Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Chapter 40. Chimera Hunt (1)
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1.
“Boss!”
As El Pam approached after finishing his conversation with Oz, Dibo and the others all rose from their seats.
“Did the talk go well?”
In response to Dibo’s question, El Pam replied.
“There was an unexpected issue.”
No one was surprised by those words.
They had known as much.
“As expected. No matter how you look at it, that was too unreasonable a demand.”
They didn’t know exactly what El Pam had asked of Oz.
El Pam hadn’t given a precise explanation of the relic discovered there.
But they knew two things.
“Asking for a Cygnus Knights relic.”
One was that it wasn’t just any ordinary item.
“And there wasn’t even any prior agreement?”
Demanding such an extraordinary item without any prior arrangement, straight-up as a risk-bearing cost?
Honestly, if they had accepted it, that would have been the truly strange thing.
“Sometimes the boss takes things too far.”
At Dibo’s remark, El Pam said.
“It’s been handled.”
“Right, of course it has. Yeah?”
“The Cygnus Knights accepted the deal.”
“W-what?”
Dibo was stunned by the response. Ignoring him, El Pam turned to Kiri and said.
“Kiri will use it. That’s the condition.”
“Ah.”
With that answer, everyone understood to some extent.
Oz wouldn’t have accepted just handing over the item, but if Kiri was the one using it, it was different.
It wasn’t giving it away—it was lending it, and the user was a knight of the Cygnus Knights.
Of course, Kiri knew.
That accepting this condition wasn’t solely for that reason.
And that El Pam had seen through her background.
“I...”
Kiri opened her mouth to say something about it.
“Boss!”
But her words were buried under Dibo’s voice.
“So what’s the unexpected part?”
“We’ve been given a mission.”
“A mission?”
“As a condition for receiving new identities, we have to carry out a mission.”
Dibo frowned at the explanation.
“Ah, this is too much. They say things change between going into the bathroom and coming out, but attaching conditions here?”
“This was expected.”
“Huh?”
“And it’s only natural. New identities need an appropriate title. That’s what this is about.”
Dibo tilted his head at the follow-up explanation.
“Boss, what’s the problem then?”
So what did he mean by unexpected?
In answer, El Pam said.
“The mission is chimera hunting.”
“What?”
2.
The role of the Cygnus Knights had always been one thing.
To carry out the orders of Empress Cygnus.
And the role of Empress Cygnus was to stably lead the Maple Alliance.
To that end, the Maple Alliance had established various rules.
Of course, those rules were mostly things that must not be done, and violating them brought thorough punishment.
One of the Cygnus Knights’ main roles was to carry out that punishment.
In any case, among the Maple Alliance’s rules was that one.
“The alchemists of Magatia must not create chimeras.”
Chimera.
It was the being that alchemists of the Newmist School—those who created new life forms—most wanted to make.
“Chimeras move with their own will.”
Not crude life forms, but intellectual ones. In a way, it was the realm of creation.
A realm approaching divine providence!
It was bound to spark controversy in many ways.
Of course, the Maple Alliance hadn’t banned chimera creation just because of debates or moral clashes.
“Their will could manifest in any way. It might even manifest as a desire to destroy everything in the Maple World.”
The biggest reason for the ban was the danger.
“And no one knows how chimeras might evolve.”
Chimeras were life forms created from nothing—their potential was immeasurable by anyone.
It wasn’t a vague threat.
There had been actual incidents several times.
“Like the Magatia Underground Lab B-11 Zone closure incident.”
The most representative was the underground lab closure.
The “closure” here didn’t mean simply making it a no-entry zone.
It meant turning that area into a space where nothing could survive.
From the alchemists’ perspective, destroying the infinitely valuable Magatia underground labs was unacceptable, but when the chimera appeared back then, it was different.
“The alchemists begged. Pleaded for someone to solve it.”
The alchemists themselves had requested closure from the Adventurer’s Association and everyone in the Maple World.
The chimera that appeared was that overwhelmingly powerful, and because of that incident, the Maple Alliance paid even more attention to chimeras after its founding.
“After that, the alchemists strongly banned chimera creation themselves.”
They used every method to ensure no alchemist could create one.
“But alchemists are crazy by nature, right? You think a ban stops them?”
For alchemists who pursued intellectual curiosity without regard for means or methods, the rule didn’t hold.
In the end, someone always made one.
This time was no different.
Someone had created a chimera and hidden it in the Magatia underground labs.
“We got a tip-off.”
Someone who knew reported it to the Cygnus Knights, and they dispatched knights.
“They hid a chimera in the B-1 zone.”
Thirty-six knights.
Ten of them had opened their 5th Circles!
The rest were all 3rd or 4th Circle powerhouses.
“So that’s why we’re here.”
Leading them was Grandel, a Flame Wizard from the Fire Knights.
She was a beauty with red hair and sharp features, but no one paid attention to that.
‘Cleaner Grandel.’
The moment they saw her, everyone thought of her nickname: Cleaner.
True to the name, she was a cleaner.
A cleaner who swept away monsters from monster-infested places.
