Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: 13. Cross Hunters (2)
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4.
The banquet table was laden with so much food that one might struggle to decide what to eat.
“Ptoo!”
A small-statured man at the table spewed the stew he was eating like a fountain.
It was the epitome of a nuisance!
Yet not a single person at the table scolded the man, Dibo.
And for good reason.
“Boss, have you lost your mind?”
What El Pam had said was utter madness, incomprehensible to any sane person.
“You demanded twenty million mesos? As an advance payment?”
Twenty million mesos.
An amount even a typical 5th Circle adventurer couldn’t easily touch. El Pam had demanded that as upfront payment.
And not just demanded it casually, either.
“Boss, does that even make sense? They’re the ones asking for protection!”
Hadn’t El Pam approached the Gapor Merchant Group precisely to seek protection from the Kania Merchant Group’s threats?
“And you’re asking for money?”
When they should’ve been grateful for any help, he was demanding even more cash?
“There’s something I can’t quite wrap my head around.”
That was when Ralph chimed in. A rare sight. Ralph was usually the type to only respond when directly questioned.
So Dibo had high hopes.
‘That’s right, Ralph. Lay into him. Snap the boss out of it.’
He hoped Ralph’s words would finally get El Pam to act rationally.
Ralph delivered on Dibo’s expectations.
“You demanded twenty million mesos? As an advance?”
“That’s right.”
“Was it a lump sum payment, or installments?”
“Lump sum.”
“Brilliant.”
He gave El Pam a thumbs-up, flashing a smile happier than Dibo had ever seen.
“What the...?”
Stunned by the absurdity, Dibo turned to Kiri beside him.
“Kiri, say something. Please.”
“Me? What do you mean?”
“I’m the only one who looks crazy here, stuck between them! Back me up. Remind them what common sense is.”
“Twenty million mesos... We could afford that, right? It’s a lot, but not impossible.”
“What?”
Kiri’s response left Dibo even more dumbfounded.
“Kiri, does that make any sense? You think your dad owns a merchant group or something? Huh? Are you loaded?”
“N-No way.”
Dibo let out a hollow laugh at Kiri’s vehement denial, while Ralph’s eyes narrowed.
That was when Ralph turned to Dibo with a question.
“Dibo, let me ask. Is the problem that the sum is too high?”
“Who wouldn’t love more money!”
It was obvious, and Dibo had zero intention of turning down a fortune.
“But this is basically saying we won’t take the deal, right?”
The real issue was that they weren’t in a position to negotiate with the Gapor Merchant Group—they needed to get under their wing first, no matter what.
Money was money, but didn’t they need to survive the Kania Merchant Group’s sharp blade first?
“No, boss? Isn’t that right? They turned down ten million, so twenty million’s just gonna get the same no!”
Anyone could see it was a clear signal they didn’t want the contract.
“I’d bet my entire fortune that the Gapor Group leader isn’t crazy enough to say yes!”
Dibo declared confidently.
That was the moment.
“El Pam.”
One of the merchants approached El Pam’s table.
“The Gapor Merchant Group has arrived. We accept your proposal.”
5.
“El Pam accepted the proposal.”
Evis’s words drew no particular reaction from Rakan.
Of course not.
They were fugitives dodging the Kania Merchant Group, and handing over twenty million mesos as an advance?
Refusing would be idiotic.
“But did we really need to go this far? Without us, he’d already be as good as dead.”
Which was why Evis couldn’t fathom why Rakan had accepted the offer.
“The Kania Group got trolled—that’s more than enough to shake them up.”
El Pam certainly had value.
“But it’s just his testimony. There’s no hard evidence anywhere yet.”
However, that value wasn’t worth twenty million mesos. Not by a long shot.
“Exactly.”
Rakan knew that full well.
“To rattle the Kania Group, we need more than El Pam’s word—solid proof.”
That was the point.
“And right now, the Kania Group is desperate to kill El Pam.”
“Ah!”
“From here on, we just dangle the bait in front of them.”
“So that’s why?”
Rakan had eagerly offered twenty million mesos because...
“There’s a condition in the contract.”
6.
“You must conquer the Mystic Gate at least twice a month. That’s the new condition.”
The Gapor merchant’s stipulation elicited no real reaction from the three members of El Pam’s party.
After all, merchant groups hired adventurers to conquer Mystic Gates more efficiently.
It was only natural to specify regular conquests in the contract.
Without such terms, adventurers could pocket the advance and do nothing—a classic eat-and-run scam.
But El Pam was different.
‘They definitely plan to use me as bait.’
He saw through the Gapor Merchant Group’s intentions immediately.
‘I have to die at the Kania Group’s hands for it to count as evidence.’
They were deliberately throwing his party into the jaws of death.
El Pam wasn’t surprised.
Nor particularly offended.
‘Just as expected.’
He hadn’t sought out the Gapor Group for any noble goal like saving Maple World.
