Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Chapter 10. Evil Eye (1)
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1.
"It's in Henesys."
After saying that, Beiju immediately rose from his seat. With a light nod, he added,
"If you're interested, come to the Kania Merchant Group."
Those were his final words before Beiju departed.
A silence fell over the table where El Pam, Dibo, and Ralph sat.
Dibo and Ralph shared the same reason for their silence.
'They're really going to give him a ten-million mesos signing bonus?'
Truthfully, it was absurd.
Adventurers were beings who could die at any moment, regardless of their abilities. Investing a huge sum in one all at once was incredibly risky.
That was why typical offers involved favorable profit shares from future Mystic Gates.
And El Pam had only just reached the 3rd Circle, becoming a D-Rank adventurer.
Handing over ten million mesos—something even C-Rank adventurers rarely touched—was frankly unbelievable.
'Beiju came in person, so it's not empty talk.'
If it hadn't been Beiju, an executive of the Kania Merchant Group, who said it, they wouldn't have even listened.
That part was even more astonishing.
'No, forget the ten million mesos—the fact that Beiju came himself?'
On the other hand, El Pam's silence stemmed from different reasons.
He had anticipated the Kania Merchant Group approaching him, and he already knew a tail was on him.
'An orange-grade Mystic Gate located in Henesys.'
What kept him silent was the test stage he had to clear to receive the ten million mesos.
'High chance it's the Hundred Wounds.'
A gate of a hundred wounds, commonly known as the Hundred Wounds Gate.
El Pam believed the Mystic Gate the Kania Merchant Group was offering was that very Hundred Wounds Gate.
'A trap meticulously crafted by the Kania Merchant Group.'
He speculated as much due to the nature of the Kania Merchant Group.
The Kania Merchant Group had been founded by followers of the Black Mage, and its sole purpose was one thing.
To eliminate as many obstacles as possible, as quickly as possible, that could hinder the Black Mage's resurrection.
Naturally, those obstacles were adventurers.
In other words, the Kania Merchant Group's goal was to kill adventurers by any means necessary.
The 100-man Mystic Gate incident had occurred for that very reason.
Considering such factors, the Hundred Wounds Gate seemed likely.
Of course, the claim of only three wounds was a lie.
Such deceptions were commonplace.
While Mystic Gate difficulty was gauged by wound count, those wounds could be fabricated at will.
Exaggerating achievements by inflicting extra wounds on purpose, or disguising an easy gate as difficult by adding wounds to deter other adventurers—both were common.
Conversely, hiding wounds was also frequent.
This was one such case.
'And they'll include assassins too.'
One more thing: El Pam was certain the Kania Merchant Group would act even more decisively.
'They can't tolerate failure—that's how the Black Mage's followers think.'
To the Black Mage's followers, the Black Mage was a god-like figure who would change the world.
Everything for such a Black Mage had to be accomplished at any cost; it wasn't something to be weighed or measured.
In any case, the Kania Merchant Group had set its trap.
Now, only one thing remained: El Pam's choice.
He didn't deliberate long.
"Ralph."
"...Speak."
"The signing bonus is ten million mesos. What's your answer?"
There was no reason not to.
'It won't be difficult.'
Now that it was revealed as the Kania Merchant Group's trap—the Hundred Wounds Gate.
'I've cleared it once before.'
Cleared by no one other than El Pam himself.
Thus, at El Pam's unhesitating question, Ralph smiled and replied.
2.
"Boss, no matter how I think about it, this feels off."
The moment they left the slums, Dibo couldn't hold back his complaint.
"Ten million mesos to a guy like that? Isn't that too much?"
It was a valid gripe.
"I'm only getting one million mesos!"
Dibo certainly loved money as much as anyone.
Yet here he was, unable to even sniff a whiff of ten million mesos, handing it straight over to some guy named Ralph?
"Why's he worth that kind of cash?"
His bigger issue was the man named Ralph.
"He's just a 3rd Circle, D-Rank adventurer, isn't he?"
A 3rd Circle Bishop was valuable in a party, but not ten-million-meso valuable.
Of course, there were D-Rank adventurers worth that much.
Plenty on Victoria Island.
Like Golden Eye, disciple of Kairin the pirate active on the Nautilus, or Blue Eyes, one of Helena the divine archer's children active in Henesys.
A few in Lith Harbor too.
But if Ralph were on that level, Dibo would have known the name.
"He's a Bishop, right?"
Honestly, Dibo could hardly believe he was even a supporter.
El Pam wasn't particularly worried about it.
"We'll see his skills soon enough."
Ralph was joining the test stage too.
Of course, El Pam had no concerns.