‘Next candidate for Fire Knights Captain.’
Her skills were exceptional.
“I’ve heard about it from Sir Oz.”
Her personality was just as famous as her skills.
She cleaned away anything that got in the way without hesitation.
“Let me be clear. The moment you interfere, even if it’s Sir Oz’s request, I’ll remove you.”
Even if it was an ally.
Truthfully, El Pam’s party joining a mission led by Cleaner Grandel was impossible from the start.
It was only possible because of Fire Knights Captain Oz’s name.
“Got it, El?”
Moreover, El Pam was appearing here not under his own name, but as the new identity “El.”
“No mercy just because you’re 5th Circle.”
He was merely the leader of a party of 5th Circle adventurers with no notable achievements.
It meant she had no intention or reason to show consideration.
At Grandel’s response, Dibo said.
“We don’t even need to do anything, right?”
This could probably be handled quietly.
With those words, Dibo let out a slight sigh of relief.
“I was worried when I heard it was a chimera, but it doesn’t seem that tough.”
And rightly so—hunting chimeras was no ordinary task.
Unlike D. Roy, chimeras were famous enough that even adventurers on Victoria Island had heard the name a few times.
So when he first heard, he thought it was an absurd demand.
But seeing the assembled force, there was no need to worry.
“Cleaner Grandel, huh.”
Not only had a large number of 5th Circle powerhouses arrived, but at the center was the indescribably renowned Cleaner Grandel.
Moreover, these weren’t just any group of 5th Circle adventurers.
“The Cygnus Knights are serious about this.”
They served Empress Cygnus and executed the Maple Alliance’s will.
It meant full cooperation and support on the way to hunt the chimera.
“No problems here.”
There didn’t seem to be any real issues.
‘No problems.’
El Pam saw it the same way.
Assembling this much force was overkill in some sense.
That was the Cygnus Knights’ way.
Showing more than everyone expected.
But El Pam knew.
‘They all die.’
The outcome of this mission.
He couldn’t not know.
Cleaner Grandel’s death was shocking in many ways.
‘It was a trap.’
Even more shocking was that it was all a trap to put the Cygnus Knights in crisis.
‘Made by Umar, king of chimeras.’
Umar, the genius alchemist born from the Newmist School, had set it up.
The king of chimeras then used the trapped adventurers and Cygnus Knights as materials to create even more powerful chimeras.
Eventually turning the Magatia underground labs into his castle.
‘It was clever.’
And it was a brilliant idea.
The Magatia underground labs were filled with alchemical monsters made by alchemists and self-generated ones.
The key point was that those alchemical monsters didn’t have significant hostility toward each other.
Chimeras were the same.
Meaning it was the perfect place to produce chimeras.
In fact, Umar later built a force so massive that even 6th Circle adventurers and the Cygnus Knights couldn’t handle it.
He turned the underground labs into his castle, which staunchly blocked invaders.
‘If not for the Mystic Gate opening.’
But before the monsters bursting out from within, even that sturdy castle didn’t last.
‘Right now, it’s just the point where the first chimera was made.’
In any case, at this moment, it was far from a force worthy of being called the king of chimeras.
Compared to the king of chimeras in El Pam’s memory and his fame, it was laughably insignificant.
Of course, it still had plenty of power.
‘In Mystic Gate terms, Green-grade 100-man gate or higher.’
Enough to take out Cleaner Grandel and her subordinates meant a party of over fifty 5th Circle adventurers in difficulty.
That was why.
‘No issue for me.’
El Pam hadn’t refused this mission.
With all preparations complete for the chimera subjugation, someone appeared to assist Grandel’s party and El Pam’s party.
“Name’s Han.”
A man in a shabby cloak.
The moment she saw him, Grandel nodded.
El Pam’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘The broker Han is here.’
A familiar face.
‘Magatia’s top broker.’
He had ties to both factions dividing Magatia: the Newmist School and the Alcadno School.
His personal involvement meant this job was that significant.
“I’ll provide everything needed for this chimera subjugation. Anything you want, just say the word.”
As expected of the top broker, he was an excellent supporter.
His words weren’t exaggeration.
Within Magatia, he could procure anything desired or tell you how to get it.
“Don’t need anything else.”
Grandel only needed one thing.
“Just get me a guide. The best one to lead us there.”
A cleaner only needed a guide to the place to clean.
“Of course. Already prepared.”
Broker Han had anticipated her request and brought one along.
“Brought the best guide.”
With that, the guide bowed to Grandel in greeting.
A young man.
A young man with striking black eyes and black hair.
Nothing else particularly stood out, so Grandel showed no real reaction to his greeting.
But El Pam was different.
His eyes narrowed the moment he saw him.
El Pam showed a hint of surprise.
That was remarkable. El Pam didn’t even twitch an eyebrow at most things.
In other words, this guide was someone even El Pam couldn’t help but be surprised by.
It was only natural.
“He’s also the witness who reported the chimera.”
“Umar.”
The king of chimeras, the culprit behind this incident, had appeared as the guide.