Chapter 195
Chapter 195
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Edelstein (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7.
Airship.
It was an invention that had opened up a new world for adventurers in Maple World, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the history of adventurers was intertwined with airships.
Naturally, countless adventurers and merchant groups had poured their passion, effort, and funds into developing them.
"Do you know what surprised me the most when I opened my eyes?"
Among them was the Phantom Thief, Phantom.
"That the airship technology had advanced to another level entirely."
The moment he awoke, he felt the urgent need to develop a new airship.
In a way, it was entirely natural.
For the Phantom Thief, whose stage was all of Maple World—and who was chased by more people than anyone—airships were his lifeline.
He naturally spent a fortune on it.
"An enormous amount of money. So much it hurt."
Even for the Phantom Thief, said to possess the most treasures in Maple World, it was staggering.
The massive, resplendent airship before El Pam's party now—the Crystal Garden—was the result of that.
"My goodness, is this an airship?"
"It looks more like a palace."
For starters, the Crystal Garden's exterior was on another level from any airship adventurers had seen before.
While most airships were made of wood and roughly finished, this one was pristine, like fine porcelain.
And it was enormous.
Its size rivaled that of a building!
Even more astonishing was the interior.
From the deck onward, it was adorned with extravagantly expensive decorations everywhere.
"I guarantee you, the only thing more luxurious is the White Spear."
It was on par with the Cygnus Knights' strongest airship, the White Spear!
It was the kind of sight that drew admiration in every way.
"Impressive."
Even Kiri, who had barely batted an eye at extravagance before, was stunned.
Of course, there was one exception.
El Pam. He wasn't surprised.
He had already seen Phantom's Crystal Garden and the Cygnus Knights' White Spear, still under development.
'This was hope.'
More than just seeing it—he knew that in a world overrun by monsters, the Crystal Garden, which no monster could bring down, was the last bastion. The surviving adventurers had given their lives to protect it.
El Pam had been one of them.
He had fought battles where he steeled himself for death to defend the Crystal Garden countless times.
'Until Black Heaven appeared.'
But that hope had ultimately fallen before the massive battleship Black Heaven created by the Black Wings.
Hope had plummeted with it.
Then came the age of despair.
'This time will be different.'
Of course, from El Pam's perspective, that was before he returned to the past.
"What do you think? My airship?"
"It's magnificent."
He was here now to prevent that history from repeating.
And from El Pam's viewpoint, there was no reason to feel down right now.
If his memories held true, the only thing capable of bringing down this Crystal Garden was one: the Black Wings' massive battleship, Black Heaven!
"Yeah, then hop aboard this magnificent beast."
That was why El Pam boarded the Crystal Garden without a worry in the world.
"Setting sail for Edelstein!"
8.
Every adventurer who had ridden an airship or flying ship said the same thing.
"Why are airships scary? Just ride one. Your legs will shake every time you hear that creaking."
Out of a hundred adventurers who rode once, only fifty rode twice.
Ordinary airships made enormous noises.
Sounds like they might shatter at any moment.
But the Crystal Garden was different.
Whoooosh!
Slicing through the clouds, the Crystal Garden moved at an astonishing speed without making a sound.
"Wow, is this even possible? Standing here like this?"
Voices conversing on deck carried even louder.
It was an airship worth being astonished by in every way.
"The bulk of the cost went into eliminating that noise."
Phantom smiled in satisfaction at the reactions.
"If it's too loud, it ruins the scenery, doesn't it?"
Everyone was floored by his follow-up remark.
Words only the Phantom Thief could say.
Of course, El Pam knew better.
'It wasn't for admiring the view that they silenced it.'
Finding an airship visually in the vast skies, wider than any ocean, was nearly impossible.
In the end, pursuers tracked by sound!
Silencing the Crystal Garden was a measure to evade detection by anyone.
And that wasn't the only measure taken on the Crystal Garden.
From what El Pam knew, the visible features were mere child's play compared to the technology invested in it.
Either way, it was an incredible machine.
That was why.
"Everyone's amazed, but you don't seem all that impressed?"
Phantom's eyes narrowed at El Pam's reaction.
"Have you ridden one like this before?"
To that, El Pam replied.
"Of course not. This is my first time."
It wasn't a lie.
He had seen it, but never ridden it.
"Yeah, I suppose so. You've never lied to me before."
Phantom didn't press further.
"Looks like I've been the only one asking questions. Got anything you're curious about me? Fire away."
That was when El Pam asked without hesitation.
"What happened to the Lion King?"
"The Lion King made a request, and the Cygnus Knights fulfilled it. What's the problem? He'll go back into silence for another round."
"That's a relief."
"Yeah, it is. It delays the world drowning in blood by about a year."
A year.
El Pam said nothing more.
'Not much time left.'
His mind grew complicated.
"Alright, I answered one, so now it's my turn, right?"
Phantom asked El Pam.
"If we had failed to seal the Black Mage, what do you think would have happened to the world?"