Quite the opposite.
Among Lith’s top ten merchant groups, they were the ones most likely to bite the Kania Group like rabid dogs. That’s why he chose them.
In other words, the Gapor Group intended to use El Pam as bait, one way or another. They had no plans to utilize him otherwise.
That’s why he’d named twenty million mesos.
They had no choice but to pay.
“Just sign the contract?”
“Yes.”
Scribble!
El Pam signed without hesitation.
The merchant promptly collected the document.
“The advance will be ready when you arrive at the Gapor Merchant Group. How would you like the checks prepared?”
“Four checks of five million mesos each, please.”
“Understood. We’ll prepare them.”
As the merchant departed, Dibo clenched his fist.
“Boss, you’re incredible!”
Ralph felt the same.
“No matter what comes next, I’ll follow you.”
Ralph thrust up another thumbs-up.
Kiri nodded along.
“Impressive.”
Even she couldn’t hide her awe at El Pam pulling off such a massive deal.
But El Pam himself remained unfazed.
No excitement.
No reason for it.
‘Twenty million mesos. Should be enough for supplies.’
To him, it wasn’t a huge sum. Honestly, it barely registered.
Just enough to stock up on consumables for adventures.
Above all, he knew what lay ahead.
‘The next Mystic Gate will be hell.’
With their viper Nir gone, the Kania Group would send an even deadlier assassin next.
‘And the Gapor Group wants me dead.’
The “umbrella” he’d sought offered no shelter—instead, they’d paid twenty million mesos to watch the Kania Group slaughter his party.
Everyone was an enemy, except Dibo, Kiri, and Ralph.
“Everyone, head to the Gapor Merchant Group.”
“Huh? Everyone? You’re not coming, boss?”
In this situation, El Pam had only one place he could trust.
“I have somewhere to be.”
As he spoke, El Pam lightly touched the ring on his finger.
‘Time to meet the Cross Hunters.’
7.
When the Mystic Gate era began, Maple World went wild.
Adventurers rushed to tackle them. Even the Cygnus Knights joined the fray.
The Black Wings had seized the machine city Edelstein, and the Resistance was busy fighting them—yet they too conquered Gates.
Reasons varied, but most boiled down to one.
“Items beyond the Mystic Gates change everything!”
To obtain those items.
Nothing strange about it.
In Maple World, where items equaled power and ability, refusing them would be the real oddity.
That’s why...
‘Cross Hunters.’
They were seen as outliers.
‘Destroyers of Mystic Gates.’
Their goal wasn’t items or titles—just demolishing the Gates.
And they used any means necessary.
When Mystic Gates first appeared, they tried physically destroying them outright.
Of course, after learning that destroying one spawned another nearby, they abandoned that and entered the Gates instead.
‘Not hunting the boss monster—just finding the exit.’
Naturally, they had no interest in slaying monsters.
Adventurers craving magic stones and items from Gate monsters viewed Cross Hunters as slippery eels—nothing more.
Thus, Cross Hunters operated in secrecy, hiding among adventurers. Most were oblivious to their existence.
El Pam had been too.
‘Didn’t learn until after that day.’
Before returning to the past, he’d first heard of them after monsters started emerging from Gates.
That’s when he learned their true purpose.
‘They knew the Gates were a ploy by the Black Mage’s followers—and they fought to stop it.’
El Pam never joined, but maintained friendly ties.
He wasn’t alone.
In Maple World, anyone surviving against monsters had to band together.
Thanks to that, El Pam knew.
‘Good thing I heard their stories back then. The Cross Hunters’.’
Where the Cross Hunters’ Lith branch was located.
Even knowing, he couldn’t approach rashly.
Showing up out of nowhere meant instant elimination.
And that was correct.
Cross Hunters opposed the Black Mage’s followers—ruthlessness was essential.
That made this a big win.
‘With the Cross Ring, they won’t kill me on sight.’
He finally had a chance to meet them.
Strolling Lith’s back alleys, El Pam soon stopped before a tightly shut door.
Knock knock!
He rapped on it.
No response.
Instead of panicking, he walked away.
For a while.
Then returned to the original spot. Stood before the door he’d knocked on.
Suddenly turned, crossed to the opposite building, and knocked there.
Knock knock!
The door opened.
El Pam saw it then.
“Ten seconds.”
A gun barrel glaring from the pitch-black interior.
“What’s your purpose?”
El Pam raised his left hand, showing the ring.
“Delivering a last will.”
“Enter.”
Only then did he step inside.
Darkness receded, revealing dozens of eyes fixed on him—eyes ready to kill at any moment.
Sharp, menacing glares.
They barely fazed El Pam.
Compared to what he’d faced, they were like a puppy’s growl—nothing more.
But one gaze shook him.
‘There.’
A familiar face.
‘Cheryl was here.’
Cheryl, one of the Cross Hunter executives. Her face.