, and in the end, more people would praise Prince Kashan.
From Prince Kashan’s perspective, there was nothing to lose.
No, rather, Prince Kashan thought,
As long as there were followers of the Black Mage behind Queen Areda, a more solid foundation was needed to bring her down.
‘It could be a good opportunity.’
An opportunity to solidify that foundation.
As Prince Kashan began to ponder this, El Pam was convinced.
‘He’s persuaded.’
What answer would Prince Kashan give?
“Let’s give it a try.”
As expected, the answer El Pam wanted came.
At the moment El Pam obtained the chance to enter the seemingly impossible prince’s tomb.
“Prince Kashan, I have a request.”
“A request?”
“I need money.”
“Money?”
At that moment, El Pam said,
“To increase the chances of success, I need to acquire items, and that requires money.”
At this request, Prince Kashan smirked.
To think someone would ask him, a prince of Ariant, for money? How absurd.
“Alright, how much do you need?”
In response to that amused smile, El Pam held up one finger, which made Prince Kashan laugh even more.
“Would 100 million mesos be enough?”
To that laugh, El Pam responded.
4.
A feast that was not only delicious but also incredibly lavish.
“Pfft!”
One person splattered the food they were eating.
The culprit was Divo.
It was truly an act worthy of scolding.
Moreover, it wasn’t the first time Divo had done something like this, nor was it the second or third.
Nevertheless, no one reprimanded Divo at this moment.
“T-Ten billion mesos? So you’re saying you asked the prince for ten billion mesos?”
Because El Pam had said something unbelievable.
“Are you crazy?”
“That’s not a question, it’s a statement. Hey! Are you out of your mind? That’s Prince Kashan, a prince!”
Moreover, the target of that request was Prince Kashan!
He was someone who could easily kill an adventurer or two for the mere reason of being offended by strange remarks.
It was natural for Kiri and Minerv to react harshly.
Even Ralph, who loved money, said with a hardened expression,
“I trust the boss, but this seems wrong.”
Everyone nodded at his words.
Even Ralph would understand the gravity of the situation.
“Ten billion mesos? There’s no way he would give that, right?”
“Exactly! Right?”
“If you had asked for around 300 million mesos and then negotiated, you could have gotten at least 200 million mesos.”
“Of course! Huh?”
“Starting with 10 billion was reckless. How about going back and offering 300 million mesos?”
“Oh, come on!”
Of course, the direction of Ralph’s question was different from the other three, but everyone agreed.
They thought El Pam had done something crazy.
El Pam said to his companions,
“The 10 billion mesos offer was rejected.”
“Of course it was!”
Everyone nodded in agreement at his answer.
Even Prince Kashan wouldn’t just hand over 10 billion mesos, that enormous amount of money, right?
“I didn’t expect him to give me 10 billion mesos in the first place.”
“Huh?”
But everyone’s expressions changed at El Pam’s next words.
“Then?”
In truth, El Pam hadn’t made the offer with the intention of actually receiving it.
“Instead, I decided to receive support in the form of items. Not as much as 10 billion mesos, though.”
What he wanted was items, and El Pam had received a promise.
A promise to receive sufficient support.
At El Pam’s words, everyone just blinked.
They were once again impressed by his negotiation skills.
Of course, it wasn’t strange to El Pam.
To him, it was rather natural.
‘It won’t be smooth sailing. Queen Areda will try to obstruct us in any way she can.’
Because their lives were at stake.
‘Especially Ivok, who has sided with Queen Areda, will go all out.’
Because Ivok’s life was also on the line.
It would be a life-or-death confrontation in many ways.
‘So it won’t be easy.’
Therefore, El Pam thought it would take time for Prince Kashan to get the chance to enter the Prince’s Tomb.
‘He needs the king’s permission.’
To go to the Prince’s Tomb, they would ultimately need the permission of none other than Abdullah VIII.
‘The queen won’t just stand by.’
And right now, Abdullah VIII was practically no different from Queen Areda’s puppet.
But El Pam’s expectations didn’t last long.
The very next day.
News arrived.
“The Prince’s Tomb has been opened!”
5.
“The Prince’s Tomb has been opened!”
The news was like a typhoon.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“The Ariant royal family is recruiting a raiding party for the Prince’s Tomb!”
“The Prince’s Tomb? You mean the Fourth Prince Saleh’s?”
“What other Prince’s Tomb could there be?”
An incredibly powerful typhoon that swept across not only the Ariant Kingdom but the entire Maple World.
“Oh my god, the one overflowing with treasure?”
Everyone was surprised by the typhoon.
Prince Kashan was no exception.
‘Suddenly opening it now?’
Why would they reveal the Prince’s Tomb, which they had been trying to hide all this time, at this point?
Of course, Prince Kashan getting permission from the king was necessary to raid the Prince’s Tomb.
In that regard, Prince Kashan didn’t need to persuade Abdullah VIII anymore.
But Prince Kashan knew.
‘It’s the queen’s plot.’
Surely all of this wasn’t Abdullah VIII’s will.
That was the problem.
‘I don’t know where my information was leaked, but the queen read my plan and devised a plot.’
This was definitely a trap.
And it was a very dangerous one.
‘There was a leak even though I only discussed it with my closest aides.’
It meant that there was a spy for Queen Areda deep within Prince Kashan’s inner circle.
In essence, it meant that every action they took could be leaked to Queen Areda.
That’s why…
“El Pam.”
“Yes, Prince Kashan.”
Prince Kashan urgently requested a meeting with El Pam.
“Have you heard the situation?”
“I have.”
“Then there’s no need for a long story.”
Because he had to ask El Pam again.
“So, what are you going to do?”
Whether he would still challenge the tomb despite the completely changed circumstances.
In truth, Prince Kashan was expecting an answer.
‘Impossible.’
Entering the Prince’s Tomb now was no different from entering hell.
No one wanted that.
So it was common sense for El Pam to answer that it was impossible.
“I’ll enter as planned.”
“Yes, as planned… What?”
Prince Kashan was greatly surprised by El Pam’s answer.
On the other hand, El Pam calmly said,
“The situation has become more convenient.”
“More convenient?”
“If I had entered through you, Prince Kashan, it would have been difficult to gather proper adventurers. There would have been too many eyes watching. But now it’s different. They’re advertising it widely. The best adventurers will gather. Naturally, the chances of conquering the Mystic Gate increase.”
At that explanation, Prince Kashan’s expression turned cold.
It wasn’t wrong.
But an important part was missing.
“All those adventurers could be assassins targeting you.”
The part about whether they could be trusted.
El Pam spoke even more calmly about that part.
“Yes, I know.”
That was all.
And that was enough to make Prince Kashan realize what kind of adventurer El Pam was.
“Adventurer.”
At that moment, Prince Kashan no longer argued about El Pam’s adventure.
There was no way to change the mind of an adventurer who was prepared for adventure.
“Alright.”
There was only one thing he could do.
“Then let’s move on to the next topic. I brought the promised item.”
To support the adventure.
“I’ve prepared a Legendary item here.”
With those words, Prince Kashan snapped his fingers, and a subordinate who had come with him brought a golden box and opened it.
Inside, there was a pair of shoes.
Looking at the shoes, Prince Kashan spoke with more confidence than ever.
“You’ve probably never even heard of them.”
But unfortunately, El Pam knew.
What they were.
‘Hermes’ Boots… He brought something incredible.’
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
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