'Ralph lacks fame only because he's never had profitable opportunities.'
El Pam knew Ralph's abilities better than anyone.
"But Boss, you sure it'll be okay? It's only a few wounds, but orange-grade is your first time, right?"
Now, the real worry was the test stage.
"Ah, of course, you'll be fine, Boss, but as you know, I only have one circle..."
Truthfully, Dibo himself was the most worried about that.
An orange-grade Mystic Gate was 3rd Circle adventurer territory—too much for a 1st Circle adventurer like Dibo.
El Pam wasn't overly concerned about that either.
He knew.
Dibo's talent—the kind that would let him circle up to at least the 7th Circle without hesitation.
So, only one thing left.
"We'll recruit one more."
"A new party member?"
Dibo brightened at El Pam's words.
No matter how you sliced it, more firepower was always good.
"Who are you planning to recruit?"
"This time, Dibo, someone you know."
"Me too?"
His anticipation grew.
'A super-famous adventurer? I'm handling warrior, we've got a supporter, Boss is the mage, so what's left is pirate, thief, or archer...? No way?'
"Is it a woman by any chance?"
"Correct."
At that answer, Dibo thought of someone.
'Golden Eye? No way, Golden Eye?'
"Boss, is it that person?"
Dibo asked, brimming with excitement. El Pam replied,
"Yeah, Kiri."
"Pardon?"
Kiri.
The moment that name dropped, Dibo blanked out briefly, then wore a shocked expression as realization hit.
"Boss, are you in your right mind?"
A perfectly reasonable reaction.
"She's in the Knights!"
Regardless of Kiri's personality or skills, she was a Cygnus Knights trainee—someone who couldn't join an adventurer party.
"She won't even hear the offer."
Proud knights partying with adventurers? Unthinkable.
But El Pam thought differently.
"She'll accept the recruitment offer."
El Pam knew.
"Because she lost her comrade."
Why the Cygnus Knights were knights.
Excluding that, there was ample merit in recruiting her.
"Her abilities are proven."
"Well, yeah."
She was 2nd Circle, but her skills rivaled 3rd Circle adventurers.
"And she doesn't need a signing bonus."
"Oh!"
Recruiting her wouldn't cost much either.
"That's super appealing."
Even Dibo was tempted now.
'But the best part.'
Of course, that wasn't El Pam's primary reason for wanting her.
'Bringing Kiri in throws off their calculations.'
3.
"Lord Ibock, El Pam has arrived."
At Beiju's words, Ibock, leader of the Kania Merchant Group, showed no particular reaction.
It was just expected business—reacting would be the odd thing.
Instead, his expression grew icy.
As if questioning why he bothered reporting something so routine.
Beiju knew this.
Yet his presence here meant the situation had changed.
"El Pam's party now includes Kiri."
Only then did Ibock react.
He turned to look at Beiju.
"All four targets are gathered in one place."
"Yes."
"The prey all in one spot—fortunate."
"That's why I have a request for you, Lord Ibock. I'd like to deploy an assassin for this operation."
Originally, the Kania Merchant Group had prepared only the Mystic Gate to eliminate El Pam and Dibo.
That should have sufficed.
They had already disposed of 88 adventurer parties there!
In wound terms, an 88-wound gate.
Practically hell.
Just shove adventurers in, and the Mystic Gate devoured them on its own—a hell that had never once failed expectations!
Even if any emerged, it wouldn't matter.
No one could emerge unscathed from that hell; hunting weakened adventurers would be effortless.
No need for extras.
But Beiju thought otherwise.
"They're survivors of the 100-man Gate."
He'd thought the same back then.
"I want to make it certain."
Ibock nodded at Beiju's stance.
One mistake was a mistake; a second was incompetence.
Incompetence in matters for the Black Mage was intolerable.
"Deploy the Viper."
Thus, Ibock played the Viper card.
"Pardon?"
Beiju's eyes widened like saucers at the mention.
It was unavoidable.
"The Viper—you mean Nir?"
Viper Nir.
A 3rd Circle D-Rank adventurer mage with zero fame, not even a known name.
That was natural.
No one who had seen Viper Nir had survived.
The perfect viper, never once failing a mission.
An extraordinarily powerful card.
Its existence was shrouded in utmost secrecy.
'Even I haven't seen its face.'
Beiju, an executive of the Kania Merchant Group, didn't even know if the Viper was male or female.
That's how the executives who knew described Viper Nir.
One of the seven cards in Ibock's hand.
A card never played except in extreme cases—and now it was.
A show of resolve.
"Not a single exception will be left alive."
Ibock's will to end this there.
Before such resolve, Beiju had only one response.
"Yes, then I'll prepare the stage."