El Pam answered without a moment's thought.
"I don't think it would be much different from now."
"Why's that?"
"The Black Mage doesn't seem to aim to become king of this world. There's something else. Even if alive, he'd plot in the shadows. So, no real difference."
Phantom smiled at the answer.
"Yeah, you're right."
Their conversation ended there, and night began to fall over their heads.
A few days later, they saw it.
"There's Edelstein."
9.
Edelstein.
Adventurers from Victoria Island and Ossyria Continent had discovered it fairly recently.
There were two reasons for that.
First, the distance between the continents was immense. No ship could reach it.
The only option left was airships, but the technology from Ossyria and Victoria Island wasn't advanced enough to get there.
"Edelstein is an airship paradise!"
Edelstein was different.
It possessed technology incomparable to Victoria Island or Ossyria Continent.
That naturally raised a question.
Why hadn't Edelstein come to Victoria Island and Ossyria first?
"And the Black Wings rule it!"
The reason was the Black Wings that had seized control of Edelstein.
Because of the Black Wings, Edelstein couldn't engage in proper exchange with the outside.
That remained true even now.
The two continents still lacked proper interaction.
For Victoria Island adventurers, seeing Edelstein was a dream.
"There it is."
El Pam's party was gazing at Edelstein now.
"I never dreamed I'd set foot in Edelstein in my lifetime."
"Same here."
"Yeah. Honestly, this was unexpected."
"Me too. The moment I heard the smuggling fee to enter Edelstein, I erased it from my memory."
Everyone shared their thoughts on the sight.
"Seeing you all so happy makes it worth it."
Phantom smiled at them.
"Of course! Especially riding the Phantom Thief's airship to Edelstein—what an honor I never imagined!"
"Huh? That's not quite right."
"Pardon?"
But at Phantom's next words, Dibo and the others tilted their heads.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't land there. The moment I do, the Black Wings will come swarming to catch me. You think I'd risk that?"
It was a valid point.
"Then how do we get there?"
El Pam's party couldn't accept it easily.
"I've prepared a way."
Grinning, Phantom handed them something.
"Here."
"What's this?"
"What else? Tubes."
Dibo, Miner, and Kiri stared in disbelief as they took them, and Phantom chuckled.
"By the way, these aren't just any tubes. They're the ones used only at Maple World's top resort, Gold Beach. Very expensive."
"Don't mess around."
At that, Ralph's eyes flashed fiercely as he spoke.
His already rugged face turned even more menacing, creating a tense atmosphere.
Even Phantom tensed slightly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Crossing that ocean on a single tube? Don't mess around."
Ralph spoke carefully to Phantom.
"I'm bigger than most, so give me two."
Phantom let out a hollow laugh.
He knew Ralph wasn't asking because he needed two, but to squeeze out one more coin.
"Fine, two for you."
"Thank you!"
Ralph beamed genuinely when Phantom agreed.
By then, all eyes turned to El Pam.
Edelstein's continent was still far off, but did they really have to swim from here, as Phantom said?
To their gazes, El Pam responded not with words, but action.
Puff!
Blowing air into the tube with his mouth.
10.
Edelstein was a place with exceptionally advanced technology.
Especially in airships and flying ships—it was incomparable anywhere in Maple World.
In other words, they had no need for ordinary ships, so their shipbuilding tech wasn't impressive.
Thus, the seas around Edelstein's continent were always eerily calm.
Splash, splash!
Into that serene sea plunged five adventurers with their tubes.
It was madness.
As mentioned, no ships passed near Edelstein. No chance of rescue.
And swimming there was too far.
That wasn't all.
The adventurers were heavily armed. Some wore armor, others carried massive polearms.
"Damn it!"
In the end, the man on his tube, Dibo, shouted.
"I survived Zakum, but to drown in the ocean?!"
Dibo's expression was graver than ever.
He wasn't alone.
Miner's face was grim too.
"Yeah, this is really dangerous."
"Huh? Hey, gold-eyes, don't scare us for no reason."
"It's not for no reason. Swimming from here to there isn't easy. We have to fight the currents."
To her, who knew the sea better than anyone, the situation was dire.
"I don't think I can make it."
To the point where dying wouldn't be surprising.
At Miner's words, everyone's faces hardened seriously.
Honestly, they all had some swimming skill and confidence in reaching Edelstein.
It would be tough, but weren't they all 5th Circle adventurers?
Their stamina was beyond ordinary adventurers.
But if Miner said this, reaching it might truly be impossible.
"Minor's right. Swimming from here is impossible."
Even El Pam agreeing with Miner turned their faces pale.
Did that mean they were really supposed to die?
"B-Boss? Th-Then what do we do?"
To his comrades, El Pam answered.
"Just wait."
"Pardon?"
That was the moment.
Swoosh!
With the sound of slicing water, a single boat appeared toward El Pam's party.
It stopped before them, and soon they saw her.
"Get on."
Cheryl, executive of the Cross Hunters.